My Precious Willow

Willow
Yellow labrador retriever
Willow was brought to a local veterinary hospital at 6 months to be euthanized. The former owner claimed she was too hyper and wanted her put to sleep. A friend of mine worked at the clinic and had gotten the owner to surrender her. I had lost my other yellow female lab to cancer nine months before and she contacted me and asked if I would take her. The rest is history! She was my total heart and soul. I cannot even explain the connection I had with her. She was my everything. Right after she turned 7 i would a lump in her abdomen. I took her to work at the animal hospital I work at. Xrays revealed some sort of mass. That was on a Wednesday. Mind you, she showed no symptoms whatsoever. It was my strong bond with her that I noticed the ever so slight difference during a belly rub. By Friday she started vomiting. I had already scheduled an ultrasound with an oncologist that coming Tuesday. I rushed her to an emergency clinic for an ultrasound there and they said she was loaded with masses on her intestines and other internal organs. Her breathing became off that day also. On Saturday she stopped eating, which was her most favorite thing in the world. I knew she was dying. I had her put to sleep that Sunday. I only had a few days to even process what was happening. She was diagnosed with lymphoma and it took her in four days. None of her lymph nodes were swollen and they suspected it was hereditary. That day a piece of my heart was taken forever.