Coccidiodomycosis, more commonly known as Valley Fever, or San Joaquin Valley Fever (named after California’s San Joaquin Valley) is fungal disease which occurs only in the Lower Sonoran Desert including parts of Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Mexico and parts of Central and South America. The fungal spores of Coccidiodes immitis live in the dirt which is typically sandy and alkaline, and thrive in the dry, hot climate. The spores are then inhaled into the lungs and may cause respiratory disease, or if permitted to spread, can affect multiple organ systems including the lungs, skeletal system, skin, nervous system/eyes, spleen, heart and kidneys. Valley Fever most commonly affects dogs and humans, but there have been documented cases in cats, cattle, horses and other mammals, though these are relatively uncommon occurrences.

The spores are spread more rapidly in the environment through disruptions in the soil such as construction, digging, heavy rains or winds, dust storms, and earthquakes. It is important to remember that it is extremely unlikely for Valley Fever to be spread from one dog to another (or from dog to person and vice versa.) Many animals that are exposed never develop antibodies or show any signs of disease.

Signs and symptoms

The signs of Valley Fever are variable and may include some or all of the following: lethargy, weight loss, anorexia, weakness, coughing, joint pain/lameness, firm swellings on the limbs or occasionally, other bones, soft tissue swellings, fever, swollen lymph nodes and, much more rarely, draining skin lesions, blindness, and seizures.

There are different sources listing certain breeds as potentially having a higher incidence of contracting this disease, however, in our veterinary hospital, we do not appreciate a breed predilection, other than large breed dogs appear to be more likely to contract the disease with an age range of 4 months to geriatric and no appreciable difference in susceptibility between males versus females.

Diagnosis

Though there are multiple tests that can be performed to detect Valley Fever, the most common, and least invasive test is a blood antibody test that can be sent to a laboratory and can confirm a positive result and titer. In addition, your veterinarian will also likely check a complete blood count, serum blood chemistry and urinalysis to assess for any other underlying illness. S/he may also perform chest or limb radiographs, particularly if your dog has a history of coughing/other respiratory disease, or limb pain/swelling. Other, less common tests associated with Valley Fever diagnosis include cytology or biopsy with culture and sensitivity and fungal stains of draining skin wounds or abscesses. It should be noted that culturing the organism (i.e. growing the organism in the lab) is potentially very dangerous as this sporulated form of the disease is highly infectious and can infect lab personnel.

Treatment

The treatment for Valley Fever is a long-term (usually 6-24 months) course of antifungal medication. There are several effective oral antifungal medications available. Your veterinarian will select one that your dog is most likely to tolerate well. All of the drugs in this class have side effects. The most common are anorexia, vomiting and diarrhea and elevated liver and kidney enzymes. Because some dogs may be more affected by these side effects, your veterinarian may change medications during your dog’s treatment course, or prescribe various supplements to alleviate some of these effects. During the course of treatment, your dog will need regular check-ups and repeated bloodwork and/or radiographs to assess the efficacy of treatment, and to determine whether any dosing changes need to be made. In the case of severe systemic disease, your dog may be hospitalized for stabilization and treatment, though it should be noted that cases requiring this level of care are infrequent.

Prognosis

The long-term prognosis for appropriately treated, non-disseminated Valley Fever cases is good, with 90% of dogs about responding favorably to the oral antifungal medications. There are some patients that require longer than average treatment in order to attain a negative blood test, and there are a few cases that become clinically normal but are never able to completely clear the infection (as determined by a positive blood antibody.) However, dogs that have severely disseminated disease, and/or who have neurologic or cardiac involvement have a much higher likelihood of treatment failure, and the prognosis is guarded in these cases.

As with any chronic medical condition, your veterinarian will work with you and your dog to create a treatment plan that is individually tailored to your pet, and will be able to answer any specific questions that you may have.

April 28, 2012 – for all orders delivered, or gift cards purchased (until midnight), that day!

Orders for delivery must be received by April 25, 2012 – Bullhead City to Kingman area (Arizona). If you have questions or need help with an order for delivery, please contact Mariann and she will put you in touch with Mitch the Schwan’s guy.

What you need to know:

Campaign ID 38893
Last Chance Ranch Sanctuary
April 28, 2012
Bullhead City, AZ 86442

Three ways to order:

• Go Online
• Go to www.schwansfundraising.com and click on Place an Order Online. Use our campaign ID of 38893 to fill out the online order form.
• By Phone
• Call 888‐SCHWANS to place an order. Make sure to have event information and product codes ready.
• Paper Forms
• Coordinate with your local Schwan’s Home Service representative to collect and submit paper forms.

How can people who do not live in the area or who happen to be out of town the day of the event support the fundraiser?

You can visit www.schwans.com or call 888‐SCHWANS to order Schwan’s™ Gift Cards, even on the the day of the event, which are mailed directly to the you, unless specified otherwise. Gift Card sales will be added to product sales to determine the donation amount due to our organization.

How to place a Gift Card order:

Go Online!

Visit www.schwans.com and follow the steps below to place your order.

• Click on the Gift Cards link
• Select the cards and quantities you wish to purchase and include a personal message.
• Select recipient and shipping address.
• Enter our campaign ID 38893 for the fundraiser on the payment and billing screen, then click find to verify the campaign ID and tie the purchase to the fundraiser.

Call 888-SCHWANS

Inform the representative that you would like to purchase a gift card for a fundraiser, and provide them with our campaign ID 38893 for the event. Gift cards will be mailed to the address of your choice.

Pathos looking good - 2012

I’m no Mr. Ed, but I’d like to tell you about a few things I could use. Not everyone is comfortable sponsoring or donating, but maybe you’d like to send me a care package (gently used items are fine), so here’s my wish list: brushes, poop rake, halter, hoof picks, 10 foot cotton lead rope, hypoallergenic horse shampoo, horse wormers, psyllium, jolly balls, horse toys, carrots & apples & grapes, crimped oats, Equine Senior, and hay (can be arranged for through our feed store). If you really want to spoil us, we could use more horse panels. Please send to: Pathos, c/o Last Chance Ranch Sanctuary, PO Box 6763, Kingman, AZ 86402.  Thank you!

March 2012 LCRS News

Sweetie and Ginger

Ginger

Help us reach our goal of $1,050 (was $1,500)  for diagnostics and a custom wheelchair for Ginger! (We’ve lowered the total needed since the wheelchair estimates are now less than we expected!)  Any dollar amount is greatly appreciated (yes, $5 or $10 really helps!).  Use the buttons below to sponsor her or help with her medical needs.  Thank you!  When we get to $550, we’ll have enough to order the wheelchair!  That’s the first step towards independence!

Update 3-23-12 Yay!  Thank you, kind people!  We have enough to start the wheelchair ordering process (measurements, photos, etc), thank you!  Please continue to donate for Ginger’s diagnostics.

Sponsored by:      L. Alexander      E. Jacobson      J. King      A. McDonnell      P. McDonnell      P. Bennett      N. Rowlands      Black Cat Technologies      M. Woods      C. Rosner      L. Barrett      D. Stanevich       Ginger says “Thank you so much!“

Update 4-27-12  The wheelchair has arrived!

Ginger's in her wheelchair for the first time!

Ginger goes nose to nose with Cloe

Ginger cannot walk and tries to scoot herself from place to place.  It seems the muscles in her hind end are atrophied – we don’t know if she can gain some strength with therapy.  We would like to be able to send her for a complete diagnostic work-up to see if she might benefit from surgery or other veterinary interventions.  We also would like her to have a custom wheelchair so that she can chase the cats! – - but more than that, so that she can get around and use the wheelchair to strengthen her legs and protect her body from the constant scooting.

Angel Sponsor:  M. Tindall

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sweetie

Sweetie is Ginger’s mom, and she has a congenital eye condition.  They are a bonded pair, so we are making sure they are able to stay together.

Colic is a potentially devastating concern for any horse owner, but what is colic and what are the signs? What causes colic and how does an owner know when it is serious enough to call the vet? And what can an owner do to help their horse during a colic episode? You may wonder how likely it is that your horse may die, or if she recovers, whether or not she can return to work. The answers are as variable as the “disease” itself. This article is meant to give general information about colic and answer some basic questions that an owner may have.

What is colic?

Colic is really a symptom, or sign, of a disease causing abdominal pain in the horse. There are many, many potential, highly variable causes of pain including liver or kidney disease, intestinal gas, feed impaction, intestinal tumors, gastric ulcers, parasites, intestinal spasms, intestinal torsions or twists, and more. This list is by no means comprehensive but illustrates the range of potential problems that can occur inside the vast equine abdomen.

While a definitive cause cannot always be determined, most causes of colic are found to be gastrointestinal in origin, and are usually broken down into three broad categories of intestinal dysfunction, intestinal accident or gastrointestinal inflammation/ulceration. The intestinal tract of an average adult horse is about 100 feet long (from the oral cavity to the anus) and this allows for many places where something can pathologically go wrong.

Intestinal dysfunction includes gas distention, spasmodic colic or impactions (feed, feces) and these conditions are usually able to be treated with medical management, and often, mild cases can be treated without hospitalization. Poor quality feed, inadequate water (leading to dehydration), poor dental health resulting in poorly chewed food, parasitism, and sand accumulation can all contribute to these types of colic.

Intestinal accidents are termed such because there is no way to prevent their occurrence. These accidents include conditions such as intestinal twists, displacement or strangulations (for example a tumor wrapping around the intestine.) Usually these forms of colic are intensely painful and require surgery to correct.

Inflammation/ulceration includes conditions such as gastritis, enteritis or colitis and is often characterized by severe discomfort, often includes diarrhea and dehydration, and may progress to septicemia. Keep in mind that horses are physically unable to vomit, and it is important to withhold feed during any colic episode. Gastric ulcers are included in this classification, but aren’t generally as painful, do not exhibit diarrhea, and are usually more chronic (intermittent mild colic after eating, poor coat, unthrifty, responds well to prescription antacids.)

What are the signs of colic?

The signs are variable and depend on the underlying cause and the severity and duration. But keep in mind that even a severe colic will manifest with mild or subtle signs at the earliest stages, so it is imperative that an owner be observant and understand what they are seeing. Normal physical exam findings should be known (perhaps written down in an accessible location.) The temperature is between 99-101.0 degrees, heart rate between 36-48 beats per minute, respiratory rate between 10-24 breaths per minute, pink mucous membranes (gum line) with a 2 second or less capillary refill time (push on the gum with your finger until the color whitens, then release the finger and the gum should pinken within 2 seconds.) Most horses have between 6-10 normal fecal piles over the course of 24 hours.

Know what is normal for your horse, so that you will be able to identify abnormalities. Owners should seriously consider keeping a digital rectal thermometer and a decent quality stethoscope on site. It is helpful to track these vital signs to be able to report to the veterinarian during a colic. Consider keeping a small notebook for general health information (including diet history!) and to log all that occurs during the current colic episode, including the time.

The early, or mild signs of colic include reluctance to eat or avoidance of food, restlessness/lying down and rising frequently progressing to lying down more than usual, lip curling, More severe signs include complete anorexia, failure to pass normal feces, pawing at the ground, looking or pawing at the abdomen, stretching out on the side, grinding the teeth, bloated abdomen and rolling. Not all horses will exhibit all signs.

What is the treatment?

The treatment will vary depending on the veterinarian’s physical exam, diagnostic test results and the history that you provide. Generally, pain control is the first step in treatment, but this could be a combination of different medications. Sometimes, IV fluids or an oral fluid drench are administered. Laxatives, anti-spasmodic medications, or antibiotics may also be used depending on the underlying cause of the colic. Some cases will not resolve without surgical management and must be referred to an equine surgical specialist. Remember that all colics will start with the same subtle signs – please do not ignore any questionable behaviors. When in doubt, an owner may always contact their veterinarian to discuss the possibility of your horse’s behavior being early or mild colic.

What is the owner’s role in a colic episode?

Stay calm and document what signs are observed with your horse. Taking frequent temperatures, heart and respiratory rates is extremely helpful. Remove feed but offer fresh water. If your horse is not too painful and, if it is safe for you to do so, hand-walk your horse around her pen or barn. Call your veterinarian as soon as you think your horse may have colic signs. He or she will be able to talk to you about any appropriate medications and/or when to a veterinarian needs to examine your horse. Be sure to have your horse’s current medical history including diet history. In particular, note if there have been any feed/supplement changes or significant environmental changes such as changes in routine. Do not give any medications without first consulting with your veterinarian.

Although colic cannot always be prevented, regular veterinary check-ups, allowing appropriate exercise, feeding a high quality diet and supplement that is appropriate to your horse’s age and lifestyle, maintaining current vaccinations and appropriate deworming for your geographic region, providing plenty of fresh, clean water, maintaining proper dental care/health, and most importantly, knowing what is normal for your horse, are all critical factors in keeping your horse as healthy as she can be, and doing all that an owner can do to prevent colic from occurring.

New!  Now accepting applications!

Veterinary programs have tough acceptance standards and require that you’ve shown a commitment to your future profession.  Let us help you gain valuable animal care experience at our Sanctuary.  You will have first-hand interaction with special needs and abused dogs, cats, and horses.

We require a minimum 4-week full-time commitment, additional weeks may be possible if scheduled in advance.  If you live in the Kingman, Arizona area, a part-time schedule can be arranged.

Duties:  You will participate in all aspects of running an animal sanctuary for special needs animals.  This can include, but not be limited to: cleaning stalls; watering, feeding, turning out and/or riding the horses; cleaning up after the dogs and cats; feeding the dogs and cats; exercising, playing with, and petting the dogs and cats; performing basic obedience training with the dogs; administering medications and applying wraps, bandages, and the like to the animals who need them; placing the dogs in/out of their wheelchairs; performing therapy tasks with the animals; taking or accompanying the animals to the vet; grounds maintenance and facility repairs/building; supply runs, and so on.

Schedule:  40 hours per week with two days off by mutual arrangement.  More hours are possible if desired.  You’ll work from 6 – 10 am and 2:30 – 6:30 pm, subject to adjustment based on the needs of the animals and the weather.  You’ll live on-site in a private room, share meal-prep and household duties, and pay for your food and utilities.

Set yourself apart from the crowd.  Contact us for more information and to get started – an application and telephone interview are required.

Harley – also known as Coach

I know not everyone is comfortable sponsoring or donating, so I wanted to let you know the things I like in case you’d like to send me a care package. I’d like a dog bed (L or XL – you know I’m going to have to share with the others!), toys of any sort, treats, treats, treats (did I mention I’m a treat boy!), and Gravy Train kibble and/or canned dog food. Please send it to Harley, c/o Last Chance Ranch Sanctuary, PO Box 6763, Kingman, AZ 86402. Thank you!

Thank you to volunteer Melony for suggesting another way for people to help the animals at the Sanctuary!  We’ll be sending out updates on what each of our animals might like in his or her care package.  Send a care package today!