What are effective blastomycosis treatments & success rates for dogs?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear about your dog! Infection with Blastomyces occurs when a cat or dog inhales the fungal spores into the lungs. The incubation period is from 5 to 12 weeks. Some animals don't show clinical signs for a long time after being infected, but those animals are not contagious to other animals and people. I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck!

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 contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If the vet has confirmed that your dog has systemic fungal infection, then itraconazole is the right medication to use. Usually, dogs needs from 4 to even 15-18 weeks of treatment with itraconazole to completely get rid of bad fungal infections.

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!

It's true, the possible side effects are very scary. But this is true of most antifungals and unfortunately they are the only treatment for aspergillosis. The appropriate dose should be determined by your veterinarian who is familiar with Marley's medical history. It could take weeks or even months for the antifungal to start working, depending on the severity of the current infection. If he is really struggling, I would urge you to call your vet to see if additional medications or hospitalization for oxygen therapy is indicated.

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.

Hello, there are several oral medications used to treat fungal infections in dogs, including ketoconazole, fluconazole & itraconazole. All require a prescription from your veterinarian to treat a pet. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.