Like many other pets, our dogs can also suffer from skin fungus. Skin fungal infections occur mainly in young animals, those with weakened immune systems, or those that have been affected by parasites or other diseases. However, the disease is not only a danger to your dog, as many skin fungi are also transmissible to humans and are therefore zoonoses. Elderly and weakened people are particularly at risk of developing a dangerous fungal infection.
Dermatophytosis (= skin fungal disease) can be caused in dogs by various types of skin fungi. The genera Microsporum and Trichophyton are common. Minimal cracks or skin damage provide an entry point for the microscopic reproductive forms of the fungi. These so-called spores adhere to the hair or scales of infected animals and are transmitted through direct physical contact, but also via the contaminated environment of the infected animal. Spores are very resistant and can therefore survive in the environment for a long time. The warm, moist environment of the skin provides ideal conditions for the spores to develop. This results in a network of fungal cells forming in the skin, which secrete certain metabolic products that cause the horny layers to break down. The fungus feeds on this broken-down material and penetrates deeper and deeper into the skin layers. This results in allergic and inflammatory skin changes.
The first classic signs of a fungal skin infection are often circular, hairless patches of skin that spread outwards and may be reddened. As the infection progresses, these areas can become scaly, crusty, or even weepy. The skin changes may or may not be accompanied by itching. Since some other pathogens can cause similar changes, a veterinary examination is always recommended. Due to the high risk of infection, all animals in a household should always be examined and treated if a fungal disease is present, as some animals can transmit the disease even without noticeable symptoms.
Even if the typical round skin changes already indicate a fungal infection, the treating veterinarian will always perform a special hair or skin test to confirm the suspicion and rule out any differential diagnoses (diseases with similar symptoms). Veterinarians have various options for detecting skin fungi. Some types of fungi fluoresce under black or UV light and can therefore be detected directly in the vet's office using a special lamp. Since this does not apply to all types, further tests may be necessary, such as a fungal culture in a laboratory, a biopsy and pathological examination, or a microscopic examination of hair. Not all methods provide the veterinarian with immediate results. If samples have to be sent to specialized laboratories or fungal cultures have to be created, it may take a few weeks before reliable results are available.
Treating a fungal skin disease requires a lot of patience and special cooperation from you as the owner, as it can sometimes take several weeks or even months. Depending on the severity and extent of the disease, effective medications are available for external and internal use. The best results are usually achieved with a combination of local washing or rubbing (of the entire animal!) and systemic therapy with antifungal medications. In severe cases, it may be advisable to partially or completely shave the animal to improve the effectiveness of shampoos or lotions and eliminate most of the fungal spores. Your veterinarian will decide which preparations and treatment methods to use in each individual case.
The most important prerequisites for the success of the therapy are consistent adherence to the treatment plan prescribed by the veterinarian, simultaneous disinfection of the environment of the affected animal, and treatment of all other animals living in the household. This is the only way to prevent the pathogen from spreading further and infecting other animals or even humans with the skin fungus.
Since treatment often takes a long time, regular check-ups with the veterinarian are important to monitor the success of the treatment.
Skin fungal infections usually clear up completely within four to six weeks if the veterinary treatment plan is followed. If the immune system is weakened by other underlying conditions or secondary infections, the prognosis may be worse.
In Germany, several vaccines are available for dogs against microsporia or against microsporia and trichophytosis. Although vaccination does not prevent the onset of the disease, it significantly alleviates and shortens its course. This vaccination is used as a preventive measure, especially in high-risk facilities such as breeding farms or animal shelters. However, the vaccine can also be used as an adjunctive therapy for skin fungal infections to accelerate the healing of skin lesions. Preventive vaccination against dermatophytosis is not generally recommended. The minimum age for vaccination is six or twelve weeks, depending on the vaccine. After a second vaccination two to three weeks later, vaccination protection lasts for nine months to a year. Your vet can send you a personalized vaccination schedule for your dog via petsXL, and you will automatically receive notifications when it is time to make another appointment.
IMPORTANT: As skin fungus is a zoonosis, you must also protect yourself from possible infection. The best way to do this is to treat all animals in the household and observe thorough personal hygiene when handling your sick animal. It is particularly advisable to wash your hands thoroughly after each contact and not to allow infected animals to sleep on the sofa or in bed. In addition, all contact persons and the infected animal should be kept away from other people and animals until the treatment is complete in order to minimize the risk of spreading the fungus.
Skin fungal infections are also common in chinchillas. The most common are ringworm and bald patch, which cause changes to the fur and skin of chinchillas. Skin fungal infections are not life-threatening, but can lead to persistent problems due to their contagious nature. Skin fungi can also be transmitted to or from humans to animals, which is referred to as a zoonosis.
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