Paphos Life

I posted a few days ago on a thread by Max about Ruby and her ruptured cruciate ligament.

The x-rays at the vets last Wednesday showed she had definitely ruptured the ligament so her whole right back leg knee joint is now totally unstable. She cannot put any weight on it and has been getting around on three legs since 15 July.

The x-rays were being sent to another vet with a review for surgery as it seems our clinic uses an outside orthopaedic veterinary surgeon. They should have come back to us on Friday but it didn't happen and on Saturday a further chaser email was sent. Eventually we got a phone call last night at about 7:30pm.

Now, bearing in mind that Ruby is 99% Rottweiler, is just 4 months short of being 11 years old and a hefty 43.5kg - the surgeon has said he "can" perform the op, without ever having set eyes on her! The average lifespan of a Rottie is anywhere between 8 - 12 years and the recovery period for this particular operation for a younger, agile dog is around 2 - 3 months.

We fully expected the surgeon to ask to see her and then say it was a no-go if he had taken into consideration that she's already on Metacam liquid painkiller for her arthritis as well as her age and weight. So to be told this last night and in the next breath, the cost would be just under £2,000 plus another £260 again for a further sedation and x-rays 6 weeks later was a kick in the teeth we didn't quite anticipate.

We've ummed and aaahed over it all night..... first thoughts this morning was to give her the chance and the opportunity but then knowing she's already fed up with not being able to get on the sofa with us when we watch TV or to jump on the bed with us for her nightly sleep, and realising that will continue for many months after the operation and most likely she will never be able to do any of that again.... we both understood, we had to let her go.

We walked round to the local surgery this morning and explained our feelings there. The vet who sent her for x-rays was on duty and she said she agreed with our thinking. Ruby's life will never be the same again and she's had a long and happy life. This was a puppy I found at 12 - 14 weeks of age abandoned and tied up with electricity cable at the side of a road on the outskirts of Limassol, Cyprus.

So tomorrow lunchtime, the vet will come to the house to put Ruby into a sleep one last time and will take her away with her. She will be cremated and her ashes returned to us a few weeks later. Then both Ruby's and the ashes our other old dog, Indie (who passed away last October) will be scattered together by the little wall on the pathway next to the golf course around the corner. That particular wall was always the turning point for Indie as he couldn't walk very far - he was 14 years old and had been Ruby's lifetime buddy.

The rest of today and tomorrow is going to be very difficult for our family.....

I am so sorry to read this, you must be in pieces.
It will be very painful for a long time but please try to remember the wonderful life you gave to her, and all that love.
Sending big cyberhugs.
Thinking of you, as all dog lovers will do.
Tx

A sad time for your Family, and hard to get through. But I think you have made the right decision at her age... God bless you.. xx

You have made the right decision. Her quality of life would be compromised. My thoughts are with you. Xxx

Oh Jules ...that's awful, you know you have reached the right decision, it's the last thing you can do for a loved pet.
We had our darling cat put to sleep a few weeks ago, she was 14 so I know what you're going through.
Thoughts are with you xx

A very brave but heartbreaking decision but love is always the dogs needs before your own .....which is what you are doing
I have 3 dogs one rescue who is just 6 weeks short of 14 years......it's just horrible to let them go......

Very hard but the right decision to stop your poor Ruby is suffering any longer. I lost several dogs in the past either through poisoning or medical diagnosis. (hip problem) To put a loved friend to sleep is only allowed with animals, with humans it is still a huge problem. If you feel too lonely, why not having a little other darling from a rescue center in your area...it will help you in a big way to soften your pain and grief. My thoughts are with you.

Max

Jules my heart bleeds for you, but sure you made the right decision for Ruby. She will go with the love you gave her through her whole life and the memories of the good times, as will you eventually.
Will be thinking of you tomorrow, night God Bless Ruby xxx
Rainbow Bridge awaits.

I'm sorry for the need to make the big decision. We went through the same pain a month ago. After over an almost pain-free year on Meloxicam, his hind quarters just gave way at 14½ years. We still miss the bugger like hell; he is no longer able to greet us at the gate with a 25 kg lurch and I don't hide that I have tears in my eyes as I write this (and I'm a man!). I'll shed some for you, too.

You have just given your beloved companion a final gift - a gentle passing at the end of a fun filled, great life. You have been a true friend to her, and repaid her love with compassion when she needed it. I know the pain of losing an animal. It is a special kind of grief that only animal lovers can understand. Be kind to yourself xx

Poor old Ruby and poor you two! It is the most heartbreaking decision to have to make but you are quite right to put her first and not yourselves.

Such a heartbreaking decision to have to make, but the right one under the circumstances. I will be thinking of you tomorrow. X

I do know what you are going through now. So difficult to make this decision, but you know it is the only right one. Will be thinking of you.

Yes it is sad at times like this Jules, but you gave her a fantastic life and that is all credit to you, our dog Coco is now very old and slow, like myself, we are also dreading the day when it arrives, but we have always done the best for her also, you cannot do more than what you have done, this will not take that pain away, but we do feel for you...

So sad to read your update, Jules, and my thoughts are with you for what is a very brave, but difficult decision to take. I'm sure Ruby will thank you for gently relieving her of her pain and distress...

Don't worry, she will be waiting up there to greet you eventually..

AL

Chin up girl. The good memories will remain long after the sadness fades.

How utterly devastating for you both, it is truly heartbreaking to lose a pet, but you've made the right decision for Ruby.
As Dominic said, ' chin up girl ', I'll be thinking of you tomorrow.

A song for Ruby.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErZlGWDEtUE



"Rubylove"

Who'll be my love
You'll be my love
You'll be my sky above
Who'll be my light
You'll be my light
You'll be my day and night
You'll be mine tonight

Ruby glykeia (Ruby my sweet)
Ela xana (come again)
Ela xana konta mou (come again close to me)
Ela proi (come in the morning)
Me tin avgi (by dawn)
Hrisi san iliahtida (gold as a sunbeam)
Ruby mou mikri (You small Ruby)

Ruby my love
You'll be my love
You'll be my sky above
Ruby my light
You'll be my light
You'll be my day and night
You'll be mine tonight

Such a hard, heartbreaking decision to have to make, but you know you've done the right thing for your beloved pal. Ruby has had a long loving life with you and you will have many happy memories to smile over in times to come, although you will be needing boxes of Kleenex for a while yet.

Thank you everyone..... I've been in tears reading all of your posts.

As you have all imagined, it's been an absolutely traumatic and possibly the longest 2 days of our lives - just waiting for the morning to come and then for the arrival of the vet and her nursing assistant.

We sat and watched TV all morning with Ruby - something that isn't normally done at all in our house. We gave her some extra painkillers this morning to keep her quiet and relaxed and she had a special breakfast of fried chicken breast and corned beef. She didn't waste any time in eating that...

However, we could see the muscle wastage already appearing in the damaged leg and she was quite stiff on the good back leg so we knew what we were doing was definitely the right thing. It didn't make it any less horrendous for us though.

The ladies from our veterinary clinic could not have been more kind. They explained the whole procedure and that there were 2 options: either a sedation first followed by the blue injection or, if Ruby would allow it, straight it with the cannula followed by the blue injection. Ruby said "stuff you" to the 2nd option so she had a sedation and eventually started to snooze a little. She needed 2 full doses of the anaesthetic (the blue stuff) and passed away very peacefully in our arms.

All in all, the whole visit lasted around 45 minutes before the two girls left us alone rattling around the empty house.

So, we took ourselves out meandering around supermarkets in search of a bottle of gin that was different than the norm.... We eventually found one (a quince gin) in Booths, opening it about 20 minutes ago and toasted our Ruby.

Hopefully, her and Indie are now romping around somewhere over that rainbow bridge. Bless 'em both.....