Stories – Page 26

Zero

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

A young lady that worked in a pet store at the local mall had gone into the restaurant that a friend of mine worked in and asked her if she wanted or knew of someone who wanted a free puppy. She text messaged her mom and it so happened that I was over and she asked me if I was interested in a free puppy. Well at first I was hesitant in saying yes because first off a puppy is a lot of work and also my thoughts were “what’s wrong with him”? Fifteen minutes later she texts again saying it’s a West Highland Terrier…still with some doubt I said to tell her I want him but first to ask the girl what was wrong with him. Her reply was that he had a low immune system and that he was kept in the back away from the other puppies and that’s why they couldn’t sell him. So I figured ok a low immune system that’s something simple that can be taken care of.

When he came home with her that night he was interested in all of us but still not too sure. The little guy had a crusty nose and smelled. As he sat there taking in his new surroundings he started coughing this retched cough. And when I held him to comfort him I could hear he was wheezy. Right away I felt bad for this little guy and I was glad that I had taken him in and was going to love him. That night at home I decided to name him after a character in one of my favorite movies, The Nightmare Before Christmas, I figured Zero was a perfect name for a Westie.

The next day at the vet I told him the story of how they were giving him for free and how they told me he just had a low immune system. To make a long story short turned out the Zero more than likely came from a puppy mill, had surgery to fix his hernia and at the same time, he was neutered. The “low immune system” turned out to be two ear infections, which one ear was already yeasty, and the cough was already turning into pneumonia. Zero was treated with two different types of antibiotics and an ear ointment plus an ear wash every other day. While Zero was on the antibiotics his cough did settle down.

About two weeks had passed when one early morning he started up again and the runny crusty nose and the coughing at this point were back full force again. I took him back to the vet as soon as they opened. Turned out that Zero’s bronchitis was back and he was going to need a treatment that I wasn’t able to afford, so the vet gave us the option of putting him back on a stronger dose of antibiotics for seventeen days with weekly check-ups. The vet did say that if the cough came back I had no other choice but to do the recommended treatment for his lungs to get rid of the cough. And two weeks later his cough was back again with the snotty crusty nose. He was not able to run around like he does because starts to cough and at times causing him to throw up and depending on how he feels his breathing at night is very rapid.

I have only had Zero for a short time but during this short time he stolen my heart and I would be devastated if anything were to happen to him. That is why I am very thankful and blessed that I came across the wonderful people at WestieMed! Because of them, Zero will soon be able to sleep well at night and run around like I know he wants to without the need to stop because of a coughing spell.

Update June 25, 2009

I just wanted to update you on Zero. Zero had his treatment the very next day we receive the check in the mail. The lab results had revealed that he had a really bad case of kennel cough and his vet prescribed a much stronger dose of antibiotics to clear him up of the infection.

Well, the antibiotics helped Zero while he was on them but once he was done with the medication his pesky cough came back along with the snotty nose. So Zero is taking antibiotics almost every day to keep the infection from getting worse.

His Vet said the next step is taking him to a specialist (which I know it is going to cost me money I don’t have) because it seems that his respiratory system isn’t functioning properly by “filtering” out the icky stuff he breaths in. He fears that it could possibly be the death of such a good pup like him. But Zero doesn’t let this bring him down! He still loves going out for walks to the dog park and play fetch or just crawl into my lap for a quick nap.

I want to thank you again for the help!
Ana & Zero

Update October 8, 2009

Zero still, of course, has his cough, but that will always be part of him. He currently is on a two week round of antibiotics since the weather change has had a little effect on him and just to be safe we decided to put him on antibiotics.

This time he went three months without any medications, thanks to his vet’s suggestion of giving him a children’s chewable vitamin C tablet every day to see if it helped to strengthen his immune system and it has helped him extremely!

We will keep you posted on his well being in a couple of weeks once he’s done with his antibiotics.

Meanwhile, enjoy a picture of him on his first birthday! What a milestone for him considering how he was when I first got him!

Thanks once again to you guys!!!
Ana

Update July 10, 2010

I just wanted to let you know Zero is doing great!

He had his second comprehensive vet exam a few months back and the vet said he was great!

Of course, he still has his little cough but that makes him special! He hasn’t had a need for a round of medication, so that’s good.

For now, here’s a picture of him getting out if the bath.

And we will be celebrating his second birthday next month, yay!!

Thanks!
Ana and Zero

Allie

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

March 16^th started out like any other day. Woke up, let the Beagle man out, made coffee, checked email – Subject caught my eye: WHO CAN CARE FOR ME? I’VE BEEN ABANDONED!!! – I had to read on….

‘… as people struggle in this difficult economy, it is often our loyal and loving animal companions who suffer the most. This sweet little girl was found abandoned on a blanket, in a park in Framingham day-before-yesterday. The dog officer surmised she had been there all night, in the 19 degrees cold and rain. She is a sweet young dog who, as you can see, has a skin condition. She has had three skin scrapings to test for mites and they were all negative, however, the results of the tests confirmed a yeast infection. If no home or foster can be located for her, she is scheduled to be euthanized this coming week.”

LOOK at that face! I was smitten! When I arrived at the Framingham Animal Control office that day, she was standing in the back of the large concrete kennel — she had no hair, her skin was red, full of sores and lesions, her nails were long and curled, and HOW, HOW could a small dog smell so terrible? The Officer walked her out to my car – every three to four steps she would stop to pee — what was wrong? To be honest, I was wondering if she would make it at all… she was bleeding. Off to the most amazing Vet in MA – Dr. Holly Kelsey – her techs took this little one from my arms, washed her and soon after the Dr. started the examination, blood work, urine cultures, skin scrapings, x-rays, etc. Beenie was so agreeable. She was, no doubt, in pain yet not one growl, bite, or flinch. She had just surrendered.

Results: yeast infection, allergies, skin infections, bladder infection, ear infection, anemic, underweight, and the worst was the X-ray showed a bladder full of large stones. Stones that were too large to dissolve or pass; surgery was needed immediately. (I started to panic) I want to help, but how can I do this? What is going to happen to her? I can’t afford a $1,400. surgery… I wanted to cry. I thanked the Dr. and I took Beenie home. That evening she curled up on my lap on a towel and slept – I could feel the weight of her little tired body. For the next three hours, I made phone calls and emailed and I learned of WestieMed – and soon of ‘Bette’ – wonderful, unbelievable – with their support and this little girl’s determination, I thought pffft…she’s going to MAKE it!

After surgery, staples, antibiotics, allergy medication, special food, ear drops, medicated baths, up-all-night peeing, diarrhea, vomiting, etc… I can say that seven weeks later…

She’s the boss! She’s my little CEO. (True to this breed I’m told) She talks a lot, and she’s quite the conversationalist, she has opinions on EVERYTHING! She’s definitely a ham and a camera hog, but the best thing is her spirit. She is just so happy to be alive that it shows in her face every minute of every day.

I would have expected her spirit to be broken, or fearful of people, or overly aggressive. I mean, I would have more issues than The Reader’s Digest if I’d been in pain for that long. If you could translate her ‘Beenie-speak’, I would bet she says “LOOK, I’M SMILING! I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO TODAY! I LOVE MY FRIENDS, BROTHER, MOM, NEIGHBOR, MY FENCE DOG FRIEND JOYCE, PETCO, BELLY RUBS, PARK, CHICKEN, BALLS, EAR SCRATCHES, NURSING MY STUFFED MOUSE TOY, CHASING, RUNNING…’ She stole my heart from the very first time I met her!

She’s gained plenty of weight (because her Mommy is definitely qualified to fatten up a dog!) and now I can’t feel her ribs or backbone anymore. Her skin is healed and soft, her fur is completely back thick, shiny, soft and full.

We could all take a lesson from Ms. Beenie – happiness is a choice, a state of mind, not the result of your current circumstances. She’s made it!! Lucky me. My little Been Bag today! twelve pounds!

Crystal

Update September 22, 2009

Allie is my heart!

She has a chronic urinary problem, but we address this every day with antibiotics (two pills a day), and one allergy pill every other day, with a side of prayer that bladder stones do not form again. She sleeps in bed on a towel and she knows just where to go when she’s allowed up. Of course, the towel is right on the passenger side of the bed at the pillow for comfort. 🙂

She looks extra cute these days and super feisty with the weather change.

Kind regards,
Crystal

Update February 22, 2010

Allie’s SUPER!

She has had no further problems. At all. Nothing. Not one thing. No bad urine samples, no stones, no allergies, etc… She’s on a daily regime of one chewable vitamin C, bottled water, and WD Chicken crunchies. She snacks on carrots, apples, cucumbers, and the occasional biscuit.

She’s as healthy and happy as could be.

She’s the most determined little girl ever… sometimes I get frustrated and then I look at her (and I say this out loud), ”I LOVE THAT ABOUT YOU”… she wags her tail….

Little girls are made of sugar and spice, mine has spirit and moxie…. I LOVE HER

Thank you WestieMed…

Kind regards,
Crystal and Allie

Hope (Now Bonnie)

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

From Elizabeth Pierce:

Hope came in to rescue on March 6th, 2009 from a puppy Mill release located 3 hours North of Montreal.

She arrived together with another female Westie and 57 various breed dogs, when she arrived she was still a lactating Mom I am told by the inspector that she had her litter taken away from her and that however hard the SPCA inspector tried to plead with the puppy miller, she would not release her puppies, she planned on force feeding them to plump them up and then sell them to a pet store, poor little Hope, we placed her in our ICU room and had the veterinarian administer her medication to dry her milk up, she sat there in total shock in the back of her cage and would not eat or drink volunteers took her out and cuddled her.

CWHWTC president Monique Courtois was called immediately to see if she could take both the Westie rescues without any hesitation she informed me she would come and get them ASAP.

Hope has since had surgery to remove large stones in her bladder and have dental work done to improve her health conditions and is awaiting a new forever home.

From Monique Courtois:

When I first saw Hope on March 7th in the early afternoon, she was crouched in the back of a crate, in shock, not daring to move, shy and afraid of us and of any human contact. She was thought to be about 2 to 5 years old.

Her hair had never been cut and was matted with feces, urine, whelping matters. Her mammary glands were full of milk. Her teeth were in horrible condition: they were crusted with thick tartar and the root of one molar was exposed because of severe periodontitis despite her age.

She smelled so bad that it was unbearable. Because her nails had never been trimmed, her feet were splashed and she could hardly walk. The toenails dug into her skin. She was too much in shock to be groomed the first day, so she was left to rest, given water and moist and appetizing food over some kibble to entice her to eat. She refused it the first night after her arrival, but the next morning accepted to do so. This is when she was groomed for probably the first time in her life. The hair was so bad, tinted and burnt with urine, that she had to be clipped to about ½ inch long. She was then washed with soft soap and dried. Throughout all this, she stood still, patient and grateful, still trusting us despite the terrible conditions she had been kept in.

She had 2 luxated patellas for which the vet didn’t recommend corrective surgery at the moment.

The worse was that she was peeing blood every five minutes. She was in obvious pain and made efforts to urinate a few drops at a time. The vet at the SPCA wasn’t sure whether this was due to a mass in her abdomen (tumor?) so she was taken to a vet hospital where a clinical exam and x-rays show 2 large stones the size of small prunes in her bladder. She was scheduled for surgery (cystotomy) in a week and given antibiotics and some medication to reduce the inflammation. The vet preferred to wait until the antibiotics were effective to operate to reduce the risk of contagion to the abdomen during surgery.

After a few days of rest in a calm environment with classical music and with frequent but short positive interaction and social contact, she began to respond by slowly approaching us by herself instead of hiding in corners.

On March 11th, she had her surgery: teeth cleaning and tooth extraction, cystotomy and spaying. She received new antibiotics and some more anti-inflammatory medication. She will have to be on a special diet all her life to prevent the reoccurrence of stones in her bladder.

She came back to her foster home on March 13th. Free from pain for the first time in months, Hope was a completely different bitch. She could now pee normally, without pain, and she showed her contentment and her relief by happily greeting me each time she saw me, standing on her back legs to be petted and licking my hands. She is starting to learn how to walk on a leash, and is now ready to have a loving forever home.

Update September 26, 2009: Hope is now named Bonnie.

Bonnie (formerly Hope) is doing wonderful. She went to the groomer a couple of days ago and looks so beautiful. Her Dad just came back from the doggy nutritionist and the nutritionist says that Bonnie has to lose a few pounds. She’s a little on the pudgy side. She’s had to have her food and treats cut back because she tends to pack on the weight.

Bonnie now has a big fenced yard to play in and goes out for regular walks. Bonnie walks really well on the leash. She still has some shyness issues and doesn’t like to be away from Dad when she is in new areas and with strangers. She tends to be very clingy with Dad in such situations. With time, hopefully, Bonnie will forget her previous life at the puppy mill and feel more confident.

She truly is one of the most beautiful looking and best tempered Westies Dad has ever had. Bonnie was very fortunate in that her owner adopted two Westies from the same puppy mill. The other one, Braiden, is about a year old now and the two are good company for each other. Here they are shown with their Dad (Bonnie in pink and Braiden in Blue).

Brigitte Dimock

Update March 4, 2010

Just a little email to let you know that Bonnie Bundle and Brady Bundle are doing very well. Today is March 4th and yesterday was Bonnie’s seventh birthday. A year ago Bonnie spent her 6th birthday at a puppy mill in Quebec. Unlike her 6th birthday, this year Bonnie had a wonderful day. Both she and Brady got a nice long soapy bath the night before so that they were fresh and clean for Bonnie’s big day. After their baths they got towel-dried and blown dry and brushed. Brady isn’t a big fan of baths but Bonnie is an angel. She loves human contact even if it is kisses while getting her bath. On her birthday we went for Bonnie and Brady’s favorite activity – Walkie Walkie. When we got back after lunch they both enjoyed some nice white mozzarella cheese for a snack b4 resting for a while with their Dad and cuddling and getting lots of cuddles, loving and kisses. Because it was Bonnie`s first birthday out of the puppy mill we celebrated with a bbq. Brady, Bonnie, and their Dad had a beautiful beef tenderloin each. Bonnie and Brady had theirs done blue rare, just the way they like it. Both little munchkins appreciated having Dad cut up their steak in very small pieces for them. For dessert, they both had some fresh baby carrots and organic plain yogurt (Bonnie`s favorite dessert). After an hour or so we had a bit of nightly fun time with ‘Ballie’. Brady is a bigger fan of playing ball than Bonnie, however. Bonnie does play a little by herself with the ball, She is so cute to watch playing with the ball. She always seems so amazed at how the ball rolls when she pokes it with her nose. Bonnie continues to come out of her shell, a bit every day. Brady doesn’t know what shell means, he’s such an outgoing little Westie and so full of self-confidence.

Bonnie and Brady continue to exhibit lots of signs of happy healthy little Westies. Carolanne, their canine nutritionist, continues to be very pleased with their weight, health, and socialization. This weekend is my weekend off and Bonnie and Brady and their Dad are going to visit Bonnie and Brady’s nanny and poppy. That’s always good for a few extra treats for them. I haven’t taken any new pictures of them in a while but will try to get some in the next few weeks. Will forward them when I get them.

Hoping this email finds you and all your Westie Bundles healthy and happy as we are.

We remain eternally grateful for helping us find each other.

Bonnie Bundle, Brady Bundle, and their Dad…Des.

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