How do I know if my dog has Valley Fever? What are the signs?

Hello. Valley Fever is a fungal infection that typically originated in southwestern United States. Dogs contract it by inhaling spores from the fungus which lives in the soil. There are different prognoses for Valley Fever depending on how severe or advanced the infection is. If it is isolated to the respiratory tract, lungs...the prognosis is good but requires long term treatment ....usually 6-12 months of oral antifungal medications. If the infection has settled in bones , lymph nodes or internal organs require treatment for up to a few years and the prognosis is guarded. The most advanced form involves the brain and/or spinal cord. This can require lifelong treatment. The medications are somewhat expensive and can have side effects. Your veterinarian may periodically want to do bloodwork to make sure the medication is not causing problems such as liver disease. This is not a quick fix disease and it would be important to know how advanced this dog’s infection is so you can plan on the future expenses and treatment plan. Best of luck in your adoption process. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

It's difficult to tell what's going on without seeing the behavior, but they often look like they have something stuck in the throat when they are coughing. In that case, then Valley Fever would be suspect in your area, but there are many other bugs that can cause similar signs. It's best if you can take Rosie to see the vet and get this problem diagnosed. We are often able to treat for these problems and stop the coughing right away. If you can record your dog doing the behavior that you are describing, then this will be a great help to your vet . I hope that helps and Rosie gets better soon.

Sorry to hear this! With valley fever the fungi that cause it tend to form groups in the lungs tissue that are then walked off. There isn't much in the way of educate produced so you get a dry cough as opposed to a wet one. It is therefore unlikely that an expectorant would help as the disease is not producing mucus and such. Furthermore valley fever can occur in humans so it's best to limit the amount of potential aerosolised organism.

The primary form of the disease typically stays in the lungs. The disseminated form can affect different parts of the body. While the gums aren't commonly affected, it may be possible. If Rocco has a degree of periodontal disease, this could be a cause or contributing factor. Address it, if necessary, and see if the gingivitis improves.

That would be unusual for him to have Valley Fever. Your vet could biopsy the lesions to help diagnose the problem. If your vet can not diagnose than you could take your dog to a veterinary dermatologist to help determine the exact cause. Also, if he has not been on an antibiotic than your vet could try an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory and see if that helps. Hope he feels better soon!

Yes, they do. Main signs can be hyperthermia, lethargy,inappetence, weakness/exercise intolerance, cough, dyspnoea (with rapid and superficial breathing), abnormal stance due to breathing abnormalities, in severe cases nasal discharge. Other signs may be related to the origin of pneumonia (can be bacterial, viral, tumoral, parasitic and so on). Other signs may be present but are related to specific tests (x rays, blood tests and so on). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

This is tough. I practice in Arizona where Valley Fever is common and Rex does have many of the signs. Bloodwork will also show high globulins and mildly high white blood cell count if that helps. If you have been in this area at all in Rex’s life, it’s worth pursuing. (Titers can be negative and it still be the cause.) On a dog this sick, I usually also start an anti inflammatory dose of steroid which we think helps the fluconazole penetrate and provides the more immediate improvements of our treatment. A good broad spectrum Dewormer in case of lung worms or abnormal parasite migration is worth a shot. I also must note that though he is young, we cannot rule out cancer- horrible though it is to contemplate. Please feel free to consult with me using the link below if that would be helpful. Best wishes to you and Rex.