Stories – Page 9 – WestieMed

Sir Travis

March 1, 2018December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

My husband and I knew that we wanted to get a dog as soon as we had a house. So, in September of 2017, after we’d settled into our home, we began searching for our furbaby. Our search took us to a high-traffic, high-kill shelter in Newark, NJ. We were immediately taken in by a little white face. His name, according to the cage, was Travis, and when we took him outside he was calm, gentle, and a great walker on the leash. We knew he was the one. We had to wait until his stray hold was up, but when it was, we went back immediately and filled out the paperwork and waited for them to have him neutered. We added “Sir” to his name because we knew we were going to treat him like nobility!

We brought Sir Travis home that Friday night. He had been in the shelter all week awaiting his neutering, but he kept being rescheduled, and we couldn’t let him languish there any longer. He was curious about his new surroundings, but never seemed nervous or scared. He took to my husband immediately, giving him kisses and following him around. However, we knew something was wrong when he kept shaking his head. We knew we had to take him to the vet in the morning.

Saturday was awful. After a mix-up at a local vet’s office, we wound up at a clinic with a crowded waiting room and a long wait. A few hours after arriving, we got the awful news: not only was he older than we’d been told, but his ears had large growths, one of his testicles was enlarged due to a tumor, and his skin was infected. We were also told he was deaf. This particular veterinarian advised us to bring him back to the shelter and to reconsider if we wanted to invest so much money in an older dog.

We went home absolutely devastated. Even though we’d only had him for a day, we were in love, and our sweet little dog with so much love and gratitude deserved so much more. We resolved to do whatever we could to help him and to seek a second opinion, and whatever the outcome, we were going to show him as much love as we could.

The veterinarian we saw on Monday confirmed the initial diagnosis: he was likely closer to ten years old, and indeed his ears, testicles and skin were in bad shape. However, this vet saw his potential. We started a treatment plan to tackle his immediate problems: multiple ear infections (bacterial, fungal, and yeast), a fungal skin infection, and a very sensitive stomach. The goal was to get him strong enough for surgery to take care of his larger issues.

September was a very challenging month, with many setbacks. Travis wound up with stomach infections, likely untreated from the shelter, resulting in diarrhea and frequent vomiting. At one point, he needed to be hospitalized overnight because he couldn’t keep anything down. We feared for the worst, but he bounced back. His ear infections also proved difficult to treat, and he needed multiple medications to get rid of them. Slowly, though, he gained some weight, grew back his fur, and showed signs of overall improvement. He settled into our home seamlessly, quickly claiming his spot on the couch! Even the vet was surprised by how well he was doing with the treatment. He underwent surgery in early October to be neutered and to remove the largest growths in his ears and the excess skin around his testicular tumor. He made it through with flying colors.

In the months since his surgery, Sir Travis has continued to thrive. His fur is thick and full now, and his stomach issues have resolved, perhaps in part due to no longer being in constant pain and discomfort. We still have to flush his ears each week to keep recurring infections at bay, and he is still almost completely deaf. But looking at him now, you’d never know what he’s has been through. Through it all, he’s been the sweetest, gentlest soul. Even with the constant medical procedures, he’s never shown anything but love, trust, and infinite patience. We’ve learned so much from him, and are looking forward to a lot more time with him!

As a pair of teachers, taking on a surprise special needs dog has been financially daunting for us, but we are incredibly grateful to everyone at WestieMed for helping us with the costs associated with Travis’ treatment and surgery! Your generous grant will help us continue to manage his care and give him the best life we possibly can.

Kristi Delfino

Molly

February 1, 2018December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Last year we lost our precious Westie girl, Lexie. She was ten when we adopted her. It’s because of Lexie we fell in love with senior Westies.

Shortly after Lexie’s passing, we contacted Rachel Phelps with Preston Cares Network inquiring about another Westie. Rachel informed us that she had a ten-year-old female Westie named Molly who had been surrendered by a breeder from Kentucky. Rachel was very upfront with us about Molly having some health issues. Molly was heartworm positive when she was surrendered and had just completed heartworm treatment. The treatment was very rough on her. Poor Molly also had a very large Inguinal Hernia that needed to be repaired and the poor girl still needed to be spayed.

The lady who surrendered Molly said she only bred her a couple of times, however, I find that hard to believe considering the size of the hernia. I also believe Molly spent many hours, days, weeks locked in a wire kennel. Her teeth are worn down to the gum line, more than likely from trying to chew her way out.

I truly believe Molly had a terrible life in her first nine years. Molly is the sweetest dog. She loves to cuddle, go on car rides and go for walks. She has a few health issues and has made many trips to the Veterinarian and to a specialty hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.

We made a promise to Molly that we will take care of her and make her last years of life amazing. Molly now has a mom and dad, an eleven-year-old human brother, Aiden who adores her. Along with a fourteen-year-old Westie brother Bernie, a thirteen-year-old Westie sister Heidi. Molly is also loved and protected by two more brothers, three-legged six-year-old Australian Shepherd mix Snickers and eight-month-old Great Pyrenees named Sammie (Molly actually keeps him inline).

We all love Molly so much and will always give her what she needs and deserves.

Thank you WestieMed and the Kandy Merric Memorial Fund for helping make it easier to provide Molly with the best medical care possible.

Sincerely,
Jamie Robb

Mattie

February 1, 2018December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Mattie age eleven years (born 11/30/2006) came into rescue on 1/20/2018 with her nine-year-old sister, Jackie. Their human mother had died the previous Monday after a long illness. The family, at a loss for what to do, put the dogs in a kennel.

The dogs were picked up by Westie Rescue and Placement of Northern California (WRAP) who transported them directly to a veterinarian, in as much as they needed all their shots. Prior medical records indicated that neither girl had any medical issues in the past two years but shots were needed. Mattie was able to receive her shots and heartworm test (which was negative) that day. The girls went to a prearranged adoptive home that evening. It was clear within twenty-four hours both girls were sick. Mattie began throwing up and both girls had diarrhea. Mattie was the sicker of the two and was very thin appearing.

On 1/21/2018 Mattie was taken to the veterinarian. Mattie was thin and we all (adopters, rescue and vet), wanted to try to figure out what was causing her illness. Mattie had blood work done. The vet wanted the girls on a chicken and rice diet to see if that would settle Mattie’s nausea and diarrhea. The diet was unsuccessful and symptoms persisted. Blood work on Mattie indicated some slight elevations but nothing definitive. The vet recommended a urine culture that did show an e-coli infection that was treated. The vet recommended gastrointestinal food and prescribed medications. The vet also wanted an abdominal x-ray to see if there was any obvious issues that might relate to Mattie’s thinness. Nausea and diarrhea cleared up quickly with the gastrointestinal food and medications. On 2/3/2018 the x-ray was done. There were no significant issues found. The vet felt that stress might be a factor in Mattie’s illness. Mattie was also treated for an eye infection.

From the start, it was clear that both the girls had very poor dental care. Their breath was bad and the plaque and tartar was very bad. The teeth desperately needed cleaning and may have been contributing to Mattie’s illness. Mattie’s teeth were cleaned on 2/22/2018. She had six extractions. Mattie is now doing very well in her adoptive forever home with her sister.

Thank you to WestieMed for all their support and assistance in helping rescues to care for sick Westies.

Barbara Mordy
Westie Rescue and Placement of Northern California (WRAP)

Chevy

January 1, 2018December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Chevy was owner surrendered to Westie Rescue of Western PA a couple of days after Christmas 2017 when he became jealous of a new baby.

I was made aware that Chevy needed to go to the vet right away because he was sick. He was urinating blood and had blood in feces. We also became aware that Chevy needed all vaccinations and neutering. The meds were immediately given, but neutering would be done when he was healthy. We also had blood work done, urine analysis and feces tested. It revealed that Chevy had a urine infection, ear infection, allergies, and Lyme disease. After the vet visit, his world would begin with love and attention. Westie Rescue of Western PA covered all the costs for the vet visits and meds.

I find Chevy to be a very sweet and loving Westie. He loves to snuggle next to me on the couch, with his head on my lap. He follows me everywhere. He loves when I scratch his head or rub his belly.

I can tell he is happy – happy to be part of a family who cares for him with meals, treats and meds. He just wants to be loved by a person. Unfortunately, Chevy does not play with toys, except when he wants to crunch a water bottle.

Currently, Chevy has someone interested in adopting him. But, Chevy needs to have surgery for a luxating patella. We contacted WestieMed and applied for help to cover the surgery. Thankfully WestieMed will pay for the surgery. Westie Rescue of Western PA is extremely grateful.

We know the future for Chevy is bright, with the help of people who love our sweet Westies unconditionally.

Linda Martino

Update February 9, 2018

Westie Rescue of Western PA wants to thank you all so much for the generous donation towards the medical expenses for our rescue Chevy. The surgery of Chevy was successful and he is on the road to recovery. We truly appreciate your compassion and empathy for our little white dogs.

Linda Martino
Westie Rescue of Western Pennsylvania

Update July 11, 2018

Chevy is doing great. The new owners took him to the vet recently and he got a clean bill of health.

The new owners said they would send pictures, still waiting. I will send you a picture when I get one.

Many, many thanks to you all in helping Chevy. Will keep in touch.Linda Martino

Update July 21, 2018

Chevy - WestieMed Recipient January 2018 — Chevy – WestieMed Recipient January 2018

Chevre is an eight-year-old rescue West Highland White Terrier who was previously called Chevy. He was kept in a crate for a minimum of eight hours a day plus all night on weekdays. On weekends, he was kept in a crate six hours a day plus all night.

In addition, his previous owners did not protect him from fleas and tics; as a result, he got Lyme disease. He required a leg operation due to the damage caused by Lyme disease.

Westie Rescue paid for his operation and it was a complete success. He went to our vet on July 3rd and got a clean health report. He now goes everywhere with us, including some restaurants.

He is a dear, sweet, little boy who sleeps in our bed and loves his freedom. Chevy is our 2nd rescue.

Gary

Addie

January 1, 2018December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Addie’s rescue story began in April 2016 near Memphis, TN. Her former owner finally did the right thing and surrendered Addie to Westie Rescue, Tennessee.

Addie was a very malnourished 11 lbs and almost hairless with lesions all over her skin. She had been living in horrible conditions for the entirety of her first six years of life. Having been fed table scraps with little to no outside access and no clean indoor space. Her foster mom tells us that Addie had almost no muscle mass and could not even jump onto the couch. She was afraid of not getting another meal. It took endless love and patience from her foster family for eighteen months before they even considered that she might be ready for adoption.

That’s when we discovered her on Petfinder.com fell right in love! We have a fourteen and half year old Scottie who was missing his former Westie friend, Fiona (a prior WestieMed grantee) who passed in July 2017. Addie’s foster mom Sandy brought her over to our house. Our Scottie and Addie got along right away and Addie stole our hearts.

On our first visit to the doctor with Addie in November, we were advised that she had skin and ear infections. We are still treating those. We’ve sent out for cultures on both to be able to treat those in a more targeted fashion. We tested for low Thyroid, and Addison’s which came back negative, but with very high chances of Cushing’s. We’re still waiting for those results.

We know she may not grow back much, if any, of her hair. We just want to make sure she gets into a good place where her skin and ears are no longer infected and causing her pain.

She’s such a Westie girl! She loves to chase and dig after anything in her yard. She has a blast jumping onto the boulders in our backyard to get a better view of said varmints and she loves to torture her brother Jack every chance she can!

Thanks to all involved in her rescue and for those whose support today allow us to get her the care she deserves.

The first picture of Addie was taken the day she was surrendered. The photo of her with muddy paws was taken last Sunday.

Wendy Eubank

Update March 1, 2018

Addie is doing well. She does have Cushings, we are beginning treatment for that as well as getting her started on allergy drops.

We look forward to being able to give back to WestieMed.

Best Wishes,
Wendy and Lonnie Eubank

Update July 9, 2018

Firstly, we want to thank you all again for giving us a big help in Addie’s continued medical treatment.

Months ago, Addie’s skin was dry, blotchy, flaky, crusty, etc. and it caused her to do a lot of scratching and chewing. With the combination of medicines, medicated baths, and diet, within the last month, her exposed skin has finally become soft and smooth, and she only has a couple of hot spots on her front legs. It’s a huge improvement! We know that she will most likely never grow hair back, but that’s okay with us. We think she’s adorable, and as long as she’s comfortable and happy, we’re happy. Plus, it’s an excuse to keep her covered in plaid in cooler weather! For the summer she has on a UPF t-shirt so she won’t get burned.

Addie was diagnosed with Cushing’s, for this, she is on Vetoryl once daily. She has been ricocheting from skin infections to ear infections, but they seem to be subsiding. She takes two Apoquel a day, and one Atopica once daily. She went through blood allergy testing (her skin could not handle the skin testing) at Blue Pearl Veterinary Specialists and is on a customized a serum twice a day. She’s on a wheat gluten-free diet and we add salmon oil to her food. She gets weekly double-medicated-shampoo baths. And recently, it was determined that she has dry eye, so she receives two eye drops twice daily.

She lets none of the above slow her down! She is a 200% Westie girl – chasing squirrels and rabbits daily. This weekend she discovered frogs! As she starts to feel better the more open she becomes to playing with her new brother, four yr old Scottie Logan. We hope to keep her conditions under control and hopefully, more improvements will come with that.

Wendy & Lonnie Eubank

JuJu

December 1, 2017February 7, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

In September I was web surfing and found the Rescue Westies of Missouri site. I filled out an application of interest, since a month before we had lost our previous Westie “Cutty” to cancer, and were missing our little boy. My wife and I had decided we would never have another dog because it was so painful to lose them. Then I received an immediate response that our application was received, but there were not dogs available. I had mentioned in the application we had spent thousands on our precious little boy, because of a congenital heart condition, and we were not ready to handle another Westie with significant issues. I received a Facebook post of an abused dog that found a forever home, with the caption, “you can’t change the world, but you can change the world for someone”.

Approximately ten minutes after being told there were no dogs available, we received the first picture of JuJu in the cage, sadly we were to find out that she was significantly better in that picture, then when she was found. My wife and I looked at her, and after we quit crying at the sad shape she was in, we called and talked to Sue Hon about this rescue. The hope was she would get better, may grow hair, but was deaf, and there was no one interested in her.

We told her it would be a week before we could drive across Missouri to see her. We set up a time and one week later got to meet JuJu. The rest is history, she was ours, and we promised to change her world, she cuddled up to us and seemed to say, OK let’s go home.

We have had our little girl for two months, the second picture shows her love to watch her iPad, and relax on the porch.

She has had multiple vet visits, medications, and special food. She was referred to a Dermatologist after there was minimal improvement, on a closer exam, and, skin, tissue, and hair analysis, a new care plan was developed.

It will be a long road for her, at least a year of medications, three times a week shots, special shampoo baths, and a strict special food diet. BUT the good news is she is showing some improvement, all open areas of skin are closed and healed, she seems happy with us, and is completely comfortable taking over the entire king-sized bed we sleep in.

Our lives are better because she is in it, our first Christmas will be special. Life is what happens after we make our plans, next year will she have hair, be beautiful, and forget what had happened to her, I don’t know the future but she knows we are hers and we love her.

David

Update June 2018

It is good to hear from you, and that you remember our little girl JuJu. It has been a long struggle with some successes, since October when we adopted her. I think the best way to say it is, two steps forward and one step backward. She continues to get significant swelling in her feet, she has one spot on each foot and the base of her tail that she will attack and still chew and lick raw. She continues to get recurring ear infections.

Now the good news, she is down to just weekly allergy shots, they had hoped it would be only every other week, or be done with shots by now. They are thinking she will never be able to stop them. We are transitioning her into nonprescription food, god love her she is so spoiled with daily deli-sliced meat and scrambled eggs, we joke that when it is time to start, the hair/coat diet she will turn her nose up at it. The positive side is that digestive wise she tolerates the change. All her skin cultures are returning negative, which means all the yeast, staph, MRSA infections are gone, and all her skin is intact with no open areas. Her ear infections are less frequent and she actually had periods when both ears are clear and healthy.

The Dermatologist and the two vets that care for her, feel that her allergies are what continues to be the underlying problem, and it may a full year of the continued treatment and shots before it is completely under control.

Her hair has filled out well on top and neck, and portions of each leg and feet have filled out some, but her belly remains pretty bald, with little fuzz developing, they are not sure due to the skin damage if she will ever get hair in those areas. We have the most incredible dog groomer that hand trims her, to make her look as much like a Westie as possible.

Being deaf, she can’t hear when we tell her how much we love her, but she does allow us on our king-sized bed at night and she has learned to share our pillows with us. She loves to go on walks, has developed a friendship with a neighbor Westie (Phoebe) and a Corgi (Wally). She finally has started to smile from time to time and not have such a sad look as she did for so long. She will let you hug and hold her for hours on end if she has finished her napping. When we take care of the grandkids when they are ill she always sits by them and watches over them the whole time they are here.

The Dermatologist thanks us for being so diligent with her. She claims to be putting her daughter through college on our fees, always happy to support higher education. We are blessed that all the people working with her are as caring and concerned for her as we are. Truly we had hoped she would be this beautiful healthy white Westie by now, but that dream is still some time in the future.

JuJu

December 1, 2017December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

In September I was web surfing and found the Rescue Westies of Missouri site. I filled out an application of interest, since a month before we had lost our previous Westie “Cutty” to cancer, and were missing our little boy. My wife and I had decided we would never have another dog because it was so painful to lose them. Then I received an immediate response that our application was received, but there were not dogs available. I had mentioned in the application we had spent thousands on our precious little boy, because of a congenital heart condition, and we were not ready to handle another Westie with significant issues. I received a Facebook post of an abused dog that found a forever home, with the caption, “you can’t change the world, but you can change the world for someone”.

Approximately ten minutes after being told there were no dogs available, we received the first picture of JuJu in the cage, sadly we were to find out that she was significantly better in that picture, then when she was found. My wife and I looked at her, and after we quit crying at the sad shape she was in, we called and talked to Sue Hon about this rescue. The hope was she would get better, may grow hair, but was deaf, and there was no one interested in her.

We told her it would be a week before we could drive across Missouri to see her. We set up a time and one week later got to meet JuJu. The rest is history, she was ours, and we promised to change her world, she cuddled up to us and seemed to say, OK let’s go home.

We have had our little girl for two months, the second picture shows her love to watch her iPad, and relax on the porch.

She has had multiple vet visits, medications, and special food. She was referred to a Dermatologist after there was minimal improvement, on a closer exam, and, skin, tissue, and hair analysis, a new care plan was developed.

It will be a long road for her, at least a year of medications, three times a week shots, special shampoo baths, and a strict special food diet. BUT the good news is she is showing some improvement, all open areas of skin are closed and healed, she seems happy with us, and is completely comfortable taking over the entire king-sized bed we sleep in.

Our lives are better because she is in it, our first Christmas will be special. Life is what happens after we make our plans, next year will she have hair, be beautiful, and forget what had happened to her, I don’t know the future but she knows we are hers and we love her.

David

Update June 2018

It is good to hear from you, and that you remember our little girl JuJu. It has been a long struggle with some successes, since October when we adopted her. I think the best way to say it is, two steps forward and one step backward. She continues to get significant swelling in her feet, she has one spot on each foot and the base of her tail that she will attack and still chew and lick raw. She continues to get recurring ear infections.

Now the good news, she is down to just weekly allergy shots, they had hoped it would be only every other week, or be done with shots by now. They are thinking she will never be able to stop them. We are transitioning her into nonprescription food, god love her she is so spoiled with daily deli-sliced meat and scrambled eggs, we joke that when it is time to start, the hair/coat diet she will turn her nose up at it. The positive side is that digestive wise she tolerates the change. All her skin cultures are returning negative, that means all the yeast, staph, MRSA infections are gone, and all her skin is intact with no open areas. Her ear infections are less frequent and she actually had periods when both ears are clear and healthy.

The Dermatologist and the two vets that care for her, feel that her allergies are what continues to be the underlying problem, and it may a full year of the continued treatment and shots before it is completely under control.

Her hair has filled out well on top and neck, and portions of each leg and feet have filled out some, but her belly remains pretty bald, with little fuzz developing, they are not sure due to the skin damage if she will ever get hair in those areas. We have the most incredible dog groomer that hand trims her, to make her look as much like a Westie as possible.

Being deaf, she can’t hear when we tell her how much we love her, but she does allow us on our king-sized bed at night and she has learned to share our pillows with us. She loves to go on walks, has developed a friendship with a neighbor Westie (Phoebe) and a Corgi (Wally). She finally has started to smile from time to time and not have such a sad look as she did for so long. She will let you hug and hold her for hours on end if she has finished her napping. When we take care of the grandkids when they are ill she always sits by them and watches over them the whole time they are here.

The Dermatologist thanks us for being so diligent with her. She claims to be putting her daughter through college on our fees, always happy to support higher education. We are blessed that all the people working with her are as caring and concerned for her as we are. Truly we had hoped she would be this beautiful healthy white Westie by now, but that dream is still some time in the future.

Barkley

November 1, 2017December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

We have been a Westie owner for over twelve years and have talked often about adding to our family. We thought helping a Westie in need would be rewarding for both ourselves and whoever we rescued. So I became a member of the Westie Rescue of Missouri Facebook page and followed many beautiful stories of rescues finding their fur-ever homes. I hoped someday we would be as lucky.

About 2 weeks ago WRM posted that an eight-year-old Westie (Barkley) was in a shelter in Kansas and needed immediate help. Since the shelter would not release Barkley to WRM they asked if anyone could rescue Barkley from the shelter. I didn’t even have to think about it, I immediately said I would go.

The shelter is three hours from my home so I made a call to the shelter to see if he was still there. They called me back at closing and said he was and that I should call back in the morning when they opened. If there was no one there at their doors first thing when they opened wanting to adopt Barkley, I would get to adopt him. So I held my breath and called first thing. He was still available! They took all my information and my daughter and I jumped in the car to pick him up.

The family that surrendered him said that since they had four other dogs, they couldn’t give Barkley the proper care and attention he deserved. He was neglected physically. He was in need of a serious bath and grooming. He had several hot spots from a previous flea issue and allergies.

We noticed immediately that he had a really good disposition despite the situation he was in. We did not have to coax him in the car. He jumped right in as if to say “Please get me out of here!” He settled right in for the 3-hour ride home. He was a perfect angel.

Once we got home later that day we noticed he was drinking excessive amounts of water. My other Westie never drinks that much so I wasn’t sure. I had already scheduled a vet exam for the following day so I made a note to discuss the water drinking. The next morning we took Barkley in for a bath and groom then on to the vet.

Our vet was concerned as well about the excessive water drinking and ordered blood work to test for diabetes and Cushing’s disease as well as other parasites. The blood work results would take 24 to 48 hours. She gave him a couple of extra immunizations that he was missing and prescribed an itching medication for his skin issues. He also has bad dental issues that will be addressed very soon.

That night Barkley started throwing up and diarrhea. I thought maybe it was the stress of being in the shelter and now another new environment. As well as the immunizations. So back to the vet the next day. He had no temperature so she agreed it was probably stress. So she gave him a shot for nausea and medication for diarrhea. She put him on prescription bland food for a few days. She said the blood work results came back negative for diabetes and Cushing’s yet his SDMA levels were elevated which might indicate a kidney issue. She will retest him in thirty days.

Within twenty-four hours his vomiting/diarrhea stopped and he backed off the excessive water consumption. We are slowly transitioning him to healthy permanent food. We hope the new food and better grooming will help with his skin issues.

He is what I would call the typical Westie. Major Westitude and stubborn for sure! LOL. This is new to us because our Chloe is the most obedient Westie ever. I was able to train her from two months of age. He has no manners so we are working on this. We figured his surrender family did not train him properly so even though he is eight years old we are teaching him some basic manners.

He and Chloe are getting along very well. They are about the same size. She’s a small fourteen pounds and he id twenty pounds. He’s not as spry as Chloe even though he is four years younger and the first couple of days walked around like an old man. He was very scared and could not go down our stairs at first. It took him a week but he has now learned to go down them.

It has now been eleven days since we adopted Barkley. We are happy to say we are seeing more energy and interaction. He’s more playful and likes to talk LOL. Our Chloe rarely barks and Barkley definitely lives up to his name! He talks to us in this low voice when he wants something and if we don’t answer him, he will bark. The talking is really cute but we will be working on inside voices LOL.

We are so very thankful to WRM and WestieMed. The vet bills in the first three days were more than expected and the future major dental work was going to be a strain. WestieMed has agreed to help with the expenses and we are so very grateful for them. Barkley is so sweet and is fitting in so well with our little family. He has found his fur-ever home.

I can’t wait to give you more updates. We’re hoping for good news on the SDMA levels.

Thank you again WestieMed for all your help!!

Denise Elkins

Update January 9, 2018

Barkley has now been with us two months and he has settled in very nicely. He has flourished and his appearance has improved 100%.

Last time, I mentioned that Barkley’s SDMA levels were out of range which could mean early kidney disease. Dr. Nelson wanted to redo the test after Barkley had settled in because stress could also cause his levels to be off.

We had new bloodwork done last week and though his SDMA levels improved greatly, now his B.U.N levels were not in the normal range.

That too could mean early kidney disease so she had me collect a urine sample to check his urine concentration. I must say, that was a site. Me chasing Barkley at 6 am in the back yard trying to catch his pee.

Unfortunately, his urine concentration numbers were not where they needed to be so Dr. Nelson spoke with specialist and I am sad to say that Barkley has been diagnosed with early kidney disease.

The good news is, we caught it very early so no major damage to his kidneys has occurred.

We are starting him on a prescription kidney-friendly food ASAP (Hills K/D.) to help prevent any future damage. We have to stay away from a high protein diet because it’s hard on kidneys according to the vet. Dr. Nelson says since we caught it very early, diet changes and monitoring will add years to his life.

We have all fallen in love with Barkley in these 2 short months and want to make sure he’s around a long time.

We hope to keep him healthy for a long time.

Just look at that face!! He looks so happy.

Denise

Update June 2018

Barkley is doing fantastic!

Because of his early kidney disease diagnosis, I now cook him a low phosphorus food and he loves it. He’s lost 3 lbs. which makes his vet happy.

He recently had his urine concentration checked and our vet was very happy with his numbers. He said what I’m doing is working great and no medication is needed at this time.

He’s a funny little guy. He wants outside constantly. He goes in and out just like a kid. He loves to explore the rock wall in our backyard looking for any varmints. Our thirteen-year-old female Westie Chloe finally accepted him fully into the family. No more cold shoulder.

He’s a very early riser!! He wants to be fed at 5 am sharp. He’s very loving but if you move him over in the middle of the night while he’s sleeping he’s a grumpy old man and grunts at you. He usually has his own bed but since my husband is working out of town for a few weeks he wants to sleep in my bed with my other Westie Chloe and me. If my granddaughter spends the night he likes to snuggle up to her.

He loves to play with his toys. After breakfast, b he runs back in the bedroom and throws his toys around and chases them. We are so happy he’s doing so well.

We recently had the opportunity to adopt a Westie puppy from another owner who used the same vet. She was gifted two puppies but it was too much for her. Our vet asked if we wanted another Westie. I said that I was looking for one for my granddaughter, so my oldest daughter adopted the male. His name is Waffles. I put the owner in touch with Missouri Westie Rescue to help rehome the female. Waffles comes over to visit and Barkley and Chloe are tolerating him. He’s got a lot of energy so they let him know when they’ve had enough.

Barkley has been such a joy and we love having him. I’m his 4th owner but definitely his last!!!

Thanks again for all your support.

Denise

Charlie Bear

October 1, 2017December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Charlie Bear was found wandering the streets of Denton in Manchester. He had been wandering a while and was hard to catch, because of his fear of humans. The lovely lady that found him couldn’t keep him as she had an elderly and poorly dog herself so he was taken by the dog wardens to Manchester Dogs Home. A worker there soon realized he was a West Highland Terrier with lots of problems. She knew he would struggle in the kennel’s environment as it is very stressful and not the right place for a scared little dog! She contacted a breed-specific rescue on Facebook and I was asked if I wouldn’t mind going and collecting him, fostering him with the view of getting him well and re-homed when the time was right.

When I collected him, I won’t lie he smelled very bad! His fur around his back end was completely matted to his skin with urine and feces. In fact, his fur was matted all over his little body, his skin was terrible underneath and he needed to be completely shaved so we could treat his skin. His ears were completely blocked with infection, fur, and general dirt from being left for so long. He more worryingly had a problem with his left eye, it appeared to be much smaller, very angry looking and had shrunk back into his eye socket. He also had a nasty cough. He was in such a state I rushed him straight to my Vet for a complete assessment.

Charlie Bear had numerous and repeated tests. He was anesthetized and sent for several x-rays, they actually found he had a fracture of his skull and left eye socket! He had suffered a blunt force trauma to the head/face and this had caused his left eye to die. I was advised he would be better off having his eye removed as it was causing him constant pain. A set price was arranged with the rescue group and Charlie Bear had lots attended to while he was asleep. He had his eye removed, both ears completely cleaned, he was castrated, he also had another x-ray to rule out Westie Lung Disease because of his coughing. He doesn’t have WLD thank goodness! Unfortunately Charlie Bear continued to show signs of being unwell, and the rescue decided that his chances of being re-homed were unlikely, I was at this point asked to become his forever foster Mummy. I jumped at the chance to help this little boy flourish as much as he could.

Charlie Bear has sadly developed Epilepsy, his seizures are very distressing to watch, but I do my best to comfort him. They have in recent weeks become worse in severity and length. On a recent Vet visit I was asked again if they could refer him for an MRI scan to try and find a cause, the Vet at the time suspected a brain tumor, which has scared me no end!

I have had to put the Vets off previously because sadly the original rescue that rescued Charlie Bear has now abandoned him and withdrawn his funding. I am now part of a small fundraising group whose main priority is Charlie Bear but we are only very small and cannot cover the whole cost on our own. With WestieMed’s help we will now be able to get Charlie Bear his MRI scan and know what, if anything, we are fighting. Thank you doesn’t seem enough.

Emma Dean

Update July 9, 2018

I had managed to save enough to take Charlie Bear and his brother on a little holiday to the beach which they loved.

Charlie Bear has had his MRI and spinal tap tests, they thankfully showed no tumor or brain abnormalities. They looked at his spinal fluid and that showed no signs of infection or foreign bodies. The specialist diagnosed Idiopathic Epilepsy but isn’t completely convinced because he doesn’t have a typical seizure pattern or reaction.

He was started on Epiphen tablets but we’ve had to increase these three times now as he’s gone on to develop cluster seizures on top of single seizures. His liver isn’t liking the medication so that is reacting and showing signs of stress. I started him on Milk Thistle hoping it will help but sadly it isn’t. His latest increase has caused major skin problems so we are waiting on a phone call from his Vet, he has developed hive-like spots and is almost ripping his fur out. Despite all this, his personality shines through.

He learned to play but only with certain toys when he wants. He is very loving but also very cheeky! He decided to help himself to the sausages earlier because the door had been left open slightly, but I wouldn’t have him any other way.

Thank you again for the help in getting his tests, without your amazingly kind generosity I’d be struggling to get him diagnosed.

Kind Regards.

Emma Dean (Mummy Bear)

Selena

September 1, 2017December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

In late June, I signed on Facebook to find that several of my many Westie loving Facebook friends had sent me, Director of Westie Rescue NYC, a link to a tiny seven-year-old Westie mix who had come to find herself abandoned in the NYC shelter. Her name was Selena, and she weighed only eleven pounds. She came from East Harlem, NYC, having been brought to the shelter by a neighbor of her owner after her owner had become too ill to take care of her. Well even in her bedraggled state, she looked cute-as-a-button in her intake pic. I knew I could not leave her there even after the shelter informed me that her teeth were very bad and that she had arthritis. She also had cataracts, but at that time, I didn’t know that she was practically blind. Selena’s condition put her into a precarious position. If the right person or rescue did not come along who was willing to take her, Selena could very well be put to sleep. Of course, I took her home with me!

The good news was that Selena had already been spayed before going into the shelter, so she didn’t need to have that operation, which meant that I could bathe her right away. Cute-as-a-button though she was, she was also very, very stinky!

More good news! The stains on Selena’s front teeth had made them look to be much worse than they actually were. After a dental that required only three extractions of tiny front teeth, Selena had a movie star smile to match her fantastic personality. And she showed few signs of arthritis. Almost immediately I had a potential adopter lined up for her.

Selena proved to be one sweet, sweet dog who loved nothing better than to be right by my side. She immediately got along well with my twenty-year-old cat and with one of my Westies, twelve-year-old Missy Paulette, who is usually very jealous. She didn’t get along as well with sixteen-year-old Casey Jane, but then no one does except Missy Paulette. When Casey Jane snapped at Selena, Selena didn’t snap back. She would only try to move out of the way. But Selena kept getting into Casey Jane’s way, and so I began to suspect that maybe she couldn’t see very well.

Soon it became more obvious that Selena could not see very well. When walking, if not watched, she would walk right into a building or off a curb. At home, she liked to stay in one place either on the bed or on the couch. When I would come into the room, she would gaze towards me, with an inquisitive unfocused stare.

Selena’s adoption fell through. The couple that was going to adopt her did not feel able to take on an almost blind dog.

By this time, I had fallen in love with Selena and I knew I had to find a foster home for her quick. Not only was I working long hours, but with three senior pets of my own, keeping her was not the right thing to do. Luckily, a wonderful foster home was found and Selena’s foster mother will continue with her story.

During the first week in August, Monica posted Selena’s story and photo on Facebook. I knew Monica already had two senior Westies, so I offered to foster Selena. When Selena arrived, I took my Westie, Milo who is also a rescue, outside to meet them and go for a nice walk in the park right across the street. Milo took an interest in Selena immediately, and so did I. She is a little love bug. And when we met up with a friend of mine who spoke to her in Spanish, Selena’s ears perked up. We realized at that moment that she is bilingual.

Selena settled in with us quickly. I noticed a difference in just a few days. Her appetite improved, she loves her treats and she loves eating out of Milo’s bowl, even though she has one of her own! She is a feisty little thing, very funny and a real charmer. All she wants is to love and be loved. I know she can’t see, but she looks at you as if she is looking into your soul. I now call her Lena. Here she is with Milo.

It was clear to me from the beginning that Lena couldn’t see well because she bumped into things a lot. She has walked into my front door head first. When we got into the building elevator, she couldn’t see and her foot slipped down between the cab and the elevator shaft! Fortunately, I was able to pull her out quickly. It was so scary. And she has trouble seeing the edge of the steps forcing me to continually lift her up with her harness. Unfortunately, I walk with a cane that she bumps into and walks in circles around. I have tripped over her twice. She walks very close to me because she can’t see where she is going. After learning that WestieMed may be able to help with the expense, I took her to the ophthalmologist to see whether anything could be done for her to improve her sight, her quality of life and to increase her chances of being adopted. The vet confirmed that Lena has cataracts and they would only get worse, but they are operable. Lena is only seven and she is healthy other than that. Getting her cataracts removed will be life-changing for her.

Well even though she and I keep getting tangled up, Lena has made it very clear to us that she is happy in our home, and she doesn’t want to go anywhere else. I have watched her bloom in a short period of time. She has taken a liking to all of Milo’s soft toys, destroying quite a few of them, because she loves to rip the stuffing out! Milo doesn’t mind, he would rather play with his ball anyway. The two of them enjoy one another’s company and get along perfectly well together. Lena does love being the center of attention, and sometimes I do need to remind her that she is not the only dog in the house. I am so very pleased with her progress. I very much look forward to the day when her sight is improved, because Milo and I love her and hope to adopt her once her eyes are fixed. Thanks to the generous grant from WestieMed this now looks very possible.

Update July 11, 2018:

Selena (now Lena) is doing very well since her surgery in January. She has been back to Cornell for two follow up checkups and passed with flying colors. The doctors were very pleased with the outcome.

When I first got Lena, she would cry like a banshee every time she went out for a walk. Since the surgery, she has calmed down significantly. She has gained a great deal of confidence. In the past month or so, I have really seen a difference. She jumped off my bed onto a pillow so she feels confident enough to get down by herself. This past week, when I take her to the dog park, she has ventured out to meet other dogs rather than just sitting on my lap.

Everyone loves her. The nurses and doctors adored her. My other dog, Milo, had been her protector and big brother. They have been getting along very well.

Everything has worked out beautifully thanks to the help that WestieMed gave us towards her cataract surgery. It made a huge difference for Lena. I can’t thank you enough. I will send you a photo shortly.

Best regards,

Pat Gorman