As many of you know, Ares has been fighting his entire life.

As a puppy, he survived parvo. We nursed him at home. We fought for his life together before he was even fully grown. For the past three years, he has also been battling Valley Fever. Every 6 to 8 weeks we’ve been at the internist for labs, medication adjustments, and monitoring. It has been a constant commitment, emotionally and financially, but he is our baby. You fight for family.

Since December, something hasn’t been right on top of his ongoing Valley Fever management. What we hoped was minor has turned into months of appointments and escalating diagnostics.

Today was supposed to be his rhinoscopy. Instead, I received a call that his clotting times are significantly elevated, making the procedure too dangerous due to risk of severe bleeding and possible transfusion. The team made the safest decision to stop.

They are now performing a CT scan and sending out an ANA test and cultures, as they are concerned about a possible autoimmune condition such as lupus, or a deeper infection.

The hardest part right now is not having answers. The path that once felt clear, chronic but manageable, no longer looks the same. We now face more testing, more follow-ups, and more uncertainty.

This most recent diagnostic visit alone was $2,800, and this evolving workup will continue to add to that. After three years of consistent labs, medications, prescription diet food, rechecks every 6–8 weeks, I am financially overwhelmed and trying to stay afloat while making sure he doesn’t go without care.

Ares is not “just a dog.” He has carried me through some of the hardest seasons of my life with a loyalty and love I can’t and wont ever be able to put into words.

We have fought for his life before. And we are not stopping the fight now.

If you are able to donate or share this, it would mean more than I can express. Every bit of support helps us continue pursuing answers and treatment for our sweet boy.

Thank you for standing with us while we navigate the unknown.

With all of our heart.