The last few days have been an emotional roller coaster, to say the least. There was absolutely NOTHING we could do to stop the progression of the disease, or even make her feel any better. The only thing to do was continue togive her all the attention and loving that she just so adores, and hope it would help keep her spirits up.
The shaking and twitching got so bad by Wednesday that Ruby stopped trying to sit up and say hello. By Thursday she stopped wagging her tail and stopped "smiling." With everything she'd been through so far, she ALWAYS remained cheerful (tired, but cheerful). This development truly broke our hearts because it was SO un-Ruby. With the weekend approaching, we made the decision to go ahead and take her in to be euthanized so she would not continue to suffer until Monday.
But, Ruby is not going to give up THAT easily. She wagged her tail and had a little more of that Ruby sparkle to her in the exam room. With that, Dr. Bob refused to give up on her. He said he just couldn't do it, she still had something left in her. If we wanted to euthanize her today, the other vet in the office would have to do it, he could not. So, Ruby came back home that night, with one more chance. We took her home knowing we might be back in next week, but it was worth a try.
I’ve been giving my dogs sardines every morning with their breakfast since they were puppies. They love them, and it makes their coats silky soft and shiny. My fosters also get a sardine every morning, too. Ruby is no exception, she practically does cartwheels for her sardine. Every can I have ever opened can has had three sardines. There’s been no exception to this rule. When I took in my first foster, it worked perfectly: three sardines, three dogs. On Ruby’s first morning at my house, the first can I opened had four sardines. I laughed at the coincidence: four sardines, four dogs. For the next three days, every can I opened had four sardines, without fail. On Thursday, there were only three, just a coincidence, I know, but it broke my heart nonetheless because it was becoming apparent that little Ruby might not make it much longer. On Friday morning I was distracted with Ruby and getting her to the vet, so I did not give the girls their morning treat. Henrietta, "The Walking Stomach," stubbornly reminded me of this fact Friday night, after Ruby had returned safely home. Imagine my delight when I opened the can and there were four sardines packed in there?
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
