Thanks everyone, I'm going to look into a vaporizer. I hope we can post about an improvement soon. Since Star 's already been exposed, she's not separated, although she's pretty much doing her own thing.
The rest of this pretty lengthy, but I felt it was neccessary to take the time to post it. Like they say, knowledge is power.
He's on Clavamox, I could only remember reading amoxi part when I was typing. Just to clarify, the vet did not suggest he has a fungal infection, he was just saying that IF Sherman doesn't get better, that we need to broaden the look at what might be playing into this. Considering we just moved here from Ohio, he said there is a high incidence of dogs in the midwest contracting fungal infections, whereas he doesn't see it very often out here.Originally Posted by dragondawg
Since several comments have been made, I thought it would be appropriate to share what I'm learning. I hope this helps people understand where the vet is coming from. Some of you sound pretty well informed about this stuff. I'm not giving a word-by-word report on our visits, and I apologise if anyone felt misled, my bad.
I've highlighted the symptoms Sherman has that would indicate why the vet would consider this as a possibility:
Blastomycosis is an infection found in dogs, people, and occasionally cats. It is caused by the fungal organism Blastomyces dermatitidis, which is found as a mold in the soil or at room temperatures and as a yeast in tissues or at body temperatures. The mold occurs in sandy, acid soils near river valleys or other waterways. Endemic in Ohio, Mississippi, St. Lawrence river valleys, the Great lakes region, and along the eastern seaboard, veterinarians report blastomycosis more frequently in the fall... For unknown reasons, male dogs are more likely to contract blastomycosis than females.
The clinical signs of blastomycosis may vary with the target organs affected and may include one or all of the following: anorexia, depression, weight loss, fever (103 degrees or higher) that doesn't respond to antibiotics, coughing, shortness of breath, exercise intolerance, enlarged lymph nodes, eye disease, or skin lesions that drain bloody or purulent material.
Read about blatomycosis here
I think this is important to know about, especially for those living in the indicated areas. (including many our dear PT friends from the Findlay gatherings).
And when all this started, Sherman had no fever, no raspy lungs, no shallow breathing, no lethargy, & still had a great appetite - only a cough. He was thoroughly assessed before giving him vaccinations. They were very clear that they do not vaccinate dogs they feel are not healthy enough.
Thanks again everyone, your caring really warms my heart! I know PT prayers work.
I will continue to keep him in my prayers. I hope he is feeling better soon.
Bookmarks