Help us save Pepper from a paralysis tick!

Hi, we're Georgie and Adam, and we're desperately trying to save our dog from tick paralysis.

We're from Christchurch, but we travelled to Queensland to start what was supposed to be a year long adventure around Australia in a campervan, with our dog Pepper.

We left the week before Christmas so have been on the road for just over 2 weeks.

Unfortunately, Pepper fell ill and despite an initial vet visit on Saturday 4 January with a misdiagnosis, we ended up rushing her to an emergency animal hospital in Newcastle in the early hours of Sunday, after we woke and found she couldn't walk. The vet staff immediately found a paralysis tick.

Pepper had been given parasite medications to protect her however it takes just one tick to cause serious illness.

On Sunday 5 January she was admitted to an ICU bed in the vet hospital, and put under sedation. Sadly she wasn't breathing very easily and the decision was made to place a breathing tube.

The vet team attempted to remove the tube on Monday 6 January but had to reinsert it as her breathing was still laboured.

So far we are looking at this costing us $15,000 AUD. This has almost fully drained any money we have available. Our fear is that she requires additional days in vet care and we can't afford it. We can't have money be the reason she can't get help. We appreciate any and all help you can provide.

Thank you

Georgie & Adam