Yesterday my sweet Buddy began having a series of seizures. They would calm for an hour or two and then return stronger. By close to midnight he went into a full-blown seizure episode that lasted over an hour and a half before I could finally get him transported by pet ambulance to the Emergency Veterinary Center in Sorrento Valley.

Right now the possible prognosis is a brain tumor. An MRI alone is around $5,000, which at 16 years old and with his current condition just doesn’t feel realistic or humane at this point. We are now trying to determine whether there is a path to keeping him comfortable for quality end-of-life care, or whether the kindest thing may be helping him peacefully cross over.

I honestly had no idea what emergency veterinary care costs look like now. It was over $2,000 just to get him admitted and stabilized overnight. We are currently around $4,000 in emergency care costs and likely approaching $5,000+ depending on next steps. If euthanasia and cremation become the path today, those services alone are close to another $950 on top of the hospital and overnight care.

Current expenses include:

• Emergency exam & triage

• Ultrasound & radiographs

• Bloodwork & diagnostics

• IV catheter placement

• Nursing & critical care monitoring

• Medications & fluids

• Overnight emergency hospitalization

• Pet ambulance transport (/$500)

• Possible cremation/end-of-life services (/$950)

I feel embarrassed even asking for help. I truly do. But I also know if someone I loved was going through this, I would want to help however I could.

Those of you who know me know I try to pay it forward every chance I get through my food, retreats, generosity, caregiving, and simply showing up for people when they need it. Right now I’m facing my own health challenges and financial strain after putting everything I had into preparing Mexico and the house sale, and this emergency hit completely unexpectedly.

If anyone feels called to contribute even a little toward Buddy’s care and these overwhelming emergency bills, I would be deeply grateful beyond words. And I promise your kindness will be remembered and paid forward whenever I am able.

Mostly right now I’m just trying to navigate grief, exhaustion, and loving my boy through whatever comes next.

With gratitude and love,

Jennifer