Coccidioidomycosis in Dogs and Cats: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention
📝 Summary
Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal disease caused by Coccidioides immitis, usually a self-limiting primary respiratory infection that can disseminate to skin, bone, lymph nodes, and eyes. It is diagnosed by imaging and culture and treated with long-term antifungals.
1 Symptoms
Coccidioidomycosis is a highly infectious chronic disease of people and many animals caused by Coccidioides immitis, mainly infecting the bronchi, lungs, diaphragm, lymph nodes, stomach, spleen, and kidneys. It has primary and disseminated forms.
1) Primary: subdivided into primary pulmonary and primary cutaneous. The pulmonary form is mild or asymptomatic, or shows only bronchial signs (cough, breathing difficulty); chest X-ray shows nodular consolidation and transient cavities. The cutaneous form is rare: lesions become indurated with central ulceration and related lymph-node changes.
2) Disseminated: endogenous spores spread via blood and lymph to other sites, mainly the lungs, lymph nodes, bone, and eyes. Signs include persistent fever, anorexia, cough, breathing difficulty, emaciation, diarrhea, joint swelling, lameness, and peripheral lymphadenitis or suppuration. Chest X-ray shows cavitary or nodular lung lesions and enlarged hilar nodes. Dogs often have bone lesions and lameness. Eye lesions show photophobia, redness, poor vision, even keratitis, anterior uveitis, and secondary glaucoma.
2 Causes and Transmission
Coccidioides lives in arid soil of endemic regions; inhaled spores cause infection. It is not contagious pet-to-pet; geographic risk matters.
3 Diagnosis
Diagnosis uses imaging, fungal culture, and serology or PCR; it mimics other respiratory and mycotic diseases.
4 Treatment
Treatment is antifungal and supportive.
Veterinary-directed antifungals: amphotericin B (intravenous, every other day, with a capped cumulative dose), ketoconazole, itraconazole, or terbinafine for months.
Treat eye and systemic signs supportively; follow veterinary guidance.
5 Prevention and Home Care
Avoid endemic dusty regions when possible; reduce dust exposure.
Because it is not pet-to-pet contagious but can rarely affect immunocompromised people, basic hygiene is sufficient.
Monitor for chronic cough, lameness, or eye changes.
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