Sullivan
On February 27, 2012, we lost our beloved Schnauzer Gwen. She was only ten years old when we lost her after two episodes of kidney failure. Her loss was great for my husband and me. She had filled our lives with much love and fun.
After about a month, we knew that we missed the companionship of a little dog very much and desired to rescue someone needing a home. We spent the next month searching for a new friend. We wanted a terrier of some type. Westie Rescue of Maryland found what sounded like the perfect dog for us. He had been picked up in Prince George County in Maryland, taken to a shelter and then fostered in a home.
We thought we were getting a Schnauzer/Westie mix about four years old. After getting our new friend, Sullivan, we found out he wasn’t exactly the dog we thought he was. We thought Sullivan was four years old, had had two teeth removed and was being treated for an eye infection. As it turned out, after speaking with the initial vet that had examined Sullivan after he had been rescued, he was closer to eight years old, had actually had fifteen teeth removed and was one week away from having his eye enucleated if the eye infection that he was being treated for didn’t clear up.
The following Monday, we took Sulli to our veterinarian who we have used for over ten years. She met us in the lobby and immediately said, he’s got a bad looking eye. Our vet confirmed the eight -ten year age and wanted us to see the eye specialist as soon as possible. By the end of the week, we made the trip to see Dr. Corcoran, the ophthalmologist.
The ophthalmologist told us that the eye infection was so severe and the cornea so damaged that he actually had no vision in the eye. It’s difficult to know what caused this condition. He either did not have an eye duct in the eye or the one he had didn’t work. After years of neglect, the eye is like leather and in jeopardy of repeat infections and problems. She recommended a $1200 surgery to remove the eye. In the meantime, we took Sullivan home and continued on the antibiotic drops and the steroid drops twice a day.
After a week of contemplating how to proceed regarding the surgery, we decided it would be best to have the eye removed. By this time, we were bonded to Sulli and he to us. We felt we were handed a big bill for him, but then someone told me about WestieMed and how they might assist with the costs of his surgery.
The following week we took Sulli back to Dr. Corcoran, to have the eye removed. However, she called me after putting him under anesthesia and said that upon viewing the eye, it seemed slightly better. He seemed to have some peripheral light going into the eye. She felt possibly getting the drops regularly and better nutrition might be helping. She did not expect a complete reversal of the damage, but he could see light and dark in the eye. So, we decided not to take the eye out.
Sulli, is a sweet, appreciative and loving little guy. He has become very loyal to us and we to him. He is good at expressing himself verbally too. He has a low-level growl that he uses to get our attention; especially when he wants his head or belly rubbed. The first time we had him groomed, he was so proud and felt so good, you could just see it in his walk. Sullivan loves taking walks and we easily cover two-three miles a day. Sulli spent a good part of the summer in the mountains of NY at our camp. He learned to smell, as he didn’t seem to have any interest in smelling when we first got him. He loved chasing the chipmunks in our yard and going for boat rides. He had no interest in swimming or getting in the water though!
While Sullivan still needs his eye drops twice a day, he is mostly cooperative about getting them. We need to continue the treatment for the next year and then once again be evaluated by Dr. Corcoran. We wanted a younger dog, but he seems to keep up with our activities most of the time. He is lucky in that my husband works out of the house and I am home much of the time. He likes having someone with him. He is a healthy boy and in spite of the rough time he had for a while, he is doing quite well now.
Thank you for your interest in Sullivan.
Mary Fitzgerald
Update January 7, 2013
Since I last wrote, we have had to take Sullivan to the vet for intestinal issues, but a change in diet has helped a lot.
Sullivan continues to get the eye drops and does alright with seeing most things. Some times his depth perception is off, but he manages.
Thank you again for your assistance with Sullivan and his vet bills.
Sincerely,
Mary
Update June 20, 2013
Sulli just came from the groomer today and is quite handsome. I don’t have a photo download right now, sorry. Sullivan is doing well and is definitely my dog. Try as he has, Sulli doesn’t want my husband near him if I am around. This and his need to hoard over his food, make us believe he had a rough time in the past.
He is very comfortable and enjoys being with us at the lake we spend time at in the summer.
His left eye still gets drops twice a day, which seems to prevent the infections. He is so good about getting them.
Overall, he is doing great and we enjoy his company!
Thank you,
Mary Fitzgerald
Bacall
Bacall came into our lives quite unexpectedly. I volunteer at the Baltimore Animal Shelter, BARCS. In the past I have been able to resist the temptation of adopting every dog at the shelter, but not this time.
As I was walking past a room used for washing the dogs, I noticed a little Westie face peeking out from the towel as she was being dried. Of course, I had to see her, and when the towel was removed, she was missing about 80% of her hair. What hair she did have was matted and unkempt. Bacall’s skin was elephant-like, inflamed, very dark, and had a yeasty smell. Her former owner brought her to BARCS because of the cost of returning her to good health and the frustration of dealing with Malassezia. She certainly didn’t look comfortable, and I told the office that I would be willing to foster her and help her get back on her feet.
BARCS generously gave me some medication for her and a bag of Z/D. The following week I brought her back to BARCS for some routine booster shots and was told that it might be best to take her for some blood work.
This led us to Greater Annapolis Veterinary Hospital. Many Westies from Maryland Westie Rescue have passed through their doors, so the doctors are very familiar with Westies. Dr. Duane Woodburn put her on some medicine that brought her relief, and the blood work came back negative for kidney or liver disease. We could almost see her condition improve from day to day and often would ask if it was possible to see such changes on a daily basis.
In the meantime, my wife and I decided that we would adopt her. When you look at her sweet face with her big brown eyes what else could you do but adopt her? She has a nice temperament and gets along well with our other Westie, Bogie.
Another week went by and suddenly Bacall stopped eating. Up to this point, she had a great appetite, so this was very unusual. However, about this same time she had been caught on top of the table finishing off my grandson’s lunch and later that evening helping herself to some more food from the garbage can. So, it was back to the vet to see if she had eaten anything that was making her uncomfortable and causing her not to eat. The x-rays only revealed a Westie with a very full stomach and intestinal tract. However, during the course of that week, she continued to be plagued with various symptoms – shaking and not eating being most predominant. After four additional trips to the vet, it was determined that some of the medicine she was taking was not agreeing with her, so two of the meds, Ketoconazole and an anti-biotic, were stopped. She continues her treatment with Atopica and a spot on a treatment called Allerderm. She also is bathed with Malaseb shampoo. Presently, she continues to improve and is getting her “Westitude” back again.
All of this resulted in many doctor’s bills that were adding up quickly. I knew about the work of WestieMed through the Westie Imprint and our Westie club, Chesapeake Bay Westie Club. Thanks to the great people at WestieMed, our bills are getting paid and little Bacall is getting better. We are so thankful that there is such an organization that is interested in helping rescued Westies.
Update February 20, 2012:
Bacall continues to amaze us with her recovery from Malassezia. It has been eight months since she started her medicines and has grown thick hair all over her body. I have even had to trim her a little to keep her looking at her best. She still takes a generic form of Atopica but on an every other day pattern with the hope that she can eventually take even less. She does have an occasional bath with Malaseb shampoo.
In October she was losing a little hair under her eye and upper forelegs and since Ketoconazole doesn’t agree with her stomach, our vet prescribed Mal-a-Ket Plus which is a spray. That cleared everything up nicely.
She was in a Scottish Christmas Walk in Alexandria, Virginia and was joined by our other Westie, Bogie, along with about 80 Westies. She loves to play with Bogie and it is great fun to watch her try to entice him to play. We call her the social director. It’s not uncommon to see Bogie and her guarding our front hall and loving anyone that walks through it. She has a nice temperament and loves to cuddle on the sofa.
Thanks again to WestieMed for helping us get Bacall on the road to good health.
Ric and Ceil Durham
Lucy
Lucy’s owner had to move into assisted living and could not take Lucy with her. So Lucy went to live with family. Lucy developed incontinence and unfortunately, with three other dogs already in the household, her family could not continue to care for her. Maryland Westie Rescue took in Lucy in July 2010 and brought her to a vet for evaluation of her incontinence. The diagnosis turned out to be a severe case of Cushing’s Disease. Lucy spent over a month in the hospital as vets tried to find the right balance of medication for her. In early September, she went to her foster home. However, because the vets were still trying to find the right dosage, Lucy had to report to the vet’s office every few weeks for a half day’s worth of testing. Lucy is currently in long-term foster care as the vets continue to adjust her medication. We are looking for a permanent home for her with a family that will be able to love this friendly little Westie and provide for her life-long medical issues. Many, many thanks from Maryland Westie Rescue and Lucy!
Thanks, Phil
Update January 15, 2011
It is with great sadness that I tell you that Lucy, our rescue Westie with severe Cushings, passed away this afternoon.
She was having a good day with her new owner and her Westie brother, Max, but then collapsed in the car on the way home.
Her owner rushed her to the emergency vet, but there was nothing they could do for her. I wanted to pass along my greatest appreciation for the grant that WestieMed provided to help cover her vet bills since she came into rescue this past summer.
Despite the long-term care, our vets were then able to provide, her little body was just overwhelmed by the severity of her illness.
We’re at least glad that she found her forever home last week, even if forever was far shorter than anyone wished.
Thanks, Phil
Rosie
Hello, my name is Rosie. I am about four years old and I have spent all of my life in a PA Puppy Mill. My home was a wire cage and I was used for breeding purposes only. I had very little contact with people. Due to the wire cage and poor care in the puppy mill, my feet and teeth are in terrible shape. I have had repeated infections in all my paws.
One day a very kind person from the PA AG Department came and rescued me from my poor environment. She called the MD Westie Rescue to find me a good loving home. Due to the kindness of the MD Westie Rescue, I was placed in a temporary foster home for about a month for evaluation, for medical care, and for finding me a loving family. Then some nice people found out about me and brought me home with them. I have been in their home from January 2010 to the present. My current owners are known to me as “Momma and Poppa”. They take good care of me and I have been under the care of a veterinarian who gave me multiple antibiotics and pain medications for my infections. I have been on medications since I have been living with Momma and Poppa. I had numerous surgeries (5) on all my paws. My Momma changes my dressings every other day.
When I first came to my new home, I was very timid and afraid of any human contact. My Momma and Poppa have been very patient and good to me. They give me lots of love. They take me on car rides and I can watch TV with them. I love to play outside. Now, I am much more sociable and even walk on my hind legs when I get excited.
I am restricted in what I can eat because the Vet believes I may have an allergy. I am on special dog food and allergy medication. Hopefully, this will prevent me from getting any more infections. Once my infections are under control, they will take care of my dental problems.
All this care has cost my owners, Momma and Poppa, a lot of money. Due to the wonderful people of WestieMed, they will receive financial help. Their bills total over $2,400 and climbing. I feel so much better now than I have ever felt in my life. I am beginning to trust and feel much love at my new home. I know this will be my “forever home”.
We want to thank WestieMed for all your help and support. We love our little “Rosie” and we will do all we can to make life better for her.
Thanks again and God Bless,
Bill and Marge Lutz Fallston, MD
Update May 3, 2010
Basically, Rosie is doing very well, except for her two paws, one of which requires lots of care. The other three are a lot better than when we first got her last Jan. We spend ~ $260/mo. (includes a 20% discount) on her caretaking her to see our vet and having him clean out her re-occurring cysts and 4 drugs given daily. We will send you a more detailed update on Rosie when we get back from vacation in October. She is a sweet and lovable lady.
Thanks,
Bill
Update April 15, 2011
We had Rosie for the past sixteen months and as you can see via the attachments, she is 100% better than when we got her. She only had two flare-ups in the past six months and she recovered very nicely. As long as Rosie gets one Atropica tablet every other day is fed venison and potato dog food that we get from our Vet and wears her boots very time she go outside, her flare-ups seem to be controlled and eventually eliminated. One thing we need to do is to housebreak her. She does know how to tell us when she needs to go outside and thus she pees either on the floor or on pads. Thus, Rosie is restricted either to the kitchen or on our bed (she doesn’t mess on the bed). Rosie and our cat gets along very well — no fights. She is also good around our grandsons (ages two and four), but we need to watch them to ensure they don’t hurt her. There are times when I believe that she remembers her past, from the way she reacts when she is sleeping and having bad dreams. All-in-All, she is a wonderful pet and companion and we love her dearly. She weights ~ 22 pounds and in good health except for her allergy.
Any suggestions you may have in getting her house broken will be greatly appreciated.
We thank WestieMed for their help in getting Rosie back to good health.
Thanks,
Bill and Marge
Double Trouble
Affectionately known as “Double,” this eight-month-old puppy came to Maryland Westie Rescue (MWR) from a “backyard breeder” in southern Virginia who recognized that he had serious medical problems but surrendered him to MWR because she did not want to spend the money to treat his condition.
MWR brought Double to Greater Annapolis Veterinary Hospital (GAVH) where he was diagnosed with a extra hepatic shunt (a congenital bypass that prevents the liver from filtering toxins out of the bloodstream).
Double underwent surgery on August 13 at Chesapeake Veterinary Referral Center (CVRS) to repair the shunt. Following his successful surgery, Double returned to GAVH until he was well enough to go to his foster home. Double is currently in foster care as he awaits his (hopefully final) follow-up visit with his surgeon.
Despite his health issues, Double is a happy Westie who enjoys being around people of all ages and playing with other dogs. Though enjoying his foster families (and foster Westie siblings), Double is anxiously awaiting a clean bill of health from his surgeon so he can go to his “forever” home.
Double would also like to thank WestieMed for helping pay for his veterinary expenses.
Thanks,
Phil
Update February 22, 2010
Double goes to work with his Mom at Greater Annapolis Veterinary Hospital. He was examined by Dr. Kathleen Hersey who said he is doing great!!! He is the same ol’ great cuddler, and love bug he has always been.
He enjoys long walks on Lake Artemesia in Prince George’s County, MD, with his Mom and his sister Callie. He will be getting his haircut again on Thursday. Double is also a therapy dog (something rare for Westies) and goes to Sheppard Pratt Hospital once a week to volunteer with the kids.
Ann Piesen
Colby
July 2007:
Colby was a stray who ended up at an animal shelter in Bedford County, Virginia, in early May 2007. He was suffering from a nasty head wound, along with hook and tapeworms. The shelter staff thought he might have been shot with a BB or pellet gun. Because they did not have the funds to treat him, they wanted to find a Westie Rescue group to take him. Ultimately, they found Maryland Westie Rescue, which is a service of the Chesapeake Bay West Highland White Terrier Club. A call went out to all club members, and a Virginia member’s daughter immediately drove across the state of Virginia to get him. Since he didn’t have a name, she named him Colby. He was checked out and xrayed by a local vet. The x-ray showed nothing. Later, other volunteers drove him from Virginia to Greater Annapolis Veterinary Hospital (GAVH), in Annapolis, Maryland, for further treatment.
While no object was found in the wound (according to the original Xrays and additional X-rays) the wound was very deep and the infection reached into his sinuses. It drained constantly. The staff at GAVH cleaned his wound multiple times a day. The wound took several weeks to apparently heal. However, just when the wound seemed better by early June, it began showing signs of infection again.
It was determined that an MRI was needed to get to the bottom of what was going on. The MRI showed a deep infection, including a foreign object in his sinuses, and he would need surgery. A few days later, he went to have his surgery, and the surgeon not only removed a mass, but there also appeared to be signs of previous surgery. A biopsy of the mass (which included something that was black on the outside and gray on the inside and friable) showed the mass was a granuloma caused by a fungal infection in his sinuses. While recovering, he had to be kept cool so as not to pant–not easy for any dog.
Colby did well in surgery and has been recovering nicely. He finally got well enough to be moved from the hospital to a foster home!
Despite the extent of his medical issues, Colby is such a friendly and affectionate Westie. The staff at GAVH has been amazed at how tolerant he has remained through all of the cleanings of the wound. He never seemed to mind.
He is still undergoing treatment for the extensive infection, and probably will be for some time because the infection did affect the rest of his body. Although his prognosis is technically uncertain (can we ever really be sure about anything), he has proven to be a fighter over the past two and a half months.