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"did you know that many of our pals are heroes? they give blood so that injured or sick dogs may live. won't you PAWlease consider becoming a k9 donor too?"
Likes: after her people, snow!!
Pet-Peeves: feral cats (but more likely the humans that create them)-she was a VERY smart dog afterall
Favorite Toy: mica was like a puppy with any new toy, even at age 9.. but a tennis ball was always with her
Favorite Food: cheese, then likely watermelon
Arrival Story: Mica was a highly intelligent, fiercely loyal companion and service dog with a keen sense of humor. She had a winning smile and a willingness to give. She was a real inspiration and a joy to know and love.
MANY have written asking HOW TO DONATE to Mica's IMHA Research FUND.
Please make check or money order payable to:
MICA'S IMHA RESEARCH FUND
ADDRESS:
USAGENCIES CREDIT UNION
ATTN: JAN D.
95 SW TAYLOR STREET
PORTLAND, OR 97205-3305
Bio: Our perfectly healthy and lovely 9 year old Belgian Tervuren was lost within 6 days of onset of 2 blood immune diseases, IMHA & IMTP: Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia & Immune-Mediated Thrombocytopenia. When present together, it is often called "Evans Syndrome."
IMHA occurs when the immune system attacks its own red blood cells (RBCs) prematurely & at a MUCH faster rate than new ones can be produced. It is life threatening & requires prompt, aggressive treatment. A lack of oxygen carrying RBCs may damage vital organs, while a high risk of death from blood clots occurs due to damaged RBCs. CAUSATION: It may be caused by an exposure to toxins, from cancer, an infection or even vaccines. Bee/wasp stings & tick-borne diseases (TBD) have also been implicated, as has the ingestion of ONIONS, GARLIC or PENNIES, or owner administration of Vitamin K and acetaminophen. It may be deemed IDIOPATHIC [id E-oh path ick] (no known cause) like Mica's, which is MOST often the case. IMTP adversely affects the blood platelets, which helps blood to clot normally accompanies IMHA in 50-70% of ALL IMHA cases. It can lead to excessive bleeding. PLEASE NOTE that bleeding can be interior and/or exterior in nature. For Mica it was the complications of IMHA that presented the greatest challenge.
Symptoms of IMHA can appear suddenly or be more gradual. Mica's onset was sudden, in less than 24 hours. Her energy level was down a bit one day, but she otherwise seemed well. After midnight she vomited once. By morning her breathing was labored and she was very weak. Later that day in ICU she became severely jaundiced. SIGNS TO WATCH FOR: Your pet may exhibit subtle weakness or lethargy. They may have an increase in heart & respiration rates (excessive panting) & have PALE GUMS or ears. They may vomit or stop eating altogether. With IMTP they may have unexplained bruising or bleeding.
EVERY SINGLE CASE is different with this illness, which is why treating it successfully is SO difficult. Supportive care comes 1st to try & stabilize a pet's condition. Next, immune suppression drugs try to stop the ongoing destruction of blood cells. Finding then treating the underlying cause IS critical. MICA'S ANEMIA BECAME SO SEVERE THAT SHE NEEDED CRITICAL LIFE-SUPPORT THAT INCLUDED THE HELP OF OTHER DOGS.
Did you know that dogs give blood, just like humans? If they didn't, there wouldn't be enough blood to provide the tens of thousands of transfusions dogs need every year. As with humans, blood must be readily available or a patient may die. THAT'S WHY CANINE BLOOD DONATION IS SO IMPORTANT.
Mica's condition improved significantly after multiple transfusions, & she fought valiantly-like the good Terv she was for nearly a week when complications of the IMHA finally took her from us.
PLEASE consider talking with your vet about involving your dog in a blood donation program. Blood transfusions like Mica received GREATLY increase a dogs chance of recovering from IMHA, IMTP & other illnesses or injuries.
IMHA & IMTP are devastating diseases. IMHA is the MOST common blood immune disorder in BOTH dogs & cats, and its mortality rate is staggering. At times it can be managed, but today there is no cure.
RESEARCH IS DESPERATELY NEEDED. Please consider Mica's IMHA Research Fund.. even a dollar at a time adds up! THANK you
This message is **HQ APPROVED**.
Forums Motto: WILD AT HEART
The Last Forum I Posted In: **HQ APPROVED** Mica's IMHA Research
MICA'S WINGS/Art with a Heart:
To leave her a legacy, a non-profit foundation took flight...Mica's IMHA Research Fund aims to raise awareness of immune-mediated disease and funds for prevention and a cure.
ecollage art benefits IMHA research. Please consider helping us help other dogs and cats in MICA'S name.
MICA'S TEAM: mates with purple stars have IMHA, or another IM disease. Those with green support Mica's quest with a donation. RED stars denote multiple donations..A few prefer to have another pack member join the team. Finally, the blue stars-which were added only recently! These donations are extremely generous.
hello everyone..
our mckenna is very active with Project Pooch..
this event is a big one in their year.. and comes up this NEXT week..
it's a phenomenal organization, and does much good..
especially in the lives of unwanted shelter dogs!
if anyone is interested and can help out, PAWlease do..
take a look..
Thanks Koda.. not sure about your suggestion mate, so will have to run that by HQ.. and Tulah.. The good prankster Sunny Lee asked the same, and we're amenable, but heard that raffles are tricky. When we ask those we think KNOW more for assistance, we just never hear anything back.
Definitely open to the concept, just want to make sure it's done right..
Remdyru (The family of Remington, Ladysmith & Angel Ruger) wrote this weekend to tell us a human had come into the hospital in Wisconsin.. striken with multiple tick-borne disease, and to ask if Babesia could strike dogs, because of the wretched HA (hemolytic anemia) it causes.
Not only can it, the timing seemed too odd. Some may recall we wrote diary and forum entries after losing a member of mica's team to IMHA caused by Babesia, as a bait dog.. JUST like several of Michael Vick's DOGS. It was just this weekend we learned the news of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles team signing him, and thinking about those poor dogs who were lost to IMHA because of him.
The thought of his actions going so far as to cause multiple cases of IMHA, let alone ONE makes our mom feel "AS SICK AS A DOG."
Sometimes when I write these entries, I find it hard to write as one of the dogs. You all know it's me anyway.. so I aPAWogize for not being clear or flip-flopping.. I just have a lot to say and don't do it that well anyway.
Tomorrow mica will be gone 3 whole years. That means little to most, because your own pets are what mean the world to you anyway, right? But it means everything to me and it still hurts, so much, I can't begin to tell you. Her life was cut way too short, and IMHA is still out there, taking dogs, cats and people. I have wished for better many, many times, but prayer and wishful thinking won't get the job done. It will not likely be eradicated any time soon without MUCH more medical research. Yet even though IMHA ranks high among disease worthy of study (meaning on average it strikes a great number of companion animals, and takes the majority it strikes), funding for veterinary research doesn't come easily. The majority comes from the private sector.
Even though many have been hard hit in these economic times, most are not devastated by them. The companion pet industry is worth something upwards of 8-9 million dollars a year, PAWhaps even more so someone has a few dimes to rub together out there. We find it terribly sad that people are more willing to buy absolute non-essentials like 'dresses' or designer sunglasses for pets than they are for something [LIFESAVING] like this.
Even the smallest portion if given by the maximum number of individuals adds up SIGNIFICANTLY. I think about what I have been willing to do without for 3 years now, atop the vet bill that took years to pay off, (it was 6 days and well more than 2x that amount in dollars) that went into retirement savings to cover. We did without many things, but we still did alright. We were fortunate enough a year later to have mirra come into our lives too.
And none will bring our girl back. Even the thousands I have donated- not making even one dime in 3 years time.
I don't have enough money nor time, nor even patience anymore to do it alone any more. We ask until we are blue-in-the-face and are criticized for it besides. That's really nice folks.
But it can't be done by the same small handful who have given-and some, again and again. They know who they are, and in case you are interested, they are color-coded on mica's team photo (or at least most of them).
Some of them, like the same GSD owner who lost his former partner (a k9 officer) to IMHA who refuses to give his name. Just does it to try and keep the attention on the disease, and advocates for it for your corrals. Gives money, wants no attention in return.
wow. if only more than ONE person went that far out of their way.
So, for mica, from mirra & their mom, we thank you who have given a damn and yet we will still ask everyone else to get involved. If not in our cause, in something for the welfare of those who enrich our lives so much, JUST by their mere existence.
It doesn't even have to take away the next pizza you order yourself in luxury to make a difference, either.
And, chances are, and we're even willing to bet that your dog will will probably wish you'd done something better with the 50 bucks (and likely more) that you spent on the most recent frilly dress it doesn't want to wear hanging in some closest somewhere..
Honest.
and finally,
We love you Angel, and we MISS you so very much.
Thank you for all you did in life to make me do what I do now, ON behalf of others because I had the chance to love you, and be loved by you. I wish that every companion and service animal could inspire their people to do good things for others.
Imagine what a world that would be.
-mom & mirra
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