Apr
14
Dog and ringworm…? Home remedies?
ByHey, My 1 year old boxer has ringworm on his leg and I was wanting to know if anyone knew of any home remedies to get rid of it. The vet has seen the spot but he is on medicine (steroids and antibiotics) because of an injury and he can’t take the medicine to cure the ringworm right now.
Any suggestions?? Thanks
7 Comments
April 14th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
I fostered hundreds of animals over several years. One foster cat had ringworm which spread to the rest of my house including me. I bought the walmart spray athlete’s foot medicine and sprayed that. keep doing it over several days until gone. long haired dogs harder to cure but on regular length hair easy. good luck
program for fleas also cures ringworm. check with your vet
April 14th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Calendula
Calendula is an excellent herb which is anti-inflammatory and which heals wounds and sores quickly and nicely.
Use a cotton swab to apply a tincture of this herb to the ringworm lesions two or three times a day until they heal.
Alternatively, use an ointment of calendula on the lesions. It is soothing and works well too.
Licorice
Licorice is another herb that is anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. Used topically, it is effective in treating skin irritations and infections such as those caused by ringworm.
Use the dried herb of licorice to make a tea: Add 5 to 7 teaspoons of the dried herb to one cup of hot water. Boil and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Let the tea cool down and use a cotton ball to apply the tea to the lesions, 2 to 3 times a day.
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Dog Ringworm Remedies – Essential Oils
Tea Tree Oil
**Never use UNDILUTED Tea Tree Oil on dogs and cats.**
Tea tree oil is a very effective antifungal essential oil, but it can be irritating to some pets, especially small dogs and cats. It is important that we dilute the oil with a carrier oil (such as olive oil) before using on our pets.
A good topical ringworm treatment can be made by using tea tree oil and Vitamin E: Add half a teaspoon of tea tree oil to about half an ounce of a carrier oil (e.g. olive oil, or sweet almond oil). Then pop a vitamin E capsule and squeeze the oil into the tea tree mixture. Mix well and apply it to the lesions 2 to 3 times daily.
Neem Oil
Neem oil is derived from the seeds of the neem tree and is antifungal and anti-inflammatory. It also has pain relief effects, making it a wonderfully effective remedy for various dog skin irritations including canine ringworm. Its bitter taste also discourages dogs from licking!
If you have neem oil, you can use a cotton swab to apply the oil to the lesions, 2 to 3 times daily.
A Natural Formula for Dog Ringworm
PetAlive Ring-Ex 30mL for Dogs and Cats
This formula synergistically combines the anti-inflammatory and healing powers of tea tree oil, neem oil, the herb calendula, and witch hazel – all essential ingredients for treating ringworm. Handy and effective!
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Other Natural Dog Ringworm Remedies
Pure Virgin Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is said to be the “healthiest oil on earth”. It contains powerful antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal agents that prevent infection and disease and, used topically on pets, is effective in treating skin irritations.
To treat lesions caused by ringworm, just pop open some coconut oil capsules and squeeze the oil on to the affected areas. Repeat 2 to 3 times daily.
A Natural Coconut Oil Product
Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil
This is an organic coconut oil supplement that can be fed to your dog for general health care. The oil in the capsule can be used topically for various skin irritations and infections, such as ringworm, candida, etc.
Apple Cider Vinegar / GSE
Some veterinarians suggest using apple cider vinegar as an after-shampoo rinse to clear away skin cells – the main source of nourishment for the ringworm fungi. The vinegar will also alleviate itching caused by the sores.
To make the vinegar rinse: Add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to a quart of water. Use it once a week as a rinse.
If you do not like the sour smell of vinegar on your dog’s skin, try using grapefruit seed extract. GSE is non-toxic. It is antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral and is commonly used to treat skin infections such as ringworm.
Add about 4 drops of GSE to 3 tablespoons of water and use a cotton ball to apply it to the lesions, 2 to 3 times daily.
April 14th, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Iodine, simple as that. Keep treating the affected areas for several days and it will go away. Remember too that ringworm is a fungus,
April 14th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
well if he has it chances are you may get it, so start with the anti-fungal cream, same stuff used for jock itch and athletes foot
April 14th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
Just use generic Lamisil from the drug store. We use it at the shelter I work at for cats and dogs with RW. Works great. And people can use it when it spreads to them too!!!
April 14th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
I don’t know of any home remedies but I do know, from experience, that it spreads easily to other pets in the home and humans.
I got a kitten years ago from the pound. Before I knew why he was losing some hair, my husband and I and our 2 dogs all had ringworm.
It was easy to treat on the animals. A pill, from what I remember but for us humans, we used an antifungal cream and I remember it taking months for the last lesion to go away. We probably had 50 spots on us.
So, while you are waiting to treat the dog, read this link…
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2102&aid=471
It tells all the basic info about ringworm.
Ask your vet if you can use an antifungal cream on the dogs ringworm spots.
April 14th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
If it is ringworm it will show as an round area (sometimes with a tail off it) and the hair will break off in that circle.. Ringworm is fluorescent under a black light (disco lights that turn white a glowing blue!) and if it is ringworm the vet will prescribe an anti-fungal cream – Ringworm is actually only a fungus and is not a living worm like creature.
I have found that Tea-tree (Melaleuca Oil) oil is very effective on ringworm as it is anti-fungal antibacterial and because it is an oil it is also not too drying on the skin.. To apply the tea-tree oil do not use the 100% concentrate use the 15% dilute mix you can buy at the shops and apply it sparingly 3 times a day to the area with a cotton ball. Tea tree is also good for hot spots on dogs as the cream they often prescribe makes the hot spot weepy and lasts a lot longer.
I am not sure when it stops being contagious but wash you hands often and wash all of the dogs bedding with a splash of the oil in the wash and that will help get rid of it quickly.. The Tea tree Oil works well on people in treating ringworm as well and is very effective for Tinea/Athletes foot.
Good Luck