Dog owners in dusty areas of the Southwest should be on the lookout for coughing, limping and possibly weight loss in their pets, which are symptoms of valley fever caused by soil-dwelling coccidioides fungi. Researchers at the University of Arizona's School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences are working on a coccidioidomycosis vaccine, but until they have one, treatment at the first sign of illness is the most effective and least expensive option, says veterinarian Travis Wodiske.