Ringworm Going on Four Months

Question
Hello-
We took our dog, Po, to see a vet about four months ago when she developed a pink patch about the size of a half dollar on her chest. My partner asked the vet if it was ringworm and he told him no. About two months later we took her again, as it was still there. I asked again if it was ringworm and he said no. Then, a little later, we took her in for something else, and the same doctor, at that point, told us that in fact she did have ringworm and we should put an antifungal cream on it.

We've been doing that for about six weeks, twice a day.

My questions are: Is there anything else we can do to rid her of the ringworm (internal meds) as it does not seem to be going away? Are there any serious side effects/permanent damage that could be caused by the length of time she's had ringworm? Lastly, should we keep her away from her doggie friends for fear of it spreading?

Thank you very much in advance for your help and/or advice.
Sincerely,
Saffa Bardaro

Answer
Ringworm is contagious, so you should keep the dog away from other dogs until the lesion starts to heal.  At that point, there is low likelihood of spread.  Yes there are systemic drugs that can be used.  The two most common are Griesiofulvin and Ketoconazole.  Ask your vet about these drugs.