Dogs may require
several months (at least four to six months in most cases
) of therapy to successfully treat this disease.
How long does it take to cure fungal infection in dogs?
Topical Treatment
Effective topical treatments are needed every 3 to 5 days for
2 to 12 weeks
to eradicate the infection. If an infection is diagnosed on the ears or on just one or two isolated spots on the skin, your dog may require a topical ointment for daily use.
Can blastomycosis be cured in dogs?
Treatment of Blastomycosis in Dogs and Cats :
Clinical cure can be expected in ~70% of dogs
, with recurrence months or years after treatment noted in ~20% of treated dogs. Most dogs will respond to retreatment with itraconazole.
How long will blastomycosis last?
The disease may resolve on its own or persist into the chronic form of the infection. Chronic Blastomycosis, which lasts
more than three weeks
, may affect the lungs, skin, bones, joints, genitourinary tract, and/or central nervous system. Involvement of the skin is very common in individuals with Blastomycosis.
How can I help my dog with blastomycosis?
Treatment of blastomycosis requires
long-term antifungal medications
(i.e. average 2-6 months of therapy). Itraconazole or fluconazole are most commonly used. Some dogs may need to be hospitalized initially to help control some of their more severe symptoms.
What do you feed a dog with blastomycosis?
Avoid excessive time in the woods, especially near water (since blastomycosis is in the soil near water) Feed your dog
foods containing no yeast
. Give Vitamin C, E, A, and B as a supplement if your veterinarian recommends.
Where is blastomycosis endemic?
Blastomycosis. Blastomycosis is considered endemic to the south-central, southeastern, and midwestern US states, particularly those bordering the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and in parts of the United States and Canada surrounding the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River (2,5).
How do dogs get blastomycosis?
Blastomycosis typically occurs
when the dog inhales the airborne fungal spores of the genus Blastomyces dermatitidis after the contaminated soil has been disturbed
. This can be from an activity as benign as digging in the dirt or following a scent trail. The spores can also enter through the skin.
How do you prevent blastomycosis in dogs?
There is no vaccine to prevent blastomycosis in dogs.
The only thing pet dog owners can do is
keep their canine friends away from marshy landscapes
, as well as streams and lakes where the risk of exposure is the highest.
How long does itraconazole take to work in dogs?
Serum itraconazole concentrations reached steady state by
14 days
of treatment.
Is blastomycosis contagious between dogs?
Pets, particularly dogs, can get blastomycosis, but
it is not contagious between animals and people
. The symptoms of blastomycosis in animals are similar to the symptoms in humans.
Can blastomycosis come back?
Relapse or recurrence of blastomycosis in patients is rare
, and varies by the therapeutic agent, length of treatment, and immune capacity of the patient [3], [4]. Successful blastomycosis treatment in patients, without death or relapse, is achieved in 80–95% of cases [3], [5].
How do you get rid of blastomycosis in soil?
Treatment. Blastomycosis can be treated with
anti-fungal medications
, which are usually continued for at least 6 months. Antibiotics designed for bacteria do not work against blastomycosis.
Can dogs get blastomycosis in winter?
The distribution of case numbers, by season, is significant overall ( p 0.002) and is as follows;
winter ( n 53, 24%)
, spring (39, 18%), summer (79, 36%), fall (48, 22%), that is 140/219 (64%, p 0.001) of cases occurred from May – October.
What do blastomycosis lesions look like?
Papules, pustules, or nodules are most frequently found on exposed body areas. They may look like
warts or ulcers
. They are usually painless. They may vary from gray to violet in color.
Can humans get blastomycosis from dogs?
A blastomycosis infection can happen when people breathe in the Blastomyces fungal spores. When the fungus is inhaled, it settles in the lungs and later spreads to other parts of the body.
Blastomycosis does not spread from animals-to-people or from person-to-person
.
Is blastomycosis serious?
Blastomycosis is an uncommon, but
potentially serious fungal infection
. It primarily affects the lungs, and is caused by the fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis. The signs and symptoms of illness that can result from exposure to this soil organism are variable.
Can blastomycosis be fatal?
Blastomycosis is a
potentially fatal
fungal infection endemic to parts of North America.
