This is a tough post to write.
Yukon was recently diagnosed with congestive heart failure caused by a fungal infection: likely Valley Fever.
Ryan and I first noticed Yukon’s belly swelling up a little bit a few weeks ago. At first we thought it might be a side effect of his recent neutering, since he didn’t seem to be in any pain. Then, once the swelling didn’t subside, we took him to our vet here in Flagstaff, thinking he might have had a parasite of some kind.
Our vet here in Flagstaff ran some tests, and then told us we needed to see a specialist down in Phoenix for some more tests.
Ryan took Yukon down to the animal cardiologist a few days ago. In addition to draining 14 pounds of fluid from Yukon’s abdomen, the cardiologist also let us know about his diagnosis.
Ryan and I were so caught off-guard. We didn’t realize how much fluid he’d been retaining, and even the specialist was shocked that Yukon didn’t seem to be in any pain.
Yukon had been acting completely normal, hence why we hadn’t suspected anything.
After his diagnosis, the vet prescribed us a bunch of medication for Yukon to start taking, and let us know we need to help him gain weight. Ryan’s already started feeding him extra salmon and brown rice at lunch time to help him get back up to a healthy weight.
I honestly didn’t know what Valley Fever was, since I’m not native to the Southwest. Ryan had to explain it to me.
It’s going to be a long road to recovery for Yukon, but I’m glad he has a diagnosis and follow-up treatment plans to help get him back to normal.
I’m heading back to northern California for work early next week, and I’m going to miss our very best Bubbers. I’m so glad I have Ryan to take care of him back here in Flagstaff.
Keep Yukon in your thoughts, please! We absolutely adore this pup and can’t imagine our lives without him.
