Hello, my name is Serena and this is my dog, Kota. Kota will be 2 years old on June 26th this year. He is a happy, smart, energetic, loving puppy—the best dog you could ask for.

Kota began to show some loss of appetite on April 4th, which was unusual for him, so I made an appointment for him at his regular vet. On April 11th, it was decided he could not wait to be seen at his regular vet. He had taken a sudden turn for the worse and had to be taken to our local emergency vet after exhibiting severe lethargy and loss of appetite. He needed an immediate blood transfusion as he was severely anemic, and multiple tests had to be done, as well as medication prescribed. This first visit alone was over $3k. With check-up visits after this, our total went up to over $4k. He was doing well and was responding to the medication that was prescribed.

On our last visit on May 15th, the usual blood work was done, and the results showed his red blood cell count was once again low despite normal energy levels and a decent appetite. The vet told us since he was presenting with normal behavior, we could wait to be seen again until today, May 21st. This visit, they tested his blood again, and he needs another immediate blood transfusion as well as multiple tests done. Today’s visit alone was over $2k, and that was without the other extensive testing the vet recommended, as we have gone over our Care Credit limit and used regular credit cards and really just needed to buy more time with the transfusion.

At first, the vet had come to the conclusion that his anemia was caused by an infection from getting bitten by three ticks at the beginning of this year, but with the lack of response to medication, they no longer believe this to be the issue. Kota is a young and, before this, a very healthy, active dog. My family and I just want to get to the bottom of what is causing him to be so ill and get him healthy again. The testing after today will be thousands of dollars and is becoming impossible for us to afford. With no end to this currently in sight, we need whatever help we can get. Any donation would be greatly appreciated, and if a diagnosis and treatment plan are found quickly, then all unused funds will be donated to Peace of Mind Dog Rescue. Thank you for taking the time to read my message.

Update: As of 8/12/25 Kota has been on Steroids which have helped him improve drastically. After some testing the Internal Medicine Specialist at the vet was able to conclude that Kotas bone marrow stopped producing red blood cells which caused his anemia. The testing to verify whether or not this was caused by an infection from ticks came back negative and we are still unsure of what brought all this about. Kota will need to remain on steroids for the foreseeable future and luckily they’re not expensive. After all of Kotas treatment the total amount spent is over 9 thousand and he’ll still need checkups every 2-3 months. I am paying for this all myself and searching for a second job to avoid getting in an even bigger financial hole. The amount received from this gofundme has been a huge help. Getting Kota better was my only concern and giving up on him was never an option. I’m keeping this page up for anyone who might feel inclined to donate because anything helps. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.