Shiba Inu Dog Behind Viral ‘Doge’ Meme Gets Sad Health Diagnosis

The Internet’s favorite Shiba Inu, Kabosu, got some bad news about her health this week, and fans are devastated. The 17-year-old dog behind the “doge” meme and the subsequent cryptocurrency Dogecoin has been feeling ill, according to her owner, Japanese teacher Atsuko Sato. On Tuesday, Sato posted that the vet had diagnosed Kabosu with chronic lymphoma leukemia, as well as acute cholangiohepatitis.

According to Sato, Kabosu was unable to eat or drink water starting on Sunday, Dec. 25. She rushed the dog to the hospital that very day and shared her diagnosis on Instagram on Tuesday. She wrote: “Kabosu’s disease names are acute cholangiohepatitis and chronic lymphoma leukemia. Right now, the liver level is very bad and jaundice appears. But antibiotics will definitely improve.”

For now, the veterinarians were at least able to help Kabosu with her symptoms. Sato wrote: “Kabosu has an appetite. She can also drink water. To all of you who are worried, thank you very much.”

Kabosu may be one of the most famous dogs in human history, even if most fans don’t know her by that name. A photo of Kabosu went viral in February of 2013 when Sato posted it on her personal blog. It showed Kabosu looking at the camera out of the corner of her eye, as if she were weary and suspicious. The picture soon migrated to sites like Tumblr and Reddit, where it was captioned with all kinds of internal monologues.

Kabosu also became the face of a whole genre of Internet slang applied to dogs in the years that followed. This format evolved across different sites, while some came to refer to Kabosu as “shibe.” However, in 2013, The Verge was able to identify Kabosu and give her and Sato their due credit.

Arguably the most impactful version of this meme came that year as well – the cryptocurrency Dogecoin. It is identified by a depiction of Kabosu’s face with the letter “D” imposed over it, and it rose to prominence as the first “meme coin” of its kind. In recent years, it has returned to headlines thanks to questionable endorsements – notably one from Elon Musk.

As for Kabosu herself, she turned 17 this fall and remains a treasured member of Sato’s family. Sato believes that Kabosu came from a puppy mill, but her temperament has delighted fans for over a decade. Presumably, future updates on Kabosu’s health will be available on Sato’s Instagram page.