My dog has round spots on legs/paws. Why isn't his medicine working?

Hi and thanks for your request. It is likely that your suspicion is correct but the treatment may not be powerful enough to resolve the problem. Oral treatment may be needed so I would recommend a check up as your vet can confirm ringworm and treat appropriately.

For ringworm you need either Conofite lotion (Miconazole), or a similar anti fungal cream +/- an oral antifungal (i.e. Fluconazole or Ketoconazole). Ringworm can take 2-4 weeks to cure in most cases. Also shaving the hair around the lesions helps prevent further spread. It is also advised to was all of Bruno's bedding in really hot water to eliminate any fungal spores the environment that could re-infect him.

This could be due to a bacterial or fungal infection. They can both look like this. It could also be due to something that is irritating the skin like mites, fleas, or allergies. It does not appear like ringworm, but it's impossible to know for sure without testing it. The species of fungus involved in toenail infections is different than ringworm and toenail fungus is not very contagious to dogs. This looks rather mild right now. The best thing to do is have the lesion evaluated by a veterinarian to help identify the cause. However, it would be fine to give a bath with a medicated dog shampoo (can find this at the pet store) in the meantime. If that's helpful, this can be repeated weekly until the problem resolves. I hope that helps and Lu gets better soon.

Usually a veterinarian would perform a cytology to distinguish between a bacterial and fungal skin infection - they would take a sample on a microscope slide and examine for organisms. It's also possible that Bini has a resistant bacterial infection, or she might have another underlying disease process like an autoimmune disorder contributing to her symptoms. In your picture her foot does not appear classic for a fungal infection. You may want to follow up with your vet to discuss further testing and treatment.

I am sorry to hear about your dog. If this is not improving with topical medication he may need to be switched to oral/systemic medications as the problem may be deeper under the skin than topical meds can penetrate. I would let your vet know he is not improving. Occasionally we may need to do testing such as cultures or biopsy in some cases that don’t improve with traditional treatments.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ginger. No, antibacterial ointment will treat bacterial infections. Ringworm is actually caused by a fungal infection. Ginger will need to see her veterinarian to confirm that ringworm is her problem. If so, it is typically treated with a topical prescription antifungal as well as lime sulfur dip. This is a disease that can be spread to other pets and people so it is important to accurately diagnose and treat it. I hope this information helps!

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The anti-fungal medications can sometimes take several days to a week or so to see a dramatic improvement so if Ruckas just started the treatment, I would give it a good week. After another week and you still do not see any improvement, you may revisit with Ruckas's veterinarian to discuss other causes such as a bacterial infection or perhaps due to a seasonal allergy or food allergy as a cause for the skin lesions. I hope this helps!