Sharon7
Moderator
My sweetest boy has been sick for over a month with mysterious symptoms. Saturday we finally got an answer and it's not great. He has disseminated (systemic) histoplasmosis - a fungal infection. This is uncommon in our area but apparently according to the Internal Medicine vet, we are seeing more of it due to climate change. It is found in soil contaminated by bird or bat droppings. I have no idea where he could have inhaled these friggin' spores.
He's had intermittent fevers, a very sore back, stopped eating several times, panting a lot, losing weight and subdued. It took a special fungal blood culture to nail down a diagnosis, but it completely fits his symptoms so when it came back positive at least we had an answer. He has to be on an antifungal drug for many months. Apparently it takes a week for the drug to be at therapeutic levels in his blood. I'm having to feed him a canned food slurry via syringe because he turns his nose up at almost all food. And believe me I've tried everything.
It's breaking my heart to see him so down; he looks at me with sad eyes like he's saying "help me". On top of suddenly losing my husband in August it's been just a brutal time. So those who can, say a little prayer for my Elijah.
He's had intermittent fevers, a very sore back, stopped eating several times, panting a lot, losing weight and subdued. It took a special fungal blood culture to nail down a diagnosis, but it completely fits his symptoms so when it came back positive at least we had an answer. He has to be on an antifungal drug for many months. Apparently it takes a week for the drug to be at therapeutic levels in his blood. I'm having to feed him a canned food slurry via syringe because he turns his nose up at almost all food. And believe me I've tried everything.
It's breaking my heart to see him so down; he looks at me with sad eyes like he's saying "help me". On top of suddenly losing my husband in August it's been just a brutal time. So those who can, say a little prayer for my Elijah.
