The owner of the dog that inspired the viral "doge" meme has revealed that her popular pooch is, unfortunately, suffering from leukemia.
Kabosu is a 17-year-old Shiba Inu who gained social media fame in 2010 after users started posting a picture of her posing with a perplexed expression and crossed paws.
The meme was commonly used with text insinuating the meaning behind the dog's face, soon becoming referred to as "doge".
Now, the dog's owner, Atsuko Sato - a kindergarten teacher from Sakura, Japan - has shared on Instagram that her canine is in "a very dangerous condition" after being diagnosed with a form of blood cancer.
Check out Sato's post below:The teacher said her dog had stopped eating and drinking just before Christmas and was on antibiotics after vets determined she was suffering from acute cholangiohepatitis - which is a type of inflammation of the bile ducts, gall bladder, and surrounding liver tissue, per Vetspecialty.
However, she later posted another update on Wednesday (December 28) to announce that Kabosu’s appetite had returned and that she was thankfully drinking water again.
"Kabosu has an appetite. She can also drink water. To all of you who are worried, Thank you very much" Sato wrote (translated from Japanese to English).
The comforting news of Kabosu's health slowly improving was welcomed by many well-wishers, with one user writing: "Get well soon our baby, our generation HERO."
Another shared: "I’m glad she’s eating and drinking, she’s a fighter."
A third commented: "We love you, Kabosu! You’ll feel better soon, and It’s great you have appetite. Be patient and stay strong, beautiful doggie. Cheems and you have made thousands of lives so happy over the last few years."
The doge meme initially found popularity on social media platforms such as Reddit and Tumblr, with online users placing Kabosu's face onto famous landmarks and pastries.
Hilariously, her picture was later used in marketing by Oreo and in subway station adverts in Stockholm, Sweden. It also inspired the creation of an alternative cryptocurrency, Dogecoin, in 2013.
The currency was a social media phenomenon and received the backing of Elon Musk who claimed in a tweet that he would accept Dogecoin as payment for Tesla merchandise and SpaceX.
He also wrote last year: "SpaceX launching satellite Doge-1 to the moon next year – Mission paid for in Doge – 1st crypto in space – 1st meme in space. To the mooooonnn!!"
We are sending this beloved pooch all of our well-wishes!
