Xena, our 3-year-old mixed shepherd, is the heart of our family. Last Thursday, she got out into the woods off-leash by accident. Since then, she’s been very lethargic and hasn’t wanted to eat, which is so unlike her usual spritely self. We were able to get her to the vet early in the week, and they found her temperature was dangerously high—over 105 degrees when normal is around 101.5. Her white blood cell count was extremely elevated, her blood pressure was very low, and her glucose was also low. The vet gave her several rounds of antibiotics and multiple IVs, which helped bring her temperature down a bit, but they were still very concerned. After three days, they urged us to take her to the LSU veterinary school ICU for more advanced care. She spent the night there last night, and while they are monitoring her closely, her temperature keeps fluctuating and they still don’t know exactly what’s wrong. They suspect it might be sepsis, but more tests and treatments are needed.

So far, Xena has been so brave through all of this, and we’re doing everything we can to help her recover. The costs for her care are adding up quickly, and we know there may be more treatments ahead as her doctors work to find answers. Donations will help cover her ongoing vet bills, ICU care, and any treatments she needs to get better.

Xena means the world to our family. She’s the first one our twin daughters, our 14-year-old daughter, and my wife look for every morning to hug and play with, and the same happens every day when the girls get home from school or work. She has two other pet siblings she loves to play with, and we all love her so much. Any support would mean everything to us as we fight to bring her home healthy and happy.