Skin Infections – Page 5

Dodger

January 1, 2011December 26, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

One evening late last August, I was on the computer and saw a message come in from Westie Rescue of Missouri’s (WRM) Facebook discussion board. Four months earlier I wrote a post about a recurrence of furunculosis in my eight-year-old former mill dog, PeachPie – the issue had long since resolved. A reply was posted, and I was tempted to ignore it but opened it anyway. It simply read that the writer was encouraged that my dog’s ailment had healed at least once…her dog’s hadn’t and it had been a very long time. I wrote her back and said I’d try to help with some info, but it would take a while because I was swamped. An email came back saying she (Lisa) understood and she would wait. She included a photo of her dog, Dodger, taken that evening. It stopped me in my tracks.

From the photo, Dodger, a two year, eight-month-old Westie, had a horrible growth under his chin and huge, awful looking paws. I was pretty dumbfounded but learned Dodger lived in central Louisiana and had been seen by numerous vets and even LSU Veterinary Clinic. No one really seemed to know what was wrong, what to do, or how to do it. One vet diagnosed Dodger with “the canine equivalent of Scleroderma” and recommended Dodger be put down.

I sent the photo along with the medical reports Lisa had emailed to everyone I knew and heard back from Karen Simondet. She offered to send the reports/photos to specialists she knew in California, but it was Labor Day weekend, and it took a little more than two weeks for the information to come back. Both the specialist and Westie Specialist, Dr. Kay believed Dodger’s problems were allergy-based bacterial and yeast infections.

WRM recommended I contact BJ – a woman with a lot of experience in holistic alternatives for info as well. For two months Karen, BJ, and I tried to support Lisa and Dodger from a distance but he got worse. By mid-October I received a heartbreaking email from Lisa. Dodger’s “chin mass” got worse and ruptured and his feet were no better. Lisa said for the first time in two and a half years, she no longer believed she could get Dodger well.

Lisa, Karen, BJ and I came up with a plan for Dodger to come up to me – just outside of St Louis – close to BJ. We thought if nothing else a new environment and a new vet might help. And WRM gave Dodger WRM Honoree Rescue status, allowing my vet to “officially” treat Dodger as a dog in rescue – waiving many fees and substantially discounting care and supplies.

On November 1, 2010, Lisa arrived from a two-day drive from Louisiana with Dodger in tow. Dodger exceeded all of our worst expectations. The first night alone, the smell of yeast was simply awful-within an hour the house reeked. Dodger went to the yard, but unfamiliar with its terrain, he tripped several times, breaking open some of the growths on his feet. They just oozed more. I called to get a vet appointment the next day and Lisa headed out to start her long trip back to Louisiana. Through all of this, Dodger was the sweetest dog and acted like everything was ok. He seemed to smile when he looked at me.

When I took Dodger to the vet the next day, the technician came in to get Dodger’s history and to look at him. You could just tell by the look on her face. She left the room and returned with my vet a few minutes later. By that time the exam room reeked. When Dr. Chris came in, he was friendly and professional as always, but the look on his face spoke volumes.

Dr. Chris didn’t know what to think about it all. He’d seen some pretty bad things before, but nothing like Dodger. He took some samples for cultures and dressed Dodger’s front feet in an antibiotic ointment. He changed the oral antibiotic from Baytril to Cephalexin and reduced Dodger’s two-month-long 10mg/day Prednisone dose down to 5mg/day. He increased Dodger’s Ketoconazole to 1/4 tab twice a day and later to 1/2 tab 2x/day. He also wanted daily cleaning of Dodger’s “chin mass” by scrubbing with Malaseb equivalent shampoo. He immediately took Dodger off the Metacam he’d been taking occasionally for pain and put him on Tramadol. Dodger also went on Doxycycline for a month when E-coli was present per the sensitivity cultures. Dodger also went on a limited ingredient diet to help his immune system to return to normal.

I asked Dr. Chris if he’d mind me bringing Dodger in every week or so, just to make sure everything was okay. After he looked at me like I was from Mars, he told me Dodger would be coming in every two to three days “for a while”. “Awhile” was a month.

Dodger’s first month was difficult. He ran into numerous problems – terribly constipated from a raw-only diet I’d put him on within his first week, sick from Ketoconazole, frustrated at having his feet and chin squeezed and prodded by the vet three times a week, and frustrated with rough scrubbings of his chin every day. For a while, the infections got worse too. But he never had a bad day and never growled through any of it. He always seemed to smile as if he knew I was there to help him, not hurt him.

In early December Dr. Chris biopsied three of the feet after Dodger had more problems with his feet. At this time, Pat Baker, an avid Westie lover, and groomer that I know through Facebook suggested I ask my vet to look into a compounded antifungal to help with Dodger’s nausea and anorexia, as her own dog experienced the same problems with the drugs.

My vet ordered a compounded Itraconazole and WRM helped with Dodger’s two-month supply. Within two days of that change, Dodger’s appetite bounced back and within a week the yeast began to retreat. The biopsies came back with the paw problems being follicular in origin. By mid-December Dodger was also off Doxycycline and down to 5 mg Prednisone on alternating days. His dressings came off and he was changed to 2x/day soaks/scrubs of his feet and chin and the vet gave us the okay to use immune-boosting supplements, so BJ developed Dodger’s nutritional support/supplementation plan. Dodger also remained on his very limited ingredient diet which the owner of a specialty grooming and specialty dog food store a few towns over chose for him.

By mid-December, Dodger was doing very well and the vet wanted to cut away the granulomas to his feet and to cut away Dodger’s “chin mass” that never did stop producing sterile pus. The vet believed surgery would reduce the opportunity for yeast and infection to grow/hide and would give Dodger a better quality of life. Dodger had to wait three weeks for my schedule to allow for his surgery – it was scheduled for 1/3/11. In the interim, he went to once a day soaks/scrubs.

Lisa relinquished Dodger to me on New Year’s Day because she loved him dearly and wanted this sweet boy to live knowing that returning him to Louisiana could be very detrimental to his health.

Dodger’s surgery was done on 1/3/11 and inside each granuloma, on each paw, the vet found a hardened mass of infected hair follicle. The chin mass had little blood supply but was still laden with pus. Dodger will return to the vet tomorrow to remove the bandages to his three paws. Later this month he will have allergy testing. And after that, he will have teeth cleaning due to the hyperplasia of his gums. They aren’t expected to improve. Dodger also needs specially formulated heartworm prevention that costs more than regular preventative, and because he had a bad skin reaction to Revolution, he has to take Comfortis for flea/tick prevention.

As you can imagine, Dodger’s vet bills, food bills, and supplements have been quite high these past two months, even with my vet’s generosity. The grant Dodger’s received from WestieMed will do so much – paying for this week’s surgery, upcoming allergy testing and serum, the dental cleaning and medications, special heartworm prevention, and Comfortis. By the end of this month, we expect Dodger to primarily require preventative maintenance medications and baths as well as a limited ingredient diet. We’re thankful to everyone who’s been involved with Dodger’s journey, the support we’ve received from Facebook connections, most of whom we’ve never met and from WestieMed for supporting Dodger and helping us cover his medical bills. Sometimes it was that support that got us from a bad day to the next day! It really DID take a village to give Dodger his life back.

Thank you WestieMed! We will keep you updated on Dodger’s progress.

Daine and John Brundage and Dodger Westie Dog (DWD)

Update January 8, 2011

DWD pulled out of his back right leg bandage yesterday and again this morning while I was running errands. When I came home I could see it had bled a little. His front right foot is hurting him a lot again today. And after the vet visit, DWD insisted on running in the field for a while with Sandy Neighbor Dog – so he’s probably going to be pretty sore for the rest of the day and into tomorrow. The vet visit went well. We should have the bandages off Monday. He continues on California Natural Lamb/Rice and Bravo lamb grind and California Natural Lamb/Rice (with oatmeal) bars (treats). He will stay on 250 mg Ceph 3x/day through January and then down to 2x/day. He will stay on the Itraconazole compound through January and then probably to ketoconazole every other day. He’s changed from every other day Pred to 5 mg on MWF. He still takes zinc. He gets coconut oil, Prozyme, and Wobenzyme as supplements. He gets Animax applied to his chin 3x/day and will get it on his feet 2x/day when the bandages come off for a while. He will get allergy testing in about three weeks.

While we were at the vet today, there was a tiny Rottie mix puppy that Dodger was very interested in so he got to check the pup out and he was very gentle with the pup, it was very cute. Everyone at the vet’s office agrees that he’s never had a bad day through this all. Thanks again for caring about this LWD and have a great weekend. Daine

Update January 10, 2011

DWD had his bandages removed today and then ran alongside me while I went to get Sandy Neighbor Dog out. It was a little too much for him. The smaller of the granuloma on the right front foot was the deepest of all, it went all the way through to the bottom of his paw – but that was the ONLY one that did that. His feet are obviously swollen and hurt him a lot right now. He has Animax ointment on his feet/chin – 3x a day now and he’s wearing children’s athletic socks over his feet secured above the paw with self-sticking velcro. For they’ll get changed 2-3 x a day. His chin looks great. He goes back on Saturday to have the sutures removed. Dr. Chris put some sutures in where the big granuloma was cut away. DWD will have his allergy testing on 2/3/11. We want to sincerely thank you all again for the support you’ve given DWD and us. It’s made things so much easier.

Daine

Update January 15, 2011

DWD had the stitches from a couple of his toes removed this am. He’s doing very well and he’s healing nicely. He stopped taking tram on Tues or Wed night. He’s not having any pain and has definitely found his wag. He sat as quiet as he could while the stitches came out this morning, but became very brave and bossy and barked up a storm while sitting in John’s lap. There’s very little swelling of his paws – especially compared to Monday’s pics. But today we can tell that both of the huge granulomas – the big nasty pink/red one on his right front paw and the BIG, nasty black one on his left front paw actually did grow through the paw – top to the pad. Dodger will get a soak and light scrub of feet and chin for at least the next week. We are leaving his feet uncovered through most of the day now – covered and with Animax at night. I expect we’ll start using the malaseb spray again at night too before long. His medications and his supplements and food are still the same. In February he will go down to 2 Ceph/day and the vet will decide about the Pred and Ketoconazole or alternative then. Dodger Westie Dog will have his allergy testing blood drawn on 2/3/11. This will be the last update until 2/3/11 unless there’s something worth sharing. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your support over the past two and a half months and for caring about this LWD. Lisa wrote to me yesterday and said she misses him terribly. She’s thrilled with his surgery and it’s the outcome so far though, and she starts college classes again on Monday and said she made the right decision to let DWD go.

Daine

Update February 2, 2011

DWD went back to the vet today. Dodger’s front feet are doing very well. So is his chin.

His rear left paw has some swelling and bloody draining. This is the foot that was lanced and biopsied in early December. No granuloma has grown, but this was a change for the worse compared to last month. His right ear has become much softer/thin, but the left ear is about as leathery as it was at last visit last month. His meds were changed to: Ceph 250 2x/day, ketoconazole 1/2 tab/day x 30 days, zinc daily, Pred on M/W/F. He’s still on prozyme but the vet wants him off wobenzyme for now. He still gets some coconut oil in his food each day. He gets Antimax on his paws at night and they are covered. He’ gotten the wraps off his left front paw quite a bit recently, and his feet aren’t covered during the day as it’s been very wet here. He had blood drawn for allergy testing today.

Oh – vet wants me to spray with Genesis spray once a week. DWD will probably go back to the vet when the allergy testing results are in – about ten days. Otherwise, DWD is doing well. He’s gotten bored with his treats and food, so that’s become a bit of a battle and he’s managed to grab others’ treats sometimes. He also has a very bad habit of eating things in the yard – birdseed, leaves, twigs, etc. He’s also grabbed and eaten some other dog’s hair (from clippers). Found a no-fail way to get him to take his meds. He gets them in a small amount of Bravo as I SHOW him another wad of Bravo. He’s greedy so he gobbles down the first wad with the meds, without his usual inspection, and goes for the second wad. Please let me know if you have any suggestions or thoughts. Thanks for caring about this LWD.
Daine

Update April 6, 2011

It’s been just over three months since Dodger had surgery to remove the masses to his three paws (fourth was done four months earlier as a test), so it seems like a good time to send an update. Dodge’s chin has healed nicely. And his paws are doing very well too, but they continue to be a challenge. Dodger’s had a couple more growths – one that the vet had to remove from the first paw that was done back in November. Dodger is holding his own but the paws still blister at times and always seem to drain – but not much. He gets a 15-20 minute foot soak and scrub with a boar bristle brush on most days, followed by Genesis spray to all paws. And every night he gets Antimax ointment rubbed in between his toes and his feet are covered with socks ’til morning. He’s been on allergy shots for almost two months now and is at ten-day intervals now. Dodger’s going to stay on a limited diet of California Natural Lamb & Rice, he also gets some peanut butter and raw food – but not much, and the occasional cat food he steals. One problem we have is that he has the equivalent of Pica for dogs. He eats a lot of what he finds outdoors – plants, grass, seed pods, you name it – he’s not fussy. Our vet decided its better for Dodger to remain on Ceph (2x/day), Ketoconazole (1/2 tab/day), and Pred (3x/wk) along with supplements and probiotics until Fall’s first hard frost than to risk it. But instead of going to the vet three to four times a week – now he goes about once a month. WestieMed, we can’t thank you enough for the assistance you provided with Dodger’s medical bills! Dodger,
Daine, & John Brundage

Update December 20, 2011

Well, our first full year as Dodger’s permanent guardians is quickly coming to a close and what better time to send an update to WestieMed about him.

It’s been a year full of ups and downs for Dodger. Unfortunately, the growths on his feet returned and were removed several times, much more so on his front paws. We don’t know what stimulates their growth, but we’re pretty sure it’s environmental and he’s much worse in the humid, hot summer months.

In June Dodger got a very bad infection in one of his back legs that turned out to be pseudomonas, an opportunistic bacteria. He spent a month on Baytril and beat the infection but it was a scary time.

We’ve had lots of ups this year too! After Dodger’s pseudomonas episode, Dr. Chris decided to take him off the prednisone he’d been taking to suppress his immune system for well over a year and Dodger did great! Since then we’ve also cut his ketoconazole to 1/4 tab 3x/wk from 1/2 tab every day! Oh, and that “thing” that was cut off his chin in January – it never came back and all the hair grew back!

Dodger gets his allergy shots every month now and he eats a limited ingredient diet.

He doesn’t have to have to have his feet soaked and scrubbed anymore because we learned it didn’t really help him, we put Antimax antibiotic ointment on Dodger’s feet and cover them in socks each night. He’s been free of yeast infections this past year and that’s been wonderful! Also, there’ve been no lampshade collars for Dodger to endure since he joined our family in late 2010 and we’re really happy about that, too.

But Dodger’s skin is very thick which makes it quite difficult to give his allergy shots and it’s become all but impossible to intubate him; thankfully so far and he’s been able to have what medical procedures he’s needed with local sedation. Over the past months, Dodger’s had a harder and harder time evacuating his bowels so we’re watching that closely and hoping the problem won’t cause any problems or worsen.

Dodger’s got a wonderful disposition, he’s a bossy, chatty, opinionated little white dog who always seems to make the best out of whatever life dishes out to him. He loves people and attention and gives our vet’s staff and our visitors gentle “love bites” whenever he can. Oh, and Dodger eventually wore us down at bedtime and staked claim to a good portion of our bed a few months back. He’s very pleased with himself about that accomplishment and I swear he smiles when I put him on the bed each night.

In closing, we want to thank WestiMed once again for being there for Dodger and for us! It’s made all the difference in the world to know there are so many in WestieMed-land who’ve cared about and rallied for our little, bossy guy.

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday and a prosperous new year.

Daine

Update June 22, 2012

I am sad to tell those of you who knew Dodger that we had him put to sleep this morning. Dodger came to us on 11/1/10 – initially to stay with us a few months, but it took a NY second for all of us to realize he’d come home. He brought John and me so much joy and laughter and happiness at the same time our hearts broke at the fate he was destined to on this earth. I will be forever grateful to all the wonderful people who shared our joy and sadness and who rallied for him and loved him from afar. Your support and encouragement were very much appreciated by Dodger Westie Dog and by John and me.

Summers were never easy for Dodger and this one was worse than the last two. He struggled for the past six weeks with boils that came back with a vengeance. Until yesterday we were able to cover the pain that came and went as the sores came and left. But by last night even high doses of tram and rimadyl barely helped. There were other problems too – related to the treatment and to the disease, whatever it was. After we got him comfortable today, he spent the morning in the yard, lying on his island and in the grass – barking and watching all the things that go on in the yard. Today he was as he always was – happy, opinionated, bossy, and stoic.

Thank you again for all your support and love – to Dodger and to me. It made all the difference in the world.

If there is a place that transcends the pain and suffering of live as we know it, and I believe there is, Dodger is now able to run and eat and drink free of the pain, suffering, encumbrances, limitations, and challenges that he experienced in his life up til now.

Daine

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

Lily

December 1, 2009December 27, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Lilly is a one-year-old, unspayed, Westie who was born in a puppy mill situation (we believe) in a town called Sudbury, which is in northern Ontario.

She was originally going to be used for breeding however she got ill so the “breeder” advertised her in a local paper as “take her or we will put her down” A young girl, approximately 25 years old, and her father answered the ad and took Lilly when she was approximately four to five months old. The young girl was, we suspect, mentally challenged so was very unprepared and unequipped for the financial and emotional responsibility of taking care of an ill Westie, and felt the best solution was to keep her crated all day, for about six months and did not get her any Veterinary care.

Lilly’s skin and condition got worse and worse until the young girl could no longer cope and placed an ad on a website with her pitiful picture, offering her to anyone who wanted her. Very luckily, one of our Westie lovers saw the ad, contacted us and Westies in Need called the owner right away and offered assistance.

A Westies in Need family who have adopted two of our Westies (one puppy mill girl named Molly and a blind Westie named Tara) offered to make the four and half hour drive (one way) to get her for us and then turned around and drove right back to our waiting arms. We took her to our Vet that same day and her treatments began.

She is a tiny, sweet, fragile, sick little girl who has had a hard start to life, but we will make sure she gets the very best care possible from this moment on.

Westies in Need would like to thank WestieMed for all they do and for their very generous donation for Lilly’s care.

With love and thanks,
Corrie Yeoman Kim McLean Directors,
Westies in Need

Update January 6, 2010

To all of the wonderful folks at WestieMed, Just a quick e-mail to say thanks and thanks again for the generous donation you made to our rescue for our girl Lilly! It is so very much appreciated…we will keep you updated on her progress. Thanks!!

Corrie Director,
Westies in Need

Update February 4, 2010

Well, it has been about six weeks now since our Lilly came into our Westies in Need rescue program and I wanted to send you all a follow-up picture and update.

When Lilly arrived she was so very sick and she was about seven pounds At the next Vet visit she went up to about seven and a half and at her last visit she was now almost eight pounds…slow but steady and we would love to see her gain a bit more.

Her fur is coming along…again slow…but a bit more every day! She was bathed three times a day for the first two weeks, then twice a day, then once a day and is now down to a bath every other day. The first few weeks she just stood there and did not move when you bathed her…now she hears the water run and she is gone!!! Too funny!!!

The biggest change we have seen (and I mean HUGE!!!!) is in her attitude. When I first got Lilly she slept about eighteen hours a day, would not run or play at all and had no life her eyes at all….well…she is now a little spitball!

This young lady has Westie-tude to spare! She barks at me if I am not quick enough with her supper, runs up and down our hall chasing my Charlotte like she is in the Indy 500, eats like there is no tomorrow, plays for hours on end with toys and is an absolute joy!

She is the sweetest, most loving and cuddly Westie I have ever known…if you let her she would live her life snuggled on your lap playing with your fingers or trying to chase your eyelashes!!! What a joy she is!

I will keep you all updated on her progress. I want to thank you all once again for your love, your support and your donations for this little girl. She had a rough start to life, but she is certainly making up for it now.

With love and thanks,
Corrie
Westies in Need

Update June 25, 2010

Lilly, as you know, came into the rescue on December 10th and at that time she was a mess, but she became stronger and stronger as the months went on and was even starting to grow some hair and not smelling as bad.!

THEN…April came and she had a small sore on her head one day (the size of my little fingernail) …in two and half days it covered almost half of her head (picture is attached) and was oozing and pussy. I thought for a moment she had flesh-eating disease….needless to say, we were off to the Vet in a minute and she was diagnosed with a severe bacterial infection that her current antibiotic was doing nothing for and Demodex Mange.

So from April till now it has been a long haul and we have kinda had to start at the beginning…she lost all her hair (damn!!!) and had, I would say, sixty small, open sores on her body from the mange.

She is now seeing her regular Vet as well as Steven Waisglass, a Canine Dermatologist. She went immediately on a different antibiotic and is now also on Ivermectin for the mange. She was also found to have a problem with her Thyroid (I sent all her blood work off to Jean Dodds) so she is currently on Thyroid medication as well.

I have attached some pictures for you to see…I need to take some more of her now as she is starting to improve. She is back to wearing little clothes all the time and she has to wear her back boots again as well so she does not rip her skin when she scratches.

We are back to a bath every other day with the Dermabens shampoo and then another shampoo with the Nizoral and then an oatmeal rinse and I have a Derma cool spray that I can spray on her in bad, itch spots.

Through all this, she is still eating and pooping well and is still the sweetest little thing. In April when she was VERY sick she was back to sleeping most of the day and very lethargic, but she has improved since then…does not sleep too much during the day and is back to playing with toys and trying very hard to play with my Charlotte, who still wants absolutely NOTHING to do with her. So funny!!! She was only 3.4 kg when she arrived in our rescue and is currently 5.6 KG now, so a good and steady improvement with her weight.

We appreciate WestieMed more than you know.
Corrie and her little Westies, Charlotte and Miss Lilly

Update April 12, 2011

My Lilly is doing better…still not 100% which is disappointing but she is looking better. Her skin is still an issue and will probably be for all her life.

She is now seeing a holistic Vet in Toronto…she saw the canine dermatologist for months but I was unhappy as he just wanted to continue her treatment with additional drugs, so I am now on the holistic approach.

She has been on a RAW diet for a month now as well, but I have seen no improvement at all as far as her skin. Here is a picture I took of her in December!
Corrie

Update January 9, 2012

I want to send you a follow-up regarding our Lilly. She was a little Westie who WestieMed helped over two years ago now. You helped me so much as well as Bette, answering all my questions – you are so knowledgeable and I could not begin to thank you enough!

Lilly continues to do well, not 100% but I doubt that she will ever be…but she is happy and a whole lot better than she was when she arrived in our rescue.

Last month we had 19 Westies come into our rescue – a very busy month but all are doing great!

Corrie Westies in Need

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

Tavish McPeanut

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

Dear WestieMed Folks:

I got an email about another Westie in need of rescue, but when I looked at the picture I knew that this was no ordinary rescue. I knew immediately that this would be my dog. Another member of Westie Rescue stepped up to foster first, but circumstances led him to my house shortly thereafter. Thank God for small miracles.

Tavish, as he was named, is unlike any other dog I have had the pleasure of knowing. He was so small and fragile. Because he was kept in a cat carrier all four of his legs were bowed at the knee. His hair was almost non-existent due to stress. This also caused alopecia. He had nasty skin irritations and infections. He had an eye infection. Who knew what else was lurking just below the surface. This poor little soul was just the most pitiful and worst case of abuse and neglect I have ever seen. But, there was a spark there. After all, he had been through, his giant personality still managed to shine. That is what fortunately saved his life. The Bridgeport, Texas Animal Services’ workers saw it. Westie Rescue of North Texas saw it. I saw it. This was a dog who deserved a second chance.

When he got to my house the first thing I wanted to do was give him a name like no one else. This little guy had a sort of élan that was bigger than life. He needed to be distinguished from the pack. I did not want him to be lost in a sea of Tavishs. He was so little – just a little peanut of a dog. Well, we can’t give a Westie a non-Scottish name, can we? So it was born – Tavish McPeanut – thank you very much!

Every day we held our breath. He had so much to overcome. Could he do it? Was he strong enough? Well, the answer was yes and yes. He could and would overcome. He could and was strong enough. Every day he came more and more alive. McPeanut was a legend by now.

We take daily walks as a pack and this little guy would prance out in front of everyone else. What a hoot! He knew he was special and everyone else was just beginning to see for themselves just what a terrific guy he was. All the neighbors would stop and pet him. He went and stole everyone’s hearts. He will give you a quick kiss but then he is off – he has things to do, places to go, things to mark. . . after all, he is a little boy.

McPeanut has been the spirit of this family. He is goofy and silly and always up for whatever is going on. He is quick with a tail wag and a kiss. When you call his name he dances around in a little half-circle kind of shaped like a little peanut. This would be the Peanut dance. He is the first one to start playing. He is also quite the Casanova having a wide variety of lady loves from a Chinese Crested named Lola to a black Lab named Lady. He loves to walk and sniff and hike and sniff and run and play and sniff and love. We cannot imagine life without this little firecracker.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for helping McPeanut, who stole our hearts, to complete all of his medical treatments so that he can truly thrive and become the Westie he was meant to be!

Sincerely,
Kelly Flanigan Feuling Tavish McPeanut’s Mom

Update July 9, 2009

I just wanted to briefly update everyone about little McPeanut. I picked him up today from Dallas Vet & Surgery Center in Grapevine. Dr. Wells was our physician.

I have good news and bad news. The good news is that McPeanut does not need surgery at this time. They performed a CT scan and then a myelogram. The myelogram is a procedure where they inject dye into the spinal column to see if a disk is ruptured or herniated. So, the good news is that he does not have a condition that can be rectified by surgery. The bad news is, they cannot explain his x-rays. They show such a drastic narrowing in two places and he cries out in pain sometimes when picked up.

Dr. Wells thinks there is soft tissue damage due to his being kept in that tiny cage. She said we need to continue to manage the pain and see if he won’t improve over time. Poor little guy. I just hate it that he is having to suffer like this! It is a terrible reminder of all this little baby went through.

I am currently giving him Carprofen and Tramadol twice a day to keep the pain at bay. He has been given orders to keep quiet and rest. Not a problem with this heat. As you can see in the picture, he is doing okay now that he is home and in his favorite chair. Oh, and his appetite is great – that is always a good sign!

Blessings, Kelly

Update August 12, 2009

I am sending out this update on little McPeanut hopefully to bring attention to a major health issue. With all of these horrific puppy-mills around, we might start to see more and more of these specific eye problems. If you look at any of the tapes of the busts, the majority of dogs have obvious eye issues. We need to closely and carefully check these puppy-mill dogs who have eye irritations/conditions.

We took McPeanut to the veterinary ophthalmologist, Dr. Munger, today. He has had eye problems from the beginning, but because no one every fluoresced (stained) his eyes this was not caught until last Monday by Dr. Paul Hendon at Westcreek Animal Clinic. McPeanut had the most unusual pattern of damage to his cornea that Dr. Hendon had ever seen. He immediately recommended the veterinary ophthalmologist and put McPeanut on several different medications.

This is very serious and McPeanut could very well lose his left eye. First, he has been diagnosed in both eyes with uveitis (which is very serious and painful in humans) which is a swelling of the uvea – the middle, pigmented vascular layer of the eye. Second, his left eye has posterior synechia, pupilo seclusio, iris bombe, and glaucoma (caused by the uveitis). What all this means is that his iris is adhering to his lens (synechia), the bulging forward of the iris (iris bombe) has caused swelling blocking the aqueous humor from draining (glaucoma), and he has evidence of hemorrhagic uveitis. The hemorrhages on his eye were what alerted Dr. Hendon to a serious problem.

This did not happen overnight. This condition should have been caught earlier. The first vet that saw him should have noticed his eyes were very red, he squinted a lot, and he had the hemorrhages on the left eye and so the condition could have been treated in its earlier stages. I am just sick over this. This poor little dog has suffered immensely with so many other health problems, and now this.

I am hoping to save another little one from going through the same thing. The fluoroscope is not that expensive ($16.00)-$19.00) and should have been performed on the first exam in this case. Now, we are looking at hundreds of dollars of medical care and the worst-case scenario of his actually losing his eye. Dr. Hendon is our primary vet and he caught it on the first exam. He contacted Dr. Munger and got us in two days later. Meanwhile, Dr. Hendon gave us pain medication, antibiotics, and an anti-cholinergic (to stimulate vasodilatation). This would increase blood flow and healing. Now, McPeanut has additional medication to reduce the swelling (steroid) and to reduce the aqueous humor (Cosopt – a combination of a beta-blocker and carbonic anhydrase inhibitor). I sold Cosopt for Merck for almost ten years so I know that it is a great medication. The dorzolamide part of it is actually more effective in dogs than humans. So, now McPeanut is using four eye drops and four oral medications to try to manage his conditions.

Please pray for little McPeanut. We are hoping for the best – that he responds well to treatment with medication. We will discuss other options if and when they are necessary. Keep your paws crossed!

Kelly
Saving one dog won’t change the world, but it will change the world for that one dog!

Update August 17, 2009

Dear WestieMed:

I want to thank you for your help with one of our recent adoptees McPeanut. He was just the most pitiful little pup when he came to us. Unfortunately he was the victim of severe neglect, but he had the most wonderful spirit that saved him from being euthanized. He is just so precious and wonderful to us. He courageously has battled severe infection, spinal disk narrowing, orthopedic deformity, and eye problems.

Everyone who meets him falls completely in love with him. As he is going through his various medical procedures, tests, and treatments I have to keep an army of people informed of his progress. Yes, this little wonder has stolen the hearts of hundreds of people. He dances and twists and kinda yodel/growls at you when you call his name. He is just so absolutely awesome and unforgettable!

Something I want to tell you all is that I only adopt the sick, elderly, or special needs dogs. I have some medical problems of my own, and so I have a special place in my heart for the little ones who are suffering with illness or issues no one else wants to deal with. I keep my dogs for life – theirs or mine – and they are provided for in my will. “Re-home” is not a word in my vocabulary. In the two pictures, let me introduce our pack from left to right: Gabriel (foster), Peanut, Queenie, Badger, and Winston. Each has health challenges and a story of their own. Queenie has defied the odds and is 17 1/2 years old – despite being from severe neglect and abuse in a puppy mill for the first five years of her life. Physically, you can not see any signs of her previous life. She has been with me for 12 years and is now quite fat and happy.

WestieMed also helped us out with a dog who was given up almost five years ago because he was “defective.” Winston had extremely thinning hair, dull, lifeless eyes, thin and bony, and was lethargic. The previous owner’s vet had recommended that they euthanize him. Well, I could not sit back and let that happen. I promptly took Winston to my vet who after a thorough check-up recognized, and tested to confirm, that he had a severe pancreatic enzyme deficiency. This poor dog was not absorbing and benefiting from any nutrients he ingested. Everything he ate came right back out the other end.

With a strict diet and diligently supplementing every meal with additional enzymes, Winston is now thriving. He just turned six years old and is as vibrant and healthy as can be. He will always have to be on food that is low in carbs, protein, and fats. He also will have to continue to use the enzymes every time he eats. Also, he does have some other digestion issues that require him to be on different medications. You would never know of his conditions when you meet him. He is active, friendly, and quite the ambassador to every foster dog who comes to our house. He is a handsome dog now who has bright, shiny eyes, a beautiful coat, and loves to hunt by sitting on the back of the couch and waiting and watching for the squirrel to try to get to the bird feeder. The second picture is of him and Twinkie (we lost her in June 08) watching for that darn squirrel.

From the bottom of my heart I want to express my deepest gratitude for the help you have given these two Westies of mine and the many others you help with your organization. Financially, it can become overwhelming when all of your pets need special care. I am fortunate to have the time and expertise to give 24 hour care to these pups. We will continue to care for and love them all until they cross the Rainbow Bridge. Thank you for helping to off-set some of the lifetime of expenses. We sincerely appreciate it.

Blessings, Kelly Flanigan Feuling

Update August 26, 2009

I took little Peanut to see Dr. Munger, the veterinary ophthalmologist, today for a recheck of his eyes. His left eye was of great concern as it had several issues: glaucoma, iris bombe, uveitis, posterior synechia, pupilo seclusio, and hemorrhaging. First, the bad news, his left eye will most likely have to be removed. He had some slight improvement with the iris, synechia, and hemorrhages, but his pressure was still very high, 40, even with diligent use of the medication. Dr. Munger said he has no vision in the left eye. His right eye looks good with definite improvement in the uveitis.

I am physically sick over this. Poor little Peanut has been through the wringer and now this. I had hoped and prayed he would not lose his eye. We go back in four weeks, but we would need a miracle between now and then. He is in good spirits in typical Peanut fashion. What a wonderful, sweet, spirit. He has managed and compensated for this very well.

We are not sure just what procedure we will do, but Dr. Munger said if this was his dog he would go for the enucleation (removal of the entire eye) and put in a prosthetic. I just cannot imagine this at this moment. We are doing all we can to keep Peanut healthy and pain-free. Thank you for your continued prayers for little Peanut.

Blessings, Kelly
Saving one dog won’t change the world, but it will change the world for that one dog!

Update September 17, 2009

Hello, all of Peanut’s wonderful supporters! I have to thank all of you for all the love, support, and words of encouragement that you have given us since this little angel joined our family. We appreciate all of you more than you know. It has been quite a difficult road for this little guy and we have been very busy lately with the most urgent health issue of trying to save Peanut’s left eye. I warn you that the pictures are quite graphic at this point in time. The picture to the left shows how inflamed, enlarged, and hemorrhaged the eye was. It does not show was what caused the eye to be so damaged.

I have been diligently doing around the clock care this entire last month trying to desperately save this little guy’s eye. Unfortunately, the diseases were many and had progressed beyond what could be successfully treated. So, yesterday Dr. Robert Munger at the Animal Ophthalmology Clinic removed Peanut’s left eye. He was in severe pain and distress due to this condition and this was our only alternative at this point. The final diagnosis was intractable glaucoma, secondary to uveitis with iris bombe and buphthalmos. It was treated with enucleation with an orbital implant. We chose not to have a prosthetic because that was more about aesthetics than what Peanut needed to get along.

I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Munger. He is an amazing physician as well as a human being. He lives near us and even offered to bring us medicine if Peanut needed it. He came highly recommended by Paul Hendon at Westcreek Animal Clinic – and I really respect Dr. Hendon. I hope none of you need ophthalmic services for any of your pups, but if you do this is the man to see.

I want to say a special big “thank you” to WestieMed and to John and Stacy Workman who have generously donated to Peanut’s medical fund. When he came to us we knew we would have some medical costs and struggles ahead of us, but after you meet this little guy you have to do whatever he needs because he is so special. All of our dogs are special needs and our veterinary costs have averaged $362 per month for this year. Mark and I sincerely appreciate the monetary support as it lightens our burden. We also appreciate all the moral support. I cannot wait for the Texas Westie Walk (October 24, 2009) so everyone can see a healed and happy Peanut. Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Blessings, Kelly
Saving one dog won’t change the world, but it did change the world for this one dog!

Update October 3, 2009

I wanted to give you the good and bad news about our little McPeanut. The bad news is that we had to remove his left eye this past Wednesday, Sept. 16th. The eye was not responding to treatment. We were so heartbroken because this little guy has been through so much that we did not want to put him through any more medical procedures. Dr. Munger told us all we needed to know to make the decision: McPeanut was in pain and he had no sight in the eye.

The procedure went well. The eye was sent to the University of Wisconsin for pathology because we wanted to be sure that whatever this was it would not affect his only remaining sighted eye. The diagnosis was chronic glaucoma secondary to granulomatous and lymphoplasmacytic endophthalmitis and retinitis (no cause was found), posterior synechiae and iris bombe, retinal detachment (extensive) optic nerve hemorrhage, and a break in Descemet’s membrane with retrocorneal membrane formation. It sounds horrible and scary, and it is, but that is now over. We will closely monitor his right eye to make sure that this is an isolated event.

The good news is he is back to the spunky little sweetie that steals hearts! It took him a couple of days to recover from the surgery – it was pretty major. The biggest challenge, as you all know, is keeping a Westie “quiet”! I just love it when vets tell you to keep them calm. Good luck. I felt like the mean school teacher constantly stopping him from playing with all the other boys. We have a poodle right now and he is exactly McPeanut’s size and energy level – oh someone help me!

So, we had our two weeks follow up at Dr. Munger’s Wednesday, Sept. 30th and McPeanut is now “coneless” and thriving. He is running the backyard again and giving the other boys a run for their money. Just so you know, Queenie (our 17½ yr old) just sits with me and watches all the foolishness going on. We are truly living in one continuous YouTube video! I wish I was better with technology because we have some absolutely hilarious moments as you can imagine.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. It means the world to us and, of course, to little McPeanut! If you are coming to Westie Walk (in Texas October 24, 2009) he would love to give you a big personal thank you!

Blessings, Kelly
Saving one dog won’t change the world, but it did change the world for this one dog!

Update April 15, 2010

McPeanut did remarkably well after surgery and surprised all of us. His entire body is all healed up and he spends his days laying in the sun, barking at everything that moves, chases and plays with the other Westies, then eats and sleeps then does it all over again. We love it!

We had to put McPeanut back on some eye drops to ensure his good eye (right side) stayed healthy. Other than that, he is great. He has a thick, luxurious coat, gained weight, and is very athletic.

It is quite difficult to catch him being still enough to photograph! McPeanut is such a good dog and gets along so well with everyone else. He has a new playmate, Stubbs, who came from an eerily similar situation. Stubbs is just now getting his hair and energy back. In the picture below you can see McPeanut stalking and playing with Stubbs. We have a little window in our fence so all the dogs can see what is going on in the street and sidewalk and McPeanut loves to look out and bark just like everyone else. He is as active and sweet as ever.

I am still stunned at the progress he has made and continues to make. We cannot thank you enough for helping out with his expenses. We only take in Westies that are sick and/or special needs. Every one of our dogs has health issues, but we are blessed with the best vets ever. Dr. Hendon actually has Westies himself so he is amazing with our pack. He also understands when I bring all of them in at the same time because everyone always seems to need something. Westcreek Animal Clinic spoils and loves them all like they were their own. We thank you so very much for your kindness and generosity!

Mark and Kelly Feuling Westie Rescue

Bailey

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

Bailey was an owner release from a family of Pearl City, NY to Westie Rescue of NY. Bailey is eleven years old. When his previous owner contacted us, we were told that Bailey had some “skin issues”. They let me know that they tried to help him, but he needed more time and attention that they were able to give him because they have three small children. We were sent a few photos, which we later found out were about nine months old. Upon contact with their Vet, we found out that Bailey had always had skin issues that were addressed sporadically. It seems that they took him into the vet, but didn’t always follow through on treatments. It was the Vet’s opinion that Bailey desperately needed treatment and follow through. We agreed to take Bailey in and deal with all his issues.

Through the great generosity of the volunteers of Westie Rescue of NY, we were able to coordinate transportation across NY state from Pearl River, just outside NYC to Rochester, NY, approximately 325 miles away. Upon meeting Bailey for the first time, my heart broke. This Westie had the worse skin condition I had ever seen. His left eye was almost completely sealed shut. Just to the left of his mouth a large sore broke through his fur. His underbelly was completely black with very tough skin. But, through all this Bailey was a sweet boy. The lady who transported Bailey let me know he was very good during the whole trip.

Bailey arrived in Rochester, NY on a Sunday. The next day I made an urgent call to our Vet and was able to secure a late afternoon appointment. Bailey was diagnosed with an eye infection, chronic Dry Eye, UTI, Malassezia and skin lichenification.

Bailey was put on Clavamox for his infections, for his eyes he was prescribed Mycitracin Ointment and Optimmune Ointment and he was to be bathed with Malaseb shampoo on a regular basis

It’s been over a month since Bailey has been with us. The sore next to his mouth is gone, his eye infection is gone, although he will have to have Optimmune Ointment administered to his eye twice a day for the rest of his life. His skin has greatly improved, although I have been told that he will always have skin issues. We are committed to seeing everything through. On his next Vet appointment, we hope to find out his UTI has completely cleared up.

We will be updating again soon.
Gloria Mueller, President, Westie Rescue of NY

Allie

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

March 16^th started out like any other day. Woke up, let the Beagle man out, made coffee, checked email – Subject caught my eye: WHO CAN CARE FOR ME? I’VE BEEN ABANDONED!!! – I had to read on….

‘… as people struggle in this difficult economy, it is often our loyal and loving animal companions who suffer the most. This sweet little girl was found abandoned on a blanket, in a park in Framingham day-before-yesterday. The dog officer surmised she had been there all night, in the 19 degrees cold and rain. She is a sweet young dog who, as you can see, has a skin condition. She has had three skin scrapings to test for mites and they were all negative, however, the results of the tests confirmed a yeast infection. If no home or foster can be located for her, she is scheduled to be euthanized this coming week.”

LOOK at that face! I was smitten! When I arrived at the Framingham Animal Control office that day, she was standing in the back of the large concrete kennel — she had no hair, her skin was red, full of sores and lesions, her nails were long and curled, and HOW, HOW could a small dog smell so terrible? The Officer walked her out to my car – every three to four steps she would stop to pee — what was wrong? To be honest, I was wondering if she would make it at all… she was bleeding. Off to the most amazing Vet in MA – Dr. Holly Kelsey – her techs took this little one from my arms, washed her and soon after the Dr. started the examination, blood work, urine cultures, skin scrapings, x-rays, etc. Beenie was so agreeable. She was, no doubt, in pain yet not one growl, bite, or flinch. She had just surrendered.

Results: yeast infection, allergies, skin infections, bladder infection, ear infection, anemic, underweight, and the worst was the X-ray showed a bladder full of large stones. Stones that were too large to dissolve or pass; surgery was needed immediately. (I started to panic) I want to help, but how can I do this? What is going to happen to her? I can’t afford a $1,400. surgery… I wanted to cry. I thanked the Dr. and I took Beenie home. That evening she curled up on my lap on a towel and slept – I could feel the weight of her little tired body. For the next three hours, I made phone calls and emailed and I learned of WestieMed – and soon of ‘Bette’ – wonderful, unbelievable – with their support and this little girl’s determination, I thought pffft…she’s going to MAKE it!

After surgery, staples, antibiotics, allergy medication, special food, ear drops, medicated baths, up-all-night peeing, diarrhea, vomiting, etc… I can say that seven weeks later…

She’s the boss! She’s my little CEO. (True to this breed I’m told) She talks a lot, and she’s quite the conversationalist, she has opinions on EVERYTHING! She’s definitely a ham and a camera hog, but the best thing is her spirit. She is just so happy to be alive that it shows in her face every minute of every day.

I would have expected her spirit to be broken, or fearful of people, or overly aggressive. I mean, I would have more issues than The Reader’s Digest if I’d been in pain for that long. If you could translate her ‘Beenie-speak’, I would bet she says “LOOK, I’M SMILING! I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO TODAY! I LOVE MY FRIENDS, BROTHER, MOM, NEIGHBOR, MY FENCE DOG FRIEND JOYCE, PETCO, BELLY RUBS, PARK, CHICKEN, BALLS, EAR SCRATCHES, NURSING MY STUFFED MOUSE TOY, CHASING, RUNNING…’ She stole my heart from the very first time I met her!

She’s gained plenty of weight (because her Mommy is definitely qualified to fatten up a dog!) and now I can’t feel her ribs or backbone anymore. Her skin is healed and soft, her fur is completely back thick, shiny, soft and full.

We could all take a lesson from Ms. Beenie – happiness is a choice, a state of mind, not the result of your current circumstances. She’s made it!! Lucky me. My little Been Bag today! twelve pounds!

Crystal

Update September 22, 2009

Allie is my heart!

She has a chronic urinary problem, but we address this every day with antibiotics (two pills a day), and one allergy pill every other day, with a side of prayer that bladder stones do not form again. She sleeps in bed on a towel and she knows just where to go when she’s allowed up. Of course, the towel is right on the passenger side of the bed at the pillow for comfort. 🙂

She looks extra cute these days and super feisty with the weather change.

Kind regards,
Crystal

Update February 22, 2010

Allie’s SUPER!

She has had no further problems. At all. Nothing. Not one thing. No bad urine samples, no stones, no allergies, etc… She’s on a daily regime of one chewable vitamin C, bottled water, and WD Chicken crunchies. She snacks on carrots, apples, cucumbers, and the occasional biscuit.

She’s as healthy and happy as could be.

She’s the most determined little girl ever… sometimes I get frustrated and then I look at her (and I say this out loud), ”I LOVE THAT ABOUT YOU”… she wags her tail….

Little girls are made of sugar and spice, mine has spirit and moxie…. I LOVE HER

Thank you WestieMed…

Kind regards,
Crystal and Allie

Mac

December 1, 2008December 27, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

The story about Mac…the sweet old boy.

Mac came into the foster program in April 2008. His owner was very ill with cancer and the wife didn’t want to deal with Mac. He had been kept at the Vets Kennel off and on for up to two months at a time. Mac turned 14 years old this month.

His skin condition was very bad. Poor Mac had several hairless patches on his back and legs. He was constantly biting his feet and legs. Mac has several what I refer to as warts or growths on his face and ears and several on his legs. The Vet has said it’s nothing to worry about but, he does have a face only a Mother could love with his bent ears. But Oh what a sweet boy.

We offered to foster him here in Indianapolis, IN. I had him for a few weeks and got him started on meds and a healthy diet. He was then adopted by a husband and wife (both retired) who lived in northern Indiana. We felt it would be a perfect situation for Mac. Bless his little heart, just when he was getting used to his new surroundings off he goes to yet another strange home.

The people who adopted Mac after three several weeks decided that they didn’t want him. They said he was snapping and growling at them and would stand and stare at them without moving. It just broke my heart.

So, off he goes again to another foster home in Northern Indiana. Prospects for Mac are not very good. His sight is failing, he will be on medication for the rest of his life for his skin condition he has arthritis in his joints…and in true Westie fashion, he does growl & pretends to bite you if you want him to do something he doesn’t want to do. I say he pretends to bite you because he never actually “bites” he just puts his almost toothless mouth over you.

When his foster Mom in Northern Indiana contacted me again about fostering Mac, I naturally said yes. He is still here with us and I doubt that he will be leaving to go to another home.

It has been very difficult financially to make sure he has his daily medications but with the help of WestieMed, we should be able to carry on.

We are blessed to have Mac and will love him and keep him safe for the rest of his life.

Thank you WestieMed for helping us make Mac comfortable for what time he has remaining.

Sincerely,
Pam Hammersley Westie Rescue – Indiana Volunteer

Update September 22, 2009

I wish I had good news about our little foster Mac boy. Unfortunately, he went to the Rainbow Bridge on February 27, 2009, with congestive heart failure.

We certainly appreciated WestieMed helping us out financially. I just wish we could have done more for him. He was a wonderful Westie.

Mac came into the Rescue Program at age 12. He was somewhat confused and had some difficulty adjusting to his new surroundings. But before long he was sleeping with us and knew he was loved and well cared for before he went to the Bridge.

It’s always so hard to find homes for the older Westies. If only people knew how loving and kind they could be.

We still miss Mac.

Pam Hammersley
Westie Rescue – Indiana Volunteer

Millicent

March 1, 2008December 27, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Millie is a precious little five-year-old former breeding female who came to WRT as part of a commercial breeder surrender transport. Even with all of the afflictions she came to us with (i.e., a severe ear infection, paw infection, skin infection, hook and whipworms, dental disease and severe yeast in her ears and paws), she still managed to wag her little tail and seemed instantly so grateful for being out of the hell she’d been subjected to for the first five years of her life. Of the four who came us to on this transport, she has socialized at her foster home the quickest and easiest.

She, along with the others, spent many days at the vet’s office, just getting enough daily meds into her system so she would be healthy enough to move on to a foster home.

Millicent - WestieMed Recipient March 2008 — Millicent – WestieMed Recipient

Her foster mom reports she is doing so very well, and they are happy to keep her as long as it takes for us to match her up with the best possible furever home. She interacts very well with the family’s other Westie (one of our adoptees) and the other Spaniel mix. She also gets along with the family cat, which is a plus! She loves to play in the yard with the other dogs and kids but is just as content to be held in one’s lap for hours-on-end.

The bottom line is that Westie Rescue of Tennessee, with the generous help of WestieMed, gave this precious little girl a second chance. We are so very grateful for WestieMed’s generosity.

Update March 4, 2010

Our sweet Millie is doing fine and we love her very much.
George and Linda Driese

Ian (Now Duffy)

March 1, 2008December 27, 2020 by westiemed in Stories

Ian spent the first five years of his life in a small pen or cage except when he was needed for breeding purposes. He was used up and thrown away basically. When we got him he was so terrified of humans that he got in the back of the large crate and shook in the corner. The next morning at the vet, we literally had to turn the hard shell crate up on its end and shake him out of it. Ian stayed at the vet for days. He was immediately shaved and cleaned up with several baths that day. They were able to leave a little hair around his face. Ian had ear infections, skin infections, paw infections, worms and a urinary tract infection so severe that he was urinating blood. He also had severe dental problems. Ian was given several kinds of meds for his infections and other ailments. He was given a complete dental and had some teeth extracted. He was neutered. Ian now has a clean bill of health. His first real experience with freedom was when I picked him up. I brought him home in the large hard shell crate. We picked up the crate and took it in with him inside. When Ian saw a human, he saw mistreatment. He was terrified of me. It broke my heart. In order to gain his trust, I never reached in and snatched or forced him out, because that is what was probably done to him by his breeders. I would open the crate door and sit down in front of it and lean up against the wall about two feet away. I would speak softly to him and plead with him to come out. He stood in the center of the crate and shook so violently that the wire metal door on the front of the crate jingled from his shaking. His little eyes had a blankness to them that made me determined to find the little Westie that was in there somewhere. Every couple of minutes, I would slowly reach my hand in and touch the top of his head. He would cower and flinch each time. It took me about thirty minutes to get him to come to the edge of the crate door. He was afraid to step out because a lot of breeding dogs are punished severely forever trying to get out of their cages. It takes some of them a long time to be able to walk through a doorway in their new homes. I continued to touch his head and whisper to him. I could tell in his little eyes that he wanted so desperately to try out this new thing, but his fear would not allow him to. Finally, after petting his head and then retreating away from him over and over again, he saw that it wasn’t a trick to be able to get my hands on him and inflict some sort of pain. He began to trust me just a tiny bit and I knew that I had won the first battle. Each time it would take me about thirty minutes to get him to come to the edge and then I would pet him and praise him and offer him treats. He didn’t know what a treat was. I would put it up to his mouth and he didn’t know how to take food from my hand. If I laid it down in front of the crate, he would gingerly step out with one front paw, eat the treat off the floor and then wait to see what I did next. After about three days, I brought him up and introduced him to the three female Westies here. They got along beautifully. Ian began to watch them and do what they did. He would see them go to the always full food bowl and eat. After they finished, he would saunter over and look around as if to say “are you sure this is ok to do?”. He began to eat with them, he learned how to interact with them very quickly. It took about ten days for him to walk through the door to go out onto the deck. Before that, I would pick him up and take him out. He doesn’t like to be picked up just yet. He is still afraid. He doesn’t fuss or struggle, but his little body tenses up. I can tell he is afraid he is going to fall. He didn’t know what a toy was. The first time he walked up to a tennis ball on the deck and poked it with his nose, it rolled and scared him to death. I began to pick it up and gently roll it toward him and he would watch it and jump around so funny. Now he rips and tears up and down the deck chasing it. He gets it in his mouth and prances with it. He loves to be petted. He stays right at my feet. He now loves to wrestle and play with the other dogs and is a very loving little guy. He is like a stocky little linebacker and solid muscle. He has grown into a happy little Westie boy.

Ian has come a long way on his road towards understanding freedom and is a pleasure to have here. I will miss him very much when he is adopted. Ian is still very fragile as far as his ability to just take everyone at face value and relax and enjoy his life. He is getting there, but not there yet. He needs a loving owner to help him complete that journey. Ian is a one-person dog right now and I’m sure will grow into being around groups of people, but he needs his special person to cling to in this transitional stage of his life.

One reason Ian has progressed so well is his health. Thanks in part to WestieMed, his poor health issues were taken care of. Ian feels great for the first time in a long time is my guess. He is healthy and has a newfound desire to focus on learning how to be a pet and part of a family. It is such a day to day blessing to watch his little face as he discovers life outside of a cage. Ian is a work in progress and WestieMed is a large part of his progress. Thank you WestieMed for helping little Ian feel well enough to march into his new life!

Update March 29, 2008

I wanted to let you know that Ian went to his new home today.

I think Ian and his new owner are a great match.

But I am sure going to miss him. When I wasn’t looking, he stole my heart!

Thanks,
Sherry

Update January 1, 2009: Ian now called Duffy

I thought you might be interested in an update on Duffy. It’s now been seven months since Duffy moved in with me. You would not believe the difference in this little guy. Completely gone is the hesitant, shaking terrified little furball. Duffy looks at each new adventure in his life with great interest and curiosity. He is completely over his fear of men and will greet and like the hand of a strange man with relish. He loves to ride in the car and often travels with me. He has been to the Big Apple twice and really enjoys hotel living. Suits him just fine.

It took several months for him to return the affection I lavished on him. Everything changed when I had to go to Colorado and Wyoming in late August for a two-week business trip. He stayed at home with someone taking care of him. Upon my return, he was visibly shocked to see me and hurled himself straight at me. Since then, he has decided he cannot stand being on the floor if I am on the couch; he wants to be on my lap or against my side or even on my chest. Each return home after a trip has knocked down more of his reserve until now he gets so excited he cannot contain himself. Of course, I can see in his expression that he wonders why he didn’t get to go along.

When I work on the weekends, Duffy comes with me. He has a special place in my office that he alone owns. For me, I have found the dog who loves squeak toys. Actually, he is beyond obsessive about them. I think this may be his one vice and I plan to consult with a behaviorist in the new year.

He has slimmed down and muscled up from long walks around the neighborhood and I let him choose the path each day. We began obedience training in the fall and he did remarkably well. I plan to continue with advanced training sometime in the spring.

He loves to chase squirrels and rabbits. Squirrels baffle him because he hasn’t figured out he should look UP in the tree to see where they’ve gone. He keeps racing around the base of the tree trying to find the little escape artist.

Honestly, this little pooch was the absolute best choice for me. It was worth the 1200 miles I drove that weekend to get him.

BTW, we did march in the Scottish Walk parade in Alexandria, VA. There were over 100 other Westies and all were rescues. He wasn’t the least bit bothered by the bagpipes, drums or black powder muskets being fired. I put a plaid scarf on him and he had a blast.

Happy New Year. Keep up the great work with Westies.
Kate