Fungal infections in dogs are less common than bacterial or viral infection. However, fungal infection is as serious as bacterial infections in dogs.
Fungal infections in dogs occur because of the contact with other animals, from the environment, or a result of the overgrowth of fungi or yeast that are naturally present in and on your dog’s body.
There are two types of fungal infections your dog may be diagnosed with: systematic fungal infections and localized fungal infections.
Systematic fungal infections affect your dog’s major body systems while localized fungal infections are seen on your dog’s skin.
The most common and famous fungal infection in dogs is ringworm. Ringworm is not a worm, instead it is a disease caused by fungi.
Ringworm affects skin and the outer part of your dog’s body. There are some symptoms of ringworm, such as circular areas of hair loss, dry and brittle hair, inflamed skin, rough, and brittle claws.
Ringworm also attacks other animals. You can see how people use these ways how to treat ringworms in rabbits as your reference.
- Dry Your Dog after Bath
Fungi love to live in parts which are moist and wet. After your dog bathes or swims, gently dry the outer parts of the body, specifically the ears.
Ears tend to be one of the parts where fungi or yeast love to grow. You may also use hair dryer to dry the body or an ear cleaning medicine that has a drying agent.
Dog’s ears are prone to be inhabited by fungi or yeast. As a result, they might get infection. If your dog has one, then make sure you know treatment yeast infection in dog’s ear.
- Use Antifungal Shampoo
Consider using antifungal shampoo to prevent fungal infections in dogs. Antifungal shampoo will be very effective if it sits on your pet’s skin for at least 10 minutes before rinsing.
- Maintain the Areas with Skin Folds
Area with skin folds tend to become moist, so dogs with many skin folds may need maintenance treatment.
- Cleanse the Environment
The best way to prevent any diseases for your dogs is by cleansing your environment. Make sure you fully cleanse the environment, including your home, any tools, and bedding where your animals regularly come into contact with.
- Regular Check-up
By having a regular check up with the vet, you will be always assured that your dog is healthy. If you suspect any symptoms of any fungal infections in your dog, then immediately consult or bring your dog to the vet.
- Know the Symptoms
Knowing and learning the symptoms of fungal infections in dogs will surely help prevent the infection itself!
By knowing the symptoms of fungal infections in dogs, then you will be more aware and take immediate action to treat it. Remember always that care is better than cure.
- Reduce Stress
Whether you believe it or not, stress can be the root of every disease every living thing has, including your dogs.
When your dog feels stressed, then it may be easier for him to catch any illnesses, including fungal infections. So, as a dog parent, make sure your dog is not stressful. You can do a lot of things to prevent stress in dogs.
One of the ways to prevent your dog from having stress is asking them to play together. You can try these popular tips to keep your dog happy playing indoors.
- Exercise
When your dog is exercising, its body will be very healthy as the immune system is strengthened. When your dog’s immune system is strong, then it may fight off any types in infections, including bacteria, viral, and even fungal.
Getting exercise will also be helpful to shed extra weight on your dog. It does not need to be hard. There are some simple exercises for your dog to maintain its health.
- Add Probiotics, such as Raw Yoghurt
There are some products of raw yoghurt that are beneficial and helpful to prevent fungal infections. Probiotics are healthy bacteria and help digestion and are great for digestive issues, which are critical for healing the infections.
- Coconut Oil
The high amount of lauric acid in coconut oil is the great supplement for fighting off bacteria and other fungi.
That’s why coconut oil is great for dogs which have allergies, digestive, and heart or any immune system disorders.
Those ways of preventing fungal infections may be hard to follow. However, the benefits will allow you to have a happy, healthy, and longer life.
You can try feeding them some of the ingredients mentioned above at a time for around 2 weeks. Then you can see how they responds before adding other things.