07/10/2026
I havenât shared this information previously because I was hoping the end results would be different. Several weeks ago Ocean was bit by a venomous snake five different times. We went to the vet and were prescribed antibiotics, pain medication, and steroids. Over the following week he got worse instead of better and very lethargic. We visited the vet again and she realized that he now had blastomycosis, a rare severe fungal infection that took advantage of his weakened immune system from fighting the venom. The vet did a scan of his lungs and saw that he had several spots on them to go along with his wet cough, multiple lesions, lethargy, and infected eye. She started the oral meds over the holiday weekend and monitored him closely. He kept spiking a fever each time they gave him the medication and was not eating for most of the week. We came to the decision to give him the iv blasto medicine because he kept having a reaction to the oral meds. Unfortunately, it is almost as toxic as chemotherapy and yesterday he started throwing up blood clots. We discussed all options and came to the conclusion that his body was no longer able to fight with everything it had been through.
He went out a fighter and I am so proud to have called this big, beautiful, sweet baby boy mine for the last 10 years of my life. Ocean turned 10 just the day before yesterday. He was one of the best decisions I have ever made for my breeding program and my life. He will live on in the many gorgeous puppies he has produced over his lifetime, including my stunning girl Sterling Rose. I will forever be grateful to have called him mine from the day he opened his eyes, to the day he closed them.
