A few weeks ago, Ruthie, the baby, and I were on a walk mid-day when we got swarmed by hornets. Poor Ruthie got the brunt of it as she was walking ahead of us. She got stung repeatedly, and I wasn't able to help much because I had the baby strapped to me. We rushed Ruthie to our primary vet, where they told us Ruthie was in anaphylactic shock; they gave her an EpiPen and rushed us to the ER. Ruthie spent one night in the ER to be treated for anaphylaxis, make sure she didn't require another EpiPen, and to monitor her vitals. The next day, Ruthie was thankfully able to come home—not quite herself but on the mend... we thought...

Then, about a week ago, Ruthie was again rushed to the ER. We realized last Monday night that Ruthie was unable to relieve her bladder at all—not one drop. After multiple nights in the ER, many tests, (and many tears later), we were told that Ruthie has proliferative urethritis—a rare, recurrent condition affecting the urethra, characterized by the abnormal growth of frond-like or cylindrical tissue, often leading to urinary obstruction.

Ruthie has had an extensive history of UTIs, having had chronic UTIs since she was a baby. It is thought that a history of recurrent UTIs can cause proliferative urethritis... despite our best efforts over the years to continuously treat them. Given that the onset of this condition comes on the heels of anaphylaxis, it is also likely Ruthie is having an intense immune response that unfortunately has caused this whole new slew of problems. Ruthie is now on an immune suppressant, antibiotics, pain medication, and will need urinalysis every three months to keep ahead of any oncoming UTIs. And this is just the beginning. Unfortunately, this condition tends to recur...

The vet and ER bills we have accumulated due to these two events are astronomical. Ruthie is our baby and we are going to do everything to continue to give her the most beautiful life. We humbly ask for you to share our page or donate if you can—any amount, no matter how small, is deeply appreciated.

Thank you so much for your love. Please send positive thoughts Ruthie's way as we embark on her healing journey.