I received an email from a man about his five-year-old Westie. She had a severe skin problem and they didn’t want to deal with it. They had bought her expecting to have a show dog and to breed her a few times, and also as a family pet. She developed a skin problem and tore her hair out in patches all over her body. They bred her in spite of it. One puppy died, and she killed the other one, probably because she was so miserable. She had gotten an infection inside so bad that they had to do a complete hysterectomy. They said her personality changed after that and that she was sometimes a little nippy. They were afraid she might bite their nanny’s son, who is two years old. They had fought the skin problem for five years by shampooing her with Selsun Blue and didn’t want to keep trying. To be fair, they did feel that they were doing the right thing by giving her up to someone who might know more about how to help her. The man brought her to me, and I did see her nip towards him once, but she has never once tried to nip me in any way. She is a sweetheart.
Katie was diagnosed as having a Staph infection which could turn into Malassezia if not properly treated. She is now on the right road to recovery.
Thanks to Westie Med, her medical problems are being taken care of and she will soon be ready to be placed in a new loving home with a nurse who is willing to keep up with the treatments. I’m thrilled for Katie. I think she will finally know what ‘real’ love is.
Rebecca Dennett Westie Rescue Utah
Katie – WestieMed Recipient
Update June 2003:
You can see that Katie is growing hair back on her chest and looks great!!! She’s a very happy little girl and adores her new mom and dad.
Update November 2003:
You’ll be so glad to know that Katie is doing wonderful. Rory Litch took such good care of her when she first came into Rescue in Reno. I was so fortunate and blessed to be able to adopt Katie in January of 2003 and in the first three to four months, we still had problems with her allergies and licking of her back legs. In April, I finally did have a full allergy test done on her and now I know exactly what…food and environmental..she is allergic to. Even into April….maybe because of the spring allergies, she was still having licking problems…..and then she finally cleared up. She is on a duck and potato kibble and only carrots, bananas, and apples for snacks. She is doing wonderful. We walk together and this past winter, we even cross-country skied together. My husband and I adore her and we thank you for your help and services. She has made our life so happy.
Shannon’s story is an excellent example of what can happen when everyone puts the welfare of a dog before all other issues. This is a story of a number of volunteers and groups working together to contribute to the rescue and treatment of a truly wonderful Westie.
The first part of her story is told by Dianne Luistro of Northeast Westie Rescue. Dianne received the referral call about Shannon and coordinated her surrender and placement in an emergency foster home.
Part one: Dianne Coordinates the Rescue.
Shannon is a very sweet, four-year-old Westie girl with a gentle soul. Her former owners bought her as a puppy from a pet shop. She was well until October 2001 when she began scratching and losing hair. For more than a year, the family took her to the vet and tried to keep up the rigorous schedule of bathing, giving antibiotics, cleaning her ears, and taking her for walks. But, as they told us, other family demands caused Shannon’s care to come in last, and they felt she deserved better than that.
They contacted the MSPCA in Methuen, Massachusetts. The MSPCA staff could not guarantee she would be adopted and/or cured in her current condition. Nor, could they guarantee she would not be euthanized if a home wasn’t found. The MSPCA did give the family a phone number for Northeast Westie Rescue. It took another six weeks to gather the courage to call us. They were not sure what our reaction would be to her condition.
Of course, we were ready to take her in with open arms. But, we had a house full of puppies and needed an alternate foster home. We called Penny & Ed Cherubino, a Boston couple, who work with Westie Rescue of Missouri. They accepted the surrender and provided emergency fostered for Shannon on behalf of North East Westie Rescue.
Part two: From Penny – Shannon’s weeks in Boston
By the time I picked her up on June 6, 2002, Shannon had lost two-thirds of her hair. The only parts of her that were not bare were the top of her head, her rump, and tail. The exposed skin felt like an elephant’s hide and was black and crusty. Because she had fungal infections of the skin and ears, she smelled awful. She was a very sad, uncomfortable girl.
Fortunately, I had seen cases as severe as Shannon’s cured by Westie Rescue of Missouri volunteers. I also live within walking distance of the Back Bay Veterinary Clinic where Veterinarians with very big hearts were ready and willing to see an emergency rescue pup the moment she arrived in Boston. It also helped that Shannon’s family had supplied us with copies of her veterinary records.
The Back Bay Vets repeated the skin scrapings to be sure it was not a contagious disease that would transmit to our Westie, Maggie Mae, or the dozens of new doggie friends Shannon would make in our neighborhood. They diagnosed Malassezia Dermatitis, and we agreed upon a routine of care.
They prescribed:
A new antibiotic (in case she had become resistant to the one that had been used over the past year);
Ear cleaning and ointment twice a day;
Fifteen-minute baths with medicated shampoo every three days followed by a hydrocortisone lotion rubbed onto her damp skin after each bath;
Benadryl twice a day to relieve the itching
We decided to hold off on the potent, anti-fungal drugs to see if, with strict adherence to the routine, we could make some real progress without them.
Just to be sure of the treatment, I sent an email to the real experts–other rescuers! Members of the Westie Express Transport Group supplied ideas and successful programs for dealing with a skin problem of this magnitude. Within a day I had lots of solid information and a list of folks to contact for specific advice as I needed it.
I consider Angie Gittles of Capital Paws and WestieMed as my mentor on this rescue. The program the Vets and I agreed upon was one she has used with great success.
My one addition to the program was to put a size two toddler T-shirt on Shannon to make her more presentable to the outside world. It hid most of her bare skin. When we walked her, she got lots of pats and cooing as she won hearts in the Back Bay. The shirt also minimized the damage she was doing to her skin when she scratched. The downside of using a shirt is that it could hold in moisture which is not good for a fungal infection, so we used this with great care.
Once we all agreed to a few ground rules, Shannon became one of the most cooperative patients any rescuer could ask for.
Her first bath was a disaster. Shannon screamed like a banshee and struggled like we were trying to murder her. We quickly discovered that while she was terrified of being put into water, she didn’t mind if we poured water over her. We finished that bath with her standing on the kitchen counter for her fifteen-minute massage and rinsed her with buckets of water poured gently over her from behind.
Long walks in the city called for another agreement. Shannon had lost four pounds in the past 8 months. A lack of exercise has left her with very little muscle mass – she was not a strong pup. We were used to taking long walks with Maggie Mae and her pals. By day three, Shannon was sore and limping. So we agreed that she would walk a little and be carried a little. This proved to be easier than expected.
We have a group of doggie families who meet at a local cafe on a weekend morning to have breakfast together and then head out on a nice long walk with many puppy play breaks along the way. Miss Shannon came to love these outings. She would move from lap to lap at the cafe. Once on the road, we seldom carried her as one friend after another scooped her up and gave her a little rest and a big cuddle.
She settled right in to our home and seemed to improve every day. Soon we felt she was well enough to move on to her long-term foster home. Our continuing contribution to Shannon’s rescue will be to raise money for WestieMed to refill their coffers, so they are ready to help the next dog in need. Members of the Internet Group “The Great Westie Gathering” have already donated money for Shannon’s care and more donations are on the way. We are also keeping our eyes and ears open to find the perfect home for this special girl.
Part Three: Back to Dianne for long term foster care.
By the time my husband Frank and I took over her foster care, Shannon was free of all her scabs and smelled lovely for two to three days at a time. We could see the first signs of peach fuzz poking through. Shannon was still showing black skin, but she was gaining weight and eating well.
At our house, she was in the country. Shannon loved running through the doggy door out into the back yard. She mastered that doggy door the first day. Smart girl!!!!! She followed my two Westies: Rooney an eleven-year-old rescue and Annie an eight-year-old brat. (You know the type!!!)
A very important part of her treatment is a Malaseb shampoo bath every three days. Shannon is an angel when she has to stand in the sink for fifteen minutes while it gets absorbed.
She was on 25 mg of Benadryl to control the itching and inflammation. We were told to slowly wean her off it. By July 11, 2002, she was completely off Benadryl, had stopped all scratching, and was much more alert and active. We also began giving her one teaspoon of flaxseed oil. (a tip was given to us by North East Westie Rescue’s Jennifer Caffrey)
Angie of WestieMed also gave us some fabulous suggestions. One of the most effective was changing her diet to Science Diet Z/D — a low-allergen, synthetic-based protein food.
Shannon’s progress is amazing. Her skin and fur become softer every day. By July 16, 2002 she had put on two pounds and regained all of her muscle mass. She has hair growing on every part of her body except her eyes and nose!!!!!!!
She is not up for adoption yet. We want her fur to grow in a little more and want to continue to monitor her progress. Any potential owner must have the time to provide ongoing care. Shannon will need a weekly maintenance shampoo. Her ears need to be cleaned often, and she must get the proper food. But, this little girl is well on her way to becoming a little princess!!!!!
WestieMed has generously paid for her vet visits, supplies, shots and medication. They will also supply her with lots of Malaseb shampoo to pass on to her new owners.
Thank you WestieMed for approving the finances to enable North East Westie Rescue to carry through with Shannon’s Cinderella story.
Dianne Luistro & Penny Cherubino
Maggie – WestieMed Recipient
Update August 2002:
Shannon was adopted on August 11, 2002, by a wonderful family who has all the time in the world to devote to Shannon’s continuing care. Shannon also has a big brother dog named ” Spencer.” They both go to the beach on the weekends with their parents. Thank-you Westiemed and especially Angie who gave us the directions and formula to get Shannon well.
Dianne
Update December 2002:
My husband & I adopted Shannon (who we now call Maggie) in August from Dianne Luistro. She has brought so much happiness into our home & has flourished. At her last vet appointment she weighed 18 lbs., loves to eat, play & cuddle. She is still having her weekly baths & this week she went for her first grooming. She now looks like a show dog! The groomer said her fur was very full & healthy. She has won our hearts & has become best friends with Spenser (our Chessie). She gives him a run around the yard & he still hasn’t caught her! Just want to say thank you to all of you at Westie rescue for all the wonderful work you do.
Happy Holidays, Joan
Update January 2003: New Photos of Maggie
Maggie – WestieMed Recipient
Update June 2003:
Maggie is doing just great – she’s gotten fat and sassy! She is very comfortable in our home & has become quite affectionate. It seems as if she has always been here. I still have two unopened bottles of Malasab shampoo & if there is someone that needs it I would be happy to send them. The groomer uses her own shampoo & Maggie’s fur is beautiful. (when I can keep her clean, she loves to roll around outside!) I haven’t taken any new pictures, but when I do I’ll send some.
Emma came into my life on June 15th. Emma is a rescue as her owners felt they could not deal with her skin allergies any longer. When Emma joined my brood (my two westies Kelsey is ten and Mollie is six) she was just a bundle of energy and fun!. I took Emma to my Vet to review her allergies, and schedule her for spaying. I put her on the ARF diet and she loved it! Within a week her skin was looking good and she was recuperating from her surgery. I did notice at this time though that Emma was walking much slower than she had. One night she just kept falling over, so I took her to the emergency Vet. They did a blood panel (good) and x-rays. The x-rays showed her left hip sock was basically gone. The Vet said she must have been in a lot of pain for quite some time. It just broke my heart to know this little one had been suffering for so long.
The next day, I took Emma’s diagnosis to our Rescue board, to ask for their approval for her surgery. A week later Emma was home, resting soundly. I did notice though after about a week she was still having a lot of difficultly walking, and when she was sitting her head would sway back and forth. I had to start to hand feed her, as she just had no energy/strength to do it on her own. Everyone I spoke to said this was not unusual given what she had just been through (with the hip surgery) and it would take her a few weeks to recover.
The next week I called my Vet and asked to bring her in for another follow up (she had had two since her surgery) as I just felt something was wrong. Later that night Emma started having seizures. I rushed her back to the Emergency Vet and they put her on Valium and Phenobarbital. . They asked to keep her overnight and to review her progress in the am, while they ran some tests.
I got home and just cried. I had never felt so helpless. I got on the Internet and started emailing breeders; Westie Club of America and Westie Med. Angie emailed me right back! She was just the shot in the arm I needed not to let any negative thoughts get the best of me!
The next day, I went in to see Emma, it was a heartbreaking sight. She was on Phenobarbital and was completely out of it. She was having involuntary muscle spasms. If I touched her the spasms increased. The Vet said so far all of her tests were normal, which ruled out epilepsy. The Vet said I should think about an MRI, as they believed at this point Emma’s condition was neurological.
I followed up with Westie Med and submitted Emma’s request for help. Westie Med moved so quickly, letting me know Emma was approved for her MRI within twenty-four hours! I can’t tell you how great it is to know so many cared about Emma and were there cheering her on!
Emma had her MRI and I came to see her later that day. The E-Vet said Emma had come thru just great and was actually sitting up, taking in water and food (which was a surprise to us all given where she had been twenty-four hours earlier).
MRI did show a lesion on her brain (in the back where her motor functions are, which did help to explain why she was having trouble walking). Also, there was a high level of white cells in her spinal fluid, which indicated she may have one of three possible infections: Distemper, GME, or Cancer (which was a distant third).
The E-Vet then shared that we could have sent her fluids out to be tested (to narrow down the cause) but they had missed the Fed-X delivery person and the fluids wouldn’t hold for another twenty-four hours. It was then I stepped in and took over. I said I would get the vials to Fed-X (even though the office manager insisted it was too late). I started calling around and found a Fed-X open until 8:00 pm, which gave me forty-five minutes to get there. Twenty-five minutes later (and still no packages) I headed back to the E-Vet area and said I would pack the vials myself as I had only twenty minutes to make it to the location. I started putting the Fed-X boxes together, while I “watched” the technicians put everything else together.
I arrived at the Fed-X location with five minutes to spare. When I got to the counter the agent asked me what I had. When I shared what it was she insisted on opening the boxes to see how they were packed. To make a long story short, they informed me they were not packed correctly and they wouldn’t go out. I explained the urgency, but unfortunately they said they could not let the boxes go out. I turned to the people in line behind me and asked them for help- Emma was truly blessed that night! Two people in line were medical supplies sales people and had everything I needed. We went out to the parking lot and re-packed the vials! The Fed-X team kept the office open for me!
The next day Emma was sitting up and off of all her IVs. The E-Vet started her on prednisolone (to help with the inflammation). They said if all went well she could come home. I brought Emma home last Saturday (6/29) and it was just great to have her home! I immediately started Emma on vitamins and minerals to pump up her immune system. I know how hard prednisolone is on the body, and the only way she was going to be able to fight this was with some help!
The first three days were very hard, as Emma needed to take her meds every couple of hours and needed to be carried to the grass to do her duty. I called on my neighbors and my critter sitter for help. I came home every day at lunch as well. By the fourth day, Emma had control of her bowel movements and was really trying to walk.
I took her to a holistic Vet and we started her on an acupuncture program. The next day (7/4) I was taking my dogs for a walk and Emma started barking up a storm, tail wagging all excited! Well, I couldn’t leave her home. So I called my neighbor and asked her if she could help me walk my dogs. I put Emma on the lawn with Cindy (my neighbor) and I went in to get my girls. Cindy called out that Emma was walking! I ran out to see, and she sure was! Now, I am not going to say the acupuncture was the cure, as she was definitely trying on her own before, but I can’t help but believe it did help her! Emma made it two blocks before she pooped out! During this time Emma’s test results (two of the three) have come back negative. The remaining one is the distemper test. The E-Vet said she believes it is GME (which is so rare no one knows much about it). All I know is that Emma is making great progress, I know I have to take one day at a time with her as I may only have her with me for a few months (if it is GME the prognosis is not good). But my little girl is walking, eating, playing, and in all ways a truly stubborn Westie!
I just want all of you to know HOW GREAT WESTIEMED IS! if it wasn’t for them, Emma would not be here right now – that I know for sure!
Lisa
Update January 2003:
Hello! Miss Emma is doing fantastic! All of her hair has grown back in, she is running, jumping and is all and all a normal, happy go lucky Westie!. She is a dedicated BARF eater, and (in my opinion) it has kept her healthy. As you know, many thought she had GME (which is fatal)…after six months she has beaten the odds (if she has it) and is very strong!
Update June 2003:
Emma is doing just great! She is big and healthy!. You can barely tell she could not walk, she runs and plays like all westies who are loved and incredibly spoiled!
