Stella Mae

by westiemed in Stories

I lost my Westie, Spice, to kidney disease in July 2022. I have had Westies most of my adult life. After Spice passed I was hesitant to get another dog and was worried about getting a dog with health problems as that was quite the journey. However, after 7 months of not having a fur baby I realized that I had to get another because my fur babies have always been what brings me the most joy in life.

I was having coffee on a Sunday morning and one of the sweet vet techs at my vet’s office sent me a pic of Stella Mae in January. She was at the shelter in New Braunfels. I didn’t know anything about her and the shelter had absolutely no background information or history on her. I knew I had to go rescue her but without knowing if she would be a good fit I reached out to Lone Star Westie Rescue to see if we could bring her into rescue to adopt her. They thankfully said yes without hesitation and told me to go rescue that baby.

I called the shelter Monday to inquire about her. They said they had MANY applicants and didn’t know where I stood in line. The next morning I received a call that I was the first applicant! I knew this was a sign she needed to be with me. I got to the shelter and she gave me a sweet kiss and we instantly bonded.

We got home and she seemed to feel right at home and adjusted to the house perfectly. I did notice she wasn’t drinking much water. She was absolutely filthy but couldn’t have a bath because she had just been spayed. She went to the vet that Monday and all her bloodwork looked good.

Fast forward a week. My dad had a stroke and had to stay with me for three months. It was quite a trying time. When he came to my house Stella Mae was extremely fearful (and still is of any strangers that come to the house). I was not able to care for her and my dad at the same time. So, three lovely human beings in rescue offered to help me and take her in and foster her until I could get her back home.

She had 15 teeth pulled and was spayed. She then started having recurrent UTIs and was treated. After three months of recurrent UTIs, multiple vet and emergency vet visits she had one ultrasound done that didn’t show any masses or anything of concern. She then had a CT done that also didn’t show anything of concern. Her vet did a vaginal exam and said she had some scar tissue that he thought might be causing the issue with emptying her bladder. He did surgery 5/30 to fix that issue. She recovered from surgery but was still squatting frequently.

He did another ultrasound a week later and saw something small along her bladder wall. He did a urine test to test for bladder cancer. It came back negative. He went in to do surgery again on 6/6 and found a bladder tumor that came back as Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC), an aggressive form of bladder cancer. He removed as much as he could but could not get all of it. I was absolutely heartbroken as I just started my journey in getting to know this sweet angel that I believe was sent to me for a reason. She recovered well from surgery but was still squatting frequently. She started on a drug called Peroxicam to help with inflammation and hopefully keep the tumor from growing. The drug can cause some digestive issues and the kidneys have to be watched closely. She will also be under the care of an oncologist to do everything we can to keep her around as happy and comfortable as possible for as long as possible.

We do not know her history (most likely a back yard breeder dog), but it is evident this baby has not been loved and was treated badly. The vet said her tail had literally been chopped off. She has major separation anxiety and has extreme stranger danger but is getting better.

In spite of all she has been through she is the most loving, grateful, sweet and adorable baby! I have only had her three months and am completely in love and obsessed with her lol. She is my best friend and has the most hilarious antics and makes me laugh daily. I am so grateful that right now she is feeling good, has great energy chasing lizards, birds, squirrels and geckos in the sunshine every day.

I had become overwhelmed with vet bills and reached out to WestieMed. I am so incredibly grateful that they offered to help which allows me to continue the care she needs. I am researching daily and working closely with her medical team to provide the care plan we possibly can for her. I am so saddened with her diagnosis but am trying to stay present and be in the moment with her and cherish my time with her each and every day! 

Thank you to WestieMed and all the amazing human beings I have met through rescue! Thank you for all you do for these amazing fur babies and families taking care of them!

Sheila

Belle Grace

by westiemed in Stories

Penned by Alexis, one of our groomers and one of Belles caretakers at Bubbles & Bows Pet Spa. An account of Belle the first day we met our new mighty senior.

I’ve done rescue for a long time. This is the worst case of neglect I have ever seen. I’ve
groomed matted dogs, dogs with fish hooks in them…you name it, I’ve seen it. But this, this was way worse than I ever imagined. She was brought in for grooming. I expected a matted dog, possible fox tails, but what we got was far worse. She was a broken little soul.

Today, she felt her feet on the ground for the first time in who knows how long. Today, she felt her tail wag. Today, she was able to walk without the tightness of the mats pulling with every step she took. Today, she was able to potty without getting it on herself. Today, she felt loved and wanted. Today… we saved her.

She is going to need a lot of help. No way were we going to let this little girl go back to the shelter. Now named Belle, she needed our help. She’s become part of our family. She needs all the love and support she can get. Who knows her story or why she ended up like this, but all we can do is help her now.
❤ Alexis


We had to think fast. Belle was in need of immediate veterinary care. Her wounds were deep, and the smell of infection was taking over her little body. We immediately called Tiny Paws Rescue and Sanctuary to let them know Belle needed our help. Without any hesitation, the plan was put into place, and Belle was pulled from the Oakdale Animal Shelter. The shelter helped make the process a success and Belle was on her way to the veterinary the next morning . The team at River Oak Veterinary Hospital in Riverbank, CA wasted no time getting this little lady on the road to recovery. Now, with her medication regiment in place, and a game plan, Belle is doing well. This is where your story came into place, and you became part of our village. Belles teeth needed to be addressed. The cost for this procedure was one that can run into the thousands. With the generous help from WestieMed, her future is looking bright. As soon as she is finished with her antibiotics, Belle will have the dental procedure to remove the last piece of her broken past. She’s onto a new life. One filled with love, patience, and compassion. Welcome to our village!

With gratitude,
Stephanie❤ and Little Miss Belle Grace
Tiny Paws Rescue and Sanctuary ❤

Maxi

by westiemed in Stories

Around her second birthday Maxi lady escaped from her home. We don’t know the reason, but after meeting her we realized that maybe this happened for the better. Unfortunately she was hit by a car and found on the street by dog lover, kind people. They rushed to a veterinarian clinic with the bleeding, shaking dog who was in a shock. They found out that she has a microchip and her owners were called to tell them what happened. Due to the fact that Maxi was in a horrible shape and her treatment would have cost a lot of money, they decided to give up on her. 

This was the point when Westie Rescue Hungary came in to the story. We were informed by another organization about Maxi and we were requested to help her. She was already hospitalized and had good care and treatment, but her conidition was still unstable. She needed more examinations which were not possible to make there, so we took her to Budapest, to the Veterinarian University where we have great conditions for such cases. MRI, CT, several other tests were made – Maxi had fructures on the skull and in her jaw, also a huge hematoma and she was not able to see at all at that stage. She was in a lot of pain constantly.

She was hospitalized for a week, we did not know what will happen, if she will survive at all, recover, get back her vision or she will remain disabled in any way. We only had hope and faith that she is strong enough to stay with us. We had to be very patient.  And I can tell now, that Maxi made it. Day by day, week by week she is getting better and better. We need to wait a little bit more and soon we can find her a forever home where she will be happier and will never think of running away again.

Chase

by westiemed in Stories

The shelter’s rescue liaison sent us a plea for a 10 year old white mix breed that was in need of major medical attention.  Apparently, someone found him on the side of the road so they took him to the shelter.  His intake photo resembled a schnauzer, but taking no chances, we high tailed it to South Los Angeles.  Out comes this BIG, BEAUTIFUL senior Westie boy that in reality is 14 or more years old.  The obvious issues were that he is overweight, pot-bellied, severe dental disease, missing most teeth, constantly licks the roof of his mouth and shakes his head, opacities in both eyes and a very stiff gait.   He appeared uncomfortable.

So we started at the top.  We ran bloodwork, urinalysis, and x-rays.  His bloodwork indicated that he could have Addison’s so we added a resting cortisol test.  When that came back negative, we tested him for Cushing’s.  We needed to address these issues before addressing his mouth and also had an ultrasound performed as there was some concern about possible prostate cancer due to his prostate being abnormally large.  Thankfully, that was ruled out and believed to be due to late life neutering.  The ultrasound indicated sludge in his gallbladder but the good news is that no mucus seal has formed.  We have started him on Ursodiol as a preventative measure.  Chase’s test came back positive for Cushing’s, which was really no surprise given his symptoms.   Cortisol is produced and stored by the adrenals, two small glands that sit on top of the kidneys and is one of the body’s natural steroids and  that a normal amount of cortisol helps the body adapt in times of stress. Cortisol also helps regulate proper body weight, tissue structure, skin condition, and other features of good health but too much cortisol weakens the immune system leaving the body vulnerable to other diseases and infections.  There are two common types of Cushing’s disease, either pituitary-dependent or adrenal-dependent.  About 80-85 percent of Cushing’s is pituitary-dependent, meaning it’s triggered by a tumor on the pituitary, a pea-sized gland at the base of the brain.  Because we did an ultrasound, we know his Cushing’s is pituitary-dependent.    

Considered a lifelong condition, the disease usually can be managed with medications.  Chase will retest after he’s been on medication for two full weeks and continue to have regular blood tests to monitor his response to treatment and help determine the right dose which may need to be adjusted periodically.   Treating Cushing’s is a balancing act, but dogs with the disease can live a good quality life as long as they are monitored closely by a veterinarian.

Today, he is getting the long awaited dental.  We are hoping to find the cause of his constant licking of the roof of his mouth.  If nothing is found, we assume it is neurological, possibly due to the tumor on his pituitary gland.

Chase is 100% sweetness and is a happy and content senior gentleman.  He follows us wherever we go.  He is fondly referred to as “our little big shadow”.  He is such a good save!  His diagnostics and treatment has been very costly and we are not done yet, but thanks to WestieMed, Chase is getting all of his needs met.

Karen Simondet

Westie Rescue of Orange County (WROC)

Update August 31, 2023:

WestieMed has been informed that Chase is now at Rainbow Bridge.

PIPER

by westiemed in Stories

In mid-February, we were contacted by a kind Samaritan in a very rural part of Middle Tennessee. An elderly co-worker of hers (and nearby resident) had found 2 little dogs who were either lost or had been turned out. She found a rescue to take the other little dog, and we agreed to take in Piper after this gal exhausted all efforts to find Piper’s home. She kept her for several weeks, bathing her almost daily to try to get her clean and cared for; this while working full-time, taking care of a toddler and another young child and her own animals!

Piper was in a TERRIBLE mess, but the sweet gal had given her yet another bath the morning before she brought her to us at the vet clinic. She came to us with a severe ear infection…for starters. One ear has so badly affected that the ear could no longer stand up. The infection in both ears was so bad that the vet opted to just clean them as thoroughly as she could without hurting her further, then thoroughly clean while she was under sedation for another severe issue…her mouth, gums and teeth. We lucked out as she only had to have 4 teeth pulled, and her mouth must have felt so much better after the dental surgery!

The ears continued to improve slowly, but little Piper was soon diagnosed with an even worse situation…a severe bladder infection that didn’t seem to resolve with numerous trips to the vet and various antibiotics. She was also producing blood in her urine. We were afraid of what might be going on with this precious girl! The vet wanted to send in and grow a culture to see if Piper was resistant to a certain (or numerous) antibiotics. While we were waiting for the culture results to come back, we agreed to have the vet run an ultrasound and radiographs to rule out any masses or other problems. At this point, it was determined she had a number of EXTREMELY large bladder stones. This poor girl had been through the ringer with obviously NO CARE from the previous owner (more than likely a backyard breeder) then just turned out to fend for herself.  There was no idea how long she had these stones and if they had done permanent damage to the bladder wall, so time was of the essence to get her scheduled for surgery right away. She was obviously in pain and felt the need to urinate constantly. We also were not able to identify a spay scar, but the decision was made that if she still had a uterus when the Cystotomy surgery was performed, that the vet would spay her at the same time (which ended up being the case).

The surgery went very well, and the vet communicated with us several times throughout the day with updates. EIGHT stones were removed (of which FIVE were very large) from this petite Westie girl, which were taking up 90% of her little bladder!!! Thankfully, the bladder wall did not appear “angry,” and we were SO thankful for that. The other good news was that her ears were doing better on the antibiotic pack treatments.

Piper stayed in ICU care overnight, with fluids and pain meds. She started urinating properly almost immediately and got to return to her foster home the next day. This has been the most precious little angel of a dog. Even with all of the horrible things wrong with her and all of the severe pain she has endured for God knows how long, she has been the sweetest girl and as compliant as can be! The vet staff were all instantly smitten with her!

She promptly went home with her new prescription urinary health food and ate dinner like a champ, followed by a really good potty break! She is being well-loved by one of our former adopters and her other rescue Westie pup, Avery. We were just alerted officially yesterday that Piper has found her furever home with her foster mom, Elizabeth. We couldn’t be MORE thrilled as she will have a nice quiet home with a lovely Terrier-enriched backyard with a mom and sister home with her most all the time.

We really don’t have any idea how old this little gal is, but the vet seems to think between 7 and 8 years old.

We cannot express our gratitude to WestieMed enough for helping us with funding the final large invoice for her abdominal surgeries! Even though she was a VERY expensive LWD, she is worth every penny of it! Happy Trails to Piper in her new life going forward!

~The Officers of Westie Rescue of TN/AL

Update March 12, 2024:

Again, we can’t thank you enough for your generous support with Piper’s medical bills. She is doing great, and I hear from her mom on a regular basis! I still can’t believe how sweet and resilient that little gal was considering all the pain she was in before her surgeries and follow-up care. Just proves what we’ve always been told in that animals don’t often let us know when they are in pain. 🙁 I will ask Elizabeth for some new pictures. Thanks again, and have a great week!
 
Thanks!

~Carol

Tilly

by westiemed in Stories

 

Tilly is a small Westie mix that was found at the East Valley Animal Shelter with an upper respiratory infection.  She was incredibly scared of everything around her and was always looking for an exit.   She was lethargic, wouldn’t eat and moaned quite a lot.   We thought she may possibly be in heat cycle because of the discharge and enlarged nipples. We tried everything type of food trying to entice her appetite but she refused and just wanted to sleep.  We knew something wasn’t right, aside from the URI so we scheduled her spay appointment 14 days out from the start of antibiotics. 

Tilly had her surgery and it was discovered that her uterus was thickened and she had early pyometra which is an infection of the uterus.  Infection in the lining of the uterus is established as a result of hormonal changes. Following estrus (“heat”), progesterone levels remain elevated for 8-10 weeks and thicken the lining of the uterus in preparation for pregnancy. If pregnancy does not occur for several estrus cycles, the lining continues to increase in thickness until cysts form within it. The thickened, cystic lining secretes fluids that create an ideal environment in which bacteria can grow. Additionally, high progesterone levels inhibit the ability of the muscles in the wall of the uterus to contract. 

Now that she has recovered, a completely new dog has emerged.  Tilly’s energy came back and she very much acts like the puppy that she is.  She loves to play with the other dogs, and her people too, and has taken a new interest in toys.   Now, she is the first one done eating and will steal food from the other dogs if given the chance.   

This once little shy and scared girl is no more. 

Thank you WestieMed for sponsoring this little girl.  Because of you, she has a bright future coming!

Karen Simondet

Westie Rescue of Orange County (WROC)

Update February 8, 2024:

Our darling Tilly recovered beautifully from pyometra and her upper respiratory infection.  This once scared little girl is a completely different dog today!  Tilly was being fostered along with Benny and the duo became fast friends in foster care.  Tilly’s adopters came for one dog, but left with two!  This dynamic duo have strong personalities and their adopters say they are a blast to have with them.  They have both become very social on their neighborhood walks and off leash puppy play group.  They were also enrolled in puppy training classes and are doing great!

Thank you WestieMed for helping Tilly get the care she needed!

Karen Simondet

Elsa

by westiemed in Stories

Elsa was born in May 2022. She was purchased by a “breeder” from another “breeder”
for the sole purpose of producing puppies. In February 2023 she was taken for a routine
exam so she could be declared fit so that her owner could start breeding her. During the
exam, the veterinarian diagnosed a heart murmur. Her owner now considered her useless
and did not want to bother following up with a specialist. However, her owner did reach
out to a group in Kansas that helps dogs get to rescue to surrender her. This group
(Friends of Animals) reached out to us having worked with All About Paws in the past
knowing we will always help special needs dogs. We of course said yes, bring her to us.
We will absolutely help.

Elsa was transported to our rescue in St. Louis Missouri in early March. Not knowing the
exact extent of her heart issues, we immediately scheduled an appointment with a
cardiologist. During that appointment, Elsa was diagnosed with PDA (Patent Ductus
Arteriosus). This is a common congenital heart defect in dogs and basically means the
blood is not flowing how it should through the heart. For most dogs if this is not fixed it
can lead to cardiac heart failure- basically a death sentence. Elsa’s cardiologist felt
surgery needed to be performed soon so this can be avoided. She is currently on
Vetmedin until her scheduled surgery on April 10, 2023. Elsa has been an absolute
delight in her foster home and we believe she deserves the chance to live a full, happy,
and healthy life in a loving home.

After her surgery, Elsa will have several weeks of recovery and follow up before she can
be medically cleared and then we will need to finish our responsibility to her as a rescue
and have her spayed. Only then will we be able to start the search for her fur-ever home.
All About Paws is incredibly thankful to WestieMed for helping us help Elsa live her life
to the fullest.

All About Paws Rescue

St. Louis, Missouri

Update April 18, 2023:

Elsa’s surgery was delayed one week due to a sick doctor. Elsa arrived bright and early on April 17, 2023 at VSS for her rescheduled appointment with Dr. Marshall. We were notified several hours later that the surgery was a success. Elsa remained at VSS overnight for monitoring. Dr. Marshall informed All About Paws when we went to get her that Elsa was being a little naughty as she just wants to play play play. Of course we need to keep her calm and relaxed so she can heal. We are guessing foster mom is going to be jumping through hoops to make sure Elsa follows the rules. She will return to VSS in two week for suture removal.

Update May 13, 2023:

Elsa’s surgery and recovery were a complete success. Her surgeon gave the OK for her to have her spay surgery and the hunt for her fur-ever home began.  Lots of folks were interested in Elsa and she got lots of wonderful applications. All About Paws received a fantastic application that checked all the boxes we wanted for Elsa and today she got her happily ever after. Elsa joins a family where she has two fantastic dads, Richard and Mike, and gets a Westie brother named Belin. Happy “Tails” Elsa. All About Paws sends their gratitude to WestieMed for helping us help Elsa.

Molly

by westiemed in Stories
Molly

Molly is an 8 year old diabetic Westie. She came to Westie and Scottie Rescue Houston when her person made the decision to surrender Molly due to her recent diabetes diagnosis.

Before coming to Rescue, Molly lived in an apartment with her person. This worked well because she is OK as an only dog. Morning and evening walks were fine with her. When her person began working from home, Molly got more walks during the day.

Then her person noticed Molly was having incontinence issues during the day and was unable to keep her bedding dry. Molly was diagnosed as diabetic and prescribed daily insulin injections and this is when her life changed. Her person had to return to the office and found Molly’s medication schedule was hard to follow with her work schedule. Molly began going to different in-home doggy daycare that were given instructions on how to administer insulin. She continued to be incontinent as insulin was not being given on schedule, if at all.

Since Molly arrived at Rescue, she has had two glucose curves and her insulin dosage has been increased. She is on a consistent daily food and medication schedule which has shown great results. She is no longer wetting her bed and has more energy for her daily walks. She alerts her foster mom when needs to go out and uses a dog door.

She does have some loss of vision and is seeing a specialist to determine what treatment is appropriate. Molly likes people but does not seem to care about other dogs in her environment. She is a good companion dog.

Cathy Norris, Molly’s Foster Mom, Westie and Scottie Rescue Houston

Update August 16, 2023:

When Molly arrived at WSRH, she was incontinent due to uncontrolled diabetes and fluctuating glucose levels. She immediately moved in with an experienced foster mom who knew that she needed specific testing and maintenance to get her diabetes under control. Thanks to help from WestieMed, we were able to do testing to get her on the correct insulin dose and diet, with follow up testing to make sure her dosage stayed right.  Now that Molly is on a consistent food and medication routine, she’s much healthier and happier. She is now able to keep her bedding dry all night and needs to go out fewer times during the day. She has adjusted well to her food and medication schedule.

Molly is blind from cataracts and has been to the eye dogtor, who says she may be a candidate for surgery now that her diabetes is under control. Her foster mom will be taking her back for further assessment and help Molly make plans for her future. She is available for adoption and still hoping for her perfect furever home.

Kind regards,
Maggie Escriva
Volunteer
Westie and Scottie Rescue Houston

Kandy (now Chloe)

by westiemed in Stories

11 year old Kandy was ill and her family couldn’t afford her vet care. Their plan was to have her euthanized without even attempting to help her. They had never spayed her or, it seems, done any meaningful medical care throughout her lifetime, so it now put her in the position of needing a lot of maintenance which would be expensive. Kandy had been a service dog to help them with their anxieties, and this was how she was repaid for her years of giving. Thankfully, their son couldn’t bear to have her die without the opportunity for treatment and reached out to North Atlantic Westie Rescue to see if there was anything they could do. They had a volunteer pick her up at her home in NJ, just outside NYC. She showed all the signs of having been sick for a long time: extremely dehydrated, not eating, her rib and hip bones sticking out and loss of much of her muscle, as well.

She spent her first night in foster and by the morning, she was vomiting and unable to stand, obviously very sick. In an effort to get her to a local vet immediately, NAWR contacted Scottish Terrier Club of Greater New York Rescue nearby, who they have worked with many times in NJ, and Kandy was carried into a specialty vet with an Emergency Clinic that they used frequently. She was examined and admitted for emergency care and observation. After doing a myriad of tests, we were informed that she was a totally unregulated diabetic, seriously dehydrated and was in critical condition. Approving her care and hospitalization, the vet went ahead and got her on IV fluids and antibiotics to try to stabilize her condition. The next hurdle was to try to regulate her diabetes, so she was started on IV insulin once she was better hydrated. She was monitored every 2 hours throughout the night. The second day in the hospital, she stayed on IV and was weaned onto insulin shots. Her blood sugar which had been over 600 upon arrival was steadily coming down in the right direction. As she became fully rehydrated, she started feeling better than she must have felt for a very long time. By late that evening, Scottie Rescue was notified that she could be picked up and her insulin shots, prescription diet, and the remainder of her medications could be maintained at home. She spent a few more days with them and although weak, she was definitely recovering, getting stronger, and showing more of her bouncy Westie personality.

In early January 2023, she was transferred to North Atlantic Westie Rescue (NAWR) in Delaware and is doing very well. She’s running around, beating up lots of toys, barking when her meals aren’t ready fast enough, and just being a happy little Westie girl. She still looks and acts like a puppy, so we feel she still has years ahead of her to enjoy her second chance at life. Kandy’s NAWR foster family renamed her Chloe because they embrace their dogs’ Scottish heritage by giving all of their pups Scottish names. Chloe is an adorable and sweet, spirited, petite Westie with a big personality, and so worth all it took to swipe her out of the hands of death.

Erica Cerny

Scottish Terrier Club of Greater New York Rescue

Update April 2023:

In late April 2023, as soon as Chloe was out of her heat cycle and her Delaware
vet agreed that her diabetes was stable and she was strong enough to have her
spay surgery, her NAWR foster family scheduled the procedures. This sweet little
girl also had a walnut sized anal gland tumor that had to be removed. Her
surgeries were successful! It is one week since her surgery and Chloe is back to
her playful self. She loves to boss her packmates around and tends to run the
household kitchen with excited barks at mealtimes if her meal isn’t prepared fast
enough for her!

We’re very grateful to WestieMed for agreeing with us and paying for this life-saving medical care for Chloe!

With great appreciation,

Vicki Fuchs

North Atlantic Westie Rescue

Update June 15, 2023:

I am the foster mom of Chloe. She has recovered from her surgeries very well. The tumor in her anal gland was malignant so we are just praying the vet got clean margins and that she has beat the cancer!

She is a spunky little girl. She tends to boss the two male Westies that we have in the house, and they don’t mind it one bit! We have noticed over the past few days that her skin issue has returned so I plan to call our vet in the morning to discuss this. In the past we have given her an antibiotic injection, Convivia, along with Ketoconazole orally. It acts like Malassezia so we bathe her with an antifungal shampoo also. Fingers crossed we can get her some itch relief tomorrow. Otherwise she is doing well.

Thanks so much for all your help with this sweet littile girl!

Kind regards,

Vicki Fuchs

Update February 8, 2024:

Chloe is a fiesty little lady! She continues to have skin issues which require twice weekly baths with Micoseb shampoo. We also give her benadryl at night to help her get some relief so we can all sleep. We have removed anything from her diet that may be causing the irritation so that she only gets homemade food now. She hasn’t been on ketoconazole since late November, but we are planning a visit to the vet soon. Of major concern, she has difficulty geting her rear legs to work at times. She will be walking or running when one leg or the other just won’t move forward for her. She sits down and waits a bit then tries again.
She still loves to go for our walks alongside her pack mates Angus and MacKenzie so we take a stroller along for her when she gets too tired. She remains a very loving, sweet and playful little dog!
 
Best,
Vicki

Tolley

by westiemed in Stories

Tolley the senior westie – His story didn’t start so well. He was found by a Good Samaritan that discovered him tied with a rope around his neck in a vacant lot, out in the cold with no protection. She cut the rope and immediately took him to the shelter. Because he was a stray he was kept at the shelter for two weeks. Unfortunately, while there he developed an upper respiratory infection. He was put on antibiotics by the shelter veterinarian. During his stay at the shelter the employees commented on what a sweet boy he was while there. We know how stressful and scary a shelter can be for Westies and it is amazing how sweet he was the entire time. 

Once we were contacted about him being we sprung into action and with the help of several volunteers Tolley made a four  hour journey to his new foster home. 

Unfortunately, after less than 24 hrs he ended up at the vet. He stayed for a few days but wasn’t getting better and was transferred to the Veterinary specialist hospital to be admitted for more aggressive treatment. He was diagnosed with severe pneumonia and he was struggling. 

It has been an ordeal and it’s not over yet. It has been over week and he is still hospitalized. It has been discovered he has a heart murmur that will need further evaluation once he can get over this pneumonia. 

Every doctor and technician we speak to starts each conversation with how amazing this pup is. He has the will to survive with everything he has endured all while wagging his tail and wiggling his entire body when he sees people walk into his room. This little senior boy deserves to live out the rest of his days happy and loved.  We are so happy so many people are stepping up to give this pup what he needs.

Susan D. Massey

Director, Westie Rescue SouthEast

Update January 4, 2023:

Tolley is perkier, eating very well (once I started to feed good ole kibble) and taking his meds which are pretty high powered. I had a long talk with my regular vet, who saw him FIRST. So next Monday he will do another Xray and exam. Since he has the ORIGINAL XRAY to compare to also!!! Please pray that those lungs are clearing. I am also doing Courtage (percussion) and added cool humidity to the small powder room he is in. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers. This is a long process I am finding out.

Thank you for your support!!

Susie

Update August 14, 2023:

This update is from Tolley’s adoptive family.

Following the mass removal at MedVet on March 10, 2023 and a dental and growth removal also at MedVet on May 4, 2023…he is doing great. He has been identified with Westie Lung Disease.

Cinda

Update March 9, 2024:

Tolley is doing well after his Thyroid surgery (50% was removed with tumor) in December and now we have the Thyroid medicine regulated. His Westie Lung Disease is not showing any symptoms currently. Some days he is perkier than others and the food obsession is still very strong. He is loved and is slowly bonding with his sister, Lily Maybelle (13 years old).
 
Susie