Blastomycosis is an infection caused by the fungal organism blastomyces dermatitidis. It can occur in dogs, people and, less frequently, cats. The fungus is found as a mold in soil or at room temperatures and as yeast in tissues or at body temperatures. It is frequently found in sandy, acid soils around rivers and other waterways, and infection occurs through the inhalation of spores from the soil into the lungs, thereby resulting in a self-limiting pulmonary infection. Local cutaneous infections can also occur if the spores are directly inoculated into the skin through puncture wounds.

Hunting and sporting breeds tend to be at a higher risk as they generally have a greater exposure to soil in wet areas. Further, males are more likely to contract the disease than females. The disease is common along the eastern seaboard, in the Great lakes regions, and in Ohio , Mississippi and St. Lawrence river valleys. It is also more frequent in the fall.

Symptoms may vary and can include anorexia, cough, depression, enlarged lymph nodes, eye disease, fever, intolerance to exercise, shortness of breath, skin lesions draining bloody or purulent material, and weight loss. Diagnosis is typically done through examination of a sample yeast organism acquired from draining a skin lesion or a lymph node. Blood tests and chest x-rays may also be performed.

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