Our beloved cat, Joshua, was recently admitted to the veterinary hospital intensive care unit with an extreme case of ketoacidosis. Several Veterinarians within the hospital informed us that it was one of the worst cases of ketoacidosis that they have seen. Although Josh's diabetes has been regulated under the direction of a veterinarian since he was diagnosed, ketoacidosis is a complication that can occur at anytime with diabetes due to an infection or anything that throws off the body. Josh began not eating, which caused his body to begin breaking down fats and producing ketones in the blood, which turns the blood acidic. His body temperature was 92° when he was admitted, which is approximately 9° below normal. If not treated immediately, death would likely have resulted.

Josh was admitted to the hospital on the morning of February 8th, fortunately our boy survived and was reunited with Kristin, Waffle, and I on February 15th. This week long stay was a rollercoaster of emotions for all of us, and most importantly, Josh. Josh spent the entire week in the hospital's ICU which required a Veterinary Technician to monitor him at all times.

Each day we had the opportunity to visit him, at first he looked lifeless and our concerns were extremely high, but as the days went by, we could see signs of fight and we knew that Josh wanted to return home and make a full recovery.

If you don't already know, Josh was diagnosed diabetic a couple years ago: type 2 diabetes mellitus. Kristin and I have managed his diabetes and continued to keep his health strong while we managed university and starting our careers as young adults. Although this has been difficult at times, Josh has always been a trooper and still acts like kitten. His favorite pastimes include: running up and down the hallway at 2:00 AM, screaming with a sock in his mouth to show Mom and Dad what he "caught", bopping Waffle on the snoot when she tries to lick him, sunbathing anywhere and everywhere, and sleeping on top of Mom and Dad's head every night.

Josh has friends all over. He grew up with me in New Jersey, moved with me to college in Vermont, and made the long journey to Colorado with me a couple years ago. I still have old friends send me kitten photos of Josh or photos of him at college when I used to bring him over to my friends' houses. He loves anyone and anything, even big scary dogs.

Kristin, Waffle, and I are asking for support from all of our friends and family who have enjoyed their time with Josh or even if you haven't met him yet! Josh's vet bills ran up to ~$13,000. Unfortunately, he was denied pet insurance that would help cover diabetes related medical bills when he was diagnosed diabetic and came to live with us in Vermont. We also lost our dog, Jackie, a little over a year ago due to cancer. These expenses have put a huge burden on Kristin and I. We are looking for financial support of $7,500 to keep us out of debt as we continue our young adult lives and establish ourselves in Colorado.