Help Coco beat IMHA
Hi everyone, my name is Jennifer and I'm fundraising for my precious baby girl Coco. She's a spunky 9 year old German Spitz that I cannot imagine living without. I've had her since she was 2 months old and although she's bitten me plenty and really tested my patience, she's my everything and we love her so much. I knew as she was getting older that she would not always be with me, but I didn't think it would happen so soon. I thought she still had several more years with us.
But then last week Coco was experiencing lethargy and a decreased appetite, which is entirely unlike her. She usually loves going on her daily walks and eating her occasional In-N-Out beef patties. This past week she could barely walk and didn't even touch her favorite foods. I knew something was wrong but I didn't think it was that bad. I feel like I didn't do enough for her, didn't take her to the vet sooner, and should've gotten insurance for her since she was getting older. She has also been experiencing a nasal congestion for the last 7 months that has not gone away so I thought her new symptoms were because of that and not something new.
I took Coco to the vet on Aug 7th and let them do some lab work to see what's going on and it turns out Coco was severely anemic and was in critical condition. A big indication was also her pale gums, which I did not notice. Her red blood count was at a 13 and the vet diagnosed her with IMHA (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia). Her own immune system was fighting her red blood cells. She would need to be transferred to a hospital so that they can give her a blood transfusion. The vet discussed the treatment that she would need and my heart sunk when she told me it could cost up to $10k for her treatment and hospitalization. She could possibly need more than 1 blood transfusion. I never thought I'd have to make such a difficult decision. I can't afford 10k but I also can't imagine not fighting for Coco and just putting her to sleep. I think she has so much more life ahead of her.
I decided to transfer her to the hospital to see what they could do for her with what I could afford. They ended up admitting her to the hospital for 2 days to get a blood transfusion, IV liquids, medication, other lab work, and just to be monitored until she's stable. This all cost around $4k already. I paid with my credit card and forgot to ask them about using CareCredit because I was a mess at the moment. I'm going to ask them if it's too late to switch to CareCredit but I'm afraid Coco might need another transfusion. The doctor said her red blood count didn't go up as high as he wanted it to after the transfusion. She's at around 23 right now. He said maybe it's too soon to tell or there's also something wrong with her bone marrow that it's not regenerating enough red blood cells. :( I'm hoping she won't need more but it seems like she might.
I'm a prideful person and never thought I'd be asking for donations for something that I feel like I should be able to take care of, because Coco is my baby. But I'm at a point where I feel like I need help with this unexpected expense. Any amount you can contribute, I would be forever grateful. Your donation would go to this current bill and any other upcoming expenses she might need...possibly another blood transfusion which also means a longer hospital stay. If you'd rather pay via Venmo, that would be great too! @jennifer-luong
We miss her so much at home and it's not the same without her. If your pet has ever experienced IMHA, please let me know! I'd love to hear about your experience and I hope it gives me hope.
Thank you so much for reading <3
If you are local to Orange County, I'm willing to bake you a dozen cookies if you donate. I mean it.
