H&C

“I am very happy to report that Ruby is on the mend, gradually resuming her training and extending the length of walk she can undertake. But not without a minor set-back soon after the previous blog was posted. I was very hopeful that Ruby would be back to her usual healthy self a week ago, but she continued to limp and, with the agreement of Dogs for the Disabled, we took Ruby to the vets for a scan to fully check her paw. The concern was that there may have been some blackthorn left in her paw, or that there may have been slight bone damage. However, I was relieved to hear that the result was clear, and that a short course of antibiotics was all she needed to address some soft tissue damage and act against potential infection. For the first evening home, Ruby slept and slept, only rising to eat some food and have a few drinks of water. But the following day she was fully bright and alert, and within three days she was back to being her usual energetic self! Four days after Ruby’s trip to the Vets, I had an arranged visit from Claire Lush, our Dogs for the Disabled Puppy Co-ordinator. Usually, we would take Ruby to town for training, but, given Ruby’s recent injuries, Claire just wanted to check on her recovery. Claire also used the opportunity to see how well Ruby settled after greeting a visitor. An important part of the puppy’s training and development which Ruby handled well – although our own two dogs were less keen to let Claire sit in peace! For the last two days, Ruby has been on training walks on lead around the village, and I will gradually build up the distance over the next week. I am also working on the “Go to bed” command with her, and the next stage is for her to go to her basket on the verbal cue - at the moment she will get into her basked when rewarded with a treat, but is not yet familiar with the verbal cue. So, with training resumed, Ruby is definitely on the mend, ending today’s walk just in time to enjoy the brief flurry of snow - back to her usual playful puppy self!”

“Firstly, thank you to all the readers of Ruby’s blog for so many kind words wishing her a swift and full recovery. Your support for Ruby and for Dogs for the Disabled is very much appreciated. So how has Ruby been? Well, the answer to that question is very much a good news and bad news story. Starting with the good news: the rest that Ruby received had enabled a vast improvement in her hind right leg. My husband had gradually started to exercise her on the lead, and she did not appear to be in any discomfort when walking. So we will keep an eye out for any signs of a recurrence, but, hopefully, the muscle has healed. Unfortunately, there is a new injury to report: on returning from one of her gentle walks last week, Ruby started to hold her front left paw in the air, unwilling to put any weight on it. As part of the puppy training programme, I have taught Ruby to stand, sit and lie down, and have also ensured that she allows anyone to check her mouth/teeth, ears, eyes and paws on command. This is especially important at the vets as well as for the client who will be handling her in the future, and meant that, in this case, I could quickly command her to lie down so that I could take a close look at her leg and paw. On closer inspection, I discovered a quarter inch thorn from a blackthorn plant embedded in her paw, in between two of her pads. I was able to pull it out, but recognised there was a risk of infection, so my husband took Ruby in to see the vet again and came away with a course of anti-inflammatory tablets and some antibiotics. For the first couple of days, Ruby was not able to put full weight on her foot, but in the last two days she has been improving and is now stepping on it okay but still with a slight limp. Obviously this has meant that exercise has been restricted to the confines of the garden again, but I am hoping we can start to gradually build up her activities once she has completed the course of medication and has the all clear. So, I am hopeful that by the next blog I will be able to confirm that she is back to her usual healthy self, supported by your kind words and messages!”