# Ruby's sulking



## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

we were out on a shoot last friday, picking up, both dogs were scouring the woods looking for shot pheasants when both went on point within 10 yards of each other on different birds. I was thinking "wow, what an entry that would make for potm!" (unfortunately I'd left my camera in pick-up) I gave Ruby the flush command and then the same for Elvis, both flushed healthy **** birds. I heard Ruby yelp and assumed that she must've got spurred when the pheasant flushed. A minute or two later we were walking down the wood and Elvis was quartering nicely in front and I wondered where Rubes was (stuck on a point was my first thought!) I looked over my shoulder and the poor lass was staggering towards me with blood pouring down her chest. I scooped her up and took her down to some level ground and could see she was fading fast, luckily my friend had a two way radio and told the shoot capt. to organise a vet asap and some transport back to the bothy. I picked her up again to carry her 1/4 mile to where the argo was (over a rope bridge and up a muddy banking) I really thought I'd lost her at one point as she suddenly went limp in my arms, her eyes closed and her tongue was hanging out the side of her mouth .....Got her to the argo and back up to the bothy and laid her on some hay bails and her eyes opened..phew!!!, the vet was there virtually instantly and cleaned up the wound that I thought had either pierced her heart or jugular but had in fact pierced her bicep and torn the skin loose from her muscle from the underside severing a few blood vessels but luckily no arteries.
She's recovering well enough although now and again I have to pick the scab off her wound to let the build up of fluid drain out.
Where she really is hurting though is in her heart when I don my breeks, tweeds, whistle and Elvis's lead (leash) and leave hers hanging on the hook. We've been out on two shoots since last friday, and out agin tomorrow, and the look she gives us is soooo pitiful but I know she's better at home than tearing up the woods and aggravating her wound,,,,doesn't make it any easier though! After tomorrow we have a break till 28th,,,I'll see how she is then . On the positive side it gives me and Elvis a bit of one on one time on the shoots and I must say he's doing really well without his sidekick


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Oh, poor Ruby girl... What an awful ordeal for her to go through (and you, too)!!
I'll bet your heart was really pounding for a while there! Was the cause of her wound ever actually determined?


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

mswhipple said:


> Oh, poor Ruby girl... What an awful ordeal for her to go through (and you, too)!!
> I'll bet your heart was really pounding for a while there! Was the cause of her would ever actually determined?


most probably a sharp brashing, they can be like spear tips, pheasant was in a pile of them. Yes, heart was pounding and admittedly my eyes and cheeks got a bit moist too


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

I'm so glad Rubes is on the mend! They're such tough, happy little pups it really makes you worry when they show even the littlest pain. Sounds like she needs a little extra in her Christmas stocking.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Thinking you might have lost her in your arms, is enough to make any man cry.
So glad she is on the mend.



> She's recovering well enough although now and again I have to pick the scab off her wound to let the build up of fluid drain out.


You might ask the vet about using hydrogen peroxide on a cotton makeup remover pad, to rub the small area of the scab you want to remove to drain. Hydrogen peroxide is something I very seldom use, unless I want something to drain. It dissolves the outer scab, and slows the outside healing which lets the wound drain and heal from the inside.


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## Bob Engelhardt (Feb 14, 2012)

Oh my God! It's my worst nightmare - out in the woods with a pup that needs immediate care. I felt such relief when your story turned for the better - I can imagine how you felt!

Give her some extra affection for us, 'though she's probably pretty well topped off with it anyhow.

Bob

BTW - for the American readers:
bothy - a basic shelter, usually left unlocked and available for anyone to use free of charge
argo - brand of atv
breeks - trousers, breeches 
brashing - lower branches removed from trees


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Oh my! I gather thru all the Britishisms that something happened, but it was more scary than serious. I agree, my biggest nightmare is that we're out there far from civilization enjoying nature and something happens which requires immediacy. I think they recover from these episodes faster than we do...

Glad it worked out..I bet she's enjoying some extra under the covers time.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

Gingerling said:


> Oh my! I gather thru all the Britishisms that something happened, but it was more scary than serious. I agree, my biggest nightmare is that we're out there far from civilization enjoying nature and something happens which requires immediacy. I think they recover from these episodes faster than we do...
> 
> Glad it worked out..I bet she's enjoying some extra under the covers time.


haha, I do actually try and tone it down when I'm typing, if I typed as my dialect (remote north west england) sounds I guess nobody would understand a word


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Spent a fair amount of time in the Uk, so I've picked up a lot of the lingo. 

Like any foreign language, if you speak it slowly enough, I can get it. I've also found that the more excited folks are, the more they use dialect. In Italy, this also requires you stand back to avoid the swinging arms, at least there are no worries like that in the UK... It's the driving on the other side that I never was able to adjust to, however...


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

Oh my gosh! I am so glad she's okay. I would have fainted along with her! :-[


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