Ruby has continued to do well. She no longer has “bad days” or “bad afternoons.” Since the air pockets are gone and it's safe for her to move more, I’ve been taking her on short walks very, very early in the morning to help with her stamina. Who knows, maybe it will help her brain learn to compensate for her twitching so she can move without falling, too? At first she could only walk down a few doors before getting tired, but she was able to go farther and farther each day and can now take a good 15 minute walk (well, she mostly tries to RUN) without issue. She is now so full of boundless energy she needs a Gentle Leader to go for a walk. I can’t believe I’m happy about such awful leash manners!
Even if this is as good as she recovers, her nervous system issues at this point are very easy for her to live with….and she could easily live a very active life, too (I don’t think Ruby would have it any other way!) Considering that nobody could tell us if the damage would ever heal - or even simply improve a bit - this is a phenomenal development.
Death from Distemper or heartworms is not quick, the suffering is immense. There is no cure for Distemper, and any treatment available is only meant to ease suffering or help the dog stay strong enough to attempt to fight the virus on it’s own. Distemper slowly destroys, the lymphoid organs, respiratory organs, gastrointestinal organs, and urogenital organs, one-by-one. Most dogs that die from distemper, die from neurological complications, many of which are horrific to witness: swelling of the brain, seizures, deterioration of mental and muscle function, paralysis, disabling muscle spasms, depression and an increased sensitivity to stimuli like pain or touch. Heartworms is as equally devastating. Read Livy’s story to understand why waiting to see if a dog gets heartworms to take action is not only expensive but very, very dangerous for the dog.
Ruby was very, very lucky to have survived and found a wonderful home to live out a healthy and happy life. Her illnesses were easily avoidable with simple and relatively inexpensive preventive measures. Sadly, heartworm prevention costs only about $7-$10 a month, and the DHLP-P vaccination, which protects against more than just Distemper, costs only about $8-$12 a year. The cost in your time to carry out this prevention is even less. We hope that Ruby’s story (below) and the suffering she had to endure will educate so that other dogs don't have to suffer or die from these preventable diseases.
Ruby was very, very lucky to have survived and found a wonderful home to live out a healthy and happy life. Her illnesses were easily avoidable with simple and relatively inexpensive preventive measures. Sadly, heartworm prevention costs only about $7-$10 a month, and the DHLP-P vaccination, which protects against more than just Distemper, costs only about $8-$12 a year. The cost in your time to carry out this prevention is even less. We hope that Ruby’s story (below) and the suffering she had to endure will educate so that other dogs don't have to suffer or die from these preventable diseases.
May 25: My German Shepherd
May 17: Olivia, Henrietta, Sunshine and Ruby
April 10: First Trip to the Beach
