Blasto Lung Fungal Disease

timmboj

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Does anyone out there have any experience with "Blasto" a lung fungal disease? Pardon me for not knowing all the correct terminology.

My vet says this is a treatable disease, and my cat has been on the drugs for 5 days, but is not breathing well unless she is in oxygen.

I'm struggling with the decision to put her down, or wait longer to see if the drugs will kick in. And if I wait, how long?

Again, she does fine when she's in oxygen. She eats, grooms, and of course breathes better. But when she is home, she slowly starts breathing worse, then doesn't eat, and looks like horrible.
 

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I think you are talking about blastomycosis. I have no experience with it but I wanted to wish you well in taking care of your cat. I have read that it may take several months of treatment. What does your Vet say about her prognosis?
 

mom of 4

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What meds are your cat on?
It can take two weeks for the meds to kick in and three months for the complete course of treatment.
Was you cat healthy before? How old is your cat? That would certainly influence the course of treatment.
What does the vet say about the need for oxygen? Does he expect it to needed for a few more days, a couple of weeks or a month or two?

Good luck and positive thoughts fo both of you.
 
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timmboj

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Yes, Blastomycosis. She's on Itraconazole. I've read where the first 24-72 hours are the worst, and that breathing can become even more difficult. She started the Itraconazole Monday evening, and last night (Friday) she was still not breathing too well.

Here's the strange thing... At the vet last night they took her out of oxygen and brought her to me, and she gets excited and purrs and makes it worse for her to breathe. So I couldn't handle it and told them to put her back. So they put her back in her cage. I asked to sneak in without her knowing, to sort of spy on her, and she was laying there all curled up and not doing too bad, WITHOUT oxygen. Breathing a little labored, but nothing major. Certainly not what she was like with me a few minutes earlier. What's with that? No oxygen, but doing ok. They tell me she was eating and grooming during the day. That makes me think its too soon to put her down.

I go in to see her this morning. They don't know what to tell me. They don't even know for sure if its Blasto. We're also treating her for lung worm and asthma. Could be lung cancer too, but her problems have appeared too suddenly, so the cancer seems unlikely. They're gonna do another x-ray this morning and compare from last week to see if there are any changes. I may bring her home and put her in a homemade oxygen tent for a week and see what happens. I just don't know how long it will take for the Itraconazole to kick in and start helping her breathe easier. And they don't know either.
 
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timmboj

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Originally Posted by Mom of 4

What meds are your cat on?
It can take two weeks for the meds to kick in and three months for the complete course of treatment.
Was you cat healthy before? How old is your cat? That would certainly influence the course of treatment.
What does the vet say about the need for oxygen? Does he expect it to needed for a few more days, a couple of weeks or a month or two?

Good luck and positive thoughts fo both of you.
Hey thanks. Yes, the vet said it could be 6 months of treatment with the Itraconazole to completely rid the Blasto, but she couldn't give me a good idea about how long it would take for it to kick in and help the breathing. Is your two-weeks based on experience with this same drug and disease? If so that would help me in making my decision to give it a while. I don't mind keeping her in an oxygen tent for a week or two (sad as that is) if it will ultimately keep her alive.

I don't know how old she is, though I think she's past middle age. She was a stray I've had for three years. And healthy up until about two weeks ago. She was always a loud purrer, and then suddenly started kind of making strange exhale noises while purring, and like she had to swallow and clear her throat after some purring. I made an appointment with the vet, but it got pretty bad where I had to take her to the ER.
 

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Though I have no personal experience, I read an article that said in cats whose lungs were affected, the first week of treatment can actually make the breathing worse so I'd give it time.
 
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timmboj

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Originally Posted by catcaregiver

Though I have no personal experience, I read an article that said in cats whose lungs were affected, the first week of treatment can actually make the breathing worse so I'd give it time.
Thanks. Yes, I'm hoping time will help get the drugs doing what they're supposed to.

She's home, and seems to be doing fine. I've got her in a 55 gallon fish tank with oxygen flowing. The medical supply place was very helpful, and said the fish tank was perfect for this. They explained that oxygen is heavier than air, and will sink to the bottom where she is, and push the bad air out.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement. I'm glad I've got her back home with me where she can see familiar surroundings, giving this drug the time it needs to work its magic. Hopefully the oxygen will keep her spirits up, and enable her to eat and drink regularly, AND take her meds.
 

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Great news - and the fish tank is an excellent idea, which also made me giggle. Be sure to take some pictures of her hospital room.

You may want to up her amount of food slightly. Healing takes lots of energy.
If she seems tired after eating, you may need to do more frequent, smaller meals. With compromised breathing, eating interrupts the breathing patterns and can cause some distress or a decrease in eating.
And make she is getting lots of water, even if you have to mix it in her food.

It is possible that she will start coughing junk up as she heals. You may want to check with the vet ahead of time to see if there is anything special he advises. (For instance, coughing can be a sign of asthma, but it can also be a sign that the episode is ending - so it's not always a bad thing)

Thank you for giving her a chance and lots of love.
 
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timmboj

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Originally Posted by Mom of 4

Great news - and the fish tank is an excellent idea, which also made me giggle. Be sure to take some pictures of her hospital room.

You may want to up her amount of food slightly. Healing takes lots of energy.
If she seems tired after eating, you may need to do more frequent, smaller meals. With compromised breathing, eating interrupts the breathing patterns and can cause some distress or a decrease in eating.
And make she is getting lots of water, even if you have to mix it in her food.

It is possible that she will start coughing junk up as she heals. You may want to check with the vet ahead of time to see if there is anything special he advises. (For instance, coughing can be a sign of asthma, but it can also be a sign that the episode is ending - so it's not always a bad thing)

Thank you for giving her a chance and lots of love.
She seems tired now, and doesn't seem to want to eat. They said she was eating at the vet. Why won't she eat for me? I'm trying to remain calm and not worry too much. But... its tuff not to be concerned about the eating part. She's just hanging out in her tank looking around at times, but mostly curled up in her little donut thing she sleeps in. I'm hoping she's just wore out from being carted back and forth to the vet and the ER clinic. I hate that she can't get exercise and move around much in her little oxygen chamber. I was more upbeat earlier in the day. Now I'm feeling a little sad, like she's not gonna pull through. (positive, think positive)
 
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timmboj

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Originally Posted by taterbug

Sending and prayers that your kitty gets to feeling better. What's her name?
Puff. Puff is her name. She's a cute little long-haired thing. All black with green eyes. And the most wonderful personality, so easy going and content. My last cat was so psychotic, she hated other people, and vets, etc. Carting Puff to the vet and the ER was so easy because I knew she could care less who she was with, and what was being done to her. Its hard to see her not feeling good.
 

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Originally Posted by TimmboJ
Oh my goodness!! What a gorgeous little girl!!
I sure hope she gets to feeling better soon! Thanks for posting her picture, and welcome to TCS neighbor!
 

mom of 4

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Okay, deep breath.
Excitement and fatigue can interfer with her eating. You may want to offer her a bit on your finger, just to stimulate her appetite. Does she like warm food - it has more odor.
Were they feeding her anything different at the vets?

Later evenings and nights are always the worst. Everything slows down and you notice more. This is normal. She will rest tonight and be better in the morning.

And she is stunning.
 

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I have no words of advice for you, but just wanted to let you know I'm rooting for you and Puff. She's a beautiful girl!!
 
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timmboj

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Originally Posted by taterbug

Oh my goodness!! What a gorgeous little girl!!
I sure hope she gets to feeling better soon! Thanks for posting her picture, and welcome to TCS neighbor!
Hey, yeah, I just noticed. Hi Neighbor! Keep your eyes to the sky today, hot air balloons just took off from Pellissippi College this morning. Maybe they'll float over your area.
 
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timmboj

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Originally Posted by Mom of 4

Okay, deep breath.
Excitement and fatigue can interfer with her eating. You may want to offer her a bit on your finger, just to stimulate her appetite. Does she like warm food - it has more odor.
Were they feeding her anything different at the vets?

Later evenings and nights are always the worst. Everything slows down and you notice more. This is normal. She will rest tonight and be better in the morning.

And she is stunning.
Thanks. She's still with us today. Breathing is ok. Not great, but ok. She seems alert and is looking out at the views. Didn't eat yet. I doubt she will. She ate her regular (during this health crisis) soft food at the vet. She'd been on that urinary tract "S-O" crunchy food from the vet for a couple years since I've had her. I'll try stimulating eating with food on my finger. Wonder if I should try plain ol' tuna? The pharmacist said to put the Itraconazole in a little butter and they'll lap it up, but she's not feeling good, so I don't think that will work. Though I've GOT to get that drug into her somehow. I hate to just drag her out of her oxygen sanctuary and throw a pill into her then put her back. Egads. I hate all this, but I'll continue with this routine for a while to see how it goes.
 

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She really does need to eat as cats should not go more than 24 hours without eating. Heating food will help her smell it. While it is not recommended as regular food, Fancy Feast (known as kitty crack) will get most cats to eat. If that doesn't work, you may need to force feed her. Hea

Make sure that your vet knows that she is not eating.
 
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timmboj

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Originally Posted by katachtig

She really does need to eat as cats should not go more than 24 hours without eating. Heating food will help her smell it. While it is not recommended as regular food, Fancy Feast (known as kitty crack) will get most cats to eat. If that doesn't work, you may need to force feed her. Hea

Make sure that your vet knows that she is not eating.
I had some success finger feeding her. She was doing pretty good up until I BLEW IT by trying to sneak in some beads of Itraconazole, then she'd have no more. Dang! She got about a heaping teaspoon full in her. So I took her out and figured I'd try and throw a pill down her throat, but that too was a disaster. Its a capsule, and its sort of big, and I tried to shove it down there like the vet does, but she kept spitting it out, and she was getting upset and breathing badly, so I gave up and put her back in oxygen. She's up there now calming down and grooming -- I'm glad to see that she's grooming.

I'll try again later with the drugs. I'll either have to sneak it into something like butter or cheese or something. I don't think that pill is going down, not by me. I could take her over to the ER and get them to give her a subcutaneous feeding and hydration and throw a pill down her throat. But I doubt she'd like the ride over and back, let alone being out of her oxygen.

Does anyone know of an over-the-counter drug to increase appetite?
 
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