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[LabDad]

Hi all,

Well it's a few weeks later and still no definite answer of Bear's condition.  We are waiting for further MiraVista results and still have him on the fluconozole.  Fortunately, he has shown no adverse effects yet.  The vet did the tracheal wash, which did not show anything conclusive other than lung inflamation.  He does not know whether this is a hangover from the heartworm treatment that Bear received 9 months ago shortly after being found as a stray or perhaps a bacterial infection.  The radiologist thinks this is not Hysto, but we'll see what the second round of MiraVista tests show.  Bear seems as happy and healthy as could be though, and since starting the fluconozole he has not had any of the heaving coughs - I know the radiologist insists it is not Hysto but I can't help but thinking that the medicine is helping to nip this in the bud.

Thanks all.

Labdad

[mhitesman]

Carolh, I was very interested to read your post about Mika.  It is so similar to Comet's story in that neither dog showed the classic blasto symptoms of coughing or lung infection at all.  My vets, too, were initially reluctant to diagnose blasto as they had told me it ALWAYS enters through the lungs.  The vets at the teaching hospital surmised that he started with a lung infection and then successfully fought it off without scarring ...something I have always been skeptical about.  From this site (and later others) I have learned that it also enters through open wounds in the skin, but still you are the first who described a course of disease similar to Comet's with neither lung infection or open sores ...  just rapid eye involvement with no other symptoms or organ involvement.  Comet also lost an eye to this disease.  Maybe, just maybe, this disease can enter through the eye and start from there?

[Richard]

LabDad.

Have they tested for Chagas? I know it is present in Louisiana. They initially thought Hans had histo also. Chagas can basically manifest with any number of symptoms that can look like other diseases, including changes in the lung and enlarged lymph nodes (Hans had enlarged lymph nodes). It probably isn't but since they can't get a definitive diagnoses it might be worth doing the test.

[carolh]

Hello MHitesman,
Yes, I think it absolutely did enter through the eye.  Our vet says the eye has protection against outside invasion but shrugs his shoulders and says no one really can account for how blasto spores work and that it seems hers entered through the eye.  Mika's MiraVista count was 31.5 so I wonder how she would have NO lung involvement if it had begun there.  She is a digger.  In a hot blasto area, that is unfortunate but her part dachshund seems to have a strong influence, stronger than our admonitions.  Sorry about Comet's eye.  Mika has retained her eye but is totally blind in that eye.  She seems to be fine with that except for when someone who doesn't know tries to pet her from the blind side.  As we're rather remote in the woods here, that doesn't happen too often.
Carol

[LabDad]

RIchard,

I have never heard of Chagas, and I know they have not mentioned it.  At this point after a second MiraVista test which came out showing no reading for Histo (in contrast to the first test which showed a low reading) the vets are both scratching their heads and have basically said there is nothing left to do.  I'll look into this.

Thanks.