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03-27-10 UPDATE
Miko went through successful surgery and is recovering well!
Thank you for your donations and your concern.
URGENT
Miko is only 2 1/2 years old, but his chest fills with fluid which constricts his breathing and he must have corrective surgery or he will slowly suffocate.
His owner is desperate to save his friend, and has contacted AALOC's Pet Aid Program for help.
Please consider sending a tax deductible donation to help Miko.
No amount is too small, and donations can be by check, credit card, or PayPal. Please note on memo that donation is for Miko.
Checks can be sent to:
AALOC
P.O. BOX 38
Midway City, CA 92655
ATTN: Pet Aid - Miko
Donations can also be made via the PayPal link below:
For credit card donations, please e-mail aaloc@aaloc.org or call (714) 893-4393.
Miko thanks you for caring.
Letter from Miko's owner:
I first met Miko when my long time friend adopted him two years ago. He used to bring Miko to the soccer field where we would play soccer every Sunday with our friends. All of us immediately fell in love with our new "mascot". My friend later moved into a smaller place and realized he couldn't keep Miko any longer but he knew that he wanted to keep him close. I jumped at the opportunity of adopting him. Over the year Miko and I had developed a strong bond between us. Since Miko is a very energetic pup I am constantly giving him walks and during these walks is when we really grow together, its a time for me to be alone with him and for him to explore his neighborhood.
I am also in a Rock band called The Relative Strangers and Miko's previous owner plays the bass guitar in the band, so he still sees Miko on a regular basis. With Miko's move into my world he is now the mascot of our band and he loves to be in the garage hanging out with the boys.
During the summer I took Miko to the dog beach where he was recruited to be on a Web site named Hollywood Paws.
Early February is when I first noticed that Miko lacked energy and his breathing seemed to be a little short. The vet did not notice anything out of the ordinary. A month went by and that's when the trouble really started for Miko during the first week of March...his symptoms worsened and Xrays showed a very serious situation. The vet told me that there was fluid in his chest cavity that needed to be drained immediately. Miko was admitted immediately. He had his chest drained of the fluid and some tests were done to see what the cause was.
The result of all the tests and ultrasound was that he had a condition called Chylothorax, which means that his lymphatic ducts are leaking a lymphatic fluid into his chest cavity that constricts his lungs so they can't expanding fully this causes him to be short of breath. The vet said that this is a condition that is found in Shiba Inu's, which is Miko's breed. They then referred me to a specialty surgeon who estimated the surgery and hospital care to be around $4,000. Since his diagnosis I've been back to the vet to have his chest drained again, every time to drain his chest the cost is $300.
I am a guitar instructor and a struggling artist so at the sight of that amount my heart sank. I did not know what to do but I knew that I would find a way. Since then its been a nonstop battle to raise enough funds for the surgery. I asked the band to help and have even spread the news to my guitar students, some of who are donating what they can to help Miko get through all of this.
Thanks again and let me know if there is anything else I can do.
Daniel
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