Valley Fever in Dogs - Arizona Desert Living
One of the hazards of living in the southwest desert, is Valley Fever. While this can infect humans, cats, cows, even zoo animals, the most likely to get Valley Fever are dogs. Because one of my "boys" was recently diagnosed with Valley Fever, I did a lot of on line research besides asking my vet a gazillion questions. I'm writing this blog because Valley Fever in dogs can be fatal. At the very least, seeing our beloved pets sick is never easy.
First, the symptoms: coughing, fever, weight loss, lack of appetite and lack of energy are typical. My little guy didn't have the coughing, but he lacked any energy and would only eat soft food, acting as if he had a tooth ache. He would lie about the house and put his cute little nose between his paws - cute pose, but I knew something was wrong. Because we had just come off allergy season, he had some "hot spots" which were slow to heal - another sign. So, off to the vet we go.
The vet checked him over and gave him a blood test in which they checked for tick disease as well as Valley Fever. The results took 3 long days. Then, came the call - yep, Valley Fever. So, Jesse was put on a course of antibiotics as well as an anti fungal drug - fluconazole. We go back in 30 days for another blood test, but Jesse is almost 100% back to normal - including dropping his ball into the pool daily.
What causes Valley Fever: Valley Fever is caused by a fungus that lives in the desert soil. When the soil is disturbed by our heavy winds and rains during the monsoon season, these fungi break into spores which are inhaled. Because my "sentry" dog likes to run back and forth around the backyard fence chasing away all of the birds, he stirs up a lot of dust and is probably how he got sick and not his brother, Cody.
Prevention of Valley Fever: while there's no sure way to prevent Valley Fever, you can take some steps such as ground cover or gravel to reduce the dust and keep your dog from digging.
Is there a vaccine against Valley Fever: at this time, the answer is no, although there are vets currently working on it.
If your beloved pet starts showing signs of illness, please check with your vet - early prognosis and treatment is key in this possibly life threatening illness.
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