We were contacted by a woman who was a neighbor to the people that owned Zeus in October of 2018. She was beside herself at his condition and had previously intervened a couple of years ago and taken him to the vet, paying over $3000 for his care, only to have the owners refuse to administer the medications or make the dietary changes that would have helped him. She said that he had been like this pretty much since a couple of months after they bought him at a pet store over eight years ago.
She relayed that she could see he was suffering and couldn’t just stand by and do nothing, but knew that if she contacted Animal Control he would be seized and euthanized could we help? After gathering more information and setting out a game plan, I told her that while we could not legally take the dog unless they agreed, we would certainly help him if they would agree to surrender. With her help and that of her vet, the owners were persuaded to release him rather than face neglect charges under NY state law. The vet also started him on some antibiotics and gave us some medicated shampoo to get us through until he could see our own vet.
When we got him, he was in really rough shape with his skin blackened and oozing from rampant staph, bacteria and yeast infections, and his ears so infected that they were swollen shut. He was a very sick little boy. He was also significantly underweight. Our vets concluded that he was extremely fragile and lucky to have survived, as his condition was grave.
Since then, we have been able to start the healing of his skin and have done allergy testing and begun immunotherapy, but eight years of chronic infection have taken their toll on his little ears and the canals have become occluded with scar tissue and hardened with calcification. That has trapped a severe infection in his right middle ear. The 2% opening he has in that ear is not enough to release the pressure and allow efficacious treatment.
After attempting several different approaches in the hopes of preserving his hearing, the specialists all agree that he must have surgery, and soon, as his condition is not only painful but dangerous. The benefits in this case, far outweigh the risks.
Through all this discomfort, itching and pain, he has been a sweet boy who craves nothing so much as love and affection. He would be completely content to be held and carried and snuggled. As he’s started to feel better, his personality has begun to shine through. A Westie to the core, he has more than his fair share of Westie-tude and intelligence. He keeps us on our toes and lets us know when he wants something. He has now come to be known throughout the Westie community as Zeus McGoose and is developing quite the fan base as he posts his videos about his life in rescue.
This little guy has endured years of unthinkable neglect and we are looking forward to the day that he is truly pain-free.
Thank you WestieMed for all you do for these precious fur babies.
Mary Joan Smith
Westie Recue NY
Update April 2, 2019
WestieMed, thank you again for your assistance with the grant for Zeus McGoose. Zeus is recovering nicely and his ear even stands up when he is interested and engaged. The area where the tumor was removed is also healing very well. The biggest change, however, is, of course, the huge difference in his comfort level. He is able to now rest comfortably without waking randomly with a howl of pain, and although we have a long road ahead with his allergies and skin issues still, due to the severity and years of neglect, he seems to be a much happier dog. Getting rid of the chronic infection that was trapped in that ear has resulted in a healthier dog as well, in spite of the ongoing challenges. He is busy begging for his Tuna Snax and updating his fans as to the interesting things that happen throughout his day. The change in his stamina is significant and he has devoted himself to see how long I am able to keep up with his shenanigans.
We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your help with Zeus. It is no exaggeration to say that we would have been hard- pressed to have his surgery done and be able to relieve his awful suffering soon enough.
Zeus has something to say to you as well, click below:
With much gratitude,
Josie Myers-Smith
Executive Director
Westie Central, Inc.
(formerly Westie Rescue of NY)