Print

[Beth2008]

Hello everyone,
Missy went for her 10 day checkup yesterday.  Her breathing became very labored on Sunday.  Her x-rays showed that the blasto is still only in her lungs.  There appears to be more air in her lungs but the blasto seems to be clumping together.  Is this normal?  Our vet does not know.  She has been taking Ketoconazole 200mg-1.5 tabs 2xs/day and Cerenia 60mg - 2 tabs for 4 days and 2 days off.  Yesterday the vet added theophylline 200mg - 1 tab/2xs/day, Ciprofloxacin 500mg - 1 tab/2xs/day, Lasix 50 mg - 1 tab/2xs/day and today Fluconazole 100 mg - 1.5 tab/2xs/day.  Last night when we gave her the meds she began to pant, drool and shiver uncontollably.  Within an hour she vomited and symptons went away.  This am I only gave her the Ketoconazole and theophylline.  She did ok but now has diarrhea.  Her vet was off today so I could not talk to her about what happened.  Missy is being force fed everything - which is very little.  Still drinks water pretty good.  If anyone has any experience with these meds and how you handled them please let me know.  Our vet is experimenting.  She has never treated another animal this long.  Any advice on any of this would be greatly appreciated!!
Thank you
Beth

[GSP_Mom]

I am so sorry Beth; I have no experience with the meds your Missy is on.  Bodi is on Itraconazole to treat the Blasto (150mg Bodi is currently about 68lbs).  We are fighting the fungal pneumonia and to help him breath he is on the steroid Prednisone (10mg once a day, cut back from twice a day) and an asthma med called Aminophlline (200mg twice a day, cut back from 3 times a day).  In the beginning of treatment Bodi did well the first 7 days then got very bad (ICU bad).  But he made it through.  They say it gets worse before it gets better.  The blasto dying in the lungs creates toxins, which causes inflammation and that is why the first few days can be critical.  (This is my understanding from what our vets have said)  Bodi looked like a long neck dinosaur and at points he could not lay down and when he did he could not lay his head down.  It seemed to help him to have the fan on him.  Also it is not good to lie on the side so pillows on both sides to help from rolling over.  We also propped his head up on pillows, this still kept his neck stretched for him and let him sleep.  Bodi did shake, shiver, drool and one day had a head twitch.  Bodi also has had diarrhea almost every day of treatment.  Only now since he has begun eating dry food along with the wet has his stool firmed up.  We got through the tuffer times and I know you can to.  Hang in there and give Missy the emotional support as well.  Talk to her, sit with her.  I hope this helps,

Vanessa 

[Beth2008]

Vanessa,
Thank you so much for your reply.  I feel better - I think.  I just don't know if I should give al the meds of just certain ones.  Missy is now about 65 lbs.  We thought we were doing so good getting 2 cans of the a/d a day in her but the vet said she needs at least 5 cans a day.  During the worst times - how much could you get into Bodi a day?
Thank you for taking time to answer my questions.
Beth

[GSP_Mom]

We forced 1 can of ad and tried our hardest to get him to eat anything else.  Bodi at that point was around 57lbs.  I thought that it was not enough but I followed my vets’ instructions.  Bodi seemed to take the frozen Ensure pretty well.  One can has around 350 cal. and will fill up an ice try.  I think with the fever it helped and he liked the cold.  It is important to get Missy as many calories as possible.  The a/d is supper food, packed with all the cal and none of the filler.  I know how hard the force-feeding is and I still have to at some times.  For now I would follow the vets instructions on the meds.  Maybe call around to other vets, animal hospitals, to see is any of them have had more experience with Blasto.  My vet consults with the larger animal hospital around here with 3 other vets and I am so thankful for it.   

[Beth2008]

Thank you

[larry]

My Molly is taking 2 100 mg Itrocnizole daily for last 13 days  it took 6 days to see any improvment  Molly weighs72 lbs also the pills that are not made by compounding seem to work better according to my son in-law he is a PHD of chemistry and he advised me not to use compound drugs and he also felt the best drug for Molly, was the Introconizole. His email to me was about 4 pages but thats the short verson. Hope that helps good luck with Missy  This is just my opinion and we are new to this Blasto stuff. Larry

[luvmyjacks]

Could you get your ketaconazole changed to Itraconazole?  It seems to be the most effective drug for balasto judging by the successes on this forum. Since your vet hasn't a lot of experience with blasto she/he might be amenable to this suggestion?
Regarding the a/d food, it is fabulous and is so power packed they do not want yo to use it if your pet isn't desperately ill.  As for quantities, remember that these dogs aren't mving around and burning up calories so a can can go a long way toward saving a life.  I got a big thick syringe and mixed the a/d with water and put it way back in Will's throat so he kind of"drank" it.  It was a good "two for one" solution as it guaranteed he had lots of water as well as food.
It is true though that they get really, really sick once they're being treated so just hold on tight and give every bit of love and time that you can for this next while.  I held Will in my arms all night listening to him struggling to breath - so I could be sure I hadn't lost him.
Good luck.
Lee

[gunner]

Hi Beth,

I am sorry you are facing such a hard time right now.  I am really sorry that your vet is so limited!  I, unfortunately have been suffering along with a vet that is way lack luster in her performance.  So I am really happy that we are here to help.  I think that everyone on here, with their combined hours of research on Blasto, have the time equivalent of a PHD!

First, let me recommend that you read some of the previous posts that I just moved up for you.  See:  Idea: Knowledgable  Vets .  Some people on here have had wonderful experience with knowlegable vets.  *Maybe* your vet won't be offended if you give her these other vet's names to contact for information. 

I also moved up a previous post about Sporonax (Itraconazole) that you might find useful. See:  Sporanox, Generic, Compounded, ending the controvercy.

Ketoconazole is no longer the drug of choice when treating blastomycosis because of it's harsh side effects.  However, since Missy hasn't officially been diagnosed with Blasto (though her symptoms are alarminly similar), Ketoconazole is a broader spectrum anti-fungal, that doesn't cost the arm and leg that Itraconazole can.  So until you can get a diffinitive answer on exactly what Missy is fighting, I don't know if switching to Itraconazole is best right now.   Untill Gunner was officially diagnosed with Blastomycosis, they put her on Ketoconazole.  I do hope your vet warned you to keep an eye out for any signs of liver disfunction, another side effect of keto. 

The emergency vet that saw Gunner when she was at her sickest point, told us that one small can of a/d is equivelant to one large can of dog food.  I think giving Missy 5 cans in a day is a bit over the top.  To feed Gunner, I just mixed a can of a/d with a can of ensure and whizzed it with a hand held blender and then *slowly* squeezed it in her throat with a syringe.  Slowly is the key because if you squeeze too quickly, it shoots in (and out) or hits their gag reflex.  So just ooze it in just about 5-10 cc's at a time.  Your vet should give you all the syringes you need for free.  See post:  What to feed a dog that is no longer hungry... lots of good help in there. 

Does Missy have diarhea or just loose stools?  Gunner's stools were pretty loose for a couple of months.  They were also dark and turned black in a couple of hours.  Missy will probably have weird looking bodily functions for a while.  I know Gunner had me running here and asking all kinds of questions.  I have since managed to calm down a bit but one thing I did learn, that in the world of Blasto sufferers, the weirder the symptom, the more "normal" it seems to be. 

Vomiting is also a common side effect of the antifungal drugs.  It is important to give them with some food at least and the more the better, and better yet if it has some fat content as well. 

Hang in there.  We are all rooting for you.
Joyce

[Jen]

Hi Beth-
 Missy's on a LOT of medicine:
Cerenia for vomiting, Cipro for bacterial infection, Theophylline as a bronchodilator, and Keto for the fungus. Sounds like a good combination in theory, but maybe it's just too much for her system right now? If she's had the Cipro for a couple of days, you may not have to worry about secondary infection. I've taken it; it kicks ass quickly.

We were told to go ahead and give DB her broad-spectrum antibiotic injections along with the Itraconazole, he figured it couldn't hurt. 
We did for several days, but we had seen in other dogs that the b-s antibiotics made them shaky and sick; they got better when we stopped them. So we cut out the shots and only gave Itra, a bit of Prednisone, and it didn't seem so hard on her.
   We still packed her mouth with peanutbutter, poured Ensure Plus down her throat, all the force-feeding.   I'm not saying to go ahead and do it, just saying that's what we did. 
I believe I posted about it when we stopped all the extra medicine, and at that time we had resigned ourselves that she was going to die, sooo...take it for what it's worth? (I think the post is under "Dirtbike Day 7" or something like. I was a mess!)
Good luck, and hang in there-
jen

[Beth2008]

Hi Everyone,
You make us feel so much better when we read your posts.  THANK YOU ALL SO SO MUCH!!  Today is not such a good day.  Missy is exhausted.  All her energy is spent trying to breath.  I'm sure you all know what thats like.  All of you have taught our family so much about this disease and what to expect.  Her stools are reddish black and our hardwood floors are catching hell.   But thats OK.  We will check out all of the info suggested and the different meds.  Please know that we keep you all in our thoughts and prayers.  Thank you!
Beth

[evayola]

Hi Beth,

Missy does seem like she is on A LOT of meds. Why fluconozole AND keto? That seems like a bit much. Like everyone said, emotional support and therapy is key. I spent many many days reading to Marge and cuddling her and telling her that she HAS TO MAKE IT and to be a strong girl. I never was huge on prayer even though I was raised catholic but once Marge got sick, I prayed everyday and everynight and gosh darnit, my prayers were answered. Keeping the house cool helped Marge a lot. We checked her temp twice a day and put damp cloths on her feet when she was getting too hot. Definitely let us know what else you need! Take care and give Missy some hugs and kisses for us!
Eva & the zoo

[Wilson3]

wow missy sure is on alot of meds (6 of them) no wonder she has an upset tummy
if i where yu i would see about getting the itra has a lot less side a effects and the keto isnt really used as much any more and the flucon one i beleive is used when the eyes are involved
plant enzymes and probiotics did wonders for wilsons stool it was kind of soft from all the antibactics before he started treatment and he was on on also for i think the 1st 10 days of treatment but he had open lesions
try to keep food in her tummy wilson loves raw meat go and get a steak if it works it is well worth it cooking it up in the house and the smell of it cooking gets them interested to
hang in their and never give up
wilson3

[Beth2008]

Hi Eva,
Our vet said she consulted with a pharmarcist and they decided that this was a good combo. One supposedly works well with the other.  It does seem like alot of meds.  Since we started it yesterday Missy seems to be dazed.  Is it the meds?  We don't know.  We have done some research on the Theophylline and Cipro and we are not doctors but it does not seem like these two mix well.  I sure as heck don't want to OD her.  To quote the vet "what have we got to loose".  I didn't like that statement.  We have a lot to loose.  Thank you for the tips about the cool clothes on the feet.  Our vet has not mentioned taking Missy's temp?  Should we be doing this?  We do keep the overhead fans on for her and take her outside shortly after she gets her meds.  Thats when she seems to get really bad - panting, etc...  It seems to make her feel better.  Thanks again for you help.  Back to you and the zoo with hugs & kisses!!!
Thanks
Beth

[Beth2008]

Hi Wilson3,
Thanks for your response.  We will check on the itra.  Her eyes are not affected only her lungs - so that does seem to be a bit strange.  We will try anything to get her to eat, right now she wants nothing and has no interest in anything.  We miss her coming into the kitchen at meal time!  We give her lots of love and encouragement.  Tonight I did not give her the Lasix.  With loose stools and less water intake I'm afraid she will get dehydrated.  Thanks again for your help.
Beth

[Wilson3]

you could print out th e post on vets that have treated blasto and see if your vet would be willing to talk to them
wilson was on previcox for swelling in the legs and temp it also helped with his breathing but do not get fooled they are better it is a pain pill keeps them comfy and will eat better when they feel better once wilsons fever and swelling was all gone i stopped the pain pill
we humans would take a pain pill at first i felt funny giving one to him but he did sooo much beteer when on it he would sleep better also
wilson ears would get really really cold and his body would feel cold so i would rub them and his body to help get the blood moving it is funny now he loves his ears rubed when before he wasnt to crazy about it
i remeber when his breathing finially did  improve and he was sleeping next to me one night i woke up all freaked out because he was sleep peacfully for the first time in months i scared me a lot

it is very frustrating inthe beginning because first they do not know wahta they have then soem vets do not know how to treat
i am very luck with wislons vet he will find the answer if he does not knwo nad he does it pretty fast
i had to take wilson temp 2x's a day even now i takeit once in awhile and still watch the color of his gums

good luck and hang in their
wilson3