Ruby is a delightful, affectionate, and happy-go-lucky girl who loves everyone she meets! She was born with some unique neurological differences, including holes in her skull which have been surgically corrected with a titanium mesh. She also has a smaller-than-average brain and is almost completely blind, which limits her capacity for processing and learning. Despite these challenges, Ruby navigates the world with joy and enthusiasm. Her foster jokes that she must be missing the part of her brain that makes a dog grumpy! She enjoys couch naps, chew toys, wrestling with her dog siblings, and going on walks.
Ideal Home
Ruby would do best in a home where her adopter is present frequently to assist with frequent potty breaks, as she thrives on a consistent routine and can have accidents if opportunities to go outside are limited. Due to her cognitive challenges and near blindness, her environment should be kept safe and free of chewable items and trash. She may need to be separated during meal times and might never be reliable off-leash or with recall. A home with a confident, playful cat or patient, playful dog would be a plus, as she loves company and finds it helpful to follow other animals' leads. Her foster has noted she can be a bit of a bulldozer when excited, so while she is good with children, very young kids might get knocked over.
Ongoing Health
Ruby has undergone surgical correction for holes in her skull. She is almost completely blind but has some limited vision, which doesn't cause her significant trouble but may require gentle guidance to her crate or food dish when excited. She has hydrocephalus, a condition where fluid fills the missing parts of her brain. Currently, this does not cause severe pressure and does not require surgical treatment. It is likely that Ruby may develop seizures in the future due to her unique brain structure. Adopters should be prepared for the potential need for daily medication and the possibility of a shorter lifespan than average.
Training & Support
Ruby's ability to be trained is limited due to her cognitive challenges. Potty training requires a consistent routine and frequent outdoor opportunities to prevent accidents. She may never be reliable with chewing habits or eating people food, so her environment needs to be managed to ensure her safety. Recall and off-leash reliability may not be achievable. She is learning to associate her crate with positive experiences, like meal times, and generally tolerates it well after an initial period of barking.
Application Details:
- Applications start by contacting us through Wags.
Transportation
Ruby is located in North Carolina. Transport may be available to the Northeast area.
