Just wanted everyone to know that Patriot was diagnosed with Valley Fever yesterday. His primary Vet diagnosed it and today Bree took him up to see the top Valley Fever Specialist who just happens to be in Tucson. Seventy percent of all Valley Fever cases diagnosed are between Tucson and Phoenix; it is the hot bed of infection. Treatment will last 12 - 18 months so I ask that you keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Patriot presented with minimal symptoms - intermittent lameness and loss of appetite. The Vet feels he has been fighting the infection for almost a year and that Patriot's immune system has been working hard to fight it off. He does have quite a bit of muscle loss in his shoulder and a lesion on his scapula. He'll go in for a baseline x-ray of his scapula since the x-rays we took on 11/24 didn't catch the area it's in. He'll go back to the Vet in 4 weeks for blood work and three months for another x-ray of his scapula. Please keep Patriot, and Bree in your thoughts and prayers.
For more information about Valley Fever, please see
https://www.vfce.arizona.edu/ValleyFeverInPets/Default.aspx
