Lainey was relinquished to an animal shelter because her owner was getting a divorce. Our very good friend who is the animal control deputy of the shelter alerted us to Lainey’s situation. She was listed as a 12 year old, but her microchip was registered so we had a birthdate on her. She is a precious 14.5 year old senior lady.
Lainey was covered in fleas and her backend was urine stained. The shelter cleaned her up, treated her for fleas and we picked her up the very next day. During the drive, she lost control of her bladder. Once we got her home, she drank buckets and buckets of water. Over the next 24 hours, Lainey continually drank water and urinated. The poor little girl would also urinate while she was asleep. It was heartbreaking and she was getting baths several times a day.
Lainey has had several vet visits in one week! We treated her ear infections, ran her bloodwork, and urinalysis and sent it out for culture. Her bloodwork did not have the markers for cushings, but with her extended abdomen and water consumption, we ran a dexamethasone suppression test to check for cushings syndrome. The test did not reveal cushings, so we set up an abdominal ultrasound with an internist. Lainey faired pretty well and does not have any masses. One kidney shows an old blood clot so we submitted bloodwork to evaluate for evidence of hypercoagulability. One test evaluated her overall clotting abilities which shows that she has a tendency for clot formation. The second test evaluated for the presence of clot breakdown part which is an indirect way of saying that she is having ongoing clots in her body. These tests tell us that Lainey is at risk for blood clots or strokes so we have started her on a blood thinner medication.
Since Lainey’s tests have not produced a diagnosis, we are treating her for Diabetes Insipidus. There is no test for this except by process of elimination. We started Lainey on Desmopressin acetate which is the treatment of choice for central diabetes insipidus. Her symptoms have dramatically improved and we are keeping a log of the amount of water she consumes. There is room for improvement so her dosage may be adjusted. We will continue to monitor her electrolytes and her first retest shows her electrolytes are normal so this is great news. We have increased her medication and will retest again in 5 days. She will also be retested for cushings down the road.
To get Lainey to this point has been costly. But as it turns out, her owner relinquishing her to the shelter was the best thing for Lainey because she now has received the help she so desperately needed. She already feels better and her true Westie-ness is starting to shine through!
Karen Simondet – WROC
Update September 28, 2022
Lainey continues to do well. We started Lainey on Desmopressin acetate which is the treatment of choice for central diabetes insipidus. She just had her follow up vet appointment and her prescription was refilled at the same dosage. The biggest change in her life is her new home! Lainey was adopted by Rick and Debbie and shares her home with two other westies. Her story is truly a happy beginning!
Karen Simondet – WROC
Update May 31, 2023:
At 15.5 years old now, Lainey continues to thrive in her new home with Debbie and Rick. With a new puppy in the home, Lainey is active, plays with the puppy and is doing so well! Debbie and Rick are staying on top of her condition and no modifications have been needed.
Lainey was such a great save! And we are so thankful to WestieMed for helping her get there!
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 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
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 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 today…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!!!
