Dear George,
Recently we had to have Iko, our beloved miniature Schnauzer, euthanized. He had been bleeding from the mouth, and we took him in for dental surgery. However, the vet found a large tumor at the back of his throat -- an aggressive melanoma -- and she recommended that he be put down. Shocked and miserable, we reluctantly agreed.
Iko has been such a loving companion. He slept with us every night, starting out in the middle of the bed, but then snuggling up to one or another of his humans. When I got out of bed in the morning, we've have our daily wrestling match. Iko would growl, roll on his back, kick his legs in the air, and play-bite my hands or wrists. The happiest part of his day. Then we would go for our morning walk. Iko was more of a sniffer than a walker, checking out every telephone pole, fire hyudrant, and piece of litter, leaving his marker on each. Workman arrivals were times of great excitement, and we would reassure the visitor that Iko likes to bark a lot but would never bite. The cleaning ladies were his highlight of the week. They loved Iko, and he loved them.
We are strugling with our loss. I look for Iko every time I move from one room to another, and my biological clock reminds me of times for our walks. My exercise routine has dropped by fifty percent. Iko was a big part of Katja's and my relationship, an object of constant attention and great shared affection. We will recover but it's going to take a while.
Love,
Dave
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