I write this with heaviness in my heart today as we digest everything and hope for the best. During our trip to Italy, our fearless Frenchie, Mushu, fell ill. Unfortunately, he has not been able to keep his food down very well, and while at the time we chalked it up to being homesick after being away from us for nearly 3 weeks (because this has happened before in a similar form), it has turned into something more serious. We brought Mushu to the ER the night of September 27 and found out that he is having complications with his liver. His eyes and skin have a yellow tint, he is quivering (although still acting tough, per usual) and his liver blood test results were so high that they attempted to dilute his blood to get a reading that could actually be read by their equipment but we're unsuccessful. The vet stated she was shocked that he was in the spirits he is, although definitely not his usual self.

Despite Mushu being up to date on all of his vaccines, the vet is unsure of the cause at this time. They mentioned it could be age-related, cancer, caused from contracting canine hepatitis, obstruction, or something he ate that was toxic. With it being Sunday, there isn't a single vet ER within an hour and a half that had staff available to perform an ultrasound per recommendation of the vet we spoke with Saturday night. Luckily, we were able to admit him to an ER in Maine, and he will be saying there for the next 3-4 days minimum to undergo further testing. The next few days will be a bit of a bumpy ride.

While some may argue that he is just a dog, to us, he is everything. We consider him our son, and Mushu is a huge piece of Tony and mine's 11 years together. I am not one to ask for support or help because I know that there are far more pressing matters across the world, but I would like to put it out there: I've started a Go fund me page for Mushu. Costs are estimating upwards of $8,000+ for his stay, tests and overall care costs, and while I do not even expect we will come close to that number, every amount goes a long way.

I appreciate everyone who has made it this far through and are considering. Thank you for thinking of us during this challenging time ❤️.