On February 22, 2005, we received a call from a vet in southwest Kansas saying that she had a seriously ill eight to ten week old Westie puppy that was about to be euthanized, and she asked if we could take him. She believed that he had a life-threatening liver shunt, but she didn’t have the specialized equipment to diagnose or treat such a problem. We discussed the experience that Westie Rescue of Missouri has had with treating liver shunt dogs, and the vet agreed to speak to the owners about releasing the puppy to Westie Rescue. She later called back and said that the puppy was ours if we could transport him from southwest Kansas to Kansas City, Missouri. Fortunately, we have a wonderful volunteer who agreed to make the run and who christened the puppy “Little Joe”.
We took Little Joe to the Veterinary Specialty Clinic in Overland Park, Kansas, where they confirmed the diagnosis of a liver shunt and determined that, although he only weighed five pounds, Little Joe was a good candidate for surgery. On April 6, 2005, he had surgery to repair the liver shunt. He was released to his foster mom on April 7, 2005. But, on April 11, 2005, he began having trouble retaining fluids, so he was re-admitted to the animal hospital for observation. (It is not uncommon for liver shunt puppies to have trouble with fluid retention until their livers get accustomed to the increased blood flow). After a couple of days in the hospital, Little Joe was pronounced well enough to return home.
Little Joe has continued to progress under the careful care of his foster mom and his foster sister, Wendy the Westie. While he has been waiting to go to his adoptive home, Little Joe has been spending his days helping his foster sister train some of the other foster dogs that have been through that foster home on their way to forever homes. Little Joe likes to go on wonderful backyard adventures with Wendy and particularly likes to help Wendy chase squirrels. He likes to race up and down the fence line with the border collies who live next door. He likes to play with his favorite ball, and he has just learned how to go up and downstairs. He is now sleeping through the night and has gained three and a half pounds.
Little Joe’s bile acid tests are almost back to normal and we expect that he will have a long and healthy life. Little Joe is still in foster care, but we expect to pick the lucky family who will get adopt Little Joe sometime in the next few weeks.
Rescue groups would not be able to give beautiful little puppies like Little Joe the chance for a life without the wonderful help and support of WestieMed. Thank you so much!
Luann Johnson, President Westie Rescue of Missouri, Inc.
Update: June 2006:
I fostered and then adopted Little Joe a.k.a., Mr. Brodie B. I just couldn’t let him go after all we had been thru with his liver stunt surgery.
He is a very happy, full of energy, and curious boy. His build is still very small, but he thinks he can take any other neighbor dog on and win. Mr. Brodie gets along great with his sister, Miss Wendy, and all the other foster Westies that come in and out of our home. Our vet thinks he will never grow any larger, and the bio acid tests keep coming back high, but he looks and acts very healthy. Brodie loves to the car ride, play with toys, play tug-of-war with the fosters, and run and bark at the squirrels in our back yard.
He is very sweet, gentle, and loving when he wants to be, but acts like the “man of the house” all the time. Brodie will cuddle up next to me at night and wakes me in the morning with a cold nose to my neck.
We hope we can someday meet those who helped in saving Mr. Brodie’s life. Have a great day.
Shannon’s story is an excellent example of what can happen when everyone puts the welfare of a dog before all other issues. This is a story of a number of volunteers and groups working together to contribute to the rescue and treatment of a truly wonderful Westie.
The first part of her story is told by Dianne Luistro of Northeast Westie Rescue. Dianne received the referral call about Shannon and coordinated her surrender and placement in an emergency foster home.
Part one: Dianne Coordinates the Rescue.
Shannon is a very sweet, four-year-old Westie girl with a gentle soul. Her former owners bought her as a puppy from a pet shop. She was well until October 2001 when she began scratching and losing hair. For more than a year, the family took her to the vet and tried to keep up the rigorous schedule of bathing, giving antibiotics, cleaning her ears, and taking her for walks. But, as they told us, other family demands caused Shannon’s care to come in last, and they felt she deserved better than that.
They contacted the MSPCA in Methuen, Massachusetts. The MSPCA staff could not guarantee she would be adopted and/or cured in her current condition. Nor, could they guarantee she would not be euthanized if a home wasn’t found. The MSPCA did give the family a phone number for Northeast Westie Rescue. It took another six weeks to gather the courage to call us. They were not sure what our reaction would be to her condition.
Of course, we were ready to take her in with open arms. But, we had a house full of puppies and needed an alternate foster home. We called Penny & Ed Cherubino, a Boston couple, who work with Westie Rescue of Missouri. They accepted the surrender and provided emergency fostered for Shannon on behalf of North East Westie Rescue.
Part two: From Penny – Shannon’s weeks in Boston
By the time I picked her up on June 6, 2002, Shannon had lost two-thirds of her hair. The only parts of her that were not bare were the top of her head, her rump, and tail. The exposed skin felt like an elephant’s hide and was black and crusty. Because she had fungal infections of the skin and ears, she smelled awful. She was a very sad, uncomfortable girl.
Fortunately, I had seen cases as severe as Shannon’s cured by Westie Rescue of Missouri volunteers. I also live within walking distance of the Back Bay Veterinary Clinic where Veterinarians with very big hearts were ready and willing to see an emergency rescue pup the moment she arrived in Boston. It also helped that Shannon’s family had supplied us with copies of her veterinary records.
The Back Bay Vets repeated the skin scrapings to be sure it was not a contagious disease that would transmit to our Westie, Maggie Mae, or the dozens of new doggie friends Shannon would make in our neighborhood. They diagnosed Malassezia Dermatitis, and we agreed upon a routine of care.
They prescribed:
A new antibiotic (in case she had become resistant to the one that had been used over the past year);
Ear cleaning and ointment twice a day;
Fifteen-minute baths with medicated shampoo every three days followed by a hydrocortisone lotion rubbed onto her damp skin after each bath;
Benadryl twice a day to relieve the itching
We decided to hold off on the potent, anti-fungal drugs to see if, with strict adherence to the routine, we could make some real progress without them.
Just to be sure of the treatment, I sent an email to the real experts–other rescuers! Members of the Westie Express Transport Group supplied ideas and successful programs for dealing with a skin problem of this magnitude. Within a day I had lots of solid information and a list of folks to contact for specific advice as I needed it.
I consider Angie Gittles of Capital Paws and WestieMed as my mentor on this rescue. The program the Vets and I agreed upon was one she has used with great success.
My one addition to the program was to put a size two toddler T-shirt on Shannon to make her more presentable to the outside world. It hid most of her bare skin. When we walked her, she got lots of pats and cooing as she won hearts in the Back Bay. The shirt also minimized the damage she was doing to her skin when she scratched. The downside of using a shirt is that it could hold in moisture which is not good for a fungal infection, so we used this with great care.
Once we all agreed to a few ground rules, Shannon became one of the most cooperative patients any rescuer could ask for.
Her first bath was a disaster. Shannon screamed like a banshee and struggled like we were trying to murder her. We quickly discovered that while she was terrified of being put into water, she didn’t mind if we poured water over her. We finished that bath with her standing on the kitchen counter for her fifteen-minute massage and rinsed her with buckets of water poured gently over her from behind.
Long walks in the city called for another agreement. Shannon had lost four pounds in the past 8 months. A lack of exercise has left her with very little muscle mass – she was not a strong pup. We were used to taking long walks with Maggie Mae and her pals. By day three, Shannon was sore and limping. So we agreed that she would walk a little and be carried a little. This proved to be easier than expected.
We have a group of doggie families who meet at a local cafe on a weekend morning to have breakfast together and then head out on a nice long walk with many puppy play breaks along the way. Miss Shannon came to love these outings. She would move from lap to lap at the cafe. Once on the road, we seldom carried her as one friend after another scooped her up and gave her a little rest and a big cuddle.
She settled right in to our home and seemed to improve every day. Soon we felt she was well enough to move on to her long-term foster home. Our continuing contribution to Shannon’s rescue will be to raise money for WestieMed to refill their coffers, so they are ready to help the next dog in need. Members of the Internet Group “The Great Westie Gathering” have already donated money for Shannon’s care and more donations are on the way. We are also keeping our eyes and ears open to find the perfect home for this special girl.
Part Three: Back to Dianne for long term foster care.
By the time my husband Frank and I took over her foster care, Shannon was free of all her scabs and smelled lovely for two to three days at a time. We could see the first signs of peach fuzz poking through. Shannon was still showing black skin, but she was gaining weight and eating well.
At our house, she was in the country. Shannon loved running through the doggy door out into the back yard. She mastered that doggy door the first day. Smart girl!!!!! She followed my two Westies: Rooney an eleven-year-old rescue and Annie an eight-year-old brat. (You know the type!!!)
A very important part of her treatment is a Malaseb shampoo bath every three days. Shannon is an angel when she has to stand in the sink for fifteen minutes while it gets absorbed.
She was on 25 mg of Benadryl to control the itching and inflammation. We were told to slowly wean her off it. By July 11, 2002, she was completely off Benadryl, had stopped all scratching, and was much more alert and active. We also began giving her one teaspoon of flaxseed oil. (a tip was given to us by North East Westie Rescue’s Jennifer Caffrey)
Angie of WestieMed also gave us some fabulous suggestions. One of the most effective was changing her diet to Science Diet Z/D — a low-allergen, synthetic-based protein food.
Shannon’s progress is amazing. Her skin and fur become softer every day. By July 16, 2002 she had put on two pounds and regained all of her muscle mass. She has hair growing on every part of her body except her eyes and nose!!!!!!!
She is not up for adoption yet. We want her fur to grow in a little more and want to continue to monitor her progress. Any potential owner must have the time to provide ongoing care. Shannon will need a weekly maintenance shampoo. Her ears need to be cleaned often, and she must get the proper food. But, this little girl is well on her way to becoming a little princess!!!!!
WestieMed has generously paid for her vet visits, supplies, shots and medication. They will also supply her with lots of Malaseb shampoo to pass on to her new owners.
Thank you WestieMed for approving the finances to enable North East Westie Rescue to carry through with Shannon’s Cinderella story.
Dianne Luistro & Penny Cherubino
Maggie – WestieMed Recipient
Update August 2002:
Shannon was adopted on August 11, 2002, by a wonderful family who has all the time in the world to devote to Shannon’s continuing care. Shannon also has a big brother dog named ” Spencer.” They both go to the beach on the weekends with their parents. Thank-you Westiemed and especially Angie who gave us the directions and formula to get Shannon well.
Dianne
Update December 2002:
My husband & I adopted Shannon (who we now call Maggie) in August from Dianne Luistro. She has brought so much happiness into our home & has flourished. At her last vet appointment she weighed 18 lbs., loves to eat, play & cuddle. She is still having her weekly baths & this week she went for her first grooming. She now looks like a show dog! The groomer said her fur was very full & healthy. She has won our hearts & has become best friends with Spenser (our Chessie). She gives him a run around the yard & he still hasn’t caught her! Just want to say thank you to all of you at Westie rescue for all the wonderful work you do.
Happy Holidays, Joan
Update January 2003: New Photos of Maggie
Maggie – WestieMed Recipient
Update June 2003:
Maggie is doing just great – she’s gotten fat and sassy! She is very comfortable in our home & has become quite affectionate. It seems as if she has always been here. I still have two unopened bottles of Malasab shampoo & if there is someone that needs it I would be happy to send them. The groomer uses her own shampoo & Maggie’s fur is beautiful. (when I can keep her clean, she loves to roll around outside!) I haven’t taken any new pictures, but when I do I’ll send some.
Conner was a three-month-old pet store reject when he was given to Westie Rescue of Missouri in December 2000.
Conner was consigned by his breeder to a pet store in Gladstone, Missouri. While Conner was at the pet store in November 2000, he developed a bladder control problem and was returned to the breeder.
The breeder couldn’t isolate the source of Conner’s problem, so she turned him over to Westie Rescue, thinking that Conner might require surgery which she couldn’t afford.
The vet examined Conner and advised that (1) he had a bladder infection; or (2) he was having control problems because he was so young; or (3) he had neurological damage and was not a good candidate for surgery.
Hoping for the best, Conner was started on a course of antibiodics and there was improvement. Although Conner still had some control problems, it was believed that the problems were associated with a bladder infection and his young age. He was not showing any signs of neurological damage.
With his rapid improvement, Westie Rescue felt comfortable placing Conner for adoption. Conner found a wonderful home with Bonnie and Doug in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bonnie and Doug head the Scottie rescue efforts in Oklahoma and wanted to adopt a Westie rescue puppy.
Conner’s problems did not improve with age. Although he worked very hard at his housebreaking routines, he had only limited control and dribbled constantly. Bonnie had a specialist examine Conner and it was determined that he had an entopic ureter — a genetic problem in Westies. However, there was a possibility that his condition could be corrected with surgery. Initial estimates were that there was an 80% chance that surgery for Conner would be successful. Bonnie made arrangements to send Conner to California for this highly specialized surgery. The cost of the surgery was close to $2,000. WestieMed graciously offered their help. In the meantime, Conner was confined to wearing a diaper or a belly band to prevent his constant dribbling.
On May 28, 2001, Vicky, a rescue foster mom, flew with Conner out to the Cal-Davis Medical School in California. On Tuesday, May 29th, the reports began coming back and they were not good: Conner’s sphincter was below half strength; his kidneys could be involved; his bladder was grossly mishaped; he had a very unusual urinary tract; and the vets could find no evidence of a prostate. Additional tests and consultations were made on Wednesday, May 30th.
On Thursday, May 31st, the decision was made that there was no surgery that could help Conner. His condition could only deteriorate further. The doctors asked Bonnie and Doug to donate little Conner to the vet school in the hope that his passing would provide them with greater knowledge so that they might be able to help other dogs in the future.
Conner left us May 31st for his place on the Rainbow Bridge. All of us who knew and loved this wee little dog have lost a part of ourselves with his passing.
Conner was a puppy mill dog. Like his parents who are still in the mills, Conner was a victim of the greed that possesses millers to breed dogs without any consideration of the consequences. Every year puppy millers create hundreds of other babies who carry genetic defects. And rescue groups and loving families give their hearts and souls to these beautiful babies. . .fighting to keep them alive.
Until we stamp out the puppy mills — and the pet stores that keep them in business — we will continue to see more little Conners, more fights for survival, and more hearts broken.
Conner was a three-month-old pet store reject when he was given to Westie Rescue of Missouri in December 2000.
Conner was consigned by his breeder to a pet store in Gladstone, Missouri. While Conner was at the pet store in November 2000, he developed a bladder control problem and was returned to the breeder.
The breeder couldn’t isolate the source of Conner’s problem, so she turned him over to Westie Rescue, thinking that Conner might require surgery which she couldn’t afford.
The vet examined Conner and advised that (1) he had a bladder infection; or (2) he was having control problems because he was so young; or (3) he had neurological damage and was not a good candidate for surgery.
Hoping for the best, Conner was started on a course of antibiodics and there was improvement. Although Conner still had some control problems, it was believed that the problems were associated with a bladder infection and his young age. He was not showing any signs of neurological damage.
With his rapid improvement, Westie Rescue felt comfortable placing Conner for adoption. Conner found a wonderful home with Bonnie and Doug in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bonnie and Doug head the Scottie rescue efforts in Oklahoma and wanted to adopt a Westie rescue puppy.
Conner’s problems did not improve with age. Although he worked very hard at his housebreaking routines, he had only limited control and dribbled constantly. Bonnie had a specialist examine Conner and it was determined that he had an entopic ureter — a genetic problem in Westies. However, there was a possibility that his condition could be corrected with surgery. Initial estimates were that there was an 80% chance that surgery for Conner wouold be successful. Bonnie made arrangements to send Conner to California for this highly specialized surgery. The cost of the surgery was close to $2,000. WestieMed graciously offered their help. In the meantime, Conner was confined to wearing a diaper or a belly band to prevent his constant dribbling.
On May 28, 2001, Vicky, a rescue foster mom, flew with Conner out to the Cal-Davis Medical School in California. On Tuesday, May 29th, the reports began coming back and they were not good: Conner’s sphincter was below half strength; his kidneys could be involved; his bladder was grossly mishaped; he had a very unusual urinary tract; and the vets could find no evidence of a prostate. Additional tests and consultations were made on Wednesday, May 30th.
On Thursday, May 31st, the decision was made that there was no surgery that could help Conner. His condition could only deteriorate further. The doctors asked Bonnie and Doug to donate little Conner to the vet school in the hope that his passing would provide them with greater knowledge so that they might be able to help other dogs in the future.
Conner left us May 31st for his place on the Rainbow Bridge. All of us who knew and loved this wee little dog have lost a part of ourselves with his passing.
Conner was a puppy mill dog. Like his parents who are still in the mills, Conner was a victim of the greed that possesses millers to breed dogs without any consideration of the consequences. Every year puppy millers create hundreds of other babies who carry genetic defects. And rescue groups and loving families give their hearts and souls to these beautiful babies. . .fighting to keep them alive.
Until we stamp out the puppy mills — and the pet stores that keep them in business — we will continue to see more little Conners, more fights for survival, and more hearts are broken.
Bogey is a two year old, fifteen pound, male Westie that we received on July 3, 2000. He was supposed to be a stud dog in a puppy mill, when the breeder decided that he was not needed and released him to us.
When we received Bogey, his paws were splayed from standing on wire and he had a hole all the way through his left front paw. But, more seriously, he had a raging ear infection that had completely closed his ear canals. We were not even able to get medicine down his ears to treat the infection and there was no way to perform a limited surgery to open those ear canals. So, we decided to go forward with ear resections. An ear resection is the removal of the cartilage in the ear that is closing the ear canal.
When our vet performed the ear resections, he found that the infection had caused the ear canals and the ear drums to rupture. Can you imagine how much torment this little guy must have suffered?
Bogey – WestieMed Recipient
The ear resections were completely successful. After two weeks of twice daily cleanings and strong antibiodics, the infection is gone. Bogey is feeling good and his hearing has been restored.
Bogey is going home to his new family tonight. They are so excited! A few months ago they lost their first little rescue Westie, DeeDee, to kidney failure. Bogey won’t be able to replace DeeDee, but he will make his own mark on their family. He has turned into a happy, healthy little Westie — and he has escaped the horrors of the puppy mill.
Thank you, WestieMed, for helping us turn this little guy’s life around.
Luann Johnson Westie Rescue of Missouri, Inc. Smithville, Missouri
Update July 2002:
We are the adoptive family for Bogey. In August, we will have had him two years. He is now a happy, healthy, active Westie. By the time we brought him home, Luann had him on a recovery mode from his ear surgery. We haven’t had any medical problems with him whatsoever. Bogey has been pretty smart and has been a family project to train. He is now able to: sit, stay, fetch, speak, dance, shake, and lay down on command. The biggest “quirk” is that you can’t turn him over on his back. He totally throws a fit and almost hyperventilates. –Maybe past left-overs from ear infections!!
Bogey – WestieMed Recipient
We have three girls, so Bogey rarely goes without attention. He is spoiled rotten, but loved immensely. We needed him as much as he needed a home, as we had just lost a previous Westie to heart failure.
Thanks for the work you do–It does make a difference!
Maggie was the 15th dog that we rescued this year. She is approximately two and a half years old. We picked her up on June 1, 2000, from Akita Rescue in Kansas. Akita Rescue got Maggie from a backyard breeder. Although Maggie had been purchased as a breeding dog, she never had any puppies.
She was taken to the vet on June 2nd and vaccinations and preliminary vet work was done. She was scheduled to be spayed on June 6, 2000. When Maggie returned to the vet on the 6th, we discovered a large hernia. It was not an emergency surgery, but it was something that needed to be repaired and we chose to have the repair done at the same time as the spay, so Maggie would not have to undergo multiple surgeries.
Maggie came through the surgery well, but the additional surgery created a large surgical scar and a drain was necessary to aid in the healing. Maggie had to wear an Elizabethian collar for almost a week to protect the surgery site. She was also treated with a course of antibiotics.
Maggie has continued to progress well. She did develop an allergic reaction to the internal stitches and was placed on additional antibiotics to prevent infection. That problem has now cleared up. Her external stitches have been removed and every thing looks good for complete healing.
Thank you very much for this wonderful service that you provide.
Luann Johnson Westie Rescue of Missouri Smithville, Missouri
Update September 2000:
Maggie – WestieMed Recipient
Hi all! Maggie is doing wonderful! I adopted Maggie on June 11th, 2000. She has settled in very well to her new home and gets along with her Westie Brother, Winston. Maggie won her Junior Earthdog title from AKC on Labor Day Weekend in Roscoe, IL. We are in obedience classes and agility classes. She loves going to the nursing home with Winston to visit the residents there. She is a wonderful addition to my life! She is so sweet and I love her very much. Thank you for helping to fund her hernia surgery. Here are some updated pictures of her. One of the pictures is when we celebrated her 3rd birthday on 09/14/00 at my obedience club. You can see her Earthdog ribbons she won also in the picture.
Thanks again! Pam Groves, Maggie and Winston
Update July 2002:
Maggie – WestieMed Recipient
Update July 2002:
Maggie is doing just wonderful. She just earned her AKC Senior Earthdog title on June 1, 2002. We are training in obedience and agility also. We have entered a few agility trials but the “zoomies” have gotten the best of her! I am thinking we might do better at indoor agility trials than ones held outdoors! I am planning to show in Obedience Novice B this fall.
Maggie participated in the West Highland White Terrier Club of America’s Parade of Rescues during their National Specialty in Oct. of 2001 in PA. It was an honor to participate in this event and we both enjoyed it.
Maggie – WestieMed Recipient
Here is a picture of Me, Maggie on the day she earned her last qualifying leg towards her Senior Earthdog title and the Judge Liz Battista.
Thanks so much for all of Westie Med’s help with Maggie when she needed it.
Pam Groves, Maggie and Winston
Update November 2003
Former Westie rescue, Maggie, my rescue girl earned her Master Earthdog title this past weekend in Iowa. In just three short years and 7 earthdog test weekends, Maggie has soared through the earthdog program! She earned her Junior Earthdog title just 3 months after I adopted her in September 2000! She earned her Senior Earthdog title in 2002 and we just started Master earthdog tests in June of 2003 and now has her ME title!! We really don’t train either, just work on whistle recalls that worked like a charm in Senior and we also used the whistle for the field work in Masters. The last two test weekends the field was tall grass, in September it was 4 feet tall, and this past weekend it was about 2 1/2 feet tall. Maggie just hopped right through those fields like the huntress she is!!!
Maggie will now receive the Versatile Westie Award the West Highland White Terrier Club of America gives out yearly!!! I am so proud of my little Maggie Mae!!!
Pam Groves U-AGI,U-CD Sir Winston Roscoe Groves CGC,TDI,CD,NA,NAJ Maggie Mae Beason CGC,TDI,CD,ME
