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CHRISSY HAS BEEN ADOPTED!!!!!

CHRISSY

This website is dedicated to Chrissy and other Westies like her who are in varying stages of skin disease.
We hope that seeing her progress will help others learn that there is hope for a better life.

USE THE ABOVE BUTTON TO DONATE BY PAYPAL.
To donate via check or money order, make it out to WHWTCSEM with "Chrissy" in the memo area and send to:
Westie Rescue
1371 W. S. Blvd.
Troy, MI 48098

Donations for Chrissy will be used for her medical care. Any amounts over what is required
will be kept in a fund in her name for the next little ones who come into our Rescue with special needs. Note: Donations to Westie Rescue are not tax deductible

If you are in Michigan and are considering adopting a Westie, Chrissy may be the one for you. By the time you get to the end of this story, you will see what a doll she has become. Her behavior issues early on are now much improved and she is just a normal little girl with lots of love to give. We think she will be best off in a home without a fenced yard since she may be sensitive to grass and growing things. (We will know more when we learn the results of her allergy tests mid-July.) But she would happily trade the running and playing in the yard with a happy home where there was a lot of time and attention for her. And staying off the grass might make her allergy issues easier to manage. At this time she has medications (which may change over time) and gets two baths a week to maintain her nice coat and non-itchy status. If you have the time and energy to devote to a young dog with special needs but one who is full of love, please use the button to the left to obtain our application. We want Chrissy to get her "forever" home but it will need to be just the right one for her.

CHRISSY'S STORY: MARCH 9 TO DATE (MARCH 31, 2007)

Chrissy arrived in Rescue on March 9, 2007. She is 2.5 years of age and has been "itchy" all of her life. Her family bought her from a "breeder" in Flint, Michigan. They paid almost $1000 for her. Unfortunately they were under the mistaken impression that having AKC papers meant that the dog was well-bred. They did not recognize any of the red flags that might have given them warning. (See BREEDERS AND THE AKC ) They bought this dog with the intent of breeding her but clearly she is not a dog who should ever be bred even should we be able to rehabilitate her.

Chrissy was also intended to be a playmate to a young girl and a Christmas gift (another thing we strongly discourage and another red flag missed since responsible breeders go out of their way not to have puppies ready for Christmas giving.)

Chrissy seemed to be a very sweet little girl. She settled in quickly and waited for her trip to the vet.

After a day which included losing her family, coming to a new home, a trip to yet another vet, a bath, and meeting new dogs, Miss Chrissy settled down for a good night's sleep.

Chrissy's owners loved her and did their best for her. For two and a half years, they went from vet to vet trying to "fix" her problems. But after all that and no success, they came to a place where they just could no longer pay the vet bills. So with great reluctance, they surrendered Chrissy to Rescue. They understood that Rescue would do their best for Chrissy but could not give any guarantees. If, after all we tried to do, we were unsuccessful and Chrissy was miserable due to the itching, we might not be able to save her. But this would be a last resort.

Chrissy went to Animal Medical Center of Troy (Dr. Theodoroff 248-852-9800). (Thank you, Dr. T., for discounting Chrissy's care!) After an exam, Dr. T. kept Chrissy for the afternoon. She was given a 30 minute medicated bath to ease her itching, hydrate her skin and begin the process of treating the infection. After further medical care, she came back to the foster home with antibiotics, medicated shampoo and Humilac rinse to be used with daily baths, and a month's supply of Atopica (Click on link and Read about Atopic Dermatitis) as well as a little video explaining how ATOPICA works and supporting Reglan to ease any tummy upsets which might come with the meds. And Chrissy started her recovery.

On her second day in foster care, Chrissy was moved to her long-term foster home. There she met new people and other dogs. She had no trouble settling in. Immediately the Rescue group, club members and westie adopters (an email list for adopters of Westies from our group) set about "outfitting" her. Because she had no hair, she needed clothing for warmth. The clothing also serves to protect her skin from scratching and chewing.

Click on Chrisy (below) to see her fashion statements!

WEEK OF MARCH 11-17
Chrissy had a week of "settling in". Foster mom has had to feel her way with how to care for Chrissy and has had some interesting moments. Chrissy had a shot of cortisone initially to help with the itchies during the period before her body began to react to the new meds. As you know if you have ever had a dog use this drug, it causes the dog to be thirsty, drink a lot and pee a lot. It is too cold to have Chrissy going outside every time, so she is using pee pads for the most part. Well Chrissy is using a LOT of pee pads. We are trying to find a lower cost source. Hopefully this will not go on forever! (We THANK DONORS for helping us with this....Some have been sent to us and some are being paid for out of donations...hopefully sometime soon, it will be warm enough for Chrissy to go outside with the other dogs on a regular basis!) Chrissy did go outside some on the nicer days as spring starts arriving in southeastern Michigan. She enjoyed the fresh air but one day maybe she got just a little too much and she broke out in hives! This was pretty scary but a bath and some soothing lotion helped. We got a new lotion from the vet to give additional support to her sensitive skin.

People may wonder why Chrissy needs so many outfits. Well, she gets two baths a day. And afer each bath, she gets a clean outfit. The many extra outfits give foster mom a break at doing the laundry! Chrissy scratches more at night than during the day so at night she now wears outfits which cover her neck better. Every day is a learning experience with Chrissy!!

Chrissy has had no problems with the meds and they really seem to be helping. When she does scratch herself, it clears up in no time at all. At the end of the week, the consensus is that her skin has improved and there are some new hairs showing up already! What more can we ask?!!

Chrissy's social life is a little more complex. As we sometimes find when we take in a dog who has been sick all it's life, especially if it was an only dog...they haven't learned any of the behavior lessons normally learned as a puppy. Chrissy has never felt good so has never had the spunk to get into a lot of trouble. Now that she is feeling better, her personality is coming out and she will need some catch up behavior work.

While most Westies eat about 1/2 cup of kibble a day, Chrissy came in eating 2-3 cups! She wasn't fat. The vet felt that she was using up a lot of calories just scratching (aerobics!!) And, of course, the Cortisone makes her hungry too. She surprised everyone by eating her meal and the meals of two of the other dogs too! Eating arrangements had to be quickly changed to protect everyone's food from her! She is now feeling like she wants to play but this may take a while for the other dogs to accept and play with her. Some dogs fall right into the play cycle but when a dog doesn't want to play at first, it takes a while for them to understand and start playing when the new dog finally decides she is ready.

While Beethoven and Annie aren't too interested in being with Chrissy, sweet Mozart stays right by her and gives her emotional support.

MEDICAL PHOTOS

MARCH 18, 2007

Chrissy has had some ups and downs with her skin. The negative include some recurring hives and pimples; some scratching that has opened wounds. The positive, though, is that The itching is much less than originally and is less during the day than at night. The wounds seem to heal extremely quickly. The skin is much less red and THERE IS CLEARLY SOME NEW HAIR GROWTH!!!!

MARCH 20, 2007

Some photos of Chrissy and her friends.....