Piper is a five and half year old Westie who is a little sweetie with a heart of gold but, unfortunately, that heart is not working as well as it should be at this time.
She was owner surrendered to Scottie Rescue at age five. She was spayed and updated on her vaccines and when she was ready for adoption, she was advertised as available. She went to a new home in Virginia with a Westie lover who already currently had two sweet Westies and wanted to share his home with another one who could benefit from all he had to offer. She’s fit in easily and has become one of the family over the last five months since her adoption.
Although she’d been evaluated at her original vet before her spay, and also been seen by her new dad’s vet after her adoption, oddly it wasn’t until a subsequent vet visit with another vet in the practice, that the heart murmur was detected. At that time, she was referred to a veterinary cardiac specialist in the area. This specialist did a full cardiac workup and advised that the two lower chambers of the heart were not working as well as they should be, and she should have a pacemaker implanted to correct this before it became an emergency. In the meantime, she was put on some medication to keep the pressure low and she’s responded well to that so far.
This was, of course, a big surprise to everyone who had been involved with her prior care. Scottie Rescue offered to take her back, but she had already become part of her new family and her new dad did not want to part with her.
He contacted WestieMed and applied for financial assistance to help offset the high cost of the pacemaker procedure, and thanks to their generosity, she will soon be able to have the surgery that will enable her to have a normal lifespan!!! Her new dad and her new Westie brother and sister hope to have many happy and healthy years together!!! Many thanks!
Erica Cerny, Scottish Terrier Rescue
Lucien Kowalski
Update January 24, 2018
Piper is doing well at the moment. The doctor thought after her last checkup and scan, she would not need the pacemaker at this time. But could in the future.
Cheers,
Lucien