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[blusmom]

Hello everyone,

I've been lurking on these boards for a few days now as my 6 year old dog, Blu, was tentatively diagnosed 3 days ago with Blasto.  You all seem so supportive and informative that I've finally worked up the nerve to post...

I THINK his symptoms started about a week ago (although I'm starting to second guess and question every little unusual thing that's happened in the last few weeks.)  At first he seemed to not want to eat as much as usual and also had a strange cough.  After a day or two, he appeared to be rather lethargic then gave up his food altogether.  He wouldn't even touch peanut butter or ham mixed in with his dry food.  Another two days passed when he began having labored breathing Thursday evening accompanied with gasping, coughing and hacking.  It progressed and got so bad to the point where my fiancee and I decided to take him to the emergency animal hospital very late that night.  Based on his symptoms and xrays taken that night, the vet said he suspected blasto.  They obtained a urine sample to hopefully give a conclusive diagnosis although we won't have the results until sometime this week. 

The vet gave us prescriptions for 10 days worth of Itraconazole and Prednisone as well as additional prescriptions for a 3 month supply of each.  Friday morning, I called every pharmacy in the area- the cheapest for the 10 day supply of Itro (200mg/day) totaled $156.  We went ahead and filled the 10 day supply just to get him started and give Blu the best chance possible.  Once we have the actual diagnosis, I'm hoping to use one of the compounding pharmacies mentioned on this forum to fill the additional prescription given to us.   I can't even fathom the thought of $15/day to treat this horrible infection.

So here we are.  Day 3 of treatment.  So far he's had these symptoms/side effects of treatment: labored breathing, fevers, thin bloody discharge from his nose, diarrhea with some mucus and even a bit of blood.  He stares at me like he's trying to say, "Mom, what's wrong with me?"  Tomorrow I'm going to call every vet in the Chicago area until I find one that's knowledgable with this disease (as the animal hospital only treats emergencies, etc). 

It seems like there are a few of us that are just in the beginning stages of this disease, and I look forward to sharing our experiences.  I only hope that we all have positive outcomes in the end.

I'm completely overwhelmed, exhausted, scared, sad...

[Lolasmom]

Welcome to the board.  You have found the BEST place for information and support.

I first took my Lola into the vet on 11/7 because she was drooling really bad.  The x-rayed her and found a small spot on her lung.  The radiologist from Auburn University said he thought that it might be from an enlarged lymph node making a shadow and they put her on massive doses of Dexamethasone right before Christmas.  Two weeks later they took another x-ray and found her lungs were filled.  We started her on Itra 5 weeks ago but I didn't get a confirmed diagnosis of Blasto until last Friday (89 days after first taking her to the vet). 

After about 3 days of treatment it started to get really bad.  This was the first time she had a fever and she was Lola up to 90+ breaths per minute and couldn't lay down for 2 days.  She literally sat in her bed and "slept?" with her head leaning against the dresser. I was ready to put her down but it was the weekend and we don't have a local emergency hospital.  My vet told me that as long as her gums were not blue she was alright.  The following Monday (7days into treatment) she began to do a little better.  Progress has been really slow but she is almost breathing normally now, she rarely coughs anymore (still sneezes a lot), and has made great progress.

It is VERY frightening and you wonder if you are being fair.  But dogs are stronger than we realize (remember dogs can pant so they are used to breathing fast). 

The lose of appitite is common and sometimes you have to resort to force feeding.  Ensure with a turkey bastor, a raw egg, packing their mouths with peanut butter, and rotisserie chicken seem to be the best bets.  You can use the seach feature for more information or read through Lolas posts for some great information from others.

Lola had loose stools for weeks.  I  attribute that to dead fungus in her gut.   I found that buttermilk with a turkey bastor helped ease her tummy.
My vet got me my first 18 days of Itra from another patient who didn't make it.  (They must not have found this site.)  Then we refilled through a local compounding pharmacy.   There is info on here about getting Itra from Pet Pharmacy or RoadRunnner Pharmacy in AZ for like $1.00 a pill.  It is also compounded.  The important thing to remember is to give the Meds with a fat (butter, bologna, etc...) for better absorbtion. 

Fungus doesn't like acid so a teaspoon of apple cider vinagar to 2 qts of water with a little backing soda to cut the bitterness is a good idea.   But I wouldn't do this until Blue gets a little more stable.  You don't want to discourage drinking. 

I put a humidifier in our room at night and that seemed to help a bit too. 

Please know that we are all here from you to lean on and that YOU CAN BEAT THIS DISEASE. 

[Lolasmom]

PS:   I KNOW that look.  Its so heartbreaking.  It sounds like Blasto to me.   Lola had the same reactions to the meds (-the blood).  But I have read that it happens.  Days 3-7 were HORRIBLE.  Try to keep calm and get as much rest as you can.  Its so very hard but you can do this. Please keep us up to date.

[MurphyMann]

I am so glad you are on this site...I am new too.  Murphy was just diagnosed, so I can appreciate how concerned you are...and remember to take care of yourself too!  Give Blu a big hug from us! 

XOXO

[benniesmom]

Hi..  I can make a helpful suggestion..... there is a pharmacy in Canada that you can fax you prescription to...... RX Pharmacy World, in Toronto. I got three months worth of Itra for $150. I live in Northern MN and the vets here deal with Blasto a lot, and like to save us a lot of money by using the Canadian pharmacies. it took three weeks, because it is shipped from the UK, where it is made, and international airport security is a factor..... my vet would not consider compounded as it is questionable whether it has full bioavailability, as it is not beaded.... but if you wanat to use compounded, you can get that from the pharmacies listed in here in Arizona.... they have certainly helped a lot of people on this site.... you could also use Fluconazole, which is much cheaper, and is what you should use anyway if there is eye or central nervous system involvement......

wondering what kind of dog you have...  You can do this, you can beat this awful disease, but it is a rodcky road. and they do suffer some....... keep posting your questions and we will help as much as we can.
Onward into battle! and COURAGE!
Barb

[lguyer]

So sorry to hear this.. My dog Sadie and I are fighting this same disease. She was diagnosed 5 days ago. This site is so helpful! My dog's symptoms started in her eye. She is now blind in that eye and when she is healthy enough they might take it out. On Wednesday when we took her to the vet she was eating and by thursday I couldn't even get her to take water. I'm now syringe feeding her pedialyte and ensure. These are suggestions people posted on here. So far she is now having either symptoms in her hind legs, or is so weak that standing is almost impossible. When I feel like it can't get worse it does. But everyone has such encouraging comments on here that I refuse to give up. Hang in there. 

[apope43]

You mentioned she is blind -- has her retina detached?  What is her pressure/glaucoma rating?

Izzy lost her eye.  I have to tell you - if her eye is simply blind, you might wait to take it out. Enucleation is not necessarily difficult, but the anesthesia, the pain medicine, the itchiness....not worth it if you don't have to right now.  Focus on the blasto, then worry about her eye.

That said -- if it's swelling, get it out.  That means the blasto is continuing to spread and you want it out before it spreads to the other eye......the fluconazole will help, but it will not help the swelling if her pressure is going up.  Do a search for Izzy's story -- you can see the photos of her eyes.....once it starts swelling it goes quickly, a matter of hours in Izzy's case.


More to come -- AP

[Ty823]

Hi,
I mistakenly said that I was getting our Itra from Roadrunner pharmacy. Its actually coming from Diamondback pharmacy (also in Arizona), so that is another one for people to check out.
Sorry you have to go through this! You'll probably have a few more rough days before things start to improve.

[blusmom]

Thanks to everyone for all of your kind words and support!  You all are the one thing keeping me going at this point.

Today was a very rough day- the first I haven't been home since the diagnosis and start of treatment.  I agonized nearly every moment while at work, wondering what I was going to come home to.  Thankfully, Blu did seem relatively ok when I got home.  He even brought me his favorite stuffed dragon, albeit slowly and without his usual gusto.  But at least he's still kickin'   He just had his dose of Itro though, so I'm sure we're in for a rough ride this evening. 

I did speak to a new vet today who seemed to be familiar with Blasto, however he delivered some not very encouraging news.  He said he's only seen very few dogs pull through this.  Although I'm extremely disheartened to hear this, I keep thinking back to the folks on this board who are successfully fighting and have survived Blasto.  We have an appointment on Friday of this week to further review Blu's xrays, symptoms and progress.  I'm hoping for some good news since we aren't having any eye, joint or CNS problems.

I also received the case summary in the mail today from the emergency vet.  The xrays revealed a diffuse miliary pattern throughout all lung fields.  Since we're still unsure if it is blasto or not, he also mentioned the possibility of metastatic neoplasia.  I don't know which is worse- cancer or blasto!  I kind of hope the urine antigen test comes back positive...

I'll be sure to keep everyone updated on our progress.

Oh and for those who were wondering what breed dog Blu is, he's is THE most adorable, playful, loving pit bull you'll ever meet

[Ty823]

I would argue that cancer is much worse than blasto, because there is no cure for cancer, but we have a cure for blasto.... so lets hope its blasto
The majority of blasto cases I've heard about from people do not have a good outcome either, but they also usually involve several weeks of mis-diagnosis and delays in proper treatment. We've caught it super early and know what we are fighting against. In the words of Bill Murray from Caddyshack "So I've got that going for me.... which is nice".

[hippydog]

I'm so sorry you have to deal with this.  I want to encourage you as others have, to use this board as much as you need to.  The people here are incredible.  My lab Curby was diagnosed at the end of September.  He started with lung involvement, and has other symptoms crop up as treatment has progressed.  BUT HE IS BETTER!  It so hard day to day, and it's a fight, but some are lucky enough to catch it early, as I think we did (he inhaled the spores in July).
Hang in and good luck.
Nj

[Lolasmom]

Boy this sounds too familar.   We went through the whole....cancer or blasto thing for too long.  But Lola REACTED to the Itra.  Her breathing got bad everytime I gave it to her.  It would get labored and really fast.  She definately got worse after she started the meds.  I clung to that.  The Intra caused inflammation in her lungs.  The fungus was fighting back.  I just can't see cancer cells reacting to an antifungal.  There just isn't any reason they would cause inflamation in the lungs if it were cancer.  And thats all I had for weeks. 

When I first mentioned to my vet about it getting worse before it gets better, he looked at me like I was an alien and said "he didn't know about that".  I truly beleive that when she started to get bad he thought it was cancer and she would be dead before the following monday.   My theory on this is that a normal vet will give you the meds and send you home.  They don't "see" it get worse before it gets better and no one tells the pet owner that.  Then when it does start getting bad the owner brings the pet in and the vet, he sees them at this bad point and says it probably time to put the dog down.  Emergency vets and hospitals, on the other hand, treat the symptoms and provide support.  They often do see them get worse before they get better.  So they may be a little more familiar with this concept.

Statisitically, 80-85% of dogs that are treated and treated aggressively will survive.  Those aren't bad odds.  Those that don't make it are usually lost within the the first 10 days (before they are over the hump).  I would keep in mind Lola, Izzy, Nuala, Wilson, and ALL THE OTHERS on this board who have treated this disease and seem to be beating it.  It can be done.  You just have to keep the faith, do what you have to do and put it in the hands of the Lord.   

Primary lung cancer is VERY rare in dogs  (like less than 1%).  I usually spreads to the lungs from somewhere else. Bones, liver, etc.... And once it does hit the lungs it is already too late.  Life expectancy at this point is very short. But most dogs have already been sick for some time by then.   Most have alraeady lost a lot of weight and have quit eating.  Even secondary lung cancer is rare in dogs under 11.  NONE OF THIS IS ALWAYS THE WAY IT IS, but more than not. Sadies, for example, broke all these rules.  She didn't really fit any of the patterns but I think her case was rare.  You have to trust your gut to some extent.   

Don't lose faith.  This site is invaluable to fighting this disease in my opinion.  The collective knowledge on this board is greater than that of any one vet (unless that vet specialized in treating Blasto).  My vet is in awe of the information I have found on this board.  He has even defered to the board to find the answers to some questions he has had or has said "I DONT KNOW, have you searched the board?" 

You need to try to stay POSITIVE, get as much rest as you can and trust that you are doing all you can do for Blue.  We're always here for you and sending you prayers.   

[apope43]

I know what you mean about feeling discouraged -- when we first started thinking about blasto no one was very optimistic....there weren't a lot of success stories out there, until I found this board.  Like Lola's momma said - 85% make it with treatment.  60% make it without ever having the first drop of an azole....I think that blasto hides so well that frequently the vets don't catch it until it's so far advanced.  The pup's immunity didn't fight it off, and it's too late with too much damage to justify treatment.

Let's also not forget, that frequently vets put blasto pups down because the treatments are so expensive.  Our vet's practice has been around for 27 years, and Izzy is their first blasto pup.  When talked to a vet who had seen blasto several times, he quite frankly told them he never had a success story because he put them all down. 

I stressed about Izzy being by herself too, but I had to be at work.  We do what we have to do and do our best for our animals.  Somehow, it always is enough.  Glad to hear that your pup was bringing you toys.  The more engagement they have with the things they loved before blasto, the better you can feel about it!!  We knew Izzy was finally feeling better when she wanted to see her sister Casey.  First time her tail had wagged in weeks. 

You're doing a fabulous job -- keep up the good work and keep us updated!!  If you need anything at all, let us know!

[Lolasmom]

Wow...I didn't know that about the 60% fighting it off without any azole.  Thats really interesting.  I wonder if Lola would have been able to fight it off if it hadn't been for the Dexomethasone immune suppression.

When my vet called me with Lolas new Mira Vista results he said "that he had learned alot from her case and that he would have never connected the drooling with Blasto if things hadn't played out the way they did. But it made sense".   I told him "well, thats good, now you'll know to look for Blasto the next time you see excessive drooling".  And he said "yes, its good, but I wonder how many dogs I lost because I didn't make the connection earlier.  It just doesn't seem to matter how well armed I am, Blasto always turns some corner I hadn't anticipated and comes back to burns me.  I've been burned by Blasto too many times.  Maybe we're gonna win this one".  That really hit home with me.  Back in Nov, when I first took Lola in, I remember Dr. Walters telling me that she was the 2nd Basset Hound he had at the clinic that was having drooling issues.  I didn't have the heart to ask him how that turned out.   My vet actually owned a dog who had Blasto.  I think he trys to keep it at the front of his mind because of personal experience. I think he may take it a little personal. He's a good guy.

[Sadie123]

Prayers for you and Blue.  I really really hope this is not cancer and is blasto instead.  Blasto can be beat, cancer - well let's just say it's a dog's worst enemy.  Especially if it is in the lungs - it has usually spread from somewhere else first.  I don't mean to throw anything negative into your fight, but my dog Sadie did end up with a negative blasto test - and without any improvement, I had to sadly put her down.  After I let her go, we did a lung biopsy, and it was hemangiosarcoma.  A rapidly growing type of cancer that forms in the blood vessels themselves - also begins on organs that are highly vascular (such as liver, spleen, and heart).  Nosebleeding and bloody cough are common with this type of cancer, however we did not have those symptoms.  My vet did a CBC and chemistry and Sadie was found to be anemic and with low platelets.  If your blasto test comes back negative, please look into getting a CBC done.  It can tell you alot.  There is another condition which causes nosebleeds and internal bleeding (stools, etc...).  It's called Ehrlichia.  It is a disease caused by a tick bite.  My vet was considering this as well due to the anemia and low platelets that were showing up.  Ehrlichia is a very easily treatable condition in most cases.  The treatment is an antibiotic called doxycycline.  You should consider putting your dog on this medication until you know something else. It won't cause any harm and can be very beneficial if it is actually what you are dealing with.  Doxy can cure Ehrlichia in 3 -4 weeks time and you would see a good response within 2-3 days.  We just happen to be on Doxy because with the lungs being so infiltrated - my vet thought it was best to start antibiotics just incase there was a secondary bacterial infection.  I read what you said about the lung x-ray, and typically you don't have such a large infiltration with Ehrlichia, but my vet has seen a few rare cases where the lungs did look like that.  It was caused by micro-hemorrhages from the lower platelets - which would make sense if you are having nosebleeding and a bloody cough.  So please consider this as the treatment is so very easy and cheap!!  You can have your vet draw a tick titer, which tests for several tick-borne illnesses at the same time.  If you want more info, I would be happy to tell you more.  We went through this with my dog before finding out it was actually cancer.  But it was worth a try. 

I am so sorry that you are here - that Blue is sick.  We all know where you are right now.  Most of us have ended up on this forum being told by the vet that it's either blasto or cancer.  I hope that you can find the strength and encouragement that you need to make it from one hour to the next.  I remember the agony of "not knowing" so well. It is truely heartbreaking.  If you need anything, any info, don't hesitate to ask.  There are so many people on here that have so much experience dealing with sick dogs.  Some with blasto, and others with another diagnosis. 

I absolutely HATE CANCER!!!!!  I pray it's blasto