Japan - A Shiba Inu named Kabosu, who became the face of the famous Doge coin and meme, has been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses.

The 17-year-old pup's owner, Atsuko Sato, took to Instagram to share the sad news to her millions of fans across the world, informing them that Kabosu has been diagnosed with acute cholangiohepatitis, a liver condition, and chronic lymphoma leukemia, a form of blood cancer.

Sato added that Kabosu's liver levels are low and the dog appears to have jaundice, but with a treatment of antibiotics, Sato is hopeful her pet's health will "definitely improve."

Thousands of Instagram users across the world commented sharing their love for Kabosu, with well-wishes and hopes for a quick recovery.

According to Know Your Meme, Kabosu became an internet celebrity back in 2010 when Sato shared a photo to her personal blog of the pup with her paws crossed and the cutest smirk on her face. A Reddit user then nicknamed the dog Doge, referencing a web cartoon called Homestar Runner.

The photo went on to become one of the internet's most beloved memes, and in 2013, a Dogecoin cryptocurrency was created using Kabosu's face. While Dogecoin has never broken crypto records, it has seen notable spikes in value with help from supporters like billionaire Elon Musk.

In 2021, Kabosu's story came full circle when her meme was sold as an NFT for $4 million.

Hopefully, Kabosu will make a speedy recovery so she can continue to spread love and joy around the world.