Shaldra Mikater Elam
Ch Mikater Loch x Ch Shaldra Mikater Icicle
Nemo was adopted from a breeder in Maryland when he was 18 months old. His tale (as it was related to us) is a real sob story. He was bounced from home to home at least 5 times before we met him. As a puppy one of his owners came home to find his wife and all the furniture gone, and a Dear John letter on Nemo’s crate. Another family moved and left him with a neighbor. He lived for a short while with a model who was a student at VCU in Richmond,VA. Apparently he posed with her for a painting that now hangs in downtown Richmond. His last home before us really cared for him, but it didn’t work out. We’re grateful that they cared for him while they had him, and saved him from going to a shelter.
It took a few weeks for Nemo to settle in and realize we weren’t leaving him. We changed his name to Nemo since he didn’t respond to any of his other myriad names including Bud, Red Bud, Data, and Kelsey. He spent a lot of time sitting at a safe distance staring at us, as if trying to figure out who the heck we were. We learned quickly that he hates being crated, as he would shake violently and drool to the point where it soaked the carpet. He was so insecure he would panic if we tried to roll him on his back or pick him up.
Today Nemo is an extremely well-adjusted well behaved member of our family. He’s quiet and laid back. He’s gone through some changes in his advanced age, he developed hypothyroidism and a Grade IV-V heart murmur. The cardiologist diagnosed him with moderate mitral valve disease.
Nemo was diagnosed with B-cell Lymphoma in early March. At this point he has no symptoms other than swollen lymph nodes, is not in pain, and is still eating and doing his normal routine. We have elected not to do any further testing or treatment, basically we aren’t going to do anything that has a chance of ruining the quality of life he has left.
