[Discussion] My dogs have been battling a severe ringworm infection for the last 13 months. How common are severe fungus infections in dogs?Dog Talks

My dogs both have ringworm and have been on a strict quarantine since September 15th, 2019

My more sensitive dog was misdiagnosed for over a year with a non-contagious yeast infection in November 2018. Somewhere within the next twelve months my dog developed a ringworm infection, that skyrocketed to enormous proportions. By September 2019 when my vet finally realized it was a more severe fungus infection, my sensitive dog had lesions covering over 60% of his body. By the time the vet realized it was contagious, my sick dog had already spread it to his twin brother.

Both my dogs are 95 pounds, double coated, long haired Labrador/chow chow mixes. They just turned 8 years old this April, 2020.

We have ran multiple tests, and even though the growths look like ringworm and behave like a fungus, we have not been unable to get a positive ringworm result from any of my dogs’ biopsies. The vet immediately put both dogs on steroids, antibacterial for the secondary infections, and anti-fungal medication because as she put it “it’s a clear textbook case of ringworm.”

Even though we can’t get a positive fungal test result- the dermatologists (plural) my vet outsourced all agree that the outbreak has all the characteristics of a ringworm fungus infection. The fungal medication I have been giving them has helped lessen their outbreak.

The doctors think we are unable to get a positive ringworm result because the strand of fungus is new and hasn’t been recorded yet. We are all pretty sure it’s ringworm because my dogs have given it me to three times in the last year, and the topical ringworm ointments my personal doctor has prescribed me works to cure the fungal infection on my own skin every time.

I shower my dogs every week while wearing plastic protective gear to keep as dry and as clean as possible while I scrub their hair and deep-clean up the debris in their environment. It’s a long wet process, so I have unfortunately gotten ringworm infection a few times from this constant close contact with my dogs and the spores. Ointments clear up any signs of ringworm growth on me and none of the ringworm infection have come back.

Even though this ringworm has proven to be a super pervasive infection, I have been able to be eliminate it on my own body several times.

My dogs have been on a great number of anti fungal medicated pills for the last year. They also get showered once a week with anti-fungal shampoo, and I periodically rub them down with coconut oil.

I shower them, give them anti fungal pills, & sanitize their areas daily with clorox in a spray bottle. I even have their beds wrapped in plastic so that I can sanitize their beds every day when I clean and sanitize their room.

Due to their double coats, and seemingly compromised immune systems, they have had active ringworm lesions scattered around their backs, necks, bellies, and hind legs since they were officially diagnosed in September 2019.

Many of the ringworm spots on their bodies have healed, but at the same time, new growths are sprouting up that can only be seen and identify once the spots are large enough to create a patch of bald hair on their coats.

I moved my office into my living and dining room so that my dogs could stay in my second bedroom which I previously used as my office space. The room has an easy exit to the backyard, which allows for easier, daily sanitation.

For the last 13 months my dogs have only gone from that one room, and the back patio to limit their environmental contamination.

It’s essential to limit the areas where an infected pet can drop hair and dandruff contaminated with fungal spores. So I pick up the hair and debris off the floor and make sure I sanitize my shoes every time I come into contact with my infected pets’ space.

Ringworm is not a bacterial infection, so my dogs aren’t forming antibodies against future fungal outbreaks. Even as they cure themselves of one fungal spot, if they come into contact with the same fungus again anywhere in their environment, even scattered on their own coats when they scratch, they can just as easily become re-infected.

The environment needs to be kept clean and sanitized so that my pets do not re-infect themselves.

Because the fungus has not cleared up in so long, my vet recommends giving my dogs more showers. She recommended I shower them every three days instead of once a week, but I have not been able to shower them more often then every 5 days because of how much work showering them requires.

It takes me over 4 hours to shower both dogs and sanitize their bedroom, outside space, and hallway completely free of hair, dirt, and debris.

Even though I can’t shower them daily, I do sanitize, vacuum, sweep and mop all their hair daily.

Showering them once a week has also proven to be a very taxing job because of their large size and thick undercoat. The dogs are huge and they have a lot of hair. It was always more cost and time effective to get them showered at Petco every three weeks for 200 total. Unfortunatly, due to the ringworm, Petco couldn’t accept my dogs with their fungal infections anymore. Petco can’t shower them because my dogs could accidentally infect the healthy animals they come into contact with.

The cost of continuing to live with this fungal infection is also piling up. Showering my dogs every three days would cost twice as much in anti fungals, sanitation sprays, and personal protective gear for myself, including the potential for additional doctors visits if they keep re-infecting me with ringworm from the wet-messy business that comes with showering them more often.

Before ringworm, my dogs used to spend all their time with me. They were raised to be inside dogs. They would hang out with me under under my desk as I worked from home. They would lay on my feet anywhere I might sit, or they would recline their big furry bodies on my bare legs as I sat at the dinner table or living room.

I’ve had my dogs since they were 3-4 months old. I raised them to be lap dogs. They are my huge fluffy soft bears. Like cats, they caress themselves at my feet, and lick me as I walk past, just to say hi. We used to spend all our time at home together.

For the last 13 months, my dogs no longer get to spend their days and nights lounging around me anymore. They are quarantined in their room, or backyard with only each other as company. My vet asked me not to take them on walks, because any fungus they shed, could find itself into another pet owners home.

I cannot pet them when I let them out unless I have gloves on, and I cannot hug them unless I have plastic protective gear, or a long sleeved shirt I have to immediately wash on a double cycle to clear of any fungus.

My dogs still look strong on some days. Other days, they are visibly frustrated and constantly scratching and biting their skin. The fabric of their thick hair has become a bed of contagious material that hurts them and keeps them separated from me, and all the other things they used to love to do.

They grew up smothered in my unwavering attention and affection, now, they are lucky to get a pat on the head, or a scratch on their neck. Even though I’m more consumed with my dogs than ever before, they can’t tell because they hardly see me anymore.

I have to limit how much I touch them and scratch them because I could potentially be spreading their fungus from one area of their body to another. The only time they get massages is once a week when I scrub down their hair with anti fungal medication. Or afterwards if I put coconut oil in their dry hair.

I’ve started to truly consider euthanizing my dogs to end their constant suffering and extended quarantine, but I love them so much, and it’s hard for me to make this decision.

I haven’t heard or read about any other person who has ever had this kind of pervasive fungal infections on their large dogs.

Please share your stories and tell me about any one who has gone through a similar situation. I want my dogs to heal, I just don’t know if forcing them to live like this is the best for them anymore.

Submitted October 31, 2020 at 10:49PM by Icy-Tip-1903 https://ift.tt/2TKOMBC