Is there any hope ? We own a beautiful 12 year old Westie called Gabby-Lea who has greatly enriched our lives from the time she joined our family.
Unfortunately, Gabby has had chronic skin/itch problems for most of her life and the main treatment from Vets has been cortisone to ease the itch. After visiting the Qld Westie Club gathering in Brisbane recently and talking to breeders/carers who are experts with Westies, we feel our biggest problem may be we have had Gabby on the wrong diet all these years - a mix of cooked meat and dry dog food.
Several months ago, Gabby was diagnosed with Lymphoma ( as well as Xrays showing she has an enlarged heart and a lung condition ). Our Vet has again prescribed cortisone tablets ( ruled out chemotheraphy because of her age ) which she is receiving daily.
Gabby is part of our family and we are now in a "pallitive care" stage as we monitor her constantly and ensure she is comfortable. To date she appears bright, happy and reasonably normal but lacks the energy of her healthier years. Incontinence has just started and is another problem we are dealing with.
Every extra day ( while she is comfortable ) we have with her we treasure and we were just wondering if anyone has any advice to help us care for our beautiful little girl.
Jan & Barry H
