Aspergillosis is a fungus that is very common in the environment and grows on old food, organic matter, and in the soil. There are over 180 species of aspergillosis and they rarely cause disease unless the dog or cat has a compromised immune system or is exposed to a very large amount of fungus. In most cases, the fungal infection will be confined to the nose/sinus region in dogs or sinus/orbit region in cats, but it can spread to other parts of the body in severe cases. Continue reading to learn more about this type of fungal infection, symptoms, testing, and treatment.
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The aspergillosis fungus releases spores into the environment that are spread around by air currents. When the spores are inhaled, they can potentially start to grow inside the sinuses or move to other areas of the body.
Dogs that are sniffing around are at a higher risk of developing this type of infection. Long-nosed dogs, such as Dachshunds, Collies, and Greyhounds, may be more likely to become infected. Retrievers and Rottweilers are also over-represented.
In dogs, this fungal infection typically involves the nose and sinuses. Clinical symptoms include:
In cats, this fungal infection tends to infect the sinuses and region around or behind the eye. Clinical symptoms include:
In the more severe, but very rare, form of disseminated aspergillosis, the fungal infection can spread to other areas of the body including the bones, muscles, prostate, kidneys, liver, spleen, pancreas, brain/central nervous system, joints, intervertebral discs, eyes, lymph nodes, and pericardium. Since so many parts of the body can be infected, symptoms in dogs can vary widely from lethargy, vomiting, progressive lameness, changes to the eyes, neurologic issues, etc.
In cats with disseminated aspergillosis, symptoms may include anorexia, coughing, abnormal breathing, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and neurologic deficits.
Testing for aspergillosis is not always easy and your vet needs to get 2 tests with supportive results to confirm the infection.
Treatment often involves topical and oral medications. Oral antifungal medications often need to be given for months.
Topical treatment options include surgical placement of tubes into the sinuses and nose so medications can be applied directly to the site of the infection.
Another form of topical treatment involves your vet putting your pet under anesthesia and irrigating the sinuses and nasal passages with topical antifungals. This treatment is less invasive than surgically implanting the tubes and typically only needs to be repeated 1-2 times.
Surgical debridement of the affected tissues in the nose and sinuses can help improve medical treatment. Some dogs that were not cured with the more traditional treatments responded well to having a medicated bandage packed into the sinuses for direct treatment.
Dogs can have relapses 3 months to 5 years after treatment for oronasal aspergillosis.
For cats, oral or injectable antifungal medications are often needed, and a topical nasal antifungal may also be recommended. Treatment may be needed for 6 months or longer.
With the rare, but severe, disseminated aspergillosis, treatment is often needed for well over 6 months and the disease is very hard to cure.
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