Ithaque was admitted at the emergency vet hospital on 13th December. She’d been quite unwell and sick all evening.

They ran a number of tests and discovered that Ithaque has pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, which is extremely painful. The normal range for cPL (the marker used to identify pancreatitis) is between 0 and 200, the machine can detect up to 2,000. Ithaque’s cPL levels were so high they are literally off the charts, over 2,000. She was admitted overnight in the hospital and was given an IV drip of fluids, antibiotics, and very strong painkillers.

The vet bill was £1,283.97 (that’s after the insurance deduction) and the emergency pet taxi to the vet hospital £112.06.

Ithaque was admitted again in hospital today, 29th December. She has haemorrhaging gastroenteritis and has lost a lots of weight and blood.

She stopped eating on the morning of 26th and started vomiting on the evening of the 26th. I took her to the emergency vet in the evening of the 26th. They ran blood tests which came back normal and gave her anti-sickness medication and painkillers and she went back home with me. It cost £606.97 (after insurance deductions).

Ithaque spent the following days curled up in bed in pain, refusing to drink or eat anything, until yesterday when she started having diarrhoea and this morning she was passing frank blood. We rushed to the vet, who expressed concerns over the quantity of blood Ithaque was loosing and her weight loss, and advised Ithaque needed to be admitted again. She is currently stable, on an IV of fluids, nutrients, antibiotics and painkillers. The blood tests they ran came back normal which is reassuring and suggests it is a purely gastro-intestinal problem. Ithaque is going to have to spend several days in hospital until she is able to eat again and no longer passing blood, which will cost an additional £1,576.68 (after insurance deductions).

That's a total of £3,579.68 (after insurance deductions) which I'm not able to afford on a student budget.

I’ve created a fluffraiser (aka fundraiser) to help pay for these.

Ithaque is my whole world. We’ve been together for over 12 years. She raised me more than I raised her, she trained me to be a kind and patient human. She’s on my desk when I write my essays, on my lap when I draw. She’s a wonderful park run marshal at the Oxford University Parks park run. She takes me on walks everyday and reminds me how wonderful nature is. She lays on me and watches over me for entire days when endometriosis leaves me bed-bound or unconscious. She gives me hugs when I am scared and has taught me that zoomies are the best way to be happy.

She has taught me, and reminds me every day that the most important things in life are love, warm cuddles, walks outside in nature, and of course, chasing squirrels.

If you can afford it, Ithaque and I would be extremely grateful if you could give at least £1 to our fluffraiser to help us pay for her recent hospital admission. Every little helps.

Thank you so much x