Fall

Transcription

1 WestieMed News Fall

2 WestieMed News Page 2 eyelashes growing from the center of your cornea! Discharge sticks to his dermoid growths and extra eyelashes and hardens quickly, but he is very tolerant when his eyes are cleaned and having his eye meds administered. He seems to know we are trying to help him. CLANCY Clancy was one of seven Westies picked up from a breeder. He warmed up to people quickly and loves attention of any kind. He loves to romp and play, but he always wants to be acknowledged by people. Clancy has problems seeing things at their correct height and some depth perception trouble, but he doesn t let his eye problems slow him down. Imagine if you had skin and Clancy s eye surgery will remove the dermoid growths from both eyes and they will never grow back. He may need some eye lid reconstruction, but that will be determined once the surgery is underway. He will always have dry eye syndrome, but it is very treatable with eye drops each day. Removing the growths from his corneas will allow him to see perfectly for the first time in his life and end any chance of the growths slowly taking his sight away. Thank you WestieMed! This energetic Westie boy loves his new life of freedom and will soon be able to see perfectly! He has many wonderful days of living the good life ahead of him. You can read Clancy s full story on our website: Why should I visit the WestieMed website? By now, you probably know that you can find information on the WestieMed website about the dogs that have been helped. You can also check on the current fundraising activities, see even more volunteer opportunities, find out where the donations go, learn about the application requirements and more. But there s more! Did you know that WestieMed provides information on various Westie health issues on the website? Looking for the perfect gift for a Westie lover or something special for you? The new and improved WestieMed Gift Shop features many wonderful gift options on the website. Shop with our affiliate companies and a portion of your purchase will go to help WestieMed. Thanks to CafePress.com, we are now selling a number of products featuring unique and beautiful Westie designs donated by renowned artists Kirsten Fox, Carol Sanger, Suzanne Renaud, Barbara Scotten, Ann Kallal, Dawn Barnes, Anne Huddleston and Allison Platt.

3 WestieMed News Page 3 ABBY Little Abby's Journey She was rescued from a puppy mill after being used as a breeding machine for seven years. Westie Rescue Indiana (KY/OH) had her vetted and spayed and she received all her vaccinations. She had her first real bath and was and was ready for her new life. Within a few weeks of being spayed, Abby began to lose weight. She was only 18 pounds at the time of her rescue but over the next several weeks began to lose weight for no apparent reason. Abby continued to drop weight and muscle mass and quickly dropped to nine pounds. She was under the care of a veterinarian who was concerned about Abby s overall health. She was getting weaker and lame so she started a high calorie/protein food. Over several weeks she remained under a watchful eye. Abby was eating and getting fluids but still not regaining weight. With continued visits to the vet s and monitoring it was a process of elimination to see if we could find out what was wrong. It was recommended that we may need to monitor her digestive path with x-ray to see if her food was moving. The x-rays discovered masses causing blockage not allowing her to digest food or get needed nutrition. The next step was evaluation at a Specialty Veterinary facility in Louisville for more extensive testing. The specialist diagnosed Abby with Inflammatory Bowel Disease which can be managed and treatment was started immediately. WRI had feared the worst, but with special food & medication and several months of patience, Abby is expected to make a full recovery. was still low, but Abby was finally on her way to enjoying a normal life. Abby is a special dog. Her tender heart and lady-like composure reminds you of Audrey Hepburn. Underneath that she is a fighter, a survivor, a Westie ready to chase squirrels through the yard. Her strength to survive has been a miracle and her determination has taught to never give up. UPDATE: Sadly, WRI recently posted that little Abby had lost her fight. WestieMed is happy to know we helped this sweet girl enjoy the end of her life in safety with WRI where she at last knew love. You can read Abby s full story on our website: A month after diagnosis her treatments were slowly helping. She gained a 4 ounces which brought her to 9 pounds, 4 ounces. She was diagnosed with Lymphoplasmacytic Inflammatory Bowel Disease and decreased Cobalamin levels. This is a treatable medical condition & with special diet (Gastrointestinal Health Hills i/d) which she has to stay on forever. Abby had a long recovery period, but WRI was committed to helping this tiny lady. Abby started playing, walking around the yard and got stronger each day. Her appetite

4 WestieMed News Page 4 MAC My story begins in I was born in a puppy mill near Los Angeles. I was no good as a stud dog and was sold to someone in New York City. I flew as cargo from LA to NYC and was happy to be out of the mill, thinking surely my future must be better! I dreamed of a new home, a soft bed, good food and a person that loved me. In Manhattan I landed in The Doggie Gym. There were other dogs, it was clean, there was good food and people were friendly. Different people came to the Doggie Gym, some took dogs home with them and then brought them back. Soon it was my turn and I realized it was a doggie rental agency! I hated it -- I was found "unsuitable" and was to be euthanized. A couple that had rented me adopted me to save my life. They took me to their luxury apartment and for the first time I had my own people! The down side was their Doxie that bullied me and beat me up every day my humans were gone to work. I lived on West 57th Street where the city noise was constant -- the sirens, crowded streets, the elevator in our building with strange people popping out of it were all more than I could take. I became scared of everything and everyone. Mom & Dad took me to a doggie psychologist who worked with me and put me on anti-anxiety meds. I was diagnosed as agoraphobic but it was so much more than that. My health declined and I was rushed to the Emergency Vet where it was found I was having something called an "Addisonian Crisis" and almost died. Addison's Disease is when your adrenal glands don't function correctly and don't release stress hormones. In short, I can't handle stress! I was put on Prednisone, got a monthly shot for my Addison's and continued on my sedatives and anti-anxiety meds. Soon Mom & Dad realized I would never relax and be healthy in the city. They made the difficult decision to give me to rescue. Mom called Westie Rescue of New England. They said they would be happy to take me and find a forever home for me. Mom & Dad drove me to MA to my foster home. It was a nice place in the country but the change was scary for me. There were two Westies, two boys that were happy to see me and of course my foster parents who told me it was all going to be ok. I was nervous but began to come out of my shell. I learned what it was like to stand in the grass. I could be outside in my yard with no scary sirens or crowds of people. Country life was for me! A team of vets helped me stay strong and healthy. After a year my Addison's was stable! My foster Mom thought I was ready for my forever home as my foster home was hectic so Mom thought a quieter home would be better. I was placed on a trial basis with a new Mom. Her Westie had died and she was so happy to take me home. I jumped into her convertible and zoomed off without looking back. Her dog had had a heart condition so my Addison's wasn t so alarming (most qualified adopters would not even consider me because of the lifelong meds and big expense). It was just the two of us in a home by the beach where I had cozy beds all over the house and my new Mom's undivided attention. Soon I went into another Addisonian crisis. My crisis took almost every dollar Westie Rescue of New England had. It was clear the stress of relocation was too much for me. My foster mom arranged for me to speak to a pet communicator and I told them that I didn't ever want to leave my family or the house in the country and didn't ever want to live anywhere else. That is the day I became a forever foster for Westie Rescue of New England. I continue to thrive; my Addison's Disease is well controlled. I am still a nervous little man but live a happy life in the organized chaos that is my chosen forever home. Mom says we all end up exactly where we belong and I know that is the truth!! You can read Mac s full story on our website:

5 WestieMed News Page 5 Start your holiday shopping now!

6 WestieMed News Page 6 Please Shop With Our Affiliate Companies Here Are Just Two! A WORLD WITH NO HOMELESS WESTIES. THAT S WHAT WESTIEMED IS ALL ABOUT Just register with IGive: With over 700 participating stores (where a percentage of each purchase is donated to WestieMed), there's something for everyone. This is a free, easy way to help WestieMed, just by shopping online at stores you know! The Paws and Remember Program 20&camp=211041&creative=374005&li nkcode=qs1&adid=0hm96hew71z8 NQ2NVGW2&&refrefURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.westie med.org%2faffiliates%2f Shop for books, movies, music, games, electronics, toys, apparel, jewelry, tools and more at Amazon.com! Please take a moment to Paws and Remember your special friends. Make a donation to light an "ever-burning" Virtual Candle from WestieMed s Paws and Remember program. This is a wonderful way to show your admiration, love and devotion for those you hold closest to your heart. Honor your own special family members, Celebrate a living friend, pet or person, with a Tribute Virtual Candle, or Remember those you have loved and lost with a Memorial Virtual Candle. When you make a donation for either a Tribute Virtual Candle or a Memorial Virtual Candle, WestieMed will send a lovely personalized card to the designated recipient acknowledging your thoughtful gift. Our acknowledgment card features the Paws and Remember logo Toto The Rescue Angel designed and donated exclusively to WestieMed by artist Suzanne Renaud.

7 WestieMed News Page 7 WestieMed, Inc Fulton Avenue Unit #3 Cincinnati, OH (toll free) info@westiemed.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Lucy Ryley Vice President/ Website Sandy Gilmer Recording Secretary Denise Sunkel Corresponding Secretary Carolyn Piccininni Treasurer Jen Hosler Application Bette Heidorn Application Follow-up Kathy McNulty Marketing Rachel Phelps Newsletter Editor Sara Studebaker Board Member Karen Spalding Board Member Pamela Evans Facebook Auction Marcia Reimer Gift Shop Becky Walker Ex-Officio Board Member Consulting Veterinarian Dr. Barbara Lee Ex-Officio Board Member Web Consultant Lisa Gryskiewicz Ex-Officio Board Member Consulting Financial Advisor James Gniadek How Can YOU Help WestieMed? There are a number of ways and opportunities you can help WestieMed raise the quality of life and adoptability of rescued Westies in need of medical attention. We appreciate your support! MAKE A DONATION Mail a check or money order donation to: WestieMed, Inc Fulton Avenue, Unit #3 Cincinnati, OH Make a secure online credit card donation. Make an automatic monthly subscription donation. Donate Westie treasures for WestieMed's online ebay Auctions or Raffle. (see page 1) Make a Planned Gift consisting of such items as stocks, bonds, cash, personal property, bequests, trusts, life insurance and IRAs. Make a donation with your company's Matching Gift Program. Donate your artistic Westie designs for fundraising purposes through our Artists To The Rescue program. MAKE A PURCHASE Obtain "ever-burning" online Tribute and Memorial Virtual Candles from the Paws and Remember program on the WestieMed website. Shop in the online WestieMed Gift Shop for unique Westie items. (see page 5) Shop with WestieMed's Affiliate Companies and a donation will be made to help us help rescued Westies. Shop in WestieMed's Facebook Auction.. (see page 1) Shop at our Cafe Press Store, the WestieMed Café, featuring Westie designs by many talented artists. VOLUNTEER Help organize a Fundraising event or a Westie Walk for the benefit of WestieMed. Offer your talents and time for a WestieMed project. Get WestieMed news and updates through our Friends of WestieMed list. Join the WestieMed group on Facebook. Help spread the word about WestieMed. The Mission of Westie Med, Inc. is to help raise the quality of life and adoptability of rescued West Highland White Terriers (Westies). WestieMed provides these Westies with a second chance at adoption and the opportunity to lead happy, healthy lives in stable, loving, forever homes. In addition, through its efforts and the example it sets, WestieMed aims to stimulate a dialogue, which will educate the general public about rescue animals and rescue organizations.