Nanuk The Bear
Hello; I’m Michelle, a family-oriented breeder of a little known, but beautiful pedigree of the Japanese Spitz. Thank you for taking a few moments to consider helping David & me during an awful tragedy happening.
This is Nanuk, our sweetest Sire, who’s at the heart of our Mitsuki pack. Nanuk (or nanuq) is an Inuktitut word for Polar Bear. With his big, loving eyes, kind demeanor, and playful spirit, he also has one of the most radiant smiles you will ever see. Nanuk, at only 8 years old, is one of the happiest little souls ever and he is more than just a sire or pet, he’s family; he’s our little bear.
His story with us began when he was only a pup. Our dear friend (and breeder) generously and secretively plotted with our daughter-in-law to surprise us with him, as a gift upon my healing from the 14th consecutive, post cancer treatment surgery that I’d had, within 2 years. We immediately fell in love with him. As he’s grown, Nanuk has been responsible for bringing joy every year through his puppies to so many beloved Mitsuki families.
Recently though, we noticed a change. Despite his happy face, he seemed to be getting weary, hiding a pain that was slowly taking a toll on him. Alarmed, we rushed him for an exam to our trusted Repro Vet, at Lake Alfred Animal Hospital, in central Florida. There, her words were like an overwhelming rush of sudden anxiety and fear crashing over us. Our little bear is in serious trouble!
She told us that Nanuk is suffering a traumatic illness! For reasons unknown, his immune system had turned on him and has been fighting and destroying his own blood cells. He had no platelets and an excessive amount of white blood cells.
It is terrifying and heartbreaking to see our little bear so distressed and weak. To think we could lose him is inexplicably agonizing. Seeing him lying there, struggling, with those trusting eyes still looking to us for help, was just heartbreaking. It felt like someone had tightened a vice around our hearts.
Our Vet recommended taking Nanuk to the University of Florida’s Small Animal Hospital, in Gainesville, FL. Ranked the 6th Best Veterinarian Training Hospital in the U.S., UFSAM is believed to be the best and most financially conservative option for Nanuk to survive this and prevent his illness’s return. Once there, he was immediately admitted into their ICU. The Doctors, Professors, and Students welcomed him warmly and assured us that he would always have an attentive caregiver around the clock. They invoked a true sense of trust and peace of mind, but at the same time, tried to prepare us for the worst.
While in the ICU, they would begin with blood work, ultrasounds, radiographs, and determined that a transfusion was needed quickly. We’ve since learned that the illness is presenting itself as two separate, but extremely dangerous conditions. However, we also learned that it is exceedingly rare to find these symptoms together in the same patient. So rare in fact, that it’s believed the nature or cause of his condition is not likely to be as it seems with Nanuk. The true cause still needs to be discovered & treated.
Nanuk has been in the hospital since the 18th of June. The reality of his condition and the increasing costs have come as another blow. As I am sure you can imagine, the cost of Veterinary care has gone through the roof. The steps to save him, the dedicated constant and intensive care, and the continued testing, are all adding up quickly with still so much more to be done in order to isolate the root cause of his illness, present an educated prognosis, and design a plan for treatment.
The monies we’d saved from our puppies, which of course is meant for emergencies like this and the overall health and welfare of the rest of our pack, is now exhausted; our credit- maxed out. We’ve set a goal of $18,000 to cover his current and projected expenses.
Yes… it's a daunting figure, yet the thought of Nanuk rejoining his pack back home, to chase his racquetball in our yard again, play with his LambChop toy, cuddle up in our laps, and spread joy and laughter as he always has (his greatest superpower!), keeps us hopeful. Each day passing is filled with worry and he is missed terribly. We can’t contemplate life without him.
Always so vibrant, Nanuk has lived smiling, playful, loving unconditionally, and with boundless loyalty. Unlike other breeders, we do not re-home our retirees. He, who like all in our pack, is one of our children. He deserves every chance to fight this battle and return to the love and warmth of his pack and family. We are praying for at least another 8 years with him and we simply will not give up on our little bear.
Won’t you please help us to help Nanuk Fight?
We humbly ask for your prayers, positive thoughts, and support to cover the enormous cost of his life-saving veterinary care. We would be ever so grateful for your donation. Your thoughtfulness and generosity would mean more than words can express.
Thank you - Thank you - Thank you!
With All Our Hearts,
The Mitsuki Japanese Spitz Family
Michelle, David, Sera; Maki, Nanuk, Luna, Taiki, Kimiko, Airashi, Tomi, and Saisei.
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If you would like to reach out or learn more about Mitsuki Japanese Spitz, take a look at our Facebook and Instagram pages and watch Nanuk’s puppy videos on YouTube.
https://www.facebook.com/MitsukiJapaneseSptiz
https://www.instagram.com/mitsukijapspitz?igsh=MWw0dTl6eW9zbzI3eg==
https://youtube.com/@mitsukijapanesespitz4645?si=VhfuEwPe-Ui4O3f9
