My Sweet Ruby

I said goodbye to my sweet girl last week. It was tough. In fact it sucked. I miss her. In late July Ruby was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bone cancer on her left foot. Our only treatment option was to amputate the leg and chemo therapy. This wasn't a feasible option for us. The number one reason is that by amputating her left leg it would have placed all the weight on her bad hip (which had already been causing her pain). Number two and three reasons were cost and time. The cost of the surgery and chemo would have been over $5000 and the time involved to rehabilitate her would have been more than I could give. Ultimately, we decided to keep her comfortable with pain medication until she was no longer comfortable.

Ruby had actually been doing pretty good. Happy, eating well, wanting to play. I had to up her pain medication a few times but she was getting along. We had cut out trips to the park and car rides as to not cause potential new pains, but all and all she was okay. From what I had read and from the vet this form of cancer the life expectancy was two to six months so I knew it was coming. It still was a shock and was hard to do.

Friday afternoon she went to jump up after a knock on the door and her foot broke. The cancer had been eating thru the bones and it just snapped. She yelped and cried (the worst sound ever and the hardest part for me), shook and drooled for about 20 minutes before Dave could get home and help me load her into the car. Thankfully he was already on his way but it was still hard to see her hurt so much and there wasn't anything I could do. Dave called the vet to let them know we were coming and that I would need help getting her out. Did you know that have dog gurneys? Makes sense I guess. There are some pretty large breeds out there. Anyway. A few minutes after I arrived we were in the vets office and he gave  her a sedative to help with the pain. Just a few minutes after that they gave her the overdose and she was gone. It was so sad. I'm so sad.

Mama loves you. Rest peacefully my friend. Play with Carly. Chase some tennis balls. Follow that scent. Go swimming. Eat some yummy treats. I'll see you both again!

P.S. My friend sent me this poem. Warning…. its a tear jerker. But its perfect. 

The Rainbow Bridge
inspired by a Norse legend
By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,
Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.