GALLERY OF DOGS
TEDDY
TEDDY is an 11.5-year-old Welsh Terrier boy whose owner had to relocate from Chicago into a Memory Care Facility in another State which left this senior boy without a home. He lived in LaGrange, Illinois since the time he was 1 year old and everyone knew him. Teddy was Winky when he was rescued by WFTRM Chicago and was released by his breeder due to medical issues with regurgitating his food. In December 2015 he went to Veterinary Specialty Center where it was discovered he had Persistent Right Aortic Arch (PRAA): This is a congenital condition where the aortic arch, which should normally be on the left side of the heart, forms on the right. It can create a ring around the esophagus, leading to constriction and difficulty swallowing. PRAA is a common type of vascular ring anomaly in dogs. He had very expensive surgery to correct this and he lived a happy and healthy life.
Teddy’s owner has had health issues the last few years and he has had many babysitters, friends watching him for 6 weeks, boarding, staying with his groomer on a farm for over a month. Lots of treats, fed different foods and lots of stress and anxiety. Life just became confusing and complicated for him. Looking back at his records, he has had numerous vet visits for colitis. Teddy was returned to WFTRM and has not been feeling well. Not eating, sleeping and having bloody diarrhea and vomiting. He was taken to VEG ER in Naperville where they did full bloodwork, radiographs, ultrasound, gave fluids and meds intravenously - cerenia and another stomach med and sent home with Gabapentin, probiotic, and sucralfate. His pancreatic lipase value was elevated and stomach distended - pancreatitis is very painful. On the 4th of July the vomiting and Diarrhea returned and was brought back to VEG ER where again he was treated as an outpatient and received through I.V. metronidazole for the Diarrhea, pain meds, fluids, cerenia. He was getting tired of all the pokes, they did shave both front arms not getting a vein and then put the catheter in the back leg. We got home late Saturday night and went right in the sunroom where he had to go over and say hi to Bruno Welsh, Fabio, Phoebe Welsh, McDuff and Zazu. When Teddy sees another dog his tail wags - he loves other dogs. He found the big donut bed with fur blanket and curled up, made a sigh and fell asleep. He did not get up until 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. He is drinking normally, not touching the canned I.D. food so I boiled Chicken breast and he insists on raised feeders.
Teddy had an appointment scheduled for July 7th at Midwest Animal Hospital as the bloody stools and lethargy remained. His gums are still tacky and pale. He was hospitalized to receive fluids, more bloodwork, an endoscopy procedure and barium swallow. His stomach was unremarkable however in his small intestine or specifically the duodenal (where small intestine meets stomach) was a red, raw ulcerated inflamed area. Tissue samples were taken and sent off for biopsy. Teddy remained in the hospital with a catheter for I.V. fluids, antibiotics, sucralfate and he is being syringe fed as he does not want to eat on his own. Duodenal ulcers in dogs are eroded, sore areas in the first section of the small intestine. Common symptoms include vomiting (often with blood), dark tarry stools (melena), abdominal pain, and weight loss. Left untreated, the ulcer can perforate, leading to fatal peritonitis. Teddy has all of these symptoms including the pale gums, decreased appetite, weight loss and some lethargy. His repeat pancreatic lipase test was normal. The rest of his bloodwork was fine. On the 12th they were hoping for improvement but he remains the same. Another discovery was the positive fecal for the hookworm antigen and he received Drontal Plus. On July 14th I went to visit Teddy and brought a bowl of boiled ground turkey. I think he was happy to see me and he smelled the turkey and began eating it. It still appeared he had some difficulty with his mouth and keeping the food in so we opted to have a dental done prior to him being discharged from the hospital. Dental was performed with no extractions or issues discovered.
After one week of Level Two Hospitalization, Teddy was discharged and brought home. He was so happy to get that catheter out and get back. He was a little shaky leg at first, had a great nights sleep in a big comfy bed. The biopsy returned on the 16th with a pathology report noting mild lymphoplasmacytic, neutrophilic, and eosinophilic gastritis indicates a mixed (chronic active) inflammatory process in your stomach. The Duodenum was Moderate eosinophilic and mild lymphoplasmacytic duodenitis. Overlapping causes: chronic mononuclear damage (lymphocytes/plasma cells), active injury (neutrophils), and an allergic or parasitic response (eosinophils). (Chronic): Indicates a long-standing (chronic) immune response, frequently driven by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacterial infection or autoimmune factors. Neutrophilic (Active): Neutrophils are the "first responders." Their presence signifies active, ongoing tissue damage or inflammation (often called "chronic active gastritis").
Meet the new and improved TEDDY WELSH.
This little bear is back in business . . . funny, happy and excited, jumps on you, rubs his face on you, runs and leaps in the air, and hops on the bed for cuddle time. I am going to put together a little video to show his new personality. Teddy is feeling wonderful. He went to the groomer, was a good boy and even more adorable. He likes going in the car, meeting new people and other dogs and is very friendly. He makes himself comfy on the bed, the chair, the dog beds, on a pillow but really loves spending time with you. Teddy is loving his boiled ground turkey with some Fromm kibble and is doing well on this diet. The last item I wanted to get was the urinalysis which returned perfect. The last 3 years or so he had to rely on a dog walker so his bladder is stretched and can probably hold more. Which explains the large amount when he does go. He seems to prefer women but that is what he was used to. He will whine and cry when he has to go outside. Teddy is used to having his person around, although very good if left alone for intervals. He is a senior fellow who takes lots of naps so a quieter home who loves to just hang out and chill with a cute little bear. While good on a leash, he does like being out and about the yard free to explore on his own and find just the right spot or nose around. If he sees me heading back to the bridge and house he makes a beeline to follow. He is a little hand shy on the head but is trusting me now with time. I think he has had his tail tugged in the past and he is not a fan so a home without kids would be ideal. A funny first last night I came home from my dental appointment and he was all excited to see me he ran in the closet and tried to steal my shoe! Teddy is getting very attached to me but there are many others here who require my attention. A Forever Home for Teddy would be the best where he can be doted on and enjoyed.
