08/22/2026
Let’s help Amber Pugh Graves with Kiss’ vet bills!
WASHING FOR KISS — FUNDRAISER 🐴💋
I’m putting together a fundraiser to help Kiss get the veterinary care and testing she desperately needs. I wanted to share her story so everyone understands what this sweet girl has been going through.
Kiss has been a fighter since the day she was born. She was an unusually large baby and was born with significantly swayed legs from being so cramped and unable to fully stretch her legs before birth. She spent weeks in splints and receiving farrier care, but she fought through it. By around 6 months old, she was running, bucking, playing with the other babies, and you would have never known how rough her start had been.
After Kiss was weaned, she began developing nasal drainage. At first, it seemed like something minor that could have been caused by the constantly changing weather, extremely dry and dusty conditions, or a simple respiratory issue. Unfortunately, the drainage continued to clear up and then return.
Eventually, Kiss was seen by a veterinarian and treated, and for a while she seemed to improve. But in March, she was found struggling to breathe with a significant amount of drainage coming from both her eyes and nose. She was taken back to the vet immediately and was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Despite multiple rounds of treatment, Kiss would improve temporarily only for her symptoms to return again.
She was then referred to another veterinarian who performed an endoscopy. No obvious abnormalities or plaques were found, but there was a significant amount of mucus present. Additional testing still showed evidence of pneumonia, so she was treated aggressively for several weeks with medications.
A repeat test eventually showed that the pneumonia had cleared, which should have been great news. Unfortunately, once she came off the antibiotics, the drainage started all over again.
Since then, her owner has been desperately trying to figure out what is triggering Kiss’ symptoms. Different feeds and types of hay have been removed and reintroduced, and her diet has been changed numerous times. There has been some improvement in the amount and color of the mucus, leading to concerns that something environmental, such as spores or allergens in hay, could possibly be contributing to her flare-ups.
Through all of this, Kiss has continued to lose weight.
Now another concerning symptom has appeared. Kiss has started developing nodules across her body. What initially looked like a couple of bug bites quickly increased to many more. Some are small, hard and fixed, while others are larger and softer.
At this point, she needs further veterinary testing as soon as possible. The next steps may include biopsies of the nodules and additional respiratory testing such as a nasal lavage and culture to determine whether there is an underlying bacterial, fungal, inflammatory, allergic, or other condition causing everything she has been fighting.
After months of vet visits, medications, testing and trying everything possible at home, Kiss still doesn’t have the answers she needs.
And that’s why we’re trying to help. ❤️
I will be doing baths as a fundraiser to help raise money toward Kiss’ upcoming veterinary expenses and testing. Every bath booked will help get this sweet girl one step closer to hopefully finding some answers and getting her on the road to recovery.
Kiss has handled everything that has been thrown at her like an absolute champ. Through every medication, needle, test and bad day, she continues to fight. She deserves the chance to feel good again and grow up to be the horse she was meant to be.
If you aren’t able to participate in the fundraiser, sharing this post and praying for Kiss would mean the world! Her mom is also doing a pampered pooch fundraiser, be sure to check out her great products!!
All proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward helping Kiss receive the veterinary care and testing she needs.
Message me or Apollo’s Palace Pet Boarding & Grooming to schedule an appointment, be sure to ask for September 7th or 10th day appointment for Kiss! If you would like to just donate to help, message Amber!
Let’s get this baby some answers.🩷
