I lost my best friend of 11 yrs yesterday.

Aw So sorry to hear that, Brian! Rest in peace, Maggie. She was beautiful.

I'm so sorry Brian RIP beautiful girl

I am so sorry to hear the news, It just crushes a person when this happens.
My thoughts are with you at this time.

Brian, so sorry about this loss! She was a beautiful girl.

So sorry for your loss.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I am so sorry for your loss! Run free Maggie!

Brian,
so sad to hear the news of Maggie, your first. may she rest in peace and im sure she will be waiting for you at the gates. thinking of you and your family at this time.

So sorry. Rest in peace Maggie

Aw, Brian, I'm so sorry to hear about Maggie

I'm really sorry about your loss, Brian.
Those eyes...

Brian, I am so sorry for your loss. Those beautiful, understanding eyes look like they can see right into your soul. Rest in peace, dear Maggie.

Brian, I am so very sorry to hear about your loss. Maggie was beautiful. RIP, lovely girl.

Saint Roch (or Saint Rocco) please guide Maggie's way to the bridge. RIP

I am so sorry for your loss
RIP Maggie

I want to thank everyone for the kind words and thoughts. It's nice to have a group of people bonded by the love of animals as a virtual family. There are still so many out there that just don't understand how intense a human animal bond can be and for them I'm truly sorry.

I know there's another thread on here about what made you want a husky, well in my case it was Maggie. Brave was not a term I would have used to describe Maggie (more on this later) upon me adopting her from a local rescue group. Maggie was full of energy but was nervous about every little noise she heard. Thunderstorms were a very traumatic event in our house and in Oklahoma that's not good. Well she never out grew that fear but she did become much more calm about unknown noises and a lot less nervous. This is where by boy Mikko fits in.

One of the recommendations I had been given by the vet and various friends was to get her a playmate. I had always been drawn to northern breed dogs because of their beauty and I love winter much more than summer. After researching the temperament of several breeds I thought a husky might be the best fit, high energy, usually fearless and very playful. Well Maggie also gets the credit for getting me involved in rescue. So I began searching husky rescues for a young dog. We tried a female husky first but that turned that they were at each others throats in a bad way in the first 30 seconds. Several weeks went by a the rescue called about an owner surrender they had saved from the shelter, a 1 1/2 yr old male this time. Enter Mikko, within minutes of being in the house Mikko had picked up Maggie's tug rope and the two were playing. Mikko ultimately was able to calm Maggie down. I think it was he never reacted to any of her fears, plus just matching her energy level and keeping her occupied helped.

Now back to the Brave part. When Maggie became basically paralyzed in her hind legs, back in November last year, due to severe arthritis and disc inflammation I thought it was the end of the line. Not wanting to give up since she seemed full of life still I sought the help of a holistic vet I had heard about on television. He tried his standard remedies he had had success with over several weeks with Maggie. No improvement. He then, after going to his chiropractor for a bad back, decided to give a new therapy called prolozone therapy to Maggie. It required long needles injected into the joints and acupuncture points filled with ozone and medicine. He wanted to do this under mild anesthesia but she would have to have several treatments of the span of a few weeks. We were both concerned given her age and condition of her kidneys which were degraded from a year or more on Rimadyl (from the conventional vet). So we decided to try it without the anesthesia. Maggie never once showed any sign of pain from the injections. After just 2 weeks of treatments she was getting up and down on her own and while not being able to run still had a good quality of life.

She began panting heavily on Saturday morning and was reluctant to stand and walk. We took her to the vet (even thought he was closed) and he did x-rays and blood work. The blood wasn't much different than the previous month but the x-rays showed a suspicious area below her stomach. He thought that IV fluids might bring her around, so we went home with IV's to administer. She was worse by Sunday night, whining and winching in pain. We gave her some strong pain meds in the IV to keep her comfortable but by Monday morning decided it was time.

So looking back over the last year I would say Maggie was a very brave girl. Got to go crying again.....

Oh Brian At least you know that you did EVERYTHING possible to extend her time with you while keeping her happy and comfortable. You're a great dog daddy and Maggie will always appreciate everything that you did for her! Give Mikko a huge hug from Mya and Kody.

My deepest and heartfelt sympathies on your loss

Awww - I'm so sorry for your loss - our thoughts are with you. She was so brave and beautiful!