Update 23-Aug-2025: While Ozzy has recovered well from his surgery and pneumonia, he unfortunately can no longer walk more than a few steps before completely collapsing. We saw another vet this week who suspects myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune neurological condition which interrupts the signals between the brain and voluntary muscles. This is likely also what caused his megaesophagus, which caused him to swallow the random object, which led to the pneumonia. Our priority now is to have a specialized blood test run by a neurologist to confirm, and then give him treatment that will hopefully get him back to feeling like himself again.

This beautiful pup is Ozzy. At around 6 months old, he was a stray saved by a rescue after being hit by a car; we didn't hesitate to adopt him and nurse him back to health just days after he had major surgery. He's now 4 years old and an absolute joy in our family, incredibly smart, playful, and affectionate. He especially loves playing and chilling out with his adoptive sisters.

On Saturday, July 26, 2025, Ozzy suddenly became extremely sick for no apparent reason. He began vomiting and drooling uncontrollably and we rushed him to the nearest emergency vet. He grew weaker and weaker by the hour as he was unable to even keep down water, despite being given literally every single anti-nausea/vomiting medication the clinic had to offer. By the next day, he couldn't walk more than a few steps without collapsing. But even after running test after test, they weren't sure what was going on with him.

An ultrasound performed on Sunday showed what appeared to be some kind of blockage between his stomach and small intestine, so he went in for surgery on Monday morning. But they were unable to find the foreign object, requiring a much more extensive exploratory abdominal surgery to try and find it, concluding that it must have passed into his intestinal tract before the surgery. Still, it was a relief to know that Ozzy was going to be fine.

That night, he again started vomiting and drooling uncontrollably, unable to hold down water. A return to the vet the next morning found that Ozzy had developed pneumonia from aspirating saliva and/or vomit over the weekend. His esophagus had also dilated, which was causing him to regurgitate food and water because he couldn't swallow properly.

Ozzy's recovery has been very scary, requiring several more trips to the vet to recheck his condition and progress. He has been in extreme pain and discomfort, and so weak that he couldn't even get up to relieve himself for over a week. He has gone through more than a dozen prescription drugs and we haven't left him alone for even an instant this entire time.

Fortunately, in just the last day or two, he finally seems to be recovering. He needs to be hand-fed soft foods in small amounts to prevent further regurgitation, and seems to be slowly regaining his ability to swallow normally. He is still taking antibiotics for the pneumonia and pills to encourage his GI tract to function, and is able to walk for short distances of around 50 feet before having to lay down. His cough is almost gone and he's even back to wagging his tail!

All of this treatment to save our sweet Ozzy has been astronomically expensive, though there's not a doubt in our minds that it was the right decision. Some help with covering the costs of his recovery would go a very long way to getting him back on his feet and continuing to be a delight (if a sometimes-mischievous one) to everyone around him. Thank you for reading!