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Treatment

The sooner you take your dog for treatment after the first signs appear, the better the prognosis.

All dogs will need to undergo surgical removal of as much affected tissue as possible. The tissue remaining after surgery will then be treated with a laser (photoablation) to kill any fungal filaments in the surrounding tissue. Enlarged lymph nodes in the abdominal cavity should be biopsied (tissue will be surgically removed for examination). Medical therapy should be continued for a minimum of six months.

All dogs will need to undergo surgical removal of as much affected tissue as possible. The tissue remaining after surgery will then be treated with a laser (photoablation) to kill any fungal filaments in the surrounding tissue. Enlarged lymph nodes in the abdominal cavity should be biopsied (tissue will be surgically removed for examination). Medical therapy should be continued for a minimum of six months.

Living and Management

Your veterinarian will schedule follow-up appointments every two to three months after the initial surgery so that ELISA serological tests can be performed. Abdominal X-rays should be retaken at each visit to re-evaluate intestinal signs of disease. A chemical blood profile should be repeated at each check-up, as well, to monitor your pet for liver toxicity while it is being treated with Itraconazole, the drug of choice for treating pythiosis.

Prevention

In 2004, a new immunotherapeutic vaccine for dogs was made available for pythiosis. As soon as your dog is diagnosed, it should be vaccinated with the pythiosis vaccine to reduce the size of the lesion. Surgery will then be easier and more successful.