# Blastomycosis~ would have been helpful to know they symptoms



## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

I never heard of Blastomycosis before the vet said it yesterday. Ash the my 11 month old Anatolian pup has it and now we are praying he survives and I can pay for his medications. I would have been helpful if I"d known what to watch for~ so here is a heads up for y'all.

http://www.animalhospitals-usa.com/dogs/dog-health/dog-blastomycosis.html

It's a fungus, it lives in the soil and you can't predict if you have it. Even if your dog or you come down with it~ you can't tell WHEN they were exposed so you can't keep it from happening again, or keep your other dogs from getting it. It's reasonably rare and it seems is usually found on the necropsy. Around Christmas Ash began limping. I figured a goat had hit him. He's a pup~ I have him in with the bigger meaner goats so they CAN hit him and teach him manners. He didn't seem to get better though~ so on Jan 2nd I took him to the vet. Vet thought possible broken toe that was infecting. There was puss from a sore on his toe (later to discover puss was probably from blasto creating sore under his nail bed). Gave us pain pills and cephlexan. Ash seemed better until the pain pills ran out. Then he starting refusing to eat the hot dogs I was giving him the cephlexan in. If you've ever taken that antibiotic you know it upsets the stomach. I saw him acting ill, breathing heavily, but figured that's what I would look like if very sick to stomach too. I kept giving cephlexan and left him with goats. Finally ran out of the antibiotic, but he wasn't getting better and he was losing weight. Last Saturday he clearly was ill. Skin and bones, loss of appetite, clearly heavy breathing. By Monday morning his breathing was very compromised. Clearly could not inhale deeply.

Vet immediately took chest X-ray~ Ash has the "Snow storm" in the lungs that is indicative of Blasto. Ash is in vet hospital now on IV treatment. I'm gonna go visit in a couple hours and bring the write up from the web site I linked above showing vet we can get his needed meds maybe a bit cheaper. I've not heard yet today how he is doing, but praying no news is good news.

I'm also watching my 5 other dogs for signs. Also watching myself and my family. Blasto is not contagious from the dog~ but where ever he contacted it....the rest of us could get it.

Watch your dogs.
And pray for mine please.

Picture is of Ash just before Christmas at 84lbs. He weighed 67lbs at vet yesterday.


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## solas4me (Apr 27, 2012)

I have had some experience with Blastomycosis in a German Shepherd Dog, who served as my partner in Law Enforcement. I served as a K9 handler on a County Sheriff's Department, my K9 partner was Jack, a Czech Shepherd. One morning after our normal patrol I noticed that he had an eye that appeared to be a little irritated and red. I put him in the kennel for the day as usual and didn't think much about it. The next day the eye was enlarged and obviously had some pressure behind it. I took him immediately to our vet, who quickly referred us to Purdue University Emergency Vet Care (providentially just 20 minutes away from my house). The eye specialist there said the eye would need to be removed. This was devastating news for me, Jack was an outstanding patrol dog who had won a Silver Medal at the 2001 World Police and Fire Games and had many more years of patrol work in him.
The eye was removed and he was diagnosed with Blastomycosis. Jack recovered quickly from the eye being removed (he was now One Eyed Jack) and resumed patrol on the road, you wouldn't have known that he was missing an eye. He maintained his patrol duties for about 2 years until he was having stamina and general breathing trouble. I took Jack off patrol duties and he became a pet and farm dog for our family. He lived happily for 3 more years and died at the age of 15!

We still miss Jack, but are glad the he survived as long as we did. I pray that it works out as well for you. We will pray to that end...


Justin


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## DaniR1968 (May 24, 2008)

I'm so sorry to hear about Ash. He is a beautiful boy. I hope he makes it.


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## JasoninMN (Feb 24, 2006)

Sorry to hear this. Blasto is pretty common in hunting dogs where I live because of the moisture. I have known quite a few dogs who have gotten it and even a few people. My friend was able to get medication much cheaper by ordering it from Canada.


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

thanks for sharing this. I have never heard of it, and I live in one of the affected states. I sure hope your dog pulls through. please update us when you know more. I shared your story and link on several LGD facebook groups I belong to.


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## yoopermom (Feb 9, 2009)

We have tons and tons of blasto up here (hunting dogs in the swamps). Between that and Lymes, I don't know of a hunting dog that doesn't seem to have had one or the other . 

The retired vet from my clinic was one of the first humans in the upper Midwest to have a definite diagnosis of it, and my best friend's mom had it, as well.

Whenever one of our hunting hounds seems "off", it's immediately off to the vet, because it's usually a "flare" of one or the other. V. frustrating...

Hope your dog is well soon, he's a beauty, prayers going your way...

Terri


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

Ash died today


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## DaniR1968 (May 24, 2008)

Oh no! I am so terribly sorry to hear this. My heart goes out to you.


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

I am so very sorry for your loss.


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## tracerracer (Oct 6, 2012)

I am so very sorry for your loss...... My prayers are with you.......... I do want to thank you for posting this as a 'warning' to the rest that had no clue ( like me)


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## boundarybunnyco (Sep 7, 2011)

so sorry for your loss! (((((((hugs)))))))


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## solas4me (Apr 27, 2012)

So sorry for your loss....




Justin


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## thaiblue12 (Feb 14, 2007)

I am so sorry you lost him  

I have never heard of this before, I read the article you posted, scary thing is there seems to be no preventative.


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## earthkitty (Mar 3, 2011)

Oh my, I am so, so sorry. I do thank you for posting this and helping others who, like me, have never heard of this.

So sorry.


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## Cheryl aka JM (Aug 7, 2007)

I'd never heard of it either. Now I can't stop checking the rest of the dogs. He was such a young dog. I still can't believe he died. He was young and healthy. Big strong pup. Maybe it wouldn't have been so difficult if I hadn't been there with him, but it was a painful horrible death and I can't seem to get past it.


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## tracerracer (Oct 6, 2012)

Cheryl aka JM said:


> I'd never heard of it either. Now I can't stop checking the rest of the dogs. He was such a young dog. I still can't believe he died. He was young and healthy. Big strong pup. Maybe it wouldn't have been so difficult if I hadn't been there with him, but it was a painful horrible death and I can't seem to get past it.


Like I said, I am so very sorry........ And to add, I understand where you're at...... Truly, the woulda, coulda, shouldas can eat you up...... You did what you knew, and treated him the best you could........ Now through this terrible 'lesson' we all know more............ They take part of your heart with them, I swear...... You will be in my prayers


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## CageFreeFamily (Jul 19, 2012)

I'm so, so sorry for your loss and what you went through. Wishing you peace and deep sleep.


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## Veronica (Oct 31, 2008)

I'm so sorry. What an awful disease. Our dog, Frieda, also a GSD, had Aspergillosis, which is another fungal infection dogs can get from soil, mulch, etc. Treatment similar to blasto - itraconazole, and one other drug we used to give the itra a "boost." The vets thought she had cancer at first since these fungal infections are just not seen much.
The pills are pricey - locally over $1000/month, but some compounding pharmacies are quite a bit cheaper.
The vet told us that some breeds, and some dogs are just more prone to get this. We have other GSD's and they didn't get it.


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## CarolT (Mar 12, 2009)

The vet cautioned Cheryl about the costs. The generic versions are apparently available now at much less. If someone has a dog diagnosed with either of these, be sure to do some searching. Since Ash died, Cheryl didn't find out for sure, but the vet site she was looking at said it could be as little as $1/dose for the itraconazole.

Apparently, blasto doesn't affect different breeds more than others, unless it's because some breeds dig more. Ash wasn't really a digger, either. Cheryl has 2 other Anatolian Shepherds, a Great Pyr, Rottie and a large mixed breed and I have one of her pups that got injured and none of them show any signs. 

I was doing searches on his symptoms Sunday and all that was coming up with was diabetes and heart disease. I had heard of blasto, but it never crossed my mind. 

Ash was an impressive boy, at 11 months, he came up almost to our hip, and Anatolians aren't finished growing until well past a year. He was going to be her stud and we couldn't wait to see what kind of size he was going to add to her line. 

It's totally shattering when you go from a sick dog on Saturday to one who dies Tuesday.


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## SAHM (Mar 8, 2005)

I am so sorry for the loss of your dog. About ten years ago I lost my Doberman to this. 
We were moving from WA to Virginia, and drove cross country, stopping along the way. We stayed in Wisconsin at my folk's place on the river. My dog and their dog played in the swamps having the best time.
While we were briefly stationed in Virginia our dog started to act off, but we had orders to Hawaii, and we did everything right for our dog getting into the quarantine. This was ten years ago, before the quarantine laws changed in Hawaii. (they actually lifted it 5 days after our dog Jake died in their quarantine) 
Our dog wasted away in the quarantine, we begged the state vets to help him, they kept checking him, had no idea what was wrong, just said he was stressed he was in quarantine. Finally when he was dying they released him to another state vet, who had no idea what to do, we threw all the money we could at that time on trying to save him from whatever was killing him. I remembered hearing about blasto in Wisconsin, and called our farm vet. Our farm vet spoke with the Hawaii state vet over the phone and they confirmed it was blastomicosis after our WIs vet told him what tests to run and what to look at . The vets in Hawaii had never even heard of it. Nor had the vet in Virginia I took him to for his yeasty breath. 
When we were trying to save him, we were talking about what his life after blasto would be like, it does so much damge to their lungs, even if they do live, it is a different life. But he died alone in a quarantine vet hospital, we could take him out and could be with him due to the laws at that time. It was so horrible to loose him with him thinking we had abandoned him. My parents dog died soon afterwards as well, but in their neck of the woods its a common thing, people even get it. 
It still breaks my heart, it is a horrible horrible thing. I am so sorry for your loss


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