On Christmas Day 2007, Angel, a seven to eight-year-old Westie, was found wandering in traffic near Louisa, Kentucky (close to the border of West Virginia), by a wonderful woman. Angel was “in very bad shape”. Angel had infections in both ears and one eye for which antibiotics were prescribed. The veterinarian believed Angel was very pregnant. Arrangements were made to place Angel into Westie/Cairn Terrier Rescue of SW Ohio in Williamsburg. Once in Williamsburg, Ohio, an ultrasound showed that Angel was not pregnant. Angel was spayed, further antibiotics were prescribed, and her teeth were cleaned with some removed. Further diagnostic testing showed Angel had an enlarged heart and cardiac medications were started. In addition, a mammary tumor was removed that fortunately was benign. Angel has given birth to multiple liters and is believed to have come from a puppy mill.
Angel remained unadopted for approximately three months. In browsing through the Westie Rescue, USA website, I found Carla Smith of Westie/Cairn Rescue of SW Ohio in Williamsburg and adopted Angel on 4/5/08. Angel was initially very timid and fearful. With minimal activity or after lying down, Angel would start coughing and had periods of labored breathing. Two days after adoption, Angel received medical treatment for what was believed to be congestive heart failure. However, Angel’s symptoms progressively became worse. Angel rarely barked and when she did, she would start coughing.
On 4/11/08, a cardiologist diagnosed Angel with Pulmonary Fibrosis, also known as Westie Lung Disease. It is chronic scarring of the lung tissue that is mostly seen in Westies. Angel receives three respiratory medications, including an inhaler, twice a day and her heart medications were discontinued. Within twelve hours, Angel’s activity level improved dramatically. Although seven to eight years old, Angel acted like a puppy, full of energy and getting into everything.
When Angel first arrived, she could only walk two to three house lengths without coughing and shortness of breath. Initially, the cardiologist said to restrict her activity; however, Angel was not going to comply with this prescription. Angel now briskly walks the entire block (twenty houses) several times a day and barks without coughing.
Angel has gained so much confidence, proudly walking down the street with that terrier prance and wagging her tail. The cardiologist is thrilled with her progress. In addition, she runs through the house with excitement, plays with toys, and is just as happy as she could be. Angel has also assumed a very important job, squirrel detective. Always on squirrel patrol, Angel is the fastest squirrel chaser around and if she could figure out how to climb a tree, she would. Her front paw goes up and her tail becomes straight when she senses a squirrel is on her turf. What a smart girl, if she can’t climb a tree, she will just chop the tree down with her teeth.
Angel loves other dogs and has several dog friends. Angel has become quite the neighborhood dog. Children on bicycles say, “Hi Angel” and people on porches always greet her. Angel looks in amazement, “Are they talking to me?” Although still a little people shy, Angel has just blossomed. Angel is the best little mommy helper around; she goes everywhere with Mommy including shopping, where she sits in the basket of the cart. Store clerks and shoppers always come up to her and two people have asked: “where they can get a dog just like her”. Such a sweet little Westie, Angel has provided much love, humor, and comfort to all of those who come across her path. Angel has been such a blessing!
Thank you so much to Westie Med, Inc. for providing the assistance for Angel to be able to live out the life that she deserves including the puppyhood that she missed. Angel and her mommy are so grateful for your kindness and generous support. Angel has truly been given another chance and she is taking every opportunity to live her new life to the fullest. Each day is a new adventure. Angel is truly an angel!
Update October 5, 2008
My life keeps getting better and better. Words cannot express my sincere gratitude to WESTIE MED for their concern over my well-being and their financial assistance.
I saw my cardiologist in September and got a very good report. I wasn’t surprised as I already knew because I feel so much better. My lung pressures are down, just borderline of the high end of normal. The doctor said, “that I still will always have pulmonary hypertension”, whatever that means. I still take my three medications, twice a day, no changes were made. I wish my doctor would stop that inhaler, I do not like that one, but Mommy waits until I am asleep to use it. The other two medicines I like because I get really good food with them. Mommy says, “Come on Angel, time for medicines” and I come running.
If I haven’t told you, I live in a palace! Boy, I am one lucky dog. I have my own couch and loveseat. Old carpet and furniture are a dog’s dream. I can do whatever I want. I sprawl out on my couch or loveseat, as big as I please. Mommy got me dog steps for the couch and I learned real quick how to climb them. I also have lots of toys. My toy squirrel is my favorite. In the palace, I can run all the way through the living room, dining room and kitchen in one swoop. I do this when I am really excited and happy. Also, at the palace, when you are hungry all you have to do is toss your food bowl and you get fed. On the weekends, it operates similar to a Bed and Breakfast. I get to sleep in and I get a little cream of wheat for breakfast, yum, yum.
Still busy chasing and barking at all those squirrels. I have my own backyard, I just love it. I run from one end to the other trying to get those squirrels. I do wish I had longer legs, so I could climb a tree or that fence. I can’t get away with much back there as Mommy is always watching; I tell her that she is too overprotective. I also watch the squirrels from my front door, I have a special mat there that has a beautiful picture of a Westie, just like me. In the mornings, sometimes I take a snooze on my mat as the sun shines on me.
I get to go on lots of walks, people around here say, “Hi Angel” as I walk by. My little legs just keep moving as quickly as they can and I wag my tail. Mommy says, “Good girl” as I prance down the street. I now potty all the time outside. After I “Potty Outside”, Mommy says, “Diggity, Dig, Diggity, Dog”, and I dig real fast. I also know what “Come, Come” means and “Stay”. Mommy says, “I am the smartest dog that she ever had”.
I have a Pet Nanny, my neighbor, Auntie DeAnna. She watches me all day when Mommy goes to work. Auntie DeAnna spoils me rotten. She bought a digital camera with video just to capture all of my best moments.
Good thing that the power went out for several days and I could not go to the groomer, as I discovered the palace also has a spa. I got a bath! I just loved it, lots of warm water, a massage with lather, I thought I was in heaven. Mommy said, “that I couldn’t go to the Cardiologist without a bath, as they might think I wasn’t well cared for”, boy, I would set the record straight if anyone ever said that.
I also have a sparkly new harness in pink and a matching leash with diamonds. Auntie DeAnna got me jewelry; doggy charms that go on my pink harness. I only wear this outfit on special occasions. And, I love to go “Bye, Bye”, that means a ride in the car.
Yep, I have a great life. Each day, I am so excited to get started that I help Mommy open the front door by scratching on it as she opens it, so I can be the first one to see outside. I am so, so happy!!! Thank you again for assisting with making my new life possible. I feel so much better now and in fact, I am able to hold a very important job and it’s in the career of my choice, squirrel detective.
Hugs and kisses, Angel
I hope you enjoyed reading Angel’s progress in her own words. I cannot believe that still each day, she gets better and better. Angel is so happy, full of life and more confident with each day. Quite a contrast from when she first came, so timid and fearful and then unable to do much with the shortness of breath and coughing. Angel now only coughs occasionally and only becomes short of breath when she overdoes it with those squirrels, but with a close eye, I can intervene before it gets to that point. Angel wakes up full of energy and ready to go. I have learned a great deal through adopting Angel. A ton of patience and love makes such a difference. I never would have dreamed that Angel would get to the point that she is. She is too cute and just the sweetest dog around, never growls or gets upset. Her next cardiologist appointment is now in five months. Also, her heart has not enlarged any further.
Thank you again. May God bless WestieMed for that work that you do.
Little Miss Clover was released from a puppy mill breeder in Missouri allegedly because she had a “slight” heart murmur and the breeder did not want to sell her, so she was offered to Rescue and Westie Rescue/Austin offered to take her. Clover was born on March 18, 2007. When she arrived in Texas, the “slight” heart murmur was very pronounced and a cardiologist was consulted.
After the sonogram showed an enlarged heart due to the failure of the patent duct to close at birth, it was determined that Clover had a very serious PDA defect that needed to be repaired or she would not live to see her first birthday. She was put on Lasix (a diuretic) for the latent congestive heart failure that was developing and scheduled for surgery on July 3, 2007. At three and half months old Clover had open-heart surgery. Her surgeon, Dr. Caplan, felt Clover had an excellent chance at full recovery and should live a full and active normal lifespan for the spunky little Westie that she is.
Chloe – WestieMed Recipient
We brought Clover home to her foster mom on July 5th, a subdued and quiet little Westie. She had been gaining weight this past month and is now at 7.2 pounds. She will need two weeks of quiet recovery before getting her stitches out of her side, and allowed to play again with her foster sister. But we know she will pull through. Clover was wagging her tail furiously when we went to pick her up and bring her home. Clover will have to follow up re-checks with the surgeon and with her cardiologist for the next six months before getting a clean bill of health, but both her doctors feel she will do fine. Clover will be available for adoption after that.
We are deeply grateful for WestieMed’s assistance with her major medical bills, that have exceeded $2100. so far. Without the support of WestieMed, Clover’s surgery might not have been able to take place. Thank you for being there.
Chloe – WestieMed Recipient
Update August 2007:
Chloe (formerly Clover) Gets a New Family and a New Name
Chloe (formerly Clover) is a little West Highland White Terrier that came into the world before her little heart was finished. She had what is known as a Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). It happens in humans and can happen in puppies too. The surgery to correct it for a puppy is fully invasive open heart surgery. It is quite expensive and as you can imagine, for-profit puppy places are not in the business of saving every dog.
Thankfully there are kind people like Barbara Ott of Westie Rescue of Austin and groups like WestieMed who stand up and devote their time and money behind the scenes to save these precious little lives regardless of the bottom line.
As we were mourning the loss of our Lizzy, our nine-year-old Westie who passed suddenly within two weeks of learning something may be wrong, for the first time in our lives together we were living in our all-too-quiet and deathly still house without a little furbaby. It was not a joyful place to be. I certainly wasn’t yet thinking of another pet, but when my husband emailed me the Pet Finder picture and story of Clover (now Chloe), our heart just went out to that precious little ball of fur.
I just couldn’t imagine her having to go through full open-heart surgery. I was hoping to learn that she was all right. From seeing her sweet little pictures, I knew that if she survived the surgery there would be no shortage of homes for her, but I just had to know that she had survived the surgery.
I contacted Barbara Ott of Westie Rescue of Austin to check on Clover and one thing led to another and by late August we were so fortunate to be able to foster her in our home! Our home was joyful again! Her doctor’s orders were strict and we didn’t deviate…except for the part where a six-month-old puppy is to stay calm ALL the time. Well…we tried our best.
She was so quick to learn the rules of the house…even learned how to ring a bell on the front door to ask to go potty. She is truly a remarkable little girl with the sweetest disposition. The fact that she remains very open and trusting after all she has been through early in her life is a testament to the kind and gentle care she received with all of the good people involved.
She has continued to thrive and her little floppy ear even came up. (Although it was pretty darling the way it was.)
Chloe – WestieMed Recipient
Update November 2007:
On November 8, 2007 she was cleared by her cardiologist and we were incredibly thrilled to be able to formally adopt her!
Chloe has since been spayed and is up to date with her shots and has been micro-chipped. Her little coat is filling back in beautifully, which I should add, she insists on keeping quite clean. When she came to us we were told that she loved her little pool, so we got one for her and, yes, she loves it…although not as much as the shower. My husband has learned to be extremely careful not to leave the shower running with the door unsecured. If he so much as steps out for a new bar of soap, he returns to a blissfully happy puppy frolicking in the water. She is almost always very very clean.
She is thriving and is the busiest little girl with many many toys in her toy box. Initially I worried if she would be lonely with no other dogs to play with, but she makes challenging games for herself by always having one toy in her mouth while playing soccer with her balls. When she isn’t dancing and playing with us, she hops and pounces, and plays a mean game of keep away from herself using a racket ball under the round grate of the coffee table.
She isn’t a barker inside at all, but when her favorite racket ball gets trapped under a piece of furniture she gives us one announcing bark then sits beside it patiently until one of us comes to rescue it for her.
We have a house rule is that she is invisible when we are at the dinner table and consequently she does not ever beg or bother. Although the hardest part is for US not to acknowledge HER as we see her playing so sweetly and intently. She is s constant source of smiles. We are so fortunate to have her in our lives.
I just don’t know how she could be any sweeter.
We were told that we can expect Chloe to lead a full life. After all that this little girl has been through and the caring and diligent work everyone has done to make her survival possible, I certainly hope to do everything I can to make it a happy one. She is our little girl.
To Barbara Ott and WestieMed, thank you sooooo much for all you do. You really do make a difference far beyond just helping the furbabies.
Sincerely,
Holly Alario
Update May 2008:
Our little Chloe is doing so well. She doesn’t seem to have any problems at all. She has two speeds; Full-On-Boundless-Energy and Stop-I-Need-My-Beauty-Sleep. I feel very confident that the cardiologist will be pleased at her next check up.
Chloe is the sweetest little girl I can imagine…and smart too. My husband is convinced that she can tell the good guys from the bad guys on TV. Actually she does actually watch the television. (She’s the first of any of my furbabies to do this.) And oddly enough, while watching if she growls, most often it when an evil character is doing or saying something. I’d like to think she is a great judge of character, but I do fear that if we were burgled, she’d make fast friends with the person.
Her sleeping and relaxing abilities are second to none. She loves sleeping in the bed with us and loves to be the last one out of bed in the morning. (Our bed is too high for her to get into by herself so we’ve installed the “Chloe Climber”, a little step system next to the bed that gives her a little more autonomy.)
Chloe – WestieMed Recipient
hen it’s on the floor for her Yoga where she does her downward doggie stretch followed by the cutest “Zombie” stretch where she sits upright and pushes her little shoulders down, makes her neck stiff and lets out a little groan like a zombie. We love it every time.
And she’s actually turning into a little cuddler, which surprises me for a Westie, especially one so young. I guess now that we’re older we may be treating her more like a grandbaby. She receives an endless supply of hugs and “kisses” (actually Mwha sounds.) Just yesterday, I tested out a new “Chloe Call” and to my shock it worked. She was upstairs and I was down. So instead of calling her with “Chloe Come” I made two loud kissy sounds, like “Mwha Mwha” and instantly she came bounding down the stairs not wanting to miss out on any hugs and “kisses.” 🙂
She is a constant source of smiles and laughs and warm endearing feelings.
Thank you so much for doing what needed to be done to keep this little light of life shining.
We live out in the Southwest in New Mexico where the popular breeds of dogs are medium to large such as chows, rottweilers, labs, Pitbulls, and shepherd mixes. Currently, we own a yellow lab and a Cairn terrier. My Cairn did not come from New Mexico as there are no breeders in this state. I love the breed and have really enjoyed the smaller terrier dog for many reasons. But in this part of the country, there are very few of these types of dogs available. The availability of Westies and Cairns are few and far in between.
I decided I wanted a rescued dog this time, either another Cairn or a Westie. I fell for the Westie breed the first time I saw one at the lighting store where I shop here in town. The owners have one that goes to the shop with them, and she was the cutest thing I ever saw. I knew one day I would have one.
So, I discover Petfinder.com on the Internet and start searching for my new dog. Mind you my husband told me he would leave me if I got another one. In addition to the two other dogs, we have a Bearded Dragon lizard, two goldfish, and three children. Every day I searched the Internet to find my “new” dog. This search started in late June of this year and continued through September.
And then one day there was “Glenda” as she appeared on Petfinder.com. She was located in another state, a rescued two-year-old female who had been a puppy mill-breeding dog. “Glenda” was beautiful and I said to myself, this is the one! I’ve got to have her!
So I contacted the rescue group which had her and told them I really wanted to adopt “Glenda” and the adoption process began. I made arrangements to fly from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Kansas City, Missouri, to pick up “Glenda”. Oh, by the way, neither my family nor I liked the name “Glenda” for her, so decided we were going to change her name to Kaycee, short for Kansas City.
I took my twelve-year-old daughter on this trip to get Kaycee as I wanted company and I thought it would be good for mom and daughter to share some time together. We got into Kansas City late on Friday, September 19, 2003, and were met at the hotel by Kaycee’s foster mom and Kaycee. Kaycee had been previously been checked out by a vet, spayed, and was also found to have a mild heart murmur, but the vet indicated it wasn’t anything we should worry about. Kaycee was also very thin, weighing only twelve pounds, but I didn’t think anything of it since I knew she came from a puppy mill and knew about the deplorable conditions in those places.
We flew Kaycee home the next day via two plane trips through Dallas. She was quiet as a bug the whole way home, not a peep on the plane. Actually, Kaycee is very quiet most of the time and very sweet. She has had to make so many adjustments to be a “pet” for the first time in her life. Kaycee gets spooked easily by noises and was not housebroken when I brought her home, but she has made significant improvements. First, she had to learn her name. I know these puppy mills don’t name their animals, and it was obvious that Kaycee didn’t respond to any name yet.
I took Kaycee to my vet for her first checkup and my vet immediately detected a “significant” heart murmur. She recommended we do an x-ray of her chest, which we did, and it revealed an enlarged heart. My vet told me the only way to tell what is going on is to have an ultrasound done on her heart, and she would have to go to this other clinic where the people who do it come down from Santa Fe once a week. They work for a Cardiologist Vet doctor who does consult only. In the meantime, I take Kaycee home feeling very saddened by what is happening.
I take Kaycee for her ultrasound and find out she has problems with the right side of her heart. There is a thickening of the valve, which is not allowing enough blood to go to her lungs to get oxygenated. There are two defects within her heart; the report comes back telling me she has Pulmonic Stenosis and tricuspid valve regurgitation. The changes are severe according to the medical report. This is a congenital heart defect which not only does she have, but was passed on to all the puppies she gave birth to at the puppy mill. What a disgrace. The breeders should have never allowed Kaycee to have puppies. But I think they knew she had heart problems and that is why they “retired” her. You can tell she gets tired easily and pants a lot when resting whereas my other two dogs don’t.
The medical recommendation for Kaycee is surgery and, either she will need balloon valvuloplasty (similar to angioplasty in humans), or if she has another type of pulmonary stenosis then it could be heart surgery where they do the incision in her chest.
The latter is harder on the dog than the balloon procedure, but both procedures will take about 4-5 hours in surgery. If she doesn’t receive the surgery, she will develop right-sided heart failure. After discussing everything with my vet, we felt that she is a good candidate for the surgery. The doctors have told me that this will certainly be an improvement in her life and allow her more years on this earth than if she doesn’t have the help. I felt that Kaycee’s first two years were so awful that she deserves a chance at living a nice, quiet, happy life at home with us and her sister and brother and family she now has.
The main obstacle in this whole situation is the fact that there is not a single veterinary doctor/surgeon in New Mexico who can perform this specialized surgery. The closest place that can do this surgery is in Fort Collins, Colorado, at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. They have a special cardiac unit with cardiology specialists in small animal care and they have the expertise and state of the art facility to do heart surgery.
Thanks to the caring, generous people and their donors at WestieMed, Kaycee will be able to have her surgery. I just could not afford this kind of expense (plus the cost of traveling) to Colorado for 4 days was making things tough on me. WestieMed is a wonderful group of people and I hope to meet some of them one day soon to thank them.
So, as of today (October 29, 2003), I have made my plane reservation for next Tuesday, November 4th to fly Kaycee and myself up to Denver and drive about an hour north to Fort Collins (it’s supposed to snow while I’m there!) for the surgery. On Tuesday, November 4th, Kaycee has her exam with the surgeon and pre-surgery tests, and on Wednesday, November 5th is her surgery. We won’t know which procedure the doctors will do on Kaycee until they examine her. I will stay up there through Friday just in case they have to do the “heart” surgery since that requires Kaycee to spend an extra day in the hospital for recuperating. Then we will fly home. The following week on November 14th, I will have surgery on my broken foot (which was delayed to take care of Kaycee’s needs), and Kaycee and I will be recuperating together, watching movies, lying around the house doing very little.
We will keep you posted. Donna
Update, November 6, 2003:
I went to see Kaycee today at the hospital and she is doing wonderfully. I had her on my lap for about one and a half hours. She had to be bandaged all around her body since the incision is in her lower groin and was leaking blood earlier last night. But that has stopped and she has a large hematoma there so it doesn’t look pretty but the blood and its nutrients will be reabsorbed into her body as I was told. She has been eating and is not messing with the incision (yet) and is alert and the good news I was told is that her abdomen is no longer distended from fluid!!! The fluid is gone so the doctors believe that they think they did more to improve her situation than previously thought. This is a good sign since that fluid was at a moderate level when we got here and was the beginning of congestive heart failure. I am really happy that she is such a trooper and such a good girl. Kaycee has really meant a lot to the fourth-year medical student who has been caring for her and she was in the surgery with Kaycee too. Even the women at the hotel Sleep Inn have been overwhelmed by Kaycee, they just love her. Anyway, she is staying tonite at the hospital, and we go home tomorrow. I get her early in the morning. She will be on anti-inflammatory and blood pressure meds. Blood pressure meds for a long time. Gotta go will talk later
Hugs to all Donna
Kaycee – WestieMed Recipient
Update, November 7, 2003:
Pictured to the right is Donna and Kaycee checking out of the hospital and heading home!
Update, November 13, 2003:
Kaycee woke up this morning with labored breathing and her color pale and not looking well. I gave her her medicine (atenolol which is for blood pressure). I just took her to the vet and they have her there while they do some blood tests and chest x-ray. She was doing wonderfully through yesterday so this is a surprise. The vet said she had a little fluid in her abdomen and they are checking for internal bleeding either around her heart, the valve area, or elsewhere. I will let you know as soon as I find out from her doctor.
Update, November 14, 2003:
Kaycee is staying in the hospital. I took her to the vets this morning and had to take her to a larger hospital so they could do an ultrasound on her heart. I had to take her there with an IV in her leg to keep the fluids going in her. The hospital Vet Dr is trying to get hold of Dr. Bright (Kaycee’s surgeon in CO) because it is hard to tell what is happening with her. Her heart for some reason is enlarged more and she had very labored breathing and turning pale today. It isn’t fluid around her heart as they first thought. It might be a blood clot that got loose but this is hard to tell. This was thought by the other cardiologist specialist in Colorado that spoke to the Vet here. They did another ultrasound on Kaycee today. In the meantime, she has been put into an oxygenated cage to give her more oxygen. They did an EKG on her and that was normal. It is perplexing as to what is happening but if it is a blood clot then it could be bad. They are going to give her some low dose heparin injections for potential blood clots but they have to be very careful as it causes bleeding so they are being very cautious. Kaycee is stable for now. I have to go back to the hospital tonite to give them her medicine (Atenolol). I will certainly know more about what is wrong by tomorrow when Dr.Bright gets in touch with the Dr here in Albuquerque. She will most definitely want to know what is going on with Kaycee and have some ideas. I thought Kaycee was over the hump but apparently not.
Update, November 15, 2003:
Kaycee is still in the hospital. It is Saturday and she is making some improvement but not quite out of the woods yet. But it looks better than yesterday morning. I got the call from the vet at the hospital here right before I had my surgery and she had turned blue in the oxygen cage and had labored breathing. That was yesterday morning. Since then, The vet here in Albq spoke with Dr. Bright/Colorado yesterday and they seem to agree that a blood clot did get loose in Kaycee and went into her lungs. Dr. Bright said she has never had a patient that this has happened to and she has done many of these operations and is an expert at the balloon valvuloplasty procedure so she would know. This is very unusual. But the good thing is since yesterday Kaycee has been holding steady and hasn’t had any setbacks since yesterday morning. And she is eating well, some color improvement since yesterday so I keep praying she beats this. The vet will call me tonite with another update since late this afternoon. They will be increasing the Heparin medication for blood clots as well.
Update, November 18, 2003:
Kaycee came home tonight finally after 6 days n the hospital. She looks much better and is taking it very very easy. I have to keep her calm and not very active for a while. She is getting Heparin injections three times daily for a few days along with taking Warfarin tablet (half a day) and half baby aspirin per day along with her atenolol two times a day. Dr. Bright said that until the area they did surgery on in the arteries (where they had to use three different size balloons) heals in about 3-4 weeks then blood clots can develop. That is why she must be on the blood-thinning meds. And once a week, I believe, I will need to take her to my vet to have blood tests to determine her bleeding rate. So at least she is home, what an improvement. She seems pretty tired out and has been resting in her bed in a pen in the kitchen. Her stitches from her heart surgery came out yesterday and that area looks so much better. Hematoma is gone. Now she is on the mends. The hard part is keeping her from running around and keeping her separated from my other two dogs. I will let you know how Kaycee’s doing little by little. But the doctors said she was doing very well, so I am happy.
Update, January 10, 2004:
Kaycee is such a doll. She is very, very lively and happy and has some piss and vinegar in her too. I notice that she tries to be the dominant female with my yellow lab who is also female. It is quite funny to watch her get her feathers ruffled with the lab and starts to bark at her when she comes into the house at the end of the day (the lab stays outside during the day in her pen and comes in late in the day).
Anyhow, Kaycee has done a miraculous comeback after the heart surgery and subsequent blood clot. I think it also made a big difference that I was home with her full-time during November and December (due to my surgery and holiday vacation time off from work). I know that without the heart surgery she received, she probably wouldn’t be with us today. Her health was declining rapidly and if you saw her now you would not have any idea that she had been so sick. She runs around the house like a crazy Westie along with her pal Cosmo who’s my Cairn terrier. The two terrors.
Kaycee was weighed at the vets yesterday and weighed 14.2 lbs. She finally got some meat on her bones and no longer looks scrawny like she did when she first came to our home. She has done very well with housebreaking, although she’s not 100% yet, she mostly is. She follows the other dogs outside where they do their business now and she finally gets it and has her favorite spot. At first, she didn’t understand this process.
Kaycee – WestieMed Recipient
Kaycee sleeps on my bed along with the Cairn who likes to go under the blankets while Kaycee is on top of them. She’s a love bug. Truly. I cannot imagine how she lived in the puppy mill before this. She wouldn’t trade places for anything. She is quite content at being a spoiled poochy. She also enjoyed her first Christmas and got lots of goodies and toys under the tree along with my other two dogs.
Attached is a picture taken recently.
Regards, Donna
Update, February 4, 2004:
I thought you could use a current update on Kaycee. She is doing wonderful. She is extremely happy and active and you would never know this dog had heart surgery a few months ago. Although early last week she had me concerned by her breathing as it seemed a bit strained for a few days. I adjusted her blood thinner medication (the doctor had just increased her dose) so that it is now given two times a day instead of all at once in the morning. She hasn’t had any problems since I made the change. Compared to when I first got Kaycee she used to have breathing problems that became so difficult for her. She was always panting as though she had just run a race. Now she isn’t breathing that way and I can see the difference the surgery has done for her. She is such a sweet, loving dog who has gotten sooo spoiled and loves the company of the other two dogs here at home. She enjoys sleeping on the bed with us at night and runs around the house like a maniac at times playing with my Cairn terrier. Kaycee goes to the vets for blood tests every other week, for now, to monitor her bleeding rate since she is on blood thinners. She must take Warfarin (blood thinner) full tablet once a day as well as baby aspirin and atenolol for her blood pressure.
Kaycee has made a marvelous adjustment to life here at home with us. Her house training is not quite 100% but she has made significant improvement. She occasionally pees submissively if you go to pick her up and she sometimes gets scared still. Other than that she has been very good in the house. She does have her normal routine in the morning and throughout the day along with the other dogs here. She has also become quite the watchdog along with the Cairn terrier. They make such a racket when someone comes to the door. It would be impossible for anyone to break into the house and no one would hear it!
Well enough for now. Kaycee says hi and so do I. Donna P.
Update, April 2004:
I’ve been thinking of you all and how Kaycee wouldn’t be here with us today without your help. Kaycee is doing terrific. Right now she is sound asleep on the futon couch next to me along with Cosmo my Cairn terrier and Tara the lab; all very tuckered out after a busy day. Kaycee and Cosmo got to go to the Canine Country Club, up the street from my house because I am having some landscaping done in the backyard today and tomorrow and my little dogs go crazy barking their heads off (esp my Cairn) when strangers come to the house. So today they got to go stay at a very upscale kennel near our home (we take our dogs there when we go on vacations) and they get doggie daycare during the day and lots of neat treats and spoiled rotten.
Kaycee has adapted very well to life here in New Mexico. She is truly the sweetest little girl who has such an easy-going personality. She will sit on your lap for hours and I even take her to my son’s little league baseball games and she just sits and watches everything, and of course, small children have to come up and pet her. She has never displayed any mean or snippy behavior with anyone, except Tara my lab who is also female. The two of them can get into it sometimes but they will keep their distance just enough. But the snarling and growling and chasing each other you would think one of them would get hurt by now by the sounds of it.
Kaycee sleeps next to me every night in our bed and she follows me wherever I go through all hours of the nite. If I go upstairs and then back down, there’s Kaycee at my side. I guess when I first found her on the internet last year, I just knew she was going to be my new baby and it was fate, I guess. She’s a very lucky girl, and I am too to have her. She is very loved by all of us (my husband is very attached to her and he was the one who didn’t want another dog!!).
Regards from the Land of Enchantment Donna, Kaycee and family
A Very Sad Update, June 2004:
This is not the kind of update I wanted to give all of you regarding Kaycee. Kaycee passed away sometime during the night of June 5th or Sunday morning June 6th. Unfortunately, I will never know. We were returning from a weeklong trip to California and Kaycee was with our Cairn, Cosmo, at a boarding kennel at home. We stopped Saturday overnight in Phoenix before returning to Albuquerque on Sunday. I received a phone call from my sister-in-law that the kennel called her informing her about Kaycee at 6 a.m. Sunday and she immediately called me. Kaycee was doing wonderfully before we left for California, so I didn’t have any hesitancy to leave. She had been well all this year with no health problems since her hospitalization last November, and I was so pleased with her recovery. So you can imagine how shocked I was to get this horrible news. There hasn’t been a day that goes by that I don’t constantly think about her and how sorry I am that I wasn’t there with Kaycee. My Kaycee was an amazing Westie, and a total love bug who had such a tremendous impact on my family and me for the short time we were together. She was only two and a half years old and I felt she deserved more time to be with us in a happy place here but it wasn’t meant to be. At least she got some quality time outside of the puppy mill where she came from and left in September 2003. My Cosmo greatly misses her as well, and it’s obvious there is a void there. She will be greatly missed.
I want to thank WestieMed and all those who contribute to WestieMed for the amazing things they make happen with their love and generosity.
The call came on September 4, 2003. The local Humane Society asking if I’d be able to take in a Westie rescue turned in earlier that week. I am listed with the shelter as a rescue contact for Westies and thank heavens they are willing to call. I arrived at the shelter the next day not knowing what to expect. I had been told that the dog had skin problems and that the surrendering family was not the original owners. He had been a “yard dog and not house trained”. The technician disappeared into the back exam room and reappeared shortly with Harry. My heart melted for multiple reasons. First of all, those little black/brown button eyes looking so forlornly at me. All the other reasons for the overwhelming emotion revolved around his appearance and health. He had huge scabs and raw spots on his body. He clearly had an infection not only on the surface but internally as well. He was coughing and laboring to breathe. I knew his vet bills would be expensive and that we might not be able to find a family to adopt him. I knew leaving him at the shelter would be certain death as there would be no extended care available to him. Regardless of all the barriers, I knew I had to take him home. I’d make whatever financial adjustments I needed to in order to get this little guy the attention he deserved.
Harry spent a week at the vet being treated for all that ailed him. His ailments ran the gamut – vomiting, diarrhea, skin infections, ear infections, and upper respiratory infections. His gums were oozing infection and prohibited him from making progress with the antibiotics or being able to eat without throwing up. The vet noted some abnormalities when neutering him and initiated x-rays. We found that his heart is enlarged. At this point, we aren’t sure if that is secondary to the infections or that he has a heart condition. Bless my vet for being truly compassionate and working with me to get Harry healthy and stable. He changed the course of treatment and now Harry is making progress by leaps and bounds. He has come home and become a member of the family. He shares attention and playtime with Britt, his mentor-Westie, and Mac, the old Scottish Terrier. His new friends have taught him house manners and good behavior.
Harry – WestieMed Recipient
I continue to struggle to understand how someone could allow one of God’s creatures to be treated so poorly. I have to remind myself that at least the people who had him previously surrendered him to the shelter rather than abandon him. I know that Harry still may have medical issues but we will overcome those and make sure he is able to enjoy life as best he can.
As mentioned before, I have other terriers – one of which has been diagnosed with Cushing’s and bladder cancer. His expenses were already mounting and Harry’s expenses were adding to the financial burden. WestieMed stepping in with support has helped soften the blow to my pocketbook! I thank WestieMed for the support and contribution. More importantly, thank you to every WestieMed contributor for making the assistance possible through the donations made to the organization. Those contributions make it possible to help these little creatures find a happy life, to find loving owners, and to give love as they are so able to do! Thank you, everyone!
Beverly Harrison
Harry – WestieMed Recipient
Update: August 2004:
Here’s an update of pix of Harry and the rest of my clan. The Scottie is a new addition as of this weekend. I lost my nine-year-old Scottie to cancer on July 4th. Tobi, the Scottie came to me through the Scottie rescue program. Everyone is getting along and is establishing the “pecking” order. Harry is doing as well as can be expected. He had an ultrasound on June 4 and his heart is doing well although he continues with COPD. He is on Enalapril and Metacam daily which seems to help his mobility. He has good days or bad – like all of us. He got a little chunky and I put him on some low-calorie food. Losing a few pounds seemed to help reduce his coughing spasms. Considering everything, he’s tough as nails and continues to be a joy.
Update January 2007:
Wanted you to know that Harry, my faithful little companion for the last three plue years, has crossed over the Rainbow Bridge . Harry, a Westie rescue and recipient of WestieMed assistance, had many health issues that slowly took their toll. He was faithful, loving and true to his breed in his fight against his health issues. He shall be sorely missed.
Winston came from a shelter in South Carolina in November 2001. Soon after arriving in rescue, he was treated for internal parasites and vaccinated, and he tested positive for heartworm. It was also determined that he was in a very weakened condition. His x-rays showed that he had an enlarged heart and a lot of fluid around the heart. Due to his weakened condition, the heartworm treatments would need to be spaced one month apart. His second heartworm treatment was received in December 2001. On January 15,2002, he was back in for a recheck and cough that had developed. Blood work revealed a secondary infection, and x-rays revealed his heart was still enlarged; however – he was clear of heartworms! Because of the continued heart enlargement, an echocardiogram was suggested for further diagnosis. This was performed on January 29, 2002. The echocardiogram showed that the right ventricular was thickened and there is a small amount of leaking. Additional x-rays are recommended in one month prior to anesthetic procedure for neutering. Winston will also need to take a baby aspirin every three days for the rest of his life, after the antibiotics are completed. Another echocardiogram is recommended again in six months. Since arriving, Winston has been kept confined with little to no activity as required for his care. Any exuberant exercise or activity could cause him to have an aneurysm. Winston should be able to lead a normal life once he has recovered, but he could be susceptible to congestive heart failure at a earlier age.
Update – August 2002:
Thanks for inquiring about Winston, my favorite subject! He is doing well. He was adopted on May 1, 2002, and now resides in West Virginia. His health has greatly improved. If you are planning to attend Montgomery County weekend this year (in October) you may have an opportunity to meet him at the parade of rescues. Thanks for caring about Winston.
Mikki and Maude were picked up as strays and taken to the St. Tammany Parish Shelter in Abita Springs, Louisiana. Both were heartworm positive and would have been euthanized had they not have been taken in by Dawn Rescue. When found, they had no tags or other identification, they were in very poor condition, and there were signs of having been bred. Mikki and Maude have begun their heartworm treatment, and have experienced some side effects from it. We anticipate they will make a full recovery.
Mikki and Maude – WestieMed Recipient
July 2002 Update:
You will be happy to know that both Mikki and Maude have been adopted. Maude came through the heartworm treatment and spaying with flying colors and was adopted by some nice folks in northern Mississippi, who already had a Westie girlie. BTW her new name is Gracie.
Mikki was a whole ‘another story. She did not respond well, and we almost lost her during the treatment (that is the last time we will use the immiticide treatment). When the treatment was complete, she was coughing a lot and x-rays showed an enlarged heart. After much medication and a follow-up ultrasound, she was found to have had a build-up of heartworm detritus in her lungs. She will have chronic emphysema for the rest of her life. Fortunately, she was not an active little girl, so it will not change her lifestyle. One of our neighbors fell in love with her and adopted her about a month ago. We were really happy since we can keep an eye on her as well. Her new name is Gidget. Unfortunately, I don’t have an email for them but can get you one if you wish.
Mikki and Maude – WestieMed Recipient
We wish to thank Westie med for coming through for us and the girlies. Both the girlies were expensive to treat, but I’m sure their new families would say it was worth it.
