A few days before Christmas, we received an email from someone asking if we could help their grandparents’ Westie find a new home. Both grandparents had recently been placed in a nursing home that does not allow pets and the dog had been used to being with them 24/7. Sookie is 14 years old and the family said the transition was difficult for her. They wanted us to take her in and, when asked when, they asked if we could take her that same day.
Not one to say no to a Westie, we agreed and rearranged the evening schedule to be able to meet her. The moment we met Sookie, we were in love and fell in line to tend to her every whim.
First task was to get her to our vet for an exam and bloodwork to see how she was doing. The family told us she was healthy but we like to have our vets verify, and we are glad we did. Sookie’s bloodwork indicated possible Cushing’s which had never been investigated so we signed her up for an ultrasound to see what was going on. During the ultrasound, the internist noted both adrenal glands were enlarged and one had a tumor. They recommended a CT scan and fine needle aspirate to determine the severity and malignancy of the tumor. We approved the procedures and awaited results.
It took a day to wait for results, but we received the good news that Sookie’s tumor appears to be benign. We want to do the best for this girl, so she has an appointment with the Cancer Referral Center to find out options to improve her health and quality of life. In the meantime, Sookie is ruling her new foster home, demanding princess treatment.
Our thanks to WestieMed for help with Sookie’s medical bills. With their help, we can continue to give the best to each of the dogs in our care.
Kind regards,
Westie & Scottie Rescue Houston
Update August 13, 2026:
