I almost lost Zoomie last year to blasto (blastomycosis-sp?). Its a bacteria that lives in the soil in the midwest, especially in plowed crop fields... Very difficult to avoid. Most dogs won't be affected by it, but once in a while, the bacteria will take up residence in the lungs & try to take over. This is what happened to Zoomie. I had to put him on medicine for 7 months, one pill a day to combat it. By the time we caught it, he had lost 10 lbs, & wouldn't eat. I still have to take him back for one more urine test to confirm he is clean. The vet said he will be @ about 80 % for the rest of his life, but we've still got him.