valley fever

[psulle]

Does any one out there have experience with valley fever?? My rescue had it when I got her. She is on meds and was doing very well but now is starting to limp and she is only 2 years old.

[Sarah]

I'm only familiar with it in humans, But I'll do some research for you and post what I find.

[Sarah]

I found an article and it's the same Valley Fever as it is in humans. It's a fungal disease that is picked up from dust. for your dog limping it must have spread to her bones.

I'm sure she is on medication, so I would contact the vet immediately and see if they will up to dosage to help her out.

She will have to be on meds the rest of her life, I've not heard of any "cure" for this fungus... What needs to be focused on is keeping her treatment spot on, to stop it from progressing.

You may also want to think about Holistic medicine as well, Reiki as well as supplements to help the immune system to fight this off.

I would suggest "nutritional yeast", Dandelion root, Milk thistle, and echinacea. These herbs will promote good liver function, and strengthen the immune and emphatic system. These herbs will not interfere with her medication she is on. What I would do is buy some wet food for the purpose of giving her the supplements along with her kibble. The nutitional yeast is full of vitamin B's and amino acids, which will help keep the muscles in her legs in good shape. Ask your Vet for some Calcium/magnesium and phosphorus for her bones. This too will assist if she is feeling any pain.

The valley fever, fungae are found in the dirt, dust, in dessert areas, when the wind blows or the dog sniffs the ground the can pick it up through inhalation.

I don't know what breed your dog is or the weight of your dog, so I cannot tell you how much to give her. That will have to come from your Vet. IF it goes untreated, Valley Fever can be fatal as it will spread into the brain and she will begin to have seizures. This fungae affects the whole body.

Please let me know how she does.

[psulle]

Thank you for the info I have read a lot about it also but get conflicting reports. She is a 2 year old boxer. I fostered her to start she was found on the street and she only weighed 35 pounds and we didn't think she would live. Then over a few months she really made a turn around and of course we had to adopt her because I have another rescue boxer and they became best friends. She weighs 55 pounds now and for the most part is a bundle of energy but just over the last 2 months and I have had her now for for about 10 months she is starting to limp but only some times. One vet told me she should stay on meds for life and another said that isn't so. One vet said there is really nothing else you can do other than the meds she is all ready on. It's kind of a scary place to be.

[Sarah]

psulle, I use to do worker's compensation in California, and I did take care of employees who came down with Valley Fever. They have to take the medicine at least until the fungae is gone which some say it never is truly gone, it lies dormant. As with most things there will always be conflicting information, and you have to lead with your intuition.

If she was my dog. I would start her and keep her on the supplements. If your vet wants to take her off the meds at some point great, but don't stop the supplements for her. The supplements will give her something to fight with.

The herbs I mentioned can be bought in bulk, capsules, pills and some come in liquid form. I would open the caps and pour the content into wet food and let her eat that. It's easier than to have to give her pills. The echinacea only give for 15 days out of the month. then the rest of the month she gets none.

It's your choice as to what you do, I'm not trying to force you to do anything. I firmly believe in "natural medicine", but a lot of people do not. She is already getting what she can from the Vet. I'm not telling you to quit going to the vet, I really want to make that clear, because her vet is as important as the supplements.

I also have to tell you I treated my own dog "naturally" for cancer, and was able to keep him alive for another 2 years before he died of heart stenosis. I'm only sharing this because i don't want to make it sound as if I'm giving advice without me first
treating my own animals first. I don't have a dog at the moment, but I do have a cat, and she has 'nutritional yeast" every morning with her wet food.