Clementine's Chance

Family and Friends,

It's been a very difficult couple of weeks for me. I discovered my little Clementine has chronic kidney disease and underlying heart disease.

Over Thanksgiving break, I drove up from LA to the Bay Area with Clem and Cleo. Clem has done so many road trips to the Bay in the past, but she was extra nauseous this time around. In preparation for the drive back to LA, I gave her a small dose of a safe and veterinarian prescribed medication to help her relax and prevent vomiting. She slept for most of the car ride, as she often does.

When we got home to LA, she couldn't walk or even stand. She was lethargic and unsteady, could barely keep her eyes open, and didn't eat a lick of food all day. I was terrified she was having a horrible reaction to the medication and rushed her to the hospital.

It turns out she was experiencing severe azotemia, an acute kidney injury, because her kidneys could not handle or break down the medication. This is how we discovered she has underlying kidney disease. She can live with this disease, but she will need a significant adjustment to her lifestyle- frequent visits to the vet, monitorization of her vitals, a nutritional diet for kidney health, and extremely small doses of any medication or treatment.

In running various tests, the vets also discovered that Clem had a slight heart murmur. They saw a minor mass around her heart, and after performing an echocardiogram, they confirmed she also has underlying heart disease. There is no surgery or treatment needed at this time. However, the vet is concerned about her heart and will need to monitor it as she continues to live her new lifestyle.

The vets did an amazing job treating Clementine and getting her back in a stable condition. Her vitals were so above normal that the charts couldn't even get a proper read of her levels. She was in such critical condition that they were preparing me for the possibility of euthanasia :'( Thanks to the immediate care and treatment she received, the doctors got Clem back to a stable condition where I could take her home and care for her myself. In a way, I'm actually grateful that all of this happened because now I can properly care for her, knowing her underlying diseases.

Unfortunately, her hospitalization and treatment are costing me a fortune, so I am hoping for any small donations from $5-$10 to alleviate some of the financial burden. Even if it's a few dollars, any help would be greatly appreciated.

To my family, I'm so sorry I will not be home for Christmas this year. I can't put Clem through another road trip right now as she is still recovering, nor do I feel comfortable having someone else care for her in her condition. I'll be staying in LA to care for her, but I will be home in spirit via FaceTime :')

Thank you all for taking the time to follow Clementine's journey. I promise to keep everyone posted on her progress.

I love you all,

Shelly