Ear Infection – WestieMed

Dilly

November 6, 2021December 20, 2021 by westiemed in Stories, Uncategorized

Dilly’s story is a sure a strange one, but she ended up in the right place!

Dilly is not her original name…. we’re not sure what that was. She was called “Dilly” because she looked like an armadillo. When she was rescued, the poor girl had only a few tufts of hair. The rest of her skin was black and wrinkled. The skin on her front legs was so inflamed and swollen, it folded over onto itself. She was surrendered by people who could not take care of her. This was certainly evident. We were told Dilly was 10-12 years old.

Dilly came my way after she did not fit in with her foster home. All the attempts, adjustments, and tricks that we know didn’t allow for a peaceful household. She joined my crew of two male Westies in October 2021. I’m not going to say she fit right in…. but what female Westie does anything peacefully? It turns out she was not spayed, and to say she was boy crazy is an understatement. Luckily, within a month she was healthy enough to have the surgery.

Dilly had a bad case of atopic dermatitis, along with a heart murmur, fractured teeth, ear and eye infections, and did I mention she was boy crazy? Our first trip to a vet was very helpful. Within a few days she had stopped her constant scratching, which let her focus more on, well, boys.

We addressed each ailment in order of severity, all along giving many Nizoral baths and cold laser therapy treatments for her skin issues. (I love Westie Rescue of Orange County’s skin protocol, it’s worked wonders in the past). Within a month she was able to receive a rabies vaccine. The vet thought she was so medically compromised a vaccine would not be able to produce an immune response at all during the first visit.

She is a pistol. She is very smart and ornery. If she is 10-12 years old, she was a handful as a puppy. She is full of Westitude and very affectionate. We’re very grateful to WestieMed for help with her medical bills. Sometimes you don’t know what life will throw at you, but I’m very glad Dilly landed here.

Jen

Update December 14, 2021:

When Dilly was strong enough for surgery, two veterinarians both thought she was not spayed. No scar, no tattoos, (although her skin remained so dark and mottled, it was hard to tell). Spay surgery was a go until the docs found she had already been spayed. That surgery quickly became a dental checkup and Dilly had SEVEN teeth pulled. You would never know from her eating abilities before or after the extractions that anything was amiss. Her skin has settled down which means fewer baths. Throughout all her vet visits, her ears remained flat out “gooey”. We finally had the germs her ears cultured to find out exactly what kind of medicine would be best.

Dilly insists she is no ‘run of the mill’ Westie, and therefore apparently needs ‘special’ everything. As she healed, we moved down the hierarchy of medical needs. Next were her eyes. I knew she had poor vision, as she ran into things, but seemed to adapt quickly to her surroundings. For once, the ophthalmologist said there was hope her eyes would improve! Years of dry eyes had scarred the corneas, but with special drops (again…special) her vision should get better. She is sure patient to get 2 types of eyedrops twice a day. Did I mention special ear drops? And hypoallergenic food? Some would say high maintenance, but Dilly insists she’s just “special”. She sure is!

Jen

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

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)

Luna

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

Luna joined our family in July of 2018. We met her and instantly fell in love with her calm charm and sweet disposition. She came into our lives somewhat unexpectantly after we lost our dog Peetie of twelve years. We stopped into our local animal shelter MADAAC. They are the first stop for stray or abandoned animals before other local institutions. Our family had considered adopting another family member and we decided to stop by to see how their process worked. They told us Luna had just been brought in the night before as a stray. She was on the thin side and had a nasty ear infection. We hesitantly decided to meet her as we weren’t sure if we were emotionally ready for another dog. Peetie was a very important piece of us. However, it is a decision I am so happy we made.

When she entered the small six by six-foot space we instantly smelled a strong rancid scent. It was her ear infection, it was really nasty and looked as if it had been going on for months and months. The whole left side of her head was brown with discharge from her ear. They told us she was most likely around three, she wasn’t spayed and wasn’t chipped. She immediately jumped onto our laps for attention. It was wonderful. Luna had just been brought in the night before, so there was a five-day adoption hold for her. But, we knew we had to go for it.

Five long days passed and Luna has still had not been spoken for. Who wouldn’t claim such a special baby? They scheduled her spay and we could take her home! We were told her ear would be cleaned thoroughly and we made arrangements with our family veterinarian to start treating the infection. All was falling into place until we went to pick Luna up from her procedure.

It became very clear it was not just an ear infection in Luna’s ear, but something worse. She had growths all deep within her ear preventing the infection from escaping. This made it evident she would require more than antibiotics and most likely surgery. MADAAC gave us a choice of not adopting Luna. But, it never crossed our minds to give up on her as her previous owner must have done. She was already a member of our family and we were bonded, for life.

After getting spayed, we took Luna back home to get her used to her new home and family. She was quiet, sweet, and gentle. Everything we could’ve hoped. But, her body language suggested that she may have been mistreated in her life. She cowered in fear, and after making a mess in the house, she ran underneath a bed to hide. We Immediately took her for grooming and to our vet for care. We were hoping for a non-surgical solution for her ear. The medications were not working. We had a culture done to be sure the correct medications were being used for the type of infection she had. We finally got the right stuff but as soon as the rounds of medication were complete, the infection came back. She has been on antibiotics and prednisone since July. All of the Vets said the same thing. Prolonged steroid and anti-biotic use would be hard on her system and it would shorten her life.

Day by day, Luna has warmed up to us and I know she loves us all just as much as we love her. She is so delicate, gentle and sweet to everyone. She plays with children, loves to cuddle, and loves to give kisses. She is a true companion. However, her ear issue has only become worse. And she will have to have her entire ear canal removed.

With the help of WestieMed, Luna will have her TECA surgery in January of 2019 so she can continue to live joyously and without infection with her new family.

Brenda

Update January 26, 2019

Luna - WestieMed Recipient January 2019 — Luna – WestieMed Recipient January 2019

Luna had her surgery on the 21st and came home on the 23rd. She is doing well!!

She has a blinking issue that should resolve with time. We have to put an ointment in her eye to prevent ulcers. She should get her stitches out in a week!

Thanks again! Without you and your organization, this would not have been possible.

Brenda

Update August 30, 2019

Luna - WestieMed Recipient August Update2019 — Luna -August Update 2019

Yes, everything is fine. We are so grateful for your help!

Luna has definitely found her forever family. It was love at first sight and it has grown with each passing day.

Her ear surgeon did a great job and she only had partial facial paralysis for about a month. We had to put drops in her eyes four times a day to deter any eye issues. She has adjusted well too.

It was evident when we brought her home that she had been abused. She would cower and got complete stiff when we picked her up. She isn’t afraid as much now, although she is still skittish at times.

In the year that we have had her, she had an accident two times!!!! It was our fault for misreading her. She is really good about letting us know.

She is madly in love with my college-aged son. They have an amazing bond. My 85-year-old mother moved in and Luna has a constant companion all day long.

I can’t thank you all enough for the help. Luna would have had to be on antibiotics for the rest of her life and would have most likely had to be put to sleep eventually when the antibiotics stopped working.

She is honestly the sweetest little girl we could have hoped for.

Brenda

Update December 12, 2019

Everything is great with little Luna. Her little ear healed well and her facial paralysis went away. We are madly in love with her and I am pretty sure, she is madly in love with us too.

She is having a little issue with her back knee but it doesn’t seem to hurt her at this point. It just moves a little funny when she walks.

She does have some emotional baggage that has not lifted yet. She still cowers and if you touch her back she sort of sinks in a petrified manner. It is so sad. I absolutely cannot understand why or how anyone could harm an animal no less this gentle girl.

Attached is a picture of her and my son. Thanks again for all that you do. You saved little Luna’s life!

Happy Holidays!!

Brenda and Luna

George Bailey

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

On December 16, 2017, I drove to Houston to rescue a Westie brother and sister.

We named the girl Charlotte Rose and decided to name the boy George Bailey after the film “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

I later learned that George had a severe ear infection and will need surgery. The doctor, or dog-tor, feels that has infection was neglected for a very long time, which contributed to his being deaf.

While he also doesn’t bark, he has no trouble making his needs known. He is the sweetest and most gentle dog. George has adjusted quickly and happily to his permanent home.

It’s difficult to know how much pain this infection causes him. With WestieMed’s help, George will be able to have the TECA surgery he needs.

Adela

Update July 2019

George Bailey experienced complications from his surgery. He passed to Rainbow Bridge the day after surgery.

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

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

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.

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.

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)