Misty is our four-year-old floofy girl who means the world to our family, especially to our autistic daughter. Every night, when we say “bedtime,” Misty runs straight to our daughter’s room, ready to help tuck her in by making biscuits. She’s a support and a confidant. Our daughter whispers whatevers on her mind: highlights, fears, troubles, and secrets to Misty, and the spend all night curled up together. Their bond is truly special.

Recently, Misty’s health took a frightening turn. She’s struggled with asthma for a while, but a few days before Thanksgiving, she became incredibly snotty, lethargic, lost her appetite, and had more frequent asthma attacks. We rushed her to our regular vet, where she received an antibiotic shot, nausea medication, fluids, and bloodwork. The results showed a severe infection, and that night, her breathing became so labored we feared she wouldn’t make it through. The next day, with no improvement and her breathing turning to open mouth, at our vet’s instruction we rushed her to UC Davis vet school. She was admitted for several days, and it was one of the scariest times for our family.

Misty is now home and doing well, but she needs ongoing care. She’s been put on an inhaler she’ll need for the rest of her life, and her vet bill is overwhelming. In addition to Misty’s vet bills, we have her brother Merlin currently fighting FIP. We were trying to figure out what Merlin is dealing with before Misty needed to be admitted to UC Davis. His current prognosis is guarded. Merlin has now tried all three FIP medications we could find. On 12/16 he received a feeding tube. Having both of their medical bills has been a huge hit. Any support would mean the world to us and help Misty continue being our daughter’s comfort and companion.