Ruby’s Major Surgery
Ruby the goat, who was rescued in 2015, has been struggling with arthritis for a while now. Despite wearing a custom brace, it was not getting any better. It was clear she was still very uncomfortable and at risk for a major fracture. After a long discussion with vets and looking at all her options, the team decided that, in order to increase her quality of life, the best option was a partial amputation. It was not an easy decision but based on everything considered, this was the choice that will help her be more comfortable and pain free, and allow her to continuing to do all the things she enjoys.
Ruby shortly after rescue and giving birth to her twins Moby and Jackie
Ruby came to us from large-scale rescue from an illegal backyard butcher operation. She arrived at Woodstock Sanctuary pregnant and her twin babies, Moby and Jackie, were born in early 2016. Rescued from slaughter, Ruby has spent the last decade caring for her children and living with friends rescued from the same case. Her son Moby grew up to be one of the largest goats at the Sanctuary!
Ruby has also been living with a condition called caprine arthritis and encephalitis, or CAE. Over the last last few years, Ruby had begun to have marked difficulty with one of her front legs. We took her to be fitted for a custom brace, hoping it would provide the support she needed.
Ruby in her custom brace
Unfortunately, even with the brace, her arthritis persisted and it was clear she was uncomfortable. There was a risk of her leg breaking and causing major complications for her. We consulted several vets to thoroughly discuss options to help sweet Ruby. One option that kept coming up was amputation. This isn’t something anyone likes to jump to, but as we weighed all the information it looked more and more like the right choice for her.
Ruby has been in generally good health the whole time she’s lived with us, despite her CAE, so she was a good candidate for amputation even at her older age. While animals on four legs tend to adjust better after the loss of a hind limb, they are still good at adapting to loss of a front limb. Ruby already wasn’t putting much weight on this leg because of her discomfort. To avoid a future break and help manage her pain, we decided to take the plunge and scheduled Ruby’s amputation surgery.
Ruby was bright eyed even right after surgery!
Fortunately, her surgery went well! Ruby was already up and zooming when we went to pick her up post-op, and she was demonstrating fast adjustment to her new normal. Within minutes of being home she had already figured out how to navigate around, sit to lie down, and stand back up. She has stayed in the med barn for two weeks, healing and receiving all her necessary post-op medications. She’s also gotten a lot of rest—we were worried about how she would feel being away from her friends and family but turns out Ruby has enjoyed her solo time! Being a mom is a lot of work, and in a way, this doubled as a little vacation for her!
Ruby got a very restful sleep during her first days post-op
Ruby is doing well with her recovery and just had all her sutures removed! Bad weather has delayed her move back to the barn, so we’re hoping that things warm up soon so that she can go back to spending time with her goat community. Senior care is complex and ongoing, but Ruby is doing well thanks to the support she’s received. She is just one of the elder animals we care for here. Everyone has individualized needs and care plans, and that work is funded by your support!
Ruby getting her sutures removed