We lost our precious Misha today.
Posted By: Misha on 2006-12-25
In Reply to:
My precious 7-year-old Siberian husky, Misha, passed away this morning. I love her so much that I use her name as mine a lot on message boards like this. She was the first dog I ever had as an adult, all mine and my husband's.
She was born 7 years and 41 days ago, and we brought her home at 8 weeks. Her color was cream white with diamonds of light red in two spots; one on her shoulders and one on her tail. At nine weeks she saw her first snow, the biggest she would ever see, of 19 inches of heavenly cold, white snow. She was potty trainined in about 2 weeks. She attended puppy kindergarten and excelled. We were so proud! She was a very good puppy and had both her parents at home with her every day for the first four months of her life.
I was her dog walker and protector, and I remember that when I fell while walking her and dropped the leash, she would start to run for joy, until she saw me on the ground. Then she would return to me and sit on me, just a puppy of 6 months old. We lived in a townhouse with a great big kitchen that was great for puppy training, but as she got bigger, we wanted a fenced-in yard for her to explore. So we bought a house with a fenced-in yard for her. The first time we let her out there with the big oak and pine tree -shaded yard, you could see her happiness at being able to cavort off leash. So now we needed a playmate for her. We adopted another Siberian husky of the same age, but pure white, and named her Sasha. In the morning my husband would let them out about 5:00 a.m., and I would be awakened by the sound of them racing through the leaves around the back yard, wrestling and using play growls. Now my Sasha was very adventurous, and she taught Misha, my digger, to dig along the fence line so they could escape. So I would either notice they were missing or get a phone call telling me my dogs had visited some neighbor, who had gotten my number off a tag. One time when dear husband was searching for them, he found them playing in a yard with a family, the father allowing them to kiss his 2-year-old child, so gentle with children were they.
By 2 years old, we had conquered their efforts to dig out by using chicken wire, and we learned how much adventure they required to keep them content at home. They became model citizens. Some time between the ages of 3 and 4, my Misha's personality became more serious. She became less and less playful with Sasha, and more serious. I was unsure whether this was the normal personality of the more dominant dog,
or whether something might be wrong with her. She had foot problems, and the vet treated this with antibiotics and finally surgery. She had muscle pain, and pain medicine caused her to act more like a puppy again. I told this to the vet. I would mention her blood-shot eyes and face rubbing and the suspicion that she might have a headache. Vet just offered eye ointment and suggested Benadryl. I continued to bring her in for each small thing that came up, thinking it would provide a pattern if there were some autoimmune disease going on. I was now working outside the house, and whenever it was cool, Misha slept outside. I continued to provide the thickest of orthopedic beds and the best food in the hopes of keeping her healthy. She enjoyed the dog park, but didn't run with the other dogs often. She was overweight due to her appetite and my wanting to keep her happy and giving too many treats. Occasionally she would play with a huge rottweiler or mastiff, so I hoped this just meant that her behavior was all an act to show how dominant she was, and how beneath her it was for her to play with smaller, less dominant dogs. At home she would lie around looking depressed, but would always perk up when we decided to take them somewhere, so I thought she was just bored at home.
In September I came back home to work. I didn't see a big change, except that Misha was restless and couldn't decide where she wanted to be. Getting treats was very important to her, and her weight was now near 90. Then we went on vacation at the end of October. It was extremely hard for me to leave them behind, but my parents were paying for the trip and no pets were allowed. We boarded them. During the boarding, the downward spiral started with Misha biting Sasha and tearing her ear.
Once home we started seeing her spending hours pacing, circling, depressed and lethargic, yet anxious. When we'd take her to the vet, the stimulation seemed to pull her out of her funk, and she always appeared normal to vets. I felt very helpless because it seemed they didn't believe us or that we were somehow wrong. I worried about a brain tumor, so I read up on all the diseases that might cause her symptoms. According to her breeder, Misha's father had lupus (SLE), so I hoped that was it. Vet thought it was possible. He did lab testing and gave antibiotics and steroids. The steroids returned Misha to her 2-year-old personality, which was a joy, but also scary because a tumor would often respond that way, but so would lots of conditions.
At the end, I had to get ugly with the vets to get her seen at the vet school. When they saw her then, she was very symptomatic, and they were pretty sure she had a brain tumor. But they wanted to test. An MRI or CT were needed. Hard to get done at Christmas.
In the end she responded well to phenobarbital and had a good day on Christmas eve. Then today, Christmas morning, she had another seizure, and she stopped breathing. We had to let her go.
We are very sad. She was a very good dog. None better.
Mishawaka Shearer
Siberian husky
11/14/99 to 12/25/06
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Precious, Precious Baby!
She is gorgeous. Congratulations, Grandma! :-)
Oh, how precious!
nm
Precious pup!
Picture of your baby just brought back sooo many memories of our precious BUBBA. He was a rescue dog with many major health issues but never/ever complained and gave us about 7-8 years of sheer joy. We are now dogless for the first time in many, many years and want another boxer so much but the thought of losing another one is still so heavy on our minds. When we took him in, we immediately bonded, then found out he was heartworm infested... NOT A PROBLEM: He never missed a step... even gained weight during HW treatment! A few years later, had a tumor on his back leg which we had removed.. then later had the limb amputated... still, he just kept on going, without a problem. God, what a trooper. Finally, succumbed to cancer, never gave up or even complained until the last day of his life. Such a precious, darling friend... to the end. Just not sure I am ready to go through this again so soon. Boxers are such the noble breed, and I am also a Great Dane and English Bulldog owner and lover, all of the good ones die young! Can't seem to get one past 10 years and that is WAAAY too early!
She's so precious !!!!! nm
x
So so precious! sm
She actucally reminds me a lot of my daughter when she was born. I was so happy cause she had the same color of hair as me. It then all fell out and came back in blond.
too precious
He is adorable
What do you think of the quality of clothing today. What I looked at shopping today in nice stores
the stuff wasnt even sewn properly. Do you have to look at everything you buy or just hope it lasts a year.
Precious... Too many times...
we overlook what "grown-up jobs" mean to our young children. They want to help, "butt" (how cute) most of all they want to feel you need them as much as they need you. Thank you for sharing your special time with your daughter and your son I'm most sure appreciates what you are doing he just hasn't expressed that yet. You will most likely get another "surprise" from him when he has his new room... You're doing great spoken from another "Mom" who likes to bond....  They won't be this age 4-ever... cherish it... only happens once....
Mine is precious, BUT...sm
very hyperactive and co-dependent. He will not go outside by himself and if he realizes that Ruston is not in the house with him, he freaks out trying to find him. It is almost funny until you see the fear in his little face!
precious pets
Our pets, our friends, are so very, very precious. They love us unconditionally. What a blessing it is to share our lives with our pets. I am so very sorry for what has happened. I will pray for you. All our beloved pets, I optimistically feel, will be joined with us one day.
You are precious. You are correct. I'm with you 100%, Jan. nm
nm
He's precious, floppy ear and all! Is that you
s
aaahhh, that is precious
Wish my kids still did things like that. Thye are 15 and 17. Even though they are wonderful ( I coule brag for hours but nobody wants to hear that and I don't blame them) just cherish each and every moment. Like Kenney Chesney says "Don't blink".
Absolutely! They are all so precious!!!
Thanks for the info! 
Gary is so precious!
Do you get his name from Spongebob's "cat" (Gary the snail)?
I have 3 precious ones myself, all rescues, 2 Siamese mutts and a Maine Coon mutt!! Love my boo-boos!
Precious puppies! nm
.....
So precious...now about this litter for dogs
What is the name of it and where can I find it? I have never heard of litter for dogs. This is just the best news I have heard all day!
These are precious! I have old stuff I made way
s
I always try to give up time, which I have precious little of!
I try to spend some part of every day in prayer for other people, usually the patients that pass across my computer screen each day. I also try to do more service, as well.
If you look up the word PRECIOUS in the dictionary
you would see this picture! They are just too adorable for words!
What beautiful little babies! They are just precious. Thanks so much.
xx
I love animals so much and this is just precious!
Have 2 cats and 1 kitten and love where the kitty is grooming the deer. Thanks for sharing this!
That is precious. It really is. Too many husbands not involved these days! nm
.
Love puppies of all kinds! How precious yours must look
c
Do they ever grow out of this?? My once precious and sweet 3 year old son has sm
turned into a holy terror. Wow. For the past 2 weeks he has been completely nonsensical and out of control. Any little thing throws him off and he begins destroying the house, kicking, yelling, screaming, etc. This morning I woke up to him crying on the couch without any clothes on, so I told him to go put something on (it's freezing in here!), to which he told me NO! Of course he received a spanking for that (what a way to wake up, huh?). Well, he's been pitching a fit for almost 2 hours now since I refused to cook him pancakes. I told him if he would behave I would make them. Well, he doesn't want to do anything but scream and throw fits, so I won't make them. He has said the word pancake at least 200 times since early this morning. I cannot reward bad behavior, so now I'm just ignoring him which is what my pediatrician told me to do the other day. If I deal with him, I may regret it later. Yes, can you tell I am completely frustruated?
I know they say different things work for different children, but NOTHING works with him. I never, ever spanked before. But the chair became a joke as he would just jump right back down out of his chair and run out the room screaming. He refused to sit down. So then I had to begin spanking him and of course that just makes him angrier, meaner, and he won't listen to a word I say. As soon as I begin talking to him and explaining what I am doing he screams to "override" my voice.
I cried all day Sat. because my husband took my older soon to a ball game and my 3 year old was really bad that morning. I just wanted a little peace, but he refused. So we battled all morning until lunch. It has been every single day like this. Yesterday was bad, but not too bad. Today is really bad, but not as bad as Saturday. I wonder what is going on? He is so unreasonable. The thing is, my husband says, "he's 3. How can you not handle a 3 year old?" Like just now, as I'm typing this, he just said to me, "mommy's STUPID!!" I haven't heard that one all morning, so let me go take care of it. Please say a prayer for me...and him too.
Awwww, what a precious, sweet face!
Thanks for sharing!
Added fresh chives today. to the egg today.
and a SMIDGE of soy sauce.
Misha
My deepest sympathies are with you. Losing a loved one -- be it two- or four-legged -- is among the most horrific things one must face. Dogs, cats, et AL are all children to us who love them, and we mourn them as deeply as we would a human. My prayers will be with you and Sasha, who must surely feel the loss as well.
Yea, Misha....
this thread was nice. Thanks for starting it! 
Misha- How is CJ?
I've been thinking about you both.
Oh Misha, I'm so sorry about CJ.
You went above and beyond for him. I am so sorry for your loss and the huge hole in your heart. 
Oh Misha, I'm so sorry...sm
I always read your posts with interest since I have (well, *had,* sniff...) Siberian Huskies too. I lost my Siberian, Alexx, in January, at age 15 yrs. I had to make the painful decision to let her go.
Then, just this past July, I lost my 'baby,' my Siberian Husky, Wiley. He died suddenly at home one morning, in my arms, of what the vets think was a pulmonary embolism. He was 12 years old and had been in poor health for about the last year, with some serious chronic issues, but he was making progress, so it was shocking, devastating, to lose him so suddenly like that.
My heart goes out to you. Really, there are no words. But here is a poem that I hope will bring you some comfort:
'We who choose to surround
ourselves with lives even more
temporary than our own,
live within a fragile circle,
easily and often breached.
Unable to accept its awful gaps,
we still would live no other way.
We cherish memory as the only
certain immortality, never fully understanding
the necessary plan.'
From The Once Again Prince,
by Irving Townsend
Take care of yourself, and know that you did everything you could. I hope the memories of the many happy times you spent with CJ will live with you for decades to come. - Lisa
Yes, Misha, I know what you mean
They are using new products and new techniques. I know this because prior to the past year or so I went to different places and never had a single problem. I always got a heavy highlight that looked more yellow or pale golden blonde with just foiling and not even a toner, very pretty and flattering with no stripes, almost looked like an overall color.
Now the past year or so they look beige or almost silver gray and very drab and clash with my natural color. I know of one product so far called ''Maji'' blond that does this because I had it before at another salon (too bad this time she didn't mention until after) and the same thing happened! I hate it.
Then she told me the older and cheaper bleaches tend to be more yellow. WELL, THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU USE THAT! I even brought an old picture and she could see it was more golden than grayish (which is how ash can appear) and I have no gray.
I also don't like the technique she used, weaving? (which in layman terms must mean stripes)! Ugh, I never had that before either.
It is just an overall very unflattering look. When I look around, sure enough this is what must be in, because it is what most people have. And drab hair is unflattering on most people so I just don't get it.
I am just so frustrated.
:(
You go Misha!
Congratulations on your first night with him! They just love to test their boundaries don't they?! Glad to hear you weren't havin' any of that...sometimes it really throws folks. I know I sure can be intimitated at times by strange animals.
I also crate too, much to the shagrin of PETA-like folks. It is a wonderful tool and every night when we get ready for bed I say, "In the hut" and the two little guys go RUNNING in there to play with all their toys and each other in their little den. They absolutely love it and are only locked in it for the night so I can guarantee there won't be any accidental pee/poop when we all rise-n-shine in the morning. During the day I leave their door open to the crate and they still go in there just to hang out and play with the stuff in there or just take naps together. Darndest thing.
Feel free to e-mail me again if you have any pictures you want to share with us...I'd be more than happy to post them for you!
Congratulations again Misha and Cedric!
to may, misha, etc. :-) sm
This is SO funny! First off, she is a kid, but she's a 20-year-old kid with little (size 6) feet ;-)
She was very amused by this thread. She came in last night and I said, 'Someone insulted your feet!' She totally cracked up when she read everything. She looked at her feet and said, 'OMG, I DO have a gap! You can fit a finger in there!' Then it dawned on her... as she was putting on her flips... 'Tell them that I'm a Florida girl and I NEED that gap so I can slip into my flips easier.' She only wears real shoes when it's cold or when she's dressed up ;-)
Thank you all for the kind responses and the fun. Funny how threads can just take on a mind of their own.
Misha, glad you had success with your bunion surgery. I went to a foot doctor a while back and he told me they'd have to basically break all the bones in my toes to fix everything. Didn't sound like fun LOL
Again, thanks and happy New Year to all!
So sorry Misha
Had the same thing happen in the same way with my Max many years ago only metastatic bone to lung. Thankfully she didn't suffer and had a wonderful friend in you! She was really pretty... There's a really nice message in a post from Romey to Grieving a Lot below on this page.
Oh, Misha, I'm so sorry
What a beautiful dog. Now your dogs are together again. Hugs to you and your family.
Misha...
What an absolutely beautiful animal :-)
I admire your love and dedication to your animals and I am so sorry for your loss.
Misha's weekend
I don't have much new to report about Misha, except that we did get out and go to PetsMart and she enjoyed more attention than usual from two-footed admirers of all sizes. My new prednisone dosing technique seemed to work - no crashing. She wouldn't eat out of a dog bowl, but she would suck canned food- Blue Buffalo lamb recipe - off my fingers, which was quite endearing. Sasha watched me hand-feed Misha and wouldn't touch her bowl until I had hand-fed HER 3 bites too. So I'm creating two monsters, but it felt pretty good at the time. I also got her to eat some Jumbone-type treats also, so at least she's not going to starve. :o}
Misha's Mom. Are you OK? I've been
thinking about you all. Hope you're doing OK. How is Sasha?
I was so sorry to hear about Misha. sm
Having Siberians (see my post above) and having done Siberian Husky rescue for 6 years (in the past), I feel a kinship with you. I just wanted to say hi and tell you my thoughts have been with you. Misha makes me think of my Cherokee...
It was a nice day Misha....
I'm glad the time changed. Longer days, more sunshine! LOL I'm ready for the new season... Would love to do some clothes shopping! 
Misha, I listened to what you said
and I went yesterday and got some arch supports - hubby said he should get me some good ones but at least I have a start with some WalMarts. The shooting pain hit both Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning and I am knocking on wood as I type, hoping this will alleviate that pain- none since I put those in my sandals. Gosh, just to think, if it did, how much I have spent trying to find a cure for this and it might have been less than 10$ all along? I am wearing them with my Bergies and strange feeling at first but I have not been without them at all, no barefoot, nothing except the arches and we will see!
That's good Misha - thanks :-) (nm)
x
I'm so very sorry for your loss, Misha.
.
Everyone, say hello to Misha's new boy, Cedric!
Oh don't you just wanna plant a huge kiss that little head?! Congratulations Misha!
Thanks Hayseed - and Misha
is today the day you get your new baby?
Nicely put, Misha! nm
x
Careful, Misha. sm
He seems laid back now because you're in the 'honeymoon' phase. He's a husky, he's lulling you into a false sense of security! LOL Just kidding. He is a handsome boy and looks very sweet.
I might have missed it - you said you're fostering him, right? Is it really just fostering, or will you be adopting him (whether you intended to or not - that's called failing fostering 101, and I have done it *twice* myself! LOL)
Misha - I don't think it's *humiliating*....
it just is what it is.........you do what you can - but humiliating? I don't think so..........
Misha, please fill me in on the hypermobile
arches, first I have heard of this. I used to go barefoot all the time and thought at first this might have been where this came from, do not do that anymore. The current is exactly in the arch so tell me more, if you know. Thanks
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