Please, please help to save Joey the collie

Hi, my name is Billie and I'm starting this fundraiser for my good friend Karen and her adorable dog Joey. He is a ray of sunshine but is very poorly and needs our help.

Karen says, "Two weeks ago he started showing signs of not being right. His hind legs were giving way and he was trembling only minutes into a walk. Days later he started to lose control of certain things - his eye movements, drooling constantly, struggling with breathing, he was extremely drowsy, with a low mood and vomiting bile. So unlike my usual bright, bubbly, energetic and playful boy who is usually impossible to tire out. After a vet visit, then another as an emergency - neither of these vets listened to me and took me seriously - a holistic vet responded to my cry for help and came to examine Joey at home. She IMMEDIATELY recognised how abnormal all these symptoms were, recognised that they were signs of neurological issues and referred me to a highly experienced clinical director vet right away. This highly experienced vet was as stunned as the holistic vet but realised a neurology specialist was needed to really investigate Joey's really unusual symptoms. This all happened within 48 hours.

Quickly, Joey deteriorated to a critical condition and was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Veterinary Specialists Scotland and had to be placed under the watchful eye of Alex Ferreira, the neuro specialist vet of this highly specialised facility. I was sent home being told Joey would most likely not get home as it was suspected he had some brain stem inflammation. Alex has been working rapidly to stabilise Joey and bring him back into a state where she can test to try and find a diagnosis as to what's going on with my beautiful boy. Thankfully there's no brain stem inflammation but it's now looking like Joey has a rare condition called Myasthenia Gravis as well as Mega Esophagus - two unusual diseases that can be managed but are incredibly difficult to live with, especially as a young collie who wants to be active, like he was before.

The costs of Joey's specialist treatments are huge and each day he spends in the Veterinary Specialists Scotland's care, they soar further. With the number of tests Joey has needed, the bill is currently sitting at over £5000 and I don't know when he will be able to come home.

When he does come home it will involve a huge lifestyle change, to the point where Joey won't ever be able to eat or drink like a normal dog and have constant monitoring and care...but he can still have a good quality life and I am totally prepared to do this for my amazing boy. Joey is my wee ray of sunshine!"

Please do what you can to help Joey! He needs to be back with Karen. He truly is an amazing, beautiful soul.