Blastomycosis claimed Freida, my Weim girl

[Alex]

Fellow BBers, please choose to keep your dog on anti-fungal medications for life if you have the misfortune to have a dog diagnosed w/blastomycosis. My vets told me that Freida was free of blastomycosis after a year's worth of anti-fungal medication. Unfortunately, the blasto was merely knocked back and it eventually returned and was lethal and virulent. I put her down this past weekend and am considering having her body go to a mycologist at the University of Wisconsin to assist w/studies on how to combat this dimorphic fungus. It's a highly unusual twin form of fungus that becomes a yeast once ingested or any tissues of a host organism become exposed but is a regular fungus when it is in the soil. There's much more to its life history including that it is a fungus when chilled and in soil but a yeast when it is at body-temperature inside a host.

There are similar dimorphic fungi that are endemic in various regions around the country so don't feel you're safe just because you're in Maryland or Arizona. Please stay on top of these dimorphic fungi for the sake of your pets. When dogs get scrapes and they don't heal and they seemingly have granulomas, it could be blastomycosis of the skin tissue. If your dog has a persistent deep cough, it could be blastomyces dermatitis spores that has veeen breathed into the lungs and have sprouted in the lungs to become its second life form, a branching yeast. People are not immune from these dimophic fungi. I met a woman who nearly died from blastomycosis when I was working at a garden center. So gardeners and all those who spend a lot of time in woodlands and near lakes and rivers, keep an eye on your health.

The other dogs don't really know what's up. Sydney keeps looking for Freida everywhere. Tom, the young flat-coated retriever, is a little more oblivious but still keeps checking out Freida's bed that was right next to his kennel. Freida taught all the best behaviors to all the family pooches... but the most important skill was how to effectively snuggle while the humans were reading books.

[Beorn]

So sorry for your loss, Alex.

[Kelo]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

[Sunshine2Me]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

[Josette]

I'm so sorry you lost Feida. I have read about it back in school but never knew anyone or animal treated for it.

[Canyon]

I'm so sorry you lost Freida; she sounded like such a special girl. I hope your other dogs adjust to her absence.

Thank you for sharing her story with us.

[Woost2]

So sorry, Alex. Never heard of this particular horrifying thing.

[Wicky]

I am so sorry. {{{{{{{{{{Alex}}}}}}}}}}

[piedmontfields]

I'm very sorry for your loss. You and Freida were lucky to have each other.

[Chisamba]

Sorry for your loss Alex

[carpevita]

Oh Alex, that's just heartbreaking. I know she was very special to you. ((((((((Alex)))))))))

[demi]

Oh, I'm sorry for you. Weims are special doggies. We've had three and we have a million stories that we tell each other (DH and me) when we miss them. I just know Freida was a sweetheart.

[angela9823]

So sorry to hear this, Alex. I've enjoyed you telling us about Freida through the years and will miss those stories of your walks.

[stella]

Alex, I am very sorry for your loss. I loved your Freida posts.

[greenhorse]

I am so sorry for your loss. Sending good thoughts and hope for peace your way.

[Tuffytown]

More condolences Alex, Love the Weims.

Condolences and hugs coming through me from 6c legs as well.

[redsoxluvr]

Sorry for your loss. Hugs to you.

[Rhianon]

Oh no, Alex. That's just awful. I'm so sorry. I, too, thought you had it licked.

[khall]

I am so sorry for your loss, especially is such circumstances. I too have not heard of Blatomycosis, though I have had the distinct displeasure to learn about Pythium this past year with my horses. Pythium is a fungal like organism and can infect/affect mammals of any kind. Horses, dogs, cats humans being the most frequent. Most often seen in coastal regions but seems to becoming more wide spread (I am in middle GA) and more of an issue. It too can cause skin lesions, with granulating aggressive lesions called swamp cancer. My horses were affected in their upper respiratory airway, showing allergic reaction to what was probably a different species of pythium than what causes swamp cancer. Nasty stuff which thankfully does have an immunotherapy vaccine to help combat the issue. Again, so sorry for your loss, I always enjoyed your stories about Freida.

[Quelah]

I'm very sorry Alex. Thank you for being strong enough in your grief to share and help others be aware.

[Cyd]

I'm so sorry for your loss Alex.

[KathyK]

A heartbreaker, for sure. Hugs to you, Alex.

[Code3]

Alex, so sorry for your loss.

[fergusnc]

Godspeed Freida.

[Alex]

Thanx for the group hug, guys. It's odd but yesterday I was taking Tom out to do his daily training cadaver searches and we met a neighbor walking by on the road w/his black lab. I hadn't seen Don for a while and had thought maybe he was avoiding my road because of the possibility his lab Calvin would run down and fall through the ice into the Willow River. Instead, it turns out Calvin had caught blasto and torn both his ACLs. His vet had also declared Calvin free of blasto after 10 months treatment but I told Don to beware of being declared blasto-free given Freida's relapse. It's made me re-think what to do w/my dogs and where to allow them to go. There's really so little known about how this fungus attracts dogs... All I can think is that it must have a compelling scent to draw dogs to it just like truffles do. Calvin and Freida were such good pooch pals... I'll miss seeing them greet each other and go for a stroll down the road together as Don and I tag along behind.

Hugs to everyone's pooches... We've got some truly wonderful dogs on this BB.