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[mhitesman]

Comet has been on Itra for one month now.  He goes in this week for a liver check again.  We expect more good news.  He is GREAT!  Even with only one eye!  He has resumed his position as (dog) pack leader and is a happy boy with plenty of energy...but not yet back to perfect condition.  We are so lucky!!!  Like so many others here, I am afraid to ever stop the meds.  The vets says he only needs them a couple months because he never had a lung infection (or more likely fought it off before we got diagnosis for his eye).  I am probably going to insist on at least 4 months for him since that is what all my vet books say.  Four months after NO SYMPTOMS.  It's scary to think about quitting, though, isn't it?


Does anyone know what this fungus looks like in nature???  Can it be seen at all?

[luvmyjacks]

I'm with you on staying on the meds long past what they think is enough.  Waiting to hear about Wilson as he has been on a long time and might have had a relapse..... that would give us another indication of the time they need to be on Itra.  I don't think blasto presents as a visible fungus like a mushroom, it is just an organism in damp organics that is released when the organics are disturbed.  Since the spores are airborne when ingested into the lungs and nose I assume the more they dry the higher they are in the air...... so more dogs and fewer people get blasto.  Will and Roxy were always digging in forests and ravines and I understand Wilson was the same.

[Jen]

Ya, spores.  Here's a link to an image that looks just like what the vet showed us from DB's slide.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Blastomycosis_cropped.JPG/800px-Blastomycosis_cropped.JPG&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Blastomycosis_cropped.JPG&h=584&w=800&sz=52&hl=en&start=8&tbnid=xUPJ2uLbq6NG4M:&tbnh=104&tbnw=143&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dblastomycosis%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den[/url]

(Long link!)  Dirtbike is a hunting-type dog, and we live next to river, woods, fields, the whole bit.  I also did a HUGE amount of landscaping with mulch last year, and I remember her spending the nights on a pile of old straw bales (that stuff's always full of mold & crap) waiting for our daughter to come home in the mornings. It could've come from anywhere.  The vet says it's all over the place and you can't see it or do away with it.
   Now she owns my comfy chair at night.  No more straw bales, and no more mulch.  I have to let her play though.  Even tho she's got no more symptoms and seems very healthy, we've also resumed the Itra, giving it every other day.  I still don't feel comfortable until we get a good hard freeze.
I'm waiting to hear about Wilson too...makes me nervous.
Best-jen

[Mary Joe]

I am so happy for Comet and for you!  He sounds like he's doing great and I am truly happy for both of you.   

[Wilson3]

wonderful news
i like to hear the good stuff
it was kind of weird with my 3 dogs,wilson is top dog and my other 2 always seemed to know and respect him for that and he was always the top dog throughthe whole thing once he got better and was aloud to go bacck on walks the other 2 dogs would always make sure to be there for him i cannotr even really begin to explain the bound my 3 dogs have and the understand and respect for each other they are always there for each other i remeber when i took wilson to the em vet and came home with out him my other 2 where soooo lost confused on what was going on they would always encourage wilson to keep fighting they are just so wonderful

anyways i am so happy for you