The Ruby Rainbow

Events of March 12th 2015

Where to begin?

My mother took Jasper and Tanz to the vets to have their mini brain surgery (neuters). I took Ruby out to the shelter for a check over due to her lethargy and puffiness between her eyes,
Zazee and her babies also came out for a check and to seek some advice.

Zazzee's babies all got their vaccinations.

Zazee's belly was like an inflatable balloon when I got home from holidays (was weaned from her kits for good) and in panic worrying about the pain she was in I put her back in with them.

I got told by the vets it was a natural process and she needs to be kept away from them for good. If nothing is stimulating her to make more milk she will stop producing it and it'll dry up. *face palm*

Then came the not so good news...

All the while Ruby was a baby, struggling to breathe, every time I'd go to a vet check I'd console myself with the fact that if they decided to let her go, I'd be ready.

Every time I thought that they sent me home with her.

Today, I thought, she's been treated for everything else, why not a bit of puffiness on the face?

The vet took her temperature.

40.7

Going over her long medical history he gave Leanne one look. Sadly she nodded.

A tiny baby struggling to breathe with undiagnosed pneumonia

I has an itchy chin ~ Ruby (still fighting pneumonia)

A bit of a break from illness but still over 100g below siblings

Cuddling with mum

She gave a great big fight but she just never caught a proper break. I don't know why she was so prone to getting the bad straw in a pack but she had a lot longer on this earth than I had first thought.

I'm so lucky I got to know her.

I can wish as much as I like that things were different but they just aren't. Decisions like these are hard on everyone, not just me but everyone. For most part every illness gets treated but eventually it gets to a point that if an animal is relapsing there has to be a cause.

There has to be an overall evaluation of how much more they can continue to treat an animal and if it will ever get to a proper, healthy, quality of life.

Ruby fought so hard but pneumonia, being much smaller than her siblings, her random puffy ear, now a potential abscess or something on the face along with a high temperature her report card was beginning to show more bad than good.

I won't lie. I didn't see it coming at all. I'd lulled myself into a false sense of security because of all the other times she'd gone in looking sick but came out with more medications.

Rest in peace little Ruby, thank you for being a Little Legend...