In Memory of Mikey Man
5/8/2000-9/1/2005

Ch. Linlee’s Jami Heaven Sent Me (plus a few legs towards agility titles), affectionately known as Mikey Man, lost his long battle with refractory inflammatory bowel disease, hepatic microvascular dysplasia, and eosinophilic hepatitis.
Mikey finished his AKC championship owner-handled at about 18 months of age. Following that, he began training in agility and also participating in animal assisted therapy at a local school. His sweet, tolerant temperament made him an ambassador for the Maltese breed. He was an extremely intelligent dog with a large repertoire of tricks that always won people over. Despite his small size, he had an incredible heart and was always willing to share it with someone willing to rub his belly.
Mikey accompanied me to classes through my college education and went to work with me most every day. Most of the time you could find him asleep in his bag at school or lying on the counter at the vet clinic. He was a fixture just about everywhere he went.
Mikey was the poster child for what a Maltese should be like on the outside and temperament wise. On the inside, he was the poster child for the necessity of health testing in Maltese. Mikey had multiple surgeries for distichiasis, a hereditary eye condition that causes discomfort and eye ulcers. Mikey required orthopedic surgery for a luxating patella. He also suffered from MVD with eosinophilic hepatic venule inflammation and eosinophilic IBD, a combination found in Maltese dogs according to Dr. Sharon Center at Cornell. MVD is considered hereditary in Maltese.
A special thank you to the following people for making Mikey’s life a little easier:
Audrey Ferrel – Without you, the little man never would have been such a
good patient. His training and our relationship got us through so many episodes of his illnesses. You taught me how to be a better dog owner and have always been a friend I knew I could count on.
The Veterinarians and Staff at Belle Haven Animal Medical Centre – My
friends and family…I think some of you loved Mikey almost as much as I did. Thank you for being there for us and for all of the medical care you provided for him.
Dr. Fiona McClure – Every last ditch effort was followed with just one
more idea. Thank you for trying to give us hope and an even bigger thank you for letting us know when it was time to give up.
The Staff at SouthPaws Veterinary Emergency and Referral Center –
What would we have done without you guys?! Francie and all of the staff up front were wonderful. I always felt comfortable leaving Mikey in your care.

In Memory of Mikey Man please support bile acid testing on every Maltese. You can help in the search for a genetic marker by donating to the AKC Canine Health Foundation earmarked for Maltese/Dr. Sharon Center at Cornell.