Poor miss Ruby is in the wars again, she has been at the vet a couple of times in the past week for bandages and a check up. Suspected of having Cushing's disease and extremely anxious at present with constant panting and following me everywhere I go, and a ravenous appetite. Poor Ruby has a massive inflammation on her right paw due to constant licking all day and night. This being some of the symptoms of Cushing's disease.
She rips off the bandages when we remove her cone to let her eat, the cone was a bit too big for her though. Then it's a fight to put the cone back on, so over this weekend has been very stressful for her and us. We could not get her cone back on her once is came off this weekend as she became very agitated and stressed. She started having temper tantrums, constantly barking and snarling any time we went near her. I was bitten giving her medication, which is a thing she never does. She is the most loving and happy girl normally.
So over the weekend she set about chewing her bandage off and licking her foot until it was red and very inflamed. I have never seen it so bad. So thankfully we had an early vet appointment to see a wonderful and very caring young lady vet. She managed to get the bandage off of Ruby's foot through a gentle approach and constantly reassured Ruby all the way through the process.
Miss Ruby is going au naturel without a bandage to let the wound settle, she was given a smaller more suitable size collar; so that she can eat and drink with the collar on but can't lick her paws. Hopefully no more Hannibal Lecter attitude from now on. She is on tranquilisers and pain medication for the next few days, her cone stays on for 2 weeks to stop her licking too. Then in a couple of weeks she must be tested for Cushing's disease, which is a day stay at the vet. Once the tests results come in we can start treatment which is quite expensive. But it is what it is, we just want her to have quality of life in the time she has left.
On top of this my husband had his thyroid irradiated and had to self-quarantine for a few days, now he has the next week to get through before he can mix with the general community. This then means a blood test in a couple of months, to see if the treatment is successful, and if not another round of radiation and the whole shebang again.
Ruby must not lick daddy's skin in the meantime due to the radiation risk, especially given her immune system being very weak if she has Cushing's disease. So that's where we are at just now, miss Ruby is resting on the couch but keeping an eye on mummy, just in case I leave the room for 2 seconds!
I just hope she isn't going to be singing the song of her people tonight like she did on the weekend. Full on opera like Dame Nellie Melba. She did give a good recital at the vet's this morning.
