Eva and ZsaZsa

by westiemed in Stories

Our two new shelter girls had their first vet appointment and we received some good news and not so good news. The good news is that they are generally healthy and with very good bloodwork results. The bad news is that both girls have mammary tumors, one with no tear production and the other with very minimal tear production, bacterial ear infections and eye infections. Because of the mammary tumors, we did chest X-rays and they are clear! The tumors were not a surprise because I could feel them while bathing the girls. Poor little Zsa Zsa came in with debris stuck to both corneas that was hardened and resembled what dry cracked desert landscape looks like. How painful!!!! She let me irrigate the heck out of her eyes, lots and lots of flushing until it broke away on its own. Her corneas are ulcerated so we are treating both girls aggressively to bring them much needed relief.   We gave the girls a week to settle in and they had their surgeries and dentals yesterday.  Eva had a few minor complications. We discovered a hernia but left it alone because it would have been too much for her with the mammary tumors and dental. We will keep an eye on it and address at a later time. She lost 8 teeth and had root tips that could be seen on X-ray but we had to leave it alone also because they didn’t want to budge and that would risk injury. We sent out mammary removal for biopsy and are hopeful they come back clear. We will retest their tear production in two weeks and if there is no improvement, we will visit the ophthalmologist.

People often ask us why we spend so much on these dogs. It’s simple. They’ve spent a lifetime of neglect. By the time they make their way to us, we are their last chance, so we will make it their best chance.

It takes a village to rescue these dogs and it takes a lot of funding.   We are so grateful to WestieMed for providing much needed funding!

Karen Simondet

Westie Rescue of Orange County (WROC)

Kenzie

by westiemed in Stories

Kenzie was brought to the vet because she had not eaten in 5 days and she was vomiting and had diarrhea.  By the time she reached the animal hospital, she was in critical condition.  She was severely dehydrated, lifeless, and not knowing what was wrong, the initial estimate to treat Kenzie was much more than her owner was able to handle, therefore Kenzi’s owner was faced with euthanasia.  It was either luck or divine intervention, but the vet Kenzie was taken to happened to be my vet and she had never been treated there before.

On Monday, January 15, 2024 I received a phone call from my veterinarian asking if we could take Kenzie into rescue.   Kenzie was started on IV fluids, calcium, B12, antibiotics and a host of other medications.  Bloodwork indicated she had an infection, but within 24 hours, her numbers spiked dramatically and her electrolytes were dangerously low.

X-rays did not show anything unusual so my vet brought in an outside internist to perform an ultrasound which revealed many issues.  She has an infection of the gallbladder and evidence of acute pancreatitis.  The gallbladder is very thickened and there was a small amount of free fluid.  She showed evidence of vasculitis which is a reaction pattern characterized by an immune response directed toward the blood vessels.  Her GI track was thickened with inflammation which is evidence of acute pancreatitis and her liver is moderately enlarged.  We broadened the antibiotics and continued with supportive care and by day 5, her numbers started to improve.

We brought her home on Friday and we will continue oral medications.  She will need to be on antibiotics for 6 to 8 weeks.  Now that she is home, she is showing evidence of diabetes insipidus which we will address at her follow up appointment this week.  Her prognosis was “guarded” upon discharge from the hospital, but within just a few days she is acting like a normal Westie!  She is always first in line for meals and has taken up an interest in all things Westie.

Karen Simondet

WROC

Update August 14, 2024:

Kenzie passed away a month after she was adopted. Her eye started drooping and it was discovered that she had round cell sarcoma.

Karen

 

Chase

by westiemed in Stories

The shelter’s rescue liaison sent us a plea for a ten year old white mix breed that was in need of major medical attention.  Apparently, someone found him on the side of the road so they took him to the shelter.  His intake photo resembled a schnauzer, but taking no chances, we high tailed it to South Los Angeles.  Out comes this BIG, BEAUTIFUL senior Westie boy that in reality is 14 or more years old.  The obvious issues were that he is overweight, pot-bellied, severe dental disease, missing most teeth, constantly licks the roof of his mouth and shakes his head, opacities in both eyes and a very stiff gait.   He appeared very 9uncomfortable.

So we started at the top.  We ran bloodwork, urinalysis, and x-rays.  His bloodwork indicated that he could have Addison’s so we added a resting cortisol test.  When that came back negative, we tested him for Cushing’s.  We needed to address these issues before addressing his mouth and also had an ultrasound performed as there was some concern about possible prostate cancer due to his prostate being abnormally large.  Thankfully, that was ruled out and believed to be due to late life neutering.  The ultrasound indicated sludge in his gallbladder but the good news is that no mucus seal has formed.  We have started him on Ursodiol as a preventative measure.  Chase’s test came back positive for Cushing’s, which was really no surprise given his symptoms.   Cortisol is produced and stored by the adrenals, two small glands that sit on top of the kidneys and is one of the body’s natural steroids and  that a normal amount of cortisol helps the body adapt in times of stress. Cortisol also helps regulate proper body weight, tissue structure, skin condition, and other features of good health but too much cortisol weakens the immune system leaving the body vulnerable to other diseases and infections.  There are two common types of Cushing’s disease, either pituitary-dependent or adrenal-dependent.  About 80-85 percent of Cushing’s is pituitary-dependent, meaning it’s triggered by a tumor on the pituitary, a pea-sized gland at the base of the brain.  Because we did an ultrasound, we know his Cushing’s is pituitary-dependent.    

Considered a lifelong condition, the disease usually can be managed with medications.  Chase will retest after he’s been on medication for two full weeks and continue to have regular blood tests to monitor his response to treatment and help determine the right dose which may need to be adjusted periodically.   Treating Cushing’s is a balancing act, but dogs with the disease can live a good quality life as long as they are monitored closely by a veterinarian.

He received the long awaited dental.  Chase is 100% sweetness and is a happy and content senior gentleman.  He follows us wherever we go.  He is fondly referred to as “our little big shadow”.  He is such a good save!  His diagnostics and treatment has been very costly,but thanks to WestieMed, Chase is getting all of his needs met.

Karen Simondet
Westie Rescue of Orange County (WROC)

Update August 31, 2023:

WestieMed has been informed that Chase is now at Rainbow Bridge.

Tilly

by westiemed in Stories

 

Tilly is a small Westie mix that was found at the East Valley Animal Shelter with an upper respiratory infection.  She was incredibly scared of everything around her and was always looking for an exit.   She was lethargic, wouldn’t eat and moaned quite a lot.   We thought she may possibly be in heat cycle because of the discharge and enlarged nipples. We tried everything type of food trying to entice her appetite but she refused and just wanted to sleep.  We knew something wasn’t right, aside from the URI Upper Respiratory Infection so we scheduled her spay appointment 14 days out from the start of antibiotics. 

Tilly had her surgery and it was discovered that her uterus was thickened and she had early pyometra which is an infection of the uterus.  Infection in the lining of the uterus is established as a result of hormonal changes. Following estrus (“heat”), progesterone levels remain elevated for eight to ten weeks and thicken the lining of the uterus in preparation for pregnancy. If pregnancy does not occur for several estrus cycles, the lining continues to increase in thickness until cysts form within it. The thickened, cystic lining secretes fluids that create an ideal environment in which bacteria can grow. Additionally, high progesterone levels inhibit the ability of the muscles in the wall of the uterus to contract. 

Now that she has recovered, a completely new dog has emerged.  Tilly’s energy came back and she very much acts like the puppy that she is.  She loves to play with the other dogs, and her people too, and has taken a new interest in toys.   Now, she is the first one done eating and will steal food from the other dogs if given the chance.   

This once little shy and scared girl is no more. 

Thank you WestieMed for sponsoring this little girl.  Because of you, she has a bright future coming!

Karen Simondet

Westie Rescue of Orange County (WROC)

Update February 8, 2024:

Our darling Tilly recovered beautifully from pyometra and her upper respiratory infection.  This once scared little girl is a completely different dog today!  Tilly was being fostered along with Benny and the duo became fast friends in foster care.  Tilly’s adopters came for one dog, but left with two!  This dynamic duo have strong personalities and their adopters say they are a blast to have with them.  They have both become very social on their neighborhood walks and off leash puppy play group.  They were also enrolled in puppy training classes and are doing great!

Thank you WestieMed for helping Tilly get the care she needed!

Karen Simondet

Carl

by westiemed in Stories

September 2022

Carl was wandering the streets of LA and was picked up by Animal Control.  He was in pretty bad shape.  His coat was matted, he had painful foxtails imbedded in between his toes, ear infection, skin infection and a horrible upper respiratory infection.  The shelter did what they could for Carl with medication, shaved his coat and removed the foxtails.  However, there was no public interest to adopt Carl because he needed an expensive hip surgery.  

Carl’s only chance of exiting the shelter was if rescue came for him and when we found out that Carl had been lingering there for several months, we knew we were his only chance. Oddly enough, when we arrived at the shelter, there was a person in line ahead of us there for Carl, but again, Carl was turned down because of the cost of surgery.

Carl needed time to recover from his upper respiratory infection and once he did, he had his surgery.  He also had a dental at the same time and thankfully he did because foxtails were found imbedded in between his teeth!  Overall, he did well only losing a few teeth, but had he not been on antibiotics for his upper respiratory infection, his mouth could have been much worse.  

Carl has several weeks of rehabilitation ahead of him.  We are doing range of motion exercises and short walks to aid his recovery.  He is now using that leg and walking on all fours which is something he hasn’t done since coming to rescue.    

Living on the streets and shelter life took a toll on him, but thanks to WestieMed, Carl has a new lease on life!  This incredibly sweet and playful boy will now live pain free thanks to the surgery.  This is something that he probably hasn’t had in a very long time.  

Thank you WestieMed!

Karen Simondet – WROC

Update May 25, 2023:

Rehabbing Carl had to be the easiest rehab of any dog we’ve fostered, hands down. He is such a calm and well behaved dog that is happiest being with his person. Our precious little man was adopted just a few days before Christmas, making this his best a Christmas ever! Carl has fully recovered from his hip surgery and is now enjoying life at the beach in Santa Barbara with his new mom and dad, Karen and Bill.

With WestieMed’s help, another deserving dog will never be neglected again. 

Karen S.

Update February 8, 2024:

Is been a little over a year since Carl was adopted and he continues to do great!  He is a very happy dog that loves his walks at the beach and his hip no longer bothers him.  His adopters continue to successfully manage his skin allergies and overall, he is doing fantastic.  He has quite a few friends in the neighborhood and for being the smallest kid on the block, he has the biggest personality and is sure everyone knows he is the boss!

Thank you WestieMed for giving Carl a second chance!

Karen Simondet

Lainey

by westiemed in Stories

Lainey was relinquished to an animal shelter because her owner was getting a divorce. Our very good friend who is the animal control deputy of the shelter alerted us to Lainey’s situation. She was listed as a 12 year old, but her microchip was registered so we had a birthdate on her. She is a precious 14.5 year old senior lady.

Lainey was covered in fleas and her backend was urine stained.  The shelter cleaned her up, treated her for fleas and we picked her up the very next day.  During the drive, she lost control of her bladder.  Once we got her home, she drank buckets and buckets of water.  Over the next 24 hours, Lainey continually drank water and urinated.  The poor little girl would also urinate while she was asleep.  It was heartbreaking and she was getting baths several times a day.

Lainey has had several vet visits in one week!  We treated her ear infections, ran her bloodwork, and urinalysis and sent it out for culture.  Her bloodwork did not have the markers for cushings, but with her extended abdomen and water consumption, we ran a dexamethasone suppression test to check for cushings syndrome.  The test did not reveal cushings, so we set up an abdominal ultrasound with an internist.  Lainey faired pretty well and does not have any masses.  One kidney shows an old blood clot so we submitted bloodwork to evaluate for evidence of hypercoagulability.  One test evaluated her overall clotting abilities which shows that she has a tendency for clot formation.  The second test evaluated for the presence of clot breakdown part which is an indirect way of saying that she is having ongoing clots in her body.  These tests tell us that Lainey is at risk for blood clots or strokes so we have started her on a blood thinner medication.    

Since Lainey’s tests have not produced a diagnosis, we are treating her for Diabetes Insipidus.  There is no test for this except by process of elimination.  We started Lainey on Desmopressin acetate which is the treatment of choice for central diabetes insipidus.  Her symptoms have dramatically improved and we are keeping a log of the amount of water she consumes.  There is room for improvement so her dosage may be adjusted.  We will continue to monitor her electrolytes and her first retest shows her electrolytes are normal so this is great news.  We have increased her medication and will retest again in 5 days.  She will also be retested for cushings down the road. 

To get Lainey to this point has been costly. But as it turns out, her owner relinquishing her to the shelter was the best thing for Lainey because she now has received the help she so desperately needed.  She already feels better and her true Westie-ness is starting to shine through!

Karen Simondet – WROC

Update September 28, 2022

Lainey continues to do well. We started Lainey on Desmopressin acetate which is the treatment of choice for central diabetes insipidus. She just had her follow up vet appointment and her prescription was refilled at the same dosage. The biggest change in her life is her new home! Lainey was adopted by Rick and Debbie and shares her home with two other westies. Her story is truly a happy beginning!

Karen Simondet – WROC

Update May 31, 2023:

At 15.5 years old now, Lainey continues to thrive in her new home with Debbie and Rick. With a new puppy in the home, Lainey is active, plays with the puppy and is doing so well!  Debbie and Rick are staying on top of her condition and no modifications have been needed.

Lainey was such a great save!  And we are so thankful to WestieMed for helping her get there!

Karen Simondet

Tinkerbell

by westiemed in Stories

We received a text from Tink’s owner asking to surrender her to rescue because they could no longer care for her.  This little girl just turned 5 last week and had been suffering for quite some time.  Her itch is so intense that she received 3 baths in less than 24 hours of receiving her and was whisked off to our vet the very next day.   Tink has a severe case of Malassezia dermatitis which is why her skin resembles elephant’s skin.  Her ears are swollen shut, her nails were considerably overgrown, she has a heart murmur and is in need of a dental.  Poor Tink is not spayed and was bred with the owner’s other dog.  We will spay her once we get her skin under control.   Her initial vet bill was extraordinarily costly and we will incur more cost once she gets her dental and spay.

This little girl is as cute as a button and so sweet and gentle.  She has a long road of recovery and we are so thankful we have her now.  She needed us and with the help from WestieMed, this little nugget will get everything she needs.  We are committed to her health and happiness.

Karen Simondet and Kay DeLoach, WROC

Update October 28, 2021:

Tink has been in rescue for three months now and we’ve made quite a bit of progress. Her fungal and yeast infections have been eradicated, though we are still dealing with three types of bacteria. We’ve pushed out her spay and dental procedures because we do not want to do a surgery with bacteria on the skin. She is still receiving her medicated baths, every other day. The biggest change is in her personality. Though very sweet and quiet from the start, Tink has a bit of a wild side and loves to play! Now that she is feeling so much better, she exudes confidence that every little girl should own!

Karen

Update March 1, 2022:

It has been six months since Tinkerbell came to WROC and we’ve held off getting her dental and spay surgery done due to her persistent bacterial infection. However, during her recent checkup, several palpable mammary masses were discovered, so we bit the bullet and proceeded with surgery and sent out for biopsy. The good news is that the mammary tumors were benign. There was quite a bit of bleeding and her abdomen filled with fluid, so we continued with warm compresses several times a day. Turns out the surgery was the easy part. Tink suffers from Epidermal Dysplasia and though management of this condition is possible, curing it is considered impossible. Since we are unable to bathe her until her stitches come out, Tink has taken a step backward so we are doing everything we can to help control the itching until we can bathe her again. We must remain diligent in treating her to ensure long term comfort which is costly. We are so thankful to WestieMed for helping us accomplish this! In true Westie fashion, keeping Tink quiet has been a challenge! Nothing seems to phase this little girl. She is tough, resilient and lives every day to the fullest.

Karen – WROC

Update September 28, 2022

I can’t believe it’s been a year already! Tinkerbell just had her 3 month follow-up with the dermatologist specialist and though she is doing well, Dr. Werner thinks there is room for improvement. She has grown hair in her chest area, something I did not think was possible! It is sparse, but nevertheless it is an improvement. We will continue to administer 25 mg Atopica once daily, 1/4 tablet Ketoconazole 200 mg and we added 250 mg Terbinafine daily. If we don’t see a change with the Terbinafine, then we will change her anti-yeast treatment to Itraconazole. She has also been on a hydrolyzed diet this past year which is mainly for her irritable bowel disease but this also aids with her skin issues. As a last resort, the next step is allergy testing in order to formulate allergens for immunotherapy. She continues to get two medicated baths a week.

She is comfortable, happy and continues to keep Dewey in check. What a difference a year can make!

Karen

Herbert

Herbert

by westiemed in Stories

May 2021

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

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

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

Thank you WestieMed!

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

Update October 28, 2021:

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

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

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

Karen

Update September 28, 2022

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

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

Karen