In Memory of Ivy

Losing a dog is painful no matter what. Some losses are in the normal course of living -- things I know can and do happen -- accidents such as Edison being struck by a car, Shazzy getting liver cancer at age 12 or watching my 12 year old Lulu succumb to a liver problem originally incurred with a severe mastitis infection six years ago. Others I have a harder time getting over -- such as when I was quite stunned over Tiara's sudden bloat last summer. Now this. SIGH. My gorgeous, puppy champion, CH Luminary Truly Scrumptious dying at just two years old from some kind of cancer in her mouth. The dental vet said the kind it appeared to be is actually common at that age but still. And first they didn't think it was cancer, but I knew back in January when I first saw it pop out. But the biopsies, yes, four of them, came back negative for cancer. So, we treated it as an infection which actually cleared it up somewhat but it came back. So, we did surgery to see if something else was going on but this time the lab report said it was cancer and one not amenable to treatment. So, after about another month, it came back and I had to make a very hard decision and let her go. I will always remember watching her in the ring - a true Champion - she'd look at the judges and they just had to pick her. And, she was my little buddy -- loved to ride in the car and went everywhere with me A big presence in this household and my life, gone.