By Stephanie Innes, Center for Health Journalism Collaborative
Randy Ford had never heard of valley fever when he moved to Tucson from Salinas, Calif., with his dog, a reddish brown vizsla named Tyler.
"A few days before Tyler died he was raising hell — chasing toys in the pool. Then all of a sudden he quit eating, and he'd stand outside his doggie door and shake like it was cold," Ford said.
That was in 2005. Tyler had breathed in spores from the fungus that causes valley fever, a disease that starts in the lungs and then can spread. Tyler’s valley fever infection had spread into his bloodstream and his kidneys started to shut down. Ford spent more than $5,000 trying to save his beloved dog, but Tyler was too sick. He died within days of first getting ill.
Read the full article from the Center for Health Journalism here.
