westiemed – Page 11

Lencsi

February 1, 2017December 24, 2020 by westiemed in Stories, Uncategorized

Lencsi is an approximately nine to ten years old Westie lady who was rescued in May 2016 in Hungary. She was found in the countryside on the street in horrible condition, so Westie Rescue Hungary picked her up immediately the same day. She did not have a microchip and her owner was not found. Probably that was her luck.

During her first examination at the veterinarian, the following was diagnosed:

Ultrasound examination – small lime crystal sediments are visible on the liver and kidneys. Hernia, probably the uterus is protruded. Operation is URGENT.
Lacrimation check – very low, KCS disease, treatment twice a day.
Skin issues – infections, alopecia, scratching, postulate, the overall state is devastating. Antibiotics for 2 weeks, mono-diet with hypoallergenic pet food, biweekly bathing. The ear also infected daily treatment.
Blood was taken and sent to the lab – the result is promising, only the leukocyte is higher but only due to the inflammation in her body.
Heartworm test: POSITIVE
Transponder inserted

So we needed to look into her eyes and decide how to proceed, we had to be honest since we had doubts if we can succeed. She was in a lot of pain and we probably never had such a complicated case. But her sweet face and calm, kind nature convinced us that she will fight, she will recover so we started the long rehabilitation

Due to the heartworms, before the surgery we made a heart ultrasound examination as well, which showed that the adult worms are in the lung artery, blood pressure was normal. We operated on her hernia and was obviously neutered her at the same time. Although it was a dangerous operation, her will to survive was strong enough to stay with us. Both back legs had a torn knee ligament – examined by a specialist before the surgery – but we concentrated first on the heartworms and her general condition.

In July allergy test was performed as the improvement was not that satisfying. After the results, we continued with suitable hypoallergenic pet food.

In August we could proceed with the heartworm removal with a catheter which was performed by an Italian specialist – the first time we had this kind of surgery on a Westie. As a result, two adult heartworms were removed and medical treatment was continued. Her skin became better and better with time.

In December we made a control blood test and the results were perfect. The lacrimation check also showed significant improvement. All vaccinations could be given to her and the control heartworm test gave a NEGATIVE result. So we were very happy!

We got the green light to do the surgery of her leg and in January 2017 after an x-ray, the surgery was performed. Her leg will never be perfect, but she won’t have pain anymore. After a short break, we plan to operate the other leg in March. And after that, almost one-year rehabilitation will end and Lencsi will hopefully find her forever home.

Lencsi’s medical costs were high, so we can say that she is one expensive Westie, but WestieMed will help us to cover most of it for which we are very grateful.

Update November 22, 2017

Lencsi had been adopted yes and she is doing fab.

Chauncey

February 1, 2017December 24, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Chauncey came into Westie Rescue USA three years ago at the age of three. He was in good health and received his vacations at the time of rescue. He was a very nervous dog and was un-adoptable. As a volunteer, he came to my home where he is now a permanent foster. I have worked with Chauncey over the years but I just could not get him out of some very bad habits. If Chauncey was in a room with more than one person he would become wild-eyed and start licking anything in sight. This included walls, furniture, floors, and salvia would be coming out of his mouth like a rabid dog. About a month ago, I noticed a change in him where he would start licking his lips and swallowing rapidly. I started to watch his behavior and it began to progressively get worse. He would vomit at least once a day. This went on for a week and I made an appointment with my vet who checked him over and did blood work. Several days later the vet called and said the blood work showed nothing wrong. The next week Chauncey again would start to drink a lot of water and after eating at night, he would wake me up around 2:00 am in the morning and the sound was like he was choking and he would vomit. Even after the vomit was out of his stomach, he would wretch for about five minutes. I became alarmed and went to another reputable vet where she checked him overtook more blood for tests like pancreatitis and other diseases. The blood work came back negative. She also x-rayed his abdomen and could find nothing. Sunday came around and Chauncey became very lethargic and was vomiting every two hours. I rushed him to the vet that Westie Rescue USA uses for the dog intakes that come into our program and they kept him overnight. At this point, Chauncey had not eaten in over two weeks and kept it down. An ultrasound was done and there was evidence that something was wrong with the lining of his abdomen and intestines. They could not do the endoscopy which was needed to be done and referred him to a Veterinary Specialist in Manassas, VA.

He was admitted again and was transferred to the Veterinary Specialist. I had used all of my savings at this time and I then panicked and called WestieMed. The one and half days that he spent at this hospital cost between $1,850 and $1,950 which I did not have. Chauncey was dying right in front of my eyes and I was helpless. I had run out of savings and nowhere to go as we have tried every soft food there is to get him to eat. WestieMed came to my rescue and paid this bill. If it wasn’t for WestieMed, I would have had to put Chauncey to sleep. He is only six years old and I felt that he still had more life left in him. I cannot thank WestieMed enough for coming to my rescue because it just seemed like I was continually praying for the tests that had already been done on him with no results and kept being repeated on him and we were getting nowhere. Chauncey still has a long road to go and I am not sure if he will make it as today he had to be taken to my vet. We received the Prednisone in a shot and have to give him three injections over the next three days. He still has not eaten and is shaking a little. I will ever be grateful for WestieMed as they jumped in and helped me save this little boy. Since this ordeal over the past month, Chauncey has lost over five lbs. I am praying that we can get Chauncey over this hump and I will always be grateful to WestieMed as they were there when I had no one else to turn to for financial help. They are and will always be champions for these Westies who need advanced care. Thank you WestieMed for giving me more time to spend with Chauncey and trying to get back on the road to recovery. If it had not been for your financial support, there was no other avenue I could turn to and he would have had to be walked to Rainbow Bridge which would have broken my heart. YOU ARE THE BEST!

Phyllis Hovey

Scout

January 1, 2017December 24, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Scout is our third Westie and a three-year-old rescue. We are so happy he’s here with us and is bringing us so much joy!

We were beyond heartbroken when our Callie passed away suddenly in September 2016. Although Callie had been diagnosed with IBS and Addison’s Disease she had been doing really well for many years with much love, monitoring, and medication. She was almost 14 when we lost her.

We knew we would eventually want to rescue another Westie so I contacted Sunshine State Westie Rescue. It was amazing for us when in a very short amount of time we found out about Scout who had been rescued and was being fostered. He is a beautiful, loving little dog who happens to have Addison’s Disease as well! After much soul searching we knew we had to say “yes” to rescuing him, especially since we know so much about Addison’s and what it entails.

It’s only been a little over two months since we brought Scout home to live with us and he’s happier and more comfortable in his surroundings every day. We believe Callie arranged this for us knowing we would take good care of him as we did for her.

Heartfelt thanks to all at WestieMed for the financial assistance you have provided to our family for our little angel, Scout.

The Jacobson Family

Update July 19, 2017

Scout is doing great, very happy and healthy, and has brought so much joy to all of us, including his three kitties!

He’s so smart and playful and we feel like he’s always been with us.

Scout is our second Addisonian Westie however this is our first experience with giving the percorten. He takes it well and without a peep!

We’re looking forward to spending many, many, many more years of love and happiness with Scouty. I have also attached a picture for you :))

Thanks again, WestieMed!

The Jacobson Family

Wally

January 1, 2017December 24, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

On November 29, 2016, we received a call from a woman who stated that her daughter has a Westie that she wants to euthanize due to his skin problems. She sent pictures of the dog and the neglect was so severe that we asked her to bring him to us the very next day. Wally arrived in terrible shape. He was grossly underweight and every bone in his body protruded through. For a dog his size, he should be about eighteen pounds. His eyes were covered in discharge and he screamed when his ears were touched. He smelled so badly and it was quite obvious this dog had never been bathed. By the time we got home, his car seat was covered in yeasty crust.

Wally was taken to our vet the next day to treat his ears and eyes, blood work and a skin scraping to rule out mites. His ears were full of bacteria, rods, and cocci. His dental was put off for a while so he had a chance to heal and gain some strength. Yesterday, his dental was done and he was found to have many fractured teeth and the roots were rotted and some parts missing.

On top of being incredibly sweet, this little guy is a trooper! He is so appreciative of his baths and absolutely loved getting all the muck scrubbed off. He is looking better and better every day. Someone is going to get an amazing dog! Wally’s care has been costly! Unfortunately, such neglect requires extensive medical care.

Karen Simondet and Kay DeLoach
Westie Rescue of Orange County & Beyond

Update January 29, 2018

It took all of two months to get Wally back to his normal self after such a long period of neglect.

In January, Wally was adopted and joined a family with two other Westies. Wally is on the right.

Though he still has an occasional skin flareup, his Mom and Dad stay on top of his care and as such, he has grown a beautiful full coat.

Thank you WestieMed for sponsoring Wally!

Karen Simondet
Westie Rescue of OC & Beyond

Lucky

January 1, 2017December 24, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Lucky is a six-year-old Westie that ran in front of our van, sat down and stared at us. My husband opened the door and he jumped right in. It was obvious he had been on his own for a while. His fur is severely matted and even after a professional bath, he is still brown with dirt. We immediately took him to a vet and had them do a check up on him and check for a microchip. He was hookworm positive and we treated him for that ailment. He is also heartworm positive. When we got the estimate for the treatment, we were heartbroken. We knew we couldn’t afford to pay for it. Our kids were devastated, as they had already fallen in love with him.

We brought Lucky home and after he was cleared of the hookworms, we introduced him to our Foxhound, Scout. She needed a friend and they quickly became just that – friends! They run together, play, chase rabbits and even eat together. Lucky fits into our family immediately.

We reached out to the San Antonio Area Scottie and Westie Rescue (SAASWR) and told them our situation. They directed us to WestieMed and thanks to this wonderful organization, Lucky will have a second chance at a healthy and loving life! Thank you!

The Robledo Family

Update November 22, 2017

Lucky is doing great!! We took him for a haircut and found out he was mistakenly listed as a Westie and is in fact a Schnauzer!!

He is older than we originally thought also but he loves living with us. He loves my daughter and follows her around. He also sleeps with her.

He has a “sister” named Scout that is a Foxhound mix. I am including a picture of them both. They get along well and play most of the day.

We really appreciate your assistance with Lucky’s medical bill and mostly for your patience through us figuring out which treatment was best for him.

You are a blessing!

Lydia

Maggie

December 1, 2016December 24, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Maggie is a six-year-old Westie girl whose family couldn’t take care of her anymore due to a change in life circumstances, in this case, because the grandchildren came to live with them. Maggie had been in this family since age eight weeks. She is a sweet, loving girl and was fine with the children but the owners felt it was better for her to find a new family. Not knowing what to do they gave Maggie to a “friend” to find her a home. The friend was well-meaning but did not have the resources to accomplish this. So for a month, Maggie lived in one home or another (there or four) that didn’t work out. Maggie was understandably upset and not understanding what was happening to her so she had a lot of accidents.

Westie Rescue and Placement of Northern California (WRAP) heard about Maggie’s plight and was finally able to get the release from the owners so they could find Maggie a fur-ever home.

After the owner’s release came in, the person with Maggie told WRAP Maggie had a limp. No one knew how it happens, naturally, but it appeared recent and the doctors agreed. WRAP took Maggie to the doctor right away for treatment and also found a patient understanding foster family. The foster family wants to adopt Maggie when her leg is better.

WRAP took Maggie to a specialist in San Francisco (after trying less invasive treatment) who said she needs surgery to repair the torn Cranial Cruciate ligament in her right rear leg. Maggie has thrived with her foster family and has had very few accidents. She enjoys her two Cairn foster sisters. There is a great yard that Maggie loves to explore and she loves the walks every day even though she has to use the stroller.

Maggie’s prognosis is excellent and thanks to WestieMed she will be getting her surgery sooner than later.

Barbara Mordy

Update July 24, 2017

Since Maggie’s leg surgery in December 2016 Maggie has fully recovered. She was adopted by her foster parents after the doctor gave the all-clear on her leg. That was March 21, 2017. Maggie’s dad says she has thrived and has had no
problems with her leg at all.

She enjoys her daily walks (sometimes up to two miles) and chasing squirrels in the back yard. She is a sweet, loving, and gentle girl who loves people and other dogs. She loves to cuddle with mom and dad on the couch in the evening and watch television.

Her Cairn terrier sisters are much older than she is (by seven and nine years) but there has never been the least problem. She can be stubborn and get a little Westitude on occasion if she doesn’t want to do something but with prodding she will finally agree.

Barbara Mordy
WRAP

Update November 22, 2017

Maggie’s leg surgery was in December 2016. She has fully recovered and been adopted. She loves her yard and chasing squirrels. In the good weather, she spends as much time as she can outside. She continues to enjoy her daily walks to the nearby park and down to the local college.

Maggie is an endearing girl who loves interacting with people and other dogs. She recently attended a Halloween Event with her Carin siblings the rescue hosted. She can be stubborn and get a little westitude on occasion if she doesn’t want to do something, but with a little coaxing, she will finally agree.

Maggie and her family are very grateful she was able to have the surgery which has given her a normal life.

Barbara Mordy
WRAP

Chloe

September 1, 2016December 24, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Chloe is a typical 6-year old Westie with plenty of Westitude, she has the most charming prance, head held high and a proud gait, we call it “going to the White House”. She comes from an incredibly loving family that has had her since she was a puppy and due to life changes they made the heartbreaking selfless decision to surrender her to rescue so that she can have access to the medical care she needs and be in a more stable environment.

When she was one and a half she began to scratch her ears and cry, the vet put her on antibiotics and Prednisone along with ear drops. For the next four years, Chloe experienced recurrent ear infections. As the vet explained, long-standing ear infections can result in irreversible damage to the ear canal which is exactly what happened with Chloe. Due to chronic inflammation, the ear canal became thickened and turned into bone. As a result, Chloe’s infection cannot be treated with medication.

By the age of five Chloe’s ears completely closed; for anyone who is not familiar with this the only way to describe it is to say her ears looked more like a belly button. However, even though her ears were closed, the infections continued, resulting in the formation of an abscess in her cheek that needed to be opened and drained. The vet informed her mum that Chloe needed a double ear ablation- surgery in which the diseased ear canals are removed entirely.

With the help of WestieMed Chloe is getting the surgery that she needs. Prior to surgery, Chloe has been put on a strict diet – prescription food, water and no treats (poor girl no treats!) The vet said that potentially she could have severe allergies adding to the inflammation in her ears. Until we can narrow allergies she will not even be receiving oral heartworm meds because of the flavoring.

Prognosis is very good post-surgery. The hope is that Chloe is going to feel like a “new dog” and might be acting more like a puppy again. The vet said that typically a dog that has chronic deep-seated ear infections like Chloe will be much less active than a normal dog because they do not feel well. Once she receives the surgery infections are most often times cured permanently.

Update April 12, 2017

From her adopters/new forever family:

She has settled into our household and is a wonderful, playful, funny and in every way great dog. Our household now includes my son’s rescue dog “Moose.” Chloe and Moose are BFFs – they watch out the windows together, take a long morning walk together and usually race out to the back yard together.

She had a dental cleaning a couple of weeks ago – she didn’t need any extractions just cleaning. There was a small mass in an area of her gums which the vet removed and sent for biopsy. He didn’t expect any serious problem and turned out, fortunately, there wasn’t.

She is really comfortable in her new home and not as needy of me as she was in the first months. She may snuggle up for a nap. She still likes to hop up on the back of a chair or sofa and nap right beside one of her humans who happens to be watching TV or reading a book or whatever.

She is great with people, including visitors – no snapping, growling or any kind of aggressive behavior. We will soon be going to the Cape more often so I will stop by to see Kathryn and so Kathryn can visit Chloe. Oh, I meant to mention – she is one of the lucky 10% of dogs who have had ear ablations but still have some hearing. She turns towards sound and responds to a call of her name. She also sits and waits for her meals and sits for a treat.

Murphy

August 1, 2016December 24, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Murphy is an eight-year-old Westie. When his owner died he was passed around between family members for a couple of weeks while they decided what should be done with him. They then contacted our rescue to see if we would be willing to find him a new home and I agreed to take him into foster care. When I picked up Murphy the first thing I noticed was the horrible smell he had. I immediately washed all of his belongings but it didn’t help. Murphy also had substantial hair loss and darkened skin on his neck, chest, and sides so I took him to the groomers the next day and had all his hair cut off. What lay underneath was a red dog. All of his skin was red, inflamed and burning hot. The dark areas of skin were moist and purulent and he still smelled awful. He also started to limp so I ran him into the vet. There was nothing visibly wrong with his leg but he had an enlarged lymph node on that side.

The vet was horrified at the state of his skin. Murphy had arrived to me with two medications and some ear drops but clearly none of that was working for him so Murphy had skin scrapings and blood work done to see if that might render any clues. The skin scrapings showed Murphy definitely had lots of yeast growth on his skin but nothing else was abnormal.

Murphy was prescribed an antibiotic for the lymph node and possible underlying skin infection, an anti-fungal medication along with daily anti-fungal baths. He received Apoquel as a type of anti-inflammatory and new ear drops. He was also started on a new protein source food. We are trying this regime for a month to see if Murphy’s skin can be restored to something close to normal. After just ten days I can tell Murphy is a new dog. He is running and playing with his toys and barking at anything that comes near the house. He no longer limps or spends any time scratching or chewing himself and only occasionally shakes his head. Clearly we are on the right track. Murphy will still have to undergo more blood work to ensure the drugs are not having adverse effects on him and he will also have to maintain a strict diet until we can determine what items he can tolerate. I know he is missing his carrots!

Murphy lives peacefully with my pack of two large dogs and four cats. He is a little bit too interested in my rabbits (he is a terrier after all) but is called off quite easily and he is completely non-destructive when left alone. He could use a bit more training however, so I have enrolled him and me in the Canine Good Neighbor class starting in September. Hopefully, his new owners will continue with his training.

This past weekend Murphy came with me to a pet exhibition held in our city of Victoria, BC. He was just fantastic. He was happy to meet people and dogs alike and at one point tossed himself off his stubby little legs and onto his back in the middle of the walkway in order to receive belly rubs. He became a bit of a celebrity at the event and I have heard that people were looking for him after we left. We are confident that Murphy will now have an excellent quality of life and that we will be able to find him a wonderful home where he will receive the love and care he deserves.

The Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders would like to thank WestieMed for supporting our efforts to make Murphy a happy healthy dog. Your help is very much appreciated.

Sincerely,
Marion Boulstridge
Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders Board Member

Maisy

August 1, 2016December 24, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Maisy was surrendered to the Westie Rescue of Missouri on Sunday, July 17th. She was just seven months and eleven days old. She lived in a second-floor apartment and spent most of her life in a kennel. The apartment complex was surrounded by concrete drives with little to no grassy areas. She was surrendered because she was having more frequent accidents in her kennel and the couple was expecting their first child with the mother experiencing a difficult pregnancy.

Maisy rode on my lap on the way to our home. She seemed very curious, happy, and filled with lots of kisses. We stopped at a park on the way to let her out and when we sat her in the grass, she did not know what to do. She slowly started exploring with her head buried in the grass, sniffing and sniffing as if it were her first experience. When we got home we showed her the backyard and her new home. She ran through the house over and over and over again at full speed.

First up were a bath and an appointment at the vets and groomers. She had never been groomed, afterward; she looked so tiny and even more adorable. After the initial visit to the vet, she received a healthy report and we started her on heartworm and flea and tick medicine. At her spay appointment, the veterinarian found a problem with her heartbeat. We were devastated at first because we had two Westies that had died from heart problems. Alex lived to be thirteen years old and Gracie (also a rescue puppy that we adopted at the age of two years old) lived to be fifteen years old.

While Maisy healed from her spay surgery, we all truly became a family. It feels like she has always been with us. She is so ornery and sweet at the same time. She ran off with a bar of soap, she pulled the towels down off the towel rod and dragged them out of the bathroom, and she constantly needs a toy instead of your hand to chew on. However, she looks directly into your eyes. She climbs up and sits on your shoulder like a Cockatoo. She loves to play hide and seek she creeps around the furniture to sneak upon us. She loves being outside and going on walks. She sleeps between us at night and loves to be covered up with her little quilt. She loves car rides. But mostly she loves to run up and down the fence and chasing the neighbor’s dog back and forth. She will run over to us for approval and then go back to running the fence line.

Maisy is currently being seen by a veterinary cardiologist. She is currently being evaluated with test doses of medication to control her heart problem.

Maisy does not have any more accidents – she is a rock star!

Update April 8, 2016

Thank you so much for your support for our Maisy.

She is doing great under the supervision of her veterinarian and cardiologist. Her condition is being managed with medication and monitoring.

She is our little love. She is adorably curious, she loves attention, and is a thief of all socks.

Thank you so much for helping her!

Update November 22, 2017

Maisy is doing great.

She is still taking her Atenolol twice daily.

I am scheduling her for her annual cardiologist appointment soon.

Thank you again for your support last year.

Isn’t she a cutie!!!

Renni

July 1, 2016December 24, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

As I was messing around on Facebook one night, I got a message and photo from my sister-in-law, Casey. The picture was of a little white dog at the Metro Nashville Animal Shelter for adoption. The little dog was pretty bedraggled and looked very small and afraid. She was female, spayed and not much other information was known about her.

Casey and I conversed a few minutes, and I told her I’d contact Westie Rescue AL/TN to see if they could get her released from the shelter and into a foster home.

I sent a Facebook message to one of the officers of Westie Rescue AL/TN and inquired about this little girl. She said she knew about this dog and a couple was going to the shelter to try to adopt her within the next few days, but it was not a definite situation. She said the Rescue did not have any foster homes available at that time and there wasn’t anything they could do unless a forever foster home could be found.

I talked to my husband about the little dog and showed him her picture. We were currently in the process of trying to help another Westie, and it didn’t look like that situation was going to work out. We both felt that this little dog at the shelter needed us more than the other dog, and maybe she was the reason the other situation wasn’t working out. I wrote the officer back and told her if she could get her out of the shelter, we would adopt her. She was overjoyed and said she would start working on it the next day.

Unfortunately, the shelter was closed until the following Tuesday. The officer was able to contact the shelter and go see this little Westie. When she got there, she discovered the dog was both deaf and blind. She called us to see if we could handle this situation since it was going to be more than we had anticipated. We decided we would still adopt her. I arranged to meet the officer to meet the little girl and met them early in the week before the adoption.

The little girl had been checked out by the vet at the shelter, and was found to be heartworm negative, blood work was all good, needed a dental cleaning, and had some skin issues. She was soon on the way to the Rescue’s veterinarian, with a quick stop to see me on the way.

This baby looked SO bad. She had a very thick, black crust underneath her left eye. She was very scraggly and dirty, and she smelled so bad there were flies around her. She was walking in circles at the end of the leash and confused. I picked her up and held her, and I could tell she was very sweet and needed a lot of love. She needed someone to trust to take care of her.

She had been found in a neighborhood in Nashville, Tennessee, by a woman who had called Metro Nashville Animal Control to come and pick her up. Her next-door neighbors had a Westie, so she knew she was the same breed. Apparently, they gave the shelter their contact information, because the Rescue officer was able to contact them. She had been at the shelter for almost a week when I saw her picture. After we adopted her, the officer told us the neighbors put a story about her in their neighborhood newsletter and collected a donation for Westie Rescue to help offset her vetting. The officer let them know that she had been adopted, that her name was now “Renni”, that her Irish name means “small, but mighty”, and she was going to a good home.

Renni was at the vet by this time. They did a thorough exam, found a slight heart murmur, gave her a dental cleaning and removed 5 teeth, bathed her and treated her skin issues, prescribed three types of eye drops for her eyes to be given twice/day. She had a follow-up visit for two weeks. After the follow-up visit, we could give her a bath.

We were able to pick Renni up and bring her home on Friday, June 17, 2016, four weeks ago today.

She does not like riding in the car. She fought like a little tiger until she wore herself out and went to sleep in my arms. We decided no more car trips until the follow-up vet visit. We got her home, introduced her to our other Westies: Duncan, age four; Connor, age three; and Brody, age one.

They are leery of her, and can tell she is ‘different’. They mostly avoid her whenever she gets near them, but they are slowly accepting her into the fold. They are ‘concerned’ when she gets upset, and come to check on her to satisfy themselves that she’s ok.

We suspect that Renni belonged to a gentleman, who possibly passed away. She became attached to my husband very quickly, and he became attached to her as well. We have no way of knowing how she ended up on the street, or how long she was on her own. It breaks our hearts to think of her alone, in the dark, in her own darkness and silence, not knowing where danger was lurking, trying to fend for herself to find a safe place to sleep and something to eat.

She is very thin, all the bones in her spine can be felt, as well as her hip bones. Her rib bones can also be felt. She is having a difficult time gaining weight because she walks so much.

The vet initially thought she had dementia, but we determined after her first night at our house, that she was ‘mapping’ her surroundings.

She walked the perimeter of our great room 30-50 times without stopping. The first several trips around, she bumped into everything. After several times, she was able to dodge more and more pieces of furniture, table legs, corners, etc. When she finally had navigated the room with no collisions, she rested. She learned where the food and water bowls were located and could find them easily. She learned where my husband was sitting and would pass by him for a quick rub, just to get her bearings.

The next morning, she was able to remember everything she had learned the previous night. Renni did not have dementia! Way too smart for that! She started learning the next room and moved on to the next and the next. She still has trouble with the dining room table and chairs…too many legs, too close together. That’s understandable.

She LOVES to be outside for potty breaks. She’s getting more comfortable being in her yard. Her first time in the backyard, she took off like a trooper and explored the whole fenced area.

She had a ball and didn’t want to come back to where we were. The other dogs were playing in the pool, but she couldn’t go in because she couldn’t get wet yet. We have tried her at swimming since the follow-up vet visit, but she doesn’t care much for it.

We are hoping after Renni’s cataract surgery, with her vision restored to 95%, she can enjoy being in the pool, will want to play with toys, will be able to get along with the other dogs, and navigate better in the yard. Balance is an issue for her without her sight on uneven ground.

We are anxious for her to see our faces as well, so she knows who is loving her, kissing her face, stroking her back, feeding her, etc.

With your generous help, all this will be possible for her after the cataract surgery. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU so much for all you have done to help this precious little girl.

She has been a huge blessing to us as we have learned how to communicate with her and help her adjust to her new life and surroundings.

Jeanne and Chris Blankenship

Update April 3, 2017

Sadly, WestieMed has received word that Renni passed away last year. Rest in peace sweet girl.