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[Pairie Girl]

My Rottie Glacier was diagnosed about a month ago.  She had a really bad cough, wheezing, and high fever but luckily no other symptoms.  She's on itraconozole.  Her sister Maggie was diagnosed in October and lived only a few days.  Glacier has responded well and we are cautiously optomistic now that her appetite is returning.  The first 3 weeks she didn't eat at all, but luckily she drank lots of water. 

We have 3 other Rotties and the 4 of them like to play at the water's edge in our yard.  Apparently there has been a fairly large number of dogs in our area diagnosed recently, first time this disease has been seen here.  The vet thinks something must have come down in the flood last year.  I know all about recurrence rates and possibilities.  I'm worried about NEW exposure causing her to get the disease again if it is so prevelant in our area.  Not to mention the fear for the other dogs.  I would hate to think that my yard is poisoning my animals...

[evayola]

I am so sorry that you lost Maggie to this dreaded disease. Glacier is very lucky that she was diagnosed and treated quickly and has made it this far. The thing with blasto is that you just never know. So many people have no clue where their dog picked it up, like my Marge. Marge is an indoor dog that went out to our fenced in small backyard. She was never taken to any wooded areas or lakes or streams. We live in the Chicago suburbs and we have never heard of blasto before. We have another dog and we tested him to make sure he was okay and sure enough he was. They dont ever go anywhere without eachother so we were surprised that one got it and the other didn't. Its hard to live with that fear everyday thinking what if.... The only thing I can say is to keep the dogs away from the water IF you can and IF you feel strongly that is where they picked it up. Since Glacier has only been on treatment for one month you still have quite some time to go before she can get all that fungus out of her. Even with the dogs that are blasto free there is always the fear of relapse and reexposure. That fear is something that each person handles differently. For me, I see mulch and I see blasto and I think of Marge being sick. On the other hand, Wilson still goes to the area that is believed to harbor the blasto because his owner believes (so do I) that dogs are dogs and their lives should be spent having a jolly old time and not restricted and confined due to the fear. It is our job as owners to keep a vigilant eye out for those early symptoms that could be blasto. After spending this kind of time with our dogs through treatment we have come to know our animals in a different way than most people. I think my connection with Marge is much different than the one I have with Homer and because of that I know when something just doesnt seem right. I hope Glacier makes a speedy recovery and you wont have anything to worry about with your other babies.
Eva

[carolh]

Good luck with Glacier.  I know the fear.  You have, as Eva says, a ways to go yet in treatment but how great that Glacier is eating again.  You're well on the road.
That's really lousy that the floods may have spread blasto.  Sounds very plausible.  We live on the Namekagon River and blasto is known locally as "Namekagon Fever."  You see the problem.  Mika has no idea she lives near a river because she is NEVER taken there.  Our older dog has seen the river when a friend, not knowing our fears, took him for a walk there once.  The older dog never got blasto.  The younger one has just finished one year of treatment and is (finally) blasto free.  So there are no guarantees.  But if a lot of dogs in your area have blasto, then I think I would try hard to minimize exposure to the flooded, wetland areas.  Watch out for marshy areas, old punky wood, areas of cattails and beaver dams. 
Carol

[jefndebbacon]

Hi, I am so sorry that you lost Maggie to Blasto.  I too, fear every day that my other dog will contact this disease.  But, we can't live in glass cages, can we? Who knows where our dogs contacted the disease?  I have brought in mulch for my flower beds, I have bird feeders, I have a wetland behind my house, I walk my dog along waterways, and I camp along waterways.  Should I stay home in fear?  No  - however, if I lose another dog to Blasto, like some people have on this website, then I would  think twice about bringing another dog into our lives who could possibly be infected again.  From what I have read, it sounds like conditions have to be just right for Blasto to be contacted.  Time will tell for us.  I hope that Glacier recovers - that he is eating is a wonderful sign.  You guys will be in my thoughts and prayers.  Deb

[Pairie Girl]

Thanks for all the encouragement!  All 4 of our current Rotties are rescue dogs and we SO want to them have active normal lives.  We have a nice shallow stream just upriver a bit that the old dog will lay in when it's hot and the other 3 are swimmers.  Hard to keep them locked up.  So far, the other 3 are symptom free.  We are having urine tests on all of them just in case.  Nothing funnier than watching me trying to catch a female rottweiler's pee in a scoop!  Today after watching Glacier eat a full dish of food, we can see the humor. 

[mhitesman]

I am very sorry that you lost Maggie, but very pleased that Glacier is doing well on itra and eating again!  My Comet is a 2007 Blasto Survivor (Virginia) but lost his right eye to the infection.  He remains blasto free and was tested most recently ...well, last week.  That's the good news and the bad news.. our best defense against recurrance or reinfection is a good offense.  I have him tested regularly, and I watch him very carefully.  BUT, we still go to the creek and he still walks in the woods, and he still swims in the pond.  And it was probably one of the those places or something like it somewhere else that he contracted blasto.  A dog's gotta be a dog.  I won't let him near scummy water or stagnant junk though.  Well, at least not if I can see it.  I just do the best I can, and it's a balancing act.  But, like I said, the best course of action is to be even more vigilant than before, and I think everyone on this site is exactly that way too.

[jefndebbacon]

Hi,

Just checking in for an update on Glacier to see how she is doing?  I have been thinking of you guys and hoping that all is well? Deb

[Pairie Girl]

Good Day today!  Glacier had a check-up and the meds aren't doing her anymore liver damage.  All functions pretty normal and she is almost back up to her old weight!  Nice to have good news to share. 

[Cathy, Bailey and Duke]

Yes!! Very good news for sure!

[carolh]

Hooray Hooray!
Carol

[jefndebbacon]

Yeah!  Good news - thank you for sharing! Deb

[evayola]

Great to hear! Hoping for a speedy recovery for Glacier!

[Pairie Girl]

My Glacier had a urine test last week and her blasto count is down from 59.5 to 20.3.  Progress!  The really good news is my other 3 Rotties have no traces of the disease.  And so, the medicine continues... hurts the pocketbook, warms the heart!

[jefndebbacon]

Great news!  Yeah!  Glad that Glacier is better, and nobody else was infected with this awful disease! Keep us posted!  Thanks for sharing the good news!  Deb

[Cathy, Bailey and Duke]

Glad to hear such good news!!!!!