These past few days have been an immense test of our strength and resilience as our sweet Junie is very sick with IMHA (more on that later). Juniper holds such a special place in our lives, and the mere thought of a life without her is unbearable. Her infectious happiness and sweet, loving personality make her an irreplaceable presence in our family. Witnessing our vibrant four-year-old rapidly lose her energy, struggling with every step, and battling to perform the most basic tasks such as eating and breathing has been an agonizing ordeal for us all. We feel utterly powerless, and this heart-wrenching experience is taking an immense toll on our family. Drogo, her big brother, has been comforted by her presence for over half his life and has been searching for her. Last night he slept in her bed which ordinarily he would never do. At the beginning of the week, Junie was her usual self—enjoying naps, eating dinner with a few treats on the side, and chasing after her Frisbee in the park. However, just 24 hours later, she was extremely lethargic and didn’t get out of bed until late afternoon. We noticed her panting for no apparent reason, shaking uncontrollably, and her gums losing their natural color. Fearing the worst, we rushed her to our veterinarian during emergency hours, where she was diagnosed with IMHA—an autoimmune condition that causes her body to rapidly destroy its own red blood cells before they even have a chance to mature. During our initial visit, the vet maintained an optimistic outlook, suggesting that treatment with prednisone could redirect her body away from attacking its blood cells. However, with each passing day, her red blood cell count has dramatically declined: 38%, 32%, 26%, and today, a mere 20%. Despite increasing dosages and introducing new medications, her condition continues to deteriorate. With that, the vet said that her condition is dire, and without a blood transfusion (likely several), she will most likely pass in the next day or two. Without hesitation, we brought her into our 24/7 emergency care clinic, where a team of specialists could assess all our options and provide the best support for Junie. Today, she received her first blood transfusion, offering a glimmer of hope since this all started—a modest RBC increase from 20% to 24%! We were then given the opportunity to kiss her goodnight, and she visibly had a little energy and color. The upcoming hours/days/weeks hold the potential for more transfusions and immunosuppressant cocktails, and Junie will be staying the next several nights under constant monitoring, allowing her condition to stabilize. We are told she can still make it out of this; it just may take time. Unfortunately, we live in a world where we are forced to pick between giving our pets a fighting chance or reaching a point of financial exhaustion. We are 100% committed to doing whatever we can to save her, which includes swallowing our pride and asking for help from our friends, family, and community. We deeply appreciate anything that will help us get Junie the medical support and continuous care that she desperately needs, even if it’s a simple thought, prayer, or social media share for our girl. Always hanging with her brother Last night after her first blood transfusion
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