Hi, my name is Kayla and this is my dog Rexx. Rexx is 3 years old. Back in April of this year, Rexx was diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia where at first we were told he required emergency surgery, but after an ultrasound, the vet confirmed that he did not need surgery. At that time, he was sent home after being treated for nausea and with IV fluids, where he then recovered. Since then, Rexx has been perfectly healthy.

This past Saturday, October 18th, 2025, Rexx vomited multiple times, was shaking, and not acting like himself. Similar to his previous symptoms from his hernia, we figured he was just having a flare-up, so we brought him to VESH (the emergency vet) where we thought IV fluids and anti-nausea meds would cure him. When we noticed he wasn’t getting any better on Monday, Oct. 20th, we brought him back into VESH so he could get bloodwork and x-rays. His bloodwork showed a slightly elevated white blood cell count, and his x-rays showed fluid in his abdomen, which they tested and found to be infected. We were then rushed to Piper Memorial Veterinary Center in Middletown, CT for emergency surgery. Rexx was admitted into their hospital overnight.

Today, Oct. 21st, they performed an ultrasound on him where they found his adrenal glands to be abnormally small. They ran extra tests to see if that was the reason for the infected fluid, but it wasn’t the case. While I received that phone call with the results, Rexx was being rushed in for emergency surgery. With his diaphragmatic hernia, he has a portion of his small intestine inside of his lungs. The surgeon said there may be part of his liver in his lungs as well. Because he has had this hernia for a while, there potentially could be a buildup of scar tissue, making the surgery more complicated. The plan is for the surgeon to put his small intestine and possibly liver back into place, but there is the possibility that portions of one or both of those organs may need to be removed, further complicating his surgery.

My boyfriend Nicko and I are asking for help as we were quoted $20,000 to cover his surgery costs and critical care hospital stay. This came upon us very unexpectedly, and we will do anything for Rexx as he is our fur baby. With him being so young and otherwise healthy, we proceeded with his surgery because he has so much life left to live. Rexx is our best friend. He’s never met a person or dog that he didn’t like, and he’s such a playful and handsome guy. We love him so much and are looking forward to a speedy recovery for him. We really appreciate any help that we can get for our sweet baby. Thank you so much for taking the time to read Rexx’s story ❤️