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Treatment

Many dogs will completely recover by themselves if the infection has not progressed to severe kidney or brain disease. Supportive therapy can be used along with a fungicidal drug until the infection has cleared from the body. If your dog has severe brain or kidney disease it may need to be euthanized.

Living and Management

Avoid all urine from a dog that is sick with this disease. If possible, you might want to opt to keep your dog at the veterinary clinic until its urine is no longer infectious. If you do keep your dog at home, make sure to keep it in an enclosed area on a slick, easy to sanitize surface. This will allow you to pour the 70 percent ethanol solution over your dog's urine to kill the spores (should it get on the floor). Disposable floor coverings and blankets/sheets may be used to help make cleanup more thorough.

Immune-compromised people are most at risk for catching this disease from their pets, so if at all possible, these people should have someone else to take care of their dogs until they are no longer infectious, or take all necessary precautions to protect themselves while caring for their pets (e.g., face masks, disposable gloves).