Vet surgeon Phil Cramp explains that guttural pouch mycosis requires surgical treatment:
“THERE are reports of successful medical management consisting of treatment with topical and systemic anti-fungal drugs, but the risk of a fatal haemorrhage is too high,” he explains. “Surgery is aimed at occluding [closing up] the affected artery. Without blood supply, the fungal growth stops and can then resolve without further treatment. Most surgeons elect to treat the fungus topically for a week or so after surgery, however, to ensure a successful resolution.
“There are two main surgical procedures, both of which require a general anaesthetic. One involves placing an inflatable balloon, attached to a flexible catheter, into the affected artery via an incision in the upper neck. Once positioned, the balloon is inflated to stop the flow of blood.
“In another procedure, small coils or plugs are placed in the affected artery using a realtime imaging method called fluoroscopy. While very accurate, this technique requires specialist equipment and is not widely available.
“Success rates for both procedures are good, although it can take a long time for some of the clinical signs associated with nerve damage to disappear. The fungal plaques may take up to six months to resolve fully.”