To Corgi Owners in Southeastern United States
I was sent this from a friend of mine. It is about a fungal disease called Pythiosis. From what it looks like, it is wide spread in Florida, Georgia, and Texas, among other states. Just wanted to put the FYI out there because it looks like a pretty devastating disease and early diagnosis with the proper treatment might possibly save your pups life.
here is the text of her e-mail:
The infectious disease is called “pythiosis”. Pythiosis or Pythium insidiosum is a fungus-like organism that is usually found in swamps, marshes, ponds, wetlands or – put more bluntly – standing water. In the past, this organism was primarily found in the Gulf & Eastern states; however, its territory has grown & it has been discovered in the Midwest & Western regions of the US.Dogs generally contract the organism by drinking, swimming or playing in contaminated water or mud or chewing on contaminated objects, such as sticks used for playing fetch. It expresses itself either on the skin (uncommon) or via the dog’s gastrointestinal system (more common occurrence). Unfortunately, the gastrointestinal version very often proves to be fatal if the organism is not detected & medically treated by a veterinarian. Since this disease is usually found in the Eastern & Southern US, a lot of veterinarians in other regions of the country may not consider pythiosis as a diagnosis & may not test for it. What that means is that if your dog is displaying the symptoms, you may need to ask your vet about it & have them test for the organism.
Here is a website to check out for more info on pythiosis & its signs & symptoms in canines:
More info from PavLab:
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rachael & Waffle on
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You should ALWAYS avoid shallow standing water, and this includes areas of streams that don't get much mixing and shallow parts of lakes that are very far separated from the deeper waters. Warm waters (temps exceeding 90F)should also be avoided. These water bodies harbor the growth of dangerous toxin-producing algae, are probably loaded with fecal coliforms and other intestinal-dwelling pathogens (especially if you are in an agricultural area), and dangerous levels of nitrates or other nutrients. Excessive scum/algal growth indicates warm temperatures, high nutrient levels, and high potential for toxic algae. If it looks like you don't want to touch it, don't let your dog touch it. Everything in the area that falls on the ground makes its way into the water eventually, and in standing water the pollutants accumulate over time in the water and in the soil. Of course, there are exceptions to these rules, such as still areas of mountain streams that are not receiving runoff from human areas; use your best judgement.
As a final note, always pick up after your dog and limit the amount of fertilizer you apply to your lawn! That way, you're doing your part to keep your waterways clean (and therefore safe) for you, your dog, and others.
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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Marie O'Bryan on
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This is scary for me as we just moved to Arkansas and after all the flooding there is a ton of of standing water. We went on a walk at a park yesterday and it was beautiful but very muddy and there was still areas that were flooded. Luckily he didn't walk through any standing water but still...
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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on
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yeah I read this and went yikes! The only area that has been reported in California is about a half hour from me and I have a corgi who LOOOOOOOVES water! All our walks are off leash so sometimes he ends up in the middle of a puddle before I even know its there! Luckily we mostly stick to the Sacramento River and the sierras so fast running river and pristine mountain lakes are mostly what he swims in. Pretty scary stuff though. Up in extreme northern california they have several lagoons with some kind of toxic algae or bacteria. One is in the middle of a campground and several dogs have died from swimming in it. I guess its just a lesson to always be very careful and do your research before visiting new places. I knew about leptospirosis and giardia etc in standing water but never thought about the different fungi that could be there too!
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That's why I am thankful for this site, I would have never of known about that so thank u so much for posting this. I hope Franklin stays safe! Especially if he loves the water. I have never seen Teddy swim. He likes bathes though so I will get him a kiddie pool and see how he does in that:) lol
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