My dog has blastomycosis. Can it spread to my other pets? Prevention?

Histoplasma is a fungus that can be found in the environment and specifically areas with bird and bat excrement. It is not generally spread directly from one animal to another, but certainly your other dog may have been exposed if they have been in the same areas. As far as human transmission, the biggest concern would be something like an accidental needle puncture with the organism, so your vet is much more at risk that your newborn. However, again there is concern if the soil in your area is contaminated. I think I would wait for the mass to be removed and to get the histopathology report on the mass to get confirmation of the disease, then start looking for possible locations of infection to try to prevent infection in anyone else. I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

With a diagnosis of Blasto your dog should have been put on a systematic/iral antifungal drug. If your dog is currently on this medication then I would not worry about the additional lesion on the lip. If your dog is not on any medication at this time, I would recommend calling your vet and discussing starting an antifungal since it seems that the infection is spreading.

I'm so sorry that Maggie has been diagnosed with Blastomycosis. I have most commonly used Itraconazole, but there are other antifungal drugs that are used to treat it as well. Here is some additional information on Blastomycosis and treatments. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2256 Unfortunatately without knowing specifics about Maggie's case I can't tell you about her prognosis and if it was caught early, but I can say that the drugs for Blastomycosis tend to work very well. I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach. Good luck to you and Maggie.

Here is some more information on blastomycosis in people and pets: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/blastomycosis/blasto.html And some great general information about blastomycosis in people: https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/blastomycosis/ Thanks for using PetCoach!

While dogs often have a fever with blastomycosis, not all dogs do. It's also possible for the fever to come and go. Hopefully you are waiting on some testing for blastomycosis that should give a definitive answer - if not ask your veterinarian about testing a urine sample.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Ziggy. Sounds like Ziggy needs to be evaluated by his veterinarian again and possibly a referral to a specialist such as a dermatologist or internal medicine specialist. Your vet may want to re evaluate him, do some more testing, change medicines, add medicines, etc. If your vet seems comfortable continuing to treat and you are comfortable then great but if you are doubtful about the situation, I would just mention that you are interested in going to a specialist or another veterinarian for a second consultation. Some cases cannot be handled appropriately by all of us in private practice and I would hope that most of us are quick to advise referrals to specialists when we cannot adequate resolve the problems that we see. I hope this helps. In the end, it's about quality of life and getting Ziggy well so that you and him can enjoy life together.

Hello and thank you for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Dog parks, kennels, veterinary clinics, and groomers can all be a source of transmission. Direct contact with another dog is not necessarily needed for transmission. It is possible for the dogs to come in contact with the mite through uncleaned kennel areas or grooming areas. Also some wildlife can harbor this mite so contact with any wildlife or area where wildlife have denned or nested could transmit the mite. It is possible the cats may have brought in the mite as well, although the mite that infects dogs will not typically cause symptoms in cats. Time from exposure to symptoms is about 2-3 weeks. I hope this has helped you!