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WESTIE STAGES OF GROWTH II:
ADULT TO SENIOR
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June 19, 2007 - We had an impressive turnout for
our June meeting at Marianne Drabek's home, where co-hosts Greg and Kathy Smith helped provide a feast of fried turkey and
trimmings along with homemade cake. Mary Cross gave a presentation on the adult
to senior stages of growth for Westies. Attending the meeting to represent the
adult dog was Helene Wood's Wilson at age 3, and representing the senior dog was Mary Cross' Idge at age 16. Mary discussed Idge's general health and made the point that we tend to get used to our Westies being feisty
playmates, but should expect to see a decline in their activity level around age 10 - 11.
Although otherwise in good general health for her age, Idge is now deaf and has been diagnosed with sick sinus syndrome. She has also developed some spots on her skin and some small bumps on her back, which
are common for elderly dogs and usually are nothing to worry about. (continued below).
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Kay McGuire
and Mary provided some medical guidance and recommendations for maintaining the health of your elderly Westie. Kay suggested taking your senior Westie in for semi-annual vet exams with lab work, including urinalysis,
to keep a check on things like an elevation in enzyme levels. The earlier
something is caught, the sooner precautionary measures may be put in place. An
aging Westie will tend to develop joint problems (just like us), so a change in diet may be needed to accommodate your Westie's
changing nutritional requirements. Kay and Mary emphasized the importance of
keeping your Westie's teeth clean to prevent diseases that may develop as a result of dental problems. Older Westies who mostly stay at home may not need to be vaccinated as frequently as a younger dog; although
Bordetella boosters every six months are a must if your dog goes to a groomer, is kenneled, or frequently visits dog parks,
etc. Mary said we should not be afraid to take our older dogs to the vet when
we see signs of a problem; it may be a small thing that is easily resolved.
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OUR ANNUAL SPECIALTY
SHOW,
DINNER AND SILENT AUCTION
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July 19, 2007 - Our annual specialty show was held on Thursday, July
19, 2007, at the Reliant Center in conjunction with the four-day Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows. The turnout
for our show was great! Our specialty show judge was Ms. Dorothy Macdonald of California (a last minute substitution
for Mr. Ken McDermott of New York) and our sweepstakes judge was Ms. Sue Napady of Indiana. Charles Cohen was show chair,
Pam Minich was assistant show chair, Bebe Pinter handled trophies, and Kay McGuire was in charge of catalog advertising.
Our chief ring steward was Jim Cross assisted by Mary Cross and outside stewards Judy White and Jenny Willingter. Sandy
McDonough had drinks, donuts and kolaches for everyone. In addition, many of our club members came out to
the show to offer their assistance and support. Thanks, everyone, for a great show!
Congratulations to our Sweepstakes and Specialty show winners! Be sure to check them out along with show highlights
by clicking on the photo link below.
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If the show was not enough fun for the day, we all settled down to a delightful evening at Pappasito's Restaurant, arranged
by Sandy McDonough. The Tex-Mex fare was delicious as usual, but the highlight of the evening was the silent auction.
We are grateful to all who generously donated items for the silent auction. Click on the link below for the list of
donors.
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We are especially appreciative of the enormous efforts of Linda Wible and Bebe Pinter, as well as Sara Coffman and
Mary Cross, who spent untold amounts of time and money to orchestrate the fabulous array of Westie collectibles.
The event would not have been a success, however, were it not for those of you who fought long and hard throughout the
night to claim that special Westie object as your own, and to write that big check. Thank you all for your
generous support!
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