Ruby is now healthy, but I’ve decided to hold off on her adoption for a few more weeks so she can get out and about on the town so we can see how she does in new situations. I also wanted to have some time to continue to work on her manners and her housetraining.
One of the hardest things for Ruby is to be quiet and polite when she sees another dog out on our walks. Ruby insists upon going to say hello, and if she is not allowed to go say hello, she makes sure everyone hears her talk about the injustice at the top of her lungs! When she was first able to go on walks, she would go into a barking frenzy and run circles around me if she saw another dog from all the way down the street. So, we’ve been working very hard on rewarding her for being quiet and sitting politely when she sees other dogs on our walks. Now she only gets excited once they are a couple of doors down, and she may only bark once or twice before she remembers to sit by me and wait quietly for her reward. Lots of improvement so far, but we still have a way to go.
I’ve enrolled her in an obedience class to help her learn to ignore and work around other dogs, and also help her learn to practice her good manners wherever she goes, not just at home. Today was Ruby’s first day of school. I was worried she would be barky with new dogs so close to her, but she was WONDERFUL! She was a very good girl and hardly noticed the other dogs; she didn’t even bark once. She was ready to work and was not the least bit interested in playing with the others. I don’t know why I was so worried. Ruby always seems to surprise everyone. Why wouldn’t this time be any different?
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
