On Sunday, November 16th, Kato arrived at his weekly dog social group to play with his friends. When he got out of the car, he was immediately unable to walk. One of his humans, Bryce Jones, mentioned that he had stumbled getting in the car and getting out of the car. Bryce immediately scooped Kato up and carried him back to the car to bring him home. It was initially assumed that he may have injured himself getting in or out of the car. Kato was given an anti-inflammatory pain med and slept the rest of the day.

The next day, he showed no signs of improvement, so his humans, Haley Corriell and Bryce Jones, packed an emergency bag and headed to Alpine Veterinary Clinic in Whitehorse, YT. If you live in the area, you know that driving to Whitehorse during winter conditions can be very stressful. After they arrived at Alpine Veterinary Clinic, X-rays and bloodwork were done, but they were unable to determine what was going on and recommended that Kato needed to see a specialist. Haley and Bryce didn’t hesitate to make arrangements to take Kato to a specialist at Canada West Veterinary. A kennel was purchased, and Haley flew with Kato to Vancouver.

After a series of tests, Kato was diagnosed with Addison’s Disease and a neuromuscular disorder called Myasthenia Gravis. Addison’s disease is a condition where the adrenal glands don’t produce enough vital hormones. MG occurs when the immune system attacks the communication between nerves and muscles. This condition is what is making it so Kato can’t walk. He has started treatment for both conditions. He is still at the veterinary clinic while they adjust his meds. Some of the meds come with some side effects that need to be carefully monitored. Kato will need a special chair to eat in. And the medications that he will need to be on are very expensive. One medication alone will cost $1,000 every three months.

Kato has also had some setbacks that included him chewing out and ingesting his catheter. An emergency surgery was performed to remove the pieces. When Haley first arrived at the veterinary clinic, with Bryce’s help, she had to put down a $10,000 (CND) deposit. Not to mention the $1,700 bill at Alpine Veterinary Clinic, flights, hotel costs, transportation, and food. Since Haley, Bryce and Kato live in a rural Alaska community with no veterinarian, there will also be future expenses for travel and veterinary care. These conditions are rare, and Kato will need close monitoring. Haley and Bryce did not ask for a GoFundMe, but I know that people want to help these two amazing people. If you know Kato, you know that he is a puppy trapped in a big dog’s body. He is the most lovable, happy pup. Let’s help ease the burden of these large bills by donating what you can. If you can’t donate, please share and send positive healing energy. They are not out of the woods yet, and what his future care will look like is still being figured out.

To get regular updates about Kato Potato’s journey look up Haley Corriell’s Facebook page. She has a public post where she updates regularly.