Treatment of blastomycosis is expensive, long and complicated. It also has potentially serious side effects. About 65% of infected dogs survive, though some 25% of those who survive suffer relapses. Dogs with infections that involve the brain or eye tend to have the worst prognosis and, in fact, eye involvement typically requires removal of the eye. Treatment typically involves the use of amphotericin B through intravenous injection. Ketoconazole has also shown to be effective, particularly in dogs with poor kidney function and a mild form of the disease. These two drugs may be used together. Another option, and also the newest drug, is itraconazole, though it can be very costly.
Generally speaking, this disease cannot be transmitted from a pet to humans by simple contact or proximity, though there is some evidence that a dog bite from an infected dog may risk exposure. However, an infected pet does suggest that the owner is at risk for contracting the disease through the common environmental source, such as nearby water.
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Blastomycosis in Pets |
