Thanks to UC Davis, my 9-year-old Miniature Pinscher Terrier Reesie is alive and doing well. She had a difficult health journey for a while. In December 2023, she developed a respiratory infection. Then a month later, when she started to limp, we discovered that she had a mass on her right forearm. Our local veterinarian thought it may be a sarcoma, so we started to make a plan to resolve the mass. And then, suddenly, Reesie started to have seizures.
I rushed Reesie to UC Davis’ emergency room. She had swelling in her brain, which was causing the seizures. The UC Davis team diagnosed her with “cocci,” or coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley Fever. Valley Fever is a fungus typically found in desert climates, such as those in California and other southwestern states.
Now, more than a year after long-term anti-epileptic and antifungal medications, I am so happy to report that Reesie is doing well. I’m grateful to UC Davis for their diagnosis and treatment of Reesie.
– Elaine
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Thanks to Elaine for sharing her story of Reesie. UC Davis Veterinary Medicine is continuing to research Valley Fever, and most recently published a study on how dogs may help us see the spread in humans. Learn more about other amazing cases, and how to support the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.