Reba - Very Sad News

It's hard to believe the time is flying by so quickly. Here it is already March 2010!! The long awaited Olympics are now history and spring is just around the corner. It soon will be time to think about what one should get for mothers day gifts. I usually get my Mom a plant, to be more specific, a chrysanthemum. A mum for Mom.

It also will soon be time for motorcycles to hit the roads. This has been a very unusual winter and some people have actually been riding their motorcycles for some weeks already, though it must still be rather cool for that. My trike is coming along very nicely and I hear the drive shaft is very nearly done. The machinist that did the work only charged for the materials and not for his labour. How cool is that!! So $50 got me a special made drive shaft.

As you may know, a large part of why I am converting my motorcycle into a trike is so I can pack my beloved dog Reba along with me. As she is a large Rottweiler, this is only possible with a specially built machine. Well, the sad news is that by the time my trike is on the road in about a month, my dog will be no more.

Reba appears to have cancer in a toe on her left front foot. The vet said that the toe can be amputated (at the cost of $400 plus any medications needed) and would "likely" get all the cancer though there is no guarantee of that. From everything I've read, the lift expectancy of a Rottweiler is 8-12 years and Reba turned 11 on December 14, so is in her 12th year now. I have to consider what is best for Reba and that, I am coming to believe, is to "do the humane thing"... I think you all understand what that means without me putting it into specific words. Just the thought is hard to think, never mind to say, and yet I love my dog enough to let her go... to let her be free of pain.

I have had Reba in my life since she was about 7 weeks old, just over 11 years now. When I went to see the pups available, I decided that I did not want to choose a pup, I wanted the pup to choose me. 2 beautiful females chose me and nothing we did would get these 2 girls to change their minds and only 1 choose me. Ultimately I had to make the final choice and I have often wondered what happened to the other girl. Reba & I had a bit of a rocky start in some ways, though we have had a wonderful 11 years together. I am making sure her last days/weeks with me are very happy for her. I am still holding on to some hope that she can stay with me a while longer, though if I can keep her comfortable and well for just 2 - 3 more weeks I will be happy. You see, I already have a Pet Cemetery here on my property, and I will lay Reba there too. I just have to wait a little longer so the ground will not be frozen & a grave can be dug.

It is hard to believe 11 years has passed so quickly and it is already time for Reba & I to part ways for awhile. I always thought that with her being such a healthy dog she would out live the 12 years, and I am sure that if she didn't have the "big C" she would have.