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CANINE SYSTEMIC FUNGAL DISEASE

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Systemic Fungal Disease
Valley Fever

Systemic Fungal Diseases in Dogs...

Diseases In Disguise

http://www.thepetcenter.com

Blastomycosis, Cryptococcosis, Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever), Histoplasmosis, Lyme Disease and more...

The veterinarian looks at the black and white patterns on the viewer in the dim light of the x-ray room.  She thinks how unusual this is . . . a four-year old Golden Retriever in the prime of its life, stricken with lung cancer.  The radiograph doesn't lie though.  funblasto2small The light patches taking up space in what should be dark areas of the dog's lungs literally demand attention, stark and unnatural, like  potholes on a busy expressway.  How unusual, the doctor muses, to see cancer like this in such a young dog; cancer in the lungs of any dog is almost never seen unless it has metastasized from somewhere else in the body.  And to come on so quickly!  According to the owners it was happy and energetic as it swam, played fetch and ran with the family just two weeks ago on their vacation.

Now the dog has a fever, is losing weight and coughs frequently... the patient is failing fast!  Something just doesn't fit.  The veterinarian senses an unusual discomfort with her original diagnosis of metastatic lung cancer, a veritable death sentence for this patient.  She brings the two x-ray films of the dog’s chest, one taken side-to-side and one front-to-back, into the exam room where four anxious people await the doctor's diagnosis.  The depressed Golden Retriever's eyes focus upward on the doctor, ears tuned in to the soft voice. . .

"We need to do a little more detective work.  See those whitish areas in the lungs?  At first my thought was a possible cancerous condition, but given your dog's age and the sudden onset of her sickness, I just don't believe that's our problem.  You said she was just fine on the family vacation?  Where was that?"

The astute doctor was now on the right track and refused to be led down the road to euthanasia by a disease in disguise.  Unfortunately, there are canine patients that have not been quite so lucky as the Golden in this case; this patient was accurately diagnosed with Blastomycosis.  Vigorous and immediate treatment was begun for this fungal disease that was acquired 350 miles from the dog's home while vacationing with its human family.  It was the first case of "Blasto" this doctor had ever seen because soil and other conditions simply did not permit the presence of the organism in the local environment.  This case of Blastomycosis came disguised as lung cancer.

Valley Fever
This exact scenario has been played out many times - only with different actors in different disguises.funtanner   "Valley Fever" is a bad actor and is caused by a fungal organism called Coccidioides immitis.  Unlike "Blasto", which is prevalent along river systems of Northern Wisconsin, central Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio, Valley Fever thrives in arid regions of the Southwest United States.  Disguised as other fungal diseases, pneumonia, cancer, Lyme Disease, or bacterial dermatitis, Valley Fever can severely and permanently disable a dog if the proper detective work isn't done to establish a diagnosis and to institute treatment.  Hiding in dusty, arid soils, the microscopically small spores of this organism are inhaled into the lungs and in most cases only a mild respiratory inflammation occurs as the dog’s defense mechanisms wall off the organisms.  In more severe cases the disease can spread throughout the lungs and invade other organs.  This is called systemic dissemination of the disease.  The lungs and long bones of the limbs are a favorite target of Coccidioides immitis.  Click on the image of Tanner on the right, a victim of Valley Fever, to see just how troublesome this "disease in disguise" can be to properly diagnose and treat.

Fungal Diseases
We’ve all heard of ringworm.  This is actually a localized surface dwelling skin fungus. This type of fungal infection is referred to as a CUTANEOUS FUNGAL DISEASE, or a dermatophyte. Non-invasive and rarely dangerous, it creeps along the surface of the skin.   On the other hand (no pun intended!) there are SYSTEMIC FUNGAL DISEASES that have the propensity to invade any organ system of the body. Humans can acquire these systemic fungal diseases from the environment, just like dogs do.

Cryptococcosis
One such disease causing organism is Cryptococcosis. In dogs and cats the infection is thought to gain entry into the animal via the respiratory tract. (The specimen in the two images below are from a skin lesion on a dog.)  Cryptococcal organisms can spread to other areas of the body such as the skin, eyes, and brain and spinal cord.  This organism, as many other fungal organisms, can infect humans.
 
Microscopic views of Cryptococcosis organisms from a dog
cryptoA
cryptoB

 
Systemic Fungal Diseases
 		Cutaneous Fungal Diseases
Blastomycosis
Dermatophytosis (Ringworm)
Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis)
Histoplasmosis
Cryptococcosis... see images above
 		Cutaneous Yeast Infections
Aspergillosis
 		Yeast Dermatitis
Candidiasis
Malassezia Dermatitis

A key factor in recognizing the actor behind the disguise is to garner a thorough medical history that includes noting any travel outside the dog's home territory.  Every veterinarian in Northern Wisconsin is wise to the masquerading fungal disease Blastomycosis and many have treated dozens of cases.  However, a veterinarian on Marco Island, Florida, might never see a case!  Likewise, if a patient becomes infected with Valley Fever in Tucson, Arizona and is seen weeks later by a veterinarian in the dog’s hometown of Port Washington, N.Y. and no mention is made in the patient history of travel to an area endemic for Valley Fever, prompt diagnosis and treatment may be delayed!

BLASTOMYCOSIS, much like Valley Fever, is a commonly misdiagnosed systemic fungal disease of dogs.  It is a great masquerader and many dogs have been euthanized or had treatment delayed because of a diagnosis of cancer mistakenly being made.  It is acquired most often by inhalation of infective spores present in organic soils such as are present along streams, funX1 lakes, ponds and even within the dried mud mortar of beaver lodges.  Landscaping soil and even potting soil can harbor Blastomycosis organisms and any cat or dog digging up these soils may be exposed to Blastomycosis.  Especially in dry environments where the soil may be more dusty and easily become airborne the potential for infection with Blastomycosis is greater.  The organism is present mostly in the Mississippi, Wisconsin, and Ohio River systems.

Blasto grows in two ways.  One form, called the fungal form, occurs in the environment and the organism creates microscopic spores that, once airborne, are able to pass far into the depths of the lungs.  These spores are released from the fungus when the soil is disturbed by the dog digging for gophers or simply by the dog probing the soils following the odor trails that dogs love so much.  Much less common in cats than dogs, Blasto is easily inhaled into the dog's lungs.

Once there, the body's normal defense mechanisms can simply eliminate these spores and no disease results.  However, if the load (numbers) of spores inhaled is very great or the dog is immune suppressed or stressed by other disease or poor diet the organisms may begin to reproduce rapidly and signs of disease occur.  Once the spores have taken hold, they grow as single celled yeast forms rather than the fungal form.  This is way the Blasto organism is called a biphasic organism... it can grow in the environment as a fungus and within a mammal as a yeast.

After inhalation of organisms the incubation period for Blasto can be from a few days to many weeks before any signs of disease show up.  Fever, poor appetite, low grade deep cough, loss of exercise tolerance, and listlessness are cardinal signs of Blastomycosis.  Similar to the other systemic fungal infections, Blastomycosis can spread throughout the body from the lungs and invade lymph nodes, joints, eye structures and skin.  Often the first evidence a veterinarian has of Blastomycosis is a small draining ulcer that looks like a small abscess.  Sudden blindness, lameness, and blood in the urine may be the first signs of disease... even showing up before any coughing is noticed.
funRC
HUMAN CONTAGION:  It has happened quite often that a dog will be diagnosed with Blasto and shortly thereafter the human resident of the dog's household will display malaise, fever, persistent cough and weight loss.  Hopefully the physician will not be fooled by this disease in disguise and will establish a diagnosis of Blastomycosis and begin treatment.  The natural question arises:  Did the human get the disease from the dog?   The answer 99% of the time is NO.  Both human and dog generally acquire the disease from the same environmental source in the soil.  Likewise the dog rarely will "get Blasto" from a human companion.  The exception occurs where there is transmission of yeast organisms (remember the very small fungal spores are in the environment) directly from an open, draining lesion on the dog into an open wound or directly into the eye of a human.  The transmission of infective yeast cells from dog to human or human to dog can occur and result in a localized infected lesion.  Fortunately this form of contagion is very rare.

Prevention
What is the best way to insure that a dog does not fall under the spell of Valley Fever or another diseases in disguise?  Dr. Sheila McCullough, a veterinarian at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, Illinois, has a suggestion based upon her experiences with systemic fungal infections.  “Providing a thorough history is very important to obtain a full picture of what led up to the animal becoming ill,” says Dr. McCullough.  “The client should inform the veterinarian of the patient's travel history within the past 6 months and what the daily environment is for the pet (i.e. camping, swimming, hunting, living near new construction or landscaping).  A thorough history is the key first step toward figuring out the puzzle.  It is just as important to keep an ongoing dialogue with your veterinarian and to create a plan of action if the initial tests for an expected disease are negative.”

Dr. McCullough’s point should not be underestimated.  Knowledge of a seemingly irrelevant environmental factor can be the key information the doctor needs to proceed toward a proper diagnosis.  Something as innocent as stating “My dog loves to dig into gopher holes, Doctor” or “Two months ago we had soil carted in for landscaping” can turn the doctor’s attention toward a fungal infection such as Valley Fever.

Identification
Dr. McCullough states, “Fungal diseases often masquerade as other diseases.  The affected pets present with lethargy, lameness, poor appetite, ‘not doing right’ and may have a fever. Treatment may also be delayed because it is difficult to get a sample of the  organism from a lymph node, skin cytology or trans-tracheal wash.”

eunmicro It is crucial that the organisms be identified under the microscope for establishing a positive diagnosis of a fungal disease such as Valley Fever or Blasto. Culturing infected material may take weeks and the patient simply cannot afford to wait even days for a diagnosis!  Blood tests are equivocal.  False positives and negatives are common.

The best and most direct method of establishing a definitive diagnosis is to gather tissue or fluid samples from infected areas such as a swollen lymph node, draining skin lesion or material coughed up by the patient.  A needle biopsy of a lymph node is commonly done and can be performed without anesthesia. During the office call the veterinarian will stain the specimen cells on a microscope slide and look for the infective organisms.  If organisms are seen, BINGO!  Start treatment right now.  If they aren’t seen, special stains at a diagnostic lab are required.  The important thing to do is to BE PERSISTENT in striving to get a diagnosis for the elusive disease in disguise.

Treatment
In the past, Amphotericin B was the only known medication useful against funpills Valley Fever and the other systemic fungal organisms.  It had to be given intravenously and with care to keep the dose from harming the kidneys.  This medication has saved thousands of canine (and human) lives.  Recently, though, researchers have provided us with oral medications just as effective in treating fungal infections.  The most popular today are Itraconazole (Sporanox) and Fluconazole (Diflucan).  These tablets are administered for three to six months (sometimes even longer) and your pharmacy bill will be substantial... but your formerly infected dog out in the yard playing fetch with the children wouldn’t be alive without it.

Whenever your dog is sick be sure to provide your veterinarian with a detailed patient history.  And you should be persistent in seeking a definitive diagnosis.  Persistent detective work is your best weapon for unmasking theses diseases in disguise.
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darlen

Valley Fever

www.purelypets.com
by Darleen Rudnick, Pet Nutritionist
and other sources
The medical name for Valley Fever is coccidioidomycosis - often called "cocci" (pronounced KOK-SEE) for short. The name of the fungus, which causes Valley Fever or "cocci", is Coccidioides immitis, which grows in soils around areas of low rainfall, high summer temperatures, and moderate winter temperatures. Valley Fever is prevalent in portions of Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley, desert regions, southern portions of California, and much of the southwestern United States.

Coccidioides immitis (fungal spores) become airborne when the soil is disturbed by winds, construction, farming and other activities. The infection occurs when a spore is inhaled. The infecting spores grow in the lung tissue and become microscopic cysts called "spherules" (little spheres). Each spherule is filled with even smaller endospores. As the infection in the lung increases, the spherules burst, allowing the endospores to be discharged into the lung tissue. Each of the numerous endospores may itself grow into a spherule causing the disease to progress.

Both people and pets are susceptible to this disease, but it is not a "contagious" disease, meaning it is not passed from person-to-person, or pet-to-pet, you must breath in the spore to get it. In some cases, it can become very serious and even life threatening. Fortunately in most cases, the body will build an immunity to it.

Symptoms of Valley Fever may be:

 Fever
 Aching joints or lameness
 Chills
 Sweats
 Fatigue
 Cough
 Flu-like symptoms
 Loss of appetite
 Slight cold
 Skin rashes
 
If you feel your pet may be suffering from this disease, Purely Pets recommends seeking veterinarian advice and a blood test or culture to determine if it is Valley Fever. If after the blood test is positive you decide to treat naturally, Purely Pets recommends the following products:

Yeast & Fungal d'tox
This product contains Fresh Spilanthes Leaf & Root, Grape Root, Juniper Berry, Usnea Lichen, and Myrrh Gum tincture.  It is supportive in the reduction of Valley Fever.

Immuno Stim'r
This replication of Renee Caisse's formula (ESSIAC Tea) has been widely used for over 50 years, successfully addressing cancers, cysts, tumors, degenerative diseases, viral and bacterial infections. It stimulates the immune system and is effective in fighting stubborn infections. Contains fresh organic, wild crafted Sheep Sorrel, Burdock Root, Slippery Elm and Turkey Rhubarb Root.

Nupro or Mega Pet
Purely Pets recommends Mega Pet for pets 20 lbs. and over.  It is in capsule form and may be difficult for smaller pets to swallow.  Nupro is suggested for pets 20 lbs. and under. Both supplements are high potency, nutritional supplements containing vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

Valley fever is on the rise because of the growing number of pet owners moving to areas where the disease is common. Recent natural disasters have also triggered a rise in Valley Fever cases. To date, there is no vaccine against this disease. Persons or animals should avoid exposure to dust and dry soil in areas where this disease is common.
If you have further questions, or are interested in more in-depth information regarding Valley Fever, we urge you to contact Purely Pets today!
Pet Nutritionist: darleen@purelypets.com with questions about your pet or our products.
Copyright © 1997~2007 Purely Pets. All rights reserved.
reprinted with kind permission from Darleen Rudnick
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Your Pet and Lymes Disease


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The above information is simply informational. It's intent is not to replace the advice of a veterinarian nor to assist you in making a diagnosis of your pet. Please consult with your own veterinarian for confirmation of any diagnosis. Your pets life may depend on it.