You may not have heard the name Kabosu before. Kabosu, a Shiba Inu dog, has become one of the internet’s most famous dogs, inspiring thousands (perhaps millions) of memes and a cryptocurrency. In other words, Kabosu is also the face of Gogecoin, one of the important players in the cryptocurrency market.
Unfortunately, this famous dog is probably nearing the end of its life, signaling the end of an internet era.
Named after a citrus fruit popular in Japan, Kabosu is now patient and suffers from acute cholangiohepatitis, a type of liver disease, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a type of blood cancer, according to an Instagram post by owner Atsuko Sato.
Acute cholangiohepatitis can be treated with antibiotics, but it can cause long-term complications and permanent liver disease. The treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in animals is not easy. Despite being a slow-growing form of cancer that can be treated with immunosuppressive drugs, dogs rarely go into remission after being diagnosed with the disease, VCA Animal Hospitals says. The average survival time after starting treatment is stated to be between one and three years if no additional complications occur.
An earlier Instagram post dated December 26 noted that Kabosu had lost his appetite and was not drinking water. However, after returning home from the vet, Sato reported that the dog was feeling a little better despite the worrying liver test results and jaundice. In an Instagram post, “Kabosu has an appetite. He can also drink water,” he wrote.
Still, despite the improvement in quality of life, the internet’s most famous Shiba Inu may not have long to spend with us. According to another post by Sato, Kabosu celebrated his 17th birthday in October. According to the American Kennel Club, the average lifespan of this dog breed is between 13 and 16 years.
The photogenic Shiba Inu first appeared on Reddit and Tumblr in 2010, from owner Sato’s personal blog. The dog’s unique expression earned it a reputation as the original “doge”.
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