You have just adopted a magnificent, gentle greyhound. Everyone in the family, from kids to grandparents, will be in love with this dog the moment its paws hit the kitchen - a greyhound’s favorite hangout! That special connection between the adopter and the new fur kid will happen quickly and you can feel proud that your greyhound feels safe, knowing that it’s found its forever home.

As we live in the desert in Southern Arizona, greyhound adopters need to be aware of a disease called Valley Fever. It is prevalent in our community and dogs are extremely susceptible to this disease, especially greyhounds because, during their racing days, they lived in dirt kennels and ran on dirt tracks. So what is Valley Fever and how do you know that your dog may have contracted this disease?
Valley Fever is a vicious fungal disease that attacks the lungs. Prime conditions for fungal growth are soils with low rainfall combined with high summer and moderate winter temperatures. Fungal spores become airborne when soil is disturbed by winds, construction or farming. With our climate and ongoing construction projects, Tucson is the perfect host for Valley Fever. Symptoms vary depending upon severity. Early detection and medical intervention is essential.

What to look for:

• Coughing – dry, hacking or honking
• Fever
• Weight loss
• Lack of appetite
• Lack of energy

If left untreated, greyhounds can develop severe pneumonia. If the disease spreads outside of the lungs, the greyhound can suffer with:

• Lameness or swelling of limbs
• Back or neck pain
• Seizures and other manifestations of brain swelling
• Soft abscess – like swelling under the skin
• Swollen lymph nodes under the chin, in front of the shoulder blades, or behind the stifles
• Non-healing skin ulcerations
• Eye inflammation with pain or cloudiness
• Swollen testicles

The foregoing information was taken from the Valley Fever Center for Excellence. Website: http:/www.vfce.arizona.edu/VFID