If you have ever met Remus our Rough Collie, you'd already know he's the best dog full of love. If you haven't, let me tell you all about him. When he walks up to you, he already considers you his best friend and smiles a huge smile up at you! He's talkative (not "barkative" though) and loves to "tell" you about his day. He'll cuddle up with you and make sure you're never out of sight. He loves his walks and hikes and enjoys every ounce of outdoor time he can get. He will always be your best bud if you give him belly rubs or treats, but you will especially his friend for life if you bring him a doggy friend to play with. He is truly the goodest boy.

In November, Dustin and I discovered a small bald spot at the end of Remus' nose. We weren't sure of what that was so to be safe, we decided to take him to the vet. At this appointment, they noticed some scabs on his belly. They gave us some antibiotics to help clear it up. Unfortunately, these random wounds continued to grow and multiply despite antibiotics and steroids. They were in between the pads in his paws, in his belly button, in his mouth, all over his belly. Sometimes a cream or a shampoo would help clear some of a spot, but it would never clear all of it. Additionally, he was dealing with some sporadic diarrhea which never makes anything easier.

Fortunately, we got Remus to a dermatologist on February 20th, 2023 where after four biopsies, we found out he was diagnosed with Vesicular cutaneous lupus erythematosus (VCLE). This is a non-curable (but managable) autoimmune disease where Remus' immune system overreacts to something irritating. Veterinary scientists aren't sure, but they believe sunlight is the thing that causes flare-ups. We were disappointed with this diagnosis because in the city that advertises itself with "300 days of sunshine each year", this will dramatically decrease his walking time, let alone any hikes in the mountains. However, we were happy we finally had some answers!

His dermatologist, Dustin, and I had a plan of action - get Remus' digestive issues under control with a GI sensitive diet. Then, we could get him on cyclosporine, which is an immunosuppressive drug that prevents his immune system from overreacting and can keep his flare-ups under control. "Great!" I thought, "Let's get him on chicken and rice and clean these digestive issues up so he can get on cyclosporine and clear up his skin sores!"

However, that week while on a walk, one of Remus' anal glands burst open. It took me by total surprise and took him urgently to our vet (who knows us on a first name basis by now). They cleaned it out and sent us on our way with more antibiotics and pain meds. Two weeks later, the other anal gland burst open. Then later that week, we had to take him to the ER late on a Friday night to get both of them drained because we saw a blood spot on our floor we figured out came from his rear. Three days later, they both had filled again. The vet discovered large amounts of white blood cells in his poo, meaning these anal glands are infected, and even possibly an infection further up his GI system. These new problems are most likely related to his VCLE. Our general vet and dermatologist also suspect something else is going on, are beyond their skills and capabilities, and they have both referred us to an internal vet.

His digestive issues have not had the opportunity to clear up and we're hoping the internal vet will have some answers for us as well so Remus can leave this stressful space we've been in and enter the management phase of his VCLE. This internal vet visit is likely to be super expensive.

We've been to the vet probably about 20 times since December and will have many more visits to go. We have three scheduled visits in the next two weeks alone. Remus is still fighting and needs our support.

I'm writing to ask you because we also need your support. Dustin and I will continue to fight for Remus until the very end. But we aren't at the end yet, not even close. Remus is still smiling and happy and has even started to get some of his energy back that he lost from steroid therapy. However, his vet bills are spiraling out of control for us. In the last three months, his VCLE and digestive issues have cost us more than $7,500. Today, we drained an infected anal gland for the 5th time and that vet bill was $697 alone. We need your help.

Any amount means the world to us and would be incredibly appreciated. Please help us give Remus the best care as he continues his long path towards healing and recovery.