The Tripawds Foundation ASAP grant #9 goes to Tripawds member 4haunteddogs to help pay for Ruby’s amputation surgery. Read on for his story, and learn more about the Tripawds Amputation Surgery Assistance Program to see if you qualify.
This grant is made possible by the charitable contributions of Greyhounds Rock Fredericksburg and Tripawds fans like you. Thank you for your support!
Support the ASAP Fund to Help More Tripawds!
Ruby on Three, the Celebrity GSD
My beautiful German Shepherd girl Ruby had her back left leg amputated on August 30, 2017.
It has been a rough couple of months for us. She was diagnosed with cancer off of a biopsy that was taken a couple weeks ago on her back left stifle knee. It was a surprise to find out that was why her knee swelled up to basketball size within a month time. She is only approximately 2 ½ years old and given to me in May of this year from a family member. I had three dogs already, but my oldest German Shepherd was turning 8 years old and I wanted to find a new one to train as my Service Dog for mobility issues due to Multiple Sclerosis that I was recently diagnosed with. She has been such an amazing helper since coming into my life.
I noticed the growing lump immediately last month and took her into the Veterinarian to find out what was the cause of this anomaly that flared overnight. It took two surgeries and a few tests to find out that she indeed had Cancer in her tissue. Amputation was suggested. I am low income and unable to afford any more surgeries to help Ruby a friend of mine made a gofundme campaign for her to try and save her life. Our goal was set for the original amputation price estimate of $2,200. We only were given $365 in donations. I walked Ruby into the Vet’s office on Monday 8/28/17 thinking that I was going to have to euthanize her due to not having enough funds.
Her Vet, Dr. T, recommended a few more affordable options and helped us by refunding the prior culture money that they charged me for on her second surgery. The new Vet that she was referred to has been able to do the surgery for $750. There have been complications since they took her leg off on Wednesday. She has been bleeding quite a bit and they had to give her a blood transfusion yesterday. All the while, Ruby has held strong and not shown any weakness. The Vet has asked to keep her in the hospital an additional week to heal, until they are able to remove her staples. This way she will not have complications as much because they are giving her more time to heal before releasing her home to me. I plan to visit her next week, but the hospital is about two hours away from where I live.
I am learning a lot and getting great support from the Tripawds website. Very happy to have found this! I had already spent approximately $1,700 on her first two surgeries, which is why I wasn’t able to afford the amputation. Thankfully, I saw this website and you have this grant option that we might be able to have help in covering the expense of amputation. This entire event in her life has been disheartening and almost had us beat, but Ruby is determined to succeed. She will get thru this with grace. Bless her heart she is an angel.
It has now been a few weeks since I originally wrote that first part. Ruby has had many complications with this procedure. She just had her pressure wrap taken off after she was restitched on her incision line, 9/25/17. Her new staples/stitches look like a railroad track. The incision looks much nicer and no seepage! That is magnificent. We have come a long way to get in the clear. She has had five surgeries in the past month due to this leg and cancer growing. Now it is off and she has been having seepage for weeks. It looks like she might be on the way to recovery finally now. And in two more weeks she can have the staples removed. I have been using the blog to write about her story and the forums to chat with other members. I have gotten some really good advice and questions answered while learning the website more. I update my blog often with pictures, Videos and posts. Thankful that this is available for me.
Ruby is finally resting comfortably beside me on the couch. She isn’t in as much pain with the wrap now off. There is no seepage coming out. She is on strict restrictions to stay calm and quiet for the next two week. Wearing the cone to protect the new stitches that are in. Please visit Ruby’s blog as I update it often at 4haunteddogs.tripawds.com. We look forward to meeting everyone! Thank you for your consideration in helping to pay for Ruby’s leg amputation.
I look forward to walking the four haunted dogs like we use to walk as a pack around the lot. I wonder if in ways Ruby will be a different dog now. Always when we walked the property together she would be the leader of the pack and would be about 50′ in front of me going out to the back, leading the others. She taught the other three how to hunt and kill. I worry that she might try to still do this on three…?
Obviously, the amputation has slowed her pace a little. She was the fastest of the four, but will she still lead the pack when we walk? I’ve not tried to take her back there ever since the cancer first came about around June, I think. A few months we have been cooped up now. We are at the tail end of the healing process and her stitches are due to come out on Monday October 9th.
It has been a very tough road for this girl, but she is making it thru. I appreciate her being saved by doing this surgery. She is still adjusting and learning how to live on three. I’m grateful for all the time we bought by removing her leg. She looks great and her fur will be coming back soon. We will continue to learn and support others who will be going thru this in the future. Thank you for your time in reading our story and offering us this help.
—Tisha, Ruby’s Mom (aka: 4haunteddogs)
Tripawds Forum topics. started by 4haunteddogs
Thank you for helping Ruby with this grant.
Having followed sweet Ruby’s blog, I can attest to the fact that she is a very strong and determined girl. And so is her Mom! These two have been through UNBELIEVABLE challenges since the amputation.
If anyone deserved receiving the grant, these two did!
Ruby has had even .more rough hallenes since she wrote the article above.
Please take a moment to sendnpawsitive healing energy to this gentle dog who is using all her strength to get through her latest hurdles. She’s a very loved girl and being spoiled and cared for by her wonderful Mom.
So glad this great Foundation exists so wonderful dogs like Ruby can be given a xhance! Thank yiu GREYHOUND ROCKS for making this possible
Love and hugs
Sally and Alumni Happy Hannah and Merry Myrtle and Frankie too y