PRESIDENTS MESSAGE Jeannette Melchior

Transcription

1 West Highland White Terrier Club of Puget Sound Spring 2012 My first time at SKC with Lily Rose PRESIDENTS MESSAGE Jeannette Melchior I m going to start off with something that has been bothering me for quite a while, people who allow their dogs to poop and not pick it up what in the world is the matter with you! This year at SKC (Seattle Kennel Club) I was assisting the volunteers at our Meet the Breed Booth late Sunday afternoon I had to take my Westie McDougal up to the 5 th floor parking and place him in the car before I could move the rest of my stuff up. As I exited the elevator about 10 feet into the garage I saw a large pile of (you guessed it) dog poop! I looked around to see if I could spot the owner but no just me and a lot of cars. How could someone be so neglectful, this isn t the first time I ve seen this happen, other shows, front lawns (including mine), motel green areas, why? It is so simple to carry poop bags, that is just part of being a good owner sigh, yeah I went back and disposed of it. So always remember as a dog owner, have a good leash, a treat and never forget the poop bags. This year at SKC the Meet the Breed Booths were spectacular you could meet Toto at the Cairn booth, where you even saw Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion, next to us were the French Bull Dogs, their booth contained a large lighted Eiffel Tower along with a kissing booth one little Frenchy tucked her dollars in the fancy collar she was wearing such a sassy little girl. Actually my favorite (after ours) was the Basset booth one of the Basset s was wearing rabbit ears I said it s a little early for Easter the reply not if you re an Easter Basset Hey! Your right. Our Westie s (ahem, along with their owners) were greeting and meeting, the little ambassadors were (as always) a crowd pleaser. Our booth took home a ribbon along with 9 other booths (out of 71) for being one of the best Educational booths at SKC. Upcoming, be sure and mark your calendars because the Board is working hard getting ready for the Annual Westie Fun Daze (see flyer). We ll be busy dragging out the equipment and getting it ready for our Westie Families to enjoy an old fashioned day of fun. We want to get the word out also this year we will be celebrating the clubs 30 th Anniversary at our Specialty in August so anyone that has pictures or stories of that first year 1982 contact us, we d love to make it very special.

2 February 18 Valentine Party by Karin Parish We had a whopping turn out for our February event at A Canine Experience in Snohomish. It must be a case of cabin fever! Over 40 people turned out and almost as many dogs. We had so many things going on and so many helpers that I want to thank you all for your participation and assistance. It was more like a family party than a club event. Everyone pitched in and everyone befriended everyone else. We had a couple of folks who found us on Facebook and joined in the merriment. We also had new adopters show up with their dogs, as well as many friends. An adopter named Dawn showed up with her dog (formerly known as Timmy), and in the whoosh of things, she was continually next to me in the kitchen or during clean up, being as busy as a bee. Ironically I had never met Dawn. The adoption was out of Olympia, and I had only talked to Dawn on the phone one year prior! I never even talked to her much except to give her direction. The same was happening with Dona, and several other people whipping the tablecloths on and off the tables, and moving them around. All these proactive alphas sure made the event flow along. Karen Tilbury was the cashier, and Jeannette welcomed all the newbies, as well as having Dee handling the dessert and lending a hand. If we were a beehive, all you would hear is a loud HUMMMMMMMM. We had a giant raffle that brought in hundreds of dollars, as well as lunch and the training seminar. The session for training was find it and our trainer, Trina, gave an hour demo on how to beginning this game with your dogs. She showed metal lids that she had purchased from the thrift shop and drilled holes in the lids. This let the scent out. By the end of the event, everyone was on their smart phones looking for the local Value Village and Good Will. Everyone as well as the dogs were very good students. Between going in the doggy yard play area and the seminar training seminar, we also fit in paw prints in clay! Maryann Guerry-Buck is the best clay roller I know! She was whipping out those paw circles like a machine. We had an entire assembly line going. Shawnie and I were shoving little paws into clay. Every dog was fine with us putting their feet into clay.all the dogs were exceptional. Everything flew by fast and furious. Some people had to leave and some people were just going with the flow. All in all it was a lot of fun, and a fabulous turnout. I so appreciate everyone just pitching in to help. We kicked off this year with a bang, and we sure are looking forward to seeing you at the future events. We are a very strong club and it s even easier when we have a lot of members assisting. We appreciate all your support. We are continually updating Facebook. You do not need a Facebook account to link to our page via the website, so check it out. You can also be a Facebook member without sharing yourself with the general world. However, it s fun to meet Westie people and Westie Clubs from around the world. All photos are on website and Facebook Page 2 Spring 2012

3 Westie Lovers Volunteer to Educate at SKC Dog Show On March 10 and 11, 20 Westie owners and their dogs manned the club s breed booth at the Seattle Kennel Club Dog Show. Volunteers spoke to show attendees about all things Westie, answering questions about temperament, grooming and in general how much we love our dogs, who received lots of attention from both young and old. During the show we sold raffle tickets to earn money for medical expenses for Ella and Jeff Selfridge-Neumann s Henri, who has immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. We also sold first aid kits, patches and Westie cookies, earning $75.00 for the club. Club president Jeannette Melchior brought a grooming table and set it up next to the aisle. It was the perfect height for Tex to give kisses to anyone who was interested. After the Westies were finished in the show ring on Saturday, Sandy Davis and MaryAnn Bouduin brought their dogs to the booth to give visitors a close up of Westies in show coat. MaryAnn and Tribble also spent a lot of time in the booth on Sunday. On Saturday the Westie booth received a ribbon for providing excellent educational information about our breed. Only eight other booths received that honor on Saturday. We displayed the ribbon proudly on Sunday. At one point late Sunday morning there were nine Westies in the booth. Our pack garnered a lot of attention. Many thanks to all the members and friends who volunteered and made this event a success. Page 3 Spring 2012

4 Page 4 Spring 2011

5 Fun in the Snow! Duffy 20 months Owners Robin & Steve Ryan Hey, it s cold out here let me in, pleeese. I m so darn cute I love snow, I love rolling, running and playing in it! Page 5 Spring 2012

6 More Fun in the Snow! With Duffy & Zestie How did I get snowballs on my fur?! Hal & Zestie shoveling in the snow Zestie keeping warm on a snow day I just want to run off leash in the snow!! Page 6 Spring 2012

7 BORN TO BARK: Stanley Coren, 2010 First off, it s a fun read about one of our cousin terriers, the Cairn; many anecdotes that you can relate too if you have a Cairn, Westie or other terrier. Stan Coren has written several other books on dog behavior (How Dogs Think and How to Speak Dog, The Intelligence of Dogs) so he is not a novice when it comes to dog behavior. Born to Bark begins with the fact that this Cairn was a Christmas gift from Stan Coren s wife Joan, and the following year her gift was a shotgun which most of Coren s family believe were not unrelated! The battles and misunderstandings between Flint the dog and Joan grew to be epic, however, Flint earns his place in the household saving the life of the cat and serving as a therapy dog. Having lived with six terriers all at the same time, I could relate too many of the good and bad characteristics of Flint. No terrier is easy to convince in relation to learning new behaviors if they don t want to do it. The books does smack of a lot of me-ism...something I have come to find in most dog related books. It s either really sterile or you find out more about the author than you really wanted to know. All in all, a good read. SHOW DOG: Josh Dean, 2012 I loved this book and so did my husband. Remember when Best in Show came out and we were all so excited that someone, anyone, would pay attention to the dog show world? Well, this is the real deal, with names of people, handlers, places and dogs you will recognize. This book takes you in the puppy pen, on the road, at the show, in the ring, in the grooming area...just fun. Josh Dean, Au- A GREAT BOOK, JUST GET IT AND READ IT. Reviews by Cyndee Lockwood Page 7 Spring 2012

8 HIS NEW NAME IS MR. LUCKY Jeannette Melchior My MacGregor is called many things by me but now I call him Mr. Lucky, because he s simply lucky to be alive. The only date that I can pinpoint where this catastrophe started was February 13 th, it was a lovely morning and I got in a hurry to get to water aerobics and accidently left the gate to the lower part of the yard open MacGregor and Lily Rose took advantage of this and when I returned home they slunk in the dog door with very dirty paws and muzzles loaded with mud, groan, a quick clean up and then I went out in the yard to investigate the damage. LR is a trencher she can easily make a 9 foot trench (soft garden dirt) at amazing speed, her mother and grandmother I understand had the same habit, on the other hand MG loves to dig and he has always thought he could easily get to China on a good day. I wasn t pleased now I had to fill in all of their handy work along with all the picking-up of fir limbs littering the yard from the past 2 storms that came through our area. Within a few days I noted MG was having trouble going up stairs, but even more coming down, in a few days he wouldn t even try. He was becoming more withdrawn and needy unusual for him, a big eater and always ready for his meal, I now observed that he d want to eat but was eating slowly and not finishing, he d always good at finishing his dinner and wait hoping LR hadn t finished all of hers but now he d just head off and sleep under the computer. Because I have brought a new male into the family and he d taken a dislike to McDougal and the two would fight at the drop of a hat I assumed that was making him a little off. It bothered me not being able to figure out why this gradual change in him. The boys really love to walk but now even if he started strong by the time we came to the end, he started slowing down and acted like he was uncomfortable and just wanted to go lay down. That too had become apparent he was sleeping a lot. Now it s February 15 th and he doesn t want to eat, he started having diarrhea so I called our vet and took him in by this time the vomiting had started. Naturally we check for everything and he certainly doesn t like his stomach being touched we talk, they check for all the obvious conditions and finally I OK d an Ultrasound it appears that he has Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) darn, LR is an IBD dog and all that I ve gone through with her looks like I ll be going through the same thing with him. So we head home with a lot of medications he continues to try and eat, he has gone from 20.5 lbs to 17.5 lbs. and is getting worse, I call on Friday and ask Dr. Cumming to inject his medications I ve got to get through the weekend and he isn t responding, so we went ahead with the injections just to get him on track. Saturday everything seems to be fine but Sunday around 3:00AM it starts all over, he ll try to eat for me but then just drops it back in his dish, he s still taking a little water but not enough. By 3:30PM, I was starting to panic, I knew he was crashing and I certainly wasn t going to be able to handle it. I pick up the phone and call the VCA hospital in Lynwood and tell them I m on my way in with him, he s dehydrated and I want them to be prepared when we arrive. This is where LR s doctor is located and I consider her one of the best IBD doc s in the Seattle area so if he is an IBD dog then I ll get him to someone that specializes in that disease to take over. Page 8 Spring 2012

9 HIS NEW NAME IS MR. LUCKY (cont d) Of course we came in as an emergency and he was treated by the staff I just wanted him stabilized and as I feared he was badly dehydrated they took him and said that Dr. Polly Peterson would see him in the morning during her rounds. He isn t her patient (is now) but since LR was already she d take him on. I called, checking on him until 11:00PM just to make sure he was OK, oh, yes forgot to mention he tried to bite the ER Doctor when he felt his stomach, I told him he d probably try to nip him they never believe you. Dr. Peterson called around 10:00AM on Monday we discussed everything and finally I agreed to a Endoscopy she said, every test that Dr. Cumming had run and all the data collected shows that he is an IBD dog but I can t tell you why but in my experience he isn t presenting as an IBD dog. So she did the Endoscopy and called at 4:00PM that afternoon, she said, MG is fine and the procedure went well and then she said, have you broken a plate recently, I said, No, then she ask is there any broken china or pottery out in the yard that MG could have been in I said, well I ve had a lot of storm damage and a couple of terra cotta pots were broken (smashed to smithereens is more like it) you know what these NW storms are like. Anyhow, she said, well I was very surprised because I wasn t expecting it but we retrieved a piece of broken china out of his small intestine (note photo below, larger than a quarter and just a tad smaller than 50 cents) it has sharp ends so that s why every time we palpated his stomach the piece jabbed him and he d try to bite us. She said, frankly I ll never understand how he was able to swallow that piece; it has caused damage to his esophagus, stomach and had passed through the valve and into the small intestine. Why it didn t puncture his throat or his stomach was a small miracle and we were even luckier to find it when we did - another inch further in and we would have had to remove it surgically. When I ask her about how she got it out she said we were all surprised to find that it had passed through the valve into the small intestine and it was really tricky snagging it with the scope the really difficult part was getting it back out without cutting him. Then I ask her is he an IBD dog? She said, he could be but wouldn t know until she got all the test results finalized it is possible so I m not exactly out of the woods but now I wished I had just taken him in sooner we can always see our mistakes after the fact. He s spending the night in the hospital so he ll be fine to go home tomorrow then I ll know more about how to take care of him. I picked him up Tuesday at noon, he was very subdued, after all he had been through who could blame him, 2 enemas, an endoscopy and colonoscopy, I think he was happy to go with me, at the time he d just do whatever anyone wanted him too. Naturally he was released with a list of meds he d be on I made sure it was all written out so I wouldn t get mixed up and off we went. Page 9 Spring 2012

10 HIS NEW NAME IS MR. LUCKY (cont d) He was happy to be home but it was difficult to get him to start eating again, his stomach was pretty tore up and he had ulcers and a very irritated tummy. It took 3 days before he was back on track again (with meds ulcers and tenderness resolved quickly) and by the 4 th day he was pretty much back to his old self what a miracle. Dr. Polly Peterson called and said, he is not an IBD dog (oh, thank you) but he ll stay on a course of meds for the month and then get a check back. I ask her if she ever had to do anything like this with other dogs she said, that MG was a first with a chunk of china like that she said, it was tricky, her only other case that really put her to the task was a terrier down in Texas that had eaten 30 razor blades OMG, how did that go, she laughed it was pretty tricky but I got all of them out and he was just fine. I ll have to be very honest with you, MG is eleven years old and the amount of vet bills I ve had for him up to this point have been pretty minimal but this really was something I couldn t handle, the total bill was $2, I called my financial person and ask that he sell some stock so I could take care of it I may not take a trip to Europe but then Europe isn t as great as my MacGregor. Recuperating outside sliding door in new Spring sun. Page 10 Spring 2012

11 Helping Henri Medical Fund Canine Crohn s Disease Join the Fund Save a Life Help Henri Dear Members, Henri, a 3-yo Westie, owned by Jeff and Ella Neumann, was diagnosed with Crohn s Disease on February 1, Many of you may remember Henri s story as a puppy, he had a rare reaction to a vaccine and developed Immune Mediate Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA), which required specialized medical care. The care for the vaccine reaction was extremely costly and labor intensive. The Club and others did fundraising to help support his medical costs then. A new chapter has begun; Henri will require life-long, specialized medical care for Crohn s Disease. His loving family would like to continue this journey with him. Henri is responding very well to treatment giving us all hope for his future. The harsh reality is Henri is not re-homeable or a candidate for rescue. Therefore, some of us have come together, as a community to form a fund for Henri s medical care, Helping Henri Medical Fund. The mission of this community is to help support Henri s medical costs and prevent the termination of Henri s life due to medical costs alone. Please join us in the journey. Either contact me, Jeannette Melchior or Henri s mother, Ella Selfridge-Neumann for Fund information. Contact: Ella Selfridge-Neumann westiepack@yahoo.com Phone: (206) Ella, Henri s Mom, writes weekly updates to Henri supporters. The following is the latest update from her. Sincerely, Jeannette Melchior WHWTCOPS President and Henri s Godmother Page 11 Spring 2012

12 Latest Henri Update Dear Friends and Family, During our journey with Henri, we have made a point of getting his story told. Not just for fundraising purposes but to help others. I have taken this endeavor very seriously, as this is my gift back to each of you, whom have made donations towards Henri's medical care. It is important that this journey not only help Henri but help others. We are involved in Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA) support groups, frequently helping owner's with newly diagnosed dogs. Additionally, we have been contacted by the Morris Animal Foundation to provide support to owners with IMHA dogs. Henri s story has given hope to families with newly diagnosed IMHA dogs. Yesterday, at the Seattle Kennel Club dog show, we had Henri out meeting people at the "Meet the Breed" booth for Westies. A young woman, in her 30 s, came up to meet Henri. She was interested in Westies and as I told her about Henri, I mentioned his illness, Crohn's Disease. She started asking about his treatment and as the conversation continued, she said she has Crohn's Disease. She understood his treatment and symptoms, as she had been through the same journey. The moment was moving. She started crying, as she was stroking Henri, and she said she knew how he felt. She made a connection with Henri. The moment was very healing for me. That our heartache, pain, fears...all our suffering around Henri's latest illness was suddenly transformed...there was meaning to it all, just as helping other IMHA dogs and their families has been healing for us. I wish you could have been there. I have seen this type of connection and transformation in my therapy work with Bella with the patients of Children's Hospital. The positive attitude, unconditional love, and companionship an animal can bring to a sick child are healing and soothing. The children that have truly connected with Bella have bestowed a great sense of responsibility to me. Several years back, we met a new patient, a 3 -year old girl, who was starting treatment for leukemia. On her first visit with Bella, she turned to her parents and said "Don't worry...bella will be with me the whole time I am here"...and Bella was. We saw her on nearly every visit for 2-years. Henri is a therapy dog in his own way. His story has inspired owners and comforted others. We hope that he continues to help others with their journeys. I am deeply committed to giving meaning to our journey with Henri. I am deeply committed to this journey with you. Thank you! Warmly, Ella Page 12 Spring 2012

13 ANNUAL FUN DAZE PICNIC WHEN: Saturday, June 2, 2012 WHERE: TIME: HOST: Royal Arch Park (Follow Yellow Balloons) Renton Maple Valley Hwy Maple Valley, Wa ** Follow the Yellow Balloons** 11am 3pm WHWTCOPS Board of Directors COST: $13 per person before May 25 $17 per person walk up price PLUS $1 per car standard Park Regulations GOOD OLD FASHIONED FUN: Down home BBQ w/ fixins, ice cream eating contest, rockin raffle, famous tail chase, doggie bandanas, collectables for sale and more. NOTE: We also have a big shelter for back up in case of inclement weather. BRING: Your own chairs, shade tents, ex-pens, crates, poop bags sun hats, Shade tarps for dogs. Checkbooks or cash for sales table and raffle. RSVP RESERVATIONS MAIL BACK DEADLINE MAY 25TH ($13 - AFTER deadline $17 pp walk up price) SIGN Registration desk for hand stamp for activites. Meal includes: Char broiled bbq burgers by Big Daddy Paul and Uncle Bobby Joe, Mama D s & Auntie Shar s famous down home tater salad, chips, cookie and beverage. Name for Reservations (PRINT) Circle choice $13 per person Beef turkey vegetarian Beef turkey vegetarian Beef turkey vegetarian Beef turkey vegetarian Beef turkey vegetarian PAUL Total Enclosed $ Checks Payable to WHWTCOPS MAIL TO: Karin Parish Picnic 4371 Hilltop Drive Clinton, Wa Page 13 Spring

14 2012 HIGHLAND GAMES July 28/29 Enumclaw We invite you to volunteer at our kennel area and represent our breed in the Celtic Kennels. Bring your kilts for the dogs, as we march in the parade at noon each day. The public just loves to see Westies and we d like to have some there all day, each day We need shifts for Saturday and Sunday. Interested Westie owners willing to participate this year at The Celtic Kennel please select a shift from below, or any combination we can agree upon. Choices: (Saturday or Sunday ) Times: *am* 9am to 12:30pm or *pm* 12:30pm until 3:30) Hosts: Julie Redd Contact Julie to volunteer juliesangels@hotmail.com We will give you more information, times, rules, passes, etc. Come and Join in for a great family day. Wear your clan colors, march in the parade of clans w/your Westie. Page 14 Spring 2012

15 Through the Garden Gate To keep this page will place a poem Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there, I do not sleep, I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain; I am the gentle Autumn's rain When you awaken in the morning's hush, I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry I am not there, I did not die. Author Unknown Page 15 Spring 2012

16 CLUB OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND CONTACTS Upcoming Events PRESIDENT Jeannette Melchior PAST PRESIDENT Karin Parish BOARD OF DIRECTORS Paul Meshke VICE PRESIDENT Sharon Newsom SECRETARY Dee Thompson hotmail.com TREASURER/BREED REFERRAL Sandy Davis June 2, 2012 Annual Fun Daze Picnic Royal Arch Park (see flyer on page 3) July 28/ Highland Games Enumclaw (see flyer on page 7) Ella Selfridge-Neumann PHOTOGRAPHER FOR ACTIVITIES Lyle Lane Carolyn Lee NEWSLETTER Kathy Reed Terry Reesing MEMBERSHIP CHAIR Ardeth Bolin WEBMASTER Karin Parish RESCUE Karin Parish & June Taylor WESTIE FOUNDATION LIASON Ella Selfridge-Neumann New Member Applications NEW MEMBER New Members Page 16 Spring 2012