Ringworm is a fungal infection of the top layers of skin and hair. It is highly contagious to humans, specifically to children, elderly people and anyone with a compromised immune system. If you suspect your pet has ringworm, please seek veterinary treatment immediately.

Ringworm is zoonotic, which means that it’s a type of infection that can be transferred from animals to humans. If you know your pet or another person has ringworm, please avoid the following:

  • Skin-to-skin contact
  • Sharing clothing, towels or sports gear
  • Contact with infected household items like brushes, clothing, towels and furniture

It may be difficult to observe mild ringworm symptoms in pets, and you may not notice anything at all. For more severe cases, you may notice the following symptoms:

  • Dandruff-like scaling in the coat
  • Red lesions on the head, chest, forelegs and ridge of the back
  • Scaling, crusting, thickening and reddening of the skin
  • Patches of hair loss on fur

If you have any questions about ringworm or notice any of the above symptoms, please bring your pet in for a skin exam immediately.