Suzi came to live with me as a foster dog in March 2007 after the sudden death of her 86-year old Master. She originally went to live with the man’s daughter who had a six-month-old Westie puppy. After a month’s stay with the family, the daughter’s husband was sincerely ready to put Suzi to sleep if I had not taken her in as a foster dog. I believe Suzi was going through extreme mourning at the passing of her Master and then the loss of companionship with the puppy. I was happy to bring her into my home in order to give her the individual attention she obviously needed.
Over Thanksgiving, I had a friend staying with me. He put Suzi on his bed and when she jumped off, she hit her hind leg on a speaker and tore her ACL.
Now THANKS to WestieMed her surgery is being covered in full and she’ll soon be back to her old very playful self.
Thank you for all of the help you have given to Suzi.
I was contacted regarding a four-year-old, unspayed, Westie in dire need of medical attention. The callers conveyed to me that they commented on a photo of a Westie at a business location and the owner said that she didn’t look like that anymore. She said she was allergic to cats, and she needed a new home. She would be happy to let them have her.
On approximately October 24th, the above persons met the owner in a parking lot and found this poor female unsprayed Westie filthy and severe ear infection, loss of hair. They were horrified at her state. The owner cried and said she could no longer afford the dog and signed the dog over complete with vet bills and AKC papers. The owner sent her with a volume of vet bills up until May 2007
The good Samaritans looked through the vet bills and found that Sophie had cost about $2500 to date in vet bills. None of the bills dealt with her skin problems, but she was billed for a ton of unnecessary work which was covered under “pet insurance.”
The finder wrote: The woman told me Sophie’s health was okay until about a year ago when they got two Persian cats. She says the vet thinks she is allergic to cats and that her health would not improve until she was removed from that environment. True or not, the woman was obviously desperate so I brought Sophie home to try to find help. The paperwork she gave me from the vet doesn’t tell me a lot but does seem reasonably consistent with the timeframe.
October 29th – Contacted rescue – They kept her for two days and were very enchanted with her, but her health was so diminished that they felt with their jobs they had no time for her, and wanted her to have a good life, made a Vet appointment and the Vet shook his head and said – she is going to be a “major project”. (at that time this Vet also didn’t give Sophie any meds, this was apparently a “consultation” visit. He told the ‘Finders” the cost and dedication would be off the charts, and how much did they want to do this? After the consultation, they decided to turn her over to rescue. We made arrangements for the transfer.
October 30th a.m. – Transport: In the fog @ 8:30 am Mary Scott drove out to Coupeville and boarded the Keystone Ferry to Port Townsend. She was armed with a crate, and leash and she also had the release forms and was going to meet the “husband” at 11:30 at the ferry dock and do a turnaround and come and drop Sophie off at my house. Mary called me from the Ferry at noon and said “I’m heading back, and you aren’t going to believe it. She is worse than Shannon was. She is bleeding out of crevices of her skin, she is biting and itching and I think I am going to cry. “ I said, “MARY, don’t cry now, she is on the road to recovery, I have to call the vet and see if I can get her in today.” Mary said – “She’s a mess, a poor pitiful mess”. It was a four transport.
October 30th – I transferred Sophie from Mary’s car to my car crate, and she itched and bled in my crate as I drove down to the Bothell Animal Hospital. I was on the cell phone ten times with their staff, they probably were sick of hearing me. I left Sophie for the night so she could get bathed and all her testing done and do something about her comfort. She had to have massive steroid shots. I also wanted them to bathe her and medicate her as she was in a sorry state, and very cranky. I didn’t want her first day with me to be unpleasant, and I needed time to prepare my home for her and an introduction to my dogs.
Dr. Shannon Smith called at sevem pm and said they injected her with steroids to stop the itching, she is getting a medicated bath two times tonight and she has had her ears flushed, her eyes flushed, antibiotics, and starts her Ketoconozole when she gets home. I will also be stopping on the way down tomorrow to pick her up – and get some doggie PJs. She has several infections going on and Dr. Smith found flea dirt which just adds to the whole mess. We didn’t want to treat her for fleas until she heals more, the cracks and dry skin are not good. It’s going to be a long haul and she said we can’t spay her until her skin heals or else the incision can get a horrible infection. We are closing off the evening with Sophie safe and warm and not in pain, me exhausted, Mary exhausted and me playing musical chairs with the other fosters and working on getting funding for Sophie’s meds. Blood was drawn to see what caused all these allergies.
November 3, 2007 – Sophie is responding to the medicated baths and exfoliation. Her ears are finally returning to normal, and she is still very cold and shivering. She is wrapped in baby blankets, and pjs. She has baby blankets and receiving blankets lining her crate and she prefers being in front of the fire place. She is slowly responding. She seems to be a one owner dog, and has never really been socialized. She has deemed me her HUMAN, and so we have some jealousy issues to work on. Other than that, she is a very sweet dog and thankfully perfectly potty trained and crate trained.
Sophies Delight – WestieMed Recipient
November 9, 2007 – Daily baths with Malaseb are really making a difference. Her clothing is changed two times a day to keep her clean. I wipe her feet off w/baby wipes when she comes inside. She finally started playing with toys and is very affectionate. Her hair is growing back on her face and body, but her legs are still in disarray. She has stopped itching which I contribute to the bathing. Sophie also allowed me to scrape her teeth with a dentist metal scraper and she let me brush her teeth also. Her back teeth are in bad shape and she will need her teeth cleaned. She is currently on non-grain dry food only with yogurt and grain-free dog biscuits or apples.
November 14, 2007 – Vet appointment showed that her yeast is subsiding but she still has a raging Staph infection. Her allergy tests came back and the only thing she was allergic to on the food/airborne side was: lamb! She showed a level two on fleas. The outcome seemed to be that this minor allergy was neglected and caused her to get into this state. Fortunately for us, we can solve this issue with flea meds and a change of diet. It was sad to know all this was caused by something so preventable. We discussed her spaying and Dr. Smith said another month until her Staph infection is cleared up. Also to put her back on more antibiotics.
November 16, 2007 – I have decided to put Sophie in another foster home because she is getting to attached to me. I find that rotating the fosters out, help them evolve in their personality, teach them manners in other homes, and just open up a new experience in their life. It also helps the foster moms experience all the different rescue dogs we come across.
November 20, 2007 – Foster mom reported she is doing well. She is getting along with the other Westie. She is still cold and prefers sitting in front of the fireplace. She is eating well and is a stellar house guest. We anticipate her staying in this foster home for three more weeks and then we will make arrangements for spaying and dental care.
Our outlook is that Sophie will have a great life, and not a life of allergies. She has been a joy to foster, and cute as a button. I suspect she will be in foster care for another two months.
Karin Parish – Seattle Dog Rescue – Westies
Sophies Delight – WestieMed Recipient
December 2007:
Glad Tidings to all!
Sophie has made a come-back and full recovery. (two months in our great care!)
She is scheduled for spaying and dental on December 27th.
We want to thank you for making it possible to help save her.
Karin Parish – Westie Rescue
Sophies Delight – WestieMed Recipient
Update May 7, 2008:
Sophie was adopted to a first time Westie owner single woman in a condo, and its a great match.
She was in foster care four and half months. (It was a long HAUL).
Both the owner and Sophie have the same temperament. Sophie is the Diva and her owner treats her as a diva with a complete wardrobe and such.
They are both stay at home “gals” so they bring each other much comfort.
Sophie rides wonderfully in a car, so she is a joy to take places.
She is happier being an only dog, as she has more room to store her TIARA.
My name is Penny, well now it is. Let me start from the beginning. I was owned by a breeder in Oklahoma. I had several litters before I was five years old. When I was pregnant with my last batch of puppies the breeder discovered I had a heart condition and sent me to an auction where I sold for $500 to a person that didn’t want me, they just wanted my puppies. Once my puppies were old enough to be away from me, I was sold to a rescue shelter for $50. Lucky for me the rescue shelter that bought me put my picture on petfinder.com for my new mommy to find.
This is where my story really gets good. My mom applied to Westie Rescue and was approved to take me home. At that time my name was Misty, but I didn’t know that was my name since no one had ever talked to me before. Since I responded better to names that started with a “P” my mom named me Penny.
At first, I was unsure of my new surroundings at my new home. I was shy and just tried to be on my best behavior. I really liked my new mom from the minute I met her and I stay right by her side whenever I can. I have a new sister that looks a lot like me. She wants to play with me, but since I had spent all my life in a small pen, I didn’t know how to play. I had no idea what to do with these things called toys. Thanks to my mom and sister, I am learning how much fun playing can be. The only problem is that my mom gets nervous to let me play too much because of my heart condition.
The nice doctor told my mom that my heart rate is too slow (48 bpm) but they aren’t sure why. I have gone to a new doctor that specializes in hearts. He has done a lot of tests on me. I was then sent to Purdue University where another doctor ran more tests on me to see if I needed to have a pacemaker. I had to wear a heart monitor for 24 hours to see what my heart rate does all day. Thanks to WestieMed my mom was able to afford to do these tests that cost so much. Now I’m just waiting for results and hopefully, I don’t have to have a pacemaker but WestieMed is helping me and my mom all the way!
I sure am lucky to have such a great home now. That is why I am always on my best behavior. I am very friendly and never know a stranger. I will let just about anyone hug me or pet me. I never chew on anything and always try to go to the bathroom outside. Thank you for helping me so that I can get better and run and play with my new sister!
Update December 17, 2007:
Penny is doing great today. She did have her surgery and she had a dual pacemaker put in. After the surgery, she started having a little trouble with her diaphragm beating to the pace of her heart. They found out that it was the atrial lead communicating with the diaphragmic nerve so they had to turn off the atrial lead. I have to take her back to Purdue in one month for a check-up which will consist of two chest x-rays and another echo to check for the lead placements and to see how the pacemaker is functioning and they hope with the tissue growing around the lead that they will be able to turn the atrial lead back on. Right now the ventricular lead is the only one pacing and it is pacing 80% of the time since Penny’s heart rate was so slow. Now it’s just waiting for another month and trying to keep her from feeling too good so she doesn’t dislodge a lead!
Update January 30, 2008:
I just thought I would let you know that we took Penny back to Purdue for her check-up yesterday. She is doing great. They still were not able to turn her atrial lead on yet because of the thumping in her diaphragm and they turned up the voltage to her lead in the ventricle. Overall was that she was doing great and they took x-rays to check the lead placement and they were still where they had put them. (Don’t mind telling you I had my doubts!) Penny would fly off the couch before you could catch her and that was a no-no. We take her back in again in six months and hopefully then they will be able to turn the atrial lead on then. Hope everything is going well with you and again I thank WestieMed from the bottom of my heart for helping Penny. I’ll keep in touch.
Update April 21, 2008:
Penny is doing fantastic! She is running with Chrissy outside like a maniac. She loves to just take off running as fast as her little legs will carry her! We have to take her back to Purdue this summer to try again to see if they can turn on the atrial lead. I guess if Penny still has the same reaction that she had the last two times then the atrial lead is worthless. I have faith that it will work this time! I will let you know the outcome. We take her back in July. Thanks and sorry again for being so tardy with a reply.
Penny – WestieMed Recipient
Update March 3, 2010:
Penny is doing well. She no longer has a pacemaker due to infection. She just couldn’t leave it alone and so I made the decision that if it bothered her that much that I would not have a new one inserted. After all, I did not rescue her to make her miserable! She seems to be doing fine without it.
A couple of months ago she had her teeth cleaned. The Vet nor I really wanted to have her put under an anesthetic because she has such a low heart rate. Turns out she kept her heart rate up to 130 bpm during the entire cleaning!
I think she loves the life she has right now if she could only find a way to get rid of Chrissy (the other Westie in the house)! She is, of course, spoiled…I’m not sure who did that to her, looks forward to eating (big eater) and I have to watch her diet or she will just go on her own See food diet! She thanks everyone from WestieMed for where she is today (alive and healthy).
Lynn Locklear
Update April 20, 2010:
This is my last update to you about Penny. I just wanted to let you know that I had to put Penny to sleep yesterday. I am so heartbroken and I wish they could have figured out what was going on. Last Tuesday she wouldn’t eat and was acting very strange. That little girl never missed a meal. I took her to my Vet and the to a specialty vet up north and they sent me home with prednisone and antibiotics. I could get her to eat a little of her human food favorites but every day she would drop another one of those off her list. I felt by Friday that if the vet couldn’t help anymore that I would have to have her put to sleep. (I have been crying for a week and as I type this to you) They gave me some hope on Friday and gave me some other medications for her stomach and then some a/d food. I had to force her to eat on Friday and then on Saturday when I came at her with the syringe she wanted to eat it herself so I put it on a plate. I was feeling better until I later looked at her gums and they were white. She was bleeding internally somewhere, most likely into her abdomen. There wasn’t anything else I could do. I am so sad and I miss her so much. Penny is now an Angel as I always knew she was.
Age of Dog: Two years Rescue State: Georgia Medical Condition: Degenerative Joint Disease and Legg-Perthes
Synopsis: Sammi was encouraged to be surrendered by a good Samaritan who knew the owner was handling the dog irresponsibly in that she would let the dog run loose and it was frequently being lost. She wasn’t getting any attention and had been neglected in the sense of any grooming or hygiene. One of our members worked with one of the wonderful regular vets of the West Highland White Terrier Club of Greater Atlanta (WHWTCGA). WHWTCGA took Sammi into the rescue program called upon this vet to assist us and Sammi. She was a scruffy mess that desperately needed cleaning up. She was given a general physical and was treated for hookworms and spayed. She was anemic and not very playful at that point. She was then placed in foster to recover and be evaluated. When she became comfortable in her foster home, she started snapping and biting particularly when approached from the back or picking her up. It was initially thought that she needed behavior training by the club’s trainer, but prior to sending her there, we thought it was best to have a vet re-check her for any other medical issues. It was determined that she was in pain from her left hip because she had extreme degenerative joint disease (Legg-Perthes) and possible spine problems. The treatment of choice was an FHO — femoral head ostectomy — which was successfully performed. But the surgery would have to be followed by several weeks of therapy to get her to exercise and use her leg.
Sammi has made great strides thanks to our loving foster home. From what we can tell the pain is gone! She will let you pick her up although she reverts back to her alpha habits occasionally so we have continued her in a foster home that has another Westie and an older cat. She goes on walks daily and uses her leg more each day. After two surgeries, multiple x-rays, some medications for the pain, and physical therapy she has now participating in some training classes to assist in the bad behavior habits she has developed through her medical issues. If it hadn’t been for the good Samaritan’s knowledge of Westie Rescue and the lady surrendering her neglected Westie who knows how long poor Sammi would have suffered leading to an inevitable biting incident.
From her picture you can also see what basic grooming, proper hygiene, and diet with a little TLC will do for the looks too – isn’t she adorable? It will be several weeks before she will be ready for any forever home placement, but she is definitely on the right road to a great Westie life thanks to our volunteers, caring vets, and the support of WestieMed!
–WHWTC of Greater Atlanta
Update March 1, 2010:
We have not heard anything since early 2009 from the forever home. At that time Sammi had well recovered from her surgery and was enjoying life healthy and happy. She won’t set any land speed records but her mobility was excellent.
We will call her again just to see. The adoption home had not renewed her membership with the club for 2010 and we didn’t see her at meetings in 2009.
Hi-My name is Iris and I want to tell you a story.
It was summer and I was so hot. I had long, matted hair. I didn’t realize that I was actually a white dog. I heard some people that came up to my fence one day say that it made them sad because I was so dirty. The lady said that she wished she could put me in a nice, cool bubble bath, whatever that is. I knew that I was covered in ticks and that my feet hurt so bad I could hardly walk. But I didn’t know that I was dirty. But then I heard her say that we were all dirty. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but I knew I was like all my friends that I lived with. We were all dirty! But when I saw the lady get water in her eyes and then grit her teeth like she was upset, I decided that dirty was a bad thing. But she leaned down and told us that we were all beautiful under that dirty hair and most important–we all had a beautiful Westie spirit!
One day she came back and put me and all my friends in her car. She still had water in her eyes, but I also saw something they call determination in her eyes. I soon learned that determination is a good thing! The lady and the man drove us straight to a place called “The Vet”. I heard them talking about the vet being on standby and open late just to see all of us. They seemed concerned about how they, along with some special ladies, were ever going to get the vet paid off. They had to pay to rescue me–whatever that means. I heard them say that the vet was going to give them a rescue discount, but they knew it was still going to cost a lot to get us in healthy Westie shape. They were very happy because the vet lady had a lot of “vet techs” waiting for us to arrive. I soon learned that vet techs like to cut the mats out of Westie hair and also shave them if they must. They were mad at someone though. His name was the breeder. They were mad because he had let me become covered in ticks and have kook-a-burros between the pads of my feet. They said things like “How can you even walk-poor baby?” I guess that is why my feet hurt so badly and I didn’t want to move along when I was told to. After they cut my hair with scissors and shaved a lot of me, they got those nasty ticks off. There were three people at one time trying to help me. I felt so special for the first time ever. But what came next was a little scary. They put me in a big sink and sprayed water all over me and rubbed me. It was all new to me, but I behaved the best I could. I heard them say “now you’re a white dog!” It wasn’t hot in the place they let me rest until my turn with the vet lady. It was cool plus they had soft towels to lie on. One by one they put my friends in the doggie suite with me after baths. I was the last one to go see the special lady called “Dr. Franks”. My buddies gave me good and bad reviews as they returned one at a time after seeing her and her helpers. They all said that she was very nice, gave hugs, and spoke so softly and kind to them, but she also poked them and put things in places they didn’t like. I understood what they meant after my turn. Her voice was the kindest voice I had ever heard. She helped me relax and I did pretty well until she started removing those things from between the pads on my feet. I had been giving all kinds of kisses until then. It hurt so much. I wanted to tell them that I had been hurting for so long, but that I had to walk if I wanted to eat or drink any of the hot water that sat in the sun. They told me that I had severe dental tarter, two kinds of worms, lots of tick bites, and pododermatitis with yeast on all four feet. Dr. Franks wrote on my paper that she thought I seemed older than two and half years. I wanted to tell her that I sure felt older than that! I think she decided it was because no one had ever taken good care of me. She also wrote on my paper that I had a beautiful, soft hair coat. I’m glad everyone can see it now. Her helpers gave me lots of shots including one called rabies. Yikes–it hurt! But only for a moment. They gave me antibiotics and some pasty worm medicine that made my mouth feel yucky. She also sent some to my foster Mom for me to take again in September. Maybe my new Mom will forget. I hope so! She also put special shampoo and some spray stuff in my bag of medicine.
I stayed in the doggie suite for a few days and then the rescue lady came back to take me to a place called foster home. She took one of my friends along also. My foster Mom, Michele, was so kind to us. She loves all animals and has big ones called horses. It was like going to Doggie Club Med. There was a big house with a fenced yard to run in, a fountain with water to splash my sore paws in, a beautiful covered porch with my very own crate on it to rest in whenever I wanted! I worked out an arrangement with a mother duck and her babies. I wouldn’t chase them if they let my buddy and I get in their baby pool filled with water in the back yard. It was great. We learned to share. I will include a photo of the Mommy duck asking me to share it with her babies. I got along great with P-Nut and Jake, two of the dogs that live there all the time.
Then one day, two of the nice rescue ladies came to take me to my furever family. They live in Mississippi. They have a Westie older than me named Sugar Baby. My new name is Lucy. I think it fits me perfectly! I still have to go to the vet for my left paw and take antibiotics. I love hanging out in the kitchen at my new home. I have a doggie door and my own crate that I can go in and out of any time I want. One of my favorite things to do here is follow “Tiny” the cat. Tiny likes me a lot! It’s great! Tiny, Sugar Baby, and I have full run of the house when Mom and Dad are home. My human sister has 2 large dogs and I get along great with them when they visit. Life is wonderful and I am so happy. Thank you WestieMed for helping me get healthy so I could move on to my new life. It was well worth the road I traveled to end up in such a great place. I am so thankful that you love Westies so, so much–cause now I’m a Westie girl with the world on a string!
Love, Lucy
Iris is one of seven Westies rescued from a puppy mill in Nashville, Tennessee.
Update January 2008: Iris now called Lucy
Lucy – WestieMed Recipient
Update March 3, 2010:
Lucy is wonderful, she is loving and spoiled. She sleeps with us every night. She and her sister Lilly are the loves of our lives. Both of these rescue dogs are happy, lovable, and spoiled. They have a big back yard and have a doggie door where they come and go every day. We are so GRATEFUL for them. They make me whole.
Colby was a stray who ended up at an animal shelter in Bedford County, Virginia, in early May 2007. He was suffering from a nasty head wound, along with hook and tapeworms. The shelter staff thought he might have been shot with a BB or pellet gun. Because they did not have the funds to treat him, they wanted to find a Westie Rescue group to take him. Ultimately, they found Maryland Westie Rescue, which is a service of the Chesapeake Bay West Highland White Terrier Club. A call went out to all club members, and a Virginia member’s daughter immediately drove across the state of Virginia to get him. Since he didn’t have a name, she named him Colby. He was checked out and xrayed by a local vet. The x-ray showed nothing. Later, other volunteers drove him from Virginia to Greater Annapolis Veterinary Hospital (GAVH), in Annapolis, Maryland, for further treatment.
While no object was found in the wound (according to the original Xrays and additional X-rays) the wound was very deep and the infection reached into his sinuses. It drained constantly. The staff at GAVH cleaned his wound multiple times a day. The wound took several weeks to apparently heal. However, just when the wound seemed better by early June, it began showing signs of infection again.
Colby – WestieMed Recipient
It was determined that an MRI was needed to get to the bottom of what was going on. The MRI showed a deep infection, including a foreign object in his sinuses, and he would need surgery. A few days later, he went to have his surgery, and the surgeon not only removed a mass, but there also appeared to be signs of previous surgery. A biopsy of the mass (which included something that was black on the outside and gray on the inside and friable) showed the mass was a granuloma caused by a fungal infection in his sinuses. While recovering, he had to be kept cool so as not to pant–not easy for any dog.
Colby did well in surgery and has been recovering nicely. He finally got well enough to be moved from the hospital to a foster home!
Colby – WestieMed Recipient
Despite the extent of his medical issues, Colby is such a friendly and affectionate Westie. The staff at GAVH has been amazed at how tolerant he has remained through all of the cleanings of the wound. He never seemed to mind.
He is still undergoing treatment for the extensive infection, and probably will be for some time because the infection did affect the rest of his body. Although his prognosis is technically uncertain (can we ever really be sure about anything), he has proven to be a fighter over the past two and a half months.
My name is Winnie. I have recently lived in three different foster homes. Not because I am a problem Westie, but because everyone wants me to stay with them for a while. I’m a hit. There just isn’t enough Winnie to go around!
I was a professional Mommy dog. I am so glad to be retired now. I got to retire at the age of three years young. The day I retired, some nice people took me to a doggie doctor’s office. She wondered if I might be expecting puppies again. She told my rescue angel that she sure hoped not, because I had three different kinds of worms. She wrote hook, whip, and threadworms in my special folder. She also found that I had dental tarter build up. Sorry, they didn’t provide toothbrushes where I came from. I also had sores on my upper lip. I weighed in at 18 pounds. I am not overweight, just big-boned. I heard the word “chunky” at the doctor’s office, but I know they weren’t talking about me. I got several shots that day. That rabies thing really stung! What’s that all about?
I got a little bag with several kinds of medicine just for me. The bag had my name written on it. It made me feel special for people to be fussing over me like that.
I wasn’t able to have much fun at the first foster home. I had to be isolated due to a specific type of worm I had. Ten days of that. Whew! I started to miss the four-legged friends, even though I thought I would never miss them when I left the breeding kennel where I used to live. There were so many of them. Too many for me to get the attention I needed and deserved. The second foster home was nice. Foster Mom Teresa gave me lots of love and attention. When she went on vacation, I went back to my first foster home. It was much better than the first time. I could go upstairs and play with the Westie that lives there all the time. She was a young little toot and worked my nerves from time to time. Where does she get all that energy? I got to stay in the sunroom, watch Animal Planet and sleep on the sofas. Foster Mom gave me good treats and chewies every day to try and help my teeth. I went to a place called groomers. I came out of there looking like a million bucks! Just look at my photo taken on the way home. Foster Mom said that I was so white she had to put on her sunglasses!
I loved lying on the deck in the sun. Foster Mom would put a bottle of frozen water in my water bowl outside. It made the water soooo cool. It was like a giant ice cube! She said I deserved some special attention since I always had to drink water that sat in the sun at the kennel where I worked. Yuck! When I came in, I would lay with my tummy on the cool tile. I loved getting up on my foster Dad’s chest and making him keenly aware that I intended to be petted and praised even if his favorite show was on. He would pretend to ignore me just to see how far I would go. A few times I crawled on up to his face. He would laugh and act like he was spitting my hair out of his mouth! He would say what a sweet and funny girl I was. Then I went to my third foster home. Foster Mom Lynne says that I am eager to please and love being with the older Westies in my foster home. At first, I growled at all of them, but with guidance from my foster alpha, I know I’m safe. What a relief! I don’t feel like such a wallflower now. I’m even inviting the other Westies to play with me. Foster Mom hasn’t allowed me full run of the house yet, but I just got here and we are working on potty training. I really enjoy the crate–a great place to nap. I like walking on the leash and am doing very well at sitting as well as gathering my composure before diving into the delectable kibble at each meal. I think I will be happy in any home, just as long as everyone continues to guide me and I am one eager learner.
I am very thankful for WestieMed. My foster Moms told me how WestieMed paid for my special trip to see the doggie doctor. I had never been to a doctor before retirement day. It was nice to know that people cared so much about me. The doctor and WestieMed wanted me to feel good and be well. I have lots of guardian angels and the special people at WestieMed are definitely wearing wings in my book!
Love and good health to all my Westie friends, Winnie
Winnie is one of seven Westies rescued from a puppy mill in Nashville, Tennessee.
Update January 2008: The Poobies
Winnie and Elvis – WestieMed Recipient
What did I ever do before Winnie and Elvis came to live here? I have no clue, but it must have been boring. Life certainly isn’t boring now! Elvis and Winnie are known as The Poobies. An old friend of mine called her little dog a “pooby” for some reason, and the name just stuck with me. We have really had a very easy transition, and there have been only a few bumps in the road. It took us all awhile to get used to little things, like climbing stairs. Winnie was always more adventurous, hopping up on the furniture and racing up steps. Elvis was much more cautious, and it took a few weeks and much encouragement for him to handle the steps. We were all learning so much that it took me a while to really grasp that he had no sight at all in his left eye. It was obvious that he had lived in an enclosed area – he truly had no skills at navigating around furniture, and it was frustrating for all of us. He would bump into things (he still HATES my glass sofa table) and then growl at them.
I live near a huge park in Cincinnati, Eden Park. We started walking three to four times a day, and they wore harnesses because I thought it would be easier for them to learn to walk on a leash. They still wear them today! They immediately fell into step together, with Winnie always on Elvis’ left side, kind of steering him around. Elvis would bump up against Winnie constantly at first, but they developed their own system and now we patrol the park constantly! I lost thirty pounds walking around the park, and they each gained two. Turns out, they’re eating a little better here than they were previously. We’re now on weight control food, even though Winnie insists she is just big-boned. Their little tails are just so cute walking side by side, one lady in the park told me, “they’re as cute coming as going!”
Elvis definitely has short dog syndrome – the bigger the other dog is, the more he barks at it. Winnie chimes right in, and we don’t socialize too much with other dogs at the park. Elvis told a police dog and a cop on horseback exactly what he thought of them, and they both totally terrorized a pair of Scottie dogs at a park festival. These two do just fine on their own and keep each other company. We have met a couple of other sets of Westies, but none of them are as cute as these two.
Our first trip to the vet was uneventful. Our vet, Dr. Bob Biederman, who took care of a past pet of mine, is a neat guy. He can’t walk and uses a wheelchair, and puts the animals up on the examining table so they look down a little at him. He’s great and was very patient, allowing the poobies to check everything out, especially since their only other trip to the vet was after their rescue. Winnie was an angel; Elvis was not as agreeable, but he did ok. The vet confirmed that Elvis was blind in his left eye. After MUCH encouragement from Bette, I took Elvis to an eye specialist, who said there was nothing that could be done.
Elvis puts his “good eye” to good use by patrolling and monitoring Eden Park from his perch. He has a big comfy chair that overlooks the park, and he monitors the activity of his arch-enemies – SQUIRRELS. They’re everywhere and the world is a safer place due to his constant vigilance.
These poobies have been to the groomers, and look just adorable, at least for a little while. They’ve even stayed at the kennel twice, and all reports are good! They’ve not scared to go in, but always happy to come home. Elvis is extremely grumpy when it comes to his rest – he growls and grumbles when he is sleeping. He needs a DO NOT DISTURB sign hung on him! Once he wakes up, he’s fine, but do not interrupt his beauty rest.
Elvis – WestieMed Recipient
We try to visit the Harrys on Hairys every week or so. The Poobies took a little while to warm up to them, but now they play like old friends. They run around and share toys, they visit with Rosie, the doggie next door, and they have contests to see who can pee on the most things. Thanks so their Ant BB (Bette Heidorn) for all her patience and her carpet steamer! Ant BB also gives the best toys. Both like to play, but Elvis really likes his toys. He destroys tennis balls at a high rate of speed and is very protective of his toys. He has a habit of just picking it up and leaving the room as if to say, I am OUTTA HERE!
The funniest thing that I’ve discovered is that these two are the dance patrol. Anytime someone starts to dance or even moves their arms around, these two go wild. They bark and run to you, ready for play! My sister visited a lot over the holidays, and never realized how much she danced around during the day, but these two reminded her constantly!!
So, all in all, we are doing great! These two are so sweet and I just can’t imagine what I did before they were here. We travel well together in the car, with little white heads popping up in the rearview mirror. They always bark at the cashier at a fast-food drive-through, but never at the person who hands us the food. Funny how that works!
Thanks to WestieMed and all the wonderful people who helped Winnie and Elvis make it to their new home. We’re all just wonderful, and they’ve surely rescued me too.
My name is ELVIS and I am coming to you loud and clear on WestieMed radio from Music City USA–Nashville! Like my namesake, I have had some ruff times in my life, but thanks in part to WestieMed, I now have on my “Blue Suede Shoes” and am rockin’ on in life! It is amazing what feeling good and being healthy will do for a handsome devil such as me. It feels great! Once those rescue ladies got to me, my life got “All Shook Up”. Shook up in a very good way. Here’s my story–
I was a breeder’s dog. It was a miserable life for me and all the other dogs there. One day some fans came there and told the breeder guy that he was officially being kicked out of the Elvis fan club. He had not taken good care of me at the “Heartbreak Hotel” and they could see that I was sick and unhappy. The rescue lady called him “The Devil in Disguise”. Those little ladies took me to a vet. A sweet little gal named Suzanne. Pretty as a peach! As she was about to examine me, I looked her straight in the eye and said “Don’t Be Cruel”. She sure wasn’t. She was very kind to me. They had to cut a lot of matted hair off of me and give me a bath. I also had some pesky celebrity stalkers called ticks. Dr. Suzanne found a lot of things that made her frown (which I hear she hardly ever does). I have Valgus Syndrome. One of my glands was oozing blood and other stuff I won’t tell you about. I had yeast infections in both of my handsome ears. One of her helpers was Miss Ashley. I think she is the reason my heart was racing during my exam. I may be a short Elvis, but I still have an eye for the pretty ladies! I heard her tell Ashley that I had something very abnormal wrong with my left eye. Some kind of abnormality with iris formation. It made cottage cheesy looking stuff in my eye. I had corneal scars. I got lots of shots and meds to take with me. She said that I had a ton of hookworms!! I mean, I had no idea. I guess I didn’t realize how bad I felt until I knew what it felt like to feel GOOD!
After all of that, I hung around the vet for a few days and then went to meet my foster Mom and Dad. Foster Mom Belinda thought I was handsome from the get-go. She put me in something called a doggie car seat. I felt like a king. I looked out the window and saw all kinds of interesting things along the interstate. It was a long ride and I enjoyed every minute of it. When we got home there were other dogs there that looked just like me. I have tried to be the best boy I can be for foster Mom and Dad. I think they have fallen in love with me. Even though they “Love Me Tender”, they can’t keep me because they already have four Westies signed to their label. It is very hot here and when my foster Dad Ray takes me out, I talk to him in Westie talk and tell him to take me back to the cool house. I may not wear sequins, but Foster Mom says that I have a sparkly personality. Thanks to that pretty little doctor and the fabulous folks at WestieMed, I have a new lease on life. I can retire and just enjoy my new life. I don’t know what it holds, but I just bet you a gold record, it’s going to be great! I know my furever family is going to find me one day. Until then I love it here. Foster Mom and Dad promised me that I will love it there just as much as here with them. I think they are jiving me. I could never be happier anywhere!! I think I will put the Elvis paw-print autograph on one of my photos for WestieMed. I am THEIR BIGGEST FAN and I want them to know they will be “Always On My Mind”.
Thank ya, Thank ya very much,
Love, Elvis
Elvis is one of seven Westies rescued from a puppy mill in Nashville, Tennessee.
Update January 2008: The Poobies
Winnie and Elvis – WestieMed Recipient
What did I ever do before Winnie and Elvis came to live here? I have no clue, but it must have been boring. Life certainly isn’t boring now! Elvis and Winnie are known as The Poobies. An old friend of mine called her little dog a “pooby” for some reason, and the name just stuck with me. We have really had a very easy transition, and there have been only a few bumps in the road. It took us all awhile to get used to little things, like climbing stairs. Winnie was always more adventurous, hopping up on the furniture and racing up steps. Elvis was much more cautious, and it took a few weeks and much encouragement for him to handle the steps. We were all learning so much that it took me a while to really grasp that he had no sight at all in his left eye. It was obvious that he had lived in an enclosed area – he truly had no skills at navigating around furniture, and it was frustrating for all of us. He would bump into things (he still HATES my glass sofa table) and then growl at them.
I live near a huge park in Cincinnati, Eden Park. We started walking three to four times a day, and they wore harnesses because I thought it would be easier for them to learn to walk on a leash. They still wear them today! They immediately fell into step together, with Winnie always on Elvis’ left side, kind of steering him around. Elvis would bump up against Winnie constantly at first, but they developed their own system and now we patrol the park constantly! I lost thirty pounds walking around the park, and they each gained two. Turns out, they’re eating a little better here than they were previously. We’re now on weight control food, even though Winnie insists she is just big-boned. Their little tails are just so cute walking side by side, one lady in the park told me, “they’re as cute coming as going!”
Elvis definitely has short dog syndrome – the bigger the other dog is, the more he barks at it. Winnie chimes right in, and we don’t socialize too much with other dogs at the park. Elvis told a police dog and a cop on horseback exactly what he thought of them, and they both totally terrorized a pair of Scottie dogs at a park festival. These two do just fine on their own and keep each other company. We have met a couple of other sets of Westies, but none of them are as cute as these two.
Our first trip to the vet was uneventful. Our vet, Dr. Bob Biederman, who took care of a past pet of mine, is a neat guy. He can’t walk and uses a wheelchair, and puts the animals up on the examining table so they look down a little at him. He’s great and was very patient, allowing the poobies to check everything out, especially since their only other trip to the vet was after their rescue. Winnie was an angel; Elvis was not as agreeable, but he did ok. The vet confirmed that Elvis was blind in his left eye. After MUCH encouragement from Bette, I took Elvis to an eye specialist, who said there was nothing that could be done.
Elvis puts his “good eye” to good use by patrolling and monitoring Eden Park from his perch. He has a big comfy chair that overlooks the park, and he monitors the activity of his arch-enemies – SQUIRRELS. They’re everywhere and the world is a safer place due to his constant vigilance.
These poobies have been to the groomers, and look just adorable, at least for a little while. They’ve even stayed at the kennel twice, and all reports are good! They’ve not scared to go in, but always happy to come home. Elvis is extremely grumpy when it comes to his rest – he growls and grumbles when he is sleeping. He needs a DO NOT DISTURB sign hung on him! Once he wakes up, he’s fine, but do not interrupt his beauty rest.
We try to visit the Harryson Hairys every week or so. The Poobies took a little while to warm up to them, but now they play like old friends. They run around and share toys, they visit with Rosie, the doggie next door, and they have contests to see who can pee on the most things. Thanks so their Ant BB (Bette Heidorn) for all her patience and her carpet steamer! Ant BB also gives the best toys. Both like to play, but Elvis really likes his toys. He destroys tennis balls at a high rate of speed and is very protective of his toys. He has a habit of just picking it up and leaving the room as if to say, I am OUTTA HERE!
The funniest thing that I’ve discovered is that these two are the dance patrol. Anytime someone starts to dance or even moves their arms around, these two go wild. They bark and run to you, ready for play! My sister visited a lot over the holidays, and never realized how much she danced around during the day, but these two reminded her constantly!!
So, all in all, we are doing great! These two are so sweet and I just can’t imagine what I did before they were here. We travel well together in the car, with little whiteheads popping up in the rearview mirror. They always bark at the cashier at a fast-food drive-through, but never at the person who hands us the food. Funny how that works!
Thanks to WestieMed and all the wonderful people who helped Winnie and Elvis make it to their new home. We’re all just wonderful, and they’ve surely rescued me too.
My foster Mom says I’m one of the happiest Westies she has ever met. You’d be happy too if you experienced my life before I was rescued and then helped by WestieMed. I am only four years old, but it feels like I have been having puppies for a life time.
As soon as my ransom was paid to the breeder, my rescuers took me to see a wonderful lady named Dr. Franks. She was so kind to me. Every time she spoke to me, it was like getting a hug made of words. The more she examined me the more upset she got. I heard her tell a helper named Pam that “this breeder should be…” and then her voice trailed off and I didn’t hear the rest. I heard her tell another helper named Ashley what to write on my chart. I don’t know what it means, but I will tell you anyway. She said that my ears had yeasties in them. I wonder if that is why they itched so much. I had a sore over my right eyelid. I had a few tick heads buried in my skin. That caused me to get a blood infection. I have to take pills for fourty-five days to make that go away. I had moderate to severe dental problems. Something was wrong with my patella. Something was wrong with my left eye and it had a yellow discharge. I had a hazy corneal scar. That’s all I can remember. There were several other things, but they were very big words that I don’t understand. Even though my name is Sassy, I wasn’t feeling very sassy that day. I hadn’t felt sassy in a long time. I was always expecting puppies, nursing puppies, or sad because my puppies left me. But Dr. Franks told me not to worry about that ever again, because she would take care of all that and make me feel sassy again soon!
She was right! Things are great now. I am staying with three other Westies in a house with a deck and a big fenced yard. One of my housemates is a foster too and we all get along great. My foster parents are giving us lessons in basic Westie manners. We are learning to sit and stay, wait until being told to eat and going potty outside. I had a problem with potty outside at first, but that’s cause I had a urinary tract infection. I’m much better now and accidents are rare! I am also learning crate training and it’s not so bad. I still cry a little when foster Mom Lynn leaves for work, but I really do well at bedtime. Our Westie cousins here were crate trained, but they are 5 and 6, so they have graduated. I love to have baths in the utility sink. The spray hose feels so good! I love the fact that my wiry coat dries really fast so I can go back and play with all the other Westies. My life is so wonderful now. My biggest concern is what toy to play with next.
My spunky personality has drawn many admirers when we have a company or go visiting. Spunky and friendly is a good combination. I heard my foster parents say that. The alpha (foster Dad) has had to work with me a few extra minutes. What does “blonde” mean?
I still have a few problems as a result of my prior living conditions. I am almost finished with my pills, but I think I will always need to use eye drops. I will love WestieMed furever and furever because they made sure attention was given to all my medical problems. I feel like a brand new Westie girl thanks to my rescuers, sweet Dr. Franks, and my new friends at WestieMed.
Love, Sassy Ann
Sassy Ann is one of seven Westies rescued from a puppy mill in Nashville, Tennessee.
Update January 2008: Sassy Ann now named Mimi
Mimi’s eye problem will need drops daily for life…She has chronic dry eye. However, it looks 98% better and she has little to no discomfort.
She has adapted into the family, her Westie sister likes her (my Roxy retains Alpha). When they romp we call it Westie World…a joy to see. Lil Debbie (her Maltese sister), also a rescue, hangs with and follows her.
Mimi sleeps with us at the foot of the bed, if not stretched out between us. In the morning it is lick, lick, kiss, and kiss. She stills loves to kiss. She loves to sit in my lap. She wants love.
The walks on the beach have reduced her weight. She was heavy! I called her my plus size girl.
Her ears have started to turn pink, the yeast being cleared up 90%.
She still tends to have days of upset stomachs even though we have her on sensitive food. Will continue to try to find a healthy remedy.
Just got a new camera, trying to figure it out. When I do, I will have lots of photos at Nashville home and Beach home!
We love Mimi.
Annette & Charlie Pacunas
Update March 19, 2010:
Mimi is still quite skittish. Yelps at the slightest thing toward her. But improving.
Her left eye requires daily ‘bathing’ with saline to clean and drops put in for her chronic dry eye, I fear she barely can see from it.
She sleeps as close to me as she can in bed and loves the beach house.
She loves her two sisters Roxy (Westie) and Lil Debby (Maltese).
Hi–My name is Tiffy. I want to tell you my story with a happy ending. I used to work in a kennel. I was a breeding dog. It wasn’t much of a life. On a hot summer day, I was rescued. I didn’t realize it at the time, but rescue is a great and wonderful thing! It wasn’t as simple as it sounds, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I am a young Westie girl of about 4 years. But my lifestyle was causing me to feel much older. My wonderful foster Mom says that most of my problems come from carrying or caring for puppies most of my life. She said that kennel must have thought I was just a puppy factory! She thinks my short life has been a hard one. She told me that because I had been bred so much; my rear end is smaller than the rest of my Westie frame. The nice vet, Dr. Franks said I was carrying puppies so much of the time and not getting exercise while my body was still trying to grow. Because of that, I now have and will most likely always have weak hind legs and hips. My foster Mom Carol is working with me daily on regular exercise and supplements but says I will probably always be weak in my hindquarters. She also says that the reason my skin is so saggy all over is because of the weight from constantly being pregnant. Foster Mom also said I got a bad report on my teeth. Again, probably because I was always expecting puppies. That robbed my body of what little calcium I got, passed it on to my pups I was carrying and I got left with very little if any. Dr. Frank’s office worked on my teeth while I was asleep getting spayed. Foster Mom is going to continue to work on keeping them clean with as little tarter build-up as possible. I found out at the vet that day that I had yeasty ears. I didn’t know my ears weren’t supposed to itch. It sure is nice though. The medicine worked great! I got vaccines and some meds to take with me that day.
Guess what makes my story have a fairy tale ending? WestieMed and my foster Mom Carol. You see, WestieMed paid for all my vetting and medicine that day. They love to help rescued Westies. They know what a tough road we breeder dogs have traveled. They take pleasure in lightening our load. Isn’t that the neatest thing you have ever heard? Three cheers for WestieMed!! Now as for my wonderful foster Mom Carol, I have a secret to tell about her. She is a failure at fostering. Yes, that’s right. She broke the main fostering rule. She fell head over heels, hopelessly in love with me. She couldn’t help it, I mean look at me. She changed my name to Gracie. I love my new name. It helps me forget my old life and it is such a pretty name. She said I could live with her and her other two Westie kids furever if I wanted to. And boy do I want to!!! She said I am the sweetest of all the Westies she ever had. I have fallen right into the daily routine with my new fur siblings! My Mom Carol tells everyone that she wouldn’t trade me for the world. I’m no expert, but that sounds like a gigantic compliment to me. She feels that I, along with the other rescued Westies she has fostered, am so very appreciative of anything and everything that is done for us.
I am very happy and much healthier now thanks to Dr. Franks, her staff, and my new friends at WestieMed. But guess what the very best part is? My Mom Carol says that I am definitely now one of the family. I have a family!
Loving my new life, Gracie
Tiffy is one of seven Westies rescued from a puppy mill in Nashville, Tennessee.
Update January 2008: Tiffy now called Gracie
My precious, Gracie…
Oh, how I can’t imagine life without “Miss Bossy” to keep the other Westies in line (the two other rescues who live with me AND any fosters we have to come through our household!)
Gracie – WestieMed Recipient
While Miss Gracie (named for a couple of reasons…” saved by the grace of others,” and also after “Miss Grace,” the Carolina Beach Music hit from the ‘60s, that only true Carolina Beach Music lovers would recognize…) is a wonderful addition to our home, we also have to work diligently with her to make her realize that Mom is the pack leader and not her. She sometimes wants my thirteen-year-old daughter to think she is the pack leader and Caitlin, my daughter, is in her pack. I think all those three to four years in the “breeding” backyard made her as bossy as she is. I truly believe she was the breeder’s “cash cow.” Her poor young body (which looks MUCH older than it is or should look) has taken a real beating with her probably being pregnant every six months from the first time she went into heat… She is on an every-other-day half dosage of Rimadyl, which the vet said won’t hurt her, because of the decreased dosage, and it really seems to help her joints in her hind legs. She truly had a rough go of it, and in my estimation, she probably won’t grow to be a really old dog, I do believe that a good diet, regular exercise, and her Rimadyl will do wonders. I could be totally surprised, and be giving you an update on her in 10 years! Let’s hope that is the case!!!
Sweet Gracie (who weighs about twenty-two pounds now), is very, very clumsy when she plays. Caitlin and I have nicknamed her the “Jawalrus,” because we say she is the cross between a Walrus and a Jellyfish (because when you pick her up, she doesn’t seem to have a backbone!!!!). I know it sounds silly, but it’s so dead-on, and she just melts into your arms!!!
Gracie – WestieMed Recipient
I have to admit that Miss Gracie is by far the prettiest Westie I have. She has the most beautiful coat I’ve ever felt on a Westie, and when she goes to the groomer, she is always the best-behaved of the three, and appears to feel like a princess when she gets home. She just KNOWS she’s beautiful!
Thanks to WestieMed for ALL they did for her during her rescue. On top of providing her basic vetting, the wonderful vet also cleaned her teeth while she was under being spayed. It made all of the difference in the world, because Gracie was diagnosed with having severe mouth/gum problems. Now, she has quite the Ultrabrite smile!
We can’t thank Bette and WestieMed enough for all they do to help precious Westies in need. As a founding member of Westie Rescue of Tennessee, I know I will personally do all within my power to help any Westie in need to best of my ability. Having WestieMed on our side is a SUPER PLUS!
