My dog, Cali, was coughing and sneezing a lot this week, then she started having trouble breathing, so we went to the vet. I was told to take her to the emergency vet. They recommended a 48 hour hospitalization to monitor and diagnose her. After talking to the doctor about costs and ensuring that she would be safe, I decided to take her home and monitor her closely, to see if the new meds helped out. We got home at about 10 PM Thursday and she ate right away and her breathing seemed to get a little better. Friday morning her breathing was great when she got up, but as soon as she started moving I could tell she was in serious pain when she breathed so we rushed back to the Emergency vet.

We've been in and out of the vet for the last 3 months, she had a small ear issue that got resolved and she's been suspected of allergies, which we've been treating since before Christmas. They seemed to be getting better, then this turn for the worse happened.

As I write this she is at the Emerge for 48 hours so they can diagnose her lung problems. There are suspicions of pneumonia or some other upper respiratory infection. The estimate just for the 48 hour visit came to $4,900 and change.

I do not know what the diagnosis will reveal, and there may be a lot more costs associated if surgery or ongoing medical treatment are required.

Those that know me well understand what Cali means to me. We've been through so much together and I couldn't ask for a better companion. I have a permanent disability called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) that changed my life when I got injured 6 years ago. Since then, animals have been the foundation of my recovery. When I was at my lowest, My pet bearded dragon was the first thing that brought routine back into my life, and the real founation of every bit of personal recovery I have from CRPS now. When I knew I wasn't in shape to be an employee at a real job, I started volunteering at a conservation park, Scales, doing animal care for native reptile and amphibian species. Being with animals calms my nerves. This is helpful because CRPS is a condition where the nervous system is constantly overexcited, resulting in constant pain signals to the brain. 3 years ago I got Cali from a friend, she was just a little 6 month old puppy back then.

Since the first quarantine and the backlog in Ontarios Medical system, my CRPS has gotten worse many times in many ways after a solid 3 years of working to improve it. All 2021 things have been very difficult and I've been changing my whole life to support my recovery, spending 90% of my time at home and 5% at physio. Cuddling with Cali and having her as my best friend every day as I sit at home trying to recover and live a normal life is one of my biggest sources of joy in life and I don't know what I would do without her. Today when I got home from dropping her off it was the first time in 3 years walking into my house and not having her excited to greet me. She means the whole world to me.

I know its right after Christmas and things can be tight, so please only give what you're able. I'm not setting the request at the full $4,900 that the emergency stay cost because I have some things Im able to get rid of to help cover part of the total.