Colorful comeback for a dog with ringworm

With a wiggle here and a wiggle there, Mr. Bowser can’t quite keep his energy contained to just his tail wags — it’s whole-body emotion for him. But while his joy shines bright like silver, he spent some time at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary looking a little green.

Mr. Bowser came to Best Friends from a shelter and needed care for ringworm, a fungal infection that can cause itchy, irritated skin and hair loss. Ringworm is highly contagious and can quickly spread through a shelter, where pets live in close proximity. And sometimes, because ringworm requires time and resources to treat, the diagnosis is enough to put an animal’s life at risk, especially in a shelter that’s full and struggling to save the healthy pets in its care.

Best Friends supports shelters in reaching no-kill by taking in pets who may need extra care before going to homes. The Sanctuary has dedicated areas for treating pets with ringworm, where they can play and relax without the risk of infecting healthy animals. Mr. Bowser settled right in and would soon feel much better in his skin thanks to a special color-changing bath.

To keep ringworm from spreading, caregivers suited up in protective clothing every time they cared for Mr. Bowser and deep-cleaned his space several times a week. They also took him out for solo walks and trips to one of the Sanctuary’s outdoor play areas that they could clean afterward to prevent the spread of ringworm.

Treatment for ringworm includes medicated baths with a lime-sulfur solution. While it’s effective at killing the fungus, the solution is stinky and can temporarily turn an animal’s fur a yellowish-green color. Luckily, Mr. Bowser still looked handsome in green.

There’s a fungus among us and it’s OK

He got his medicated baths twice a week, and the veterinary team retested him for ringworm on a weekly basis. After about two weeks, his skin was looking much better.

Once he had multiple negative tests, he left his baths and his green era behind. That’s when Mr. Bowser could really show his true colors.

Now that he’s no longer contagious with ringworm, Mr. Bowser’s world has opened up even more. He goes on playdates with other dogs at the Sanctuary’s dog park and hikes the trails around the Sanctuary with his caregivers.

“He loves to show off his harness and carry it around before going for a walk,” caregiver Claire Blalock says. And when it’s time for that walk? He’ll happily pick up his leash to show you just how ready he is because there’s a wide-open world for him to explore and plenty of logs and rocks to look under for lizards.

Weighing in at just over 80 pounds, there’s a lot of Mr. Bowser to love, but he may not realize just how big he is. “He had this tiny red chair that he’d curl up in,” Claire says. Seeing how much of a furniture aficionado Mr. Bowser is, the team put their heads together to find a piece he would love — and fit into just a bit better.

Tiny pup goes from bald to beautiful in foster home

Not too long later, Mr. Bowser had a big ottoman just for him, and it’s not only for naps. When visitors stop by, Mr. Bowser can get a little overexcited, so his caregivers are teaching him to settle on his ottoman instead (giving him attention and treats when he does) — a skill that will serve him well when he goes to a home of his own.

Mr. Bowser has also been practicing for life at home by going on sleepovers with volunteers, and he’s settled in for every sleepover like a pro, even riding elevators without batting an eye. He’s also a very polite houseguest. “He waits to be invited into bed at night,” Claire says.

It might be hard to find a photo of Mr. Bowser these days that isn’t mid-wiggle from the joy ready to burst from his body, but he’s got a lot to wag his tail about: His skin is feeling good, he’s traded lime-sulfur baths for lizard patrol, and his caregivers are helping him build skills to navigate the world.

With his green days behind him, Mr. Bowser’s future is looking golden.

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.