Today, on the first day of spring, I had to say goodbye to my beloved dog Ruby. She had a compromised liver for many years, probably the result being hit by a car before we found her as a stray when she was only a year old. We successfully managed her liver values with various supplements and a careful diet, but this year things took a turn for the worse. She was hospitalized twice at the end of last year for pancreatitis, and while she did manage to recover her liver values were gradually getting higher and higher. She was put on medication in addition to the supplements and special diet, and, tough old fighter that she was, for a few months she managed quite well.
Recently, however, I noticed that her appetite was not as good has it had been (she had always been an enthusiastic eater). She went to the vet for a previously scheduled blood test, and sure enough her values were so high that she developed pancreatitis yet again. This time supportive care did not work. Her values continued to rise, and after a week on IV fluids and pain medications she still did not show signs of recovery. Today we found out that her liver was failing. There was nothing more we could do for her, and she no longer had any fight left in her. She would not eat or drink, and no longer wanted to get up - all she wanted to do was sleep. She was not a good candidate for surgery at her age (she was 16) or for steroid treatment to reduce the inflammation. We reluctantly decided that it was time to let her go.
I will post a better tribute to my girl later. Right now I am just too heartbroken to continue. This dog meant the world to me, and I cannot do justice to her life at the moment in this post. Goodbye, my sweet, loving, wonderful Ruby - the world is a sadder place without you in it.
