When To Say It's Probably Not Ringworm

 Oh, I forgot to add that he's been tested thrice: one inconclusive, one positive, followed by one inconclusive. She wants me to do another. Each test is like $50.

have you tried shinning a black light on the stop? Sometimes, but not always, you'll get a blueish glow if it really is ringworm.

From your description though, it doesn't sound like it.

In honesty?  I think you need a different vet.  When a vet begins to get frustrated with a problem that won't go away (particularly when the client has self-resolved most of it withOUT you) they may become argumentative. 

I'm not going to say to 'leave' that vet -- not at all.  But I am going to suggest a different type of vet that will a) applaud your diet saavy and the changes you've made and b) will help you think outside of the box a bit to find a solution.

I've had particularly good results referring people thru the Chi Institute website.  It's "TCVM" or traditional Chinese veterinary medicine.  They will do a completely different *type* of exam -- not just skin scrapings or tests, but literally reading the body's own signs and listening to what's going on inside that the body can tell us. 

Acupuncture might seem a funny suggestion here but it helps skin issues and immune issues and many other things.  But it's included in the visit.  And often TCVM vets operate in other modalities as well -- like I said, it's a whole different type of evaluation. 

My own musings would say a few things:

1.  Ringworm has 999 varieities.  It's a fungus and quite frankly it's quite a "basket of leftovers" at this point -- it's mutated and has more facets than anyone can keep track of.  And particularly pharmaceutical topicals are things some fungi just plain become resistant to. 

The problem is they then want to go on to other, stronger antifugals and they are VERY hard on the body. 

 True ringworm can sometimes self resolve.  Often it doesn't.  But you can't just do the same treatment with no results either. 

2.  *Typically* ringworm may have some minor scabbing -- and the edges of the ears ARE a primary place to see ringworm.  But mostly ringworm is hairless spots -- the scabbing is usually secondary.

3.  That leads me to say either this isn't ringworm or it isn't typical and it's time to do something else.

In 3 months I would think it would spread.

4.  I would think one wise step would be some detoxing.  If this dog has always had skin issues that you are resolving successfully with food -- then a good share of what is left may simply be toxins trying to find a way out of the body -- and I would think a good detox would be in order -- that's a holistic vet thing, NOT a regular vet thing. 

5.  You likely have gone as far as diet may let you -- and it sounds like you're pretty on top of what causes what.  I would think just a further direction change -- like TCVM which is very very diet-oriented -- might truly help you effect that further change that is needed.

I'd get a second opinion either way.

I can't say whether it's ringworm in your case or not, but I can say that we have two groups of stray kittens at work that came in two months ago with ringworm and it has been a devil to get rid of. Only one kitten got the hairless spots, the others got crustiness.  Currently we have two that have finally cleared it and thirteen others that still have fungus, although it is now on just one or two spots per kitten.

 Hi everyone,

 Thanks for the replies.  I decided to just ignore it/put bag balm on it for a little while, and it looks much, much better, with no more scabbing and hair growing back in. I think his ears were just dry.