Thankfully the disease is treatable with patience and completion of prescribed anti-fungal medication, but getting rid of it entails a lot of work. To diagnose the disease, veterinarians may illuminate infected areas with a Wood's light. It may take up to 5 minutes for infected hairs to begin to glow. Hairs that glow as if infected are plucked and cultured. Skin scrapings also aid in disease diagnosis.
Microscopic observation is necessary to observe features typical of ringworm.
Certain types of fungal dermatoses can be cured with just topical treatment. Before topical therapy, such as an anti-fungal cream, is instigated, it often helps to clip the hair from infected areas with scissors, being sure to disinfect the scissors after each area to avoid spreading the disease further. Scissors are used because clippers are more difficult to disinfect. If the infection has spread over the body, hair is not clipped to avoid spreading the disease. You'll want to wear gloves when you apply medication or handle your pet.