westiemed – Page 21

Ellie

July 1, 2011December 26, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Seven years ago, I brought two little Westie puppies into my life: Max and Piper. They have been such a joy for me and my family (grandpops loves his grand-dogs!), and I’ve always known I’d expand our family one day. Because of my love for Westies, I check the Westie Rescue of Tennessee quite often to see the Westies they have for adoption, but the timing was just never right – and to be honest, WRT’s babies get adopted out very quickly.

However, back in early June, I came across a note on WRT’s Facebook page about a little blind Westie girl. When I read the note, my heart just broke for this poor little girl that had obviously been left to fend for herself. A farmer found her hiding under a shed on his farm. Her hair was extremely long and matted, and she had severe scabbing around her eyes, as well as ear mites. She was underweight and was in desperate need of some TLC – as well as medical help for her eyes.

She was brought to Nancy, a Westie breeder in Arkansas, who shared her story with WRT. Nancy provided her shelter, food, and medical care, but the goal was to find her a furever home where she would feel loved and protected.

After I read the story, I knew Ellie had to come home to Alabama and become part of my Westie family. I looked up from my laptop and asked Max & Piper (yes, I asked the kids!) if they wanted a new sister…? Max’s ears perked up and he ran over to the toy basket and picked up one of his favorite toys – a little pink elephant that I call Ellie. Well, that was enough of a sign for me. I had always said my next girl dog would be named Zoe or Ellie, and Max bringing me that toy just sealed the deal! Thanks to some wonderful volunteers (Nancy, Patti Holden, and Carol Utley), we were able to get Ellie to her new home on 6/25. Little did I know what I was in for!

Ellie came in and instantly peed on the floor! I thought, “Oh no! I’ve been living with two dogs for seven years that are housebroken – what am I going to do?!” I just went back to what worked with my two little ones, and before I knew it – just two weeks later – Ellie was housebroken and I no longer had kept her in her pen (it was a nice large area), if I left for an extended period of time. She was using the doggie door like Max and Piper and using the outdoor potty pad if I had to be gone longer than normal.

She has very quickly learned how comfy the sofa is, and after only a couple of days, she learned to use the doggie steps to get up on the sofa and the bed. She still sleeps in her crate at night because I’m worried she might fall off of the bed, but she loves her little “house” at night – especially the down pillow she sleeps on! She has her favorite treats and, after prying them away from Max, has found 2 favorite toys – a pink piggy and a pink “diva dog” purse.

My biggest concern with Ellie was her eyes, of course. Although I had been given an antibiotic eye ointment to use on her eyes (the vet had given Nancy a sample before she was brought to Alabama), her eyes would still get mucky and crusty. Another wonderful Wesite supporter, Diane Vann, pointed me in the direction of Veterinary Eye Specialist in Birmingham (and also WestieMed).

I assumed they would tell me the worst – that Ellie had cataracts or had no sight and would never see. But instead, they told me wonderful news! While Ellie’s sight would never be 100% and her extreme dry eye condition was permanent and ulcers had formed on one of her eyes, she should get some sight back in both eyes!

I was so excited, but since I am currently out of work, I was worried about paying for her eye drops and vet visits each month. Thank you WestieMed for alleviating this financial burden for the next year! Believe it or not, after only a week of using the special eye drops, Ellie’s eyes are already improving. They look normal, not quite as bright and shiny as I want, but there is no muckiness or crusting.

She may have to have these drops for the rest of her life, but I don’t care! I would do anything for this little Westie/St Bernard (she gives some very sloppy St Bernard type kisses!). So here we are now, one big happy Westie family! I am amazed every day at how well Ellie does with such little sight. And while I know Ellie is thankful to have a home and forever furr-friends, I am even more thankful for the love and joy she brings me every day!

Update September 26, 2011

I just wanted to give you an update on our little Ellie! She is doing great!

She has been on special eye drops for the dryness and Terramycin for infection. Her tear ducts are producing tears, but she’ll probably be on the meds for life. As far as any sight regained, I know that she seems more sensitive to light, but time will tell with that. Her little eyelids are funny, b/c the lashes grow in too think so I trim them weekly so I can see her great big beautiful brown eyes – which are shiny and rarely have any crusting or “gooping”. I don’t know how she does it, but she loves all of the pink toys we have – she has her own little set and has to have at least one to go to bed with at night – piggy, Ele the elephant, the pink princess purse, and, our newest, monk-monk – our pink monkey. I bought one in blue and one in pink and she totally ignores the blue one.

She loves her little crate at night. I just say, Ellie, it’s time to go nite-nite, and I’ll have one her toy waiting for her and she’ll grab it out of my hand and head straight into her down-filled little house. The next day, she always goes back and gets whichever ever animal she took to bed. While I’d love to have the crate out of my room, I don’t think I will ever let Ellie in the bed like Max and Piper. I’m too scared she’ll fall off. Plus, three dogs in the bed?? I don’t know. They may take over completely if I do that!

She is in treat Heaven, and she knows when I’m cooking their dinner –she runs around and around the kitchen until it finally hits the bowl.

She’s even learning the art of playtime with Max & Piper. I think it scared her at first, but now she just plays along.

All-in-all, we are one big happy Westie family! Thank you WestieMed for your support!!

Christi

Update July 7, 2012

Ellie is doing great! She still has to continue to get eye drops every day, but her sight has actually improved.

Being out of work (Still!), WestieMed’s help was invaluable!

Thank you again so much!

Christi Gamble

Wally

July 1, 2011December 26, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

George Carlin said “Life…is a series of dogs. It’s true! You just keep getting a new dog.” Wally is our latest arrival in a long line of rescued dogs of many breeds, one Collie Lucky, two Irish Setters Clover & Lexi, one Lhaso Apso, Raggs, one Golden Retriever mix Goldie, one Airedale, Harry, a Shephard mix, Ralphie, a Black & White English Setter, Mya and currently we have Mollie, an orange and cream English Setter and Maggie, an English Cocker Spaniel. I added this information to show you that most of our dogs have been large in the frame. We had stayed away from smaller dogs fearing their dispositions…well, Wally has totally disproved that notion.

After a long search including ads posted for a Westie online, I came across Westie Rescue of Alabama and worked with Phyllis, an absolute champion for rescued dogs. She told me wonderful things about a little nineteen-pound male Westie by the name of Wally aka ‘Little Man’ as she also called him respectfully Seemed he was about as well adjusted a Westie as one could adopt. Seems he had been surrendered from a loving home in Florida, then stayed in Alabama for two months with the rescue for testing and observation before adoption, then he was driven northeast to Tiverton, RI arriving late one night on 3/31/11. These two brave scouts had driven near straight through, twenty hours, to get my ‘dog’ to me. Note: Due to recent surgery, I was unable to drive out halfway. The minute he pranced across our kitchen floor, I could not believe my eyes, as the little white dog that I had longed for so long had arrived. With his walk, he showed that he thought himself to be a much bigger dog. He went right over and greeted our other two dogs, Maggie, our six-year-old English Cocker Spaniel, alpha girl, and Mollie, our seven-year-old English Setter, a sweet & mellow long-suffering lass. The room was filled with all shapes and sizes of dogs sniffing and wagging, no growling…just friendly acquaintancing. I know I must have been beaming from ear to ear, my hubby was so pleased to see full joy return to my face. (As in October 2010, we lost our sweetheart dog, Mya…she was the spark plug of love & life that was sorely missed. Since her passing the two other dogs seemed to sleep most of the day, no more pig piles of dogs, speed chases, nothing).

Well, one could see in an instant that Wally was a gleeful lad who seems to feel at home here and wanted to play and be played with. Wally’s big black eyes take you away, you melt just looking at him. He’s charming, and loves to play teasing games with us, i.e., ball and ”’wormie”. It wasn’t long that all three dogs were running, jumping, playing tag, and yes, even playing pig pile with Mollie on the bottom as usual. Wally rounds out our dog family…he’s the spark we all needed to have in so many ways.

Shortly after Wally arrived, we noticed a few spots of blood before he urinated we attributed it to the dogs’ horseplay as it only was observed that once only.

Then after a professional grooming, Wally developed circular patches on his abdomen that he would scratch. The vet diagnosed this as dermatitis and prescribed a one-time dose of steroid IM as well as an antibiotic. He examined him thoroughly. The next morning, we noticed twenty or so drops of frank red blood (from his penis) before he urinated. the vet advised that he felt that this had nothing to do with his examination but that he probably had bladder stones & to bring him in for an x-ray.

The x-ray showed an empty bladder with stones, large and small – the concern more for the smaller stones obstructing urine flow. Phyllis directed me to notify WestieMed. I sent off an email detailing our situation and the urgent need for help. I received a call from Bette within hours who reassured me that WestieMed would be there for us and asked if surgery could be scheduled sooner i.e., tomorrow versus the scheduled date of 8/1, etc. Bette had such a calming reassuring voice and manner to her. The call was surreal. I could hardly believe what I had heard as this news was all too wonderful to hear.

The next five days before surgery were long and difficult for us to watch Wally suffer through. At times, he bled twenty to thirty drops of blood before urinating, both inside and outside the house, straining so long to try to get some relief. He was so concerned with his ‘accidents’. He would try to get to the blood before we did, he would lick at it. He also tried to clean anything that was soiled, such a fantastic little guy.

Wally had surgery on 8/1 as scheduled. The surgery went well yet because two sharp-edged stones had embedded into the top of his urethra, he required a catheter and an overnight stay. I was reassured that he would be medicated for pain and sedated slightly. Well, come the next morning dear Wally had had enough, he pulled out the catheter himself and was cleared for discharge.

Homecoming was quiet but joyous!!! Just to have our Wally, our Little Man, back is everything. His recovery has been uneventful thankfully. All systems seem to be working well. The sutures remain intact with unchanged fullness, swelling around them and he returns for a recheck with suture removal in ten days.

Thank you, WestieMed, for all your immense assistance and help with our treasured West Highland Terrier, Wally. We marvel at his intelligence, youthful spirit, playfulness & energy. We will keep you updated on his progress, health, and adventures.

Sincerely,
Bill and Liz

Skye

July 1, 2011December 25, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Carolina Westie Rescue found Skye through Petfinder in late May. She was in the mountains of North Carolina, quite a distance from us here on the NC Coast, in Wilmington. I contacted the shelter to make sure Skye was still available and was informed that she was, so my daughter and I made the trip to the mountains to bring her home. When the shelter attendant brought Skye in she was very frightened and very skittish. She flinched every time she was touched. It was evident that she did not like being there. As Westies are normally outgoing and inquisitive terriers, we knew that she was not a happy dog. We were told that the owner brought her in because he could no longer take care of her. The shelter attendant told us that Skye had a small skin infection. Skye’s hair was very long and overgrown. She also needed a good bath before we could tell how bad her skin was. Even though the hair, however, it was clear that she had not been treated for her skin infection. We made the trip back home with Skye in my lap the entire way. When we arrived, Skye met all of the other Westies and had a good meal. She slept very well that night.

The next day it was time for me to bathe and groom her. While I was grooming Skye I noticed just how bad her skin looked underneath all that hair. I could tell that she had a very deep, nasty infection on her back. I made an appointment with a new veterinarian who is known to be rescue friendly, getting her worked in for an appointment for the very next day. The veterinarian looked at Skye and said she had a deep bacterial pyoderma skin infection. He gave her an injection of a very strong antibiotic called Convenia, and also put her on a very strong dose of Baytril. Skye also went home with a bottle of Pharmaseb spray. In addition, I had a bottle of Pharmaseb shampoo at home. Skye seemed to respond to the treatment almost immediately, for a time. I gave her baths with Pharmaseb shampoo two to three times a week and treated also her lesions with the spray.

In the middle of June, we returned to the same vet for more shampoo and spray. Skye was not progressing as quickly as I thought she should be. Four days later, seeing no real improvement, I decided to take Skye to my original vet as her condition actually seemed to be worsening. My vet, who we affectionately call Dr. K, examined Skye and put her on a regimen of 100mg of Simplicef. After a time, the Simplicef did not seem to be working either and in early July, Skye was put on Baytril again, but at a lower dose. Now, at this time, the last week in July 2011, we have discontinued the Baytril altogether, as Skye seems to be the worse for it and I am afraid she may be having a reaction to it.

Here in Wilmington, we do not have a veterinary dermatologist. However, we do have one that visits every three weeks from Cary, NC, two and a half hours away. It goes without saying that it is very difficult to make an appointment. After some difficulty involving playing a voice mail phone tag, I finally made an appointment for August 26th in Wilmington. However, I do not think that will be soon enough for Skye to see a dermatological specialist and so I called again and bumped up her appointment to August 2^nd. But, the caveat is that I will have to make the trek to her office in Cary, NC.

Skye is a two-year-old Westie. She is sweet and a very smart little girl. She was extremely shy when she came to us and was not housebroken. She learned very quickly to go outside to do her business just by watching the other Westies. She is becoming more and more social every day with the other Westies. She loves to lie at my feet when I am at the computer and she follows me everywhere I go. Her future is uncertain, but we are going to give her the chance she deserves. We all know what stubborn little fighters these Westies are, and hopefully, she will overcome this illness and live a long happy life.

Thank you WestieMed for helping Skye. Carolina Westie Rescue would not be able to continue with the right treatment for Skye without your help. We will keep you updated on Skye’s progress and let you know what the dermatologist has to say.

Sydney Christian Carolina Westie Rescue

Update August 20, 2011

I took Skye to Cary NC to see the dermatologist on the 2^nd of August. Dr. Atlee did a very thorough job. She spent about two hours with Skye and me examining Skye and explaining to me what was wrong with Skye and how to treat her condition. She explained her medication, bathes, food and the environment that would work best to get her well. The dermatologist said it could take anywhere from months to over a year to get Skye’s condition under control. It will be a very long and grueling journey for Skye and me to get her well enough to go on to her forever home.

Skye has Demodicosis (Demodex mites) or what some call “The Red Mange”. It seems that all dogs have these little cigar-shaped mites on their body, but their immune system keeps them in check. At some point in time, Skye was under some type of stress and it caused her immune system to be compromised causing the little critters to multiply. Skye has the “pustular form” of Demodicosis. This can occur when the condition is advanced. Opportunistic bacteria such as Staphylococcus or Streptococcus species colonize the affected areas and the condition has spread over large portions of her body. At this stage of her disease, her skin had become greasy, red, swollen and scabby. This secondary bacterial condition had caused Skye to have itching. Her lymph nodes had become enlarged due to the systemic spread of the mites and bacteria. The mites and the bacteria can enter the bloodstream and affect her organs. If allowed to progress, Skye’s condition could become fatal due to the overwhelming sepsis. I am doing all that I can to see that Skye recovers. In the past three weeks, I have noticed how much better Skye’s condition has improved. Dr. Atlee told me to have Skye shaved and I saved her hair very close except on her face as she did not seem to have an infection on her face except under her chin and I shaved her there. Skye’s protocol is capacious, consisting of rules to keeps her hair clipped short, treating her Demodicosis, treating and preventing infection, flea control, treating her itching, environment control and ways to maintain healthy skin and hair. I am very pleased with Skye’s improvement. We will see what Dr. Atlee thinks when we return to see her for Skye’s follow up on the 26^th of August.

I want to thank WestieMed for taking care of Skye’s initial dermatology bill. If it were not for WestieMed I would not have had the financial resources to take Skye to a specialist to determine what was wrong with her and just how to treat it.

Sincerely,
Sydney Christian Carolina Westie Rescue Wilmington NC

Peppi

June 1, 2011December 26, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

I had been friends with the local Humane Societies for several months as my two large ‘outside’ dogs, a golden Shepherd named Lucy and a black lab named Abby, went missing at the end of Jan 2011. I checked the new pics on the local Humane Societies’ homepages regularly just hoping to find them and bring them home. (We have since adopted a Collie mix from another local Humane Society.) I saw “Patti’s” pitiful picture on their page early in the week, and on Friday when I took off from work to spend the day with my husband, I suggested we go by the Shelter and “just look” at the little Westie. We did not need another dog since we also have a ten yr old Shih Tzu, Lil’ Dixie Darlin, inside the house! When we arrived at the Shelter, they were delighted that we had come to see “Patti”. The worker that had been taking care of her for several months met us at the gate and said that we were the only ones that had even looked twice at Patti. Patti had a skin condition that the worker had been trying to treat within the Shelter’s means. I was familiar that Westies could have skin problems if they were not taken care of; I had done a lot of research about Westies after my daughter had gotten her sweet Westie, Bella, over a year and a half ago. (I never knew Westies were so sweet until my daughter got hers!) Patti’s skin had turned black over most of her body (reportedly due to neglect and the conditions that she was living in with her previous owner, who had surrendered her several months prior), and a lot of her hair had fallen out. The efforts of this worker had definitely paid off because Patti’s hair had begun to grow back already. Her skin looked thick similar to ‘elephant’ skin, especially on her legs. The worker mentioned that her skin had a slight odor that probably indicated a yeast infection. What hair she did have felt like dry straw unlike the soft hair of my daughter’s Westie.

We adopted Patti on Friday, May 20, 2011, not really sure what we had gotten ourselves into! There was a great deal of dandruff on her blanket the next morning, and she had thrown up at least once. Since we had some reservations about her skin condition as well as her health and exposing our other dogs to her, we took her to our Veterinarian for a physical on Saturday. The doctor predicted that Patti was about two years old. She examined her thoroughly, and prescribed Cephalexin capsules, antibiotic drops for her ears, and advised to give Benadryl for the itching. She also recommended an anti-microbial shampoo which I already had at home. By this time we had played around with several different names that would suit her better than Patti; we finally settled with the name “Peppi” since she answered it and was somewhat suitable to a Westie’s personality.

Her first two weeks with us were filled with good days and bad. She would take her medicine really well for me, even her ear drops. She threw up several more times in the first week, but not enough to worry too much since her appetite was still good. She would be very active one day playing wide open, and the next she would be sluggish and just lay around. One evening I found a large knot on the back of her head and was determined I would probably have to take her back to the vet the next day, but when I felt for the knot the next morning, amazingly it was gone! By this time, I had gotten online to research about her skin condition. I began to use Nizoral shampoo along with with the anti-microbial shampoo every four to five days. It seemed to help soothe her skin and help with dandruff. I also read about Westie success stories on the natural supplement, Skin-Eze. I ordered a thirty day supply of the Skin-eze capsules to try. The one thing that sold me on this natural supplement is the lack of side effects as opposed to some of the steroidal treatments.

We have had Peppi for a month now and we have seen a tremendous improvement in her skin and in the way she feels. She has been on the Skin-Eze for about twenty-two days. Her hair is gradually growing back, and the dandruff is gone. She loves to play with my daughter’s Westie, Bella, when she comes to visit since they are about the same age. We have to settle them down at times because they get to playing so roughly! My daughter has also fallen in love with her and recently volunteered to keep her in Oxford along with her Westie while I was gone for a week on a business trip. She told me she was not sure if she would bring her home because she was so sweet!

I am very thankful for WestieMed and how they have provided the information and support to help me give Peppi the proper care. I know there is not a quick fix for Peppi’s skin condition and hair loss, but WestieMed has fulfilled its mission one more time by helping to raise the quality of life for Peppi. Her personality is not as bold and spirited as my daughter’s Westie, but she loves to get her ears scratched and her tummy rubbed. She will nip at my hand if I stop petting her! I am very proud to be the one to give her the love, care, and attention that she needs! Thank you, WestieMed for being there!

Paddy

April 1, 2011December 27, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

In mid-April, WRT received a call from our friends at Young-Williams Animal Shelter in Knoxville, TN that they had a sweet little male Westie that had been picked up as a stray and no one ever came looking for him. Paddy was estimated to be about two years old.

Thankfully, they work with us and know to call us before putting one up for adoption to the general public. We arranged to have one of our East TN volunteers pick him up and transport him to us in Middle TN. We got a full vet report from the shelter vet (which is rare), along with two well-defined x-rays (which is even MORE rare that they would send those to us!), that identified a bad break in this little fella’s left rear leg.

We got him checked out again by our vet here in Franklin, and it was determined by her and by the orthopedic vet she uses that the break would cause little Paddy to lose his leg, if not corrected surgically quickly. The break had not healed correctly and needed to be re-broken, the femur shaved down and reset correctly. It was also identified by our vet that he suffered from a strain of Mange (thankfully not the contagious kind!), and he would need medicated dips every two weeks along, with two to three rounds of antibiotic (Baytril). We are happy to report that his skin condition is improving, and thanks to WestieMed, he will soon resume his life has a rambunctious, happy little Westie boy that can “zoom” around a room or outside with his other terrier friends!

We look forward to giving you many wonderful updates and pictures of this exceptionally sweet boy! Thank you again from the bottom of our Westie Rescue of Tennessee hearts!

Carol Whitmer Founder/Officer

Kate

April 1, 2011December 26, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Sweet little Kate came to Westie Rescue Southeast in October 2010. Our friends at the Tuscaloosa, AL Animal Shelter called to tell us of a little Westie girl that needed a rescue to take her in. Kate had been dropped off there with another family pet. The owner explained that she “just couldn’t deal with them any longer!”

Kate had some food aggression with other dogs, even though she would let a human reach down while she was eating and remove her food bowl with no problems. She also had a small growth that was hardly noticeable unless you looked very closely at her front upper gums. WRSE took Kate to the vet for her exam, tests and then had her altered. The vet didn’t think the little growth was anything to be concerned about and it certainly did not detract from Kate’s beautiful little face or cause her any discomfort.

Kate was almost adopted several times; however, her food aggression with other pets always seemed to rule her out with one family after another. It was determined that Kate should be an only pet in order to give her a better chance at happiness in a forever home. After five months, a wonderful home in South Carolina was found for Kate. A retired couple with no other pets and no children in the home had seen Kate on Petfinder and contacted WRSE about her. They drove to Nashville to meet Kate and she bonded with them immediately. She had never been as calm as she was in her new Dad’s lap!

Kate had not returned to the vet because there had been no reason to. She was in great health, had a great appetite and wasn’t due for any vaccinations for several months. As with most new pet owners, Kate’s Mom and Dad took her to their vet for a little visit the week after they adopted her. The news was not good. Kate’s little growth on her upper front gums had spread quickly into the roof of her mouth and around the back of her front teeth and was very fast-growing and invasive. Her new parents were falling more in love with her every day but were not up to the emotional or financial demands of what was now being called an aggressive tumor. After less than a week of furever home bliss little Kate was coming back to WRSE. We immediately had a wedge biopsy done before Kate left SC and thankfully it came back negative for cancer. Once back in Nashville, Kate was seen by our vet and he referred her to a veterinary surgeon.

Thanks to WestieMed, we were able to have Kate’s fast-spreading, invasive mouth tumor removed. The surgery also required six of her teeth to be removed, however, the surgeon was able to work around her K-9s (fang teeth). Kate was an excellent patient, all of the massive tumors was removed and her surgeon feels that it will not return.

WRSE has had quite a few very sick dogs and dogs needing extensive surgery during this past year. Our very young, although very active, rescue group was running on empty as far as funding for another expensive medical need. Being able to turn to a very special group of people that have hearts full of love and helping hands when it comes to Westies was what WRSE and little Kate needed. Thanks to this caring group of Westie lovers, Kate is on the road to complete recovery and will be looking over some new adoption applications in a couple of weeks! Kate will soon be adopted and begin a very happy and healthy new life! She will be able to do so because of the generosity of WestieMed.

Sherry Moore Westie Rescue Southeast

Update July 13, 2012

Kate is living a wonderful life in Ohio. She sends messages by e-mail! It did not take her long to train her people. She has told me of training her Dad to sit on the floor in front of the recliner when she is in the mood to really “stretch out” in their recliner! Kate is very loving, and also very smart!

Hi… It’s Katie Thomas… apparently today is a holiday in Loveland, OH – it’s “Lucky Dog Day – 7/11”, which is great ‘cause it’s also one year ago today that I found “him and her”. A lot has happened since then, almost all of it revolving around walks and belly-rubs and playing — I’ve been very busy. My people seem much happier than they did when I first met them… I take full credit for that, ‘cause as you see I have “Westietude”! So have a big bowl of nibbles on me to celebrate the holiday.

Love and thanks, Katie Thomas

Thanks so much to everyone at WestieMed for helping Katie and allowing her to move on to adoption. Katie’s surgery was a huge success and she is now the center of her owner’s world! She is loving every minute of it and her wonderful world was made possible by WestieMed generosity. WestieMed Rocks!

Sherry Moore Westie Rescue Southeast

Missouri Four - WestieMed Recipient April 2011

Missouri Four – Geno, Maya, Penny & Connie

April 1, 2011December 26, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

In March eight dogs were rescued from a Missouri puppy mill. Foster homes were needed. We, the WHWTSOC, offered to take four of the dogs into our rescue program.

With the transport help of eighty-five (85) people, Geno, Penny, Maya and Connie arrived in Connecticut.

They were tired and very timid. They were vetted the very next day and found to be infected with giardia and treatment was immediately started. Two days later all were examined and blood work was done.

Geno had very high liver enzymes and was started on antibiotics and liver supplements. He was scheduled for an ultrasound and needle biopsy. It was determined that he did have a form of hepatitis, and possibly a bile duct blockage. Medication for this was started. A repeat blood panel showed the liver enzymes were coming down but not significant enough to do a dental or neutering. His other blood work improved to normal. Geno, whose appetite was poor, improved rather quickly once on medication. He is quite loveable but very close to his sister. He loves attention and will interact with his foster mom.

Penny, other than a limp and in need of dental work, was x-rayed with no clinical findings. She had her teeth done and was spayed. She is more outgoing than Geno or Maya. She would only eat out of your hand or off the floor.

Connie is the most outgoing of the four. Rather pushy when it comes to getting attention. She was losing some fur and when spayed, she still had some milk so it was obvious that she had recently whelped. A thyroid panel showed no problems as did all her routine blood work. She had her teeth tended to also.

Maya was very timid and would not come out of the crate and hid behind her two sisters. She only eats if no one is watching her. She had been shaved to the skin because of matting. Her physical exam showed extensive dental disease and required nine (9) extractions. She was spayed two weeks later. Still timid but she is coming along nicely.

All four love being outside on grass although at first walked very gingerly. They are learning how to walk on a leash, Maya is not so eager to give it a try.

Connie and Penny have found new forever homes and Maya hopefully will be going next week. Geno will not be available for adoption until he is completely healthy.

The new adoptive parents know they have their work cut out for them as these little fur kids still need to completely trust and experience the joys of a newfound life out of the living hell they were living in.

Our expenses were quite considerable and with the help of WestieMed we were able to give the four the care and treatment they deserved.

Finnegan

March 1, 2011December 26, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

In the third week in November 2010, a co-worker had informed me that she knew of a 68-year-old woman who had an aggressive form of breast cancer and she could no longer take care of her dog, Finnegan aka Finn. Finn’s owner refused to have her double mastectomy and undergo chemo treatments for her breast cancer until she found someone to take care of her dog and give him a home during her treatment. Since I had cancer and am in remission, I decided to try and pay it forward by taking care of Finn.

Finn was described to me as being a quiet dog that loved being outside, he loved human food and he was not housebroken. I picked up Finn after my second job which ended late in the evening. Finn was very scared but he was great in the car ride to my house. I set up Finn’s pen in my dining room with his favorite baby blankets that were given to me when I picked him up and we settled on the first night.

Over the next few days, Finn assessed his new surroundings and his new housemate, my cat Buster. He enjoyed peeing all over my home including on me at times. I was clear that Finn was a dog’s dog; he loved having free roam of the fenced-in yard, dug holes in the flower garden, played in the puddles of mud after the rain and he was definitely not the pretty white dog you see on the Cesar’s dog food commercials. Finn rarely barked but I started to notice that whenever I would call for Finn to come in from the yard I would get no response and would have to physically pick him up to bring him into the house.

I scheduled an appointment for Finn to be groomed because his hair was matted and dirty; he also smelled foul. The groomer worked her wonders on Finn, he looked so cute with his new hair cut and his trimmed nails. The groomer was an abundance of information because I had never had a Westie before and did not know that they had allergies or that they had special needs. I was also informed that I should take Finn to the veterinarian immediately because his ears were closed due to an infection. Now I understood why Finn did not bark or respond to being called.

I whisked Finn off to the veterinarian where I was told again that Finn had an infection that affected his ears and was causing the blackness on his belly. The veterinarian showed me how to clean Finn’s ears, prescribed antibiotic ointment and Ketoconazole. Finn’s ear treatments took place twice a day for two weeks but there was no guarantee that he would regain his hearing.

Even before the first week of ear treatments were over it was like I was taking care of a totally different dog. At first, Finn started to cock his head to one side when he thought he had heard a loud sound but still no bark. The blackness on his belly simultaneously started to slightly fade. Then one day when Finn was walking on the tile floor the sound of his own nails clicking against the tile made him jump, I knew that the medicine for his ears was working. By the end of the second week of ear treatments, Finn would come when he was called, sat when you asked him to and would bark at the train passing my back yard because he could now hear it. It was like watching a baby discover the world.

On February 9, 2011, I took Finn to the vet because the black yeast was growing again on his belly. The veterinarian prescribed a combination of Ketoconazole and Clavamox pills to be given simultaneously, along with washing Finn twice a week. A few days after starting this pill regiment Finn started vomiting, I contacted the veterinarian and was curtly told that I must not be giving Finn enough food with his pills. The next day, on his second day of vomiting, I packed Finn’s weak body in the car and went to the vet’s office. They ran all sorts of tests and determined that Finn had an allergic reaction to the Clavamox, resulting in his kidneys shutting down and he had acute Pancreatitis. Finn spent the next four days in the hospital.

Finn came home with new antibiotics but the very next day I had him back at the veterinarian’s office because he still wasn’t drinking or eating. Finn was given IV fluids, I was told he was dehydrated. I was also told that Finn was hand-fed turkey and ham at the vets. I picked him up that night. Finn was now removed from all drugs except for an appetite stimulant. Two days passed, Finn began banging his nose on his bowl and whining, not eating in spite of the prescribed appetite stimulant. I looked in his mouth and discovered that the tip of his tongue was discolored and mangled. He was unable to eat or drink anything. The vet said Finn had a piece of his tongue missing and that that was a result of the Pancreatitis and gave me pain killers for Finn.

Before anything else happened to Finn I realized I had to find out more about his present condition. I researched Westies, the yeast infections and the medications prescribed by the vet. I learned that these allergies and yeast formations were preventable with a little work and the correct diet. The vet didn’t know or didn’t share this information with me. I discovered the two medications given to Finn that started this particular episode should not have been given at the same time. I was beside myself and furious that this drug cocktail practically killed this lovable little dog. During my quest to be better informed about Finnegan I found your site WestieMed.

February was a long month and I thought that Finn was not going to make it but Finn has recuperated. This is no longer a life and death situation for Finn. He now is back to his playful self and is on a modified diet due to his Pancreatitis. Finn has learned to use his shorter tongue and is eating without problems.

Unfortunately, due to the effects of the treatment for breast cancer the lady I rescued Finn from had to move into a nursing home and Finn can no longer return to her. I have been fostering Finn and will keep him indefinitely.

I have reviewed WestieMed’s website extensively and I have implemented some of the diet and skin regime from the links WestieMed provided. Your website has been a plethora of information, providing me with the tools to make sure that Finn remains healthy and most importantly happy.
Cathy

Update June 16, 2011

To let you know Finn is doing excellent.

He is enjoying his summer sunning himself on my deck when he is not chasing the trains that pass my fenced in backyard. It seems that summer is Finn’s favorite season and he refuses to come in until approximately 9 pm every night.

Finn’s skin condition is doing well. Again, thanks to the information on WestieMed, and he has had no need to go to the vet for anything other than his vaccines. Catherine Fazio

Update July 6, 2012

Finn is doing great, he has only needed to go to the vet for his annual visits. Finn is an obedient, smart, fun and loving dog. He still loves chasing the trains when they enter his domain in the back yard.

The black yeast has stopped growing due to weekly baths and a good diet. I lather Finn up with Castile Soap – Peppermint, which helps any calm skin irritation and removes the dirt from all the digging that Finn does in the backyard. Then I give him a quick rinse along and I wash him with Malaseb Shampoo. I use a soft natural boar’s hair scrub brush to rub the soap on Finn, he enjoys the massage and this also aids in keeping the yeast away. Finn eats only Grain-free and Beef free food.

Finn has playdates and sleepovers with my friend’s dog Rocco. Finn has also taken on the role of “big brother” to one of the three feral kitten’s we rescued this year, their names are Mike, Ike, and Miss Hissy. Finn has adopted Mike and treats Mike as if he were a dog. Mike follows Finn everywhere, they share toys and play together all the time. Finn has been trying to play with Ike and Miss Hissy the same way he does with Mike but they are afraid of Finn still. I am sure that Finn will win them over in no time.

Once again thank you, if it weren’t for the information and assistance I received from WestieMed I don’t think Finn or I would have survived. I will send you a picture of Finn this weekend.
Cathy

Emily

February 1, 2011December 26, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Emily was surrendered to Waccamaw Animal Rescue Mission (WARM) by the family of her deceased owner in early May of last year. According to reports, she was in deplorable condition and obviously had been through some rough times. When she was turned over to WARM she had very little hair (likely a result of neglect and abandonment) and her skin was in terrible condition. Her teeth were also in very bad condition. After several months at WARM, she was listed on Petfinder. The Petfinder notes indicated in part: “After being on a strict diet and premium food at WARM her hair is now growing in and she is going to be a real cutie…She was born around 2002, making her about 8…is still full of life and is so friendly and just loves everyone who comes to see her…is up to date with routine shots and spayed/neutered”.

Emily’s situation came to my attention while I was searching Petfinder for a special needs Westie that I could perhaps sponsor in memory of Duchess. Duchess crossed the Bridge on Feb. 16 after a six wks battle with kidney failure/gall bladder disease. Contact was made with WARM and a visit with Emily scheduled for July 27th. WARM had focused on Emily’s hair/skin condition, giving her lime-sulfur dips, baths, and good food. She had a full coat at the time of my visit, and the uneven growth reflected her hair loss had been substantial. Emily was a very loving, happy little girl. She would stand up on her hind legs and just smile! Emily was being housed in a crate, going out for leased walks. WARM had recently taken in a large number of dogs and appeared to be at capacity. While out for the visit, we noticed Emily was urinating quite often so an appointment was scheduled for her to see the vet. The application process was started and arrangements made for contact after Emily’s trip to the vet. I was touched that after all Emily had been through, she still was loving and trusting of me. Emily’s bloodwork and urinalysis checked out ok during the vet visit on the 29th, and although she did have diluted urine there was no sign of diabetes or crystals, etc. I received an e-mail telling me “Emily would be delighted to go with you to a new and loving home.” I drove to Conway on August 5th to complete the adoption process and bring Emily home. She was on a precautionary low dose of Baytril and a followup will be done by her new vet.

Emily quickly settled into her new home, becoming best buds with McDuffy (four years. old Westie mix) and seemingly felt right at home. She does her share of trying to rid the neighborhood of squirrels and cat by barking at them, loves her squeaky toys, and enjoys a nap on the sofa after having a bowl of kibble. She and McDuffy play chase, “squeaky” keep away, and toy “take away” (pre-ACL activities). Mandee, seventeen-year-old blind Chihuahua, just tries to stay out of their way. After settling in, we focused on health and beauty issues. Grooming was first and then vet followup on 8/16. Her right ear had a deep infection, was cleaned, treated and was put on Tribrissen 120 mg. Rechecked 8/30, clearing up. She went in on 10/4 for her dental, heavy tartar but no extractions needed, gums irritated and Clindamycin 23 mg. prescribed. She came out with pearly whites and smiled at me to show them off. Yeah – health and beauty goals met!

2010 was a tough year for little Miss Emily, losing her family, home, having several severe health issues, being moved into group housing and then on to a new home. She is such a courageous girl, never complaining, just goes with the flow. With a new forever home and her health issues taken care of, we hope for a better New Year.

On Jan. 5, Emily was sick with vomiting and became dehydrated. Her bloodwork was good, fluids administered, Cerenia and bland food for four days and all was well after several days.

On Jan. 18, Emily injured her left back leg while running after a squirrel, was not able to put it down at all. Off we go to see Dr. Suggs again – Emily really likes him and always smiles at him – this is a good thing as we have been seeing him often! The examination revealed an ACL injury with surgery recommended and scheduled for the following morning, Jan. 19. The ACL was torn completely, was surgically repaired and total recuperation may take as much as four to six months. Emily came through the surgery just fine, had a recheck on Jan. 31 and went in to get stitches removed on Feb. 7. After a thorough exam, Dr. Suggs feels the knee is healing as it should. Miss Em is slowly beginning to use the leg. She will continue to be on restricted activity and leash walks for a while yet. The next recheck is on Feb. 21.

And through it all, Miss Em continues to smile (and try to kill the green frog squeaky toy)!

I am so very thankful, WestieMed, for your assistance with the medical bills incurred for ACL surgery – that is such a tremendous help. It is indeed a Godsend to me! Emily, McDuffy and I are also very appreciative of the help you have given to Westies through the years. As evidenced by the stories posted on your website, you have made a huge difference in the lives of many!

May God Bless you and yours.

Alice

Update February 23, 2011

Emily is beginning to use the repaired leg a little more this week, primarily at a slow walk, walking on it a little. She went for a recheck on Monday, Feb. 21. The doctor was pleased she has begun walking some on the leg. He said the knee is still “tight” but there is a loss of muscle mass in the leg, We are to continue leashed walks for exercise to rehab. and call him in a month (unless a need arises for earlier contact) to update him on her progress. Emily continues to be a happy, loving little girl and is still giving the green squeaky frog toy a trouncing!

Alice

Update March 13, 2011

Many thanks to WestieMed for providing funds for Emily’s surgery. She is an adorable little girl and deserves the best life possible. I have enclosed a picture of Emily after trouncing the fearsome frogs! She is still limping but she seems more active.

Thanks again and God Bless.

Alice

Update January 1, 2012

Emily sends wishes for a Happy New Year to you, the staff and volunteers at WestieMed. Hoping you have a wonderful year. Thanks again for the help with Emily’s medical expenses. She is doing well, seems to have fully recovered from the ACL injury she had in January 2011. She had a relatively short bout with allergy problems in the fall. A round of medications and change to Earthborn Coastal Catch food appears to be working. She is truly a blessing – always happy and such a wonderful companion. She continues to work towards making our neighborhood a cat-free squirrel free environment!!!! May God bless WestieMed, the staff, volunteers and the little ones seeking help. I pray God will provide in abundance …….

Carolyn Schofield

Eddie

February 1, 2011December 26, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Eddie was surrendered to the Nebraska Humane Society in January of 2011. His owners noted that Eddie would cry and yell when being touched around the hindquarters.

The Humane Society ran labs and x-rays of his hindquarters to find the cause of his pain, but his tests came back normal at that time.

Wag n Train Terrier Rescue was contacted and Eddie was taken to his new foster home on January 8, 2011. On January 13, 2011, Eddie was seen at Rockbrooke Animal Clinic to try to help locate the source of his random pain. Two types of x-rays were taken, as well as a thyroid test.

Eddie’s pain became more frequent and he was taken back to Rockbrooke on January 24, 2011, he was given a steroid shot, an anti-inflammatory, as well as some pain medication. Eddie was put on restricted exercise and was on medication twice daily to help reduce the random bouts of pain.

On February 8th, 2011, after many weeks of testing and another set of x-rays, Eddie was diagnosed with Intervertebral Disc Disease syndrome. The x-rays showed deposits of calcium were building up between some of the spaces in Eddie’s spine, a few spaces in the neck and a few in the hip area, that will act as a pinch on his nerves during random movements. The diagnosis of intervertebral disc disease syndrome has changed things dramatically for Eddie.

Wag n Train Terrier Rescue and Rockbrooke Animal Clinic are working to provide Eddie a pain management program using medications, medical procedures, and alternative therapies including acupuncture. We are sure by maintaining this care, he will live a long and happy, relatively pain-free, life.

Update March 15, 2011:

Eddie had his second acupuncture appointment. The first appointment, Eddie was screaming (like a 5-year-old child at the ER) and was knocking out needles every few minutes.

This time he sat nicely on the table, panting since he does still have pain. We did not have to replace any needles and he also got some electrotherapy. Laser therapy is his favorite as it ends his acupuncture session and is a warm massaging sensation.

These sessions are really benefitting Eddie. He has more energy, less pain, and better movement and has a better disposition. He has another appointment on Friday and I expect him to get better and better as we continue. This is a great therapeutic way to help Eddie, and I enjoy the soothing music as well. LOL.

Krystian Howe, ABC Certified Dog Trainer

Update April 2, 2011

Eddie has been going to acupuncture for four weeks now. I am happy to say that he picked up his first toy today. He has officially started to act like a Westie. Yesterday he barked and ran the fence to chase a squirrel!!!! I wish my camera had been in range when all of this happened. It’s great to see him start being a Terrier.

Krystian Howe, ABC Certified Dog Trainer

Update September 11, 2011

In the spring of 2011, our group applied for and received a WestieMed grant for Eddie, a five-year-old Westie with random pain that our vet diagnosed as invertebral disc disease. The grant allowed us to pursue acupuncture and laser therapy for Eddie, alleviating his pain and allowing him to live without medication. Eddie has made such progress with his treatments and was able to jump on the furniture and navigate stairs with no problem in his foster home. Eddie also learned many tricks and commands from his foster mom who posted a YouTube video of him performing on our FaceBook page. The happiest news of all is that Eddie was adopted yesterday and will be the beloved family member and cherished companion of a twelve-year-old boy, who was also adopted. We wish Eddie and his new family many years of love and happiness and want to also express our gratitude and appreciation to WestieMed for the financial aid to help Eddie live a normal, pain-free life.

Thanks again WestieMed!

Respectfully,
Janeal Dominico, CPDT
Wag N Train Terrier Rescue
Omaha NE