What is the difference between ringworm and roundworm

Sometimes, worms aren't harmful and cause no symptoms. Children tend to have the most serious symptoms. Medicine is used for treatment. To protect against hookworms and roundworms:.

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Ringworm is not a life-threatening disease, but it is very contagious and does require the intervention of a veterinarian. Knowing the symptoms of ringworm in dogs can help you catch the disease before it passes to humans or other pets. In dogs, ringworm usually presents as circular areas of hair loss throughout the body.

These lesions may start to heal in the center as they enlarge, creating a patchy appearance, and may become inflamed or scabbed. Ringworm usually does not itch.

The affected hair follicles are brittle and break easily, which helps spread the disease throughout your home. In some cases the fungus infects the claws, making them brittle and rough. Hair loss , changes in coat appearance, or inflamed skin could be a sign of another condition. Learn more about the causes of dry skin on dogs. Cats can get ringworm, too, and the fungus responsible for most cases of ringworm in dogs, Microsporum canis, is also responsible for 98 percent of ringworm in cats.

Since many dog owners also have cats in the home, this means that the risk of the fungus spreading from cats to dogs and dogs to cats is relatively high. Most species of domestic animals can get ringworm, including livestock, so talk to your vet about the risk of spreading ringworm between your pets and other animals.

Humans can get Microsporum canis, too , which is another reason why it is important to take this condition seriously. Young children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems are at an increased risk of contracting ringworm from dogs, but anyone can contract this unsightly and uncomfortable parasite. In humans, ringworm presents as a roughly circular rash that is often red and itchy.

If you or a family member notices a rash on your body after your dog has been diagnosed with ringworm, contact your primary care physician. Your vet will diagnose your dog with ringworm by performing a diagnostic test, as well as a physical exam. Once ringworm is diagnosed, your vet will discuss a treatment plan for your dog. This treatment plan depends on the severity of the case, the number of pets in the household, and whether or not there are children or immunocompromised adults in the home.

Your vet might also suggest clipping long-haired dogs to speed up treatment and shaving the hair from affected areas. They reproduce very quickly.

Female roundworms may lay more than , eggs a day. These eggs leave the body through bowel movements. If a child swallows a roundworm egg, it passes down into the intestine and hatches into a baby worm larva. Larvae can pass through the intestine wall into the bloodstream. They then travel through the lungs up into the throat.

They are then swallowed again and return to the small intestine. There they grow into adult worms. Roundworms tend to be more common in warm, wet, tropical countries. They are more common in countries where. Your child may be at risk for roundworm infection if he or she has been adopted from a developing country. Or if you have traveled to a place where roundworms are common. Children are more likely to be infected after playing in contaminated soil and putting their contaminated hands into their mouths.

A child may also be infected after eating unwashed fruits and vegetables that were grown in contaminated soil. Older children may have no symptoms. A younger child may be more likely to have symptoms.