Stories – Page 6 – WestieMed

Baylee

February 1, 2020February 13, 2021 by westiemed in Stories

February 2020

Hi, my name is Baylee. This is my story, at least what I can remember.

Last summer my littermate and I found ourselves in a shelter in NY after our Mommy, who had been sick for a long time went to the hospital and didn’t come back home. We were both very sick and one morning my sister went to Heaven to be with Mommy; she was too weak to fight anymore. The shelter people found me laying close to her and crying when they came in to check on us during the morning rounds. We hadn’t been fed very well, or been to the vet for a long time because Mommy wasn’t well and didn’t have much money and there was no one to help us. After my sister left me, I was very scared and lonely at the place because I was alone and in a cage with no one to love me. A lady at the shelter decided that I needed more care than they could provide when she saw that I was getting weaker and sicker. The staff was only there a few hours a day and I was alone most of the time, so they contacted Westie Central and asked for help. The very next day a nice lady named Bonney came and got me out of the shelter. I stayed with her for a few hours and then a man and his daughter took me on a long trip to a new place where I met my foster Momma, Denise. She was very kind to me and held me and cried and promised to take very good care of me. She fed me some good food, and gave me a bath and the next morning we went to see the doctor who gave me an exam and some medications and special things for my baths. I got a lot of baths and went to see the doctor a lot, but I started to feel better except for my ears.

After I got to my new foster mom’s home in July, I had to have surgery on one of my ears, they called it a TECA. They cleaned everything and then sealed it closed so it wouldn’t make me sick anymore. I was supposed to have both ears done but my blood pressure got very low and the doctor got scared and woke me up as soon as she got the worst ear finished (it had a real angry growth on it that needed to be removed also). I still needed the other ear fixed up. A few months ago in November, Momma took me back to the doctor and she fixed my other ear. Now I don’t hurt anymore and I am much happier, but I still get a lot of baths and now I eat a special food to help with my skin and take some herbs and medicines to help me not go potty in the house and to make my skin better. I am feeling much better and don’t get ashamed because I hardly ever have an accident anymore and my skin is not so itchy and my ears don’t hurt anymore. I can’t hear anything, but my foster mom has had dogs like me before and she understands me and know how to communicate with me too!

Over the last few months, I’ve had to go for laser treatments on my knees every week, or two weeks where they use a warm light to help them feel better. That doctor said I probably needed my ACL’s fixed a long time ago but now because they weren’t addressed, I have lots of scar tissue and cartilage issues so I can’t run much and even walking can be tough sometimes because they hurt when I have trouble my mom carries me. The laser helps and for therapy, Momma and I walk to Auntie’s house every day, (it’s just two houses away), it’s just the right distance and Auntie always has a treat for me! Ok, two treats!

Mom says that’s not all, I have lots of other stuff going on still. Due to my skin issues, my body has an excess of keratin. This is causing calluses on my paw pads (one has what looks like a nail trying to grow out of my paw pad). Doctor says hopefully when the baths fix my skin, this will get better too! I also do a funny snorting noise when I breathe so she says the doctor needs to do a special scan to make sure there’s nothing blocking my nose. One day, mom gave me a big hug and found a funny squishy thing on my chest that wasn’t there before. I’m not sure what it is but it made my mom cry and hug me real tight! The doctor looked at it the next week when she checked to see how good my skin looks – it’s only a fatty growth of some sort! I’m not sure what all of these things mean, because I’m a really happy girl! I love to play with my toys (I have lots of toys!) and momma takes really good care of me. She takes me to work with her sometimes and I get lots of visits from people there. She gives me yummy, healthy food and special Chinese herbs that have started to help me not have accidents during the day or when I take naps (I had so many UTI’s for so many years that momma says my bladder is very weak). She never yells at me when I have an accident, she just hugs me and says it’s ok baby girl – then she puts new blankets on everything and gets the washer monster to clean everything real good!

Now I have some things growing on me. They itch and hurt and bleed and the ones on my paw and ear are really uncomfortable. The doctor is concerned because the one that I had removed on my ear last July came back again and she is worried that they could be something bad, but they need to go away anyhow to help keep me safe. They will look at them after they are removed and make sure that they do whatever they need to do if they are yucky.

I love my new home and my foster mommy but she needs help with my vet bills. She told me that you are Earth Angels and that you will help me get the help we need for me to get even better. Thank you everypawdy!

Love,
Baylee

Update March 18, 2020:

Baylee had her growths removed and a couple of punch biopsies done. Sadly, the test results came back positive for Epitheliotropic Lymphoma, skin cancer.

We decided to proceed with a middle of the road chemo treatment which could give her many more months, possibly years of quality time to be loved! She started her first round of chemo on 3/11/2020. So far she has not gotten sick from treatment and it seems to be having a great result so far! After three nights of not initiating her fun time after dinner (playing with her toys) (prior to treatment), the night after her first treatment “playtime” reconvened! Also, a few new masses that had started to show during her recovery from surgery also got smaller or went away after just a few days.

Baylee will have five treatments at intervals of approximately every 3 weeks and will need regular blood work to check her blood cell counts.

We are continuing our fundraising efforts to cover the costs of this treatment which we were told would run between $2650 – $3000.Thank you for helping with Baylee’s surgery.

Josie Myers-Smith
Founder & Executive Director
Westie Central, Inc.

Update February 11, 2021:

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, Baylee sadly transitioned to the Rainbow Bridge. Your help, however, did make her last weeks much more comfortable and we greatly appreciate your help

Again, our deepest gratiitude.

Sincerely,
Josie Myers-Smith
Founder & Executive Director
Westie Central, Inc.

Molly

January 1, 2020December 25, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

January 2020

On March 2nd I was looking at the Next Door App on my phone when I saw a listing for a sweet girl who needed a new home due to the death of her owner. The listing stated she rescued about six years ago, and at that time her age was approximately two years of age. The listing didn’t mention what breed of dog Molly was, but she was definitely a Westie.

I immediately contacted the family member who had Molly and arranged to meet her the following morning at a park near our homes. We had two Westie’s, (Finley and Moxie) and wanted to make sure that the dogs all got along. All three dogs got along well during their initial meet and greet.

There was another individual who had expressed interest in Molly and would be meeting her later that same day. Later that evening we received a call that we were chosen to be Molly’s new family. Arrangements were made to pickup Molly the following morning and take her to our vet for a physical.

When we first met Molly, we were told that her age was closer to 10 years. We were also told that she had an abnormal toe on her right front toe and hoped that we still wanted her. Molly was also on the larger size, close to twenty-two pounds. We told her of course, we still wanted Molly, and her toe issue appeared to have been present for many years due to the fact that the entire toe tail had grown out abnormally thick.

Molly came to us with a packet of her records and personal items. The records indicated that she initially was found with a male Westie in Missouri. She had been rescued together with the male Westie, Mac, and they both moved to Phoenix Arizona many years later.

Our Veterinarian examined Molly and then her abnormal toe. He told us that the toe growth had been there for quite a while, due to the changes in the joint and nail. Molly didn’t appear to have any pain in the joint and the skin was intact and didn’t show any signs that she licked or chewed at it. He provided us with an estimate to amputate the toe if there were any changes to this toe.

Molly adjusted well into our family. She is a very sweet girl. She likes to talk to us in a very low voice. She also gets down low to the ground and crawls to us when she’s happy.

Late November of 2019, Molly started limping and not putting any weight on her right rear leg. Our regular veterinarian diagnosed her with a torn cruciate ligament, and referred us to an orthopedic specialist.

The orthopedic specialist confirmed that Molly had completely torn her right cruciate ligament. I asked the specialist to look at Molly’s abnormal right front toe. The orthopedic specialist recommended x-rays of both Molly’s right knee, and right front foot. After the x-rays were taken, the doctor was very concerned about the x-ray of Molly’s foot and toe. The x-ray showed extensive destruction to the joint of Molly’s toe, and could possibly be a type of cancer. Molly’s toe needed to be amputated before we could proceed on treatment of her torn cruciate ligament.

Molly had her toe amputated in early December. She did amazing after the surgery and the surgery site has healed perfectly. The pathology came back as a benign cyst! The Vet even called and spoke to the pathologist two times to make sure due to the x-ray and the destructive nature of the growth.

We have decided to treat Molly’s torn cruciate ligament with physical therapy, and pain management.

My Story

Molly is the sixth Westie that I have had the privilege of welcoming into my home. The first Westie I got when I was in college!

I can’t say that I own a Westie, because they definitely own me!

I am a member of many different groups for Westie Lovers on Facebook and initially learned about WestieMed through a fundraising auction on one of the Westie Pages. I have bought auction items that supported Westie Med. I never thought that I would be the one in need, but my husband lost his job over two years ago and our finances have been extremely tight.

I am grateful that WestieMed has helped with Molly’s amputation surgery. And that they are there to help other rescued and or adopted Westie’s that are in similar situations.

Trish

Update June 30, 2020

Molly is doing great!!
She’s such a lovely senior Westie!
After her surgery, the amputation site healed perfectly.
Molly loves car rides and treats, too.
Hoping to see if she like to swim in our pool this summer.

Trish

Update December 1, 2020

Molly is thriving!! Such a sweet senior girl.
Molly is on the left in the picture.
Thanks again for helping us in her time of need.

Trish Duque

McDuff

January 1, 2020December 25, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

January 2020

On November 24, 2019, a severely neglected white dog, tinged with brown fur from the filth and grime of the elements, was found by animal control, wandering as a stray, in the streets of Orlando, Florida. Upon intake into Orange County Animal Services, a high kill shelter, the county vet was unable to perform the necessary examination of him, due to severe matting, so the shelter groomer was tasked with completing a total shave down of him. It was at this time, the shelter staff became aware of the oozing golf ball-sized tumors he has on his head and back, along with about thirty other smaller tumors, of various sizes all over his body. Sadly, he was still put on the general floor for adoption, even in this poor condition; and, to add insult to injury, none of the shelter staff was aware this little guy was a Westie! After being at the shelter, for twelve days, the rescue coordinator finally released him for rescue, at which point a local rescue accepted him under their rescue umbrella, with my husband and I being contacted requesting us to accept and care for him, as a foster.

On December 6, 2019, he exited the shelter as a happy, alert dog, with severe kennel cough, which proceeded to pneumonia. After almost forty-five days of continuous care for the pneumonia, he is almost completely recovered, and we finally are seeing him have a zest for life, wanting to play with his foster brother and sisters, with a tail that seems to almost always be wagging. Since his arrival to our home, he has been under constant vet care, with us becoming aware that he is aged closer to ten years, versus the six years that the county vet had estimated him to be. Per labs, he has elevated liver enzymes, but thankfully he does not have Cushings. As we are unsure of the nature of the tumors, as well as to the cause of the elevation to his liver enzymes, we are not sure if he will be a candidate for adoption; however, my husband and I have committed to him, for the duration of his life, for however long that may be.

Thanks to the assistance of WestieMed, and its supporters, he can have the surgery to remove the tumors, as well as for a dental with extractions. Additionally, he will be seen by a specialist for an ultrasound of his liver and gallbladder, as well as for a bile acids test, and a complete liver profile. His allergy issues will also be addressed.

We have named him McDuff and are calling him “Duffy”. McDuff is very much loved by my husband and me, and even by his Scottish Terrier foster brothers, Hamish and Bruce; his Scottish Terrier foster sister, Zoey; and, even by the resident cat, Timothy (although their bonding is more characterized as a love/hate relationship).

We know each rescue dog has a story to tell, and we are hopeful that the ending chapters to McDuff’s book will be full of only happy memories, with the sense of security that comes from having a family that loves him unconditionally, and from being blessed to have caring people, like those of WestieMed, offer their kindness and support in his time of need.
Mina

Update February 6, 2020

Just wanted to let you know that McDuff had the tumor on the top of his head removed yesterday, under local anesthesia. The decision to use local versus general was sole because of the recovery period needed for his lungs after getting over pneumonia; however, since the tumor kept getting infected it becomes imperative that it be removed as soon as possible. Already, he feels so much better. Now comes the wait to find out the pathology results. Fingers crossed it is non-cancerous!

He is such a sweet boy that I want to be able to watch him chase the squirrels for many springs to come; to run the beaches in the summer months; and, to chase the lure on the dogs monthly outings to the lure line events.

This was for sure a major life changing event in his life: One we could never have accomplished without the assistance of WestieMed! We are so appreciative of your groups help in giving McDuff this chance to finally have all his medicals addressed.

Next major event for him is March 23, 2020, when he will have the dental with extractions, as well as more tumors removed – all those will be done under general anesthesia. Oh, and I wanted to let you know that he is now known as McDuff Johnson! We could not imagine sending him back to the rescue that pulled him, for many reasons, but the main one being that we love him!

Hugs to you!
Mina

Update February 20, 2020

I have some wonderful news to share with you on McDuff. The tumor on his head is NON-cancerous — we are so happy! It ended up being a Basal Cell Tumor (trichoblastoma).

So, end of next month he has the dental and hopefully the rest of all these tumors removed. The one on the back is back to draining. But, he was paid a huge complement today by someone that could not believe he is the same dog. He is so happy, and very energetic now.

Only other issue is his breathing, which we hope will continue to improve over the next month.

We are not having wheezing, just some coughing when pressure from the harness is present. He also is a snorer.

Mina

Update July 3, 2020

McDuff has had a long road to recovery due to having pneumonia. He has undergone one surgery for the removal of a tumor on his head, as well as just a second surgery for a dental and tumor removal. He will hopefully be available for adoption soon, under the care of our state’s breed-specific rescue: Sunshine State Westie Rescue, which he has been transferred from me to them to ensure he goes to a Westie specific household.

Sincerely, Mina Johnson

McDuff was transferred to us from Mina Johnson, on May 26, 2020. One June 22, he went into surgery to have the dental done and two growths removed. We are currently screening applications for his placement. I needed to wait for the biopsy results to come back before we actually make any choice. The great news we got is that the mass that was the biggest concern that was on his back, was benign and the second mass was on/in his ear. He is recovering well from the procedures. He’s a funny and sweet boy and I don’t think there will be any problem finding him a great home.

Aggie Latyak,
Sunshine State Westie Rescue

Update December 1, 2020

McDuff was transferred to us from Mina Johnson, on May 26, 2020. On June 22, he went into surgery to have the dental done and two growths removed. We are currently screening applications for his placement. I needed to wait for the biopsy results to come back before we actually make any choice. The great news we got is that the mass that was the biggest concern that was on his back, was benign and the second mass was on/in his ear. He is recovering well from the procedures. He’s a funny and sweet boy and I don’t think there will be any problem finding him a great home.

I wish I had a better update for you. McDuff was given serious medical care, including another $1000 we put in on top of your generous $2500 for his medical care. We had an ugly tumor removed and another suspicious one also and biopsied to be sure it wasn’t anything to be concerned about. They were negative and he was ready for his new home. He was adopted by an amazing couple who loved him unconditionally. Unfortunately, two weeks into his adoption, he suddenly became very ill. After all the tests the vet believed he had a blockage of some kind. He went into emergency surgery and what they found was that he had a tumor in his stomach and it had metastasized into other organs. He showed no signs and lived a great life right up until the last couple of days. When they were advised by the vet how bad it was, they decided he should not, could not suffer. He went to the bridge on July 31, 20. Sorry for the bad news.

Aggie Latyak
Sunshine State Westie Rescue

Sammi

November 1, 2019December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Sammi’s life from the beginning was bleak. He came from a pet store and his new owners probably didn’t know anything about his breed but did know that he was a cute snowball and they wanted him. They taught him cute tricks like sitting up and begging but he never saw a veterinarian for three years. He started his itching and biting at himself until his belly was a thick gooey black yeasty mess and he didn’t smell very good so he ended up being tied outside for a good majority of his short little life getting worse and worse with no protection from fleas or mosquitos.

Luckily, a neighbor and a dog lover saw his plight and asked the owners if they could take him in. They bathed him and tried to fix his itching but he continued to bite at himself and lick his paws raw. They didn’t know what to do for him so they contacted Westie/Cairn Terrier Rescue of SW OH who took him in. He had the worst case of Malassezia Dermatitis I had ever seen and he had what looked like a mass next to his sheath. This was going to become expensive and he wasn’t neutered to boot.

Carla

Hettie

November 1, 2019December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

On June 30, 2019, our little girl to be was found in a rural part of Tennessee where dogs are often dumped. She was found by a friend of Westie Rescue Tennessee and handed over to them. She was in bad shape; matted, filthy, and full of ticks. They just knew she was more than likely heartworm positive and pregnant. Whisked off to the vet for evaluation, she was heartworm negative and already spayed!

The DVM for the rescue group and staff cleaned her up and kept her for the next several days for evaluation while rescue reached out to find a family with Westie experience to foster. We stepped up to “foster to adopt.” We met her for the first time on July 7th and fell in love with her and took her to her forever home to adjust to us and our Westie pack.

Bringing her home, we knew she’d need her own time and space to bond with our three other Westies. On her first full day with us, I noticed she was deaf. She was also having very small seizures and both were a real concern. Off to our vet, we went and they agreed she was deaf and were unsure about the tremors.

Over the next few days, her seizures increased dramatically and our vet thought she had White Shaker Syndrome. Medicine controlled it for about another week or so, then they came back with a vengeance! She was now having over thirty seizures a day. Over the next several weeks we visited specialists in Atlanta where the diagnosis was changed to Sick Sinus Syndrome and we were referred to the University of Georgia Vet School’s Cardiology Dept.

Hettie - WestieMed recipient — Hettie – WestieMed Recipient

At UGA, Hettie saw an incredible team of cardiologists. She was fitted with a vest to capture her heart rhythms. She was to wear the vest for one week UNLESS she had a seizure and then we were to send the vest back immediately. Within the first day at home wearing the vest, she had multiple seizures and the vest was sent back pronto.

The cardiologists at UGA read the results and contacted us that she was on emergency status. Her heart was stopping between nine-twelve seconds at a time and she was in danger! Emergency pacemaker surgery was needed and the cardiologists cleared their busy schedules just for her!

Now Hettie is home and on twelve weeks of bed rest and she is going on week three of doctor’s orders. (That’s a challenge to keep a Westie on bedrest!)

Our sweet little girl now has a new lease on life because of the pacemaker. Once her twelve weeks of healing are behind her, we know she’ll have many hours of playing with her new Westie and human family.

Thank you WestieMed for your help. We love our little Hettie. Her new life has begun.

Peggy McCall

Update January 24, 2020

Hettie had a three-month checkup at UGA after her pacemaker surgery. Without this surgery, Hettie would not have survived. The doctors at UGA reported how well her pacemaker is working and now she can finally have a life after three months of bed rest. (We called it house arrest.)

She came home yesterday from Athens after her checkup as a different and happy dog. Thankful for Westie Rescue Tennessee and WestieMed. You all saved her life and we hope she will finally enjoy the life she deserves. You answered our prayers. When I watch her play with her Westie brother and sister, my eyes leak happy tears.

Bless You all,
Peggy and Darrell

Update December 3, 2020

We are dedicated to Hettie and thanks to WestieMed, she did get her pacemaker and gave us hope. She has had a hard knock life and we will love her until the end.

Peggy and Darrell McCall

Update December 19, 2020

Hettie lost her battle and went to the Rainbow Bridge on Dec 16, 2020. WestieMed had provided assistance for Hettie this summer. She received a pacemaker and was recovering when she recently was diagnosed with Lymphoma. My husband and I are heartbroken. Yet grateful for the help and encouragement received from WestieMed.

Peggy

Trooper

November 1, 2019December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Before Trooper

My son, now eleven, has been asking for a dog of his own since he was around five years old. I work at the same elementary school my son attends and during school breaks we would house and pet sit. Being a single mom with a small child it wasn’t the right time to have our own pet. But, we had so many pets to love, play with, and care for in and around our neighborhood. Less than a year ago, a client referred me to a friend of theirs who needed a pet sitter for their two purebred Westie puppies – brother and sister. It was love at first sight! From then on the only dog my son would ask for is a West Highland White Terrier. I started shifting my no to a maybe. When school let out last summer, I made a deal with my son: if he helped me with feeding, walking/running, grooming, playing, etc. with pets – without complaint – during the summer to show he’s up for the responsibility of a dog we would adopt one. He stuck to it… and it was a busy summer! End of July we started researching breeds that would best fit our lives and Westies were on the list. Yay!!

We Meet Trooper

The 3rd visit at Bradshaw Shelter we saw him. He was in a little room overcrowded with other small dogs. We stared at him and he was staring at us. He wasn’t ready, though, since he was a stray and the shelter had to do their due diligence. Aug 6th was his available date and I was there before the shelter opened, my son was visiting family out of town. The volunteer announced his number and asked if anyone else was there to meet him. A few raised hands. There was a lottery…and I WON! I go meet him, and I knew the moment he came in: he was our dog. I knew it was going to be a rough road at first. He was matted all over, flea dirt all over, paws were raw, and you could feel every bone in his body he was so skinny. And, he was at least 5 years old and not neutered. We picked him up Friday, Aug 9th, the day he was neutered. We barely slept that weekend and the following week, and many more nights to follow. Poor guy was so hungry but would throw up after he ate, had diarrhea all day. He was in pain from surgery (it took about three weeks to heal), had kennel cough and had to take antibiotics. The antibiotics also helped with his paws, but they were still a bit raw. To try to prevent further infection, he received a shot of Cytopoint in hopes he wouldn’t be so itchy and stop chewing on his paws. It helped very much, and his paws look so much better! The diarrhea continued for weeks. Then, when it stopped, he was extremely constipated. He would moan and couldn’t get comfortable. Couldn’t sleep, licked his sides, and wasn’t himself. After normal blood tests, x-rays, meds, and fluids I decided to have the vet administer an enema to give him some relief. He was so happy. Now he is eating better, but still has a ways to go. Food and environmental allergies are a focus as well. Judging by the length of his matted fur when we met, he was probably homeless for a long time. I love seeing him happy, and I cannot imagine life without him. He is on his way to living his best life!

M. McClain

Abby

September 1, 2019December 30, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Abby was picked by the shelter as a stray. She was listed as “code yellow” which means she was not available to the public, only to rescue. The shelter called WROC as a last resort and, of course, we took her. She had three large bladder stones, each the size of a handball. She went directly to our vet and was operated on the next day. Her bladder walls were weak and did not hold the stitches from the first surgery, so she had a second surgery to repair and replace the stitches.

We took her home and she would not eat or drink for almost a week. We went back to the vet for fluids and medicine. X-rays and bloodwork showed that she was recovering, but it took her quite some time to come around. Then one evening, she started wagging her tail and cleaned her bowl. She is a very sweet girl and we are really happy that we were able to save her. She is still recovering and will be available for adoption in a few weeks.

Thank you for your assistance.

Kay DeLoach
Westie Rescue of Orange County & Beyond

Update May 2, 2020

Abby was happily adopted by Melodee, a retired registered nurse. Melodee had been looking for a companion for some time and discovered Abby on our website.

Thanks to WestieMed who provided financial assistance for her bladder stone surgeries, WROC was able to give Melodee a healthy and happy Abby. We sincerely appreciate all that WestieMed has done for us over the years. Attached is a picture of Abby’s favorite place in her new home.

Please let everyone at WestieMed know how grateful we are!!

Kay DeLoach
www.WestieRescueOC.com
Westie Rescue of OC & Beyond

Update September 3, 2020

We really appreciate WestieMed’s support of WROC over the years. Abby and her Mom Melodee are doing just great. Here is what Melodee wrote: “Abby and I are fine! I feel so blessed to have her with me during this crazy time. Abby passed all her vet checks with flying colors. She is wonderful!!”

Thank you so much for a very happy ever after for Abby!
Kay DeLoach

Stella

September 1, 2019December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Stella’s story starts in early February 2019 when her owners surrendered her to their vet. Stella who was known as Lulu at the time was in pretty rough shape. She was admitted to an Animal Hospital on February 5, 2019, suffering from severe allergies that caused hair loss and also damaged her skin, ear infections, she weighed twelve pounds and overall was just looking for some TLC. While at the hospital Stella started receiving the care she needed-medicated baths, prescription diet food, ear care, eye cleansing, her skin started to heal, grew some hair back all the while she stayed a loving playful Westie.

On February 20th Stella was released into the care of Garden State Westie Rescue and Lisa Curry who continued Stella’s treatment. While scrolling through Westie sites on Facebook I came across a post from Garden State Westie Rescue stating Stella’s condition and that she was gentle and loving with people and other animals and she was up for adoption. My wife and I talked it over, we contacted the rescue and on March 25, 2019 we became the new parents to Stella.

One of the first things we did was take her to our vet for a thorough checkup. We had her microchipped and had a blood test to determine what allergies she has and how to go about treating them. Since our first checkup, Stella has had numerous visits to the vet to control her itching and ear infections. Cytopoint seems to work along with her medicated baths but she has a long road ahead of her. The ear infections will also be part of her life due to her allergies. In the six months we have had her Stella is now at a more healthy weight of eighteen pounds, is a hearty eater and a playful, cuddling, loving puppy.

She has brought some life to our thirteen soon-to-be fourteen-year-old Westie girl Bailey with her antics. Stella is just a treasure to be part of our family. We want to thank WestieMed for their generous financial help. We can hopefully get Stella’s allergies under control.

Sincerely yours,
Bernie and Barbara Dougherty

Wizard

May 1, 2019December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

In December 2018 we received a call from a woman on Long Island who had a six-year-old Westie that “we have no time for”. Wizard was spending most of his time crated or tied up outside with little positive human interaction. The family admitted to neglecting him and thankfully called rescue so he could have a better life.

Wizard went to live with a family who had lost their Westie. They were excited to have him and were going to foster him in hopes of adopting. Wizard had not had any veterinary care in five years so that was the top priority. Wizard had an extreme thirst and was having accidents so the vet did a series of tests and ruled out Cushing’s disease, Diabetes Mellitus and bladder infection. The vet diagnosed him with Diabetes Insipidus and put him on a bedwetting medication to help with the accidents.

The tests showed that Wizard’s liver levels were elevated so after a month a new blood panel was done and showed the liver levels were even higher so an ultrasound of his liver was done which showed he had a bladder full of bladder stones, 50-60 they estimated. Surgery was scheduled right away. During the bladder surgery, they also did a liver biopsy, the vet feels he may Copper Storage Disease and that the bladder stones were caused by his liver issues. We are still waiting for the results of the liver biopsy but Wizard is recovering nicely from his bladder surgery and is back to his normal routine.

We are hopeful that once we get the results and a treatment plan Wizard can be adopted into his forever home and have the life he always deserved. He is a sweet little man that has so much love to give. He had a bad start in life and now has a chance at a very bright future.

Wizard’s ongoing medical issues were a financial strain for our little rescue. His surgery was much more than we were originally quoted and more than we were prepared for. We take in many seniors and ill Westies. We have a few that are forever fosters as they are unadoptable, so our budget is always tight. The help from WestieMed is a tremendous blessing as it helped us to help Wizard and helps us to continue our work to save more little white dogs.

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank WestieMed!

Best Westie Regards,
Westie Rescue of New England & Wizard

Update November 20, 2019

Wizard - WestieMed Recipient Update — Wizard – WestieMed Recipient November 2019 Update

We thank you for your financial assistance for Wizard’s surgery on April 1, 2019. When Wizard first joined our family in late December of 2018, he was underweight, snapped and bit us, was scared of a leash and was kennel protective amongst other issues, and no vet visits for 5 years – his teeth were almost black! The most serious was his biting and constant urination in the house regardless of being taken out moments before. These issues were almost deal-breakers.

His many visits to the vet resulted in a variety of medications for bed-wetting and ALT levels. When he started urinating in his sleep, we knew it was more of a medical issue. We’ve never had a dog wet in his sleep! After an MRI, we learned that Wizard had bladder stones. Surgery was performed and resulted in the removal of 50-60 bladder stones poor guy was probably in pain and I assume those stones caused him involuntary urination and anger issues! Also, a biopsy of his liver was performed and determined very high ALT levels.

Following his recuperation, he became a new dog! He was placed on a liver diet and a daily dose of Denamarin for his liver issues. Jackie sent Chinese herbs for his liver but Wizard did not like them and refused to eat his food so we discontinued the herbs. He’s now up to about eighteen pounds, seems happier, has settled in, is no longer involuntarily urinating, no longer bites, his anger issues are under control, his ALT levels are down to about 380, from almost 900, and continue to fall. We take him to the vet about every two-three months to check on his ALT levels, and his shots are all up to date and have had dental care.

Wizard has become very affectionate, loves to play with his many toys, has learned to trust us (for the most part), obeys most commands, and has become a valued member of our family. We recently moved into a new neighborhood and Wizard has embraced everyone he meets! To think that if the MRI had not been completed, and if Wizard had not had this surgery, he would not be with us today hat surgery and your financial assistance saved this poor guys life!

He has made our life richer and we so love him to pieces! THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE to this well-deserved little guy!

Best wishes to WestieMed. We hope your involvement with other Westies in need results in positive outcomes as well.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Kathy & Tim Johnson

Update November 20, 2019

His many visits to the vet resulted in a variety of medications for bed wetting and ALT levels. When he started urinating in his sleep, we knew it was more of a medical issue. We’ve never had a dog wet in his sleep! After an MRI, we learned that Wizard had bladder stones. Surgery was performed and resulted in the removal of 50-60 bladder stonesâ€¦poor guy was probably in pain and I assume those stones caused him involuntary urination and anger issues! Also a biopsy of his liver was performed and determined very high ALT levels.

Following his recuperation, he became a new dog! He was placed on a liver diet and a daily dose of Denamarin for his liver issues. Jackie sent Chinese herbs for his liver but Wizard did not like them and refused to eat his food so we discontinued the herbs. He’s now up to about 18 pounds, seems happier, has settled in, is no longer involuntarily urinating, no longer bites, his anger issues are under control, his ALT levels are down to about 380, from almost 900, and continue to fall. We take him to the vet about every 2-3 months to check on his ALT levels, and his shots are all up to date and has had dental care.

Wizard has become very affectionate, loves to play with his many toys, has learned to trust us (for the most part), obeys most commands, and has become a valued member of our family. We recently moved into a new neighborhood and Wizard has embraced everyone he meets! To think that if the MRI had not been completed, and if Wizard had not had this surgery, he would not be with us todayâ€¦that surgery and your financial assistance saved this poor guys life!

He has made our life richer and we so love him to pieces! THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE to this well-deserved little guy!

Best wishes to WestieMed. We hope your involvement with other Westies in need result in positive outcomes as well.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Kathy & Tim Johnson

Update May 2, 2020

Wizard is doing great. He receives lots of attention and walks since my son is quarantined with us as well! He returns from his two-three daily long walks exhausted and tries to hide in one of his many beds! Wizard appears to be very happy, eats well, and has become very affectionate – on his terms! He barks and looks at you with his big black eyes when he wants to sit in your lap or get on the sofa however, he does continue to growl when you want him off your lap or want him to get out of bed to go out. We’ve accepted this ‘growling’ as his way of saying “I’m happy here, don’t bother me!” but he still gets moved but hasn’t quite gotten the message yet- his growling isn’t as strong! He hasn’t urinated in the house since his bladder surgery and has learned to go to the door when he wants out he just hasn’t figured out he needs to bark so we know he needs to go, hence we just keep an ear out when he starts walking around. To our surprise, he can hold his pee from around 10 pm, until we force him up the next morning (he doesn’t like to get up in the AM) and he never seems like he’s in a hurry to get out! He has many toys but most of all he loves to play with his ‘moose doll’.

We have Wizard’s ALT levels checked about every 3-5 months, highest was in April 2019 at 890; June 2019 at 471; October 2019 at 306; Feb 2020 479; and April 2020 478. He is on Denamaran, 1 tab daily and is on a diet of Hepatic wet and dry dog food by Royal Canine. He’s a treat snob so he doesn’t like many treats and we don’t feed him table scraps. His weight has been consistent now for the past year and averages around 18 lbs. He seems to have bouts every 2-3 months with vomiting but the Vet hasn’t been able to find anything even with blood workups. He had an episode about 2 weeks ago when he repeatedly vomited so we took him to the Vet right away. By the time we got there he was wagging his tale and running around like he was never sick. Vet still couldn’t find anything wrong. The only other issue we have noticed is that sometimes his rear legs noticeably shake, Vet still couldn’t find anything. Wizard had a second dental cleaning Feb 3, 2020, and as noted at his first cleaning, he has gum disease so we are trying to brush his teeth more often, which he doesn’t like to say the least.

He has become the neighborhood mascot-everybody loves him and he in turns loves everybody. We think he is doing well in spite of his background. The Vet described him as an “old 7 year old” last year.

We thank WestieMed for their financial assistance but most of all NE Westie Rescue for their support and patience in assisting Wizard to live a happier more deserving life and finding a forever home – think he found one!!!

Zeus McGoose

February 1, 2019December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

We were contacted by a woman who was a neighbor to the people that owned Zeus in October of 2018. She was beside herself at his condition and had previously intervened a couple of years ago and taken him to the vet, paying over $3000 for his care, only to have the owners refuse to administer the medications or make the dietary changes that would have helped him. She said that he had been like this pretty much since a couple of months after they bought him at a pet store over eight years ago.

She relayed that she could see he was suffering and couldn’t just stand by and do nothing, but knew that if she contacted Animal Control he would be seized and euthanized could we help? After gathering more information and setting out a game plan, I told her that while we could not legally take the dog unless they agreed, we would certainly help him if they would agree to surrender. With her help and that of her vet, the owners were persuaded to release him rather than face neglect charges under NY state law. The vet also started him on some antibiotics and gave us some medicated shampoo to get us through until he could see our own vet.

When we got him, he was in really rough shape with his skin blackened and oozing from rampant staph, bacteria and yeast infections, and his ears so infected that they were swollen shut. He was a very sick little boy. He was also significantly underweight. Our vets concluded that he was extremely fragile and lucky to have survived, as his condition was grave.

Since then, we have been able to start the healing of his skin and have done allergy testing and begun immunotherapy, but eight years of chronic infection have taken their toll on his little ears and the canals have become occluded with scar tissue and hardened with calcification. That has trapped a severe infection in his right middle ear. The 2% opening he has in that ear is not enough to release the pressure and allow efficacious treatment.

After attempting several different approaches in the hopes of preserving his hearing, the specialists all agree that he must have surgery, and soon, as his condition is not only painful but dangerous. The benefits in this case, far outweigh the risks.

Through all this discomfort, itching and pain, he has been a sweet boy who craves nothing so much as love and affection. He would be completely content to be held and carried and snuggled. As he’s started to feel better, his personality has begun to shine through. A Westie to the core, he has more than his fair share of Westie-tude and intelligence. He keeps us on our toes and lets us know when he wants something. He has now come to be known throughout the Westie community as Zeus McGoose and is developing quite the fan base as he posts his videos about his life in rescue.

This little guy has endured years of unthinkable neglect and we are looking forward to the day that he is truly pain-free.

Thank you WestieMed for all you do for these precious fur babies.

Mary Joan Smith
Westie Recue NY

Update April 2, 2019

WestieMed, thank you again for your assistance with the grant for Zeus McGoose. Zeus is recovering nicely and his ear even stands up when he is interested and engaged. The area where the tumor was removed is also healing very well. The biggest change, however, is, of course, the huge difference in his comfort level. He is able to now rest comfortably without waking randomly with a howl of pain, and although we have a long road ahead with his allergies and skin issues still, due to the severity and years of neglect, he seems to be a much happier dog. Getting rid of the chronic infection that was trapped in that ear has resulted in a healthier dog as well, in spite of the ongoing challenges. He is busy begging for his Tuna Snax and updating his fans as to the interesting things that happen throughout his day. The change in his stamina is significant and he has devoted himself to see how long I am able to keep up with his shenanigans.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your help with Zeus. It is no exaggeration to say that we would have been hard- pressed to have his surgery done and be able to relieve his awful suffering soon enough.

Zeus has something to say to you as well, click below:

With much gratitude,

Josie Myers-Smith
Executive Director
Westie Central, Inc.
(formerly Westie Rescue of NY)