Stories – Page 10

Isabel

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

Our friend and companion Nigel, a male Westie, died 5/28/16 after a year-long illness. We got him as an eight week old and we were together at home, showroom, and visits to family and friends. He had a big outgoing personality, noisy and friendly to just about everyone except other small non-Westies. I really loved the guy and mourned his passing.

I never thought I would find and accept another Westie until I saw an ad in Pet Finder and saw a picture and description of Izzy also stating what type of home Garden State Westie Rescue was seeking for her. She rang all the right bells for me, and after speaking to Lisa Curry of Garden State, we both agreed that this would be a good fit for all. We adopted her mid-January 2017 and spent the next three weeks learning about each other. We found her a charming, polite, somewhat stubborn dog who really wanted to be part of our lives. We did note that she never finished any of her meals and wanted to go out every few hours. She also became somewhat lethargic after three weeks with us and began to vomit frequently, symptoms not observed by the rescue or her prior home.

We took Isabel to a veterinary hospital, who over the course of two weeks gave her infusions for her dehydration, took blood samples and diagnosed Addison’s disease and we were given appropriate meds and a diet change to a medical soft diet.

All went well, she stopped vomiting, began to eat and appeared to be recovering. She wasn’t. Over the next three weeks, Izzy started to have the same complications as before but this time more severe. A visit to a different emergency hospital, some fluids, blood tests, and ultrasound indicated that Isabel had Cushing’s disease. This hospital has many specialists and we made an appointment the next day to see Dr. Ward, a Gastro specialist. We left Izzy overnight to be infused again for dehydration and receive an endoscope for a better look at her digestive system. The final diagnosis was Irritable Bowel Disease, which is treatable with a daily dose of Budesonide, Pepcid and a diet of boiled chicken and rice. I was taught to give her daily infusions until she began to drink again.

Izzy is a month free of symptoms, has her med and Pepcid every day and really enjoys chicken and rice. I want to thank Lisa Curry for her referral to WestieMed, Dr. Ward of North Star Veterinary Hospital for the diagnosis and recipe for Izzy’s recovery, and Lucy Ryley of WestieMed for her help in recovering a large portion of Izzy’s medical bills. I’m glad to tell Isabel’s story because it has a happy ending. As seniors ourselves we look forward to whatever years Izzy, Lois and I have to be together.

Mitchell and Lois Cohen
Mount Laurel NJ

Nemo

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

Nemo came to us in terrible shape. He was found as a stray and picked up by animal control. The shelter contacted the owner and his owner said they gave him to another family member. When they were contacted, they stated they did not want him anymore. Nemo was found over 100 miles from his “home”. It was revealed that Nemo was left in a cage for most of his existence. As a result, Nemo had fourteen broken and fractured teeth from trying to chew his way out. This is no way to live!! The shelter asked us if we would be willing to take him on as his skin was a horrid mess, his eyes were infected and so were his ears and were coming down with kennel cough. He was in such bad shape that the shelter thought this two-four year old was a senior! For several weeks, we worked on his skin with medicated soft brush baths and medication. Just recently, we had a complete dental done on Nemo and our vet said that based on the lack of calculus and tarter, Nemo is believed to be around two to for years old at the most. Well, this makes absolute sense because fostering Nemo is like fostering a puppy!! Nemo has been with us for several weeks and already has shown vast improvement. His skin is healing beautifully with the help of medication which he is no longer taking and medicated baths twice a week. His coat is getting thicker by the day and his skin issues were caused simply by neglect. Tender loving care, nutritious meals and a routine he can count on is all he asks for.

Nemo is the sweetest boy around! He gets along with all his foster and resident siblings and does his best to get someone to play with him. He keeps himself entertained by laying on his back, tossing toys up in the air and he loves to eat! He loves the dog park and sleeps soundly in his crate at night and gets run of the house during the day. Nemo will be ready for his very own home soon but the cost to get him this far has been substantial. It can take a lot of money to reverse all the neglect caused by others, but thanks to WestieMed, Nemo has received everything he needs to start a brand new life.

Karen and Kay (Westie Rescue of Orange County & Beyond)

Update January 29, 2018

Our sweet Nemo was adopted by Paul in May. He looks absolutely stunning and is doing extremely well.

His new dad reports that he loves car rides in his new car seat, walks perfectly on a leash, and he completed obedience school with flying colors. Nemo loves to throw his toys in the air with his nose and catch them without a worry in the world.

Years of neglect came with expensive veterinary bills and we couldn’t have done it without you.

Thank you WestieMed for all your help with Nemo!

Karen Simondet
Westie Rescue of OC & Beyond

Piper

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

Piper is a five and half year old Westie who is a little sweetie with a heart of gold but, unfortunately, that heart is not working as well as it should be at this time.

She was owner surrendered to Scottie Rescue at age five. She was spayed and updated on her vaccines and when she was ready for adoption, she was advertised as available. She went to a new home in Virginia with a Westie lover who already currently had two sweet Westies and wanted to share his home with another one who could benefit from all he had to offer. She’s fit in easily and has become one of the family over the last five months since her adoption.

Although she’d been evaluated at her original vet before her spay, and also been seen by her new dad’s vet after her adoption, oddly it wasn’t until a subsequent vet visit with another vet in the practice, that the heart murmur was detected. At that time, she was referred to a veterinary cardiac specialist in the area. This specialist did a full cardiac workup and advised that the two lower chambers of the heart were not working as well as they should be, and she should have a pacemaker implanted to correct this before it became an emergency. In the meantime, she was put on some medication to keep the pressure low and she’s responded well to that so far.

This was, of course, a big surprise to everyone who had been involved with her prior care. Scottie Rescue offered to take her back, but she had already become part of her new family and her new dad did not want to part with her.

He contacted WestieMed and applied for financial assistance to help offset the high cost of the pacemaker procedure, and thanks to their generosity, she will soon be able to have the surgery that will enable her to have a normal lifespan!!! Her new dad and her new Westie brother and sister hope to have many happy and healthy years together!!! Many thanks!

Erica Cerny, Scottish Terrier Rescue
Lucien Kowalski

Update January 24, 2018

Piper is doing well at the moment. The doctor thought after her last checkup and scan, she would not need the pacemaker at this time. But could in the future.

Cheers,
Lucien

Lencsi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Update November 22, 2017

Lencsi had been adopted yes and she is doing fab.

Chauncey

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

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

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

Phyllis Hovey

Scout

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Jacobson Family

Update July 19, 2017

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

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

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

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

Thanks again, WestieMed!

The Jacobson Family

Wally

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

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

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

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

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

Update January 29, 2018

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

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

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

Thank you WestieMed for sponsoring Wally!

Karen Simondet
Westie Rescue of OC & Beyond

Lucky

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

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

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

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

The Robledo Family

Update November 22, 2017

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

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

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

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

You are a blessing!

Lydia

Maggie

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

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

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

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

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

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

Barbara Mordy

Update July 24, 2017

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

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

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

Barbara Mordy
WRAP

Update November 22, 2017

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

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

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

Barbara Mordy
WRAP

Chloe

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

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

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

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

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

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

Update April 12, 2017

From her adopters/new forever family:

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

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

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

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