@Kipawa:
But this brings up a thought - is there somewhere on the Internet that you can look at to see if there are any dog related illnesses happening that you can be aware of, or perhaps pre-medicate before you travel?
Fran, I'm not aware of any such site, but would also be interested in knowing if such a site exists since we do a lot of traveling.
Unfortunately, as far as Valley Fever is concerned, there is no vaccination available to prevent it…just treatment once the person or dog gets the disease.
Most vets in the affected areas should be aware of this disease; however, I'm sure some aren't, so just like Fanconi and other diseases, we need to be advocates for our dogs. One of the problems with Valley Fever are for those people and dogs who visit the southwestern U.S. (think Snowbirds) and then don't become ill until they return home. Doctors and vets elsewhere may not have ever heard of Valley Fever and certainly aren't on the lookout for it.
Here are some good websites regarding Valley Fever, both in people and dogs:
http://www.valleyfeversurvivor.com/ (Includes maps of the affected areas…click on Maps and History in the upper right-hand corner.)
http://www.vfce.arizona.edu/ (Includes a section on Valley Fever in Dogs.)
LindaH
Owned by:
Blaze the Basenji
Gracie the Brussels Griffon
Maxx's Memorial Blog
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