luxating Patella – WestieMed

Herbert

May 20, 2021September 30, 2022 by westiemed in Stories

May 2021

Senior and special need dogs are very close to our hearts, so after losing three very special geriatric forever foster dogs within weeks of each other in April 2020, we became aware of Herbert, a 12-year[1]old Westie with chronic skin, back and leg issues and diminished eyesight. Herbert was found roaming the streets by a good Samaritan and Westie & Scottie Rescue of Houston took him in where he remained in rescue for 1 ½ years. They took fantastic care of Herbert, but with no potential adopters willing to take on Herbert’s chronic issues, the cost that goes with it and Herbert’s advanced age, we felt it was in his best interest to come to WROC as a forever foster.

Amid the pandemic, we flew to Houston to pick up Herbert and flew back to California the same day. Herbert is being treated by an ophthalmologist but unfortunately, due to the lack of care before he reached rescue, Herbert’s eyes are permanently damaged, and he will be on four eye medications, three times a day for the rest of his life. He is also being treated by our dermatologist specialist and though he no longer scratches and is comfortable, he has permanent hair loss due to damaged follicles. Along with having compressed discs in his spine, Herbert is now in need of bilateral TLPO surgery to repair his torn meniscus, torn cruciate ligament and luxating patella in both legs.

Herbert will have surgery on both legs at the same time in June with a board-certified orthopedic specialist to the tune of $9300.00. We knew going in that Herbert’s on-going medical issues would be costly, which was the reason we bought Herbert to WROC as a forever foster so that he will always get the care he needs. We can manage the irreversible damage to his eyes and skin due to previous neglect, but with Westie Med’s help, Herbert will receive surgery that will prolong quality of life, a promise we made to Herbert and all our forever fosters before him.

Thank you WestieMed!

Karen Simondet and Kay DeLoach, Westie Rescue of Orange County & Beyond

Update October 28, 2021:

It has been four months since Herbert had his bilateral TLPO surgery and what a difference it has made with his quality of life! Herbert no longer limps and moves about very comfortably. The surgery has also helped ease discomfort with his compressed discs in his spine. He did gain two pounds which is a lot for a dog his size because he was on strict crate rest but now that he has recently been given the okay to resume his daily walks, we are working on walking off the extra pounds.

Our little big Texan dog at heart is living the dream!

We owe WestieMed a huge thank you for helping Herbert live his very best life.

Karen

Update September 28, 2022

Our little big Texan is doing quite well since his bilateral TLPO surgery. it’s been a little over a year now and Herbert walks with ease. We noticed occasional limping and had him looked at by his surgeon and as suspected, he is feeling the effects of normal osteoarthritis. We are treating him with gabapentin and rimadyl as needed. The exciting news is that his dry eye has improved considerably. He just had his six month follow up with the ophthalmologist and his tear production went from 09 mm in both eyes to 22 mm since we changed his medication dosage and from drops to ointment. He is now on 0.03% Tacrolimus ointment, 2% Cyclosporine ointment, and Neo-polydex twice a day. The Optixcare Ophthalmic gel several times a day helps keep his eyes lubricated in between medications.

Herbert is a happy boy. He loves his routine, his favorite bed and his walks around the neighborhood and continues to try and lure us into the kitchen where he thinks all the magic happens.

Karen

Jake

March 1, 2012December 24, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

If not for a concerned human being, Jake might not have been with our rescue today. The woman who contacted us cared enough about him to talk his owner into surrendering him to her. She, in turn, took him to her vet for immediate care and then contacted us and took the steps to place him into our rescue program. This kind soul shared that the owner did not care about this little guy and she warned us he was in bad shape but nothing could prepare any of us involved in rescue for what was in store when we saw him at Montrose Animal Hospital, our rescue vets. He was two years old, weighed a minuscule ten pounds and the lesions on his body were indescribable.

Our veterinary clinic allows us to have rescues surrendered to them so Jake, as he is now known, was taken there. He was in such bad shape that it was necessary to shave him, but it was so painful that he had to be lightly sedated to reduce the trauma to him. Fur was trimmed away and it revealed inflamed and bleeding skin lesions. After all, was said and done, Jake had severe demodectic mange and secondary infections. He went into foster care with a litany of medications from ear drops, eye ointments, antibiotics to antifungals, and a de-wormer. Needless to say, neuter surgery was the least of the worries at this point and the goal was to get him stronger and back to the Westie “attitude” we Westie owners all love and know.

Jake’s foster mom was amazing. The amount of love and attention Jake received was over the top and went a long way in his healing process. He has never been left alone at home – he travels to work with foster mom or dad every day dressed in his sweaters to keep him warm until his coat grows back. Daily medicated baths have progressed to weekly baths to help his skin. Walks have been slow in evolving because his paw pads were so inflamed that it took time to get him to where he could comfortably take leash walks.

We all thought this little guy was on the way to his new “forever” home because he was recovering from the mange – his fur coat was coming on strong and he was finally was able to be neutered. Unfortunately, Jake’s journey to health was not over by a long shot.

Jake started limping toward the end of February, and examination by the vet showed a luxating patella. The initial medical intervention included pain medication and crate rest but was ineffective, and surgery was required. Surgery was performed on March 16, 2012, and Jake’s prognosis is great. The vet indicated that all looks good and this should be the last of Jake’s issues. He is now ready to find that “forever” family.

Jake’s story and the journey is confirmation for why the members of our club do what we do. Westie Club of the South is an independent 501 (c)(3) club dedicated to helping our Westie companions. Funding to rescue and treat needy Westies is raised through our efforts alone. While we try to absorb the costs without assistance, Jake’s situation has been a challenge to us; hence, our request for assistance from WestieMed.

Cynthia Levine Chair
Atlanta Westie Rescue Committee
Westie Club of the South, Inc.

Update October 2, 2012

Right after Jake was adopted, his little boy had to have corrective surgery on both legs. The photo of them in bed is right after the surgery. The doctors had to actually break both legs and re-set them. He spent two months in a wheelchair.

As you can see from the other photo, he is now sans casts, and the best part is that he and Jake can run together.

If you will recall, Jake had no fur when he came into our program, but look at him now!

We are all so thankful that WestieMed has such a generous heart.

Cindy Levine, Chair
Atlanta Westie Rescue Committee
Westie Club of the South, Inc.

Update January 8, 2013

Jake is doing great, not so fond of the cold rainy days but other than that he is fabulous. His skin looks terrific and he has grown so much fur. He limps some times but it doesn’t seem to bother him.

Jake is gorgeous, of course, but the photo with all his brothers and sister is just beautiful. There isn’t much to tell. Jake is the perfect Westie now that he is healthy. My thanks to WestieMed for your part in helping Jake.

Cindy Levine, Chair
Atlanta Westie Rescue Committee

Derby WestieRescue Grant Recipient August 2011

Darby

August 1, 2011December 25, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Darby has had a tough life and has been in six different homes in her eleven years, including her first two years as a “backyard breeder” in Washington state. She had two litters of puppies and literally lived outside, even in the winter. When she was finally “rescued” by her original breeder, her weight had dropped to twelve pounds and she had lost most of her fur due to the tough conditions. This, unfortunately, set her up for health challenges in later life. Darby has been in rescue three different times, first at Best Friends in Utah for three months, and now at San Francisco Bay Westie Rescue on two separate occasions. Despite all those difficult times, she is a sweet girl without a mean streak in her little white body. She has just been in the wrong place at the wrong time over and over again, and now it’s time that she finally has a break.

We were originally the transport volunteers who brought Darby from Chico, California, to her most recent owner in San Francisco four years ago. When the latest owner decided she could not keep Darby due to life changes, we agreed to foster her on behalf of the San Francisco Bay Westie Club Rescue. Our grumpy, almost fifteen-year-old Westie Fritz remembered her from the past and immediately yelped with joy when she entered our house. This definitely made it easier to commit ourselves as foster guardians.

From discussions with her previous owner and an in-home examination with our own holistic veterinarian, we discovered Darby has a long list of physical ailments. She is almost completely deaf due to recurrent ear infections and blind due to cataracts. In addition, she has major dental tartar, a luxated patella on her rear right leg, and presented with a yeast infection in both ears and back paws. We managed to get the yeast infection under control fairly quickly, although we will have to look at food allergy issues in the long term. More importantly, our rescue chair, Mary Young, advised that we should address the cataract issue first, since it is particularly vexing for a Westie to lose two senses, visual and auditory, decreasing her quality of life significantly while also decreasing her adaptability. Darby also arrived in rescue at the same time as a number of other senior westies in better health.

While hearing is an unlikely sense to recuperate, vision is probably more important and also possible to correct with cataract surgery. Darby was reasonably good at discerning light/dark shapes, but unable to make out details, and constantly ran afoul of branches, windows, etc. She had become wily at following her humans, mainly with her nose, but you could see that she lacked confidence in the way she walked and didn’t like to be left alone. We made an appointment to see Dr. Gwendolyn Lynch, a canine ophthalmologist at Veterinary Vision in San Francisco. She determined that Darby had a good prognosis despite having very mature cataracts — an 80% chance of full recovery of her eyesight with cataract surgery. Nevertheless, there were some dangers of damaged retinas and of developing glaucoma immediately after the surgery. With cataract surgery costing upwards of $3000, even with a rescue discount, we contacted WestieMed for help.

Leading up to the surgery, we had a one-week regimen of various eye drops. Darby has been very patient with the eye drops, motivated by small treats and her continually ravenous appetite, probably caused by deprivation as a young dog.

Darby had her surgery yesterday and did very well. The surgery was performed using a modern technique called “phacoemulsification” where the cloudy lens is removed and an artificial lens put in its place. Her retinas ended up being in relatively good shape, and her pressure numbers remained in the good range after the surgery.

In the afternoon after the surgery, even groggy from general anesthetic and wearing a dreaded e-collar, she had a great appetite and finished her dinner as well as Fritz’s leftovers. Early this morning we were back at the ophthalmologist to check her eye pressure numbers to make sure we weren’t in danger of glaucoma, and it looks like she will be totally fine. She was given another injection in her eyes and we were sent on our way. For the next week, we will be on a routine of two oral medications and five different eye drops, three times a day. This routine requires dedication by both the patient and the guardian, and I think we are up to the task.

In the meantime, we are taking Darby and Fritz on daily walks to the Boulange de Cole Valley, our local French bakery, where they enjoy a little treat while we enjoy our jasmine tea. Although Darby will need to wear an e-collar for two weeks, she already has a more confident spring in her step and a different way of viewing the world. Where I felt that before she was looking out trying to figure out what was going on, I think that now she is looking out surprised at the detailed fabric of life. Even though the eye drop and ointment residue, she already seems more bright-eyed and curious.

A big thank-you to WestieMed and the local San Francisco Bay West Highland White Terrier Club Rescue for helping Darby out with her cataract surgery. It is amazing that there are such organizations in place that are interested in helping the less fortunate Westies among us. Darby is such a fine girl and deserves a truly great last third of her life. We will make sure she gets it.

Ineke Rühland & Bill O’Such
San Francisco, CA
August 18, 2011

Update February 7, 2013

I’m writing for Ineke with our happy update on Darby! Darby has been very happy and charming addition to our pack. She has helped our 16 1/4-year-old Westie (Fritz) march along in his senior years by keeping him moving. She occasionally takes on some of Fritz’s tasks like guarding in the back yard or from the front window. Her eyesight has been very good and we’ve been carefully following all the post-surgery eye care. Thanks again for making Darby’s and our lives better!

Best wishes,
Bill and Ineke

Kimmie

October 1, 2010December 26, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

I was contacted by a Westie owner on Oct 5th. She informed me that her dog groomer had a shampoo girl that worked at the salon and also worked as kennel help in a puppy mill half time for income. The woman (Mary) was homeless and lived in her car.

She told the salon owner that animal control came and issued a summons to the mill that they had to downsize from seventy dogs to thirty dogs in ten days or be closed down. The woman started to dump her dogs. Two of her Westies had given birth about six wks prior and she was going to dump the older breeding bitches who were about five years old. She was going to dump them in the woods. The mill breeder gave Mary the two dogs to dump in the woods, and Mary wound up taking them to the grooming salon asking for help. They called me and I picked them up. Both dogs were in bad shape, (Kimmie/Lesley) and the vet bills for both were $1131.67. Both girls have the best personalities and are very social little butterflies. Always happy and smiling.

Both had severe yeast infections and needed dental. Kimmie was the worst, and she had a severe skin infection and required dental and extractions, spaying and an x-ray of her leg. (Lesley was in much better shape). Kimmie does not use her right back leg. She currently hops around on three legs. She has a severe luxated patella but I think its kind of not even able to go back in the socket at this point and we suspect a cruciate ligament. The vet will not know more until she cuts inside

Karin Parish Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue

Update November 1, 2010

Kimmie had her surgery and it was unsuccessful. She had such severe cartilage damage, and bone spurs, and other damage that it could not be repaired. It was hard to see on an x-ray – but once the surgeon got inside, she said it’s comparable to If you knee broke and the tissue around it tore and you have your knee flexed and it healed that way for years to the point where now the bone density is so thick, you really can’t do much about it, its permanently affixed that way. She can balance on it, but she is never going to use it. The upside is that she isn’t in pain and we don’t have to amputate it. My vet is going to find time to write a report up, but everything was fast and furious this weekend, and she didn’t get to that part.

Karin Parish Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue

Ralph

December 1, 2009December 26, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

A few days before Thanksgiving 2009, I received an email asking if I could help a stray that had shown up on a porch in southern Missouri. The woman requesting the help was 100% positive the dog was a wheaten Scottie but in very bad shape. She was concerned he might not make it through the night.

I requested pictures to help identity and upon receipt, I still wasn’t sure it was a Scottie but thought it was possible. One of our foster moms and I made the two-hour trip to pick up the dog, and upon arrival found an emaciated and matted Westie boy. He could barely walk; he had no upper front teeth and his front bottom teeth were worn down to loose nubs. He was scratching and underneath the mats, his skin was almost completely bare. The mats on his hind legs were so huge and barely attached that it looked like he was wearing “chaps”. With heavy hearts, we put him in the car, thinking that we were bringing him home to be euthanized.

Back in St. Louis, I backed out of the driveway after dropping the foster mom at home and looked in my rearview mirror where I saw Ralph (we had named him during the trip back) standing up, wagging his tail. With tears in my eyes, I headed to the vet’s office, dreading what might come next.

Ralph’s examination determined that he had a major bacterial infection, a possible heart murmur, luxating patellas in both back legs, slight cloudiness in both eyes, and the sweetest disposition. As the vet looked in Ralph’s eyes, Ralph rested his chin in the vet’s hand…I knew we had to do everything possible to get him healthy again.

The mats were removed, antibiotics started, shot given to control the itchiness, and Ralph went to his new foster home. On the vet’s recommendation, the heartworm testing was delayed until Ralph had some time to recuperate.

It didn’t take long to find out that Ralph had been someone’s pet at some time. He is housebroken, loves car rides, begs for food, and has decided the best place to sleep is on top of the back of the couch. He enjoys walks with his foster Scottie sister. He has gained weight, his hair is growing back, and since he was showing overall improvement, he went back to the vet’s office for his heartworm test. To our dismay, he tested positive for heartworms.

After considering the alternatives, it was decided to wait a month for Ralph to get in better health and then begin the preliminary testing to see if he could withstand the heartworm treatment. We hope to begin his treatment in January 2010.

Ralph has snuck his way into our hearts. His name has changed to Ralph Henry. We call him RH for short but then refer to him as HRH (His Royal Highness). His age is estimated at nine to ten years old and he deserves to live the rest of his life in a loving home.

He will remain in foster care until the treatment is done, and we are hoping that a door will open to a perfect “furever” home.

Many thanks to WestieMed for their help with Ralph’s veterinary bills!
Vicki Frazier St. Louis Scottish Terrier Rescue

Update January 7, 2010

I wanted to give a quick update on Ralph. Took him in today for blood work. We will find out tomorrow or Friday if we can proceed with the heartworm treatment. His hair is growing in pretty well. He still has an aggravated spot at the base of his tail but the vet was overall pleased with his progress. We were able to get him trimmed up (especially on his head) today and think he looks very dapper. Thanks again for your assistance,

Vicki Frazier
St. Louis Scottish Terrier Rescue

Update June 26, 2010

We lost Ralph Henry on 3/9/2010. I had been to the foster mom’s home that morning and he greeted me as usual – happy and smiling. He was fine in the afternoon and greeted his foster mom the same way when she got back home from running errands. Just a little later, he threw up blood, etc……his foster mom grabbed him in her arms and ran a block up the street to her vet’s office. He passed shortly after.

He had finished the worst part of the HW treatment; received the final treatment for the baby heartworms and we thought we were home free. We were both devastated. When the foster mom called me hysterically, I drove to the vet’s office and said my goodbyes.

He truly enriched our lives and we are grateful to WestieMed for the financial aid. We console ourselves in the knowledge that he was happy and loved in the too-short time he was with us.

Vicki Frazier
St. Louis Scottish Terrier Rescue

Duncan

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

May 2005:

My name is Duncan. I haven’t always been called by this name, only since March 30, 2005. That was the day I joined my new family. What an eventful day that was! In the morning, the kind folks at the county shelter who had been taking care of me sent me to be neutered. Later that day, my new mom showed up to take me home. She looked very happy. I already knew a little bit about her because she had come to visit me almost every day since she first spotted me at the shelter. You see, my mom thought of herself as a committed Dachshund person. In fact, my new brother is a fiftenn-month-old miniature Dachshund by the name of Albert. My mom originally came to the shelter to apply for a little Dachshund whose picture was posted online. Well, he was already spoken for and my mom was getting ready to leave the shelter when a volunteer informed her that the cutest little guy had just arrived as a stray. Of course, I’m referring to myself. With one look, my mom knew I was the one for her. She filled out all the necessary forms and waited for seven excruciating days to see if my former owner would come to claim me from the shelter. My mom was both glad and puzzled when no one came for me. I am not only adorable but also exceptionally well mannered. I respond to many commands, am completely housebroken, and am a much better listener than my new brother. Boy, it’s true when they say that Dachshunds are stubborn!

When I joined my new family, which not only includes my mom and dog brother, but also a grandpa, grandma, uncles, aunts, and cousins, I was instantly welcomed and loved. Everyone, without exception, commented that I was the best. My cousins, who are young children, adore me, and I am very patient and playful with them. I even have a Westie girlfriend who lives right across the street from me. My mom takes good care of me. I eat well, sleep in the big bed, and have a big, clean backyard to play in. She rarely leaves me home alone. I love riding in the car. I get to go to many fun places with her. (In fact, when my mom took me to a pet adoption event where she was helping out with Dachshund Rescue, I turned out to be the star attraction!) My favorite place is this huge field that folks around here use as a dog park. I like to walk and run with my mom and brother along the trail. I also enjoy greeting people and playing with all the dogs. I’m a good big brother to Albert; he gets beat up a lot, so I have to defend him on many an occasion.

Since I was a stray, my mom doesn’t know anything definite about my background. The shelter staff and my veterinarian estimate that I’m around two or three years old. While it’s clear I was trained by someone, it’s also evident that I was hit a lot. I clench my eyes and lower my head, preparing to be struck, whenever people lift their hands near my head. It makes my mom sad to see me do this. She hopes that with time I will learn that no one will lay a hand on me again. The other noticeable behavior I exhibit that concerns my mom is the way I use one of my rear legs. I have a tendency to have a hitch in my gait when I walk and run. My wonderful veterinarian, Dr. Taylor, informed my mom that I have a condition called patellar luxation that affects both my knees, causing my kneecaps to slip out of proper alignment. Unfortunately, this is a problem that is not uncommon in Westies. This causes me pain and, if not corrected, will likely lead to more severe problems later. One knee is worse than the other. Dr. Taylor strongly advised that I have an operation to fix my knee as soon as my mom could afford the expense. The good news is that the best orthopedic surgeon would perform the surgery. The bad news is that the operation costs a lot of money. My mom fretted about how she would manage to pay the bill.

Then, she discovered something truly wonderful: WestieMed! With WestieMed’s generous support, I can have my operation sometime soon. I will let you know how everything goes. Everyone who knows and loves me is certain that I will handle my operation and recovery with courage and grace. My mom and I are extremely grateful for WestieMed’s assistance. We will not forget your generosity in our time of need.

Jody

March 1, 2003January 7, 2021 by westiemed in Stories

March 2003:

West Highland White Terrier Club of California got a call from an older woman who said she could not keep her almost three year old female westie because she was gone quite a bit and the dog sitter was costing her more than she could afford. She did not like the idea of Josie Marie (now called Jody) not having a home with someone home all the time. She finally decided to give her to us.

I picked her up and found a very lovely and very friendly little female. The problem she had was with legs. She was placed in foster care with a volunteer who does agility. She took her the day after she got her to an Agility Trial that her Jack Russell was entered as she did not want to leave her alone her first day. Foster mom got to the trials early just to see what Jody would do with the equipment…well, she took to it as if she had been trained in Agility. The other friends there were also amazed at her abilities. Jody was then taken to a vet to have an evaluation done. The regular veterinarian said she had luxating patellas and referred us to a specialist. The diagnosis was the same and we decided without question to have the surgery performed.

The surgery was a success and Jody is recuperating in a very nice motor home somewhere in Las Vegas, with a special crate rigged up so she can see outside while they are driving. She doesn’t much like her Elizabethan collar but who does! She continues to thrive, eat well and the staples were removed by our veterinarian in Las Vegas, Dr. Clarissa Engstrom, who has been wonderful towards our rescue efforts there. Jody will now be going through her rahabilitation period and will soon be as good as new!

Thank you WestieMed in assisting us in paying for this expensive surgery!

Elaine Delgado, Rescue Chair for the WHWTCC

Update September 2003:

Hello! Our darling little Jody is doing just fine ! She has, in fact, started training for agility, as you can see, here! We are so proud of her and just love her to pieces. We certainly thank WestieMed for the part they played in getting our little girl able to move her legs like a normal westie! The surgery was a success…..they did, however, leave the pins in, but the orthopedic felt we shouldn’t have any trouble in the future with that.

Thank all of you, again Pat Harrington and Jody