This week I've taken in a young (my guess 5ish months) boar who has had ringworm. He was treated with intrafungal for 3 weeks 6 weeks ago, the hair has completely grown back, as far as I know he wasn't bathed at the end of treatment. Bobby is in quarantine at the moment. I have a set of ringworm piggy clothes kept in that room for when I handle him/clean him out just in case. Is there any point in bathing him with Nizoral now or would I stress him out unnecessarily. Poor boy is very nervous of this strange new house and people. I wonder if I should quarantine him longer than the normal 2 weeks? I'd find it hard to forgive myself if we passed ringworm to my other boars but would like to get him next to my singles as soon as possible as he's been on his own since around 2 months old. I'm feeling really twitchy about this, of course if the worst comes to the worst I can and will deal with it but there is a slight element of what have I done running through my head!
Hi
I am not usually a proponent of unnecessary bathing but I had ringworm carried in twice by piggies either previously affected with it or going through quarantine with acutely affected ones even though they were fully healed/free of it and not having had a bath before coming here.
Please give your boy a bath in order to remove any spores that could be sitting in his coat and that could cause a potential outbreak some time down. In this case, bathing upon arrival if in any doubt is really worth the hassle and stress compared to the one you'd have with an acute outbreak.
You can use nizoral/human anti-dandruff shampoo for a one-off piggy bath (Nizoral is rather harsh on piggy skin for a full course but can be used if your vet doesn't offer oral treatment or a medicated dip and if needed use it on your own skin and hair if in contact with the piggies or your hands), any anti-fungal dip if you have one at home for fungal or any piggy skin ph unmedicated shampoo since the bath is esentially about mechanical removal of any spores not in direct contact with the skin and therefore out of reach of any oral systemic fungal medication or accidentally picked up from the bedding after falling into it from sitting loosely in the coat.
This bath at the end of any ringworm treatment in whatever form is all about potentially carrying any loose spores across and about preventing as much as possible a new outbreak, which can be months or even two years down the line and closing off an often overlooked transmission angle. Oral treatment is by far the most effective but this is its blind spot.
Ringworm: Hygiene, Care And Pictures
Just deal with your quarantine piggy after your other pets (feeding, medicating, handling, grooming, cleaning etc.) so there is much less risk of accidentally carrying anything across and always thoroughly wash your hands, lower arms and any body parts you may have touched without thinking about it before and after.
Our hygiene tips for a range of situations are fully listed and explained in this guide here, which deals with all possible transmission aspects:
Contagion - Inter-species transmission and pet care during owner illness/pregnancy (incl. Covid)
If Bobby is fully treated for ringworm and has had his quarantine for other potential illnesses, then he can move next to your other piggies after the bath, so the extra stress will be worth it. All the best and many happy years with your new boy!
Here are our bathing tips on how to minimise the risk of accidents and injuries when bathing piggies:
Bathing (including cleaning grease glands)
