Introduction
Histoplasmosis is a serious, systemic fungal disease that can occur in dogs exposed to an organism called Histoplasma capsulatum. The infection can be difficult to diagnose and can be fatal. Thankfully, once the disease is diagnosed, it is possible to treat it successfully.
Treating Histoplasmosis
The goal of treatment is to clear the infection from the dog. The duration of treatment and the selection of the appropriate anti-fungal drugs should be decided upon by a veterinarian, because they may differ in cases of disseminated viral mild cases of disease. Speaking generally, anti-fungal azole medications will need to be administered orally twice a day, for 4 to 6 months. If hospitalization is necessary or appropriate, intravenous medications (an example is amphotericin B) may be used together with oxygen, fluid and nutritional support.
The azole anti-fungal drugs (current examples are itraconazole, ketoconazole, fluconazole) can cause GI side effects and normally should be given with a meal. These medications are expensive, especially with large or giant breed dogs.
Affected dogs should remain on a high-quality, palatable diet. Regular visits to the veterinarian for assessment of the patient’s progress are of course very important.
The prognosis can range from guarded to good depending upon how far the disease has progressed at by the time it is diagnosed. Again, with prompt recognition of clinical signs associated with histoplasmosis followed by proper treatment, the infection can be resolved.