Mystic Monkey

Hey all, you may have heard that my beloved best friend, Mystic Monkey, has fallen ill. Let me give you a little back story..

Mystic has had an occasional dry cough for about a year. Since it was so infrequent, her vet recommended just monitoring it. A few weeks ago, the cough became persistent, so I brought her to the vet. We took x-rays of her chest and throat but couldn't find a cause for her cough, so we started treatment conservatively with a cough suppressant. After two days, she didn't seem to be responding and began reverse sneezing quite aggressively and was having difficulty breathing. We added a steroid and Benedryl and had about a day of relief before symptoms returned. Symptoms progressed to lethargy, inappetence, and a little vomit. I admitted her to the hospital that day with a fever of 103. We repeated x-rays, and things seemed ok, but bronchitis was a concern. That day we added in 2 antibiotics. In the meantime, Mystic was on a priority waitlist to see an Internal Medicine specialist. We saw no difference a few days after starting antibiotics, so we stopped everything and began one single antibiotic. We were able to get an appointment with a specialist within a few days. Upon meeting with the specialist, he informed me that Mystic started with bronchitis, which led to pneumonia. Both of which were not treated well and caused her to aspirate twice. Pneumonia seemed to be on its way out, but we still had a long way to go. We started Mystic on an oral bronchodilator, and the plan was to recheck her in 2-3 weeks. Like clockwork, she had a day of relief on the new meds before sh*t hit the fan.

Fast forward to last night, when Mystic began coughing and sneezing continuously, leading us into a restless night. Due to irregular breathing patterns, I brought her to the ER this morning with a temperature of 104.6 and confirmed pneumonia via x-rays. She is currently in the ICU about to undergo a risky procedure; a tracheal wash. The goal is to gain a sample of her lungs and test for what's causing so much irritation. There are complications, such as her coming out worse than she went in or she stops breathing. I am asking for prayers and support. God willing, this procedure goes well, and she'll spend the next few days in the hospital receiving aggressive treatment for pneumonia. We cannot begin treatment until we know what's causing all of this.

I am grateful to have excellent pet insurance on Mystic, but not all expenses are covered. Those who really know me know I don't ask for much. But I'm asking for help raising $3,000 to give my girl a fighting chance. Mystic is my best friend, spirit animal, and ACL/meniscus surgery twin. We are the definition of two peas in a pod. All remaining funds will be donated to the Animal Refuge Leage of Greater Portland.

I cannot extend more gratitude and thanks during this challenging time.

With love,

Tiffany