Valley Fever: the truth, the myths and the future

Christine D. Butkiewicz, DVM MPH MLIS, will give a free seminar February 28 on Valley Fever, especially for all dog owners in SaddleBrooke. Photo courtesy of University of Arizona.

The SaddleBrooke Dog Park is honored to present Christine D. Butkiewicz, DVM MPH MLIS, Valley Fever Center for Excellence, University of Arizona for a presentation on Valley Fever.

“You do not have to be a Dog Park member to attend,” said Kathleen Dunbar, SaddleBrooke Dog Park President. “The Dog Park’s vision is to be a valued community asset that promotes responsible dog ownership and we feel knowledge is an important part of being a responsible owner. We are offering obedience classes and feel it equally important to provide health information to SaddleBrooke. So many of our residents are from all over the country and Valley Fever is an unknown disease.”

Dr. Butkiewicz graduated from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in 1998. She started her career working as a small animal practitioner in the Chicago area. In 1999, she moved with her husband to Tucson, Arizona and, after joining a practice there, received a rapid education on Valley Fever in dogs.

Dr. Butkiewicz spent time in the early 2000s managing an epidemiological survey of Valley Fever in dogs in Pima and Maricopa counties in Arizona, which spurred her interest in epidemiology and biostatistics. She then returned to school to receive a Masters in Public Health while continuing to work as a small animal practitioner.

In 2016, Dr. Butkiewicz returned to the Valley Fever Center for Excellence at the University of Arizona. The goal of the Valley Fever Center is to support research to improve the understanding and medical care of this disease.

Dr. Butkiewicz will present her material and open the presentation for questions and answers. All SaddleBrooke dog owning residents are invited and encouraged to attend. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. and the meeting will start promptly at 1:00 p.m. For more information email Kathleen Dunbar, SaddleBrooke Dog Park president, [email protected] or go to the website, SaddleBrookedogpark.com.