westiemed – Page 25

Dolly

February 1, 2009December 26, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Four-year-old spay female. I received a request to surrender from the owner in May 2008, however, they changed their mind. I asked them to please surrender her over to me when they called before her operation would be more costly the longer they waited. They wanted to try other options, changed dog food, and so forth. I tried to keep in touch, alas it was a cell phone and the calls went unanswered. Nine months later a four to five-old female showed up in Tacoma Shelter as stray on the street. (aka the name Tacoma Dolly) I am certain that this is the same dog as the odds of two dogs, same age, same tumors, same-sex, and same geographic location are probably impossible. In our state, the Humane Society and Shelters charge you $75 to dump your pet. If it is found as a stray then there is no charge. Since the people who FOUND Dolly said they had taken it to Banfield vet for an estimate, and since I know the previous owners had taken her to Banfield vet for surgery and that was the same vet the owners told me they went to. It is the same dog hands down.

As you can see from the tumors she has a severe calcification of tumors in both ears and which are also coming out the back of her ears. After speaking to four Veterinarians and understanding the surgical skill of the procedure, we have found a specialist for this operation (see description of the procedure below). Four Vets in two separate clinics agreed that Dr. EB is the best to do this operation and he ironically was the cheapest. We are also getting a discount from the clinic.

Diagnosis: Dolly has had chronic ear infections and underlying Malassezia. The chronic ear infection was not kept in check and this is the outcome. Otitis Externa. This disease is mostly seen in floppy-eared dogs like cockers, and such.

These are tumors that have calcified. You cannot un-calcify tumors so no amount of antibiotics or medicine will make them go away. Alas, we are very far past the simple solution for recovery. The middle ear has built up an infection and has now burst through the inner ear canals and is seeping pus. The calcification of the tumors are the consistency of stone.

My primary vet explained this operation in layman’s terms for me. Since she gives me a discount on surgery – I asked if she could perform this operation. She said it is a very specialized operation and you must have an experienced surgeon to perform this procedure. Ironically there are only four in the Seattle area, and one who works out of both the Clinics I use for my rescues!

Procedure: Splay/cut open the ears and work off a CT scan or an X-ray to see how deep the tumors go (as she now has them jutting out the back of her ears)

Remove the outer tumors (which have calcified into rocks) and lay open the ear and remove the inner ear canals (I believe the middle and inner are also scaled/removed) which the infection and tumors grow out of. Go deeper into the eardrum and microscopically shear layers of the skin off the eardrum slowly so you can make sure it forms scar tissue and nothing can grow on it and no bacteria can ever form on it/in it? .. then they come back out. The inner canal is now gone… which has produced all the poison/toxin of this disease, and they sew it up. The dog has loss of hearing but can hear muffled sounds

She will be at the vet for three to four more days after surgery due to the pain of this surgery and she will be heavily medicated. She will be released into foster care, and come back in fourteen days for suture removal and then have a six-week recovery.

She also suffers from a bad immune system, and she is being treated for and of course Malassezia and she is on antibiotics. Dolly also needs dental care and has some bad teeth but we have rescue funds to cover that.

I have never in my life seen anything this gruesome and Dolly is in a lot of pain, but she is a very happy and sweet dog, is great with kids and other dogs even in this pain. She is fifteen pounds. She is happy and cheerful and pleasant and will make someone a fabulous dog. We are grateful to have you as our safety net and guardian angels. Sometimes in life, you are our only way out of a situation when we are pinned against the wall for funds.

Karin Parish, Rescue Coordinator Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue, Westies Westie Club of America, Rescue Rep for WA/OR/ID Westie Rescue USA Rep for OR/WA/ID

Update April 13, 2009

Dolly is doing well after surgery. Her ears are healed and she can hear – not clearly but she can hear! We are waiting a bit longer and then going to have her dental work done. Then she will be ready for adoption.

Karin Parish

Update May 26, 2009

Dear Dolly Supporters:

Before you check out the photos….

My question was … are you going to keep her? …. and the answer was “what do you think?”

WELL, she finally got adopted but my gosh have we had more setbacks with this little girl. Our little tumor girl.

To date, she has cost me at least $3700 with one trip to the ER… (However, we had the funds to cover it with the two grants and money raised by donors) … And she had her dental done, and her ear on one side never was cleared up (which we weren’t too sure of).

However, after she was adopted, her other ear became infected again and the new owners had to take her back into the vet… Lo and behold if she didn’t have estrus.. and go into heat! There is no hum-drum in the life of Westie Rescue!

Two vets told us she was spayed. Apparently it was a c-section scar! Poor Dolly is like the “never-ending story”.

She is getting spayed in a month, and she is back on antibiotics, and the new owners adore her. Here are their latest photos of her. Her new owners will be RV-ing around the country and she will be a copilot. I do believe she has her driver’s permit as we speak. Since her recovery, she has a stellar coat and no allergies to speak of.

Before you check out the photos…

My question was … are you going to keep her? …. and the answer was “what do you think?”

Look at the photos.

Enjoy!

Thank you again for all your support… hope to see you at the Westie Walk on June 27th.

Karin Parish
Westie Rescue Rep (OR/WA/ID)
Scottie Rescue Rep (Seattle)

Odie

January 1, 2009December 26, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Westie Rescue Indiana (WRI) received a call from the owner of Odie requesting our assistance in September 2008. She said that she loved Odie, but that he did not get along with her young son. He growled at him and she was afraid he would bite.

On the day Odie was to be surrendered, his owner drove to the home of one of our volunteers. She was in tears, and after talking for a time to our volunteer she decided that she couldn’t give him up. So Odie returned home until January, when his “mom” again called saying that things had not improved and that she really did need to surrender Odie to Rescue. When told we would take him right away, she then asked, “So it doesn’t matter that he has a broken leg?”

Evidently, someone tripped over Odie’s cage with him inside, smashing both the cage and Odie’s rear leg. His owners took him to an emergency clinic where Odie’s leg was put in a temporary splint and the owner was told to contact their own vet to see if surgery would be required. That’s when they contacted Rescue.

Odie (age 10 months) was surrendered to WRI on January 19th. He was taken to Noah’s Animal Hospital on January 25th for surgery, which was performed on Monday, January 26th.

Odie is now recuperating at his foster home in Indianapolis. He goes back to the hospital next week to have his surgical splint removed, and the vet said he should be as good as new once the leg heals. An x-ray of his leg taken needs to be taken in about eight weeks to make sure everything is healing properly, and if it is then Odie will be celebrating his first birthday with four paws planted firmly on the ground – or in somebody’s willing lap.

It seems like Odie already has captured the hearts of his foster family and has become fast friends with their current Westie. So it looks like Odie’s search for a forever home may be ending happily ever after a lot sooner than anyone expected!

McKayla

December 1, 2008December 27, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

McKayla was surrendered to Oklahoma Westie Rescue (OWR) in October when her human Mother passed away. No one in the family wanted McKayla so she was given to a family friend. The family friend was not in a position to keep McKayla so she contacted us to come and pick her up.

When OWR picked up McKayla we noticed immediately that she had a bad limp which proved to be a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) of her right rear knee requiring surgical repair. She was also infested with fleas. We got rid of the fleas quickly but couldn’t get her leg fixed because she had developed pyoderma as a result of the flea infestation. We had to wait almost thirty days to get the pyoderma cleared up before we could have her knee repaired.

During this time one of our adoptive families offered to foster McKayla for us. McKayla was so scared that she hid under their bed for two days straight. Finally, on the 3rd day, she came out and began playing with the family’s two Westies. It wasn’t long before the family decided that McKayla needed to be a permanent fixture in their home. Since the family had adopted from us previously they were already pre-approved so we told them that once we had fixed her leg that we would adopt her to them.

The orthopedic surgeon was out for some time on vacation so it took us a while but eventually, her repair surgery was performed. We have another adoptive family that offered to foster her after her surgery to help her through the recovery period (she couldn’t go back to the family that wants to adopt her because their home has many levels and lots of stairs, the surgeon said no stairs for at least three weeks). On Dec. 15^th she gets to go back to her adoptive family and they are waiting anxiously to have their little girl back.

McKayla is nine years old and we are thrilled that someone wants her as often the older dogs have a hard time finding forever homes. She is one lucky girl!

Theresa Stewart
Oklahoma Westie Rescue

Update February 17, 2010

McKayla and Maddie are both doing well. McKayla’s leg is fine.

Jan Vassar

McKayla’s care was funded by a grant from The Pedigree Foundation.

Westley

December 1, 2008December 27, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Westley, the Westie

Date of birth: 1-15-2008

Westley was left at a vet’s office for boarding, and when the pick-up time arrives, the owner refused to retrieve him, saying he did not want Westley anymore because he was blind. The vet waited ten more days, and still, the owner did not show, so the vet contacted Westie Rescue of Austin to take him into our program.

While at the vet’s office, Westley did receive a full panel of vaccines, including rabies, and he was neutered. A grade 3 heart murmur was detected, so when we picked him up we were advised of this added complication, besides the bad eye.

Westley had suffered a serious eye injury to his left eye some time ago when he was a wee pup. Our eye specialist examined him and said prior “flap” surgery had been done, but it had not been successful, and Westley had no vision at all in that eye. But his other eye was perfect and he had the full vision with it. The specialist said the best option was to remove the damaged eye, as glaucoma was developing due to increased ocular pressure and pain was occurring.

We also consulted with a doggie cardiologist, the one who monitored our two previous open-heart patients, and she could not detect the heart murmur, even with a sonogram. She did say that sometimes the onslaught of the vaccines can induce a transitory murmur and that must have been what happened in Westley’s case.

Westley had his eye removed and the socket stitched closed on Wed. 12/10/08. He gets the stitches out on 12/19/08 and should be fine after that, with no residual problems. Since coming back to his foster home after the surgery, you would never know he had anything wrong with him. He is an active one yr. old Westie, into everything, and loving life in general.

Westley should be very adoptable, once his hair grows back to cover the closed eye. We are very grateful that WestieMed agreed to help with the costs of surgery. Westley now has a chance for a long and healthy life ahead of him. Thank you, WestieMed.

Following is a picture of Westley after his eye surgery. He does look a bit lopsided, but once his hair grows back, we will send more pictures and an update.

Cordially,
Barbara Ott Westie Rescue/Austin

Update September 30, 2009

Westley got adopted by a wonderful family, with two children who love him and he loves them. The father was especially attracted to Westley because as a child he too had lost the vision in one eye, and he empathized with Westley.

It was definitely a match made in heaven for the father and dog… another happy ending!

Barbara Ott
Westie Rescue/Austin

Cilla - WestieMed Recipient December 2008

Cilla (Now Bella)

December 1, 2008December 27, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

I was searching on Craig’s List and I found an ad for a Westie that needed to be rehomed ASAP. Apparently the owner’s 2-week old baby was allergic to the dog. I was drawn to the ad because I am a previous Westie owner (three Westies, one I rescued from Westie Rescue of NE in 1999, and the other two were bought from breeders).

I replied immediately to the ad via email. The gal called me back and I had the opportunity to ask a few questions. She told me the dog’s name was Priscilla, she was two years old, twenty pounds, and she had to find a home for her as soon as possible and asked if I would meet her that evening. I was a little weary with the urgency but I decided this was my chance to possibly meet my new Westie. She asked me to meet her in a parking lot which I found rather odd.

When I arrived the gal got out of the truck and was holding Cilla (her nickname) and poor Cilla was trembling and her legs were out straight as if she was afraid this gal was going to drop her. I tried to make eye contact with Cilla but she would not look at me even when I cupped my hands around her face. I asked why she was behaving this way and the girl told me she was scared because she had been confined to the basement. This made me sick. I asked the gal to put her down to see if she would settle down a bit. I looked at Cilla and saw how thin and boney she was, I knew at this moment she was nowhere near twenty pounds. Right then and there I knew she knew little about this little Westie. I picked Cilla up and held her close and she relaxed just a little bit. It was clear that she just needed someone to care and love her. I think she knew I was not going to hurt her.

I told the gal I would send an email that evening with a decision. On the way home, I knew something just didn’t seem right and that I needed to get Cilla out of this situation somehow. As soon as I got home I sent her an email and told her I would take Cilla. She accepted my offer and we made arrangements for me to pick her up in the same parking lot. On the morning of the exchange I received an email that someone else was going to be bringing Cilla to me. I knew at this point, I definitely made the right decision for this little Westie. She had been passed around so many times just in two days and who only knows how many other times.

Cilla came with nothing but a sandwich bag of dry dog food a leash tied around her neck even though I asked for her toys/blanket, etc. I wanted something from her past-not knowing it was a bad past as I learned by her behavior. She spent the remainder of the morning, day and night sleeping and hiding in my house. She ate a little at dinner time and then was up all night violently vomiting.

First thing in the morning I brought her to my vet and at that point I learned about Cilla’s severe dental problems and I also received confirmation that she was malnourished, visibly neglected and possibly abused. My vet stated that Cilla was not two years old as I had been told. She is middle-aged, probably six or seven years old. I also learned how much it was going to cost to get the badly decayed teeth extracted, the others cleaned and get rid of the awful infection she has.

The doctor knew that I was a single mother and that it was financially impossible for me to get the appropriate care that Cilla needed. Dr. Gerow suggested I called the Westie Rescue League and try to find her a home that could afford to take on this sweet Westie with health problems. I left the vet and was absolutely heartbroken for this little girl that I and my 14-year-old son had already started to grow attached to. I was very familiar with the Westie Rescue League of NE and had a contact name of Susan Smith from a few months ago when I was looking to rescue another Westie. I told her Cilla’s story and she could hear it in my voice that I didn’t want to give this little girl up. She suggested I call WestieMed organization. I did as she suggested and received a call back almost immediately. I spoke to a wonderful person named Lucy who directed me to the application on their website. I completed the application and the rest is history.

WestieMed is going to help get Cilla back to good health and allow her to stay in a loving home. Cilla is a gentle sweet girl that deserves anything and everything I can give her. Thank you WestieMed for giving my Cilla a second chance, and sincerely thank each one of the Board of Directors for their consideration. I am elated with your fast response, your organization truly rescued this dog.

Update December 23, 2008

Cilla spent the day at Methuen Vet and had her procedure today and did very very well. She is resting comfortably in her own bed at home tonight. Her diagnosis was incredibly great. The doctor did NOT have to extract any teeth. She said that Cilla had a very large amount of tartar build-up on her teeth (more than the average) which was causing her discomfort. They literally had to chip off chunks of tartar while hoping they didn’t break any teeth, which they did not. They also think she was crated longer than she should have been as some of her front teeth are worn down from chewing metal or some type of very hard material. It breaks my heart to think that anyone could do anything to harm a helpless animal.

Cilla weighed in at a whopping 14.3 pounds today up from her 13.2 pounds when I rescued her. This is partially due to her now eating a prescription canned dog food for sensitive stomachs and was gentler on her teeth until we could take care of her dental issues. Her appetite grew slowly but steadily in the past week and a half. It certainly helped her bulk up, so to speak for her big day today. She will be weaned off the canned form of this food and put on the solid kibble form for now and then will graduate to another prescription food which is specially formulated for dogs like Cilla.

The doctors would like to see Cilla gain another three to four pounds and I am absolutely positive she will be able to do this now that she’s had her procedure.

I want to thank WestieMed and the Board of Directors (especially Bette, WestieMed’s Application Coordinator and Lucy, WestieMed’s President, who I’ve dealt with personally) for the support and the same heartfelt hope that I have for Cilla. I also want to give Susan Smith a special thank you for referring me to your organization. Without Susan, I would have never found you. All of you are very special people to me and deserve so much more than I can give you right now. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this possible for Cilla and giving her a very hopeful, healthy and happy life ahead.

God Bless all of you and all of your little Westies. I wish you a very Happy Holiday Season as my family certainly will, now that we were able to give Cilla the special gift she received from you.

Sincerely,
Catherine Smothermon

P.S. I have attached a recent picture of Cilla with her new friend Booda the Hedgehog. She has grown pretty attached to this guy and sleeps with him every night.

Update October 5, 2009: Cilla is now named Bella

I want you to know that Bella has come a long long way. She is a different dog than the one I rescued. She is so very sweet, well mannered and mild-tempered. She’s so much happier now that she’s in a loving home and eating very well (thanks to WestieMed). I don’t think she even remembers the terrible life she had before.

She has grown very attached to me, as well as my son, and has truly overcome her fear of strangers. She is very playful now, so much more than she was when I rescued her. Sometimes I catch her playing by herself with her toys. I can hear her running around the house tossing her toys and chasing them. It’s music to my ears and it’s the funniest thing.

I can’t tell you how many people I have sent to your website to just read about all the wonderful things you all have done for Westies. Your organization has truly helped so many Westies and I thank you for that and can speak for all the Westies you have helped.

If it wasn’t for WestieMed, I don’t know what Bella’s future would have held. I thank you once again and always will for taking care of my precious Bella. We love her so much.

God Bless,
Catherine Smothermon

Cilla’s care was funded by a grant from The Pedigree Foundation.

Mac

December 1, 2008December 27, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

The story about Mac…the sweet old boy.

Mac came into the foster program in April 2008. His owner was very ill with cancer and the wife didn’t want to deal with Mac. He had been kept at the Vets Kennel off and on for up to two months at a time. Mac turned 14 years old this month.

His skin condition was very bad. Poor Mac had several hairless patches on his back and legs. He was constantly biting his feet and legs. Mac has several what I refer to as warts or growths on his face and ears and several on his legs. The Vet has said it’s nothing to worry about but, he does have a face only a Mother could love with his bent ears. But Oh what a sweet boy.

We offered to foster him here in Indianapolis, IN. I had him for a few weeks and got him started on meds and a healthy diet. He was then adopted by a husband and wife (both retired) who lived in northern Indiana. We felt it would be a perfect situation for Mac. Bless his little heart, just when he was getting used to his new surroundings off he goes to yet another strange home.

The people who adopted Mac after three several weeks decided that they didn’t want him. They said he was snapping and growling at them and would stand and stare at them without moving. It just broke my heart.

So, off he goes again to another foster home in Northern Indiana. Prospects for Mac are not very good. His sight is failing, he will be on medication for the rest of his life for his skin condition he has arthritis in his joints…and in true Westie fashion, he does growl & pretends to bite you if you want him to do something he doesn’t want to do. I say he pretends to bite you because he never actually “bites” he just puts his almost toothless mouth over you.

When his foster Mom in Northern Indiana contacted me again about fostering Mac, I naturally said yes. He is still here with us and I doubt that he will be leaving to go to another home.

It has been very difficult financially to make sure he has his daily medications but with the help of WestieMed, we should be able to carry on.

We are blessed to have Mac and will love him and keep him safe for the rest of his life.

Thank you WestieMed for helping us make Mac comfortable for what time he has remaining.

Sincerely,
Pam Hammersley Westie Rescue – Indiana Volunteer

Update September 22, 2009

I wish I had good news about our little foster Mac boy. Unfortunately, he went to the Rainbow Bridge on February 27, 2009, with congestive heart failure.

We certainly appreciated WestieMed helping us out financially. I just wish we could have done more for him. He was a wonderful Westie.

Mac came into the Rescue Program at age 12. He was somewhat confused and had some difficulty adjusting to his new surroundings. But before long he was sleeping with us and knew he was loved and well cared for before he went to the Bridge.

It’s always so hard to find homes for the older Westies. If only people knew how loving and kind they could be.

We still miss Mac.

Pam Hammersley
Westie Rescue – Indiana Volunteer

WeZoe - WestieMed Recipient October 2008

Zoe

October 1, 2008December 27, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Named Zoe, meaning ‘life’, this adorable little puppy came to me from a shelter in central Wisconsin. Zoe was so cute and cuddly, but what I didn’t know is how truly sick she really was.

When I adopted Zoe, I wanted my home to be her forever home so I could give her a life, unlike the one she’d had the eleven weeks prior to me adopting her. All I knew about her was that she was found roaming the streets of Chicago with a male pup that looked very similar to her, I’m assuming it was her brother. They both were shipped off to a shelter in central Wisconsin to be adopted out.

Zoe really chose me that day. When her eyes caught mine, I knew I was supposed to take her home. As I was filling out the paperwork to adopt Zoe, she was so adorable, scratching at my pant legs to come to sit on my lap. She loved to be held.

After getting her home and situated I then realized that something was wrong. Zoe wasn’t running and playing like I thought a normal pup of eleven weeks old should be. I called my vet immediately and she came to give Zoe a complete check-up. We found out that little Zoe was sick with a respiratory infection and coccidia. My vet started her on antibiotics right away, only after a few days she was not improving so I made an appointment to get an x-ray and blood work done. Come to find out in the x-ray that she didn’t just have a respiratory infection but she had pneumonia. I was advised by my vet to take her to the Vet Emergency hospital immediately for her best chance of survival…I knew I had to do it…to give her the best chance I could to survive because she deserved a long healthy life after what she had previously been through. I admitted her into the hospital and she spent five long days there. When I would visit her, she was so cute, the minute she heard my voice her little tail would start wagging. With all the pain she was in she still found enough energy in her to wag that little tail and make me feel better.

Little Zoe passed away on Monday, October 13. Even with her small improvements her little body just couldn’t take any more. I am so sad that she was so young and so sick that she didn’t get to be a normal carefree puppy. I could literally picture her running around in the yard and in the house…how I wanted her to get better so those images could come true.

I will always remember little Zoe, she was such a trooper and hung on as long as she possibly could. She loved to snuggle and listen to me talk to her and I will greatly miss her. She was only with me a very short time but that time will never be forgotten.

She has left a footprint on my heart.

I truly want to thank WestieMed for all of your support…I know Zoe and I really appreciate your donation to try and help her get healthy. It truly is an amazing organization that you have.

Stefanie

Double Trouble

August 1, 2008December 27, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Affectionately known as “Double,” this eight-month-old puppy came to Maryland Westie Rescue (MWR) from a “backyard breeder” in southern Virginia who recognized that he had serious medical problems but surrendered him to MWR because she did not want to spend the money to treat his condition.

MWR brought Double to Greater Annapolis Veterinary Hospital (GAVH) where he was diagnosed with a extra hepatic shunt (a congenital bypass that prevents the liver from filtering toxins out of the bloodstream).

Double underwent surgery on August 13 at Chesapeake Veterinary Referral Center (CVRS) to repair the shunt. Following his successful surgery, Double returned to GAVH until he was well enough to go to his foster home. Double is currently in foster care as he awaits his (hopefully final) follow-up visit with his surgeon.

Despite his health issues, Double is a happy Westie who enjoys being around people of all ages and playing with other dogs. Though enjoying his foster families (and foster Westie siblings), Double is anxiously awaiting a clean bill of health from his surgeon so he can go to his “forever” home.

Double would also like to thank WestieMed for helping pay for his veterinary expenses.

Thanks,
Phil

Update February 22, 2010

Double goes to work with his Mom at Greater Annapolis Veterinary Hospital. He was examined by Dr. Kathleen Hersey who said he is doing great!!! He is the same ol’ great cuddler, and love bug he has always been.

He enjoys long walks on Lake Artemesia in Prince George’s County, MD, with his Mom and his sister Callie. He will be getting his haircut again on Thursday. Double is also a therapy dog (something rare for Westies) and goes to Sheppard Pratt Hospital once a week to volunteer with the kids.

Ann Piesen

Herman

August 1, 2008December 27, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Herman came to Little White Dog Rescue in June of 2008 from his owner whose adult children and grandchild were moving back into her home.

Herman was born on 2/1/2002 and was given to his owner by the breeder, as Herman was the runt of the litter and the breeder didn’t think she could sell the pup due to his size and the possibility that he may not live.

Herman was hand-fed and grew and thrived, and was loved and doted on. Unfortunately, Herman was never socialized to small children and acted very fearful whenever children were in close proximity to him. Therefore his owner felt she had no other choice, with a crawling infant moving into her home than to place Herman with our rescue organization.

When Herman was relinquished to our volunteer it was stated that he had previously suffered a fall down several steps and had developed a limp, which when x-rayed by the local vet did not reveal anything broken and he was diagnosed with a sprained ligament. It was also stated then when taken for walks, Herman did well walking on three legs as he simply picked up the leg that bothered him and hopped along on the other three! Our volunteer noticed immediately that even when standing on all fours, Herman was not bearing any weight on the left hind leg and was holding the leg approximately 1/2 inch off the ground.

Herman was taken to our vet for another x-ray, then referred to the specialty veterinary hospital, where he was diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and surgery was recommended. Herman received the surgery on August 8th and is now resting comfortably at his foster mom’s home, where he again, is being hand-fed, loved and doted on! Herman will have two to three months of recuperation during which he is to have very limited activity beginning with only being allowed outdoors on a leash to potty, then gradually working up to slow walks. His foster mom states that Herman is a NUT about water coming out of the hose and bites the water and the hose, and barks when the water stops flowing! Of course, all activity is severely limited during his recuperation, but we expect Herman to make a complete recovery and be playing in the hose again in the spring!

Little White Dog Rescue would like to thank WestieMed, it’s Board of Directors, and the many kind, caring people who donate to this worthy cause for helping our group to help Herman. Because of what you do, we can continue to do what we do…save dogs!

Janeal Dominico, CPDT

Update September 24, 2009

From Janeal…

I have forwarded the reply from Herman’s new family. They are “empty-nesters” so Herman is their constant companion now. Thank you again for the funding to help with Herman’s surgery and for giving him a chance for a new, pain-free life. We feel very fortunate to have an excellent veterinary surgeon here in Omaha and have had amazing results with the two dogs we have taken to him!

Janeal Dominico, CPDT
Little White Dog Rescue
“Life is merrier with a terrier”

From Janet…

Herman is doing well. He seems to love it here, he really likes running around in our yard. We live right next to a park where there are soccer and football teams practicing all the time, so he loves looking out at the people coming and going. He also loves taking walks in our neighborhood and people always ask to pet him.

We went on a little vacation in July and he stayed at the PetSmart Pet Hotel and he loved it there.

I have attached a picture. It shows him when he has turned “green” from the grass when it’s just been cut. He loves to go out in the grass. The green wears off though, but it sure looks funny!

Janet Klostermann

Kenne and Gilley - WestieMed Recipient July 2008

Kenne and Gilley (Now Bonnie and Clyde)

July 1, 2008December 27, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Gilley and Kenna were born on December 3, 2007, in a kennel in Kansas. Oklahoma Westie Rescue received them through another rescue group on June 28. It was readily apparent that there was something wrong. They were certainly frightened but were also more low key than most pups their age. When we picked them up, our fears were confirmed. When I placed my hand on Gilley’s chest, it felt like my hand was on a washing machine. He reached his little head up and gave me a kiss on the nose and I was instantly smitten. One of our volunteers, who is a paramedic, listened to their hearts and confirmed that both the pups and their mother, who was also released to us, had heart murmurs, though Mom’s was not near as bad as the pups.

Since my house was full, we sent Kenna to Edmond to be fostered by my co-president to lighten the load and hopefully to keep the pups calm. That Monday, we both took our respective pups to different vets and were both told that they highly suspected that they had PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus), or holes in their hearts that should have closed shortly after they were born.

Our vets referred us to Oklahoma State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. We made appointments for them and took them together for echocardiograms and a complete physical. The pups had lab work done, chest x-rays, to make sure that they didn’t have any other congenital anomalies. The echocardiograms confirmed that they had profound PDA, with no other congenital defects. We were also told that, without the surgery, they would likely not make it to their first birthday.

When we received that news Kenna was on Theresa’s lap and Gilley was on mine. Almost at once, they both looked up at us with adoring eyes and we knew that we had to try to save them.

They are undergoing surgery July 22 and, if all goes well, they will be in ICU for two to three and be released to come home to the loving care of one of ours retired volunteers, who can devote copious quantities of attention on them both and nurse them back to health.

Once recovered, their prognosis for a long and happy life is excellent.

Thank you, WestieMed for considering our application for aid and for helping these two adorable Little White Dogs!

Meredith Butcher and Theresa Stewart
Co-Presidents
Oklahoma Westie Rescue

Update July 23, 2008

A quick update on the pups. Meredith and I sat on pins and needles most of the day yesterday waiting to hear from the hospital. OSU finally contacted us twice, once at 2:30 p.m. to let us know that Kenna made it through her surgery and was in recovery and again at about 6:00 p.m. to let us know that Gilley had made it through his surgery. Both dogs are now recovering and if all goes well we hope to bring them home by the end of the week. They aren’t out of the woods yet but each day that goes by is a step in the right direction. We will keep you posted on their progress and we will take more pictures to send as they recover.

Update July 26, 2008

Good news everyone!

Kenna and Gilley are home from the hospital and recovering nicely. They will be confined to their crate for an entire month and that is going to be hard on them as they are already wanting to run and play. We have to keep them very still and not allow them to run, jump and play during their recovery. They are going to be two bored pups!!!! LOL

Attached is a picture of Kenna and Gilley and their surgical team. On the right is Kenna with her student vet, Hannah who took care of her in ICU and on left is Gilley with his student vet, Cara who took care of him in ICU, in the middle is the surgeon that performed their surgeries, Dr. Ricker and on the far left is Natalie, another one of the cardio dept vets who helped with their care.

This picture is Kenna and Gilley’s recovery crate at Maureen’s house, not their favorite place to be!! LOL

We will provide more updates next week!

Thanks, everyone for your support for these two little ones!!

Westie Hugs!

Theresa and Meredith
Oklahoma Westie Rescue

Update July 31, 2008

Both pups are doing well. They are really bored so I had stopped by PetsMart and bought them Kongs and peanut butter to go in them. Hopefully, that will keep them occupied for a while.

Gilley wants desperately to be out and about and he loves to be held. While you hold him he loves to nibble on your ears!

Kenna is still somewhat subdued but coming around pretty quickly. She is still quiet but you can tell she is ready to be out of those crates as well. She too loves to be held. Picking them up and holding is somewhat tricky as you have to be very careful to avoid their incisions and they don’t exactly wait for you to get them in the proper places before they try to race off to go do something fun.

One week from tomorrow, their staples come out and two weeks after that they will no longer be crate confined. We are all counting down the days.

Above is a picture of Gilley and their foster Mom, Maureen.

Update August 27, 2008

As of last week, Kenna and Gilley were released from their crates. They haven’t stopped running yet!! Since they were so sick as pups they didn’t play much but NOW my goodness!! They have about eight months of their puppy life they are now trying to cram into their days. They run, play, jump in the kiddie pool and run and play some more.

Gilley is vocal, he would prefer to be inside with people and he barks to let you know what he wants in or to tell you that you aren’t paying enough attention to him. He will stand up on his hind legs to tell you that he wants to be picked up. As soon as you pick him up he immediately snuggles and licks your ears.

Kenna is a little bit more bashful, she prefers to play with Gilley and is forever jumping on him, grabbing his paws, biting his ears and whatever else she can do to annoy her brother. She too is loving but is rather bashful about it. She comes up to you quite shyly and is a little bit timid until you start petting her.

Their spay/neuter appointment is tomorrow and if all goes well they will be available for adoption next week. Both dogs will be adopted together as we won’t separate them at this point. They both should live normal happy lives just like any other Westie. Thanks, WestieMed for helping us give these little ones their lives back!

Theresa Stewart Meredith Butcher
Oklahoma Westie Rescue

Update February 11, 2009

Kenna and Gilley now called Bonnie and Clyde “The Heartbreak Kids”

We have been thoroughly enjoying our new lives with these dogs. They are very engaging, active, and have distinct personalities. They have learned how to go up four steps, go through their dog door and then down four steps to go out to the backyard. Bonnie often goes down balanced on her front feet with her back feet in the air.

Bonnie definitely has a more independent personality and she is very intelligent. We have had to get a crate with a different type of latch because she figured out how to open the spring-loaded type and slip out. She also has learned to climb over a 20-inch freestanding gate and a 27-inch gate. Now, if I’m gone for several hours, I have to put the 20-inch gate inside the 27-inch and so far she hasn’t tried to go over them. With the gates up, they have access to our kitchen area, their food, and water, and can go outside at will.

At first, Bonnie did not want to walk. Now she will walk with Clyde if they are on a tandem leash. We go for two-mile walks some days. Bonnie definitely thinks of herself as a guard dog. At the least little noise, she is halfway out the dog door surveying the territory to make sure things are OK. Bonnie is very jealous when other dogs come to visit, but she is getting better at backing down quickly once she has let them know this is HER home.

Clyde is very mellow. He pretty much lets Bonnie do what she wants. He loves to play and they chase each other back and forth across our back yard at high speed. Clyde loves to meet new dogs and play. Our daughter has an 80-pound yellow lab and a 50-pound black lab. When they come into town, Clyde loves to play like he’s a big dog and they run for hours.

At night, if we are watching a movie, the dogs love to sit on our laps and nap. They enjoy a treat at bedtime when they go in their crate for the night. They still share a crate at night, though during the day they like their separate spaces. If I am working in my home office, Bonnie goes under the desk at my feet, and Clyde is right behind my chair. They are very good companions.

Though they have come to realize that Mom is their pack leader, they love to play on the floor with their Dad at night when he comes home from work.

They have been very healthy-we have only been to the vet for their initial welcome checkup. He was pleasantly surprised that he could not find evidence of a heart murmur in either of them after their surgeries.

We are very grateful to Oklahoma Westie Rescue and WestieMed for these little white dogs. They have enriched our empty nest in ways we did not anticipate.

David and Mary Overton