Kika has been part of my family for 10 years — first as my grandmother’s beloved companion in Nicaragua, and then as mine after my grandma passed away in 2018. When Kika came to live with me, she quickly became my little princess. At first, she didn’t like my other baby, Stewie, but before long they became inseparable. She follows me everywhere and gets anxious anytime she’s away from me or her brother.

A few weeks ago, on Tuesday, September 30th, Kika suddenly started vomiting non-stop in the middle of the night. At first, I thought maybe she had eaten too many treats, but when it continued for days, I took her straight to the vet. After several tests and IV fluids, we found out she had severe pancreatitis, which was affecting her kidneys. Despite multiple treatments and medications, the vomiting continued, and her condition worsened.

Over the next several days, Kika was in and out of the vet and the emergency room. Her diagnosis became more complicated — along with pancreatitis and kidney issues, she was also found to have a heart murmur and high blood pressure, which made treatment even more delicate. Eventually, doctors recommended an echocardiogram, and we discovered that Kika has cardiovascular disease and will need to be on heart medication for the rest of her life.

Some relatives told me it might be time to let her go, but I couldn’t do that — I knew she still had fight in her. When I went to visit her at the ER, she wagged her tail, jumped into my arms, and I knew I had to keep trying.

After more than a week of hospital stays, tests, and treatments, I brought Kika home on October 13th. She’s still on several medications that I give her every 12 hours, and I’m doing my best to help her regain her strength and weight while managing her new low-fat diet.

I’ve already put over $12,000 on my credit card for Kika’s medical care, and while I’m not the type to ask for help, I’m reaching out because I truly need it. If you’re able to donate, any amount — no matter how small — will go toward paying down the cost of her vet and ER bills. And if you can’t donate, simply sharing this page means the world to me.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading Kika’s story and for caring about her recovery.

XO,

Glenda (and Kika )