Ruby 2

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Updated 1/6/06:

A major hurdle is behind Ruby. She has completed treatment for her heartworms. It was a tough journey but this sweetie came through. With that step done, the veterinarian recommended allowing her body to recover and rebuild before making the next decision on her health.

It is uncertain at this time if two more teeth will need to be removed or if Ruby’s dental treatment is done as well. Her weight is down due to the original dental problem and tapeworms, but with the worms eliminated and better oral health, she should make gains. To help her along, Ruby is being fed extra meals, a part of her recovery which she doesn’t mind at all. Once she has had a chance to heal and gain weight, a further assessment will be done. With a little bit of luck and continuing TLC, this sweetheart should be ready for her forever home by the end of January. Lucky will be the family who gets to claim her as their “valentine!”

Updated 12/21/05:

Poor Ruby has had a very rough start toward restoring her health. She has had one treatment in a series to eliminate her heartworms. While she was sedated for that, the vet planned to remove one severely abscessed tooth that was found during her initial exam. Sadly for Ruby, when a full exam of her teeth was made, it was found that five teeth plus the remnants of some others needed to be pulled that day. All five teeth were severely infected. Two more may need to be removed, but the vet felt Ruby should not be under sedation any longer at that time.

With hospitalization and the best of care, this dental work was still very difficult for Ruby. She continued to bleed and a blood transfusion was necessary the next day. She will stay with the veterinarian for another day or two, until she is clearly stable and ready for home care. She is on major antibiotics to knock down the infection surrounding the teeth and will need lots of TLC as she heals. Once she recovers from this, the two remaining teeth that should come out will be pulled and she will have her last heartworm treatment.

The vet staff is so impressed with how sweet Ruby has been through all of this and is hoping as much as her foster mom to see Ruby go home for the holidays. Please keep her in your thoughts as she struggles to regain good health.

Original: Ruby came to MAESSR after a Richmond, Virginia, group traveled to Mississippi to assist Katrina dogs.  Due to the lack of resources there, many dogs that are heartworm positive are now being put to sleep, and this group wanted to save as many as possible.  MAESSR agreed to take Ruby, provide her health needs, and then find her a forever home.

Coming into foster care, Ruby was extremely thin and very leery of people.  She guarded her food from the other dogs in her foster home.  She would growl if they came near her bowl, although this never escalated into a fight.  She seemed to eat for two days straight until she figured out that she was not going to be hungry again and could relax into normal mealtimes. Occasionally, she will still grumble at the other dogs when they eye her kibble, but this will likely end as she becomes more settled in her new surroundings.

Ruby has started trusting her foster family, too, and the assorted visitors that stop by. She has met children as young as 5 and has ignored them.  She really wants to be a TOTAL love bug but first needs to make sure that someone new is not going to hurt her. She grumbles and moans on a regular basis to let those close by know what is going on with her.  In getting acquainted, her foster mom can see that this is in no way a growl.  It’s just part of Ruby’s very vocal nature, part of her need to “talk.”

Ruby’s perfect home would be one where she could sleep with her family.  She begs nightly to be allowed on the bed.  When told, “No, you cannot come up.  Go lie down,” she will grumble and pick a bedside spot.  She loves the sofa and recliner and thinks that she is queen of the world while she is there.  She dislikes being crated, and fortunately, because of her overall good manners, her foster family has not found it necessary to retrain her.  She is housebroken, doesn’t counter surf, and only occasionally “checks out” the trash can.  With lots of recent travel, Ruby has proven herself to be very well behaved in a car, whether the trip is long or short.

In addition to her positive heartworm diagnosis, Ruby has several other very treatable medical needs.  In her initial check up, one of her teeth was found to be so badly abscessed that it had caused a hole in the roof of her mouth.  Her vet was extremely surprised that she could be such a sweetheart on the exam table with the amount of pain she had to be in.  The tooth will be removed and should bring her immediate relief.  Ruby is also being watched carefully for a bit of an incontinence problem.  A weekly pill has been totally effective for her so far, and as her health improves, it may no longer be needed.  And, of course, her ear infections should clear up with proper medication as well.

Her foster mom wonders what horrors must have happened to Ruby during and after Katrina.  Ruby’s ability to bounce back will be reflective of her sound, springer temperament, dedicated veterinary care, and lots of TLC in her foster home. To complete her successful rescue, someone who will make Ruby the “queen” of their world must be waiting.  She loves to be very close to the people she has gained trust in.  She should have a forever family who is equally eager to live closely with her and will assure her that she will never be hungry or alone again.  Can you give her rescue a very happy ending?