Blastomycosis warning

Ranger Rick

Member
Greetings:

A disease many have not heard of, but seems to be increasing. 5 years ago I lost my 5 old setter to blasto.

In recent weeks, my brothers two golden retrievers are deadly sick with it. I live in Wausau area. Hunt Marathon, Langlade and Vilas counties. No idea where my dog picked it up.

My brother found out he has neighbors at his new cottage on Fishtrap Lake [Boulder area] who have lost dogs to it. Vet figures it was likely excavating for the foundation that stirred it up.

Every time I do a google search on it, more areas come up as "hotbeds" of blasto. Eagle River, Fishtrap, Merrill.

If your dog develops a cough, take him into your vet. If he's running a temp 102.5* or higher insist he do a blasto test.
 
My uncles lab got it a few years back and somehow lived through it, according to hi vet he'd never seen a dog make it. His dog now has very little stamina, like 20 minutes, brake for 20 and so on. First time I seen him in the pheasant field I thought he had EIC, pretty hard to watch.
This dog picked it up just inside Polk co. north of Somerset.
 
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A favorite hunting partner lost a young Champion pointer with a very bright future to blastomycosis. The pro handler and his vet think he picked it up running in a couple of trials in Wisconsin. The dog started with a cough which developed into pneumonia soon after those trials.

NB
 
Hate to hear this. We have a place N of Eagle River . Whats the shot or vaccination youre recommending ?

Sure hope the Goldens pull thru.
 
Hate to hear this. We have a place N of Eagle River . Whats the shot or vaccination youre recommending ?

Sure hope the Goldens pull thru.

I was under the impression there's not a vaccination for Blasto, but within 519vx's post his vet is recommending a shot for it so there must be something (I hope).

I think I'll have the vet shoot my pooch up with what's needed to play it safe.

Most of the grouse I find seem to be on the edges of where woods meet wetlands/bogs so my dog's right in the hot zone.
 
Guys - I was mistaken in my original posting. I confused blasto with lepto (leptospirosis). There is no vaccine for blasto, but there is for leptco. I deleted my original post. Sorry for the confusion...
 
Guys - Sorry for the confusion...

Hey Nolo Problemo, they both end with -"osis" :D

Lepto is a bacterial disease and blasto is a deep fungal disease. Both are bad news for our pups if they get them causing major pathology/morbidity, or mortality in severe cases.

Be safe.

NB
 
Guys - I was mistaken in my original posting. I confused blasto with lepto (leptospirosis). There is no vaccine for blasto, but there is for leptco. I deleted my original post. Sorry for the confusion...

Thanks for clarifying:cheers:
 
A great point Ranger Rick brought up. I live in the Shawano area which is also a hot bed for blasto. My 7 year old black lab was infected with this deadly spore. I read, and studied all I could on this, and found their are many different sign's to look for. One being lesion's on the skin, head pressing, and circling which was the case in my dog. After 6 month's of treatment with the drug Itraconizal my buddy lived to hunt the field's, and forest's of South Dakota, and Wisconsin for another 6 year's. Though very expensive the drug had amazing result's. Also note this infection can sometimes have a long incubation period before you will notice something's wrong, and in most case's is to late for successful treatment. So as hunting season near's, and if you hunt near creek's, river's, bog's or wetland's keep an extra eye on your hunting partner.
 
Guys - I was mistaken in my original posting. I confused blasto with lepto (leptospirosis). There is no vaccine for blasto, but there is for leptco. I deleted my original post. Sorry for the confusion...

Then I'm mistaken too.....
I'm going to check with my vet as to what shot was given to my young pup.
There's a shot for something that is due to low water levels and animal waist around the edge of ponds and lakes that is real bad for dogs hunting these areas. I'll post when I know for sure.
 
The shot is for Leptopirosis, and the vet said there's no vaccine for blasto but it can be treated. She said its a lengthy process and rather expensive.
Sorry I was quick to the key without having my **** straight!
"My uncles lab does have blasto" confirmed that also.....
 
Dewey is right, there is no vaccine for blasto. There is also no test to determine if it's in an area.

I live in the Wausau, WI area. There are several subdivisions around town where blasto is known to have infected dogs and people. The County Health Department will NOT give information as to where those known areas are. They claim to not want to alarm anyone! Talk about government BS!

The disease is also more prevalent and widespread than is commonly known. I'd never heard Shawano area. Or Eagle River until my brothers Goldens came down with it. Seems every time I see something about blasto there's a report of it being found in another area. As far as I'm concerned, if you are in WI and hunting grouse/woodcock, there's a good chance you are hunting areas with blasto in the soil.

That's why I believe you should be aware of the symptoms. Skin lesions that don't heal. A cough with 102.5*+ temperature. As someone said above, it can take a long time to see symptoms develop. That's what happened with the setter I lost. I figure he contracted it in fall, but didn't show he was sick until late winter. then it was too late, especially with an incompetent vet who didn't know a thing about blasto, despite the fact that it's common in our community.
 
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