Ruby update .... *takes deep breath* This is a sit down, grab a tissue one, so please read on if you have been following our little Rubys story this year. You may remember the latest instalment on her birthday (less than a month ago) saw her recovering well from being spayed and looking forward to a holiday before she went off to big girls school to train in her reserve career as a working guide dog. Her original career as breeding stock had been abandoned due to some health issues as a youngster but a change in diet had seen no issues since January. What a lot can change in just a few weeks.... Mum and dad returned from my brothers wedding in Italy last week to find out the people shed been boarded with had been concerned as shed started drinking excessively and peeing constantly and so Guide Dogs retrieved her and monitored her in the centre. You may remember this had been the problem shed had pre January. A phased return to her previous food had been put in place as part of her transition to big school and her new life so initially my personal theory was that her dietary intolerance had returned - sadly we now know its something more concerning. Ruby was returned home yesterday, extremely skinny and bearing bad news from the vets. Tests have have confirmed Rubys liver is not functioning properly and not processing the food as it should, so shes not gaining weight. Its very complicated and they are trying to work out where to send her for further tests, but the bottom line is that she will not be put into the training programme now and ultimately her career as a Guide Dog is over before it has even began. We are all devastated as other than her health issues she is a sparkey, intelligent pup and these aside should would have been a fabulous servant and companion to a blind or partially sighted person. As further blow is that Ruby had been extra special to our family as she was the Sponsor Pup that mum and dad named in celebration of their Ruby Wedding Anniversary last year. Ruby will leave us next week and a new Forever Home will be found for her where she will get to just be a regular young dog...a lady of leisure if you will. I am lucky that I fly home on Friday night and will spend one last weekend with this special girl before she goes. So with tear filled eyes this is pretty much the end of our story for now. I will leave you with one final though though - Sad as Rubys story is, it is a living reminder of why financial support of Guide Dogs is so vital. It costs around £50,000 for every successful pup bred, Ruby has had a significant proportion of that spent on her so far in her short time under Guide Dogs care. Furthermore Guide Dogs will continue to support her vets bills for life in relation to her liver condition. With no government funding, every pound donated to Guide Dogs is much needed. Please support them if you can.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 19:59:37 +0000
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