Dermatophytosis in dogs: causes, symptoms and treatment

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 27 January 2021
Update Date: 20 November 2024
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Were you noticed that your dog has circular hairless areas all over the body? In this case, it is possible that there is an overgrowth of dermatophyte fungi on the dog's skin, which causes dermatophytosis.

Dermatophytosis is a zoonosis, which means that it can be transmitted to humans and cause the same clinical signs and symptoms. Don't be alarmed, this disease has cure and the sooner you act and take your dog to the vet, the sooner the treatment will begin and your worrying end.

If you want to know more about dermatophytosis, its causes, symptoms and treatment, continue reading this article by PeritoAnimal.


What is canine dermatophytosis

Dermatophytosis, also known as had, is an affection of the most superficial layers of the skin that can be caused by several dermatophyte fungi, the most common being:

  • Microsporum canis;
  • Microsporum gypseum;
  • Trichophyton mentagrophytes.

In general, the kennel is that what most affects dogs (70%) and cats (98%). In addition to these species, the Microsporumkennels in humans is also recurrent.

These dermatophyte fungi feed on keratin, a protein that is part of various body structures such as nails, skin, hair and hair and is attached to the stratum corneum of the skin of several species (dogs, cats, birds and the human being). fungi love humid and hot environments to develop and take advantage of the fragility of the host.


Causes of canine dermatophytosis

How do fungi appear on the dog's skin? Contagion occurs when the dog enters c.Direct contact with another animal (dog, cat, bird) or infected person. There is also the possibility of becoming infected if you have had contact with an environment or places contaminated by spores (produced by the fungus) or with contaminated fomites (brushes, combs and animal beds).

When the animal is stressed or with weaker immunity (because it is very young, old or sick), or doing corticosteroid treatments, the skin becomes more fragile and susceptible to infections. This is where the fungus is opportunistic and begins to reproduce, feeding on the animal's keratin.

At that moment, the symptoms of dermatophytosis in dogs which we will indicate below.

Canine Dermatophytosis Symptoms

As we have already learned, dermatophyte fungi feed on skin constituents, leading to peeling skin.
In addition, fungal spores penetrate the skin and take the place of the hair follicle and destroy the keratin present, originating hair loss.


This hair loss gives way to alopecia (hairless zones) which explains why you see your hairless dog in one or more regions of the body. Generally, these alopecias are smooth and circular with a red ring of inflammation, since fungi have radial growth.

Fungi can also cause the skin tone to change and become darker, causing a hyperpigmentation of the skin.

Unlike what happens in humans, dermatophytosis in dogs does not always cause itching (itching) and because of that, you won't necessarily notice your dog scratching himself.

Diagnosis of canine dermatophytosis

Diagnosis is performed by the veterinarian. Although injuries are very characteristic, there are other causes or illnesses that may be causing these injuries and that need to be treated.

The veterinarian will do some fundamental questions for diagnosis:

  • If there are more animals in the house and they have the same problem;
  • If there are people with the same type of injuries;
  • Type of bedding, diet and routine the animal has;
  • If you had contact with an infected animal or if you were in an environment different from the normal one;
  • General state of the animal: attitude, appetite, last deworming, vaccination plan, disease history, etc.

Soon after, the veterinarian will examine the animal and observe the injuries.

To obtain a definitive diagnosis, additional tests are needed such as:

  • lamp wood, a method based on the collection of hairs close to the circular lesion, which are then placed under the lamp. Result: if it is Microsporum kennels the fur fluoresces when exposed to this type of light.
  • Direct observation in microscope.
  • Fungi culture. The TMD test (Dermatophyte Test Medium) is an example of this type of culture. Hairs are collected from the periphery of the lesion (it is always necessary to avoid collecting from the center of the lesion, as this is the place with the least fungal load) and, if possible, pulled out with the root. Then, the hairs are placed in a flask with a specific culture medium to identify the fungus. Result: at the end of 3 or 4 weeks, if the culture medium changes color and fungal growth occurs, it means that we are dealing with dermatophytes.
  • The animal is only considered to be cured after 3 negative fungal culture tests.
  • It is important that the animal is not being medicated with anti-fungals when collecting the material, as this can compromise and adulterate the results.

Treatment of dermatophytosis in dogs

Despite being a self-limiting disease that resolves itself, it is advisable to start treatment for canine dermatophytosis as soon as possible, as it is highly contagious between humans and animals.

  • Local treatment: sometimes it is necessary to shave to eliminate excess hair and sanitize the skin, making a local treatment with shampoos and topical antifungal products (miconazole, ketoconazole or fluconazole).
  • Chlorhexidine and povidone iodine may be ineffective as a topical home treatment.
  • Systemic treatment: itraconazole, griseofulvin or terbinafine are used for systemic treatment, essential to make the treatment effective.
  • Decontamination of the environment: to avoid contagion to other animals and humans and to the animal being treated. The pet's beds and clothes must be washed with water at a temperature of at least 43ºC.
  • Isolation of the animal, avoid contact with other dogs or cats, especially immunocompromised ones.
  • Always treat the animal with gloves and wash your hands well after contact to avoid contagion.
  • You can supplement medical treatment for dermatophytosis with home treatment. Learn more in the article Home remedy for ringworm in dogs.

It is important for the tutor to know that the topical and/or systemic treatment takes a long time, requiring at least 4 weeks. In addition, there are no immediate results, but don't be discouraged, if you follow all the veterinarian's instructions, you will be able to cure your pet.

This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Dermatophytosis in dogs: causes, symptoms and treatment, we recommend that you enter our Skin Problems section.