January 2005:
Lacey came to Westie/Cairn Terrier Rescue when she was thirteen years old. She had been owned by the same family since she was a puppy and they had taken very good care of her. They had her spayed, kept her shots and heartworm up to date and did some very expensive surgery on her back knees.
Lacey had a history of bladder infections and this family had her ultrasound and it was discovered that her kidneys were smaller than they were supposed to be. The left kidney has dilated collecting ducts and is slightly smaller than normal and this may be what is precipitating the infections. She gets blood in her urine when this happens and she strains to urinate.
Lacey’s luck turned bad when the family made the decision to get a Boxer puppy and the two of them would get into fights. Instead of finding a home for the Boxer, the kids made the decision that they had to keep the pup and that Lacey (even though she had always lived with this family) would have to be the one to go.
So, at thirteen years of age, she came into rescue, and after a few months, a home was found with an older lady who vowed to give little Lacey a forever home. She kept Lacey about a year and a half and then got sick and had to move in with her son. Again, Lacey was sent packing back to rescue. She had another bladder infection and had blood in her urine and was put on Baytril. She seems to get better, and then a few weeks later, the blood reappears, and she strains to urinate.
I decided to get to the problem and had Dr. Kristine Rabb do a urinalysis, complete bloodwork, and an x-ray. Her bloodwork came back normal and her x-ray didn’t show any stones or abnormalities and the only thing her urinalysis showed were clumps of white cells attacking the infection. Lacey was put on Clavamox for fourteen days and C/D dogfood and for now the blood has gone away.
Thank you WestieMed for helping me with some of the bills accumulated for Lacey. I am caring for fifteen rescue dogs, and your help comes at a time when finances are tight.
Lacey is available for adoption, and if someone can give this sweet, little girl a loving home for the last of her years, she (and I) would be so grateful.
Carla Smith
Update, June 2005:
Lacey is still with rescue and her chances of getting a forever home are slim-to-none as no one wants a 16-year-old. She continues to have bladder infections, and I continue to medicate her. She will stay with me until it is time for her to go to the Rainbow Bridge.
I thank you WestieMed for helping with some of her vet bills, and if she does get a home, I will be sure and tell you. You provide a wonderful service to those of us with little Westies that are hardship cases. I will always be in your debt, as will little Lacey.
Carla Smith Westie/Cairn Terrier Rescue
Update, November 2005:
On November 29th, little Lacey went to the Rainbow Bridge. She quit eating a couple of days ago and seemed to be genuinely uncomfortable with the way she was laying. Her tumor had progressed to golf-ball size, and the cancer was finally becoming unbearable to her, so we made the sad trip to the vet where she went peacefully to sleep.
Carla Smith Westie/Cairn Terrier Rescue