Blastomycosis
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I'm the one who lost EL D to blastomycosis – it's a nasty nasty disease and strikes quickly. It is caused by a fungus that sprouts in the soil by lakeshores in the fall; dogs (and people) inhale the spores but it can't be passed from animal to animal. I have friends who work in veterinary diagnostics and they tell me certain areas of the country are hotspots but it is cropping up in other areas too. If caught soon enough (though tough to diagnose early) it can be treated with medication and dogs may (or may not) recover but often become blind; if animal start limping then probably in mid-late stage; and if not caught soon enough (don't read further if you are a quesy type) the fungus spreads throughout the entire body. With my EL D, he began limping on a Friday (my first clue something was wrong) and by Tuesday morning he was already becoming blind and by the next Friday he was gone. It can happen that quick.
My God what a terrible and traumatic loss! :( I very sorry. Mold and fungus are very dangerous!
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For clarification. It is my Nashville daughter's 8 year old male Griffin who was diagnosed. She also has a 9 year old male Phoenix. Bella is my 1 year old Basenji Mix. They have all been in each others environment.
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BlueBell, sorry for the mixup in names – if the two griffins live in the same environment the male is potentially exposed as well; I would suggest asking the vet about a blood sample just to be sure. It would be helpful to find out where the female might have picked it up.
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Christa's (my daughter) dogs are Griffin and Phoenix. They are both males and they are cousins. They live in Nashville but visit here at least once a month. I will ask her whether her Vet said anything about Phoenix and suggest what you have said. Griffin has had two doses of the med Itraconazole. So far so good. She said he wanted to go outside and walk with her and Phoenix but she thought best that he not do that. She is giving him his med with a canned puppy food as suggested by her Vet so that he eats. He loves it. He has the cough at night since starting the medication but I think that goes with it. Christa has been asked to post on the BRAT website but said she was not ready to do that but will.
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Good to hear that he is taking his meds good, I am sending good vibes over to him and your daughter and Phoenix too, that he will make swift recovery, but please do keep us updated as this can happen to all of us, so long as we take our dog to lakes or rivers..and we do, since it is so much fun to watch them trying to avoid the water..
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BlueBell - I'm really sorry about screwing up all the names :o
It sounds like things are under control and here's prayers that a full recovery occurs. -
An update on Griffin. His second day on meds did not go as well as the first but after a trip back to the Vet, being put back on an antibiotic, and now two doses of his medication a day, by last night he was feeling better. He was running a high temp so we are praying that today it will be coming down. Her Vet said he is the first case they have seen in Nashville for several years. Before that they would see 3 ot 4 cases a year.
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Poor Griffin, We are sending good vibes his way, hoping he is feeling better and that he kicks this darn thing out of the dust..
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Sorry to hear Griffin not so well. Hope things will get better my prayers go out to you. Hope to hear better news soon.
Rita Jean
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Jeez, something else to worry about is the humid end of Texas. I clean my packs ears, I amy start squirting their nose's too. PREVENTION alwasy.
Has anyone heard about DOG FLU????????
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I heard the FDA approved Flu vaccines for dogs, so I guess the flue is on the rise..
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Flu vac's for dogs. Does that mean we all need to get one for our dogs?
Rita Jean
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Here is a link I got a few weeks ago from one of our Brat members..
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Thank you for the information very good material now do we do the shot or not? What do all of you that have had B's for a long time think about the shot. Do we get the shot or not?
Rita Jean
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@Rita:
Thank you for the information very good material now do we do the shot or not? What do all of you that have had B's for a long time think about the shot. Do we get the shot or not?
Rita Jean
From the article, note that it says (by the way I do not give or intend to give, of course that said, I don't get a flu shot either)
Canine influenza outbreaks are most likely to occur in facilities where dogs are housed together and there is frequent introduction of new dogs into the resident population. Canine influenza outbreaks have impacted many sheltering facilities and organizations around the country since 2004, including open admission shelters, limited admission shelters, and foster homes or rescue/adoption groups in California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming. Many of these outbreaks have resulted in increased euthanasia due to the overwhelming number of sick dogs or the severity of illness.
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Thank you Pat I just wondered what others thoughts were. I do not get the flu shot either. Hate shots and seems to me you always get what the shots don't cover anyway. Thanks again.
Rita Jean
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Update on Griffin's (my granddog) battle against Blastomycosis: He is no longer getting any outward lumps and only a few have not drained yet. He has overcome not being able to walk due to an enlarged hardened lymph node in his back leg. Tonight Christa was able to take him on a short walk with socks on his feet to keep his sores from breaking open and to keep him from licking them. He is on an anti-inflammatory and his fungus med two times a day. His appetite is getting better. He sleeps most of the time but when awake seems to feel a lot better. Christa checks in with the Vet tomorrow. Thanks for your continued prayers and concern.
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Bless Griffin's little heart. I am so glad yo hear taht things are looking better then they have for a few dasy now, that is a good sign, I hope. Please let Christa know that we are thinking of her and Griffin. I actually just read about them the other day on the Brat site..
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Here's hope and prayers that he comes through this.
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Do you have the BRAT link? I am not on that particular email list probably because I and not part of the people who are actually rescuing,fostering and transporting.
