Our beloved Westie, Gibson, had suffered intermittent ear infections and allergies for a few years. Finally our vet said that it was the dog food he was eating. We switched to Nutro Lamb and Rice (vet recommended). Then my husband and I had to go to the states for 10 weeks and we had our landlady take care of Gibson during that time. I had given our landlady Gibson's food prior to leaving, but she ran out of his food and instead of buying more she merely substituted the same food she fed her dog. Well, needless to say by the time we came back, Gibson had raging ear infections and was scratching constantly. Fortunately we found the Westie diet on your website and between that and some antibiotics and anti-inflammatories from the vet, Gibson was in the healing process.our little Gibson was doing much better within a week! We now keep him on the Westie diet and nary a scratch and no more ear infections! Thanks so much!
18 November 2008 - Mexico
Webmaster comments
Hi Jackie and Gibson;
Thank you for the wonderful testimonial to our Westie Diet. It continues to have a positive effect on many breeds of dogs, not only Westies. Make sure you keep him on the suggested treats and products which we are certain does not cause coat color nor itching.
If you have a before and after photo we will post on our website. Always are interested in 'before' and 'after' photos. They are sooooooo telling! Sending best wishes to all,
Susan
Dee
I cannot say enough good things about the westie diet. My 13 year old westie developed a low thyroid and skin issues. I put him on the diet and the diet in combination with medication did wonders for his coat. I could see the results literally within the first week. I am taking a copy of the diet to my vet--this is really something every westie owner should know about.
6 November 2008 - California
Webmaster comments
Hi there;
We are so pleased with the results for your 'senior' Westie. Some modification is suggested for our 'senior' little ones; use the Nutro Natural Choice Less Active or Lite Lamb and Rice (Tan and dark brown bags). Viola.....it is a lifelong diet. ASIDE: I have a 13 yr old that has been on the diet his entire life; conformation showing, obedience, and now couch potato. He is doing so great! I attribute it greatly to the Westie Diet.
Hugs to you and yours, Susan
deb gorham
Regarding the Westie Diet food--Can I make a week's worth of it ahead of time for when I board my Westie? Also, I read about keeping my Westie from licking/chewing her feet. Use Athlete's Foot Powder--Like "Gold Bond"?
11 October 2008 - Franklin, TN
Webmaster comments
Hello Deb;
Thanks for the clarification question, here is what I personally do when traveling with or kenneling dogs. Purchase the 'snack' and 'sandwich' size zip lock baggies. Measure all the 'wet' ingredients in the 'snack' size baggie (minus the Vit E). Remove the air from the baggie and seal tight. Measure the 'dry kibble', place in 'sandwich' size baggie. Place CLOSED snack size baggie into the dry kibble baggie and close. Viola one bowl pre-measured. All can be kept in refrigerator, one bowl taken at a time and all the active ingredients measured for one bowl. The snack baggie can be gently warmed in microwave or if no microwave available, fill the bathroom basin with hot water. Float CLOSED snack baggie in basin to heat. Pour over dry kibble and mix well.
On clean, trimmed and dry pads, toe digits and feet tops; work into all medicated (active antifungal ie: Tolnaftate 1% or similar) powder. Present in human athlete's foot powder not spray. Best use at night when the dog will not go onto dewy grass. Remember on clean, dry and trimmed foot pads and toe digits. Active ingredient then has all night to work, undisturbed. Once wet active ingredient stops working.
Hope this helps. Susan
Maureen Linville
Very intrested in adopting, we already have 2; 1 male ;12yrs. and a female,3yrs.old.
30 September 2008 - Queen Creek, Arizona
Webmaster comments
Thank you for your adoption comments, however we can do nothing without an application. Please go onto our website under 'Adopting a Westie', download, complete and submit according to directions your application. We have many awaiting placement deserving Westies. Thank you for loving the breed!
Susan
Allison Plato
After reading an article on the Guideposts website about the work of Susan Reeves and the Westie Rescue, I wanted to write and say how thankful I am that you are doing such good work! My husband and I are the proud owners of Darby Lass Plato, our little Westie who thinks she is a person. We are very much in love with her and so I absolutely had to write and say I understand your love for the breed and am so glad that the world has you working to help these lovely dogs. I also wanted to share our story with you as we think it is relatively rare and something ALL Westie owners MUST KNOW! In December of 2007, Darby became ill. It started with her left food shaking and she would draw it up a little when standing. But her symptoms dramatically worsened. She presented symptoms of what we thought was a bladder infection / UTI. She seemed straining to urinate. Then she began to have an unsteady gate and soon her back legs wouldn't work at all and she was dragging them behind her. She also began shaking all over and it looked as if she was cold. She was miserable and I can't express in a short email how scared my husband and I were at the thought of losing her. All of these symptoms occurred within a week's period. We took her to three different vets, none of which knew what was happening with her. The first dismissed her symptoms as seizures, but we knew something more was going on. Upset, we took her to a second and then a third vet. The third vet, though extremely compassionate and wonderfully caring, still had no explanation and wanted us to travel out of town to see a veterinary neurologist. We came home from that office visit, with her still dramatically ill and unable to be left alone. At this point, around the 7th day, she was having seizure-like fits (though they weren't seizures) during which she was completely alert. I have owned a dog with seizures before and what Darby was having was even more violent. She was actually flipping up off of the ground during these spells. It was worse than I even have words to describe. But for those of you who know what it is like to love a dog as a member of your family, you can imagine how heart-wrenching it was to watch her in this terrible state. We were scared every minute that she was going to die. We began making plans to travel to the veterinary neurologist, but my husband, determined not to give up on our fur-kid and a "people-neurologist" himself, went to work researching. While he was at the computer, I held her and prayed. Within about an hour, he had found three online articles and stories about families with small white dogs presenting the exact same symptoms and rapid deterioration as Darby. The articles stated that it was a condition called White Shaker Syndrome. Our vet was wonderful and we were on the phone with him during the wee hours of the morning that night discussing this syndrome as a possibility. He went back to his text books and called other vets around town, and they decided that it was likely that was what she had. Immediately the next morning, we took her to an emergency vet and started her on the treatment for White Shaker Syndrome and I am happy to report that she is currently living a happy, healthy, energetic life. Her particular case requires that she be on a small dose of a steroids forever, but the dose is so low that she is no longer having side effects (like over-eating, etc.) and is back to being our loving, squirrel-chasing little pup! I hope every Westie owner can know about this syndrome since it typically only presents in Westies and Malteses, so that if their dog should become ill with similar symptoms they can find expedient help. Thanks again for all of your work! Enjoying life with a Westie is something probably only other Westie owners can understand, and I just want you to know that The Platos in Louisville understand and applaud you.
30 September 2008 - Louisville, KY
Webmaster comments
Hello Allison;
We are so sorry about your little Darby's condition. We have another currently, in program, who also has White Shakers Syndrome. We have wonderful information on our website under the Health section. The condition can be controlled via regime and usually the tremors will subside with the prescription regime. Thank you for sharing your and Darby's story. Thank you so much for sharing with our Westie lovers and owners. The best to you and yours.
Susan
CYNTHIA CAMPBELL
We have a lovely healthyWestie,Meggie, so were sorry to hear of Wee Mac. MY grandson, Liam, who is nine, will now be happy to donate to Wee Mac.I hope it makes life a little easier for both the owner and her beloved pet.
30 September 2008 - Port Ludlow Wa.
Webmaster comments
Hello Liam and Cynthia;
Thank you so much for loving the breed and sharing your love via a donation to help those less fortunate. As a not for profit organization, we do not receive city, state or federal funding, so we can only continue our services and rescue endeavors by receiving donations, sent in the name of love. Thank you again so much. Pleae know WeeMac and his loving owner are ever so appreciative. Blessings to you and yours!
Susan
Ellen
My husband and I own a westie name Liam. He is six months old, and we have had him for two months. We love him to death. However, Liam seems to be having allergies and maybe some digestive problems. He has had a scrap and does not have any mites. He is currently taking hydroxizine 25mg twice a day. He has had a cortisone shot but that did not help. We have changed his food to an allergy free food that the vet gave us. When I read the back of the package all it has it in is wheat, startch and poultry by product and this scares me. He smells, has open sores and is starting to pull the hair off his legs. We hate seeing him like this. I have bought some of the nutro natural lamb and rice formula and will be switching him over this week. The vet told us not to feed him beef. I was wondering would the westie diet be ok for him since he wasnt suppose to have beef? Also, is he of age to eat the westie diet? Guess we are a little scared to cook his food, but we are willing to do whatever it takes.
27 September 2008 - TN
Webmaster comments
Hello Ellen;
We will be answering your inquiry via our website email.
This venue is not appropriate to dialogue necessary to diagnose your little Westie's problems. We know what the problem is from what you have indicated in your email. We also suggest you seek the services of another Veterinarian, as his off-handed comment about 'beef' is totally unsubstantiated.
Thank you for your question.
Susan L Reeves
Toni Carr
HI! Thank you for your very insightful website dedicated to the Westies we love so dearly. For the first time in my life I own a dog & he is an 11wk old bundle of joy. I am in the process of paper training him & was wondering if you have any ideas/suggestions on how I can both pan litter train him & housebreak him. It is important to me that he know both since he will need to use a pan litter while Im at work but also be house broken in the event we're elsewhere there is a yard or outdoors that he can eliminate. HELP! HELP ! How do I go about this seemingly enormous undertaking without confusing him while instilling the manners he needs to be taken out & about. Thank you very much! Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.
18 September 2008 - San Francisco
Webmaster comments
Hello Toni;
Please research 'crate training' on the Westie Club of America website. There is a wonderful tool IF FOLLOWED EXACTLY.
Good luck and let us know how you are doing.
Susan
Susan Hancock
I know you don't advocate changing ingredients in the Westie Diet. I'm not a fan of processed dog food. (I'm trying to get the guts to go ARF, but I'm not quite there.) I'm looking for a home-cooked substitute for the Nutro kibble. I have a Westie boy who suffers from a mild allergy which is limited to just his snout.
22 August 2008 - North Carolina
Webmaster comments
Hello Susan;
This condition is NOT allergy. Please take your Westie boy to a dermatologist very soon.
While ARF and BARF diets are all the rage, we do not see the need to go 'beyond' to feed our little ones. Dry kibble is 'stabilized' which is a very good thing. That is the building block, that is why we add wet ingredients. This puts in place the removed 'wet' in the kibble while processing.
Our Westie Diet is a well balanced and life long diet. The only change one would make is to change the kibble according to age; ie: puppy, adult, lite/less active, etc. It has stood the test of time 20+ years now and still working very well with all breeds.
We think you will be a believer if you just give it a chance. Email us for additional directions and product information.
Thanks for loving your Westie.
Cheers, Susan
Tracey Dodson
I was very excited to find your site but I am located in Georgia and I am not sure what other states your westies are located in. My 6 year old daughter FELL IN LOVE with Olivia! She has printed her pictures and just talks about her all the time! How can our family of five plus one little miniature dachsund adopt Olivia? She sounds like she has my daughter's high-spirited personality! I think it would be a great match!
21 August 2008 - Carrollton Georgia
Webmaster comments
Well that is wonderful Tracey....
We do not ship our rescues, although we do span 8 Western states. Would suggest you contact Westie Club of Georgia. They have rescue efforts as well.
Good luck to you and please read more closely regarding our breed and young children under the age of 8 yrs.
Please make an educated choice in a companion animal. Remember it is a commitment for at least 15+ years.
How do I go about this seemingly enormous undertaking without confusing him while instilling the manners he needs to be taken out & about. Thank you very much! Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.