RescueRuby is a beautiful "floofy" (fluffy) retriever-mix rescue dog from Bosnia. She's around two years old and the rescue described her as "very playful and jumpful" which she has most definitely turned out to be! She loves to greet her new "brothers" when they get back from school each day, and they love playing with and caring for her. When she first arrived with us she had a slight limp on her left front leg, but the Bosnian team advised that she'd had ligament damage from one of her jumping sessions and that it was nothing to worry about.

We were worried, so we took her to the vet who checked her over and followed up a week later with an x-ray. It confirmed that her left elbow was severely deformed and she was diagnosed with congenital elbow luxation, which should have become apparent at birth or when she was a puppy. The treatment for this is either elbow fusion, so she won't be able to move her joint, or an implant which will give her some mobility. The best place to do this is at a specialist referral practice.

Ruby's treatment will cost between £6,000 - £8,000, depending whether she has the fusion or if her elbow is suitable to fit an implant.

One of the biggest hurdles we have encountered is that Ruby's insurance cover excludes treatment for illness or injury which precedes or occurs within 14 days of the policy start date. When we realised there might be a problem with Ruby's leg, and that she may be in pain, we took her to the vet straight away. Therefore, Ruby's treatment is not covered by the plan and we have to look for alternative ways to fund it.

Her first appointment is on 4th August 2021 and the cost for that is £1,600. After this appointment we'll know which of the two treatment options are recommended and the full cost for her treatment.

Update following the first appointment: Ruby's leg has actually been broken at some point in her past and this has left her with a severely deformed elbow. She needs elbow arthrodesis surgery with a customised implant so the total cost for her treatment is now £10,675.

This is obviously not what we were expecting when we re-homed a "healthy" dog from Bosnia. The UK team at the rescue have been shocked by this and have taken action to make sure this can't happen again, but they're a very small rescue and simply don't have the money to pay for all of Ruby's treatment. They will be fundraising and donating to this page, so any funds raised beyond the costs of Ruby's care will be donated to them so they can help other dogs.

Although there are many pressing issues and grave circumstances in the world, pets have a special place in our hearts and this treatment means so much to us. Ruby has been with us for a very short time, but the moment she arrived she became a member of our family and we will always care for her. Given that Ruby is a very young dog with a long life ahead of her, we want to make sure she can have an active, fun-filled lifestyle.

If you are able to contribute towards Ruby's treatment we will all be so grateful, any donation is greatly appreciated and does not go unnoticed.

With love and thanks,

Rosie, Charles, Rowan and Ruby

You can keep up to date on Ruby's antics and updates on Twitter @RescueRuby and Instagram @RescueRubyDuby

For transparency, we'll share what we can of Ruby's treatment receipts and other relevant medical information. The #BigVet has asked that we don't share anything to identify them or their practice, so this may limit what we can share with you. The first items we can share are her x-rays, so please see them below (or don't if you're squeamish!)