Heart Disease – WestieMed

I received a call from another rescuer about a Westie that was in a shelter north of Austin. He was found wandering the streets and nobody came to claim him. I was told that while he was at the shelter there was no interest in him and if a rescue didn’t take him he would be PTS (put to sleep). We agreed to take him, coordinated to meet and I made an appointment for this guy at the vet. When I met up with the other rescuer, she said the shelter hadn’t mentioned anything but she thought he had Kennel Cough.

I had already chosen the name Kenner before meeting this Westie. I was taking Kenner straight from this meetup to the vet appointment previously made. It was about a twenty-minute drive which gave me time to listen to his cough. Within minutes, my instincts told me that this was NOT Kennel Cough but probably Westie Lung Disease (Pulmonary Fibrosis).

Between his unknown length of street time and his cough, Kenner was a pitiful sight when he first came into rescue but he had the sweetest disposition and put up no resistance as the vet checked him over. This was the same vet that had treated a prior Westie of ours with Westie Lung Disease and she agreed with my instincts. Sadly, our instincts were confirmed.

We made the decision that Kenner would be a forever foster of Westie Rescue Austin. He has been with us since October 2012 and doing well with his meds. He gets along great with the other furkids in the house. He monitors all activity in the kitchen and thinks the oven exists only to bake dog treats. He can be sleeping soundly in the bedroom but appears instantly in the kitchen when the kitchen light is turned on. Kenner has never been active but does enjoy being outdoors when weather permits (i.e., not too hot or humid). He doesn’t demand attention and will occasionally sit in my lap for a brief spell (and actually seems to beam with pride). Kenner also suffers from ongoing skin issues and heart disease. Recently it became obvious that he was having some issues and his dogtor confirmed his heart ailments were becoming more progressive and now requiring medication.

Kenner is such a gentle soul but as his dogtor says he is a fighter. Sadly, we know he won’t win this battle against Westie Lung Disease but we will continue to love him, bake him dog treats, and keep him happy.

Linda Duncan
Westie Rescue Austin

Update November 7, 2016

I was hoping to be providing a good news update for Kenner. Sadly, he made his trip to the Rainbow Bridge today (11/7). the dogtor is fairly certain it was not Westie Lung Disease but cancer-based on his bloodwork.

Linda D.

I don’t know a lot of history for my Westie but what I do know is sad.

My buddy Barkley was found in Kentucky where he was left tied to a picnic table. When he was taken to a shelter they found that he had been chipped in New York but the chip was never registered. We have no idea how the little fellow got from New York to Kentucky.

When they found him he was not in good shape, coughing and laboring to breathe. The vet said he had an enlarged heart causing breathing problems. He was very lucky that the Westie Rescue of Indiana found him and gave him a wonderful foster mom to care for him and nurse him back to health.

That all happened months before I found Barkley. I had been looking for a Westie to join our family and I knew I wanted a rescue dog. When I contacted Westie Rescue they told me they had a dog with some special needs that had not been adopted. I thought, we all have special needs of some sort so this must be the little guy for us.

We adopted Barkley. He has been such a joy. He doesn’t always feel well and sometimes he can’t play as much as he would like but he is always in a good mood and ready to snuggle up. He is so affectionate and easy-going.

His medical problems are a good bit worse than I originally thought but I am still so glad we got him. He is part of our family and loved by all. Barkley loves to dig holes in the yard to bury his “treasures” and loves to get into the trash. He gets so excited over a new squeaky toy and is always ready for a car ride or to hang out at our kids’ baseball games. Like most Westies (and possibly most Westie owners) he can be a bit stubborn which only makes him more endearing.

My Vet did not give us a good prognosis when she examined Barkley and discovered the extent of his Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. With WestieMed’s help, Barkley was evaluated by a cardiologist and had several diagnostic tests to determine the proper treatment and medication. We are very grateful for the opportunity to get Barkley the medical care he needs.

After doing some research, she discovered that there is a fairly new treatment that might be just what Barkley needs to give many more years to enjoy all the things he loves to do (even getting into the trash) and many more years for my family to enjoy him.

Wendy

Update January 9, 2018

Sadly, WestieMed received word that Barkley is now at Rainbow Bridge.