Niles the Westie, at roughly nine months old, found himself abandoned and seriously injured at the Inland Valley Humane Society in Pomona, California. It all had happened so fast; the squelch of the tires, the force of impact, and then a surge of pain like he had never felt. It is unclear what happened after that moment, but somewhere along the line, Niles’ owner made the decision to leave his fragile, little life in the hands of a shelter worker instead of getting him the emergency medical attention Niles so desperately needed. And in that shelter is where he stayed. It’s not certain how long he was there; minutes turned into hours, and hours into days, with Niles growing weaker, fading fast. It seemed to this poor boy, who had been through so much and was so scared, that all hope had been lost . . .
And then there was movement. Barely conscious, Niles was being readied for transport; he was being rescued! When he was first brought in to the shelter, his story caught the attention of the Aberdeen Scottish Terrier Rescue (ASTR). It wasn’t an easy task to get him out; there were many phone calls to make, much paperwork to fill out, and many arrangements to be made. But finally, it was time, and a real race against the clock it was! Terri and Susan of Wiggle Butts Pet Transport were transporting Niles, along with many other dogs, up to Seattle, Washington. The van was scheduled to arrive between 4 and 4:30 p.m. That left a very narrow window of time to get Niles to the veterinary office in Newcastle before it closed at 5 p.m.! Upon arrival, his rescuers greeted him with open, soggy arms (from the heavy rainfall they endured while they waited Welcome to Washington!) And no sooner had he arrived, Niles was whisked away to the Animal Hospital of Newport Hills.
He wasn’t in the clear just yet. X-rays were taken, and Dr. Aspen Davidoff confirmed he had multiple fractures of the pelvis and tailbone, which could only be healed with rest, and another fracture of his right femur, which would require surgery to remove the broken piece of bone. Surgery, neutering and microchipping were scheduled for a couple of days out, and in the meantime, Niles was given medication to help with the pain and bring comfort.
Niles’ surgery went very well and he is on the road to recovery. But he isn’t alone on his journey. Not only did the kind folks of ASTR save him, but he also has a pending adoption with Dr. Shan Rosenkranz, another veterinarian at Animal Hospital of Newport Hills. Dr. Rosenkranz and her husband fell in love with Niles after bringing him home to recuperate. They knew they couldn’t let this beautiful, courageous pup leave their home or their lives. A last-minute foster turned foster-flunk!
A big thank-you to the volunteers of ASTR, Wiggle Butts Pet Transport, and everyone at the Animal Hospital of Newport Hills involved in Niles’ rescue and medical care, and to WestieMed.org for their generous grant award to help fund his care we are forever grateful.
Angel came to us via a small rescue group in Arkansas. We learned about her by reading a post on Facebook, she had been turned into a small city-run dog pound by someone who claimed they found her as a stray. The Arkansas rescue ladies drove the dog to St Louis, a kind volunteer of another terrier rescue group in St Louis drove the dog to Columbia, MO where I met her on a Sunday afternoon and drove five hours home. We named the dog, Angel, in honor of the group who had originally rescued her. Angel was pretty vocal in her kennel at first but settled in nicely for the ride home. It was shockingly apparent that she would require a great deal of help from our veterinarian to regain her health.
Upon arriving in her foster home, Angel settled in quickly learning the routine, the yard and began playing with the other dogs. Her visit to the veterinary clinic the next day brought us a diagnosis of intestinal parasites, anemia, yeast and bacterial infection of her skin and ears, her eyes were completely devoid of tear production, her front teeth were missing and broken to the gum line, and she tested positive for heartworm. She was also not spayed. We initially questioned whether or not we should proceed with the costly course of treatment but Angel quickly showed us that she was not ready to give up and that she thoroughly enjoyed life and especially the good, home-cooked meals topped with goat’s milk that she is served twice a day.
After a course of thirty days of treatment with doxycycline, and with help from WestieMed, our vets will take X-rays and repeat the blood work in anticipation of the heartworm treatment. We hope that Angel’s future is much happier than her past but regardless of the outcome, we will do whatever we can to make this chapter of her life a happy one filled with love, fresh air and sunshine, a huge yard to romp in, rabbits and squirrels to chase, and toys filled with squeakers and stuffing. We will pamper her and love her regardless of the outcome.
Janeal Dominico, CPDT-KA Wag N Train Terrier Rescue
Update February 16, 2016
Angel is still recuperating from her heartworm treatment. After the initial treatment, she still tested positive so our vets had to give her a third injection. She will be retested again in a couple of weeks at which time if she tests negative, we will then proceed with her much-needed dental work and her spay surgery.
Her foster mom bathes her weekly to help with her skin and she remains the happiest girl one could imagine, given that her condition causes miserable symptoms.
Angel does have an approved adopter that is eager to take her home and make her a part of the family when cleared by our vets.
Janeal Dominico, CPDT-KA
Wag N Train Terrier Rescue
Update November 17, 2016: (Angel now called Addie)
Angel was cleared of heartworm and then spayed and had her teeth cleaned at which time she lost several badly infected teeth.
Soon after she was adopted by Scott and Hanna, who are both college students here in Omaha. This little girl now known as Addie is their entire world and vice versa. Don’t you just LOVE happy endings?
Thank you to the donors who make funding through WestieMed possible. Angel owes her life to the kindness of many, many strangers along her journey to good health and happiness.
Janeal Dominico, CPDT-KA Wag N Train Terrier Rescue “Tender Loving Care for Terriers in Need”
Casey is a five-year-old male Westie that was surrendered to Westie Rescue of TN and AL in July 2015. His owner had been dealing with Casey’s medical issues for several years and nothing was helping. She realized it was time to turn Casey over to someone that could help him get well and contacted WRT/AL.
From looking at his pictures before we picked him up we initially thought he had the typical Westie skin and ear issues but soon realized that it was much worse than we thought. When he was picked up by volunteers Diane and Patsy, his eyes were matted, his ears were red, swollen and full of scabs, and his hair was non-existent in places on his body, particularly around his backside and tail. The poor little one was pretty miserable and in obvious pain, as he would cry out when you touched him on his head.
As Casey was in desperate need of a bath, he was whisked off straight to a tub for gentle cleansing. Through all his pain and the turmoil of that afternoon he never growled, snapped or fought our help. He was such a gentle little soul and just looked at us with confusion, yet love. He knew his life was going to change for the better. He seemed so appreciative of the smoothing bath and care he was getting.
Casey had always been an outside dog so he was not accustomed to being inside in nice cool air. We had to laugh at him in that he realized very quickly inside the house was much nicer than outside in the humidity and heat. After being taken outside to dry off and “take care of business” he immediately found the back door and sat waiting to get back inside. Smart Westie, no more living outside for this little guy.
The next day Patsy took Casey to our wonderful vet at South Franklin Animal Hospital for treatment. Casey spent two weeks at the vet’s office being treated for his skin, eyes, and ears. He won everyone over at the vet’s office with his soulful eyes and gentle Westie personality. While his eyes and skin will heal with treatment and medication, unfortunately, his ears are going to require surgery. The infection and mineralization in his ears are to the extent he will have to have all the infected tissue and entire ear canal removed from both ears for any hope of controlling his pain. And this is where WestieMed comes to our rescue by donating to his surgery. We cannot thank them enough for contributing to his care. Casey is one sweet little guy and deserves a chance to live life without pain.
Right now he is with one of our wonderful fosters, Sandy, waiting for his ears to heal to the extent he can have surgery. He is loving being an inside pet and has made sure his “human” knows she belongs to him. His foster Mom reports that his “Westitude” is beginning to emerge and he is doing great.
We anticipate his surgery to take place within the next couple of weeks and we will update everyone on his progress. Thanks again to WestieMed for supporting Westies in need.
Diane Vann, Officer
Westie Rescue TN/AL
Update December 8, 2015
Casey – WestieMed Grant Recipient
Casey is doing wonderfully and is now up for adoption. His ears finally healed to the extent that he was able to have his surgery in early September. As it was a very extensive surgery and involved both ears, the healing process took a considerable amount of time.
Additionally, obviously parts of his head had to be shaved and for some period of time, he was styling with a mohawk cut so we wanted to wait until he looked a little less “punk” Westie, ha. He is now pain-free, finally after 3 years of enduring pain so intense you couldn’t even touch his head to love on him. He is a happy-go-lucky Westie, full of Westitude and loves to share with someone.
Thank you WestieMed for your help with Casey and so many of our other LWDs around the country. Casey sends tail wags and Westie kisses to you all.
Scottie Joe is a seven-year-old intact former breeding male Westie. Scottie has always been an outside dog who has never been vetted in his life and after he became unwanted by his original owner she advertised him for free in her local newspaper to anyone who would have him as a “good rat dog”. A kind man named Mike answered the ad and upon seeming Scottie Joe, took pity on him. Mike told me that it was clear as soon as he seen him that Scottie Joe was blind and no rat dog which was what he needed, and his skin appeared to be “moving” from the severe flea infestation and he felt “if I just take him home and put him down at least he will be out of his misery.” Mike took Scottie Joe home with that intention in mind but on the ride, Scottie Joe rested his head gratefully on Mikes’s lap. Mike decided to try and help him all he could. Mike is a poor backwoodsman from a tiny town of about 400. He did the best he knew to do for Scottie Joe. He dipped him several times to kill off the flea infestation and bought him the best food he knew Purina Lamb and Rice and kept Scottie Joe inside and in two weeks Mike said Scottie Joe was housebroken. After having Scottie Joe for about six weeks, Mike knew that Scottie Joe had more health needs then he could help him with and searched the internet for help not wanting to put him down since he had become very fond of him. He found Westie Rescue of Missouri. Mike drove a long way to get Scottie Joe to me before our weather turned bad that day in early March and then handed him off to me with tears in his eyes. I promised Mike we would not only take very good care of Scottie Joe but we would keep him updated on his progress and adoption. Scottie Joe has heavy thick cataracts on both eyes and is totally blind. His tongue hangs out because most of his teeth including his front ones are either missing or broken off with just pieces hanging and his lower jaw bone is deteriorating due to the missing teeth. He battles severe reoccurring mouth infections. He tested positive for heartworms and Ehrlichiosis (a tick-borne disease common to this area carried by deer ticks. Can be fatal if not treated causes arthritis and stiffness in the joints left untreated) He was also full of hookworms. A plan of care was laded out to treat him for the Ehrlichiosis first, then heartworms, then the teeth (which would then resolve the recurring mouth infections) and neutered and then his eyes. His health recover has been a long journey thus far lasting five months and has been costly, but now we are ready to move onto a very exciting point, restoring Scottie Joe’s sight by the removal of cataracts in both eyes. Scottie Joe will be traveling to Columbia University of Missouri, a three-hour drive always to have his surgery. He has had his initial examination by an Ophthalmologist at the University of Missouri and they feel he is a good candidate for the surgery, but first, he must have a cardiologist consult due to his previous heartworms. If he is cleared by the cardiologist for surgery then Scottie Joe will have his chance to see once again. Scottie Joe is super mellow, very sweet-natured with male and female dogs and every human he meets young or old. After all the neglect and abuse Scottie Joe has endured in his life from humans, he still finds his way to me to rest at my feet and is my constant shadow.
Sue Alley
Update January 15, 2016
Scottie Joe – WestieMed Grant Recipient
Unfortunately, when more advance testing was done on SJ it was found that his retina was permanently damaged and did not reflect light so his eyesight was not able to be restored.
His heart was so heavily infested with the Heartworms that it has left his right heart chamber permanently damaged but he is now HW negative.
He only has four teeth and those are back molars. He is now also incontinent of the bladder.
SJ is so full of Westietude however. This bouncy happy fellow does not know he is handicapped. He has a big personality and enjoys being the cock of the walk-in our home. He loves his fursisters and he loves me.
How blessed I am! I adopted SJ last August and he is now my Furever puppy. I would be hard-pressed to put into words the love I have for him and count SJ as one of my greatest blessings in life.
Forever thankful to WestieMed for their generous donation for his vetting to get him as healthy as possible so he can have the life that should have been his from the start.
Rosie came to us as a surrender in very poor condition, with significant hair loss over her back half and under her neck. The hair that she still had was very long and stained; she had black skin from a long-term skin disorder, and she was covered with flea dirt. She was also vomiting up everything. The owner realized she was critical but had no means to care for her. When I got her to my vet he realized she was in acute renal failure. She spent six days in ICU, and he managed to save her life. It turned out that the renal failure had been brought on largely by a lifetime of mis-medication (too much prednisone).
Rosie’s recovery was remarkable. After about six weeks of treatment, her blood levels showed that her kidneys were almost self-sufficient. She is on a strict diet of prescription food for kidney patients, and she still needs sub-Q fluids – but only every few days. She will need to be checked every few months, but with proper care and a good diet we hope for even more improvement. She can’t ever be spayed because the anesthesia would damage her kidneys. Despite her history, she is now expected to live almost a normal life. She is a very sweet dog, housebroken, and loves people and animals.
Through some miracle, an elderly couple came to us recently wanting an older westie. They didn’t care about medical issues or costs. They came to meet Rosie, and were enchanted with her and took her home. The love between the couple and Rosie was obvious – she loved them as much as they loved her. We did not charge them an adoption fee, due to the extraordinary costs they are taking on, which will be at a minimum, $150 – $200 monthly.
The generosity of WestieMed enables small rescue groups like Garden State Westie Rescue to do what we do. If we were not sure that WestieMed would help us out with extraordinary cases like this, we would not be able to take in these dogs, and deserving dogs like Rosie would die too young. Rosie’s story is just one more example of how one special westie was given a second chance at life thanks to the good folks at WestieMed.
Lisa Curry Garden State Westie Rescue
Update January 14, 2016
Rosie is now named Piper. She gets her fluids every other day at the vet and she is on Benedryl (for summer itching, allergies), Prilosec, gabepentin, aluminum hydroxide, kelp help supplement powder, organic (no salt – just peanuts) peanut butter, organic plain yogurt and chunky applesauce (just apples).
She weighs 15.6 pounds and is doing very well. The pain medication has helped immensely toward a happy attitude especially with some of the hindquarter and tail pain she experiences.
She is still on the dry Purina NF food and tolerates a 1/4 cup for breakfast and a 1/4 cup at dinner with some of each of the “people” foods listed above. Figured out how much to give her and it helps with not having episodes of spit-up. Our vet group is the best and they watch her closely. Blood work is done on occasion to help with giving her the best medical care as well. The hair on her back (though thin) has grown in nicely! She has come a long way, naps contentedly and loves walks in the back! She is very loving as well.
We picked up Calli from Tri-State Yorkie Rescue in Evanston, Indiana the morning of January 14th. We found her darling face on PetFinder.com when we decided to look for another Westie after losing our little girl “Cotton” in December. She would have been fifteen years old this month. Calli was very fearful and wouldn’t make eye contact but sat quietly in my arms for seven hours till we got home in Michigan. She slept almost constantly and we attributed it to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and so just held her and loved her. She had never been out of a cage until her rescue, but with patience, she has learned to trust us and tries to please. She has learned to go through doors when opened and climb steps; she was so fearful of everything.
I noticed Calli’s ears were full of black “coffee grounds” looking stuff, so, thinking it was ear mites, the next day we took her to our Vet for a “wellness check”. He treated her for an extremely bad yeast and bacterial infection in both ears, mutating the ear canal membranes so much that they are almost closed off. She is very hard of hearing and can’t tell where sounds are coming from and therefore she bolts and cowers when startled. Surgery may be needed to open the canals at some time in the future.
She had two teeth removed because of rot due to sawdust being used as a filler in her food and she had also been spayed so we thought her lethargy was due to all the stress of these surgeries and also trying to acclimate to new surroundings. It was when she started to learn to play and run after her new “squeaky toys” we realized she had trouble breathing and thought that being so tired should not be lasting this long in a two-year-old dog. We took her to the Vet again and even though the “wellness check” had eliminated blood problems and heart issues, after two x-rays he diagnosed her with Chronic Bronchial Disease. He also re-checked her for Heartworms due to her lethargy. She has not responded to antibiotics or bronchial dilators and she is now on Prednisolone, which we were hoping she wouldn’t have to take because of the side effects. So far, tragically, she hasn’t responded in a positive way to any of these treatments. The sad thing is that now that she has learned to play, her disease causes her to gasp for air and she stops playing and now sleeps most of the time.
After another x-ray at the end of this month, to see if there has been any change after the prednisolone treatment, he has suggested that we will need to see a lung specialist. What that will lead to we don’t know.
Calli is such a sweet and adorable dog – very patient and good about all she has been put through to be treated for her ailments, and we haven’t even mentioned her footbaths for allergies. We were told about “WestieMed” by a really good friend who has also rescued many dogs. When we heard we were able to get financial support to help Calli have a healthier life, we were elated and very grateful. There will be ongoing expenses related to both, her ears and lungs. We will have to wait to see if we need to take her to a specialist because, so far, she hasn’t responded to any of the protocols our Vet has prescribed for his diagnosis of Chronic Bronchial Disease.
My husband and I are so grateful to WestieMed for their support and plan to love Calli and take care of her for the rest of her life. It’s been bittersweet – seeing her blossom and then realizing she has so many limitations.
Dorie Southwell
Update June 25, 2015
Calli – WestieMed Grant Recipient
You last heard from us on March 20, 2015. Calli was on a steroid and was thought to have Chronic Bronchial Disease. Our vet felt that since she wasn’t responding to either bronchodilators or the steroid, we should see a specialist, which we did on March 31, 2015. Calli received an ultrasound from a veterinary cardiologist, was treated for lungworm and they ruled out a fungal infection in her lungs and Pulmonary Hypertension. She was then seen by a specialist in internal medicine. The final diagnosis was Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). The high humidity here in Michigan is making it difficult for her to breathe, so, our air-conditioning is on constantly, which is helping. We are keeping her in the house as much as possible as this helps
Calli also has many allergy problems which are causing her much distress. She is currently taking numerous Pharmaceutical and Natural medications that are not totally effective, but, it is better than it was. Additionally, because of diarrhea and vomiting, she has been diagnosed with colitis and so, is now on special dog food that seems to be calming that down, but seems to be somewhat allergic to it which is exacerbating the itching in her infected ears. She is driving herself “nuts” with the scratching.
We never know, from one day to the next, how she will be breathing. Even so, she is a remarkably happy dog and brings us much joy. We love her and are committed to keeping her comfortable for the rest of her life, however long that may be.
Dorie and Jim Southwell
Update February 15, 2016
The short life of our dear little Calli ended on January 2nd, 2016, two weeks shy of being with us a year. She was a precious gift and brought us much joy.
We read about cold laser therapy on your WestieMed website in November and found a holistic vet forty miles away and we took her for many treatments – twice a week for five weeks along with some enzymes that were to help break up the scar tissue in her lungs. We did what we could to save her, but the Pulmonary Fibrosis was, evidently, too far advanced and we had to let her go.
Thank you so much for all your support. We will always be grateful for your help!
Calli was a special gift. Even though she was with us for such a short time, she knew love and gave love.
Molly, age five, spent her life in this decrepit rabbit hutch. She was born into a puppy mill situation.
She was forced to live in cramped quarters with several other Westies. Chicken wire for flooring and rotting wood with chicken wire sides were her home. If she could stand long enough on the chicken wire, she could see the other fifteen hutches filled with other animals.
At night the only warmth she had was the body temperature of the other Westies in her hutch. Many nights were below zero. After several months of negotiations, we were finally able to have the owners surrender all the dogs in these outdoor hutches. We took in five Westies and one Westie-mix. Molly was one of those Westies.
Molly immediately went to the vet. The vet immediately knew Molly lived on chicken wire. Her paws were sore, irritated and inflamed. She also had a twisted nail or two. Molly was severely matted and her fur was filled with flea dirt and just general filth. Her fur is stained due to urine and feces. She had diarrhea.
A fecal exam showed several types of worms and parasites in her system – whipworms, hookworms, giardia, and lungworms. The living situation was filthy.
Her skin was red, had scabs and was also inflamed. The vet prescribed short term use steroids, an antibiotic and some ointment for the paw pads. Additionally, medicated shampoos are needed.
Due to neglect, the dental disease is quite advanced. She will need a complete dental examination and we anticipate that Molly will need several extractions. She will also need to be spay.
The vet also stated that it appears Molly has lost a significant portion of her muscle mass in her rear legs. This was either due to being forced to breed continuously a genetic issue, or a lack of exercise. This issue is still being evaluated.
Molly is very needy for attention. She wants to be touching her foster mother all the time. It was determined that she recently had another liter. Some of her anxiety and feeling unsettled is probably due to early separation from her puppies. It has taken Molly some time to acclimate to her environment. When meeting new people she seems to be very shy, anxious and timid.
The foster mother will be taking Molly to some pet training classes to work with some behavioral as well as socialization issues. We are fortunate to be able to have Molly in our care getting the much-needed vet care and behavioral training. As she learns to trust and feel better, she will be a wonderful addition to a family that will give her the attention she has lacked her entire life.
Westie Rescue Michigan, Inc. wants to thank WestieMed, Inc. for its generous grant to help Molly get the treatment she needs and to heal and find her forever home. Thank you for your good work WestieMed.
Julie Risch
Update August 6, 2015
Molly – WestieMed Grant Recipient
From Jean with Westie Rescue Michigan:
What can I tell you about being the foster mom for this one? So many firsts when she was with us (I have two girls myself and an old guy who is a permanent foster in my home). My girls do a lot of the work in terms of doggie manners, but this girl was sooooo eager for love and affection, she was easy. She was in horrible condition when we got her (another one of our homes gave her a bath before transporting her to me and it took three washes to get her clean — before the bath, she was so dirty that she was a color match for Brent’s car hart jacket, and the jacket wasn’t dirty!). She had ear infections and some really horrible teeth as well as very long nails and sore feet from the wire flooring in her rabbit hutch. All of those issues were fixed with great vet care, a dental (which didn’t turn out as bad as we thought it would be) and some too.
To have been probably the first person who held this little one while she slept was just awesome. She was damp and chilly from her bath and probably a bit frightened. I picked her up and settled her in my lap and she slowly began to relax. Then there was a big sigh and she was asleep. Magical!
We worked with her for about five to six to get her healthy and housebroken and then started looking for a match for her. I thought she would do best as an only dog, but I was also looking for a fenced yard (she escaped from my yard and that was scary, but she was just next door investigating the brush pile). The Moorheads fit the bill and fell in love with her immediately. She’s living the kind of life any dog would envy, totally doted on and loved to bits! She’s had many adventures since being adopted and will have a lovely life. Another happy ending!
Thank you for everything you do for our LWDs and for your help with our Midland Mill girls. We were quite overwhelmed with the bunch all at once, but I am so proud of the work that Westie Rescue- MI does and very honored to be associated with the organization.
From Molly’s foster parents, Terese and Paul:
I think Jean must be sick of reading my Facebook updates about Molly, but I can’t help it! We look at Molly so often, wondering how did this sweet and gentle dog come from the horrific conditions that she had endured at the puppy mill. Seriously, we can take her anywhere, and people of all ages come up to her. Kids who nicely ask if they can pet her get to meet this very calm and sweet Molly of ours. We can take no credit. We haven’t even taken her to obedience school. An elderly lady yesterday said that Molly had made her day. She has been visiting my elderly mother in a nursing home and has been a gem to all the patients and staff.
Right now, we are on a road trip to New England, and she is a very important part of our lives. We keep wondering how were we so lucky to get her!
We also can’t thank the WestieMed for all the care and support they gave to Molly.
Wherever we go, we always give the highest praise to Jean and Westie Rescue of Michigan. We are in awe of the devotion, kindness, and patience you provide to these dogs. So, just know-for every compliment we get about Molly, we say thank you and then mention you guys!
We are so in love with her, and she is so priceless and precious!
Update December 2016
Molly – WestieMed Grant Recipient
Little Miss Molly has a very happy life with her pet parents, Paul and Terese ever since she was rescued from a puppy mill in Midland, MI (and was given wonderful medical care, grooming, and love from Westie Rescue of Michigan as well as WestieMed). She’s been completely ensconced in our lives since April 2015 and has been extremely sweet and healthy.
Molly sleeps deeply through the night – even snoozing until Mom and Dad are all done getting ready first. Once awake, she sticks to her fitness regimen of a bit of doggy yoga followed by four yawns, rises on her hind legs and gives each of us our own personal “good morning” greeting! Once her wake-up routine is done, she does one more stretch and heads downstairs for breakfast. Molly loves her big backyard, where she thinks she’s a huntress in search of her prey. The squirrels’ chuckle at her failed attempts from their branches, while Molly’s content to quietly lie at the base of the tree and stare up at them. Aside from the squirrels, Molly loves to lie in the sun and go for walks with Mom and Dad. In the evenings, she’s content to cuddle under a blanket on the couch, right next to Mom! Molly has been on a few road trips for summer vacation and she learned to like riding in the car eventually!
As Christmas 2016 approaches, Molly, Paul, and Terese would like to thank all the incredible, giving people from WestieMed and Westie Rescue who saved her, cared for her and helped her blossom into the happy, healthy and gorgeous little Westie girl that she is now!
When Callie came to rescue from a San Diego shelter, we thought she had the typical skin issues that we deal with often in rescue and figured she would be fixed up in no time. Once we took care of her skin issues, she was ready to be moved to a foster home while we interviewed applicants. During her time in her new foster home, it was noticed that she was again losing some hair and was drinking a lot of water. We brought Callie back to our vet where we had a complete blood count (CBC), blood chemistry panel and urinalysis performed and because we noticed her belly was larger than normal, we had her tested for Cushings Disease. Low and behold, Callie did have Cushings. Knowing that it would be very difficult to adopt a dog with Cushings, Callie’s foster Mom agreed to foster Callie for as long as it took to find her an appropriate home.
Several months went by with little interest in our girl but we remained hopeful. Shortly thereafter, another issue popped up with this little girl that just could not catch a break. We had been battling her chronic ear infections since she came to rescue, but it was painfully obvious that something drastic needed to be done. Back to the vet, we went and during her exam, it was suggested we seek a second opinion with a specialist. Our fears were confirmed that Callie would need TECA surgery (Total Ear Canal Ablation). Poor Callie was stuck in a cycle of inflammation, infection, and fibrosis and the pain was just too much to bear. Callie had her first TECA surgery in June of 2014.
Callie’s foster Mom was amazing and brought Callie through rehab beautifully. With all these issues stacked against Callie, we knew finding her a forever home was nearly impossible. So we approached her foster Mom and told her we would take her into our forever foster program once a home opened up. Callie’s Mom literally made our hearts swell when she said that she would officially adopt Callie. Knowing that she would most likely need another TECA surgery down the line, we agreed to a provisional adoption should Callie need another surgery.
Everything was smooth for quite some time, but when her second surgery approached, we were not surprised. We were grateful that her foster Mom was willing to get her through this next hurdle with the love and care she has received since she arrived at WROC. What is even more amazing is how sweet and gentle Callie has remained during all of this. She is a smart girl and a very good patient. We do believe she knows we are here to help.
This is an expensive surgery and Callie’s costs since coming into our program have been astronomical. Thanks to WestieMed, Callie just had her second TECA surgery. So many Westies are abandoned to shelters due to their medical issues. WestieMed has helped so many Westies get the help they so desperately need.
Kay DeLoach WROC
Update January 15, 2016
Callie – WestieMed Grant Recipient
Callie is doing very well now.
After a couple of setbacks and more surgery, this little girl has made an astounding recovery.
Her Mom, Kim, swears that Callie is able to hear despite the surgery on both ears.
Callie is happy and well-loved by Mom Kim and brother Mini-Cooper!!
Kay DeLoach WROC
Callie – WestieMed Grant Recipient
Update November 16, 2016
Callie is thriving with Kim & Mini-Cooper.
She requires regular medical care which her Mom takes great care of.
The picture is from WROC’s 2016 Photoshoot.
Thank you very much for helping this adorable Westie.
Holly age thirteen and her bonded sister Hannah age eleven, came into foster care with me through Westie Rescue of Missouri in September of 2014 after their human parents divorced, and they were taken to the local shelter and left. Holly and Hannah both had skin issues and needed to be totally shaved, both were also in need of dentals and had between them needed a total of fourteen teeth removed. Holly upon entering rescue was noted to having heavy yellow staining to her tail and hind legs with constant squatting to urinate noted. We knew that for Holly to have such heavy staining to her hindquarters she must have had a long-standing untreated UTI or possible bladder stones. WRM provides excellent care for Holly with extensive blood work and x-rays to try and determine the specific of Holly’s problem. X-rays showed no stones and urine analysis showed a typical UTI. Holly immediately went on antibiotics and improved with no signs of infection after her antibiotic where finished. A short two weeks later Holly presented again with symptoms of a UTI and again a urine annalist and x-rays were done with no stones noted but infection present in her urine. A double dose of antibiotics was prescribed for Holly and once again she improved quickly. Holly and Hannah by this time had been with me their foster mom for two months with no interest from anyone in adopting them. I have fostered more Westies then I can count over the years and have loved and wanted to keep each of them, but always knew in my heart that their forever families were out there somewhere waiting for them and it was for me to help them on their journey to finding their forever families. Till Holly and Hannah arrived. WRMS policy is to never separate a bonded pair and I knew in my heart that they were mine. I adopted Holly and Hannah on the first of November and all seemed well till the next day! The day after adoption Hannah and Holly both presented with health issues. I will at this point set sweet Hannah aside, to share about Holly. Holly once again presented with signs of a UTI. Test, x-rays, antibiotics. Repeat this scenario two more times. Holly’s vet decided that Holly had possible bladder stones that were not showing up on x-rays and would need an ultrasound done to determine if stones were indeed what was the underlying cause of Holly’s persistent UTIs. I live in a rural area and so a two-hour drive to the nearest vet specialist in St Louis, who could do an ultrasound was scheduled. Taking an unpaid day off from work for me and my husband was necessary to get Holly to the specialist for her appointment. The specialist immediately felt that Holly presented with more confusing symptoms than just a bladder stone and set to work requiring an extensive blood panel, ultrasound and a sterile urine sample (taken by inserting a needle into her abdomen to acquire the clean sample needed.) The results of her ultrasound showed no stones in her bladder and the specialist determined that Holly had been born with a fold of skin that partially covered her vulva. Through the years the skin had become thicker and heaver covering more and more of the vulva. The skin would not allow all of her urine to be eliminated from her bladder, would gather and breed germs, that then travel into Holly’s bladder creating the ongoing constant problem of UTIs. Specialist office visits, ultrasound, sterile urine samples taken, totaled over $800 and the missed days from work all creating a hefty amount, that would have been financially draining for us and now Holly faces surgery to correct the problem which will be the only way to ensure the UTIs that she has been plagued with all her life stop. Holly’s surgery estimates are given to us as being at $1,000 and up. Thanks to WestieMed we know the problem and will be able to provide Holly with the surgery needed. Holly is scheduled for surgery after the first of the New Year. Unfortunately while dealing with Holly’s issues we have also been dealing with her sister Hannah’s health concerns. Hannah has been diagnosed with fast-spreading bone cancer. Since Holly and Hannah are so very bonded we feel that it is in Holly’s best interest to see how things go with Hannah, and how Holly adapts to her life long companion being gone from her life. We will be monitoring Hannah closely and when the time comes that we feel she is ready to go, we will be with her to whisper in her ear to tell her what a good girl she is, that she is loved and we will walk her across the Rainbow Bridge. We are told it will not have her much longer. Our concern is that surgery may be too much of a hardship on Holly so quickly and so WestieMed has been kind enough to grant us extenuating circumstances to see how Holly does and postpone her surgery for a while if needed. I do not regret adopting these two precious girls as my own. Short though their time with me has been, I love them dearly and they have enriched my life. We would have moved heaven and earth to get them whatever care they needed but our thanks to WestieMed will never end for having to not concern ourselves with the finances of how we could manage it all. Because of WestieMed and their generous supporters and donators we can focus on loving and caring for Hannah with whatever time remains with her and making sure Holly has the best care possible as she goes on in her life without her best friend.
Sue Alley
Update January 29, 2015
I wanted to let WestieMed know that Holly passed away. She had developed some sort of neurological disorder over the past month that we were trying to determine the cause of when she became paralyzed and was in considerable pain. I am crushed. Thank you to all at WestieMed for the financial support for Holly. Oh, how I wish we could have fixed her. It just was not meant to be. I would not have traded my short time with her for anything.
Little MoJo lost his home when his owners brought him to the San Pedro Animal Shelter. They felt that MoJo was “too high maintenance”, cost too much to groom and complained that he was always constipated. This was a very sad day because not only did they dump this very sick little boy, they took home another dog from the shelter. We picked him up within just a few hours of him being dropped off at the shelter.
MoJo was taken to our vet where he had to be sedated in order to shave him down. The mats embedded his skin, but as our vet always does, they left his head alone. Everyone knows not to shave our Westies’ heads! A complete blood panel was performed and aside from an upper respiratory infection, ear and eye infections and obvious dental disease, he was sent home with antibiotics, eye, and ear meds until his dental could be scheduled at a later time.
Over the next few days, we noticed a lump that would come and go at the right side of the base of his tail, but his appetite was healthy and within a few days he started playing with toys and the other dogs. Two weeks after arrival, his dental was scheduled.
On the morning of his appointment, he did not seem to feel well, so in keeping with our appointment, we planned to get him to the vet and change his dental appointment to an observation stay instead. As we headed off to the vet, MoJo became violently ill on the ride there. He was examined, blood work was redone, he was hospitalized and put on fluids. His blood showed his ALT levels were off the charts and he was diagnosed with a Perineal Hernia. Surgery had to be put on hold until we could get his levels back to normal, but in the meantime, his hernia was getting worse. He struggled to potty and cried each time and we were constantly pushing it back in. We ran a third blood test several weeks later and his ALT levels were back to normal and he has been cleared for surgery.
Mojo – WestieMed Grant Recipient
During surgery, his surgeons spent the first hour trying to control blood vessels. It was obvious when they opened him up that he’s had this for a very long time. This problem is rarely seen in castrated males and it’s a bit of a mystery as to when MoJo was neutered but we do know it was recent as his stitches were still intact. Our vet also discovered a mass lump above his rectum adhered to his rectal tissue. It was not attached to his anal glands which is good news! His colon was herniating as was the fat from the prostate. This fat was necrotic so they cut it all out and the decision was made to leave the lump because it has so adhered to the tissue and this being a delicate surgery, to begin with, the chance of fecal incontinence with is always a risk with this type of surgery so a needle biopsy will be done at a later time. While he was under, an enormous about of debris cemented onto his teeth was removed. MoJo is recovering as planned and has come home to heal.
We are so happy that we rescued MoJo and with the generous sponsorship from WestieMed, MoJo had a surgery that he should have had a very long time ago. This is just the beginning of a wonderful new life for this very sweet boy.
Karen Simondet
Westie Rescue of OC & Beyond
Update December 6, 2014
Mojo’s bladder is full and it can not be expressed. We may be looking at either a urethral obstruction or tumor or inflammation. We will do an x-ray. We were prepared to move ahead with his treatment, but his little body shut down and sadly Mojo passed away.
