Molly was surrendered to WSRH a year ago, after she was diagnosed with diabetes at eight years old. Her owner had trouble keeping up with her food and insulin schedule, and poor Molly was suffering the side effects. Her experienced foster was able to get her on a schedule and on the road to feeling better. A grant from WestieMed helped Molly get the testing she needed to establish her insulin dose and stabilize her blood sugar levels.
Molly is almost completely blind from cataracts, and the eye dogtor said she would be a suitable candidate for surgery once her blood sugar was stabilized. We booked her for a much-needed dental with her primary vet, who was concerned by some of her bloodwork and requested an abdominal ultrasound. Molly has shown symptoms of Cushing’s, but so far testing has been normal. The ultrasound showed no irregularities.
Molly continues to do well in her foster home, receiving her food and medications on a fixed schedule, and getting her blood sugar under control. WSRH is grateful for WestieMed’s assistance in helping this beautiful Westie feel better.
Kind regards,
Maggie Escriva
Volunteer, Intake Coordinator Westie and Scottie Rescue Houston
Jessie was surrendered to WSRH by a breeder who said they were retiring and wanted us to find homes for the remaining eight Westies on their property. We immediately sent volunteers to get the Westies so we could start evaluating and taking care of them. Happily, we did not waste any time in getting them because they were very sweet dogs living in deplorable conditions.
We run heartworm tests on all new dogs as part of their intake medical assessment and two year old Jessie tested heartworm positive. We started her preparatory treatment as recommended by the American Heartworm Society and took care of her spay and dental. Jessie has been a delight to all who meet her and has selected her furever home so they will foster her through treatment.
The grant from WestieMed will cover the costs of the split Heartworm treatment so Jessie can live a happy and healthy life with a furever family that loves her.
Kind regards,
Maggie Escriva
Volunteer, Intake Coordinator Westie and Scottie Rescue Houston
Emma is a delightful 7 year old Westie who came to WSRH because her previous owners could not manage her diabetes. She was incontinent and underweight when we received her, and we immediately placed her with a foster who is experienced with diabetic dogs.
Since she came to us, Emma has been placed on a set feeding and insulin schedule, and has had several checks at the vet. Each glucose curve or fructosamine test has indicated additional insulin needed, so her medication has been adjusted accordingly. While Emma’s blood sugar is still in the process of being stabilized, she has returned to a normal weight and no longer has issues of incontinence. We are grateful to WestieMed for helping us get her ready for her furever home.
Kind regards,
Maggie Escriva
Volunteer, Intake Coordinator Westie and Scottie Rescue Houston
We first saw this little Westie girl on a Facebook “found dog” post after she was found as a stray on the side of a country road. She was well-groomed, happy, and appeared to be healthy so we were certain her people would come looking for her. The finder had her scanned and she was microchipped but the chip had not been registered. When we reached out to the finder to help, she indicated she was not able to keep the dog so we offered to hold her in one of our volunteer foster homes while continuing to look for her owners. Our volunteer picked her up and called her Gladys. Within a few days, someone reached out to us claiming to be the owner so we requested proof. Then Winter Storm Uri hit the area and our attention was drawn elsewhere.
Once the storm passed, we reached out again to the person who claimed to be Gladys’ owner and she confirmed it was indeed her dog, sending copies of vet records and the microchip number as proof. She told us that she had been giving it more thought and she had decided to rehome the pup. She told us she had a special needs child and it was getting to be too much to have the dog as well. While we were disappointed to not reunite them, we were able to learn more about Gladys’ personality and received all of her medical history so could set about finding the best furever home for her.
Gladys has a unique, spirited personality. She has an opinion on everything – either she loves it or she hates it and there is no real in-between. While that is helpful with things she loves (tennis balls and treats!) it makes things she hates a little more challenging. In one of her foster homes, we noticed that she flinched a lot when approached on the right-hand side. She also hated being petted on the head and being approached from behind. A trip to our veterinarian determined that she had an unusual- shaped oval cataract on her right eye. Gladys was referred to a doggy ophthalmologist where they determined she was an ideal candidate for cataract-removal surgery. While we were happy to have a definite diagnosis, we were also concerned about preparing Gladys for surgery.
If Gladys didn’t like her head touched or being approached from behind and flinched constantly, how were we going to give her all of the needed eyedrops without her snapping out of fear? We knew this was best for her and so the work began. Gladys’ foster mom practiced taking a muzzle and e-collar off and on and practiced administering saline and anti-inflammatory drops. This process took several weeks and once we felt Gladys trusted her foster mom enough, we scheduled her surgery.
Thanks to WestieMed, Gladys had successful cataract-removal surgery on Monday, October 4th. She will continue to get 12-14 eyedrops a day for the next several weeks which requires the muzzle, e-collar, and a lot of patience. Gladys also has at least four additional follow-up appointments to ensure that her eye stays healthy during recovery. Once fully recovered, Gladys will be matched to her furever home, one that understands that trust is gained over time and one that will play ball for hours on end.
Maggie
Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston
Update July 21, 2022:
It has been a little over six months since Gladys successfully had her unusual cataract removed and life has changed in many ways. Still spunky and sassy, Gladys has been busy exploring parts of life that were previously unseen. Squirrels are no longer safe in the backyard and she regularly hunts bugs on her nightly walks about the neighborhood. Earlier this year, Gladys helped foster a pack of puppies and enjoyed evening playtime where she could be a puppy again.
Gladys has been busy looking for her furever home. While many have applied for her, none has been the right fit for her unique personality. We know her perfect furever home is out there. In the meantime, she enjoys cuddling with her foster mom, bossing around her foster siblings, serving as copilot for car rides, and learning what it means to be a loved dog.
Gladys has completed her follow-up doctor appointments with flying colors and continues to take her eye drops without any complaints. Although she has been cleared from the eye doctor, she will continue eye drops for a year to make sure the healing is complete.
We are grateful for the help WestieMed provided to allow us to give Gladys the gift of full vision and improve her quality of life. Thank you.
Kind regards,
Maggie Escriva
Volunteer, Intake Coordinator
Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston
Update November 9, 2022:
It has been about a year since Gladys’s surgery and life could not be better!
Gladys found her furever home!She found the perfect furever home, complete with a patient mom and feisty fur brother (WSRH Alum Travis). Gladys now enjoys daily walks, lots of playtime, and more ball time than she ever could have imagined.
Gladys still takes her eye drops without any complaints and recently got a good follow up report from the eye doctor for her one year check up, but this time with her MOM!
No one knows where Bonnie originally came from…she was found in a shelter in 2012 and adopted by a nice couple who loved to spoil her. Things changed in 2018, though, as Bonnie’s mom passed away and then her dad became very ill. When he was hospitalized, friends reached out to Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston to help find Bonnie a forever home.
No one had realized that Bonnie’s health had suffered during the time her pawrents were ill. When she came to WSRH, her eyes and ears were very badly infected, requiring several rounds of treatment to clear them. Bonnie also suffers from Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca or “Dry Eye”, which had gone untreated, causing scarring and ulcers. We treated her with several rounds of eye drops which were ineffective so Bonnie was sent to an ophthalmologist who recommended surgery to put a graft over the ulcer in order for it to heal and save Bonnie’s vision.
Bonnie is recovering now from surgery and will require medicated eye drops multiple times each day, at least for a while. The surgeon expects full recovery and, while she will continue to need drops to treat her dry eyes, Bonnie should regain her vision and go on to live happily ever after in her forever home.
Maggie Escriva Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston
Update March 2020
Bonnie crossed to the Rainbow Bridge Jan 2020. Suspected stomach cancer. She had the best last year-plus anyone could have hoped for. Her pawrents were wonderful and spared no expense. She was the queen of the house and feeling good right up until she wasn’t.
When Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Gulf Coast late last August, we had no idea what the floodwaters would bring. People and animals lost their homes, and many lost their lives. Some “lucky” ones who did not suffer total loss were either evacuated from their homes or stranded and, as the waters receded and damage assessed, emergency shelters were overcrowded. One of the problems that soon surfaced was the inability of some people to continue to provide for their animals as they pulled their lives back together and Beaumont came from one such situation.
On Sunday, September 3rd, Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston was contacted by a local shelter to ask if we had room for a family of nine Westies surrendered by a local breeder. The breeder’s son had convinced them to give up the dogs because they were unable to take care of them and had been for some time. All nine dogs were filthy, covered in fleas and mange, full of worms, and none had been spayed or neutered. The son told shelter workers that they had been unable to sell the last few litters of puppies so kept them and some had bred together. At least five of the dogs we took in that day were products of inbreeding, including Beaumont.
Beaumont had skin issues that needed to be addressed before we could do surgery for his neuter and hernia repair. Our primary vet had determined Beaumont had cataracts and progressive retinal atrophy, a genetic disease, rendering him completely blind. While we worked to clear his skin infection, we took Beaumont to the eye specialist to determine if there was any way to help him and she ran various tests which showed he had bilateral retinal detachments and no recordable retinal function. There was no surgery that could restore his vision but the eye doctor prescribed eye drops to reduce the inflammation and pressure in his eyes.
As time went by, each of the other pack members met prospective families but Beaumont did not have any interest due to his blindness. Beaumont’s foster mom worked to improve his adoptability by taking him through training classes and he achieved his Canine Good Citizenship certification. When it came time for his six-month visit at the eye doctor, we found that the pressure in his left eye had increased so the decision was made to surgically remove the eye to eliminate his pain and the need for ongoing medication.
Beaumont is a healthy, happy dog who does not seem to know he cannot see. The surgery and care obtained with WestieMed’s assistance will definitely improve the quality of his life.
Maggie Escriva Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston
Update November 7, 2018
Beaumont – WestieMed Recipient
Shortly after relocating to Houston in Aug of 2017 I began volunteering with WSRH, a wonderful organization dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming Westie, Scottie, Cairn and special blend terriers. Hurricane Harvey had devastated the area, countless pets had been lost or left behind in a desperate and tragic situation. A group of nine young Westies came into WSRH, thereafter known as The Harvey 9. In sad shape, with open skin wounds, patchy balding and one little guy blind, the result of backyard breeders. All were named for cities in Texas affected by Hurricane Harvey. Eight of the pups were brought to good health and adopted.
Sadly, Beaumont remained. He’d been seen by eye specialists, but, there was nothing to be done for his blindness. I took him home to foster and mentor with my fifteen-year-old semi-retired Cairn terrier, Miss Ellie, a therapy dog. Though Ellie passed shortly after his arrival he maintained his enthusiasm for learning and completed obedience school.
In March of this year during a routine eye exam, it was found that the pressure in one of his eyes was at fifty with the normal pressure being fifteen. He had had a bleed in that eye and was undoubtedly having pain though he maintained his stoicism. Insult to injury his eye would need to be removed. The dedication of WestieMed to the welfare and health of Westies cannot be lauded loudly enough! Beaumont is a different little dog after recovery, free of pain and eager to plow into every day with abandon and blind joy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Kramer has had skin problems for as long as he can remember and his family, who loved him very much, contacted Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston for ideas to help him feel better. We spoke with them about diet and medical care. They adjusted his diet and took him to specialists who prescribed medicated baths and medications. All the while, Kramer’s family was also dealing with other family members’ medical issues and, when it became too much for them, asked that WSRH take him in.
Kramer was a happy boy despite his obvious misery so we rolled up our sleeves to try to get him feeling better. Our vets at Bear Branch Animal Hospital assessed him and helped form our initial course of treatment which included continuing restricting his diet and his anti-fungal medication, antibiotics, prednisone, and medicated baths. Although skin scrapings did not show any mites, the blackness around his eyes, ears, and sides made us suspect he might have demodectic mange so we added Advantage Multi to his regimen and, when he started to improve, we started to wean him from his medications. Kramer was able to stay off prednisone long enough to get a much-needed dental but his skin started getting worse again so the vet recommended putting him back on a short course to try to get through the issues.
Kramer – WestieMed Grant Recipient
Over the next months, we continued Kramer’s regimen of antimicrobial and anti=fungal baths along with medications and restricted diet and he seemed to improve and then he would suddenly get worse. We tested him for thyroid conditions, which showed normal, but biopsies of his skin showed the presence of resistant staph infection, requiring specific antibiotic treatment. Following a three month course of the antibiotic determined to combat this bacterial infection, tests showed it had cleared and another resistant bacteria presented, requiring a different antibiotic. We also had allergy tests done to determine if there were any environmental causes, but he only showed sensitivity to Black Willow trees and cat dander, neither of which are in his immediate environment.
We have considered Kramer to be like an onion, peeling one layer of issues after another, as we continue to treat fungal and bacterial infections. We are grateful to WestieMed for assisting with the process to rule out some issues and, hopefully, get a handle on what is needed to get and keep Kramer healthy. We look forward to his finding a forever home where he can live happily and healthily ever after.
Maggie Escriva
Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston
Update July 11, 2018
Kramer – WestieMed Grant Recipient
Kramer turned six yesterday so it seemed a good time for another update. As you know, he found his furever home with a longtime Westie rescue volunteer who will continue his regimen and keep him feeling good.
Kramer’s mom works from home and says he is her shadow, always nearby watching what she’s doing.
We are grateful to WestieMed for the assistance that enabled us to continue testing and treating Kramer until we could get through the itch. He has a good life ahead of him now that all the infections are gone.
Eight-year-old Samson was walked into his vet’s office one day but not for a regular appointment. His owners asked the vet to have the sweet boy put down because they could not take care of him. One of Samson’s eyes was malformed from birth but that had never slowed him down. When he arrived at the vet clinic that day, he had horrible skin and hair loss, fleas, intestinal parasites, bad hips, and a severe heartworm infestation.
The vet asked Samson’s owners to release him to her care and promptly reached out to Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston (WSRH) for help. The vet treated Samson’s intestinal parasites and started addressing his condition with bloodwork and medications prior to sending him to WSRH. He was in a small town about four hours from our primary location so several volunteers offered to do a relay to transport him and one of our experienced fosters who has taken care of many dogs with heartworms took him into her home.
Samson was taken in to see our vets at Bear Branch Animal Hospital where he was examined by Dr. Kim Hilscher who confirmed he was heartworm positive and assessed the condition of his heart, lungs, and hips with x-rays. It was determined that his bad hips were due to fused vertebrae and the vet recommended pain management for the time. Due to his poor condition, we decided to work on Samson’s general health prior to starting a split treatment to kill the heartworms. After a month of good quality food, medicated baths, and a couple of rounds of doxycycline, Samson went in for his first injection of Immiticide, after which his activities were restricted while the medication did the work of killing heartworms. Vet appointments at two weeks and then four weeks later confirmed he was doing fine, so then Samson was given the full treatment of two Immiticide injections and another month of restrictions.
Things went well for Samson and he received clearance from the vet for successful heartworm treatment so his next job was to find a forever home. While waiting for the right person to take notice, Samson took ill quite suddenly and was rushed to the emergency vet for vomiting and passing blood. Samson was admitted to the hospital where he received fluids and medication to stabilize him and x-rays werer taken to help determine the cause of his distress. Samson spent the next three days on fluids at Bear Branch until he was back to his normal self and returned to his foster home. There was no definitive cause found for this issue but Samson has not had a recurrence.
The next step for Samson is to meet approved adopters who are interested in adding him to their family. We are very grateful to WestieMed for help in treating Samson and making it possible for him to get healthy and find a forever family of his own.
Thank you!
Maggie Escriva
Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston
Update June 28, 2017
Samson – WestieMed Grant Recipient
We are ever grateful to WestieMed for helping us help Samson get well and find his furever home.
Not long after recovering from the emergency room visit, Sam caught the eyes and hearts of a wonderful family of terrier people and it was mutual love at first sight when they met. Thankfully he had finished all his restrictions before meeting his new furry siblings, especially BFF Colleen, an adventuresome Scottie who joins Sam each day running, playing, and watching for birdies. All the running (and digging!) has helped strengthen Sam’s legs and improve his balance. Sam’s furever family loves him very much, stating the highlight of the day is each evening before bedtime when daddy gets on the floor to play and Sam talks to him.
Thank you, WestieMed, for helping us give Sam a well-deserved happily furever after!
When Felix found himself in an SPCA shelter with a leg injury, things were not hopeful. Being a large, urban open-admission shelter, animals in the facility needed to be claimed by owners or adopted: there was no room for a dog requiring surgery or extensive rehab. Fortunately for Felix, he had a guardian angel who reached out to Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston for help.
The SPCA vet’s initial assessment stated that Felix had an old injury that may require amputation of the leg, however, Felix continued to use the leg and the vet reported that “Due to extent & chronicity of injuries, amputation may worsen prognosis.” Because the SPCA requires that animals be altered before leaving the premises, we requested that their vet staff take x-rays of the injury while Felix was anesthetized for surgery and they agreed, sending the radiographs to our vets at Bear Branch Animal Hospital. Together we coordinated volunteers to pick up Felix and get him to BBAH where, following examination and review of x-rays, he was referred to North Houston Veterinary Specialists and scheduled an appointment with a surgeon the next day.
It did not take long for Dr. Michael McFadden to see that Felix had a distal femur fracture requiring surgery to align the bones and a plate to keep them in place. We agreed with Dr. McFadden’s prognosis that Felix would have a much better quality of life with the leg repaired than having it amputated so we set the date for surgery on the following Monday and contacted WestieMed for help. Surgery is quite costly and Felix was just one of several high-needs dogs who came into our program within a very short period of time. In addition to follow-up care in the next eight weeks following surgery, Felix will also need dental cleaning once he has been cleared by the vets.
The surgery went well for Felix so now he is on the road to recovery. He is quite the trooper, walking around using the once broken now repaired leg as soon as he was awake. He will be required to remain in confinement for eight weeks following surgery with no jumping, running, or playing as terriers love to do, but he does get extra lap time as his foster mom goes through range-of-motion exercises with him daily to help him heal properly.
We are very grateful to WestieMed for being available to help Felix and so many other Westies. Thank you!
Maggie Escriva Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston
Update November 11, 2016: (Felix now called Murphy)
Felix – WestieMed Grant Recipient
We recently received an update on our little Felix, now “Murphy,” from his forever mom and wanted to share it with the wonderful supporters of WestieMed.
Murphy has completely healed from his broken leg and was adopted this spring by a lovely lady who lives in a senior apartment complex. She reports that he is an absolute joy. He is very particular about his walks and has the walk of a Westminster Show Dog.
Although he barked at everyone he met at first, he now does not bark at all (unless he is surprised by someone) and is known and loved by all the neighbors. She finished her note with, “I am so blessed to have this little guy in my life.”
Thanks to WestieMed, we were able to fix Murphy’s leg so he would be out of pain and live a healthy, normal life, a life that impacts more than his immediate family.
In the middle of August, Westie and Scottie Rescue Houston (WSRH) received a request to take in a Westie mom and her puppies. The person surrendering this little pack said Pippa had been dodging cars on a busy highway so they picked her up and took her home. Two weeks later, she gave birth to four puppies. The finders kept the little family for nearly four months when they realized they were unable to provide the vetting that five dogs required so they reached out to WSRH. Realizing that the puppies were four months old and had no veterinary attention or shots, we immediately said yes and took in the little pack.
Pippa was a great mom! She was very attentive to her four pups which were almost her size already and still were nursing. The first job for the volunteers at WSRH was to get rid of the fleas and worms, then get them to the vet to be checked out and start their shots. Dr. French at Bear Branch Animal Hospital examined the little family and found the pups to be quite healthy, however, he was concerned with Pippa’s health. X-rays confirmed she had bladder stones while a heartworm test was running and would bring us bad news. Pippa’s bladder stones were quite large so Dr. French wanted to get them out as soon as possible, however, since she was still nursing, we needed to allow her a little time for her body to recover. At four months old, the puppies were old enough to be fully weaned and they had no trouble eating whole food, so it was time to give mom a break. WSRH worked with an all-breed rescue group to place the pups, who looked nothing like mom.
Pippa – WestieMed Grant Recipient
After resting for two weeks, Pippa was scheduled to have her bladder stones removed and be spayed at the same time. The surgery went well and, after two weeks of recovery, she began treatment to eliminate her heartworms. Heartworm treatment can be very hard on a dog. It is reported that the medicine which destroys the heartworms also can cause pain and inflammation in the dog, making them lethargic as we would feel with the flu. It’s also hard on dogs who do not experience as much discomfort because they have to be confined for at least a month: no jumping and playing, no exercise which may cause an increased heart rate. Pippa is in a foster home with retired foster “grandparents” who are able to watch her closely and make sure her recovery continues to be uneventful.
Pippa has cleared the two-week mark following the start of heartworm treatment and is doing very well. If she continues to do well, we expect Dr. French will release her later this month and she will be available for adoption.
We are very grateful for WestieMed and all of its supporters for being there to provide assistance for all Westies who need extra help in getting healthy and well and ready for forever homes, especially our little Pippa.
Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston www.WSRH.com
Update August 12, 2015
Pippa – WestieMed Grant Recipient
On behalf of Pippa, we send our sincerest gratitude to WestieMed for the help provided to remove her bladder stones and heartworms. Pippa did well in heartworm treatment and made friends with Louie, a Scottish terrier going through treatment at the same time. The two friends often curled up together during their confinement and seemed to find comfort in each other’s company.
Pippa since has been adopted and was able to stay with her newly found BFF, Louie. The wonderful lady who met them decided she wanted to keep them together so they get to continue to enjoy each of their companionship as well as the love and care of a doting mom.
Thank you so much to WestieMed for helping this sweet girl live a full and pampered life.
