Health
The Stories of Gus & Rumour "CA" Affected Scotties
Gus came to STRNW as an owner turn-in because he was starting to get aggressive with children. This is always a red flag to us but we could not get that same reaction from him with kids present. He loved to play ball but when he ran he would kick his legs out to the side and he would get running so fast that he would just roll when he tried to circle back. We had experienced this with one other rescue whose owners had told us that she had always done this since receiving the dog from the Seattle breeder. In checking through the Scottish Terrier Club of America website we found out about CA (Cerebellar Abiotrophy). STCA sent us a CD with five different dogs with CA reacting to different exercise and there was Gus. He was just like these other dogs.
We told Cherie, the new perspective owner of Gus, about this but it was very hard to diagnose. After she had Gus for about a month, Jan and I went to their home with the movie camera to take some pictures of Gus under different stress and sent it off to Dr. Bell who has been contracted by STCA to further diagnosis and study the dogs suspected of having CA. When we got the results, it was as expected that Gus did have CA. This infliction does not hurt the dog, much like Scotty Cramp, but looks awful and is a progressive disease. In Gus’s case, since he is 9 years old, he probably will not suffer from too much more incapacitation than what already exists. The following story shows how special needs dogs can be the perfect pet and light up a family’s life with their spirit.
Cherie's Story about Gus
Who knew a dog could change your life so much? Here is my story. I was
married for almost 27 years to a man who tolerated a cat, but was not interested
in ever sharing life with a dog. I used to joke and say "Yeah, when I
get rid of Doug, I’m gonna get a dog!"
One day in 2004 I heard the words "We need to talk". I sat down and he told me he wanted a divorce. After the shock wore off and grief set in, I began to try and figure out what "new normal" would look like for me. One of the first things I thought of was a dog.
I began to search the web for dogs available. I knew I did not have the time to raise a puppy. I looked for animal shelters in the area with dogs that needed a home. I discovered that about 80% of the dogs listed were Rotweillers, German Shepherds, or Dobermans. Those were not dogs I was comfortable with. My new home has a very small back yard. As I thought about what kind of dog I would really want, it hit me. A DOG LIKE MAC!
I grew up with" Mrs. MacIntosh McGreggor"! We got Mac as a puppy when I was 2. We had to put her to sleep when I was 18. Mac was always there for me. When I cried, she cried with me (or at least let me lay on her and sob). My mom always knew where I was playing because Mac went with me and sat on the front porch of my friend’s house. We hiked together, we played together, we slept together and sometimes we even shared food. One of my favorite stories is of me when I was about 4 with a popsicle. I took a lick and then Mac took a lick. She was very polite and we were best friends; it just made sense to share. As a teen age girl, I needed someone like Mac who would understand me when my mom did not; who would love me unconditionally when others didn’t. She was the perfect member of the family.
So I began to look for Scotties. On line, I found the Northwest Scotty Rescue site. I was excited to look at the possibility that there might be a dog for me. But I also knew that the chances of finding one that would fit what I needed, were slim. But, I filled out the paper work and then sort of forgot about it. My life was filled with so many other things that I had to deal with, that the possibility of a dog was definitely on the back burner.
Then, one evening, I got a phone call. They had a dog with "special needs". That didn’t interest me at first. I felt like I had enough special needs of my own and I couldn’t deal with a neurotic dog too. Dale sent me an application, though and I filled it out. Then, I saw the video of Gus playing ball. I began to educate myself on CA in Scotties. The special needs were really not very much different than my own needs. Gus needed a one-level home. So did I. My knees are not as young as they used to be and climbing stairs hurt.
After checking my references Dale invited me up to meet Gus. I understood that if he didn’t like me, the deal was off. So, I headed north to meet this special dog. When he first looked at me, and I put my hand out for him to sniff, he nipped at me. It hurt my hand, but not as much as my self-esteem. I had assumed that he would love me from the beginning. Then, I took him for a walk and fed him a treat. Food really was the way into his heart. I left with the idea that I would think about it and decide if I was ready to make the commitment.
Dale checked my references and called me. He said Gus was mine if I still wanted him. I was excited but also apprehensive. What if it didn’t work? What if Gus never became family. After all, he was 9 years old and we were both set in our ways. Perhaps we wouldn’t get along.
I drove up and got him. He couldn’t get into the car so I lifted him, carrier and all, and we started home. He was skittish at first. He had been moved several times and the apprehension was very apparent. I was a little apprehensive myself. But it didn’t take long before he sensed that he was "home".
Gus is a wonderful friend and totally a member of our family. He laughs
with us (he really does!) and snores when he sleeps. He loves to play ball,
go for walks and sleep by the fire. My adult children who are living with
me right now, love him too. The CA doesn’t seem to slow him down much,
and he is a happy, healthy boy. I love it when he meets me at the door when
I come home, follows me everywhere and sleeps in my room.
I remember my mom saying "Mac…get out of the way" when she was cooking and Mac was helping her. Now I find myself saying "Gus, get out of the way" when I am trying to make a meal and he is right beside (or behind) me. It makes me smile. He is a joy to have around and the love he extends is unconditional.
My life is richer and fuller because of the love that Gus and I share. He is a wonderful addition to our home and the loneliness is easier because he is part of the family.
I guess you could say that Gus and I rescued each other!
My experience with a CA affected Scottish Terrier
By Sheila White
Rumour is a beautiful wheaten colored Scottish terrier. I purchased Rumour
when she was 4 months old as a show dog prospect and eventually a brood bitch.
Her first shows were not successful, because she had a funny gait and never
placed very well. The more I watched her the more I realized she had something
wrong with her. I didn’t know if it was scottie cramp or what, but
she just didn’t move right and the older she got the more pronounced
it was. At about age 2 we noticed she had difficulty going up steps and began
to notice that she ran with a funny hoppy gait. I had her spayed at age 3
and she was never bred.
I mentioned to my vet that she drags the tops of her feet when she walks and he said that was a sign of a neurological problem. It fit with my opinion that she had scottie cramp, although what I knew of scottie cramp didn’t fit her symptoms. She became more and more clumsy and her movement was limited. Steps became impossible and she couldn’t jump into or out of the car. We began to think she had some sort of hip problem. The vet checked her out and that was not the problem. Her symptoms were most pronounced when she is trying to run, she falls over periodically. Her disease has progressed to the point that if she gets bumped or tries to turn around too fast she falls over. When she does fall over she has a very difficult time righting herself.
I continued to search for answers regarding her problems. I read an article
in the STCA Bagpiper in 2001 about Cerebellar Abiotrophy (CA) and bells
started going off in my head. I got all of the articles on CA that
they had on Ataxia, Wobbly Scotty Syndrome and CA that they had in
the Scotty_Phile on the STCA website. I talked to my Vet about it and he
didn’t know
much about the disorder, but then they didn’t even know that Scotties
could be wheaten colored. I eventually contacted Debbie Smith, someone
I admire and respect tremendously for her efforts to bring this disease
to the front of our breeds research concerns. She told me about her experience
with her Murphy and sent me a video of CA affected dogs. I will never
forget watching that video and crying. I was so amazed at the extent
some of the owners have gone to make their CA affected dogs' life full and
comfortable. At the same time, I was so thankful that Rumour was not affected
nearly as badly as some of the dogs on the video. I eventually did my own
video of Rumour and sent it in to Dr. Bell for a diagnosis. After several
months I finally received a positive diagnosis of CA. Rumour is now part
of the CA genetic research study being conducted at North Carolina State
University by Dr. Olby and her assistant Pragna Mehta. They have been wonderful
about keeping me updated and staying in touch with me about Rumour’s
progress in the disease.
Rumour is now nearly 10 years old and is in no pain from the CA, she is a happy friendly dog, she just doesn’t like to be petted, except during thunderstorms!! She has a smile that will light up a room.
Please visit http://www.wobblyscotties.com to learn more about this disease and its affects. There are some wonderfully heart warming stories about other dogs with CA on that website.
