Many of you know our sweet, spunky little Jack Russell terrier, Chickpea. Aka Sweet Pea or Sweep. Over the last few days, she began showing some concerning symptoms and was not her usual sparkly, happy, hungry self. After a visit to her primary vet, her bloodwork showed that she was significantly anemic. She was quickly transported to Animal Medical Center in Shoreline and hospitalized there.

While at AMC, she received extensive imaging and testing, a blood transfusion, as well as other supportive care. As of Friday 11/15/24, we are still waiting on pathology results, but her suspected diagnosis is Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia or IMHA, which is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack its own red blood cells. The cause for this is still unknown, and she will likely require ongoing intensive treatment.

Due to her high stress levels at the vet, she’s been sent home to recover and give her nervous system a chance to reset, and receive treatment at home. However, she’s still quite sick and will need to return to the hospital daily for testing and more treatment until a cause can be determined and she reaches remission. We are terrified and heartbroken and want nothing more than for her to be home and stable.

The initial estimate for her hospitalization was $8,916 and even with insurance, credit, and savings, costs are continuing to rise as she receives more treatment. As many of us know first hand, mutual aid has the power to save and change lives, so we are turning to our community for support. We understand that many folks are in similar financial situations and the world is just kind of on fire right now. Every dollar and share is so incredibly appreciated. The fear of not knowing if you’ll be able to afford the care necessary to save the most beloved part of your life is not something I’d wish on anyone.

In the event that we receive more funds than necessary for Sweep’s care, we’ll redistribute them to other folks in need of community support.

The love and support we’ve already received from our community means more than we can ever begin to express. Thank you for reading and for loving our girl.

-Michelle North and V Babida