Kidney Disease – WestieMed

Barkley

November 1, 2017December 23, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

We have been a Westie owner for over twelve years and have talked often about adding to our family. We thought helping a Westie in need would be rewarding for both ourselves and whoever we rescued. So I became a member of the Westie Rescue of Missouri Facebook page and followed many beautiful stories of rescues finding their fur-ever homes. I hoped someday we would be as lucky.

About 2 weeks ago WRM posted that an eight-year-old Westie (Barkley) was in a shelter in Kansas and needed immediate help. Since the shelter would not release Barkley to WRM they asked if anyone could rescue Barkley from the shelter. I didn’t even have to think about it, I immediately said I would go.

The shelter is three hours from my home so I made a call to the shelter to see if he was still there. They called me back at closing and said he was and that I should call back in the morning when they opened. If there was no one there at their doors first thing when they opened wanting to adopt Barkley, I would get to adopt him. So I held my breath and called first thing. He was still available! They took all my information and my daughter and I jumped in the car to pick him up.

The family that surrendered him said that since they had four other dogs, they couldn’t give Barkley the proper care and attention he deserved. He was neglected physically. He was in need of a serious bath and grooming. He had several hot spots from a previous flea issue and allergies.

We noticed immediately that he had a really good disposition despite the situation he was in. We did not have to coax him in the car. He jumped right in as if to say “Please get me out of here!” He settled right in for the 3-hour ride home. He was a perfect angel.

Once we got home later that day we noticed he was drinking excessive amounts of water. My other Westie never drinks that much so I wasn’t sure. I had already scheduled a vet exam for the following day so I made a note to discuss the water drinking. The next morning we took Barkley in for a bath and groom then on to the vet.

Our vet was concerned as well about the excessive water drinking and ordered blood work to test for diabetes and Cushing’s disease as well as other parasites. The blood work results would take 24 to 48 hours. She gave him a couple of extra immunizations that he was missing and prescribed an itching medication for his skin issues. He also has bad dental issues that will be addressed very soon.

That night Barkley started throwing up and diarrhea. I thought maybe it was the stress of being in the shelter and now another new environment. As well as the immunizations. So back to the vet the next day. He had no temperature so she agreed it was probably stress. So she gave him a shot for nausea and medication for diarrhea. She put him on prescription bland food for a few days. She said the blood work results came back negative for diabetes and Cushing’s yet his SDMA levels were elevated which might indicate a kidney issue. She will retest him in thirty days.

Within twenty-four hours his vomiting/diarrhea stopped and he backed off the excessive water consumption. We are slowly transitioning him to healthy permanent food. We hope the new food and better grooming will help with his skin issues.

He is what I would call the typical Westie. Major Westitude and stubborn for sure! LOL. This is new to us because our Chloe is the most obedient Westie ever. I was able to train her from two months of age. He has no manners so we are working on this. We figured his surrender family did not train him properly so even though he is eight years old we are teaching him some basic manners.

He and Chloe are getting along very well. They are about the same size. She’s a small fourteen pounds and he id twenty pounds. He’s not as spry as Chloe even though he is four years younger and the first couple of days walked around like an old man. He was very scared and could not go down our stairs at first. It took him a week but he has now learned to go down them.

It has now been eleven days since we adopted Barkley. We are happy to say we are seeing more energy and interaction. He’s more playful and likes to talk LOL. Our Chloe rarely barks and Barkley definitely lives up to his name! He talks to us in this low voice when he wants something and if we don’t answer him, he will bark. The talking is really cute but we will be working on inside voices LOL.

We are so very thankful to WRM and WestieMed. The vet bills in the first three days were more than expected and the future major dental work was going to be a strain. WestieMed has agreed to help with the expenses and we are so very grateful for them. Barkley is so sweet and is fitting in so well with our little family. He has found his fur-ever home.

I can’t wait to give you more updates. We’re hoping for good news on the SDMA levels.

Thank you again WestieMed for all your help!!

Denise Elkins

Update January 9, 2018

Barkley has now been with us two months and he has settled in very nicely. He has flourished and his appearance has improved 100%.

Last time, I mentioned that Barkley’s SDMA levels were out of range which could mean early kidney disease. Dr. Nelson wanted to redo the test after Barkley had settled in because stress could also cause his levels to be off.

We had new bloodwork done last week and though his SDMA levels improved greatly, now his B.U.N levels were not in the normal range.

That too could mean early kidney disease so she had me collect a urine sample to check his urine concentration. I must say, that was a site. Me chasing Barkley at 6 am in the back yard trying to catch his pee.

Unfortunately, his urine concentration numbers were not where they needed to be so Dr. Nelson spoke with specialist and I am sad to say that Barkley has been diagnosed with early kidney disease.

The good news is, we caught it very early so no major damage to his kidneys has occurred.

We are starting him on a prescription kidney-friendly food ASAP (Hills K/D.) to help prevent any future damage. We have to stay away from a high protein diet because it’s hard on kidneys according to the vet. Dr. Nelson says since we caught it very early, diet changes and monitoring will add years to his life.

We have all fallen in love with Barkley in these 2 short months and want to make sure he’s around a long time.

We hope to keep him healthy for a long time.

Just look at that face!! He looks so happy.

Denise

Update June 2018

Barkley is doing fantastic!

Because of his early kidney disease diagnosis, I now cook him a low phosphorus food and he loves it. He’s lost 3 lbs. which makes his vet happy.

He recently had his urine concentration checked and our vet was very happy with his numbers. He said what I’m doing is working great and no medication is needed at this time.

He’s a funny little guy. He wants outside constantly. He goes in and out just like a kid. He loves to explore the rock wall in our backyard looking for any varmints. Our thirteen-year-old female Westie Chloe finally accepted him fully into the family. No more cold shoulder.

He’s a very early riser!! He wants to be fed at 5 am sharp. He’s very loving but if you move him over in the middle of the night while he’s sleeping he’s a grumpy old man and grunts at you. He usually has his own bed but since my husband is working out of town for a few weeks he wants to sleep in my bed with my other Westie Chloe and me. If my granddaughter spends the night he likes to snuggle up to her.

He loves to play with his toys. After breakfast, b he runs back in the bedroom and throws his toys around and chases them. We are so happy he’s doing so well.

We recently had the opportunity to adopt a Westie puppy from another owner who used the same vet. She was gifted two puppies but it was too much for her. Our vet asked if we wanted another Westie. I said that I was looking for one for my granddaughter, so my oldest daughter adopted the male. His name is Waffles. I put the owner in touch with Missouri Westie Rescue to help rehome the female. Waffles comes over to visit and Barkley and Chloe are tolerating him. He’s got a lot of energy so they let him know when they’ve had enough.

Barkley has been such a joy and we love having him. I’m his 4th owner but definitely his last!!!

Thanks again for all your support.

Denise

Shadow

December 1, 2006February 5, 2021 by westiemed in Stories

December 2006:

Shadow’s journey.

How do we know that God exists? One way to tell is if you have ever seen a small child wandering in a department store or on a busy city street without an adult right next to them holding their hand. If you look around you will see virtually every eye of every adult in the area will be fixed on the child and many of them starting to move forward to help…until of course the child’s adult companion shows up and everyone relaxes…I think that is one way that God acts in this world… through the eyes, hands, and hearts of good people here on earth who step forward and do what is good and right for those that can’t help themselves. And that is precisely what has happened to Shadow. It started with Westie Rescue of Missouri when Angie Jamison heard there was a Westie at a shelter in Northern Illinois. She then called Debbie Kolze who lived nearby to see if she could help.

Here is Debbie’s story of the rescue and her and her husband’s excellent and heroic foster care:

“Angie at Westie Rescue told me that there was a shelter in Seneca, IL that had a Westie. He was turned in to them by another rescue transport. When they got him he was full of fleas, ticks, was filthy, and literally nothing but skin and bones and missing large patches of fur. The shelter was very full, and Shadow did not do well there. So after a few days, they shipped him off to a woman named “Lee” who will take in the overflow animals at the shelter since she apparently has a farm or lots of land or something and is willing to help if the shelter needs assistance. Anyway, Lee gave him flea baths and wormed him. She said he wasn’t housebroken when she got him, but she trained him. She said he ate okay but everything he ate was just running out of him.
“On May 16th, 2006 I went to pick him up. I met Lee outside of Seneca, IL off I-88 at a convenience store parking lot. She handed “Duffy” to me as she had nicknamed him, and gave me a bag with some gravy pouches and some dry dog food. She said I could keep the collar and leash, then she signed the makeshift release form I gave her and drove away.
“Duffy” stood most of the way home in the front seat of my car. I thought he might be a Westie mix, maybe part Collie or Sheltie because he wasn’t very white and his face looked more like a Collie than a Westie. After a while, he laid down but just for a few minutes only to stand up again. I sensed that his back hurt. When I touched his back it was arched up high and I could feel every vertebra from his neck down to his tail. I didn’t like touching him at all, he was just a skeleton, and he smelled. But when he looked at me with the one lone round star in his right eye (he has cataracts that have blinded him), I said to him, “I think you are going to break my heart.” Because I didn’t think he would live another week since he was such a mess.
“I had called my vet before picking him up and had an appointment for later that afternoon. He weighed in at under 13 pounds. The vet said he was full of infections, his teeth, his ears, and suspected internally too. He was given an antibiotic shot and put on a couple of prescriptions for the infections and the obvious pain in his back or hind legs. I was told to bring him back in a week. He went back before that for severe diarrhea.
“After having him one week we took him to the groomer and he surprisingly did look like a Westie, a very very skinny Westie. I hate to say how much I disliked touching him other than his face those early days. When he started to gain weight, I’d touch his face and neck, and as he filled out I could touch his shoulders. He was just so skinny he felt awful. When he finally got to his optimum weight only the very end of the spine could be felt, and a little of his hips.
“I put him on a diet of dry food, that I’d moisten and microwave soft so that he could eat it with his badly infected teeth. I introduced different foods slowly and one at a time to see how he handled them. I knew I had to put weight on him, but slowly, I wanted him to build muscle. I fed him 4 times a day. The dry dog food mix soon was mixed with canned food in the morning and evening, and a snack of something like cottage cheese or a hard-boiled egg at lunch and again at bedtime, usually mixed with more dog food. The canned dog food was a turkey-based Adult Science Diet rather than beef or something else. Once he had his dental in June I no longer softened his dry food, and once he got up to eighteen pounds he only ate twice a day. It took him about three months to gain the six pounds. Then it was easy to pet him, pick him up and hold him and love him and not feel like I was hurting him.
“Around the same time he had the dental done, he got a one-year Rabies shot and started his heartworm meds. That was also when he seemed to developed allergies. He was scratching and itching and biting, so he got put on Advantage for fleas, just in case. He has bitten himself till he has bled, “hot spots” they call them, so he went on Benadryl. At one time he was getting three to four different pills a day. He was on Baytril for eight weeks, he was on Rimadyl for pain for at least that long, as well as the Benadryl, and other things along the way. Like things for his ears, he had a couple of ear infections while with us, it seemed to clear up and then come back. Just a note, the Rimadyl made it easier for him to go for long walks and he appeared to be more comfortable while on it. It’s a drug that is not good for long-term use I am told.
“Since he liked to follow us around wherever we went we decided to name him “Shadow” as in me and my shadow.
“That’s Shadow’s story until he was adopted by you on November 6, 2006.” Debbie

Debbie did such great work with Shadow that all my vet could find wrong with him was a couple of remaining skin hot spots and his severe difficulty with cataracts which have essentially made him blind. Shadow has that classic walk of a blind dog in that he walks with his head down and in a very halting, hesitant, and stiff-legged fashion…tail between his legs. Well, we have gone to two of the leading veterinary ophthalmologists in the Chicago area for their opinions and they both have identified a hyper-mature cataract in the right eye blocking 100% of his vision and a mature cataract that blocks perhaps 90-95% vision in his left eye.

Since Shadow has not been neutered, the vets have theorized that Shadow was used as a puppy mill stud and when he could not perform any more he was “thrown away”. From the age of cataracts and their configuration, one of the eye doctors said that the right eye could have formed its cataract from a blow or trauma to that eye as the one on the left seems to be a naturally formed one due to age. So it is easy to see that Shadow was not a pet and was just caged and used for years by his unscrupulous keepers.

I see some further evidence of his background in his behavior around the house now. He doesn’t know how to play, nor is he at all socialized to how humans pet or hold dogs. His world at the puppy mill was one of being used until he was no longer useful with no love or care for any of his needs.

Well, Angie, Lee, Debbie, and I have each in our way tried to shower him with enough care to try to make up for his years of imprisonment. He is much better now, his skin has cleared up, his ears are clean and healthy and he even gets excited and gives lots of tail wags when I come home from work. He’s even striding more bravely on walks and is showing more confidence and poise around the house. He’s a gentle little guy who never barks and never puts up a fuss when he gets his eye drops or is examined at the vets…it’s all new to him.

Now, thanks to WestieMed’s grant, he will be able to have a chance at opening up his world and having his sight restored with cataract surgery. For however much time he has left it is wonderful to think that it won’t be spent alone in the dark, anymore. Now he has friends reaching out to help him and care for him…finally. On behalf of Shadow and all of us who have helped him along the way, thank you very, very much.

Sincerely, George Kase, Shadow’s new dad.

Update January 2008:

t is with an enormous amount of sadness that I must tell you of the passing of my boy Shadow on this past Monday morning, January 28th at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Buffalo Grove. From internal bleeding caused by complications of his Kidney disease.

Shadow was truly a lionhearted being. Courageous in everything he did, he never let his blindness nor his weakened muscles stop him in any way. He enjoyed his walks and sniffing as well as just exploring for the fun of it. He liked to lay on his blankie and particularly after a good meal, he really liked to roll around on it with abandon. One hobby he developed in recent months was a particular affection for finding one of the other dog’s bowls during mealtimes for a quick snack before being caught. I can’t say enough about him and how much richer he made my life for the brief time he lived here.

He’ll be missed very, very much.

George

Tucker (Rainbow Bridge)

August 1, 2005February 6, 2021 by westiemed in Stories

August 2005

We had a wonderful Westie girl named Kelsey for fifteen years. When she died we explored the idea of a rescue dog. We applied for a couple of dogs through Westie Rescue Missouri but did not hear anything. We eventually got another girl (Dixie) from a breeder.

Just after Dixie had her first birthday, WRM contacted us with the news that there was a three-year-old male named Tucker ready for adoption. His original owner died and he was placed with a shelter. The shelter then adopted him to a family with two small children. Well, we know what happens with Westies and small children… yes he bit them and he was surrendered to Westie Rescue Missouri. WRM placed him in a foster home. On the 4th of July weekend, we arranged to meet the foster family halfway and brought Tucker home.

Tucker was very quiet and slept most of the way home. Upon arrival home, he took an immediate dislike to Dixie. He snapped at her and growled. He was very un-Westie-like. He did not run, jump, bark or play with toys. He had difficulty getting up from a prone position. Our first thought was that he was a very old dog. Not the three-year-old we heard about. We contacted Angie at WRM and she indicated that this was the information given to them and the foster family did not notice anything amiss.

We made an appointment with our vet for a follow-up. He did not think he was old and could find nothing wrong on the surface, so took some x-rays. The news was not good. Tucker had severe hip dysplasia in both hips. No wonder he was crabby, his poor little bones were so misshapen and arthritic, it hurt just to look at them. We were referred to a specialist for an appointment the next week. I asked the vet for alternatives and he stated that some people choose euthanasia.

We again contacted Angie at WRM and they offered to take Tucker back, but we did not think another placement would do him any good. She also told us about WestieMed and what a wonderful organization it is.

We took Tucker to Veterinary Specialty Center in Buffalo Grove, IL. Dr. Claude Gendreau examined Tucker and stated he thought surgery was the only option. He could perform it that very day. We decided to go ahead as we had become too attached to Tucker to put him down or put off the inevitable. That evening Tucker had a Femoral Head Ostectomy on his right hip. The surgery went well and the Dr. indicated his prognosis was good and maybe the left hip would not have to be operated on if he heals well enough to compensate with his right. The procedure has been very successful in small breeds.

We thought it was too late to apply for aid as we went ahead with the surgery. Angie from WRM put us in touch with Bette from WestieMed and she assured us it was not too late. She helped with the application procedure and we just got the terrific news that the board of directors had approved his expenses.

We cannot begin to thank the generosity of WestieMed and the donors that made it possible to defray the huge expense incurred.

Tucker looks a little sad in his picture but is improving daily. He and Dixie are pals now and roll around together. He is even starting to play with some toys. It will be a long recovery but we think he is going to be every bit the happy Westie.

Thank you so much for the overwhelming generosity,

Julie, Tim, Dixie & Tucker

Update: June 2006:

Tucker is doing very well. He is a happy dog. We found out that he is much older than we were told (at least ten) and has the beginning of kidney disease. In spite of all that (he is on prescription food and being monitored) he has dramatically changed from the sad little rescue we picked up last July.

It has been a long road for Tucker, who knows what happened before we adopted him, but he has healed well after the surgery. He loves to go for walks, he loves to eat, and even loves his veggies for treats as traditional biscuits are out because of kidney disease. He has several beds around the house where he settles in as he doesn’t leave our side. He and his sister Dixie play often and he now initiates play which never happened before.

Thank you Westie Med for helping to make Tucker the happy dog he is. The generosity is still overwhelming.

Sincerely, Julie

Update: October 2006:

To all the kind people at Westie Med:

It is with a heavy heart that I must give you a sad update on Tucker. Tucker suddenly stopped eating one day in September but we weren’t immediately alarmed as we had just changed his food to a different prescription kidney diet. He would accept food from my hand and would occasionally eat treats. He stopped playing with his sister and then began vomiting and diarrhea. We took him to the vet and they kept him for tests as he had a high fever and all his blood tests were way off. We took him home the next day pending the results of further tests. The news was not good. He had pancreatic cancer. He was hardly able to stand and was degenerating quickly. We decided that poor Tucker had enough and made the difficult decision to put him down. We stayed with him and stroked him and told him how much he was loved.

WestieMed helped make the last year of his life the best one. Before the illness he had recovered from the surgery so well he was acting like a typical silly Westie, playing, loving his walks, meals, and enjoying tummy rubs. We really fell hard for Tucker in the short time we knew him and miss him terribly.

Thank you for giving dogs like Tucker a chance at happiness.

Julie, Tim & Dixie

Lacey

January 1, 2005February 6, 2021 by westiemed in Stories

January 2005:

Lacey came to Westie/Cairn Terrier Rescue when she was thirteen years old. She had been owned by the same family since she was a puppy and they had taken very good care of her. They had her spayed, kept her shots and heartworm up to date and did some very expensive surgery on her back knees.

Lacey had a history of bladder infections and this family had her ultrasound and it was discovered that her kidneys were smaller than they were supposed to be. The left kidney has dilated collecting ducts and is slightly smaller than normal and this may be what is precipitating the infections. She gets blood in her urine when this happens and she strains to urinate.

Lacey’s luck turned bad when the family made the decision to get a Boxer puppy and the two of them would get into fights. Instead of finding a home for the Boxer, the kids made the decision that they had to keep the pup and that Lacey (even though she had always lived with this family) would have to be the one to go.

So, at thirteen years of age, she came into rescue, and after a few months, a home was found with an older lady who vowed to give little Lacey a forever home. She kept Lacey about a year and a half and then got sick and had to move in with her son. Again, Lacey was sent packing back to rescue. She had another bladder infection and had blood in her urine and was put on Baytril. She seems to get better, and then a few weeks later, the blood reappears, and she strains to urinate.

I decided to get to the problem and had Dr. Kristine Rabb do a urinalysis, complete bloodwork, and an x-ray. Her bloodwork came back normal and her x-ray didn’t show any stones or abnormalities and the only thing her urinalysis showed were clumps of white cells attacking the infection. Lacey was put on Clavamox for fourteen days and C/D dogfood and for now the blood has gone away.

Thank you WestieMed for helping me with some of the bills accumulated for Lacey. I am caring for fifteen rescue dogs, and your help comes at a time when finances are tight.

Lacey is available for adoption, and if someone can give this sweet, little girl a loving home for the last of her years, she (and I) would be so grateful.

Carla Smith

Update, June 2005:

Lacey is still with rescue and her chances of getting a forever home are slim-to-none as no one wants a 16-year-old. She continues to have bladder infections, and I continue to medicate her. She will stay with me until it is time for her to go to the Rainbow Bridge.

I thank you WestieMed for helping with some of her vet bills, and if she does get a home, I will be sure and tell you. You provide a wonderful service to those of us with little Westies that are hardship cases. I will always be in your debt, as will little Lacey.

Carla Smith Westie/Cairn Terrier Rescue

Update, November 2005:

On November 29th, little Lacey went to the Rainbow Bridge. She quit eating a couple of days ago and seemed to be genuinely uncomfortable with the way she was laying. Her tumor had progressed to golf-ball size, and the cancer was finally becoming unbearable to her, so we made the sad trip to the vet where she went peacefully to sleep.

Carla Smith Westie/Cairn Terrier Rescue