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[Dollface]

If you ask my husband he will tell you our 2-year-old yellow lab's name is Drake.  If you ask me I will tell you it's Dollface or Double LL (for D-O-L-L-).  Either way our dog is very, very loved.  My husband has trained him to be a terrific hunter while my son and I have "trained" him to be the perfect housepet.  One of our cats would agree with me and one wouldn't

Anyway, about a month ago Dollface had a sore on his toe.  The vet said infections in the toe and behind the nail are very hard to treat.  This was his only symptom.  We went through 2 different antibiotics and then noticed a couple other lesions on a different paw.  We were forced to make the decision to have his toe amputated because he just couldn't beat the 'infection'. 

A couple days after the surgery we brought him in to get his foot re-wrapped and the progress checked.  At that visit the vet noticed both lymph nodes in his legs and in his neck were very, very swollen.  I swear, this part just happened overnight.  He asked to take some samples to send to the lab.

Yesterday I found out Doll has Blasto and was very, very relieved he didn't have cancer.  Now the more research I do, I'm so scared.  He is on Ketoconozole (sp?) and an antibiotic.  He is very lethargic, has a fever but is still eating, drinking and trying to be happy.l...

I'm just don't know what to do.  I guess wait.   I keep wondering did our yard poisen our dog?  We live in MN, in the country, surrounded by farms, fields and have a swampy area in the front of our house.  I thought this place would be the PERFECT place to have dogs...now I don't even want to think about getting another one. 

The vet said we should know in a week whether he is responding to this medicine.  Our vet bills are outragous and I'm not sure how much more we will be able to handle. 

Please keep Dollface in your thoughts. 

[mary bc]

So sorry that Drake (aka Dollface) has blastomycosis, but you have found the best spot, in my opinion, for information and encouragement now that the battle is on. I live in MN also and my dog has survived for 3 years now since her initial infection.
Have you read the fact sheet/newsletter on this website? It contains great info on diagnosis, treatments, tips on getting our beloved pets to eat and the importance of staying positive.
Has your vet recommended the MiraVista urine antigen test? I hadn't heard of the test (and neither had my vet) until I found this website. My understanding is that itraconazole is considered the best treatment option unless the central nervous system is involved; hopefully others will weigh in with their opinions.  It is VERY GOOD that you have a diagnosis and have started treatment; so many times it seems to take too long to get a diagnosis and precious time is wasted.
We are hoping and praying Drake responds, but things may get worse before he shows signs of improvement.  Read as much as you can on this site and ask questions-
Mary

[Cathy, Bailey and Duke]

So sorry about Dollface/Drake!
    The main thing is to keep her eating! We are about an hour north for the Minnesota/Ontario border in the "Lake of The Woods" area! Blasto is very prevalent here! My e-mail is cathyhuitikka@hotmail.com
Our vets here are very knowledgable about blasto! Please e-mail me if you have questions! Cathy

[Cathy, Bailey and Duke]

Where in Minnesota are you guys?
Our story is below!

[Dollface]

We live about 35 miles south of Mankato. Drake is still hanging in there, eating a little bit and trying to be comfortable.  We have a recheck at the vet Monday and are suppose to be taking him on a little vacation next week with us.   I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this disease.

[Cathy, Bailey and Duke]

What meds is he on? if it is Sporonox or Itraconazole, feed with fat. Some things Duke would eat when he was really bad off. Steak, scrambled eggs, chicken, salami, liver sausage (I hid the pill in this) chicken. If it comes down to it, force feed liquid food with a baster. The vets have some nutritional food in a paste form that you can use too. Keep us posted.

[Dollface]

He is only on Ketoconozole and an antiobiotic.  We really can't afford Itra although I really, really wish we could.  Our vet said nobody in our area is on that because it's too expensive.  I sometimes feel like we should just get it anyway, we have already spent so much so what is a little more?  I've also read he should have a shot of Amphotericin B with the Ketoconozole but my vet never mentioned that. 

Drake is eating, a little, but he wasn't a big eater to begin with and he still loves his treats.  Thank you for the feedback and support.  We were feeling pretty alone until we found people who are going thorugh/have gone through this. 

[evayola]

I am so sorry that your Dollface has to deal with blasto. My Marge also had to have her toe amputated before we knew exactly what she was dealing with.  This disease can be so dreaded and the best piece of advice that I can give you is to stay extremely positive! Do read the newsletter here, it has a great amount of helpful information. Do you know if he has it in the lungs or where it exactly is? I would also recommend the MiraVista urine antigen test. With the test you can find out how much blasto is in him and use it as a guide in his treatment. How much ketoconazole is he taking (mg)? You said that you cannot afford the itra but has your vet talked to you about compounding? If that is an option for you, it is much cheaper than the beaded form. I even have my itra left over from when Marge was sick and I would love to give it to you if you would like it. I am pretty sure it is 300 mg per capsule. I would have to double check that though. Let me know if you would like them. Also you said that you are taking a vacation with him, just make sure that you are very careful with his activity/stress level. Having Marge do anything but rest was very stressful for her and her lungs. Hang in there, it sounds like you caught it quickly. I will be sending good wishes your way.

Eva

[aboyd]

Please stay "positive."  I had my doggie, his name was Jake.  He has been gone now for 2 years, and I still miss him dearly.  I now understand what he was suffering from several years earlier.  He had a "mysterious" disease that my vet couldn't identify.  She had him on a broad range of anti-biotics and lots of fluids.  Jake had a large oozing sore that came out of no where that never would heal (along with a necretizing muscle tissue that he had surgery for). . .but in the end, Jake left from old age, rather than from Blasto.  (He was 15yo)

What brings me here today, a friend 3 doors down, his beautiful lab Kayla, has been diagnosed with Blasto.  His vet recognized it immediately.  He has 3 active cases now here in illinois in this area.

My biggest concern, the symptom, the large open cyst, sounds like Jake's, although Jake never had a fever, nor suffered coughs, blindness, etc.  Just this large oozing sore which never quite totally healed.  He never coughed, he never had eye problems, nor an appetite problem (Jake was a "healthy" 98lbs).. . . but as I said, Jake was 11 when he contracted this.  he underwent aggressive antibiotics, and surgery for the damage in the muscle.  He seemed fine for years.  He was getting old, and eventually, he said "it's time to leave now mommy. Say goodbye to me." and he stopped eating and didn't want to get up. (15 years old)

The location is the only thing Jake and Kayla have in common here in Illinois.  I'm concerned, along a lake here that there is a"problem" area.

I hope Drake is well and I wish him all the best.  Keep positive thoughts.  I'm hoping someone here can tell me how to "identify" a possible area where this may be, and I don't know, a good dose of bleach?  A scrape with a bleach soaked rake?

What does an area where this fungus live look like?  Water logged?  black with decaying vegitation? Or sandy-dry with black vegitation?

[carolh]

So sorry about dollface.  You can tell from your post how loved she is.  Wal-Mart sells itraconazole very cheaply.  Please check it out.  How knowledgeable is your vet about blasto?  You need a strong partner in this fight.  If you vet is not very knowledgeable, is he/she willing to seek information (for example from U of MN vet school---they know a lot about this disease). 

Great that Dollface/Drake is eating.  Keep it up.  Unfortunately, this disease gets worse before it gets better usually.  Your love and good care will definitely help.

Good luck.

Carol

[Dollface]

We had to let Doll go to heaven yesterday....heartbroken. 
What a stupid, stupid illness. 
We'll be OK but right now it's still pretty raw.

[mary bc]

Oh, I am so sorry...such a terrible loss for all of you. Drake's life was cut short by this horrible disease, but he was and always will be a very special part of your family. 
Mary

[Cathy, Bailey and Duke]

I'm so sorry to hear about Dollface!!!!

[Dollface]

He got so sick, so fast.  It didn't matter what we tried, it didn't help.  I'm so lucky that I was his mom for the time we had.  I'm sure all of you love your animals and understand the hurt.

Do I need to be worried about Blasto for my other pets (cats), myself or future pets?  Call me paranoid....but that's what Blasto did to me.  Can you see it in the form of a mold/fungus?  I just want to fix it so it never ever happens again to us or anyone else.

[mary bc]

Again, I am so sorry, my heart aches for you.  It is such a scary infection because, like you said, our animals seem to get so sick so fast and the diagnosis is often delayed. It is my understanding that although symptoms may appear quite suddenly, in reality, the exposure to the fungal spores most likely occurred weeks or even months prior to onset of symptoms.  Another difficult aspect of blastomycosis is trying to pinpoint exactly where our pets were exposed and I understand your worry about future infections in your family - this stuff is nasty! Did you travel with Drake, take him hunting, or do you feel like he must have been exposed on your farm?  We think our dog was infected at our northern MN cabin after we had a new septic system installed - recently disturbed earth can increase risk.  I have heard of people being infected from handling landscaping wood chips and mulch.  The best hope we have is increased awareness, earlier diagnosis and maybe the future will bring more effective treatments or even a vaccine.