Isabella

When my son came to Iowa it was to take care of his father. My ex-husband was dying of cancer.

There were hospice nurses who came a couple of times a week and he was paying his wife to be there during the day and to take him to medical appointments. He needed someone to be here all the time like when he had to use the bathroom at night.

My husband's family had lived not far from here and I grew up in this area. My son loved it here.

After his father died my son decided to stay. I had always intended to come home when I retired. But I was not quite ready at that time.

My son was all alone. He knew no one except for one aunt and one neighbor.

We have always had a dog. My son loves dogs so he went to the veterinary office in the next town to see if anyone had a dog that needed a home. He got lucky because there was only one dog looking for a home.

She was a female and he wanted a female. She was on the large side of medium and that was the size he wanted. Her name was Isabella.

Isabella was almost 2 years old. She had been rescued as a small puppy. She was found in a empty house with no food and no water. She had been abandoned to die.

Isabella had also been physically hurt. It was apparent that a man or men had hurt her. She really did not like men. At all.

It took a long time for her to warm up to my son. She was smart enough to know that he was the one taking care of her.

Eventually they became good companions. She even learned to know when his blood sugar was not right. Very smart.

Isabella began having problems walking a few years ago. The vet said arthritis and prescribed Glucosamine to help her joints.

Here lately it began to get harder and harder for her to outside to take care of those natural functions. She was listless.

Saturday night she went out with a great deal of difficulty. Then she came in and went straight to her bed.

She did not get up at all on Sunday. She slept in my son's room so he took water to her. When it had been so long since she ate he took her some doggy ice cream that we kept as a treat for her.

Monday we took her to the vet.

Isabella had bone cancer. The vet said he could prescribe pain killers which would make her more comfortable until the end. Or he could give her shot and euthanize her.

My son decided to end her misery. We were both with her until her life ended.

It has been a hard week. I work so hard at not getting attached to the pets but it happens anyway..My son feels like a part of him is missing.

I am sure he will get another dog someday. He has wisely decided to wait until he is over his grief.