WROC – Page 2 – WestieMed

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

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