Fiona was found in North Carolina and taken to an animal shelter. Due to her poor condition, she was taken to a veterinary hospital, where she stayed for a week.
During this time, no one contacted the shelter and no owners were identified. After their specified hold time, she was released to Westie Rescue Southeast for further care. She was found to be deaf, anemic, malnourished and with a heart murmur.
I adopted Fiona on 11/22/20. I was in Maryland at the time, caring for my sister after she had surgery. As Fiona’s foster family was in North Carolina, we met in Virginia for the handoff. Fiona remained with me at my sister’s home for the week. She got along fine with other animals, mostly steering clear of them.
On the afternoon of Thanksgiving, 11/26/20, she fell down 4-5 carpeted stairs she had been able to traverse without difficulty on prior days. She remained sitting very still at the bottom of the steps. I did not witness the fall. I picked her up and she would not allow me to touch her back right leg, screaming when I tried to do so. She held it up and was non weightbearing.
I immediately took her to an emergency animal hospital in Rockville, Maryland. She was found to have a nondisplaced fractured right tibia. There was concern that her bradycardia (found to be 70-90s at the vet office, but during prior exams had been as low as 40), would require caution with sedation to splint/cast the leg.
My plan was to return home to Ohio the next day. To minimize risk of complications, Fiona was discharged without splinting and with pain medications to return to Ohio on 11/27/20 (Friday). I contacted my vet in Cincinnati, but they could not accommodate sedating her and proper monitoring that day, so I chose to take her to an emergency vet in Cincinnati. Upon reviewing the xrays from the vet in Rockville, this vet found concern that a bone tumor may be present, as the result of the fall seemed more traumatic than the described fall. (As I said, I did not witness the fall, but another person did, they felt Fiona was started and fell).
After more xrays, any bone abnormality was ruled out and the leg was placed in a splint. Fiona’s prognosis is good for a full recovery of her leg. Limited activity is easy to maintain, as she continues to recover from her general deconditioned state she was found in. Fiona’s leg is expected to heal in 6-8 weeks.
Jen Hosler
Update May 25, 2021:
Fiona and I are very thankful for WestieMed. After being rescued by Westie Rescue Southeast, she underwent an amazing transformation. What was barely recognizable as a Westie is in now a beautiful girl. She had a major setback with a broken leg and that’s when WestieMed saved the day.
Now she has regained her position as a grumpy old lady full of Westietude and is ruling the roost over the two hoodlums that live here, Rudy and Sparky.
Thank you to WestieMed.
Jen Hosler
Update November 11, 2021:
Awww. Fiona died in July. She had come so far and her little leg healed well. She stopped eating and was in pain….could not rest comfortably. It’s never easy no matter how many times you go through it. Jen
Westie Rescue SouthEast was alerted about Lily from a Veterinarian’s office when she was brought in by a good Samaritan when the owner would not. It was noticed that her eyes were swollen while pet sitting. The vet office contacted Westie Rescue in the event the owner agreed to surrender the dog.
Upon the owner’s return, the sitter mentioned that Lily needed to go to the vet, and was told, “if you think she needs to go, then you take her.” This person graciously did take her in and paid out of pocket. The owners subsequently agreed to release Lily into our care, but not the other dog living in the home. We hope that eventually, we will be able to help this dog as well.
It was found that Lily had abscessed teeth which were causing the swelling and subsequent rupture under both eyes. There were infections and pain. She was treated with antibiotics and pain medication.
Once we had transport in place, Lily was picked up and transported to our foster home and was immediately seen by the local Vet for assessment. We were told she would need at least six teeth removed, and the remaining teeth would be cleaned. It was also discovered that she had a growth on her side that would need removed as well and possibly biopsied. (When the surgery was done, they did feel like a biopsy was in the best interest of Lily).
Lily is doing well post-surgery in her foster home and is a sweet and loving 14-year-old senior lady. We eagerly await the results of the biopsy and hope that Lily can live a happy, pain-free life in her golden years.
On June 16, 2019, we lost our Sweet Bella to Westie Lung Disease after only having her for sixteen months. Bella, who was nine when we received her, had quite the history and was not a healthy little girl at all. My husband and I decided that we would not rescue another elderly or really ill dog as it broke our hearts.
In August, my husband received a phone call from North Atlantic Westie Rescue where we adopted our Neko, a male rescue. Neko came to us in July of 2018 and was a healthy nine-year-old Westie. The phone call was inquiring if we would be interested in fostering a fifteen-year-old male named Dagwood. Dagwood had been found wandering the streets of Brooklyn, New York. After a few days, we had decided that it would just be too painful. Then the one last phone call made us think about it and we thought what do we have to lose with just fostering him. We were told that he was a happy boy and just wanted to hang with his people.
We met and picked up Dagwood on September 9th and it was love on first sight. Dagwood was just the happiest, sweetest little guy. Dagwood got along well with Neko and let him think he was the Big Brother. They got along well and within hours, Dagwood aka Dagger had stolen our hearts. After a vet visit and finding that he was in good shape for fifteen, we decided to adopt Dagger.
On March 11th, I woke up to him having very distressed breathing and got him to vet the same day. After lab work and x-rays, it was determined that Dagger had Westie Lung Disease. We got him started on the Prednisone and hoped for the best.
It breaks my heart to say that we lost Dagger on March 18th. Dagger was with us for a reason and we have no doubt that we gave him a great 6 months. Just two weeks before he passed, he went with us down to the beach for a few days and he was so happy.
We will not regret having adopted Dagger as he brought us so much joy in the six months that he was with us. We miss him terribly.
My beloved 14-year-old Westie Baxter passed on Christmas Eve, 2019. He was my first Westie and he fought a long hard battle with Westie Lung Disease. It was a devastating loss for me. Baxter was the last of my three dogs. Lexie was a Corgi and my first, then along came Wiley a mixed breed, and finally, Baxter came into my life. Both Lexie and Wiley passed away in 2016 leaving just Baxter and myself and we bonded very closely for the next 4 years. Christmas was very hard and to wake up without my faithful friend Baxter was so hard to get through. It was the first time in 15 years I didn’t have dogs around me and it was an extremely empty feeling. Christmas came and went and each day that passed was harder and harder without Baxter. I determined that although each person is different in how much time they need to process and accept a loss, I determined for me personally I needed a dog sooner rather than later and so many are in need of help.
I learned from my good friend Michele that a little white Westie was found in Kansas, wondering alone and out in the middle of nowhere near an Indian Reservation. He was in bad shape and covered in yeast and mange. He we very underweight. The person who found him brought him to the nearest Animal shelter many miles away. He underwent emergency evaluation and care. They helped him get stabilized and attempted to locate his owners. They even advertised that he had been found. No one claimed him. Many shelters can only give dogs so much time before they must make room others. Luckily, the shelter knew a true a Westie Warrior based in Kansas named Penny Reames of Northern New England Westie Rescue. They called her and told her about this amazing Westie that was found. Penny went directly there and took one look at him and knew she had to take him to her rescue which helps Westies from Kansas area out of bad situations like auctions and puppy mills then transports them to New England for permanent homes. Michele and Penney are friends and through them I was presented with the opportunity to have an amazing Westie that was named Journey! Penny named him that as no one knew what this little dog’s actual journey was. He was feisty like my Lexie. Found wondering covered in mange, like my Wiley, and he had a sweet loving spark in his eyes like my Baxter. After seeing Journey’s picture, I knew I had to have him and to help him. I felt very good vibes and signs from all of my three dogs that Journey should be mine.
Journey came into my life on February 10, 2020 and I picked him up in New Hampshire after his transport from Kansas. I entered the rescue with Michele with me and Journey ran right past her and everyone else and jumped right into my arms and couldn’t get enough of me! Everyone was shocked as it was like our destiny was sealed. When Journey entered my house it felt like my 3 dogs had a divine conversation with him prior to his arrival. He knew where everything was, jumped right up on the sofa with a toy and made himself right at home as if he had been living with me all along. He was so well mannered and housebroken but just a little rough around the edges in his play which was a bit rough. He quickly picked up on what was acceptable and not. Prior to Journey’s arrival I purchased probiotics and immunity boosters and omega 3 oils to help work on his skin and coat. I immediately brought him to my veterinarian for evaluation and skin scrap, blood work and special shampoos. His ears had yeast in them as well and needed to have a good teeth cleaning with a few extractions. It was determined after testing that he also suffers from KCS as his eyes were not producing tears.
Today Journey is showing much improvement with dips twice a week as his hair is starting to grow in. His eyes are now producing tears but he will need lifelong medication to help with that. He loves to go on hikes and long walks and is a very playful and happy little guy. So thankful to Northern New England Westie Rescue for saving Journey and bring him into my life. I am beyond grateful to WestieMed for their generous help towards the much needed care that Journey needed and will continue to need. We thank all the great people at WestieMed for their dedication, love and support for this amazing breed.
Dan
Update February 22, 2021:
I appreciate this group so much but it’s been a long crazy year. Journey just celebrated his 5th birthday , well I am calling him 5 no one really knows his age but most are in agreement 4-6 range. He is doing for the most part really well. I do have him now at a dermatologist and we have created an immunotherapy allergy protocol for him which he just started. It’s pretty expensive but I am determined to do my best for him. I did allergy blood testing and he is allergic to 13 items common to New England. The immunotherapy should help but can take awhile to start to see improvement. He is very itchy at times. Other than that he is doing well, full of Westie energy and happy. I will enclose a few pics. In July I took another rescue named Willy, he a 14 year old Westie with not much hair, they asked if I would give him a good retirement and since no one wanted him , I couldn’t say no, he is a really great Westie just like Journey. I hope all is well at WestieMed and thank you all so much for what you do. I will keep you posted on Journey’s progress.
Photo is from his Birthday, which was also the first day he came to me a year ago!
Hi, my name is Baylee. This is my story, at least what I can remember.
Last summer my littermate and I found ourselves in a shelter in NY after our Mommy, who had been sick for a long time went to the hospital and didn’t come back home. We were both very sick and one morning my sister went to Heaven to be with Mommy; she was too weak to fight anymore. The shelter people found me laying close to her and crying when they came in to check on us during the morning rounds. We hadn’t been fed very well, or been to the vet for a long time because Mommy wasn’t well and didn’t have much money and there was no one to help us. After my sister left me, I was very scared and lonely at the place because I was alone and in a cage with no one to love me. A lady at the shelter decided that I needed more care than they could provide when she saw that I was getting weaker and sicker. The staff was only there a few hours a day and I was alone most of the time, so they contacted Westie Central and asked for help. The very next day a nice lady named Bonney came and got me out of the shelter. I stayed with her for a few hours and then a man and his daughter took me on a long trip to a new place where I met my foster Momma, Denise. She was very kind to me and held me and cried and promised to take very good care of me. She fed me some good food, and gave me a bath and the next morning we went to see the doctor who gave me an exam and some medications and special things for my baths. I got a lot of baths and went to see the doctor a lot, but I started to feel better except for my ears.
After I got to my new foster mom’s home in July, I had to have surgery on one of my ears, they called it a TECA. They cleaned everything and then sealed it closed so it wouldn’t make me sick anymore. I was supposed to have both ears done but my blood pressure got very low and the doctor got scared and woke me up as soon as she got the worst ear finished (it had a real angry growth on it that needed to be removed also). I still needed the other ear fixed up. A few months ago in November, Momma took me back to the doctor and she fixed my other ear. Now I don’t hurt anymore and I am much happier, but I still get a lot of baths and now I eat a special food to help with my skin and take some herbs and medicines to help me not go potty in the house and to make my skin better. I am feeling much better and don’t get ashamed because I hardly ever have an accident anymore and my skin is not so itchy and my ears don’t hurt anymore. I can’t hear anything, but my foster mom has had dogs like me before and she understands me and know how to communicate with me too!
Over the last few months, I’ve had to go for laser treatments on my knees every week, or two weeks where they use a warm light to help them feel better. That doctor said I probably needed my ACL’s fixed a long time ago but now because they weren’t addressed, I have lots of scar tissue and cartilage issues so I can’t run much and even walking can be tough sometimes because they hurt when I have trouble my mom carries me. The laser helps and for therapy, Momma and I walk to Auntie’s house every day, (it’s just two houses away), it’s just the right distance and Auntie always has a treat for me! Ok, two treats!
Mom says that’s not all, I have lots of other stuff going on still. Due to my skin issues, my body has an excess of keratin. This is causing calluses on my paw pads (one has what looks like a nail trying to grow out of my paw pad). Doctor says hopefully when the baths fix my skin, this will get better too! I also do a funny snorting noise when I breathe so she says the doctor needs to do a special scan to make sure there’s nothing blocking my nose. One day, mom gave me a big hug and found a funny squishy thing on my chest that wasn’t there before. I’m not sure what it is but it made my mom cry and hug me real tight! The doctor looked at it the next week when she checked to see how good my skin looks – it’s only a fatty growth of some sort! I’m not sure what all of these things mean, because I’m a really happy girl! I love to play with my toys (I have lots of toys!) and momma takes really good care of me. She takes me to work with her sometimes and I get lots of visits from people there. She gives me yummy, healthy food and special Chinese herbs that have started to help me not have accidents during the day or when I take naps (I had so many UTI’s for so many years that momma says my bladder is very weak). She never yells at me when I have an accident, she just hugs me and says it’s ok baby girl – then she puts new blankets on everything and gets the washer monster to clean everything real good!
Now I have some things growing on me. They itch and hurt and bleed and the ones on my paw and ear are really uncomfortable. The doctor is concerned because the one that I had removed on my ear last July came back again and she is worried that they could be something bad, but they need to go away anyhow to help keep me safe. They will look at them after they are removed and make sure that they do whatever they need to do if they are yucky.
I love my new home and my foster mommy but she needs help with my vet bills. She told me that you are Earth Angels and that you will help me get the help we need for me to get even better. Thank you everypawdy!
Love, Baylee Update March 18, 2020:
Baylee had her growths removed and a couple of punch biopsies done. Sadly, the test results came back positive for Epitheliotropic Lymphoma, skin cancer.
We decided to proceed with a middle of the road chemo treatment which could give her many more months, possibly years of quality time to be loved! She started her first round of chemo on 3/11/2020. So far she has not gotten sick from treatment and it seems to be having a great result so far! After three nights of not initiating her fun time after dinner (playing with her toys) (prior to treatment), the night after her first treatment “playtime” reconvened! Also, a few new masses that had started to show during her recovery from surgery also got smaller or went away after just a few days.
Baylee will have five treatments at intervals of approximately every 3 weeks and will need regular blood work to check her blood cell counts.
We are continuing our fundraising efforts to cover the costs of this treatment which we were told would run between $2650 – $3000.Thank you for helping with Baylee’s surgery.
Josie Myers-Smith Founder & Executive Director Westie Central, Inc.
Update February 11, 2021:
Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, Baylee sadly transitioned to the Rainbow Bridge. Your help, however, did make her last weeks much more comfortable and we greatly appreciate your help
Again, our deepest gratiitude.
Sincerely, Josie Myers-Smith Founder & Executive Director Westie Central, Inc.
There are a number of ways and opportunities you can help WestieMed raise the quality of life and adoptability of rescued Westies in need of medical attention. We appreciate your support!
On March 2nd I was looking at the Next Door App on my phone when I saw a listing for a sweet girl who needed a new home due to the death of her owner. The listing stated she rescued about six years ago, and at that time her age was approximately two years of age. The listing didn’t mention what breed of dog Molly was, but she was definitely a Westie.
I immediately contacted the family member who had Molly and arranged to meet her the following morning at a park near our homes. We had two Westie’s, (Finley and Moxie) and wanted to make sure that the dogs all got along. All three dogs got along well during their initial meet and greet.
There was another individual who had expressed interest in Molly and would be meeting her later that same day. Later that evening we received a call that we were chosen to be Molly’s new family. Arrangements were made to pickup Molly the following morning and take her to our vet for a physical.
When we first met Molly, we were told that her age was closer to 10 years. We were also told that she had an abnormal toe on her right front toe and hoped that we still wanted her. Molly was also on the larger size, close to twenty-two pounds. We told her of course, we still wanted Molly, and her toe issue appeared to have been present for many years due to the fact that the entire toe tail had grown out abnormally thick.
Molly came to us with a packet of her records and personal items. The records indicated that she initially was found with a male Westie in Missouri. She had been rescued together with the male Westie, Mac, and they both moved to Phoenix Arizona many years later.
Our Veterinarian examined Molly and then her abnormal toe. He told us that the toe growth had been there for quite a while, due to the changes in the joint and nail. Molly didn’t appear to have any pain in the joint and the skin was intact and didn’t show any signs that she licked or chewed at it. He provided us with an estimate to amputate the toe if there were any changes to this toe.
Molly adjusted well into our family. She is a very sweet girl. She likes to talk to us in a very low voice. She also gets down low to the ground and crawls to us when she’s happy.
Late November of 2019, Molly started limping and not putting any weight on her right rear leg. Our regular veterinarian diagnosed her with a torn cruciate ligament, and referred us to an orthopedic specialist.
The orthopedic specialist confirmed that Molly had completely torn her right cruciate ligament. I asked the specialist to look at Molly’s abnormal right front toe. The orthopedic specialist recommended x-rays of both Molly’s right knee, and right front foot. After the x-rays were taken, the doctor was very concerned about the x-ray of Molly’s foot and toe. The x-ray showed extensive destruction to the joint of Molly’s toe, and could possibly be a type of cancer. Molly’s toe needed to be amputated before we could proceed on treatment of her torn cruciate ligament.
Molly – WestieMed Recipient
Molly had her toe amputated in early December. She did amazing after the surgery and the surgery site has healed perfectly. The pathology came back as a benign cyst! The Vet even called and spoke to the pathologist two times to make sure due to the x-ray and the destructive nature of the growth.
We have decided to treat Molly’s torn cruciate ligament with physical therapy, and pain management.
My Story
Molly is the sixth Westie that I have had the privilege of welcoming into my home. The first Westie I got when I was in college!
I can’t say that I own a Westie, because they definitely own me!
I am a member of many different groups for Westie Lovers on Facebook and initially learned about WestieMed through a fundraising auction on one of the Westie Pages. I have bought auction items that supported Westie Med. I never thought that I would be the one in need, but my husband lost his job over two years ago and our finances have been extremely tight.
I am grateful that WestieMed has helped with Molly’s amputation surgery. And that they are there to help other rescued and or adopted Westie’s that are in similar situations.
Trish
Update June 30, 2020
Molly – WestieMed Recipient
Molly is doing great!! She’s such a lovely senior Westie! After her surgery, the amputation site healed perfectly. Molly loves car rides and treats, too. Hoping to see if she like to swim in our pool this summer.
Trish
Update December 1, 2020
Molly – WestieMed Recipient
Molly is thriving!! Such a sweet senior girl. Molly is on the left in the picture. Thanks again for helping us in her time of need.
On November 24, 2019, a severely neglected white dog, tinged with brown fur from the filth and grime of the elements, was found by animal control, wandering as a stray, in the streets of Orlando, Florida. Upon intake into Orange County Animal Services, a high kill shelter, the county vet was unable to perform the necessary examination of him, due to severe matting, so the shelter groomer was tasked with completing a total shave down of him. It was at this time, the shelter staff became aware of the oozing golf ball-sized tumors he has on his head and back, along with about thirty other smaller tumors, of various sizes all over his body. Sadly, he was still put on the general floor for adoption, even in this poor condition; and, to add insult to injury, none of the shelter staff was aware this little guy was a Westie! After being at the shelter, for twelve days, the rescue coordinator finally released him for rescue, at which point a local rescue accepted him under their rescue umbrella, with my husband and I being contacted requesting us to accept and care for him, as a foster.
On December 6, 2019, he exited the shelter as a happy, alert dog, with severe kennel cough, which proceeded to pneumonia. After almost forty-five days of continuous care for the pneumonia, he is almost completely recovered, and we finally are seeing him have a zest for life, wanting to play with his foster brother and sisters, with a tail that seems to almost always be wagging. Since his arrival to our home, he has been under constant vet care, with us becoming aware that he is aged closer to ten years, versus the six years that the county vet had estimated him to be. Per labs, he has elevated liver enzymes, but thankfully he does not have Cushings. As we are unsure of the nature of the tumors, as well as to the cause of the elevation to his liver enzymes, we are not sure if he will be a candidate for adoption; however, my husband and I have committed to him, for the duration of his life, for however long that may be.
Thanks to the assistance of WestieMed, and its supporters, he can have the surgery to remove the tumors, as well as for a dental with extractions. Additionally, he will be seen by a specialist for an ultrasound of his liver and gallbladder, as well as for a bile acids test, and a complete liver profile. His allergy issues will also be addressed.
We have named him McDuff and are calling him “Duffy”. McDuff is very much loved by my husband and me, and even by his Scottish Terrier foster brothers, Hamish and Bruce; his Scottish Terrier foster sister, Zoey; and, even by the resident cat, Timothy (although their bonding is more characterized as a love/hate relationship).
We know each rescue dog has a story to tell, and we are hopeful that the ending chapters to McDuff’s book will be full of only happy memories, with the sense of security that comes from having a family that loves him unconditionally, and from being blessed to have caring people, like those of WestieMed, offer their kindness and support in his time of need. Mina
Update February 6, 2020
Just wanted to let you know that McDuff had the tumor on the top of his head removed yesterday, under local anesthesia. The decision to use local versus general was sole because of the recovery period needed for his lungs after getting over pneumonia; however, since the tumor kept getting infected it becomes imperative that it be removed as soon as possible. Already, he feels so much better. Now comes the wait to find out the pathology results. Fingers crossed it is non-cancerous!
He is such a sweet boy that I want to be able to watch him chase the squirrels for many springs to come; to run the beaches in the summer months; and, to chase the lure on the dogs monthly outings to the lure line events.
This was for sure a major life changing event in his life: One we could never have accomplished without the assistance of WestieMed! We are so appreciative of your groups help in giving McDuff this chance to finally have all his medicals addressed.
Next major event for him is March 23, 2020, when he will have the dental with extractions, as well as more tumors removed – all those will be done under general anesthesia. Oh, and I wanted to let you know that he is now known as McDuff Johnson! We could not imagine sending him back to the rescue that pulled him, for many reasons, but the main one being that we love him!
Hugs to you! Mina
Update February 20, 2020
I have some wonderful news to share with you on McDuff. The tumor on his head is NON-cancerous — we are so happy! It ended up being a Basal Cell Tumor (trichoblastoma).
So, end of next month he has the dental and hopefully the rest of all these tumors removed. The one on the back is back to draining. But, he was paid a huge complement today by someone that could not believe he is the same dog. He is so happy, and very energetic now.
Only other issue is his breathing, which we hope will continue to improve over the next month.
We are not having wheezing, just some coughing when pressure from the harness is present. He also is a snorer.
Mina
Update July 3, 2020
McDuff – WestieMed Recipient
McDuff has had a long road to recovery due to having pneumonia. He has undergone one surgery for the removal of a tumor on his head, as well as just a second surgery for a dental and tumor removal. He will hopefully be available for adoption soon, under the care of our state’s breed-specific rescue: Sunshine State Westie Rescue, which he has been transferred from me to them to ensure he goes to a Westie specific household.
Sincerely, Mina Johnson
McDuff was transferred to us from Mina Johnson, on May 26, 2020. One June 22, he went into surgery to have the dental done and two growths removed. We are currently screening applications for his placement. I needed to wait for the biopsy results to come back before we actually make any choice. The great news we got is that the mass that was the biggest concern that was on his back, was benign and the second mass was on/in his ear. He is recovering well from the procedures. He’s a funny and sweet boy and I don’t think there will be any problem finding him a great home.
Aggie Latyak, Sunshine State Westie Rescue
Update December 1, 2020
McDuff was transferred to us from Mina Johnson, on May 26, 2020. On June 22, he went into surgery to have the dental done and two growths removed. We are currently screening applications for his placement. I needed to wait for the biopsy results to come back before we actually make any choice. The great news we got is that the mass that was the biggest concern that was on his back, was benign and the second mass was on/in his ear. He is recovering well from the procedures. He’s a funny and sweet boy and I don’t think there will be any problem finding him a great home.
I wish I had a better update for you. McDuff was given serious medical care, including another $1000 we put in on top of your generous $2500 for his medical care. We had an ugly tumor removed and another suspicious one also and biopsied to be sure it wasn’t anything to be concerned about. They were negative and he was ready for his new home. He was adopted by an amazing couple who loved him unconditionally. Unfortunately, two weeks into his adoption, he suddenly became very ill. After all the tests the vet believed he had a blockage of some kind. He went into emergency surgery and what they found was that he had a tumor in his stomach and it had metastasized into other organs. He showed no signs and lived a great life right up until the last couple of days. When they were advised by the vet how bad it was, they decided he should not, could not suffer. He went to the bridge on July 31, 20. Sorry for the bad news.
My son, now eleven, has been asking for a dog of his own since he was around five years old. I work at the same elementary school my son attends and during school breaks we would house and pet sit. Being a single mom with a small child it wasn’t the right time to have our own pet. But, we had so many pets to love, play with, and care for in and around our neighborhood. Less than a year ago, a client referred me to a friend of theirs who needed a pet sitter for their two purebred Westie puppies – brother and sister. It was love at first sight! From then on the only dog my son would ask for is a West Highland White Terrier. I started shifting my no to a maybe. When school let out last summer, I made a deal with my son: if he helped me with feeding, walking/running, grooming, playing, etc. with pets – without complaint – during the summer to show he’s up for the responsibility of a dog we would adopt one. He stuck to it… and it was a busy summer! End of July we started researching breeds that would best fit our lives and Westies were on the list. Yay!!
We Meet Trooper
The 3rd visit at Bradshaw Shelter we saw him. He was in a little room overcrowded with other small dogs. We stared at him and he was staring at us. He wasn’t ready, though, since he was a stray and the shelter had to do their due diligence. Aug 6th was his available date and I was there before the shelter opened, my son was visiting family out of town. The volunteer announced his number and asked if anyone else was there to meet him. A few raised hands. There was a lottery…and I WON! I go meet him, and I knew the moment he came in: he was our dog. I knew it was going to be a rough road at first. He was matted all over, flea dirt all over, paws were raw, and you could feel every bone in his body he was so skinny. And, he was at least 5 years old and not neutered. We picked him up Friday, Aug 9th, the day he was neutered. We barely slept that weekend and the following week, and many more nights to follow. Poor guy was so hungry but would throw up after he ate, had diarrhea all day. He was in pain from surgery (it took about three weeks to heal), had kennel cough and had to take antibiotics. The antibiotics also helped with his paws, but they were still a bit raw. To try to prevent further infection, he received a shot of Cytopoint in hopes he wouldn’t be so itchy and stop chewing on his paws. It helped very much, and his paws look so much better! The diarrhea continued for weeks. Then, when it stopped, he was extremely constipated. He would moan and couldn’t get comfortable. Couldn’t sleep, licked his sides, and wasn’t himself. After normal blood tests, x-rays, meds, and fluids I decided to have the vet administer an enema to give him some relief. He was so happy. Now he is eating better, but still has a ways to go. Food and environmental allergies are a focus as well. Judging by the length of his matted fur when we met, he was probably homeless for a long time. I love seeing him happy, and I cannot imagine life without him. He is on his way to living his best life!
On June 30, 2019, our little girl to be was found in a rural part of Tennessee where dogs are often dumped. She was found by a friend of Westie Rescue Tennessee and handed over to them. She was in bad shape; matted, filthy, and full of ticks. They just knew she was more than likely heartworm positive and pregnant. Whisked off to the vet for evaluation, she was heartworm negative and already spayed!
The DVM for the rescue group and staff cleaned her up and kept her for the next several days for evaluation while rescue reached out to find a family with Westie experience to foster. We stepped up to “foster to adopt.” We met her for the first time on July 7th and fell in love with her and took her to her forever home to adjust to us and our Westie pack.
Bringing her home, we knew she’d need her own time and space to bond with our three other Westies. On her first full day with us, I noticed she was deaf. She was also having very small seizures and both were a real concern. Off to our vet, we went and they agreed she was deaf and were unsure about the tremors.
Over the next few days, her seizures increased dramatically and our vet thought she had White Shaker Syndrome. Medicine controlled it for about another week or so, then they came back with a vengeance! She was now having over thirty seizures a day. Over the next several weeks we visited specialists in Atlanta where the diagnosis was changed to Sick Sinus Syndrome and we were referred to the University of Georgia Vet School’s Cardiology Dept.
Hettie – WestieMed Recipient
At UGA, Hettie saw an incredible team of cardiologists. She was fitted with a vest to capture her heart rhythms. She was to wear the vest for one week UNLESS she had a seizure and then we were to send the vest back immediately. Within the first day at home wearing the vest, she had multiple seizures and the vest was sent back pronto.
The cardiologists at UGA read the results and contacted us that she was on emergency status. Her heart was stopping between nine-twelve seconds at a time and she was in danger! Emergency pacemaker surgery was needed and the cardiologists cleared their busy schedules just for her!
Now Hettie is home and on twelve weeks of bed rest and she is going on week three of doctor’s orders. (That’s a challenge to keep a Westie on bedrest!)
Our sweet little girl now has a new lease on life because of the pacemaker. Once her twelve weeks of healing are behind her, we know she’ll have many hours of playing with her new Westie and human family.
Thank you WestieMed for your help. We love our little Hettie. Her new life has begun.
Peggy McCall
Update January 24, 2020
Hettie had a three-month checkup at UGA after her pacemaker surgery. Without this surgery, Hettie would not have survived. The doctors at UGA reported how well her pacemaker is working and now she can finally have a life after three months of bed rest. (We called it house arrest.)
She came home yesterday from Athens after her checkup as a different and happy dog. Thankful for Westie Rescue Tennessee and WestieMed. You all saved her life and we hope she will finally enjoy the life she deserves. You answered our prayers. When I watch her play with her Westie brother and sister, my eyes leak happy tears.
Bless You all, Peggy and Darrell
Update December 3, 2020
We are dedicated to Hettie and thanks to WestieMed, she did get her pacemaker and gave us hope. She has had a hard knock life and we will love her until the end.
Peggy and Darrell McCall
Update December 19, 2020
Hettie lost her battle and went to the Rainbow Bridge on Dec 16, 2020. WestieMed had provided assistance for Hettie this summer. She received a pacemaker and was recovering when she recently was diagnosed with Lymphoma. My husband and I are heartbroken. Yet grateful for the help and encouragement received from WestieMed.
