Dogey
Posted on 3/28/12 at 11:57am
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Dogey is an 8-year-old Malamute/Huskey mix who spent his youth keeping coyotes and other predators away from the cows and calves on his owner’s farm. He came to our office with a red, inflamed right eye that had lost vision. Blood and urine tests revealed that Dogey had contracted Blastomycosis, which is caused by a fungus commonly found in river valleys such as those in middle Tennessee. Blastomyces are inhaled into the respiratory system and affect the whole body (including the lungs and skin), but the eyes are often the first and only place to show symptoms. Dogey’s eyes showed infection (uveitis) and retinal detachment, especially in his right eye. When the eye developed glaucoma as a result of his infection, it was removed for Dogey’s comfort, and since then we have been treating and closely monitoring his left eye, which is now mostly blind. After treatment with oral fungicides, Dogey’s blastomycosis test remains negative.
Despite being almost totally blind, Dogey has adjusted well to his environment and is one of the sweetest dogs you’ll ever meet. He now lives on his 100 acre farm with 5 other rescued dogs and loves to lay out on the wrap-around porch that was specially designed for him. He can run on a leash and understands voice commands like “step up” to help him navigate, including through dog doors and up stairs. Though he doesn’t go running through the woods like he used to, he loves hanging out on the driveway with the rest of his canine gang.
Blastomycosis tends to affect dogs who spend time in damp outdoor areas with a lot of decaying wood and soil, where the fungus resides, though the spores can also be kicked up with dust in dry weather. Infection is unpredictable; out of one hundred dogs exposed to a blastomyces-rich area, one may contract the disease, perhaps due to a compromised immune response. Humans and cats can also be affected, though transmission from one animal to another is rare unless open wounds come into contact.
We see Dogey less frequently now that he’s doing better, but we’re always happy to see that wagging tail!
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