Aspergillus Treatment in Dogs

Aspergillus is a relatively common condition among dogs that involves a fungal infection of the nose and nasal passageways. This condition comes about when your pet comes into direct contact with the aspergillus fungus. When your dog breathes in the spores of the fungus, those spores oftentimes settle in his nose and nasal passages. They are then able to duplicate and spread owing to the warm, moist conditions inside of your pet's nasal cavity. The condition is characterized by nasal discharge and other distinctive symptoms. Fortunately, this condition is relatively treatable if you and your vet take prompt action upon noticing your pet's symptoms.

Before Aspergillus Treatment

Before you can begin to treat your pet for aspergillus, you'll need to first be sure that it is in fact the condition that your dog is suffering from. Because there are many different types of conditions which may affect this part of your pet's body, it's important that you be sure that aspergillus fungal spores are the cause of your dog's pain and symptoms.

Diagnosis of the condition is made by bronchoscope test, swab of the nasal area, examination of the symptoms, and occasionally by radiograph or x-ray of the nose. Once you and your vet have conclusively determined that your pet is suffering from aspergillus, you can proceed with treatment.

Topical Treatment of Aspergillus for Dogs

There are two primary forms of treatment for aspergillus, and topical is generally the more common of those two. In the topical treatment method, your vet will apply medicine directly to your pet's nasal passageways in order to kill off the fungal spores and eliminate the condition. This method of treatment is very successful, with success rates up to and including about 90%. However, there are some downsides to topical treatment methods. These include:

  • Messiness
  • Discomfort or lack of cooperation by the dog
  • Labor intensive

Because of this, many vets will recommend temporarily sedating a dog in order to better be able to treat his condition. The drugs that are most commonly used for topical treatment of aspergillus are enilconazole and Lotrimin.

Systemic Treatment for Aspergillus

The second method of treating aspergillus is less commonly seen than topical treatment methods. The reason for this is that it is generally less effective. Systemic treatments of aspergillus have success rates of only around 70%. This makes it a good option in some cases, but generally not the preferred way of treating the symptoms and underlying causes of aspergillus.

Systemic treatment involves providing your pet with oral antifungal medicines. These medicines work to eliminate fungus growth throughout your pet's body. While these drugs are much easier to provide to your pet than the alternative of topical treatments, they are not nearly as effective at directly addressing the fungus in your pet's nose and nasal passageways.

For more information about the diagnosis and treatment of your pet's aspergillus, consult with a vet. If your pet suffers from this condition, a vet can recommend the best treatment for your dog.

 

Comments