This is Remi. Remi is the sweetest, silliest, most lovable boy you will ever meet (references available upon request).

Remi needs our help right now. On Saturday night (Aug 16), he vomited a few times and was acting odd - we thought he had a sore tummy and monitored him overnight. By early Sunday morning, he was having trouble breathing, became lethargic, and collapsed in the yard. We rushed him to Dartmouth for emergency veterinary care, and he was admitted to ICU. Initially, Remi was diagnosed with severe aspiration pneumonia and a suspected stomach torsion (GVD), and his condition was thought to be fatal. In true Remi fashion, he threw us all off when his stomach was not twisted but significantly inflamed. So, his primary concern shifted to the pneumonia and he was responding well to antibiotics on Sunday night.

On Monday morning, we received a call that Remi had taken a turn for the worse. He was completely lame with low counts of all immune cells, high sodium, and a fever that wouldn’t break. At this point, the vets were concerned about an underlying neurological cause to his initial symptoms but could not identify the illness. His condition continued to wax and wane with periods of destabilization. The incredible, kind staff at Maritime Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Care acted quickly and with expertise, referring Remi to Atlantic Veterinary College on PEI where he could receive further testing and specialized care. He is currently in their care and is stable, but we’re still unsure of a definite cause to all his symptoms which, of course, impacts/limits treatment options.

Over the past 5 days, the world’s strongest boy has endured frequent bloodwork/needle pokes, IV treatment, x-rays, CT scans, catheterization, surgically placed nasal cannula for oxygen therapy, and a whole lot of discomfort from his overall condition. His journey continues, and he will likely be in hospital for at least a few more days. We are incredibly privileged and grateful to have pet insurance (PLEASE insure your pets!!!!), but even with coverage, a $20,000 (and climbing) vet bill leaves us with thousands of dollars in outstanding charges. He will also need follow-up care once he recovers to monitor his lung function, inflammation, and electrolytes. Additionally, we have had to spend on gas to drive back and forth to Dartmouth/to PEI and meals. We’ve been sleeping in our car to stay close to Remi and avoid the expense of accommodations.

If you’ve read this far, we are already more grateful than we could ever express. Any support - whether it be a donation or simply sharing the fundraiser - would mean the absolute world to us. Remi is our baby. We love him more than life itself. At only 3 years old, he has so much more life to live and love to give. He deserves every chance he could possibly be given.

Thank you so much for being part of Remi’s major comeback. Give your pets an extra squeeze for us. ❤️

With love and hope,

Jazz & Lou (Remi’s moms)