Adventures of Isabella have ended

With extreme sadness, and a little guilt and shock, I had to say goodbye to my beautiful "baby girl" Isabella the Mastiff last weekend. I still can't talk about it so haven't posted on the worldwide social web of FaceBook yet.

In June I spotted the quarter size mass peaking from her butt just right of her large fawn tail. We drove up to Rock Springs, Wyoming, where the vet did a quick physical and said it was much larger under the skin, invisible to the eye but very large. She referred us to either specialists in Salt Lake City or Ft Collins. We chose Advanced Care in SLC after a number of texts with Marla (a personal friend and vet herself). This specialty vet clinic which I highly recommend, was very busy but took the time to explain options. We had to know what this was. So Isabella went under and had a biopsy and CT scan of her 140 pound body.

Diagnosis and prognosis was not good. Mass had grown to the size of a softball. Each day it continued to grow larger starting to cause pain to my baby girl each time she stood up, laid down, went up or down the RV steps or just walked more than 20 steps.

Last Sunday, July 7, she woke up late, backed out of her space between my window and bed, turned to me and cried. That was it. Anything beyond that moment would be about me not wanting to let go instead of about putting her out of any pain. It was curable, I can't fix it, and even if I contributed to it, it was time to forgive and let her cross the rainbow bridge. So off to Salt Lake we went. She never even wanted out of the truck along the 3 hour drive. Her favorite position, laying in the back seat with her head on the open window frame, nose to the wind would be her last trip, and I think she knew it. I can't relive the details of the experience, but all should know I laid beside her not knowing if I was comforting her or she comforting me.

Rest in beautiful peace my baby girl. It was a pleasure having you in my life these last five years. I am sorry I for all the times I told you "no" or made you stay in the RV alone. You were a great companion, both in the big house in Arkansas, and here on the RV road - not many dogs get to see all the places where you got to pee! Miss you every day.....