How old does a dog have to be to get blastomycosis?
Similarly, If the brain is infected, the dog usually will die. What is a systemic fungal disease and what will blastomycosis do to my dog. You may wonder why 2-to-4-year-old, intact, large-breed dogs are more at risk for blastomycosis.
What happens to a dog with pulmonary blastomycosis?
On the other hand, if blastomycosis goes undetected or signs of illness in a dog are neglected, the two most important negative prognostic factors are central nervous system involvement and severe lung disease. Further, dogs with pulmonary blastomycosis may rapidly deteriorate during the first three days of treatment.
What are the symptoms of ocular blastomycosis in dogs?
The planum nasale, face, and nail beds are most often involved. Signs of ocular blastomycosis are seen in 30%–50% of affected dogs and include blindness, uveitis, glaucoma, and retinal detachment. Lameness associated with fungal osteomyelitis or severe paronychia occurs in approximately one quarter of affected dogs.
What kind of Medicine do you give a dog for blastomycosis?
Itraconazole is the preferred drug of treatment for most dogs. Dogs may require several months (at least four to six months in most cases) of therapy to successfully treat this disease. Amphotericin B (Abelcet®), ketoconazole, or a combination of medications may be used in certain cases.
What kind of disease is blastomycosis in dogs?
Blastomycosis is a fungal disease caused by Blastomyces dermatitidis. This fungus most commonly infects humans and animals through the respiratory tract.
Where can you find Blastomyces dermatitidis in dogs?
Once the infection is formed in the lung, the fungus changes its properties by converting it from a muscular to a yeast shape and begins to spread to other organs, causing widespread infection. Mostly Blastomyces dermatitidis is found in the North, the Middle Atlantic states, southern Saskatchewan, Quebec…, etc.
Where are the hotspots for blastomycosis in dogs?
Multiple studies have shown that dogs living within 400 meters of water are vastly more likely to develop blastomycosis than other dogs. Indeed, there’s some evidence to suggest that the shores of beaver ponds tend to be blasto “hotspots,” or what epidemiologists call “enzootic areas.”
Can a dog get Blasto from a human?
It may also be found in other areas. Blasto can infect dogs and humans, but dogs are 10 times more likely to develop the disease, with hunting dogs, hounds, intact males and younger dogs most frequently infected. Infection most often occurs when the dog inhales the Blasto spores found in the soil.
