Fungal Diseases of the Canine Reproductive Tract

Abstract
Fungal diseases of the canine reproductive tract are uncommon. The most commonly described is blastomycosis, which is associated with disease in both male and female dogs. Secondary yeast infections of the reproductive tract, as are described in humans, are uncommon in dogs.

Fungi are free-living organisms. They are heterotrophs, incapable of producing their own nutrients, which differentiates them from plants. Fungi release enzymes and absorb nutrients from their environment. Their cell wall is made of chitin, not of cellulose as is seen in plants, which makes them relatively resistant to microbial degradation and may make them more resistant to drug therapies that require uptake across the cell. Most are multicellular and filamentous. A group of fungal filaments are hyphae and groups of hyphae form a mycelium. Fungi may produce as much as one kilometer of hyphae in a single day in the right growing conditions. [...]