If you’re a pooch parent, blastomycosis should be on your radar — especially if your dog’s a digger.
Blastomycosis is a fungal infection that most often affects dogs along river valleys in the Midwest as well as in the Southeast. It’s not contagious. Instead, dogs can get infected when they inhale mold spores from the soil.
Signs of blastomycosis — including fever, depression, respiratory problems and weight loss — usually take weeks to months to appear. Infection can spread to other parts of the body, too, with signs referring to the site of infection.
Treatment with antifungal medications generally results in a 50 to 75 percent recovery rate — but only after a dog has been treated for months. As with any infection, the earlier treatment is started, the better.