Chloe has Shar pei fever

Chloe is 6 years old. Her dad was a Shar pei and her mom was a Puggle. Before coming to live with Gigi in 2019 she spent 6 long months being frequently re-homed because she was “rambunctious and nobody wanted her.”

I started this Go Fund Me to help my friend Gigi help her best friend, Chloe. If all of Gigi’s friends, family, and acquaintances pitch in a few dollars, we can help Gigi keep Chloe comfortable as she receives the supportive care she needs.

Gigi believes she was possibly the product of a bad breeding situation. When Gigi first adopted her. she observed that she wasn’t “rambunctious"; rather she was skittish, fearful, and the consummate escape artist. Just before the world shut down in 2020, they moved into a comfy bungalow where Chloe blossomed. Gigi says that now she is loving and goofy, and still an expert escape artist. Chloe was great friends with a little old lady named Clara, who has since passed on. Gigi’s Facebook friends looked forward to anecdotes and photos of Clara and Chloe.

Unfortunately, Chloe has breed-related health problems, called Shar pei Autoinflammatory Disease, also known as Familial Shar-Pei Fever (FSF). This incurable disease keeps the body in a constant state of inflammation and brings with it severe pain and recurrent fevers. Shar pei fever causes stomach and skin problems as well as swelling in the hocks. (102.5 is the normal canine body temperature; Chloe has been running fevers as high as 105.8) Shar pei fever inevitably progresses to liver and kidney failure. Currently Chloe has a UTI and is unable to pass urine. Due to Chloe’s severe symptoms, including multiple inpatient hospitalizations and emergency care, Gigi has spent more than two months’ salary since 11/21/23, which she says is (obviously) unsustainable.

Chloe’s vet has been elbows-deep in research and he has been consulting other veterinary specialists to treat her symptoms. There is nothing else to be done because it’s incurable; there is only expensive and frequent supportive care. I hope you’re able to chip in, even just a couple of dollars will help out. Thank you.