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Ring worm, a bruise or a bite?

Nik

Well-Known Member
Thursday morning my husband noticed a weird discoloration and scratch looking thing on Diesel’s back inner leg.

I was in SF until a few minutes ago for work. Tonight when I got home I took a look and a picture and I am torn as to whether this is ring worm or a bruise.

The outside of the circle had more scratch looking things around it then now. And I was worried it may have been a bite as wednesday night the dogs had an opposum cornered on the top of the fence. I had thought they didnt get close but it is possible when we first let them out it was on the ground. I dont think so but I worry.

Anyhow take a look at the pics and let me know what you think.

With flash
26E2C92D-D98E-43F9-9EF7-1E86AC68E2BC.jpeg


No flash
55FD2221-8D10-41D8-936C-8BF733EFA7E4.jpeg

14682D4E-B5A9-498A-9FEE-56C667319BE8.jpeg
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
It might be ringworm, but it looks more like the skin infections the Ella gets on her belly and under her armpits. They like to prescribe antibiotics for it, but it clears up very nicely with a medicated wash or chlorhexidine pads and some bag balm or a sulfur based ointment. If you have a blacklight light bulb around the house or can get one you can see if it glows. Something like 50-70% of the microsporum will glow under blacklight.
 
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Nik

Well-Known Member
It might be ringworm, but it looks more like the skin infections the Ella gets on her belly and under her armpits. They like to prescribe antibiotics for it, but it clears up very nicely with a medicated wash or chlorhexidine pads and some bag balm or a sulfur based ointment. If you have a blacklight light bulb around the house or can get one you can see if it glows. Something like 50-70% of the microsporum will glow under blacklight.

Glowing means ring worm? We can find a black light. Ring worm requires prescription cream right? I have never had a pet get it but I had it once as a kid.

Id avoid antibiotics for diesel if i can his stomach is so sensitive and it always gives him liquid poop. Poor thing.
 

marke

Well-Known Member
any otc antifungal should work , an otc antifungal and otc antibiotic should take care of whatever it is ......... silver cream would work on a mild infection or fungal infection , not sure if it is a script , I've only ever gotten it from the vet
 
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Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
Yes, ringworm should glow if it's one of the one's that does glow. What Marke said. Silvadene cream is what I've used for various wounds and I do believe it might be by prescription only. I know there are some otc silver creams and ointments, but I don't know how they compare to the Rx version.
 
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Bailey's Mom

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
Poor Diesel...Hopefully, Nik, this will just clear up with a little anti-fungal help. I can tell you that we've only encountered possums here in London for the last 25-28 years. We never had them before the weather started getting milder, but now I see them (dead on the road) everywhere. Apparently, playing dead when encountering a bright light isn't a good tactic where it comes to traffic at night time.

When my daughter was about two, so 25 years ago, our babysitter told me she had a possum in her spruce tree and that she was training it to come out for treats. First time I had ever heard of one in south-western Ontario, but as a precaution, I looked up the diseases you could catch from them then, and there were plenty listed, however, the list, I'm providing now is much shorter. Hopefully, Diesel hasn't caught anything. The information is worth noting though, just in case he got his nose involved. Interesting that they will play dead and then attack without warning. Hope this didn't happen to your boy.
 
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Nik

Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the info! Hunting down a black light to check for ring worm.

His face was completely untouched and it is probably pretty unlikely that they had any actual contact with the possum. It was night time and they were only unsupervised for about a minute (the time it took to let them outside for potty and locate a flashlight to follow). The barking alerts started almost instantly when they went out and the possum was on the fence when we made it out with the flashlight. At the time we assumed the possum had always been on the fence.
It was only the weird mark inside his leg that made me wonder because to me it looks like a bruise with scrapes on the outside. But, my husband pointed out that a bite would have clear puncture marks/holes and we don't see any of that.

The inside part of the mark that looks like a bruise to me also looks a little scaley to me which would lean us towards something fungal like ringworm. But I always thought ringworm would be red/pink only not blue/black like a bruise.

Also the possum was extra small like it was a baby which also led me to think maybe a bite wouldn't be so obvious as with a grown possum. But I suppose even babies would leave actual punctures/holes with a bite.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
I honestly don't think it's ringworm. It looks just like the skin infections Ella gets. Including the dark pigmentation and scaly patches. She has some allergies and depending on what she's gotten into her armpits and belly will develop these. She had one when she was spayed and they freaked out and put her on antibiotics immediately. I just use bag balm or silvadene cream (or something similar). NuStock works great too, but it's sulfur based and ruins anything it gets on. Sulfadene actually works really well too.
 

Nik

Well-Known Member
To follow up on this. We used the black light and the rash did not glow so probably not ring worm. We have started putting bag balm on it. Not much change as of yet though.

In other news it seems like 80 hour weeks are my new norm, my husband is sick, the dishes are piling up, no Xmas presents have been bought, and I am absolutely exhausted. I sure hope this all pays off in the end.