Kenzie was brought to the vet because she had not eaten in 5 days and she was vomiting and had diarrhea. By the time she reached the animal hospital, she was in critical condition. She was severely dehydrated, lifeless, and not knowing what was wrong, the initial estimate to treat Kenzie was much more than her owner was able to handle, therefore Kenzi’s owner was faced with euthanasia. It was either luck or divine intervention, but the vet Kenzie was taken to happened to be my vet and she had never been treated there before.
On Monday, January 15, 2024 I received a phone call from my veterinarian asking if we could take Kenzie into rescue. Kenzie was started on IV fluids, calcium, B12, antibiotics and a host of other medications. Bloodwork indicated she had an infection, but within 24 hours, her numbers spiked dramatically and her electrolytes were dangerously low.
X-rays did not show anything unusual so my vet brought in an outside internist to perform an ultrasound which revealed many issues. She has an infection of the gallbladder and evidence of acute pancreatitis. The gallbladder is very thickened and there was a small amount of free fluid. She showed evidence of vasculitis which is a reaction pattern characterized by an immune response directed toward the blood vessels. Her GI track was thickened with inflammation which is evidence of acute pancreatitis and her liver is moderately enlarged. We broadened the antibiotics and continued with supportive care and by day 5, her numbers started to improve.
We brought her home on Friday and we will continue oral medications. She will need to be on antibiotics for 6 to 8 weeks. Now that she is home, she is showing evidence of diabetes insipidus which we will address at her follow up appointment this week. Her prognosis was “guarded” upon discharge from the hospital, but within just a few days she is acting like a normal Westie! She is always first in line for meals and has taken up an interest in all things Westie.
Karen Simondet
WROC