Rosie came to us as a surrender in very poor condition, with significant hair loss over her back half and under her neck. The hair that she still had was very long and stained; she had black skin from a long-term skin disorder, and she was covered with flea dirt. She was also vomiting up everything. The owner realized she was critical but had no means to care for her. When I got her to my vet he realized she was in acute renal failure. She spent six days in ICU, and he managed to save her life. It turned out that the renal failure had been brought on largely by a lifetime of mis-medication (too much prednisone).
Rosie’s recovery was remarkable. After about six weeks of treatment, her blood levels showed that her kidneys were almost self-sufficient. She is on a strict diet of prescription food for kidney patients, and she still needs sub-Q fluids – but only every few days. She will need to be checked every few months, but with proper care and a good diet we hope for even more improvement. She can’t ever be spayed because the anesthesia would damage her kidneys. Despite her history, she is now expected to live almost a normal life. She is a very sweet dog, housebroken, and loves people and animals.
Through some miracle, an elderly couple came to us recently wanting an older westie. They didn’t care about medical issues or costs. They came to meet Rosie, and were enchanted with her and took her home. The love between the couple and Rosie was obvious – she loved them as much as they loved her. We did not charge them an adoption fee, due to the extraordinary costs they are taking on, which will be at a minimum, $150 – $200 monthly.
The generosity of WestieMed enables small rescue groups like Garden State Westie Rescue to do what we do. If we were not sure that WestieMed would help us out with extraordinary cases like this, we would not be able to take in these dogs, and deserving dogs like Rosie would die too young. Rosie’s story is just one more example of how one special westie was given a second chance at life thanks to the good folks at WestieMed.
Lisa Curry Garden State Westie Rescue
Update January 14, 2016
Rosie is now named Piper. She gets her fluids every other day at the vet and she is on Benedryl (for summer itching, allergies), Prilosec, gabepentin, aluminum hydroxide, kelp help supplement powder, organic (no salt – just peanuts) peanut butter, organic plain yogurt and chunky applesauce (just apples).
She weighs 15.6 pounds and is doing very well. The pain medication has helped immensely toward a happy attitude especially with some of the hindquarter and tail pain she experiences.
She is still on the dry Purina NF food and tolerates a 1/4 cup for breakfast and a 1/4 cup at dinner with some of each of the “people” foods listed above. Figured out how much to give her and it helps with not having episodes of spit-up. Our vet group is the best and they watch her closely. Blood work is done on occasion to help with giving her the best medical care as well. The hair on her back (though thin) has grown in nicely! She has come a long way, naps contentedly and loves walks in the back! She is very loving as well.
Molly, age five, spent her life in this decrepit rabbit hutch. She was born into a puppy mill situation.
She was forced to live in cramped quarters with several other Westies. Chicken wire for flooring and rotting wood with chicken wire sides were her home. If she could stand long enough on the chicken wire, she could see the other fifteen hutches filled with other animals.
At night the only warmth she had was the body temperature of the other Westies in her hutch. Many nights were below zero. After several months of negotiations, we were finally able to have the owners surrender all the dogs in these outdoor hutches. We took in five Westies and one Westie-mix. Molly was one of those Westies.
Molly immediately went to the vet. The vet immediately knew Molly lived on chicken wire. Her paws were sore, irritated and inflamed. She also had a twisted nail or two. Molly was severely matted and her fur was filled with flea dirt and just general filth. Her fur is stained due to urine and feces. She had diarrhea.
A fecal exam showed several types of worms and parasites in her system – whipworms, hookworms, giardia, and lungworms. The living situation was filthy.
Her skin was red, had scabs and was also inflamed. The vet prescribed short term use steroids, an antibiotic and some ointment for the paw pads. Additionally, medicated shampoos are needed.
Due to neglect, the dental disease is quite advanced. She will need a complete dental examination and we anticipate that Molly will need several extractions. She will also need to be spay.
The vet also stated that it appears Molly has lost a significant portion of her muscle mass in her rear legs. This was either due to being forced to breed continuously a genetic issue, or a lack of exercise. This issue is still being evaluated.
Molly is very needy for attention. She wants to be touching her foster mother all the time. It was determined that she recently had another liter. Some of her anxiety and feeling unsettled is probably due to early separation from her puppies. It has taken Molly some time to acclimate to her environment. When meeting new people she seems to be very shy, anxious and timid.
The foster mother will be taking Molly to some pet training classes to work with some behavioral as well as socialization issues. We are fortunate to be able to have Molly in our care getting the much-needed vet care and behavioral training. As she learns to trust and feel better, she will be a wonderful addition to a family that will give her the attention she has lacked her entire life.
Westie Rescue Michigan, Inc. wants to thank WestieMed, Inc. for its generous grant to help Molly get the treatment she needs and to heal and find her forever home. Thank you for your good work WestieMed.
Julie Risch
Update August 6, 2015
Molly – WestieMed Grant Recipient
From Jean with Westie Rescue Michigan:
What can I tell you about being the foster mom for this one? So many firsts when she was with us (I have two girls myself and an old guy who is a permanent foster in my home). My girls do a lot of the work in terms of doggie manners, but this girl was sooooo eager for love and affection, she was easy. She was in horrible condition when we got her (another one of our homes gave her a bath before transporting her to me and it took three washes to get her clean — before the bath, she was so dirty that she was a color match for Brent’s car hart jacket, and the jacket wasn’t dirty!). She had ear infections and some really horrible teeth as well as very long nails and sore feet from the wire flooring in her rabbit hutch. All of those issues were fixed with great vet care, a dental (which didn’t turn out as bad as we thought it would be) and some too.
To have been probably the first person who held this little one while she slept was just awesome. She was damp and chilly from her bath and probably a bit frightened. I picked her up and settled her in my lap and she slowly began to relax. Then there was a big sigh and she was asleep. Magical!
We worked with her for about five to six to get her healthy and housebroken and then started looking for a match for her. I thought she would do best as an only dog, but I was also looking for a fenced yard (she escaped from my yard and that was scary, but she was just next door investigating the brush pile). The Moorheads fit the bill and fell in love with her immediately. She’s living the kind of life any dog would envy, totally doted on and loved to bits! She’s had many adventures since being adopted and will have a lovely life. Another happy ending!
Thank you for everything you do for our LWDs and for your help with our Midland Mill girls. We were quite overwhelmed with the bunch all at once, but I am so proud of the work that Westie Rescue- MI does and very honored to be associated with the organization.
From Molly’s foster parents, Terese and Paul:
I think Jean must be sick of reading my Facebook updates about Molly, but I can’t help it! We look at Molly so often, wondering how did this sweet and gentle dog come from the horrific conditions that she had endured at the puppy mill. Seriously, we can take her anywhere, and people of all ages come up to her. Kids who nicely ask if they can pet her get to meet this very calm and sweet Molly of ours. We can take no credit. We haven’t even taken her to obedience school. An elderly lady yesterday said that Molly had made her day. She has been visiting my elderly mother in a nursing home and has been a gem to all the patients and staff.
Right now, we are on a road trip to New England, and she is a very important part of our lives. We keep wondering how were we so lucky to get her!
We also can’t thank the WestieMed for all the care and support they gave to Molly.
Wherever we go, we always give the highest praise to Jean and Westie Rescue of Michigan. We are in awe of the devotion, kindness, and patience you provide to these dogs. So, just know-for every compliment we get about Molly, we say thank you and then mention you guys!
We are so in love with her, and she is so priceless and precious!
Update December 2016
Molly – WestieMed Grant Recipient
Little Miss Molly has a very happy life with her pet parents, Paul and Terese ever since she was rescued from a puppy mill in Midland, MI (and was given wonderful medical care, grooming, and love from Westie Rescue of Michigan as well as WestieMed). She’s been completely ensconced in our lives since April 2015 and has been extremely sweet and healthy.
Molly sleeps deeply through the night – even snoozing until Mom and Dad are all done getting ready first. Once awake, she sticks to her fitness regimen of a bit of doggy yoga followed by four yawns, rises on her hind legs and gives each of us our own personal “good morning” greeting! Once her wake-up routine is done, she does one more stretch and heads downstairs for breakfast. Molly loves her big backyard, where she thinks she’s a huntress in search of her prey. The squirrels’ chuckle at her failed attempts from their branches, while Molly’s content to quietly lie at the base of the tree and stare up at them. Aside from the squirrels, Molly loves to lie in the sun and go for walks with Mom and Dad. In the evenings, she’s content to cuddle under a blanket on the couch, right next to Mom! Molly has been on a few road trips for summer vacation and she learned to like riding in the car eventually!
As Christmas 2016 approaches, Molly, Paul, and Terese would like to thank all the incredible, giving people from WestieMed and Westie Rescue who saved her, cared for her and helped her blossom into the happy, healthy and gorgeous little Westie girl that she is now!
When Callie came to rescue from a San Diego shelter, we thought she had the typical skin issues that we deal with often in rescue and figured she would be fixed up in no time. Once we took care of her skin issues, she was ready to be moved to a foster home while we interviewed applicants. During her time in her new foster home, it was noticed that she was again losing some hair and was drinking a lot of water. We brought Callie back to our vet where we had a complete blood count (CBC), blood chemistry panel and urinalysis performed and because we noticed her belly was larger than normal, we had her tested for Cushings Disease. Low and behold, Callie did have Cushings. Knowing that it would be very difficult to adopt a dog with Cushings, Callie’s foster Mom agreed to foster Callie for as long as it took to find her an appropriate home.
Several months went by with little interest in our girl but we remained hopeful. Shortly thereafter, another issue popped up with this little girl that just could not catch a break. We had been battling her chronic ear infections since she came to rescue, but it was painfully obvious that something drastic needed to be done. Back to the vet, we went and during her exam, it was suggested we seek a second opinion with a specialist. Our fears were confirmed that Callie would need TECA surgery (Total Ear Canal Ablation). Poor Callie was stuck in a cycle of inflammation, infection, and fibrosis and the pain was just too much to bear. Callie had her first TECA surgery in June of 2014.
Callie’s foster Mom was amazing and brought Callie through rehab beautifully. With all these issues stacked against Callie, we knew finding her a forever home was nearly impossible. So we approached her foster Mom and told her we would take her into our forever foster program once a home opened up. Callie’s Mom literally made our hearts swell when she said that she would officially adopt Callie. Knowing that she would most likely need another TECA surgery down the line, we agreed to a provisional adoption should Callie need another surgery.
Everything was smooth for quite some time, but when her second surgery approached, we were not surprised. We were grateful that her foster Mom was willing to get her through this next hurdle with the love and care she has received since she arrived at WROC. What is even more amazing is how sweet and gentle Callie has remained during all of this. She is a smart girl and a very good patient. We do believe she knows we are here to help.
This is an expensive surgery and Callie’s costs since coming into our program have been astronomical. Thanks to WestieMed, Callie just had her second TECA surgery. So many Westies are abandoned to shelters due to their medical issues. WestieMed has helped so many Westies get the help they so desperately need.
Kay DeLoach WROC
Update January 15, 2016
Callie – WestieMed Grant Recipient
Callie is doing very well now.
After a couple of setbacks and more surgery, this little girl has made an astounding recovery.
Her Mom, Kim, swears that Callie is able to hear despite the surgery on both ears.
Callie is happy and well-loved by Mom Kim and brother Mini-Cooper!!
Kay DeLoach WROC
Callie – WestieMed Grant Recipient
Update November 16, 2016
Callie is thriving with Kim & Mini-Cooper.
She requires regular medical care which her Mom takes great care of.
The picture is from WROC’s 2016 Photoshoot.
Thank you very much for helping this adorable Westie.
The idea of having a dog in our house came from my children. They often asked me when I would decide to get them a dog. That’s when I chose to check the Animal Care & Control of NYC located nearby because there are so many animals waiting for homes in shelters throughout the country that I felt the need to help save the life of one of these dogs who are left there heartlessly.
When I saw Ben up for adoption at the shelter’s website, it was love at first sight.
It was an early Saturday morning and I just could not wait to meet him. By reading his description, I said to myself he was the right fit for my kids and I was not wrong at all. We have loved Ben from day one, he is just a sweetheart, and we are immensely happy to have him with us.
His behavior is remarkable, it truly feels as if we have known Ben forever. I cannot understand why Ben’s previous owner left him at the shelter, as I was told by the staff that he just did not want to deal with Ben anymore. Knowing this just breaks my heart because Ben is adorable not only with us but also with strangers, who are often attracted by his looks and playful behavior.
Ben is a healthy dog just like I was told at the shelter, but I was not so sure about that because Ben was constantly scratching, where he had patches of hair loss, which turned into cuts in a matter of days.
Since this did not seem to heal, I took Ben to the vet so that he can be treated. The bill was so unexpectedly high that I felt awful for not having all the money available to treat him. I just paid for what I could at the moment. I started to resent myself for carelessly adopting a dog when I was not financially stable to care for one. I went and I got what the vet suggested at the pet store later on. But weeks later the skin condition started all over again looking worse than before. I was afraid of going back to the vet again, to pay for a treatment that did not seem to help, but I could not leave my dog like that either.
I reached out to WestieMed for aid, and to my surprise, they approved my request. Thanks to them, Ben will be able to receive the care he needs.
Elba Noboa
Update July 14, 2015
Ben – WestieMed Grant Recipient –
Ben has been doing great, attached is a picture of him taken today.
Ben’s health is good, other than the allergies he gets. A few weeks ago I had to take him to the vet which gave him a shot for the itching, and antibiotics for the irritation on his skin. the treatment worked and that same day he stops feeling itchy. I am glad to have found a vet that is affordable and really understand Ben’s allergies condition, I also have a Carecredit card for emergencies.
Ben is happy with us, we love him so much and even the tenants want to take him for walks from time to time, he is truly adorable.
Thank you so much for asking about Ben, and thanks to WestieMed for the financial support given to Ben when we most needed it.
Merlyn came to New York Westie Rescue from a shelter. His owners had surrendered the old boy saying that the wife had ‘suddenly developed allergies’ to him, but his condition told another story. He was underweight, arthritic, his coat was very thin and his skin was not in good shape. His teeth were a mess, as well. He was old, grumpy and didn’t see or hear very well and walked with an odd gait from arthritis. He also had a growth in his left ear and an ear infection. He’d never been neutered, so his prostate was quite enlarged and like a lot of old men, he dribbled a bit. Poor Merlyn really wanted to be loved but wasn’t sure how to respond sometimes when he got it. He startled easily and would snap out of fear sometimes. We weren’t sure of his exact age, but the vet estimated that he was probably at least twelve or thirteen if not older. He didn’t have any adopters that were very interested in taking him on, so NYWR made the decision to keep him in the sanctuary.
After proper vetting, a new diet, dental cleaning, and neutering, he seemed a bit more comfortable and began to settle in, although because of the damage done by the severely enlarged prostate prior to coming into rescue, he would have to wear a belly band most of the time. He soon appointed himself the Lord of the Manor and when we got another little old fellow, Egan, who was in really terrible shape, he took up his post as Egan’s guardian and would watch over him, a task that he took very seriously and continued until Egan was well on his way to healing.
Unfortunately for Merlyn, his ear was not responding well to treatment. The vet tried a number of things but nothing was working and his ear began to get worse. We finally made the decision to get a second opinion. The vet we took him to decide that the only thing that was going to end Merlyn’s constant discomfort with his ear was a partial ablation of the ear canal, which is a very expensive procedure.
Thanks to WestieMed, we are able to schedule this surgery for Lord Merlyn, and provide him with some comfort and relief in his old age. Thank you WestieMed for the great work that you do and making it possible for Merlyn to start feeling better!
Josie Smith, Director New York Westie Rescue
Update July 14, 2015
I am sorry to tell you that our sweet, loving little Merlyn passed to the Rainbow Bridge on June 4th of this year. After the surgery that Westie Med provided the funds for, a biopsy of the tumor that had invaded his ear canal revealed that he had a rare form of cancer, ceruminous adenosarcoma. There was nothing at that point that could be done to help him so we kept him comfortable in our hospice program and he survived with a good quality of life for several more months. Unfortunately, the tumor caused a stroke and when he lost his quality of life we made the decision to let him go.
Thank you for making the surgery possible, and allowing him to live without the pain of the tumor pressing on his nerve, and being loved and cherished. All of our Westies are special, but there was something about Merlyn that made him extraordinary. He was an extremely loving, loyal fur baby who was grateful for every little kindness and always thanked me for everything with a kiss. It never failed. Before he would eat, he would say thank you. When I tended his ear, he was grateful and would say thank you. Right up until the end he took his thrice daily house patrols quite seriously and would check each room and door to make sure that there were no intruders. He guarded me with devotion and never left my side. I miss him terribly.
I am more grateful than I can ever express for the help that WestieMed provided that allowed us to be blessed with him a while longer, and for him to experience the love and care that he was so grateful for. There are not enough thank you’s in the world to fully express our appreciation for the wonderful work that you do. So many Westies count on you.
Sophie found her way to Carolina Westie Rescue in late January of 2013. Coming from the northern part of North Carolina, she had quite a trip down to our location in Southeastern NC, in Wilmington. Sophie belonged to an older couple who could no longer give her the care and attention that a little Westie needs. The couple mentioned they had Sophie since she was a puppy. Now, however, with their work schedules being what they were, they did not have much time to spend with her. They also revealed that Sophie was around ten years old and had a “little skin problem”, but was otherwise healthy. During the surrender, along with Sophie’s records, they also gave me some of her medication which included Prednisone, Ketoconazole, and Tramadol. I took copies of what health records they gave me and after the couple filled out a surrender form, Sophie and I were on our way.
Sophie is quite small for a Westie, but what she lacks in size, she makes up for in sweetness. She is friendly as can be and she greeted all the other Westies in my house as if they were all long lost friends. She did not seem shy at all or unhappy to be away from her old home or owners. Actually, she seemed to fit right in. Not long after she arrived though, I noticed that under her long, just groomed coat were feet that were black, swollen, bleeding and infected. Her belly was also black and she had a bit of a limp. She also appeared to have an old scar on the top of her head. She was small but slightly overweight. Her chubby appearance made her little head appear even smaller.
The next day I took Sophie to my veterinarian along with her records. My vet looked at Sophie’s past, which only dated back six months. In those records, my vet said that she had an infection in all four feet; and that her previous vet was not expecting a cure and could only hope for management with Cefpodoxine, Prednisone and medicated shampoo. My vet put Sophie back on the Ketoconazole along with Clindamycin and Pharmaseb shampoo. He took a skin scraping, a parasite screening and performed a physical exam. We noticed that Sophie’s teeth looked terrible and decided to get them cleaned at a later date. I wanted to try and get her feet on the road to healing first. My vet felt that by being more consistent and omitting the Prednisone that Sophie would start to improve. He thought that the past diagnoses of Malassezia were correct. My vet also mentioned that Sophie’s limp was from a torn ACL of her right rear leg.
After the game plan was laid out, I was very consistent with Sophie’s meds and baths. She seemed to improve for a time, but unfortunately, she then regressed. I called my veterinarian back and told him that Sophie was not getting better and he said that it would take a long time for her deep Pyoderma to heal. I knew from dealing with Westies that I should have seen some sort of improvement by now. I had been treating her for almost two months and she was not getting better. I then made another vet appointment and took Sophie back for a recheck. The vet did a senior blood work wellness profile and we made plans for a biopsy, histopathology, and culture and at the same time, he would clean and pull the teeth that were necessary. I took Sophie back ten days later to have all this work performed and poor little Sophie had to have six back teeth extracted. They were rotted at the roots. I do not think she had ever had her teeth cleaned.
Wilmington, NC isn’t a very large city. But, we are fortunate to have a canine dermatologist who visits from Raleigh twice a month. I called and made an appointment with Dr. Barbara Atlee, the dermatologist. The appointment was two weeks out. That would give us time to have the culture and biopsy results before seeing her.
Sophie’s lab reports came in a few days before our appointment to see Dr. Atlee. Her culture results stated that she had Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. This staph was also Methicillin-resistant. This meant that every antibiotic that my vet and the previous vet treated her with did absolutely nothing to stop the infection. However, we now had a list of antibiotics that would successfully treat her infection. Her antibiotic list was very short. One of the antibiotics that Sophie’s staph was sensitive to was Zeniquin and a topical antibiotic called Mupirocin. The Zeniquin proved to be hard to find and expensive, but I found it. Sophie’s biopsy stated that she also had Demodex. We put her on a course of oral Ivermectin to treat that.
Sophie – WestieMed Grant Recipient
Sophie had her appointment with Dr. Atlee, the dermatologist, a short time later. Dr. Atlee examined Sophie, then looked over all of her records and labs and concurred with the diagnoses and protocol. Dr. Atlee also supplied me with a two-page “Treatment Sheet” to follow, which is always helpful. It consists of a detailed protocol to follow to get Sophie well and happy.
I believe that now little Sophie is on the road to healing. Her feet still have ulcers, but are not as swollen. She hates to take her oral medication but is always a trooper when I treat her feet with Mal-a-Ket wipes and Mupirocin ointment. I put her Ivermectin in her food and, as she always loves to eat, she wolfs it right down. Speaking of that, we now have Sophie down to a respectable weight; and her cute little face is in proportion with the rest of her body.
This year has been very hard for Carolina Westie Rescue. We took in three senior owner surrenders almost at the same time. All three had heath problems. Thankfully, two have found their forever homes. Sophie still has a long road ahead of her, but now I think we are on the right track to getting her well.
Thank you WestieMed for your offer to help with Sophie’s medical bills. The Westie community is fortunate to have an organization such as yours.
Sydney Christian Carolina Westie Rescue Wilmington NC
Update January 13, 2014
Sophie is doing well now and is still with us. I will soon get back with you with pictures and an update on her health.
I can never begin to express our gratitude or come close to letting WestieMed know how thankful we are that they have been there for us.
The day before Easter, a shelter in southern-most New Jersey notified me that they had a Westie and wanted me to take him. I said yes, of course, and I got Whitey on Easter Sunday. The shelter told me that another Westie Rescue group had declined to help Whitey before they called me, so I was his last chance.
Whitey had a retained diseased testicle which was the source of most of his troubles. That testicle was grossly enlarged and resulted in a lump the size of an orange hanging off his belly in the groin area. His skin was covered with deep dime-sized open, oozing sores all over his body, legs, tail, and head. This was a result of the hormones from the abnormal testicle, and a staph infection had also taken over his poor body and his skin. He also seemed to feel sick and was lethargic and not eating well, he had a Malassezia condition, and a great deal of flaking and dry matter was coming off his skin. In addition, his dry eye had not been treated and his eyes were infected, and his sight is almost entirely gone (it seems like perhaps he can see shadows out of one eye). He had an infected ear as well, and his teeth were in bad shape; many were so rotten they would break off when gently touched. My veterinarian performed emergency surgery the day after Easter, removing the diseased testicle and the rotten teeth; the vet cleaned his remaining teeth, not for cosmetic purposes, but in hopes that this could spare him a need for future dental work.
Whitey remains on antibiotics and anti-yeast medication. His prognosis is excellent: his skin and his spirit are healing well. He is a friendly boy who likes people and other dogs; he also likes to go for (short) walks and is not intimidated by the fact that he cannot see. He is also housebroken. I hope to find him a home with a loving owner who will continue his health care regimen and give him a good long life.
Lisa Curry Garden State Westie Rescue
Update October 15, 2013
Whitey is doing well. He’s over his infections and he looks and feels better in all regards. He was adopted to a very loving home close to where I live so I get to see him sometimes.
I had registered with Rescue Me and got a notification about a Westie that needed a home. I had written back immediately with my phone number and said that I had had Westies with skin problems before, my beloved Jake and Carli. Carli had passed last September at 16 years old and Jake several years ago at twelve years old with a spleen and liver problem. Both of them had skin issues but nothing like I have seen on WestieMed.
I was told that the mother had Alzheimer’s, rules the home and wanted Jessie put to sleep so the two adult daughters put him on Rescue Me. I went over to their home that night and I could see that he had terrible skin problems but I was really looking at his personality which was very sweet.
When I picked Jessie up to put him into the car he growled at me, and the suspicions started that I might have an abused dog beside a severely neglected dog. I have since discovered that he is quite territorial and in true Westie nature doesn’t back down and needs to be distracted. I’m learning too. I think this posed problems in his previous home and lead to abuse because they couldn’t handle him. I’m trying to understand.
I had asked what kind of food they had fed him and was told “dog food” but they gave a bag of pig ears to me as food. There was quite a lot of dancing around answers to direct questions but I was given a vet record and certificate of ownership. Jessie had been purchased from a “breeder” in Missouri.
I got online in the morning to check skin problems in Westies and the WestieMed site came up with pictures of Malassezia Dermatitis and it looked just like his skin problem. I’m so grateful to have found that information. I scrambled around to find a vet that could take him on a Saturday. I had just moved to Oregon from Virginia and I didn’t have a vet here. I feel fortunate to have happened along with a vet that has experience with skin issues.
Jessie is four years old, weighs thirty pounds, and he is neutered. He’s very large for a Westie but not overweight. He’s friendly, good with children and likes other dogs. All good. We are working on the skin problem with the vet; he’s on antibiotics and medicated baths twice a week. He’s responding well but may need antifungal treatment. I have him on a limited ingredient lamb and rice meal at this time but we may go to home-cooked through the Balanced In program that my vet told me about on the internet. I’m being challenged to write this and playing fetch the squeaking chicken this very minute.
Theresa
Update October 1, 2012: (now Jesse)
Jessie – WestieMed Grant Recipient
I have changed Jessie’s name to Jesse without the “i”.
He is doing so well.
It’s been a slow process but he’s coming along very nicely as you can see in the photo.
Theresa Medina
Update January 7, 2013
Jessie – WestieMed Grant Recipient
Thank you again for all that WestieMed does for Westies in need.
As you can see, Jesse is doing very well.
He is healthy and happy.
There are places on his neck and chest that the fur is still growing in, I was thinking that maybe his skin was so damaged from the yeast that it might not grow but it is
Dunkin was pulled from Garrard County Animal Shelter in Lancaster, Kentucky on 3/29/2012. The ACO was called by concerned neighbors in regards to two dogs left inside a small kennel at an abandoned home. The dogs had been there for some time with no one caring for them…no food, no water, and no shelter.
Dunkin and his canine friend Harley, a labradoodle, were taken to the shelter by the ACO. I pulled them both from the shelter due to Dunkin’s “skin condition” and the threat of him being euthanized due to his poor skin condition. Harley was vetted and adopted immediately.
Dunkin was also vetted immediately due to his skin condition and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and started on medication. He was also groomed due to extensive matting and yeast overgrowth on his skin under the mats. He was then neutered and all appeared well with an adoptive mom eagerly awaiting him.
On day two after his neuter, he started coughing and wheezing with extreme difficulty breathing. He was also urinating on himself due to the shortness of breath being so severe when he would exert himself. He was rushed back to the vet the day he started coughing and being in such distress. He was diagnosed with blastomycosis. Medication to treat this disease that is common in the Ohio Valley Region was very expensive.
After all, Dunkin had been through and his struggle to simply breathe, it seemed not right to at least pursue other options for funding to get the life-saving meds he needed. Thanks, WestieMed for giving Dunkin the chance to survive…he sends a big “WOOF, WOOF” thank you. I will keep you posted on his progress and send photos as he recovers.
Stephanie
Update April 28, 2012
Dunkin – WestieMed Grant Recipient April
Dunkin was discharged from the vet’s office yesterday and was given a good prognosis.
He will remain on the meds for a total of 180 days. He will be getting a repeat chest x-ray in two weeks and another urinalysis to determine if the meds are clearing things up.
He has had no coughing since at home and has been very active with toys and in the play yard.
I will keep you posted on his progress.
Thanks again,
Stephanie Fields Homeward Bound Canine Rescue and Rehab London, KY
Update May 1, 2012:
Dunkin is doing better than expected. He loves playing in his swimming pool. He hasn’t been coughing or had shortness of breath at all. I do believe he is on the mend. I will keep you posted.
Stephanie Fields
Update March 2, 2013
Dunkin – WestieMed Grant Recipient
This is the big Dunkin boy now. He is slightly overweight…(but everything at my house is lol). He was never placed up for adoption due to his medical condition. He still takes five different meds due to the damage the blast did to his lungs. He is a fat and sassy big boy. He occasionally starts wheezing so bad I have to give him neb treatments for a couple of days. He is very active, loves to swim with his life jacket on, and often lays in the doggie beds with other injured rescues I take in. It is almost like he is saying “It’s ok…you’re in a safe place and I’ll stay right here with you.” He is a big love bug but has a typical Westie attitude. Thank you guys so much for all of your help. It made the difference between life and death for Dunkin.
Stephanie Fields, Director Homeward Bound Canine Rescue and Rehab London, Ky
I received a call from a “concerned person” who told me about some westies that were in a backyard breeding facility in upstate New York. The lady said the owner had contacted her about giving the westies up to rescue because the facility was being closed. Their owner described JoJo as a small breeding westie in good health.
I drove several hours and met the lady who contacted me. She had JoJo and another westie. JoJo was indeed a tiny westie weighing in at just over eleven pounds. She said the “owner” told her JoJo might possibly be pregnant. JoJo was current on her rabies shot and needed updating on all other inoculations.
The following day I took JoJo to my vet and he confirmed the fact that she indeed was pregnant. He could see three maybe four shapes. He was not concerned about her being in distress as she was running around and playing with westies. She seemed in good health. He gave her an antibiotic and also a vitamin.
JoJo went to her foster home shortly after that. As the weeks went by JoJo got bigger and seemed to be fine. One day she began throwing up and was taken to her new vet. The foster Mom worked for this vet. She ate a piece of rawhide and a chunk got stuck in her throat. The vet tried several things and finally removed the rawhide.
However, he had to do an emergency C-section due to JoJo’s delicate condition. She and the puppies would die without the surgery. The surgery was a success and five puppies were born prematurely. Unfortunately, all the puppies died within a week. They were simply too early.
On March 3, 2012, JoJo went to her forever home. She had a vet checkup today. She has gained some weight and is doing well.
Sincerely,
Bob Murphy Rescue Westies WPA
Update February 9, 2013
I adopted JoJo from Westie Rescue in Pittsburgh, PA.
JoJo is doing wonderful! Other than allergies she has no health problems. It’s just her and me and believes me she is quite spoiled, to say the least. She gets groomed every 8 weeks and has a wardrobe as large as mine! Her Steelers coat cost more than mine. LOL.
Thank you for helping JoJo, without WestieMed we would not be as happy as we are.
