Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with severe nose swelling from blastomycosis
By Wehner, Astrid et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2008·Department of Small Animal Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnosis and treatment of blastomycosis affecting the nose and nasopharynx of a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old male German Shepherd was brought to the vet with severe swelling on his nose that had been getting worse over four months. After examining him, the vet found that he had a serious fungal infection called blastomycosis, which was causing damage to the bones in his nose. The dog was treated with an antifungal medication called itraconazole for five months. By the end of treatment, his nose looked normal again, and follow-up tests showed that the infection was completely gone, with no signs of it returning after a year.
People also search for: dog nose swelling treatment · German Shepherd blastomycosis · itraconazole for dog fungal infection
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION: A 2-year-old 38.9-kg (85.58-lb) sexually intact male German Shepherd Dog was examined because of a 4-month history of severe nasal swelling and nasal mucosa congestion. The signs were slowly progressive. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Physical examination revealed that the dorsal aspect of the dog's nose was swollen and hard. Mucous membranes in both nostrils were hyperemic and edematous. Diagnostic investigation revealed severe nasal osteolysis and pyogranulomatous rhinitis and nasopharyngitis attributable to blastomycosis. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: Oral administration of itraconazole was initiated (5 mg/kg [2.27 mg/lb], q 12 h for 5 days and then q 24 h). After a treatment period of 3 months, the nose had regained its normal appearance. After 5 months of treatment, the Blastomyces infection was eliminated as confirmed by results of rhinoscopy and biopsy specimen examination. No relapse was evident within 1 year after discontinuation of treatment. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In dogs, nasal and nasopharyngeal blastomycosis can result in severe osteolysis of the nasal bone. Resolution of disease can be achieved with oral administration of itraconazole for a period of at least 5 months.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18828722/