When I was younger I always wanted a dog. Then a co-worker at the Star wanted to get rid of her Mini Schnauzer, so I said I would take her. A free dog? Why not?
I worried that maybe I did not know how much responsibility a dog is, but when I got Bows I got a winner. She has dog attitude, loves to eat, and wants to go everywhere with me.
When I first got her, I walked her every morning/lunchtime/evening. This was while I was recovering from chemotherapy. Bows made me healthier and helped me lose some of those icky chemo pounds with our daily walks then I got a bicycle basket and she goes on bike rides with me. (FYI: It's much faster to put her in the basket than try to walk with her.) It is also proven that animals help people heal and people with pets are happier. (Please ignore the double chin in the above photo, too. Thanks!)
And, Matthew loves her to pieces....even when she decides to wake him up at 5 a.m. by barking because she wants to eat breakfast. Oh good times.
But, Bows is 13 and on Monday we learned she has Congestive Heart Failure. Her body has a lot of fluid, so she's on pills to help get rid of that and has to take it easy. She rapidly breathes and I can hear her breathing when it's quiet in the room. As the vet said "no one lives forever," so for now we are trying to make her comfortable and as long as she is eating and is not in pain we will continue to find new "medical miracles" to help her. And, I might have to cry a few more times on my ride home so I can smile at her when I get home. After all, having a dog is like having another member of the family.
Now if I can just get Matthew to pay for a doggie difibrulator...
1 comment:
So sorry to hear about Bows!!! My dog, Bonnie, had the same health issues for awhile before she passed away. It's always hard to think about losing a member of your family. :(
Hope everything goes well for a while longer!
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