Little miss Torey came into my life on a bright morning in March 2021. She was my fourth foster and an older puppy, but my first three fosters, including the rowdy duo I just housed (I’m looking at you Sherb and Marina), were all adopted within 2-3 weeks. I figured this would be a breeze. I picked up extra treats and toys and headed over to PetSmart in Flatiron to meet my new little house guest and bring her back to her new home for the next couple of weeks.

The first thing you should know about Torey is that she was extra nervous. All rescue pups require some time to decompress – a good rule of thumb is to expect it to take about 3 days for a pup to start getting comfortable in the new space (you can learn all about decompression here). Even still, Torey would shake or yell when anyone got within a few feet of her, hated being touched, and wanted to hide as much as possible. It was clear that the little miss had some trust issues. As such, my Foster Buddy and I agreed to wait a couple of days before giving her the initial bath that all new puppies are given after coming home. While I didn’t have the chance to inspect her fur quality or skin very closely, she definitely seemed a bit itchier and rather protective of her midsection. What I attributed to general discomfort around her suture line (baby girl had also just gotten spayed!), I learned, was actually a sign of ringworm.

What is ringworm?

The good news: ringworm is not, in fact, a worm or parasite! Hallelujah! Fellow fosters who have had to deal with persistent roundworms/hookworms: I see you.

Simply put, ringworm is a fungal infection that can affect the paw beds, skin, and nails of both animals and humans. Symptoms generally include one or more of the following:

Circular areas of hair loss, often with a red and crusty edge
Broken hair and a poor hair coat
Dry, scaly skin or areas of excessive dandruff
Inflamed areas of skin
Darkened patches of skin
Itchiness, scratching, or excessive grooming
Inflamed nail beds or darkened or dry nails
Dry, brittle, or misshapen nails

The not-so-good news: Ringworm is contagious and can be passed on to humans as well as other animals. Luckily, ringworm in humans is easy to treat with a simple over-the-counter cream!

But good news again: With the right oral antibiotics, medicated shampoos, and environmental hygiene, ringworm in dogs is highly treatable and curable.

So what did this mean for Torey, you ask?

We learned of Torey’s exposure to ringworm right after her sister Rorey (who was with another foster) tested positive. Muddy Paws immediately had her new medications and shampoo shipped to our door. And while Torey wasn’t a huge fan of me forcing a bath on her or holding her to administer the liquid antibiotics, she begrudgingly tolerated all of this as long as it was accompanied by her favorite high-value treats (aged gouda, if you’re curious). It’s important to be extra patient with nervous fosters when you’re administering medication or a medicated bath. It may take longer than you expect, but that extra patience pays off over time. Gently cajoling her over to the tub with treats was helpful. Sticking a Lickimat covered in peanut butter or a pinned cheese rind to the side of the tub was also clutch.

What did this mean for me and my dogs?

To be honest, this didn’t change too much in my life or those of my resident dogs. By the time we found out about the ringworm, Torey had been with me for a couple of days, and while she still wasn’t a fan of my presence (eye contact was still a no-no), she had gotten more comfortable with my resident dogs. We sometimes joke that my dog Penny is the real foster mum in our household, since she spends all of her time cuddling, playing with, and training our guests. While she had been exposed, our vet really wasn’t concerned given that she had a normal immune system and suggested that I bathe Penny with a medicated shampoo as prophylaxis. My other dog, Tucker, avoids our fosters as much as possible, so there wasn’t much risk there.

Maintaining stringent hygiene is incredibly important when dealing with dogs who have ringworm. You want to wash your hands frequently when you’re in contact with the infected pet, sanitize surfaces, vacuum up dog hair, and if possible, quarantine them from other pets or people (too late for that in our case!). Since we were at the peak of COVID-19 wave number two by then, washing my hands was already second nature. I made a point of washing all of the dog toys and bedding a bit more often and mopping the floors a couple of times a week, but there was very little change to my day-to-day otherwise.

Enough about you, where is Torey now?!

Torey made a full recovery thanks to the great medical care provided by Muddy Paws staff and the folks at Pure Paws Hell's Kitchen. She spent a longer time with us than previous fosters, but this gave us more of an opportunity to work on her socialization and basic training, and it allowed her to start building trust again with multiple people. I am thrilled to share that Torey – now Bella – is now a healthy, happy girl loving life with her new mom!

Fostering a dog with a medical condition can seem a bit scary at first, but I highly recommend doing your research, assessing your own personal risk tolerance, and chatting with Muddy Paws staff to figure out if it’s right for you. Having Torey for those several weeks and watching her come out of her shell was super rewarding. I learned so much from her that I’ve been able to apply to other foster experiences.

Rita is a Muddy Paws foster and Foster Team member.