D'Elle Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 Jester's titer was checked again for Valley Fever, which I do every six months since he got it. The disease is back...a shocking 1:32 titer. The vet said she was surprised he was not acting sick. Of course he is back on the fluconazole as of Saturday. He has not been acting ill at all, and his appetite has been normal. But over the weekend he stopped wanting to eat. I put chicken broth (made by just poaching some chicken in plain water) on his kibble, and he ate it eagerly, but then had diarhea for 2 days. So I tried canned dog food....and he won't eat the kibble with canned dog food mixed in. He ate just the canned food with no kibble this morning. The canned food is the good stuff, costing $1.75 a can, so I cannot just feed him that alone for long. What has worked for you to get your dog to keep eating when he's under the weather? I want him eating his regular kibble because that has always agreed with him. It has been very warm here (Tucson, over 100 ) and we do not have air conditioning. That may be part of the problem, too. I am not sure, but I am concerned, and I cannot let him quit eating. D'Elle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 I'm so sorry for you. What is Valley fever? New one on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 One thing that Bute could virtually always eat was poached chicken breast, white rice, and pumpkin. I often fasted him for 24 hours when his insides were all roiled up, and fed him this CRaP mixture in small, frequent meals. Of course, his issues were not the same as your dog's, but this food was bland, easily digested, contained fiber, and seemed to help him. Other than that, I can't offer any help but do offer best wishes for you in helping Jester get better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 I'm so sorry for you. What is Valley fever? New one on me. Try a google search on valley fever in dogs and you will find a number of references. Sounds pretty worrisome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Good Shepherd Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 I am so sorry to hear about your little guy The boiled chicken rice and pumkin always help when one of mine is under the weather. Try keeping him cool maybe - easier said then done - I know - I am in Albuquerque and have NO AC! You are in my thoughts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 Plain yogurt with live cultures stirred into the kibble with some warm water is a great way to get dogs with sensitive stomachs to eat their food. Other dairy products (Greek yogurt, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese) are also good but don't have the live cultures. Some dogs go mad for tuna, so a little tuna plus the liquid from the can makes their kibble smell and taste better. Other like sardines, canned salmon or other smelly fish. On a similar note, fish oil capsules dissolved in some warm water and poured on the food can have the same effect. I am sorry to hear about your dog being sick. Valley Fever is very difficult and expensive to treat. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Elle Posted July 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 Thanks for your responses. I will try them all! Valley Fever is apparently only found in this area, in the southwest. Not sure of its exact range. It is a spore that is in the soil here, and everyone who's lived here for a while has inhaled it - you cannot avoid it with the dry, dusty, windy atmosphere we have here most of the year. Most people and dogs have it in them, but it doesn't become active. A weakening of the immune system can cause it to flare into the full-fledged disease in both humans and dogs. In the case of Jes, it was Tick Fever brought to our home by a foster dog that weakened Jes enough to get the disease. There is no cure, and many people and animals have to be on medication to control it the rest of their lives. Valley Fever can go into the lungs (as it has with Jester), or into the bones, and the latter is worse because it will cripple a dog. Treatment ( a drug called fluconazole) is pretty expensive, but not as horribly much so as it was a few years ago. My vet charges about $35 a month for the treatment, which I don't think is so bad even though I have very little to live on. I have heard horror stories of people who had to pay up to $200 a month for the pills, and that's pretty sad because if that happened to me I wouldn't even be able to keep my dog alive just because of financial constraints. Don't even get me started on the drug companies. ---D'Elle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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