FRIDAY 8 JANUARY 2021
On Friday the 8th of January I took Sebastian (AKA Seb or Sebby) to the vet. I was very concerned as he’d been vomiting, had diarrhea, hadn’t been eating or drinking, was lethargic, had visibly lost weight, wasn’t barking (he loves to bark), he’d raise his back whenever his brother (Shaggy) would come near & he’d retreat in his kennel. After an examination, we decided to start treating for gastroenteritis. If he didn’t show any improvement in 24 hours I needed to take him back to the vet.

SATURDAY 9 JANUARY 2021
On Saturday the 9th, 24 hours had passed & no improvement, in fact he deteriorated more. I took him back, he was put on IV, blood tests & an x-ray was done. Nothing of significance really showed what was going on. That afternoon he wasn’t well enough to come home so I had to take him over to another vet (a 24 hour one) 30 mins from home. After plenty of IV, regular blood tests & x-rays it was still gastroenteritis that looked to be the main culprit. He ate a little bit of chicken a couple of times.

MONDAY 11 JANUARY 2021
On Monday the 11th they were concerned as he wasn’t interested in eating again. I was called in, he was really excited to see me & what do you know, he ate some chicken straight away. After a discussion it was decided Seb could come home that afternoon after he’d had his next dose of antibiotics.

MONDAY 11 JANUARY TO SUNDAY 17 JANUARY 2021
From Monday to Sunday the 17th he was happy to be home, it seemed as if he was improving daily but then he went of his food entirely again.

SUNDAY 17 JANUARY 2021
On Sunday the 17th I took him back. They looked him over thoroughly, he’d lost about 3kg. He was given an injection to ease vomiting & diarrhea, he was prescribed more probiotics & I was told if he vomited after 40 mins to bring him back. We got home, about 45 mins after his injection he had a drink & vomited in front of my very own eyes & really looked terrible. After a couple of calls to the vet, we were back there admitting him back into ICU. He was put straight back onto the IV & administered all sorts of meds.

MONDAY 18 JANUARY 2021
On Monday the 18th he had an ultrasound, this ultrasound showed there was a partial obstruction, so he was operated on within the hour. It turned out the partial obstruction was fluid & diarrhea, something that would have cleared itself. While they were in there biopsies were taken & sent off with a 5 day turn around. I didn’t visit him that day due to the surgery & him needing to rest.

TUESDAY 19 JANUARY 2021
On Tuesday the 19th I was called upon (I was going to visit anyway) as the situation was getting a little desperate. Seb hadn’t eaten since Thursday, he was refusing absolutely everything. I visited, he refused to eat again.

WEDNESDAY 20 JANUARY 2021
On Wednesday the 20th I was called upon again, he was a little brighter than the day before butstill refused to eat. I grabbed his bed (that I kept in the car for when he was to come home) from the car & asked the nurses to set him up comfortably. By this stage he was their resident dog & was free to roam the surgery as he pleased.

THURSDAY 21 JANUARY 2021
On Thursday the 21st at about 2am Seb was fitted with a nasal feeding tube as he hadn’t eaten for a week & he’d lost far too much weight. This day I probably shed the most tears. He drank water on his own & kept it down. I went to visit him in the afternoon & he was so excited to see me, he wagged his whole body & gave me plenty of kisses. I cried & cried & cried. 

FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2021
On Friday the 22nd Seb was fitted with a thicker feeding tube that goes through his neck directly into his stomach, he was sedated for this so by the time I was able to visit he was too groggy& needed to rest. The biopsy results came through as NOT cancer & showed that it was most likely Irritable Bowel Disease, Seb’s was extremely inflamed. This then meant that steroids could be administered & hopefully he would FINALLY be on the road to recovery. Because Seb only had surgery on the Monday, they didn’t want to start the steroids straight away as they can hinder the healing process. Steroids were planned for the next afternoon to give Seb one more day to heal.

SATURDAY 23 JANUARY 2021
On Saturday the 23rd, 15 days after the first visit. Just after 3pm Seb was given the highest dose of prednisone, about 4:30pm I visited & he was the worst I’d seem him. He wasn’t excited to see me, he kept on going to the door, whether he wanted to go home or just back to his bed I don’t know. He had his IV in his leg, the feeding tube through his neck, the big scar from Monday’s surgery & he was leaking diarrhea like a tap. The vet has told me that if Seb hasn’t shown any improvement in say 1-2 days they recommend we put him down. This was very hard to swallow.

Seb is now on 11 different medications!

I fixed up our outstanding bill using various forms of payment. The bill so far is $10,298.90, something I personally don’t care about as I would do anything for my boy BUT realistically it’s an expense we ultimately didn’t see coming & one that will keep on growing.

I don’t expect anyone to donate but please pray for my beautiful Seb, he’s 4 years old, has a boofhead of a brother at home missing him like crazy, has two human sisters that constantly ask when he will be getting better & coming home & has a Mum & Dad that would do absolutely anything to have their boy back home.

Thank you to all for your love & support x 

SUNDAY 24 JANUARY 2021
On Sunday the 24th @ 6:54am 
The vet called extra early (probably to ease my anxiety!). He’s looking a little brighter, he’s tolerating the feeds, he hasn’t had diarrhea leaking out (which was happening almost the whole time I visited yesterday), he wagged his tail for them (which he apparently hasn’t done before) yet a more detailed report has suggested his inflammation is very severe, the most severe case they’ve seen in a very long time if ever! 
5:43pm
The miracle drug seems to be working because he ATE for the first time in well over a week!!! He ate before I visited & ate a bowl of chicken just then & was rather disappointed when it was all gone!!!
He hasn’t vomited all day & he’s holding the diarrhea!!! 
He was happy to see me, was so much brighter & enjoyed sniffing around the consult room until he got bored of me...
THANK YOU so incredibly much to everyone that has donated!!! It means the absolute world to Sebby & I

MONDAY 25 JANUARY 2021
On Monday the 25th @ 10am
The miracle drug is continuing to do it’s thing! He’s doing well. They’re still wanting to keep him in hospital to monitor. Will update again this arvo after another visit
9:30pm
He came home this evening (because he had been doing so well at the vets) for critical care at home... 30 min car ride home... I opened the back of the car to let him out & he’d vomited everywhere  
He then wandered around looking ever so nauseous then vomited again... Wandered & gagged for at least an hour... He chilled under the trampoline (in dirt, wouldn’t be good for the massive tummy scar)... Currently chilling in his kennel & won’t come out... Have spoken with the vet multiple times... Fingers crossed he eats for me soon or it’ll be another 30 min car ride back to the vet... 
11pm
He’s back at his 2nd home he knew exactly where we were when we pulled up & wouldn’t get out of the car... the nurse had to get him out... On the plus side he skipped the massive queue & got taken straight into his bed  
When is this nightmare going to end

TUESDAY 26 JANUARY 2021
On Tuesday the 26th @ 10am
10am this morn I rang to see how he was doing... they had only just finished changeover... when I got him back there last night he was apparently quite dehydrated so he was hooked up to everything straight away... he’s been tolerating feeds & hasn’t vomited... Thankfully he hasn’t gone backwards... 
I’ve had a few mentions from people suggesting we consider putting him down, he’s only 4 years old, he’s responding to the steroids, he’s not deteriorating & I stress to the vets everytime I speak with them to let me know if his time is up as I don’t want him to suffer... In short, I’m not going to cut his life short for a condition that’s treatable & manageable... He’s part of our family just as much as my two girls

WEDNESDAY 27 JANUARY 2021
On Wednesday the 27th
It’s been a horrible couple of days... 
Vet called me yesterday, he’d vomited a couple of times through the day & they’d felt his tummy & noticed a hard abnormality around his abdomen area... they recommended an ultrasound... 
That was the longest wait of my life as they had suspected that he may require more surgery  
I couldn’t wait any longer so I called them... 
They had emergencies come in so were flat out & didn’t get a chance to call me with the findings straight away... 
Nothing was detected just a build up of diarrhea & fluid PHEW!
They said to call back at 11pm if I was awake, I set my alarm & called at 11... He’d eaten & kept it down... 
THEN this morning... He vomited overnight, he’d pulled out his feeding tube & he’s refusing food... 
They’ve started new anti nausea meds & increased his steroids... 
I’m starting to lose hope AGAIN
6:30pm
I’ll be treasuring this photo forever!
What a rollercoaster! 
Seb has been eating all day & keeping all meds & food down... 
Today he was the happiest he’s been... 
He NEEDS to put on weight though so hopefully over the next couple of days there will be no more setbacks... 
I just used the GoFund Me funds to pay for the last couple of days so THANK YOU to everyone that have contributed, you guys are the reason for this amazing kiss!!!

THURSDAY 28 JANUARY 2021
On Thursday the 28th
My boy was even brighter today!!! 
He’s kept all food & meds down, no vomiting & even played with another puppy!!! 
We had some cuddles & kisses in the consult room & went for a lil’ walk outside... 
One more sleep & my boy will be coming home... 
He’s still not outta the woods yet, he’s got a long way to go but I’m gonna do everything I can to help him get better... 
THANK YOU for all the donations!!! 
Seb’s hospital stay is costing approx. $650 a day so the donations have certainly taken that extra pressure off so THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! 

FRIDAY 29 JANUARY 2021
On Friday the 29th
HOME TIME for the 4th time! Fingers crossed there will be no more setbacks... 
He’s quite groggy as he had a heavy dose of travel sickness meds & they worked!!! We’ve had no vomiting, kept all food & meds down, put on a lil’ weight & we’re now having a lil’ snooze... 
He’s on Prednisone, two types of antibiotics, two types of anti-nausea meds & probiotics to treat his Irritable Bowel Disease...
The grand total bill came to $14,311.40 & we received $9,785 in extremely generous donations!!! 
THANK YOU so incredibly much, we’ve got a long road ahead of us BUT Sebby is totally worth it
Love to all!

Won’t leave Mummy’s side, even when she is in the bath! 

SATURDAY 30 JANUARY 2021
On Saturday the 30th
Brothers

Sisters

SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2021
On Sunday the 31st
Our boy is going great! He’s doing everything he should be. He’s taking all his meds so easy, eating every meal (even the dietary food I’ve been stirring through which he was turning his nose up to originally!), chilling with Shags without raising his back, barking , getting excited every time he sees me & getting brighter & brighter each day!!! We have an appt. booked for tomorrow if he’s not going great, I’ll be cancelling that & taking him on Thurs to another scheduled appt. 
Thank you so much for all the support! He’s A LOT of work BUT he’s totally worth it!

THURSDAY 4 FEBRUARY 2021
On Thursday the 4th of February 
Seb had his check-up this arvo & it didn’t go as well as I had hoped... 
Since Friday I’ve been feeding him 5 times a day, providing meds 4 times a day, cleaning up poos & wees, washing towels/sheets daily, cooking loads of chicken breast & even cleaning his bum (never thought I’d ever have to do that)... I’ve been putting everything into getting Seb well again... 
Seb has put on weight but not as much as they would have liked considering the amount of food he’s been getting... 
Generally he seems so happy although his lymph glands are the size of golf balls :-(
This could be one of two things... 
Cancer (lymphoma) or what I’m really hoping for, that he has a really sore throat from taking the steroids (apparently they’re a suppressant)...
I’ll find out in a few days :-( 

FRIDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2021
On Friday the 5th
It’s NOT Cancer!!!
To further explain... the original biopsy was taken from an area in his guts... that small biopsy didn’t show any cancer cells which didn’t 100% rule out cancer being in other areas of his body... instead it showed extremely high levels of inflammation... steroid treatment was commenced ASAP...
When his lymph glands were extremely swollen yesterday, alarm bells rang & the vet really wanted to make sure he didn’t have lymphoma... I had a terrible night & day worrying as if it was cancer, I’d sadly say goodbye as treatment would have been too miserable for him... thankfully it’s not & he will be monitored weekly to make sure he’s making progress... 
What a shitshow! 

SATURDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2021
On Saturday the 6th
Enjoying Heartbreak High with Mumma

SUNDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2021
On Sunday the 7th
Seb living it up

TUESDAY 9 FEBRUARY 2021
On Tuesday the 9th
We had a check-up with Dr Ashley this afternoon & Seb has put on 1.6kg since Thursday!!! His lymph glands are down a lil’!!! He did his first normal poo a couple of days ago!!! & he’s giving me ALL sorts of cheek ;-) 
Plan is to reduce his steroids from Friday & ween him off chicken slowly & onto his new Hills Z/D diet (a VERY bland diet) which his guts should tolerate... 
All the hard work is paying off! Gosh I love this fighter!

TUESDAY 16 FEBRUARY 2021
On Tuesday the 16th
It was a family affair for Seb’s check-up today with Glenn/Daddy away for work... 
Dr Ashley is soooooooo happy with Seb!!! He’s put on 300g since last week (that’s with losing one meal a day due to me being back at work)...
His lymph glands have gone down... 
He’s eating all his dietary food so far & he’s got no IBD symptoms & that’s with lowering the dose of his steroids... 
When Seb came home he was on 6 different medications, 5 of them twice daily... We’re now down to one medication (his miracle drug - steroids) twice a day!!! 
Next check-up in two weeks! 
How can you not love that happy face?!? 

WEDNESDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2021
On Wednesday the 17th
We’re back :-( 
Had a bad night & morn with diarrhea, vomiting & rejecting food :-(

After an anti nausea & steroid injection n a half hour wait, we ATE! 

TUESDAY 2 MARCH 2021
This boy is beefing up nicely! Dr Ashley is super happy with him. He’s put on 800g since his last check-up   We even got given a free bag of his dog food because another dog didn’t like it & they couldn’t resell it n Dr Ashley thought of Sebby straight away  

SUNDAY 14 MARCH 2021
Happy 5th Birthday Sebby!!!
You’ve been through a hell of a lot the last few months. I know you’re not feeling 100% atm but know that I’m always going to look after you & do whatever it takes to make you happy.
Love you so much my beautiful boy!  

TUESDAY 16 MARCH 2021
Snugglepot & Cuddlepie  
Sebby went a lil’ backwards this week, due to possibly eating something he shouldn’t. Unfortunately with IBD it can be as simple as him licking something off the ground & that can cause symptoms for weeks. We’ve lost 800g   BUT we have managed to ween off chicken entirely. Only Z/D from here on in & hopefully reduce meds even more in a week.
Dr Ashley is happy so next check-up will be in a month, hopefully no sooner!
 
TUESDAY 23 MARCH 2021
Cosy n dry  

TUESDAY 6 APRIL 2021
The past few weeks have been a bit of a rollercoaster ride... Back to Dr Ashley today... Been prescribed a couple more meds...  my boy feels better soon!

THURSDAY 8 APRIL 2021
My beautiful Sebby has been giving me many sleepless nights lately... He’s gone downhill AGAIN... This time he’s lost 3kg in 3 weeks which has made him look so ridiculously skinny, we’re pretty much back to where we’d started... I’d held off taking him to the vet though as he was still doing most things & not vomiting... Today I caved & asked Dr Ash if we could introduce chicken back into his diet to beef him back up... He agreed (best vet ever!) & Sebby is so bloody happy!!! He’s had two meals since I got home & the last meal he licked his bowl clean (something he hasn’t done in weeks)... Hopefully he’ll continue this way!!!  

THURSDAY 15 APRIL 2021
I took my boy to see Dr Ash again today just to see how we were tracking along. He’s thankfully put on 800g although he’s only eating chicken & not his diet food again. Dr Ash has taken bloods & we’ll see what shows up tomorrow. Hopefully nothing too sinister is going on. This rollercoaster ride is tough for Sebby & I x

TUESDAY 20 APRIL 2021
Thank you for my jumper Nana  

SUNDAY 25 APRIL 2021
This poor fella will be going back for some more tests tomorrow morn... Ultrasound & more blood tests as he’s simply not improving  
If you’d like to donate to Sebby’s astronomical never ending vet fees, please feel free  
https://gofund.me/c5550ea9
Chicken fasting starts now!
Please help us wish for good & manageable results x

MONDAY 26 APRIL 2021    
Ultrasound showed no damage to anything really which is great news although doesn’t give us an explanation as to why Seb isn’t improving. Bloods have been taken & EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency) is suspected. REALLY hoping it is as that is 100% treatable. Apparently IBD & EPI together are quite common. Thank you so much for your continual support Mum & Dad! You’re the only people who REALLY understand how I feel (& care) x

SATURDAY 1 MAY 2021
Back again    

SUNDAY 2 MAY 2021
Currently laying with my boy after a lil’ wander in the carpark. He’s finally eaten enough to receive his first dose of Creon & he’s put on 400g. I bought him a new bed as a lil’ treat n he loves it! HOPING HOPING HOPING this works!          
He also ate dietary food outta my hand!!!    
THANK YOU so much for the continual financial support & hefty donations Mum (Gail), Dad (Terry) & Aunty Ruth!
AND THANK YOU Lisa & Alicia! Helps so much!!!     
https://gofund.me/c5550ea9

MONDAY 3 MAY 2021
I visited my boy this arvo, unfortunately he didn’t eat for me but he had been eating all through the night. I’m hoping he was a lil’ too full & that he’ll eat again soon.         
https://gofund.me/c5550ea9

TUESDAY 4 MAY 2021
Sebby grew his wings :-( 
R.I.P. my beautiful Sebby! I love you so incredibly much & always will! A part of my heart went with you today. Your fight is over. You’ll never EVER be forgotten x

Best Friends For Ever Rescue Illawarra
 Favorites  · l5h1MS16pnoa031yr 58695ea470t7  · 
Rest in Peace Sebby Boy   
Today, Sebastian's family had to say goodbye to their brave warrior.
Seb possessed a wide smile, a happy tail, and a sweet spirit. He truly was a very lucky ex rescue boy who struck gold when his family adopted him.
He was a fighter and worked hard to stay with his family but after such a long battle, his body finally gave out.
And so his family made the decision. The decision that, sooner or later, all of us who give our hearts to a dog will have to make. They gave him the last, most unselfish gift they had to give.
Seb knew and understood how completely loved he was and how terribly he will be missed  
We honour you Seb! You will be forever missed  
Kerrie and Family: words cannot express how grateful we are to you for giving Seb such a wonderful life. We are so sorry for your loss. We hope you find solace in knowing you have fought valiantly and gave him every chance at having a happy healthy life.
Thank you all who have donated towards his vet care and shown support to Seb's family.
Run free Seb   
We love you!

WEDNESDAY 5 MAY 2021
I woke from a lil’ kip to Shags barking & found these at my front door! Never have I ever known a vet to send flowers, just shows how loved Seb was to these beautiful people! Thank you so incredibly much to Greencross Vets Fairy Meadow & ARH Wollongong particularly Sebby’s Vet who loved him like his own & cried with me till the end, Dr Ashley Sykes. You guys tried absolutely everything to save my boy & treated him with so much love n respect & for that I’m forever grateful & thankful x

THURSDAY 6 MAY 2021
Seb’s Vet is AMAZING! I had a chat with him this afternoon. Bloods came back normal which meant it wasn’t EPI. I asked Ash what he truly thinks it was, although we’ll never know for sure, he suspects it was lymphoma. As sad as it was to cut Sebby’s life short, I honestly think he wouldn’t have lasted much longer on his own   I miss you my boy & I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you Xxx

SATURDAY 8 MAY 2021
My Sebby shrine