Four-year-old spay female. I received a request to surrender from the owner in May 2008, however, they changed their mind. I asked them to please surrender her over to me when they called before her operation would be more costly the longer they waited. They wanted to try other options, changed dog food, and so forth. I tried to keep in touch, alas it was a cell phone and the calls went unanswered. Nine months later a four to five-old female showed up in Tacoma Shelter as stray on the street. (aka the name Tacoma Dolly) I am certain that this is the same dog as the odds of two dogs, same age, same tumors, same-sex, and same geographic location are probably impossible. In our state, the Humane Society and Shelters charge you $75 to dump your pet. If it is found as a stray then there is no charge. Since the people who FOUND Dolly said they had taken it to Banfield vet for an estimate, and since I know the previous owners had taken her to Banfield vet for surgery and that was the same vet the owners told me they went to. It is the same dog hands down.
As you can see from the tumors she has a severe calcification of tumors in both ears and which are also coming out the back of her ears. After speaking to four Veterinarians and understanding the surgical skill of the procedure, we have found a specialist for this operation (see description of the procedure below). Four Vets in two separate clinics agreed that Dr. EB is the best to do this operation and he ironically was the cheapest. We are also getting a discount from the clinic.
Diagnosis: Dolly has had chronic ear infections and underlying Malassezia. The chronic ear infection was not kept in check and this is the outcome. Otitis Externa. This disease is mostly seen in floppy-eared dogs like cockers, and such.
These are tumors that have calcified. You cannot un-calcify tumors so no amount of antibiotics or medicine will make them go away. Alas, we are very far past the simple solution for recovery. The middle ear has built up an infection and has now burst through the inner ear canals and is seeping pus. The calcification of the tumors are the consistency of stone.
My primary vet explained this operation in layman’s terms for me. Since she gives me a discount on surgery – I asked if she could perform this operation. She said it is a very specialized operation and you must have an experienced surgeon to perform this procedure. Ironically there are only four in the Seattle area, and one who works out of both the Clinics I use for my rescues!
Procedure: Splay/cut open the ears and work off a CT scan or an X-ray to see how deep the tumors go (as she now has them jutting out the back of her ears)
Remove the outer tumors (which have calcified into rocks) and lay open the ear and remove the inner ear canals (I believe the middle and inner are also scaled/removed) which the infection and tumors grow out of. Go deeper into the eardrum and microscopically shear layers of the skin off the eardrum slowly so you can make sure it forms scar tissue and nothing can grow on it and no bacteria can ever form on it/in it? .. then they come back out. The inner canal is now gone… which has produced all the poison/toxin of this disease, and they sew it up. The dog has loss of hearing but can hear muffled sounds
She will be at the vet for three to four more days after surgery due to the pain of this surgery and she will be heavily medicated. She will be released into foster care, and come back in fourteen days for suture removal and then have a six-week recovery.
She also suffers from a bad immune system, and she is being treated for and of course Malassezia and she is on antibiotics. Dolly also needs dental care and has some bad teeth but we have rescue funds to cover that.
I have never in my life seen anything this gruesome and Dolly is in a lot of pain, but she is a very happy and sweet dog, is great with kids and other dogs even in this pain. She is fifteen pounds. She is happy and cheerful and pleasant and will make someone a fabulous dog. We are grateful to have you as our safety net and guardian angels. Sometimes in life, you are our only way out of a situation when we are pinned against the wall for funds.
Karin Parish, Rescue Coordinator Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue, Westies Westie Club of America, Rescue Rep for WA/OR/ID Westie Rescue USA Rep for OR/WA/ID
Update April 13, 2009
Dolly is doing well after surgery. Her ears are healed and she can hear – not clearly but she can hear! We are waiting a bit longer and then going to have her dental work done. Then she will be ready for adoption.
Karin Parish
Update May 26, 2009
Dear Dolly Supporters:
Before you check out the photos….
My question was … are you going to keep her? …. and the answer was “what do you think?”
WELL, she finally got adopted but my gosh have we had more setbacks with this little girl. Our little tumor girl.
To date, she has cost me at least $3700 with one trip to the ER… (However, we had the funds to cover it with the two grants and money raised by donors) … And she had her dental done, and her ear on one side never was cleared up (which we weren’t too sure of).
However, after she was adopted, her other ear became infected again and the new owners had to take her back into the vet… Lo and behold if she didn’t have estrus.. and go into heat! There is no hum-drum in the life of Westie Rescue!
Two vets told us she was spayed. Apparently it was a c-section scar! Poor Dolly is like the “never-ending story”.
She is getting spayed in a month, and she is back on antibiotics, and the new owners adore her. Here are their latest photos of her. Her new owners will be RV-ing around the country and she will be a copilot. I do believe she has her driver’s permit as we speak. Since her recovery, she has a stellar coat and no allergies to speak of.
Before you check out the photos…
My question was … are you going to keep her? …. and the answer was “what do you think?”
Look at the photos.
Enjoy!
Thank you again for all your support… hope to see you at the Westie Walk on June 27th.
Karin Parish
Westie Rescue Rep (OR/WA/ID)
Scottie Rescue Rep (Seattle)