My dog has a chronic aspergillus sinus infection. What can I do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would agree with your veterinarian. Aspergillosis will usually cause a marked nasal discharge and in most cases also nose bleeds and it does not sound like those are present. Hopefully this resolves and Aster does well which is likely. Good luck and have a good day!

I would worry that at some point the antifungals would not keep the disease under control, or that the antifungals might cause toxicity to the liver and kidneys. This might be a better question for the vet who is managing the aspergillosis however.

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.

Not really, aspergillus stays contained in the sinuses of your dog and it also needs certain conditions to thrive in those sinuses, as well as a compromised immune system of the dog. Aspergillosis can be treated with flushing the sinuses with a fungicidal wash. In order to do so, your dog will need to be sedated and in most cases the vet will have to make an access ( trepanize a hole) through the bone above the sinus. This is a bit complicated but doable and the fungus can be killed off that way. So again, no, it is not possible to directly transfer aspergillosis from one dog to another.

Poor Mazie! A fungal infection like aspergillosis is certainly one possible cause of persistent sneezing and nosebleeds that are not resolved with antibiotics. Other possibilities would include a nasal foreign body, or a nasal tumor. I would recommend talking to your veterinarian about the next steps from here to try and get a diagnosis. In many cases, referral to a specialist for rhinoscopy and a CT scan is needed to determine the problem.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Spike! I am assuming since you have had extensive diagnostics done that you and Spike are in the care of a specialist. If there is an infection in his sinuses then it could be resistant or be fungal. Fungal infections do not respond to antibiotics and the Vet would want a diagnosis before starting anti-fungals. My concern is for a tumor due to Spike's age. I can't view your image as it is very very small and out of focus. I would ask what other imaging like an MRI can be done to confirm if there is a tumor or not. Also I would just do the scope with the hope that they will see the tumor and are able to get a good culture and biopsy. If they can't then consider surgery. I wish you and Spike the best!

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.