Friday, August 31, 2007

40. Pet shop advices on toilet training

Aug 30, 2007


Microchipping of puppies, kennel cough vaccination and usual vaccination.
Young couple, excellent downtown location.
The only problem is the lack of parking. There is a free back lane parking which is usually full. Every time I park along the road outside this pet shop while vaccinating and microchipping, I risk being fined $50 and some 6 demerit points by the traffic police or its contractors I would describe as "para-police". It is good money to outsource as income from fines will always exceed the payment to the "para-police" as so many Singaporean motorists park illegally.



"What are your recommendations for toilet training?" I ask the pet shop man who was busy recording the vaccinations and answering the phone calls.

"Playpen and newspapers" is the best method. With panels of fences, the owner can extend the toilet area if he needs to. Also, there is more space for the puppy compared to the Crate + Pee Pan set.

"The Crate and Pee Pan set is too small for puppies to move around. Sometimes the paws get caught onto the holes or gaps of the wire flooring."

I said, "The main complaint is that the puppy shreds newspapers inside the playpen. The urine and stools soil the floor. What do you advise?"

The pet shop man said, "It can't be helped. A few days later, the owner can buy a pee pan to place newspapers on top to protect the floor."

This was an excellent feedback for my Singapore puppy toilet puppy research. In Singapore, most pet shops recommend the playpen as it is most economical. Some bigger pet shops have a variety of crates.

In this pet shop, last week, I met a young couple who had purchased a S$1,500 red poodle while in the morning, another young lady who came to my Surgery asked whether S$2,500 she paid for her red poodle purchased from Vivo City was too expensive.

I remembered the lady owner of the $1,500 poodle because she was forgetful as she did not take the microchip certificate which is now needed by the government to license her dog.

More than that, she looked at me with eyes that matched the colour of the red poodle as she told me how she toilet-trained her puppy. A brilliant brown with some yellow type of iris making her eyes sparkle.

The puppy had been vaccinated by me and was now 1.5 years old. Maybe she wore coloured contact lenses as Chinese girls do not have such eye colours. Unless she was an Eurasian.

"Just buy a puppy house for the puppy," she said. "This poodle just pee and poo onto the puppy diapers and loves the puppy house which is made of fabric." She asked me a few more questions about puppy care. As the pet shop man answered her questions, I did not interfere with his business. Eye contact body language would indicate that she wanted to converse with me.

The advantage of puppy diapers is that the feet of the puppy remains clean as the urine is absorbed. It costs some money and the diapers are changed every 2-3 days. Some Singaporeans are "cleanliness freaks" and so the diapers are excellent material. The diapers have a urine smell to attract the puppy to eliminate.

Of course, there are also puppies who shred diapers. But there are stick-onto-the floor diapers too!

Thursday, August 30, 2007

39. Puppies eliminate on newspapers on day 1 after purchase. Is it possible?

"It is a kumkum," the Indian lady spelled the name of the purplish 1.5-cm diameter, circular dot on her forehead. "It shows that I am married."

This was below a white "Nike" logo on her forehead. Her eyebrows were thick and tattooed or painted.

"How about the black dot (0.5 cm diameter) between your eye brows?" I tried to learn more about her culture.

"Just for decoration."

This lady never fails to attract attention anywhere. Tall. Matronly like the hospital ward sister. Painted oval face and big eyes. My 7 sq m consultation room had sufficient space just for her, the consultation table, cabinets and me. My nurse may have to get out.

She had sold all her 6 Pom puppies to selected friends.

"All must come to you for vaccination as a condition of sale," she said.

"Don't you give them some choices?" I asked.

"No," she said. I vaccinated the parents and one puppy that is 10% bigger than either parent. Thick coat. She complained about a vet charging $400 for vaccination, so she wanted them to come to me. I told her this was not possible.

"Grooming included," she said. I didn't want to proceed further.

"What do you feed this puppy?" Dry puppy food?" I asked.



"No, my home-cooked food. I don't use commercial dog food."

"Are the puppies toilet-trained?"

She said, "The dam teaches the puppy to go to the newspapers. So, at the new home, the puppy just eliminate on the newspaper."

This episode will explain why some first-time puppy owners say that their puppy is so intelligent and knows how to eliminate on the newspapers on day 1.

38. A boy and a puppy in a room in Australia - Paper training

Preliminary observations by
Dr Sing Kong Yuen, www.toapayohvets.com

1. HISTORY

Owner: First-time puppy owner, 21-year-old student, room carpeted. Late nights online gaming life-style.

Puppy: Bichon Frise, purchased from Australian pet shop around 2 weeks ago.

Housing: "The puppy just stays in a fenced up area. Food and pillow on one side and newspaper and a box on the other side. Any training tips will be much appreciated".

Feeding: Ad lib. Food available all the time.

Puppy's behaviour: Typical---chewing, biting, nipping, whining, shredding newspapers. One day, the puppy will chew off the electrical wire on the floor and may be electrocuted.

Toilet Training Objective: To get the Bichon Frise paper-trained.




Confined area: The puppy seemed to be not confined in the first 2 weeks. Therefore, the carpet now must be full of strong urine and poo smells. Carpets are favoured by puppies for elimination.

COMMENTS:

1. Should have confined the puppy in a fenced area 3 feet x 3 feet on day 1. You appear to have given it a bigger area.

2. Should have covered the floor with a rubber mat or equivalent to prevent soiling of the carpet. Put newspapers on top of the rubber mat. You will observe that the puppy will eliminate away from its bed and eating area. In your case, the big pillow is too big as a bed. Did the puppy pee on it as well?

3. Reduce the newspaper coverage to the area where the puppy eliminates. Change newspapers regularly. If you go home after lectures, change the shredded newspapers without SHOUTING OR TALKING to the puppy (no attention given). Put puppy in a confined area as you change the papers, otherwise he has "accidents" and soil the carpet.

4. Do not allow the puppy to come out to play unless well supervised by watching for signs of elimination --- sniffing, turning, squatting. Some puppies do not display such signs.

4.1 On observation, pick up puppy and put onto newspapers. Say "pee here". Give praises and rewards.

5. "Accidents" should never have had happened if the puppy had been confined for the first 2 weeks. It is extremely difficult to neutralise the urine smells on the carpet. White vinegar:water 1:3 is still the best way to neutralise.

6. The puppy will poop 2-3 times a day depending on feeding times. Since you feed unrestricted (as advised by the pet shop), your puppy just poo at any time. With 2x feeding schedule, he will have pooped 2 x per day, around 10-20 minutes after eating. If you don't play or distract him after eating and leave him inside the fenced area onto newspapers for the first 2 weeks, you will have some success in paper training.

Now he poops many times.

7. Peeing. All puppies of 2-3 months of age pee numerous times. After waking up, exercise, eating and drinking, you need to take him to the newspapers and say "pee here", praise and reward.

8. Accidents. "Spanking backside, scolding and put the puppy onto the newspapers when you see him eliminating in the inappropriate toilet location" seems to be an effective way, according to my survey of >500 puppies toilet training in Singapore. Some owners still put the puppy's nose to smell the urine or poo and then bring the puppy to the newspapers. They claim it is an effective method.


SUMMARY - A routine or time-table is needed for success.

Confine, 100% newspapers, feed 2X/day at same times, change soiled newspapers regularly leaving 2nd soiled sheet, neutralise 'accident' areas, spend time watching for signs of elimination, firm command of 'pee here', praise and food treats on success.

Just putting newspapers on one side --- difficult to expect the puppy to eliminate there. Some puppies do especially if they have had been paper-trained by the home-breeder. Some puppies don't know what to do. Observe what the puppy does inside the pet shop but this will be difficult as you don't spend the whole day there.

Has the newspaper a smell of puppy urine on day 1? Did the pet shop sell you the foul-smelling "puppy training aid"? Use the soiled newspapers will actually do but you must do it consistently from day 1.

Do you really have the time, patience and perseverance to do all these? If not, expect the puppy to be eliminating all over the carpeted room and be unsuccessful even after 2 months! Let me know whether the puppy goes to eliminate on the newspapers or not as at today Aug 31, 2007?

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

37. Three-day success in paper-training is rare?

E-MAIL ON AUG 30, 2007 TO Toa Payoh Vets:

Dear Judy

We got our Jack Russell back after the second jab when he was just shy of two months. I bought our little O J from a shop where the dogs looked comfortable and loved. You can tell. First, the shop didn't stink of pee or poo. Next, the dogs had toys in their cages. Their room was bright and clean and the dogs were not yapping or howling or showing signs of stress. The dogs' cages were clean and the dogs themselves seemed contented and alert. None were circling in their cages. They have a regular exercise time to get out of their cages.

The shop assistants loved dogs. They would kiss and cuddle the dogs and speak to them in a loving tone. They were never harsh with the dogs. We had to sanitize our hands all the time. We were firmly told that there are no stupid pets, only stupid owners! we were shown how to bathe and groom our puppy. They gave us strict instruction how to toilet train our pup. For example, do not link the pup's name to negative commands like: "Don't poo here". Use a low voice and firm tone, spank the bottom and then bring the dog to the tray and say, " O J, poo here". The moment he does pee or poo in the tray, reward with a treat.

O J has been with us since 21 August and he pees 70% of the time in the tray now. The pooing is beginning to happen more often in the tray. He responds well to the low tone and knows when we are displeased. My kids are my co trainers in my absence and consistency is the key. We all say the same thing to O J.

As for people who say the dog can be trained in 3 days, I will say, that depends on many variables and there is no magic number of days. The well-being of the dog is foremost. To develop a confident, loving, loyal and happy dog, we need to be firm, supportive and loving. If the owner does not exhibit the traits he wants developed in the dog, then really, as the shop owner said, "Stupid Owner".

Regards
(Name)



E-MAIL REPLY

I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets.
Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences on puppy training and feedback.

1. Did you buy the puppy from the U.S or from Singapore? Is the puppy in Singapore?

2. In your email, you are correct in saying that success in getting toilet-trained depends on many variables.

2.1 The rare case of a 3-day success in paper-training by the first-time owner reported in our blog or website was due to the puppy's prior experience on newspapers. Many home-breeders confine the puppies to newspapers with their dam.

So, they become used to the smell and feel of newspapers. When the buyer places a puppy from such a background, onto the newspapers and confine him in a playpen or small room such as the balcony, the puppy goes to the newspapers.

With praises and maybe food treats, the puppy is "successfully paper-trained in 3 days" in the owner's eyes. If the owner has permitted the puppy free access to all rooms, the puppy may or may not go to the newspapers. So, there will be no success for many weeks.

3. Positive reinforcement training with firm commands, praise and food treat rewards is the best method.

4. We appreciate it and the beautiful picture of O J. and thank you.

REPLY TO 2ND E-MAIL

Dear Dr Sing

I bought the puppy from the shop em...I can't remember the name now, it displays this huge sign Puppies for Sale. It's along upper serangoon road, next to a paint shop, on the side of the crocodile farm directly across the traffic light for the road crossing.

O J is going through a biting fingers and toes phase and he is learning to respond to whomever is handling him by how they react, but already he knows who is firmer and stricter. He does not bite me as he recognises my tone of voice. My children are less firm so O J is not getting consistent feedback. Which is why I am going to enrol my children and puppy in obdedience classes as soon as he is old enough and a class is available. In the meantime, I try to spend more time with him, one on one and use a gentle but firm tone. Also, we give him the proper chew toys.

COMMENTS
BITING, ANKLE-NIPPING, PLAY-BITING are commonly reported by first-time puppy owners.

3 probable causes

1. Communicate with mouth - puppy's method of communication.

2. Testing the other party's reaction. The dog lives in a social hierarchy where there is the alpha dog (male or female). He bites to see your reaction. Whether you are his boss? This will be the main cause. If the child or lady runs away, the puppy chases and bites more.

3. Teething.

4. Aggression biting - food protection (growls and bites if you take away his food bowl), don't like being touched (growls first). This behaviour needs to be eliminated. Avoid tug-of-war games with the puppy. I note that a few male Cocker Spaniels in Singapore seem to behave this way. Grows up to bite every family member and the vet too!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

35. Dog-eat-dog world

August 24, 2007 5 a.m

Dog-eat-dog

"Brother Ali, why do you dress up so smartly in a corporation suit and tie for this meeting?" Baba pinched his mole with a few long hairs located at the middle and bottom of his chin. He sat down with a puzzled look, crossed his legs and looked at Ali and a young lady with porcelain clear face and hands across the seasoned rare teakwood table.

Robin and Henry, sitting on either side of Baba were in the same casual attire --- polo shirts, bermuda shorts and clogs. Aisah who sat close to Ali wore a brilliant blue silk sarong kebaya that were dotted with hundreds of embroidered gold lotus flowers. These flowers sparkled and shimmered as if they were floating on the brilliant blue waters of the finest silk money could buy, every time she moved to top up any drink for Ali.

"I represent a global corporation," Ali smiled with a touch of pride. "We sell high quality products all over the world. My lady boss is very particular about presenting a very good image to top people like you. That is why I wear the corporation suit and tie."

"I see that Singaporeans are on the ball," Baba smiled. "I am impressed with your hard-working attitude and your well designed corporate red tie. Is red your corporation colour?'

"Yes," Ali pointed to the embossed 'two-ram locking horns over three fiery flames' logo his left pocket of his 3-piece custom-made suit. A suit made from the oldest tailor in People's Park in Singapore.

Baba asked: "You have been an employee for at least five years? Do you think you will ever be wealthy earning a corporation stipend? I hear from Aisah that you have to beg and justify small claims for your minor expenses. A man has advised your boss to check all staff expenses nowadays. Can't you be trusted since you are devoted to your company working long hours?"

Baba grimaced as he recalled having to write payment vouchers to claim small petrol expenses for his meetings to get sales for the corporation. How about the wear and tear of his car which he could not claim? He winced at the time he got ticked off for extravagance in staying in a 5-star hotel during his overseas meeting. He felt that he deserved nothing but 5-star since he was the face of a top global corporation.

Yet here, these three prospective customers were dressed casually for a meeting. They must be important men as their office is a big centrally located prestigious office in the prime district and downtown of Shan. He could see the fast-flowing Shan River slicing past large tracts of lush green rainforests from the 30th floor. Across the windows, he admired the famous Twin Towers of Shan---the highest building in the world.

Ali thought: "How come these people wear clogs for a serious sales meeting worth $4 million dollars. I wish I could be like them."

As if reading his mind, Baba said, "We don't need to wear suits and ties because we are our own bosses. Do you want to be your own boss? Drive a BMW and throw away your cheap Japanese car? We have an opportunity for you. We need a Singapore connection."

"Sir, why do you need a Singapore connection?" Ali asked.

"Brother Ali, no need to call me 'Sir'! Call me Baba." the leader of the negotiating team of three men drummed his fingers on the table. "Today, we are talking about how we can work together on a $4-million-dollar sales. Tomorrow there are more orders.

"Hmm, please excuse me for a moment. I have to make a phone call to Aminah. To get her consent to offer you this first deal because we like your professional presentation and your high quality products."

Baba snapped open his latest solid gold mobile phone and punched in a key. He said: "Good evening Madam Excellency, I have a V.I.P (Very Important Person) from Singapore here. Do you remember that I had spoken to you about the $4-million order? I need your consent to proceed discussions further."

Baba then hung up and said: "Aminah is the wife of the most important man who can approve the purchase of your products. She says OK to this $4-million sale. She says it is just a drop of water in the ocean. No problem for this testing order.

"When the tender comes out, your corporation will be the exclusive manufacturer for Shan's 20 million people."

Ali's heart was beating faster than normal and his eyes widened. If a $4-million-dollar deal is small change, the later deals must be worth $40 million. He silently offered a prayer of thanks to his God.

Baba interrupted and gently reprimanded the young lady: "Ms Aisah, Aisah.... Are you day dreaming? You forget to pour more jamu tea for our V.I.P. I can see from his face that he is full of thoughts."

"I am sorry for this relapse," Aisah smiled. She pulled back her long silk sleeve a little and rotate her left fair wrist. She brushed Ali's forearm as she picked up the British-made tea pot with her left hand. She poured the golden-tasting tea for Ali, the fragrance of which was surpassed only by her intoxicating floral perfume.

Baba said: "Brother Ali, we do need a Singapore connection. My two brothers here and I want you to be our Singapore connection. You can set up a private company for this big tender and be your own boss. We become equals since you will then no longer be a salaried man. At your age, you deserve a better life than being a fixed-income coolie."

Ali gasped. He thought: "Nobody in my Singapore office will look down on me. Especially that nasty son of a bitch (s.o.b). My Shan brothers here will support me as I will be their partner. My lady boss will treat me with the deepest respect. Like she treats those big towkays who come to her office. They talk about big sales and go out for lunches and dinners. I can also say 'Good riddance' to that nasty s.o.b!"

Suddenly Robin took out his mobile phone and spoke to somebody in another country. Robin said to all: "Hey, my connections in Tipu State confirmed that he will give all his orders to Baba too. No need to tender for this project."

Wow, 2 countries would be giving exclusive large orders to Ali. He closed his eyes: "God, I offer thanks for being kind to me to get two big orders."

His lady boss' heart would melt when he tells her such good news. He would be one up that s.o.b. who had scolded him and showed his deficiencies to his lady boss, making him lose face.

"Brother Ali, do you wish to taste one of the finest wine from Belgium?" Baba indicated to Aisah to pop open a new wine bottle in the gold wine basket with ice cubes. She got up, popped open the cork, dipped a few drops into a wine glass, swirled a bit and gave the glass for Ali to test and approve.

"Brother Ali, this is my favourite label," Baba noted that Ali did not know how to show his wine appreciation. "This is a very rare and expensive 100-year-old wine made in 1907.

"It brings me luck whenever I drink it during a meeting with a V.I.P. $5,000 per bottle. I drink this wine whenever I appreciate my Van Gogh's paintings in the evenings to de-stress myself. One of the paintings is framed on the wall behind me.

"Do you see that Vincent Van Gogh painting of 1889 behind me? I insured it for $600 million every year!"

To Ali, it was just an ordinary painting of a sad old man with his right ear bandaged. He would have discarded it down the central rubbish chute of his apartment rather than hang it on a wall.

Before he could say anything, Baba said: "Brother Ali, by the way, I will ask your boss to give you commission if she wants to be successful in this first sale. Tell her that I want her to cover you when you go back to Singapore. In this way, she will not think that you are corrupted as you never proposed a cut. Naturally, we expect her to pay all three of us our commissions from the sales proceeds. In this way, we take care of you like a family member. What do you think?"

Ali replied in a controlled voice, firm and polite: "My corporation does not give secret commissions."



"Ah, I see....Singaporeans are so damn honest. So that is why the salaried employees are poor as they are incorruptible," Baba laughed. "Please do not feel offended. Sometimes I am too transparent and frank with such a suggestion. Payment of a commission is for our work and time. How do we survive if we don't take care of each other? Global trading is a dog-eat-dog world!

"Singapore construction companies appreciate my taking care of the decision makers. When I leave a thick white envelope on the table at the end of the meeting, such envelopes are seldom returned to me. Except for one silly Singaporean employee. He really phoned me and insisted that I took back the envelope. I gave this envelope to his boss. Everything went smoothly for my business. This silly fellow could be a very rich man now if he just signed the document instead of letting his immediate superior pocket the $20,000. He must be living to regret now.

"Sorry, I digress. Please go back to your boss and tell her one of our terms and conditions is to cover you. If she is not agreeable, the $400 million deal and the other big deal from the Tipu State will not be hers.

"We support you fully and have trust in you. Here's my name card with my private mobile phone number. Call me anytime, Brother Ali!"

The jamu tea and wine highly energised Ali. He prayed silently "God, thank you for being kind to me!"

Now, there should be no problem with his lady boss. She wants mega deals worth millions of dollars. She would now respect him as a successful deal maker.

Being a partner with commissions, he no longer need to reside in a small 2-bedroom government flat. So crammed and noisy. He would buy a big house like his lady boss. Prestige goes with wealth and the driving of a half-a-million-dollar BMW. Gold and diamond gifts for his favourite people and friends. Respect from his relatives. Wealth late in his life will elevate his status in his community. He has missed so many luxuries in life. Bankers will no longer look down on him as they now do not lend him a few thousand dollars to start up a business. Bankers do not fawn upon salaried employees. But they prostitute themselves on businessmen who don't need the money except for share and property speculations.

He took the first flight back to Singapore. His lady boss is a piece of cake if he has big-time business for her. She wants big national orders. No problem convincing her take this good two-in-one deal. She wants to be a global powerhouse in her business. She wants results --- sales orders worth millions of dollars.

No employee in his corporation had been that successful. All of them talked till the cows come home. But no action. No big orders. He is the action man. He has procured two big contracts worth maybe $1 billion. Sure, she would be impressed.

God is so kind to him. He had done his 'due diligence'. He will tell his boss that he had phoned his contact to check. His contact had told him that Aminah existed and was the wife of the political connections needed to secure this first contract.

He would tell his boss that Aminah was bona fide. He had never thought that Brother Baba could possibly made a fake phone call. He had never met Aminah himself. Just because Aminah exists, he considers 'due diligence' done.

God must be kind to his boss too. Otherwise how could he secure this first contract on her behalf? That s.o.b in the office may pose a problem. But the s.o.b has never got any deal for the company. So, he was confident as he stepped into his boss' office to tell her the good news. The s.o.b was inside the office too.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

34. Unprecedented situation for a mentor - bladder stone surgery

Friday August 17, 2007
9.30 am - 12 noon

"The catheter just would not be pulled out," the young vet (YV) said at the end of the bladder stone removal surgery. I had stopped gas anaesthesia such that the 3-year-old male Miniature Schnauzer would wake up at the last stitch or within 3 minutes.

"How can that happen?" I could not believe this unprecedented situation from even occurring. "In all my past cases, the catheter just slips out too easily from the bladder when I pull it."

The dog winced as YV pulled again. The catheter was stuck. What should I do? I was the mentor. This was so unreal.

"I don't think I had stitched the catheter to the bladder," YV said.

"No," I said. "I saw you stitching and the wall of the catheter is thick and not so easily stitched up by mistake."

Still there was this problem. I could not pass the buck further.

What happened? Could not think why this occurred. As if there was something pulling the catheter back into the bladder. A vacuum suction?

The catheter was elastic. But it could only come out 1/4 of the length.

What to do now?

"Push the catheter back into the bladder," I advised.

The YV did it and pulled again. It was still stuck.

What could be done? There was a problem. We should not leave the catheter inside the bladder now as it was not needed. Besides it was stuck now.

"Think hard". How to solve this problem?

I went back to basic anatomy. Could the bladder sphincter be in spasm such that the catheter got clamped very tightly. Such that the catheter could not be pulled out. What to do if it was this situation?

"OK, I will give the dog anaesthesia gas again," I said to the YV. This was his case.



A young girl had sent the dog to a veterinarian who had diagnosed bladder stones but would not permit her to have the X-rays to be given to YV. I was the mentor for YV. As part of community education, I try to help young vets who are interested in surgery. The vet surgical reference books sometimes advised impractical long-incisions but in practice, such procedures may not be necessary.

After less than 2 minutes of anaesthesia, YV pulled out the catheter easily.

As to the cause of this problem, it could be that I had sucked out the residual saline and stones using a syringe. This could have created a vacuum preventing release of the catheter. A theory.


SURGERY

1. 10 days of antibiotics.

2. X-rays done.

3. Although X-rays were not given, I could feel crepitus (gas) inside the bladder and a lump of around 1 cm in diameter. The clinical signs of blood in the urine but no dysuria and the diagnosis of the vet taking the X-rays were sufficient.

4. Temperature 38.4C before surgery. Dog is normal. Blood tests preferred but add to the costs. Not done. OK for surgery.

5. "No blood in the urine," the owner said. On catheterisation, bloody urine flowed out of the bladder.

6. YV was apprehensive about the penis being in the way of the access to the bladder. How to incise the skin to get to the midline linea alba? I pulled away the penis while he incised the skin, separate the fascia and looked for the linea alba.

7. "Feel the pelvic rim", I said. "Make more than 10 cm long incision, otherwise it will be difficult to get the bladder out." YV did not encounter any bleeding in the fascia although he was careful and slow.

8. I pump 20 ml saline into the bladder. He got it out. Inflamed badly.

9. Incised 1 cm of bladder. Saline flushed out into bowl. Only a small piece of stone was flushed out.

10. "Use artery forceps to go 360 degrees inside bladder", I said. YV encountered scruncy sounds at 2 sides, apex and near exit of bladder. Spikey stones removed in pieces.

11. "Clamp bladder incision with forceps," I said. "I flush 20 ml saline".

12. Unclamp and let residual stones be flushed into bowl. Repeat.

13. Suture bladder. Lambert and Cushing. Flush saline into bladder. "No leak," I said. "Your suture is excellent."

"That's cool," the YV said.

Then the catheter got stuck inside the bladder. Back to the beginning of the story......

33. What Raffles Hotel Means to You - 120 words

“My husband always stays at Raffles Hotel,” the attractive hatmaker had invited me for my first-time tea at Ah Teng’s Bakery in 2006. “One day, I’ll ask my connections to show you where Somerset Maugham and Rudyard Kipling lived!”

I had told her that I enjoyed visiting Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon when I studied to be a veterinarian in Glasgow 3 decades ago.




Her global business expands explosively. I cannot impose on her promise. Raffles Hotel today means more than a memory of a most beautiful hatmaker-veterinarian friendship. Its “Best Hotel in Asia” award and the success of the hatmaker teach me that I must provide the highest quality services or products to be a top dog in my profession.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

32. Follow-up at 2.3 years old. Male Pom is "diaper-trained".

"This male Pom bares his teeth," I said. "He may bite if I persists in dropping the kennel cough vaccine into his nose." The Pom's eyes widen and his mouth showed his gleaming white teeth. His canine teeth are sharp fangs.

The lady owner spoke gently to him as she held him onto her shoulder but he still bared his teeth. "A firm voice of command is needed. Don't speak to him like a lover." I said. It was not possible. But this Pom was much loved.

Born in April 1, 2005. He is quite well behaved.

1. Poos. 2x/day. This is the usual practice amongst adult dogs.
Before breakfast and after dinner. Poo outside the edges of the toilet training pad kept in the kitchen. Most likely he does not want to dirty his paws on the pad. This is extra work for the owners.

2. Pees. Pees a few times on the training pad (diaper). "More likely, urine marking," I said.
"He likes legs of tables and beds to pee upon," the lady owner laughed.



"How about urine marking outdoors?" I asked.

"He will pees onto pillars."

"Where does he sleep at night?" I expect this Pom to urine mark when nobody watches over him.

"Inside the crate with pee pan below," the lady owner said. "This prevents him from urine-marking."

It was great to see Yogi again. He looks good.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Dog Licence & Microchip mandatory before Sep 1, 2007 or $5,000 fine.

August 15, 2007

Since the Straits Times reported that a "$5,000 fine" will be imposed instead of $500 if a dog is caught unlicensed, there is a big rush by Singapore's dog owners to license their dogs.

At one time, microchip stock ran out but now there is stock.

"If demand is greater than supply, the price should increase," my assistant said. "The price should be increased to $50.00".

"A big queue was present at a veterinary clinic when I was at the place for dog training," Mark said. "$15.00 only for microchipping a dog."



Owners do phone to get the cheapest rates for surgery and microchipping. After September 1, 2007, licences for intact male and female dogs are $70.00 per year instead of $14.00 for the former.

So, it is a mad rush to get the dogs sterilised before September 1, 2007.

The big problems are:

1. Certain female sterilised dogs do not have written proof of spay as they had been given as gifts or adopted. It is difficult for vets to certify that the female dog had indeed been spayed by some other vets. Without this proof, the licence fee will be $70.00 instead of much lower fees.

2. One Toa Payoh general practitioner asked me what to do. I don't have the answer. Maybe he could monitor the female dog for 6 months, taking pictures of the swelling of the private parts every week? Proper pictures with positioning fixed? Perhaps this may help to convince the A.V.A (Agri-Veterinary Authority). I refuse to do surgery when the dog has had been "possibly spayed" because it is "unnecessary surgery". It takes a long incision and 3 times longer to look for the "missing" womb.

3. Suddenly I received a phone call from an old friend to ask how much I charge for neutering a 13-year-old male Jack Russell.

But the poor Jack Russell is now an old man. I had seen him as a puppy and his boy owner is now a young adult studying to be a lawyer.

"What will your son think?" I asked the mother. "He will be studying overseas soon. If his Jack Russell dog dies under general anaesthesia for neutering, he will be most upset. The old dog not a good anaesthetic risk." Mum had not thought of that and did not pursue the matter.

So, there was no quotation for neutering and no income for the vet. The licence fee will be $70 instead of $14.

Assume the 13-year-old lives another 5 years.
Extra costs in licensing fees will be $36x5 = $180
Cost of neuter = $150.
Savings is $30

But this friend can afford the $70 per year licensing fee. She teaches me in a way that "a penny saved is a penny gained" in order to accumulate wealth.

In this case, a neuter fee gained is several pennies gained if no other vets in Singapore underprice my neuter fees!

4. As far as proof of microchipping is concerned, there are dog breeders who do their own microchipping. Proof of microchipping will be scanning. Vets normally give a receipt with microchipping numbers recorded. A.V.A needs proof of microchipping from the vet. There are probably cases of false "microchip" submissions for dog licences?

Mark told me that it is no longer possible to download the dog licence form from the website of A.V.A at www.ava.gov.sg when I asked him to download a few for the dog owners last week. I find this practice strange.

Another bureaucratic body, the Housing and Development Board does force owners to register online using Sing Pass and will not entertain queries in some procedures. It is more convenient to the bureaucrats and saves a lot of trees if the whole population does away with form-filling.

Tortoise refused to eat salmon. What to do?

Wed Aug 15, 2007, NLB 5.33 pm

A lady called me to seek advice. Her tortoise used to eat prawns only. She would peel off the shells. The tortoise passed white faeces and the lady decided to switch from prawns to salmon as she thought there would be too much calcium or urea. I could not hear her clearly as I was in the National Library and could not talk loudly.

The tortoise stopped eating. Would he starve to death? "What to do?"

In such situations, the switch to a new food should be gradual. This principle applies to dogs too. A sudden change may cause stomach upset too. It is hard to tell whether the tortoise had a tummy upset and stopped eating. It could also be constipated instead of having diarrhoea.

I advised: "Give 90% prawn mixed with 10% salmon and over the next few weeks, reduce the prawn %." The lady had not thought of this. She thanked me. Up to now, I still don't know who she is nor have I consulted a tortoise for the past few years.


LATER AT NIGHT I got a text message:
"Gd evening, Dr Singh..." offering to pay for phone consultation for her softshell turtle as she was a first-time pet owner. It was very kind of her.

Monday, August 13, 2007

29. Coprophagia in the Samoyed - Gastro-colic reflex?

This male Samoyed eats his own stools for the past 2 weeks and sleep on his urine.
He was bought from a homebreeder. In the new home, no newspapers are provided. He pees on a puppy training pad. He poops 5x a day.

Coprophagia is a difficult problem to resolve.



Other than the usual recommendations, I think one way is to make use of the gastro-colic reflex --- a puppy poops within 10 minutes of eating. The procedure is as follows:

1. Make that the puppy is fed only two times a day (except for the mini-Malteses, chihuahua and the pomeranian). If he does not finish his food within 5 minutes, remove the food.

2. Do NOT distract the puppy during and after eating. Let him poop within 10 minutes of eating. Remove the food dish if he does not finish his food.

3. If he does not poop, do not let him out or play with him.

4. Once he poops, remove his poo and praise plus treat him. Give him his special chew toy and let him come out of the playpen or confined area.

This procedure requires an alert owner who gives a routine to the puppy for the first 2 weeks after purchase. Consistency and perseverance. Children and neighbours are distractions to the puppy. That is why many owners are unsuccessful in early toilet-training and coprophagia problems.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Skin infections in the Golden Retriever

LEARNING FROM OTHER CASES HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR DOG.

The Labrador Retriever sheds thousands of hair a day.Dr Sing Kong Yuen, Toa Payoh Vets, www.toapayohvets.com

July 13, 2007

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAID
BIG BREED WITH WIDESPREAD SKIN INFECTIONS.


Lab Retriever, Male, 2 years old.
Garden dog.
Maid can't resolve the flank skin infection. Owner and maid went to the vet.

Problem: Reddish-brown patch of infected skin on left flank.
Shedding a lot of hairs. Ear canals reddish brown filled with wax. Anal sacs are not impacted. Tail skin infected under the thick coat.

Diagnosis: Generalised pustular dermatitis (skin infections all over the body).

1. It is not easy for many children to maintain the Labrador Retriever.
2. The maid does not know how to maintain this dog.



Solutions:
1. Needs to clip bald now. Cost around $90.00. Some owners do not want clipping but this is important as infected hairs are removed.

2. Medication - antibiotic tablets for 20 days. Make sure the dog takes the medication as instructed.

If the owner does not want clipping due to costs, the maid will need to use the skin wash daily.

3. Skin wash - twice a week using different cotton swabs for different infected area. Rinse with plain water. Dry. Wash towels. Keep dog dry.

3.1 Daily wash is preferred. I don't expect the maid to have time or patience. This is a large dog and it takes around 30 minutes to be thorough.

3.2 The dark brown elbow areas need washing. If you can do it daily, the skin infections will clear and new hair will develop. If not, it becomes blacker. The skin becomes hardened like a crocodile skin over the next few years as the dog keeps licking the itchy area.

3.3 The dark brown ear discharge needs to be removed. Use a thick piece of tissue paper to clean the outside of the ear canals. Apply approved ear drops to clean the ears. Do not let water get into the ears during bathing. Best to get a groomer to do it.



Prevention:

The skin infections will clear within 30 days if you have had followed instructions.
A new thick coat will grow. If not, get the dog reviewed at the vet.

To prevent this situation from happening:
Grooming DIY
1. Brush daily the whole body including tail.
2. Clean and wash brush in hot water. Sun it.
2. Bathe once a week.
3. Dry after bathing. Wash towel in hot water. Sun it.
4. Make sure that the garden dog does not get wet in the rain.

Professional Grooming every 1-2 months.
1. Write down the date to tel the groomer to come to the house.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

27. 9-year-old Shih Tzu very well maintained, has a "cholesterol plaque" above eyelid?

"An oval reddish lump of 0.8 cm x 0.4 cm at the corner of the upper eyelid in his left eye appeared recently," the couple said. "What is the problem?"

"Is it recent or a fast-growing tumour?" I wondered.

Since the dog was a "senior citizen", could this swelling be a cancerous tumour? The redness could be due to the dog rubbing against it or due to injury.



A cholesterol deposit above the eyelids that is present in some older men? But I doubt such a condition exists in the dog.

Or just an infection due to injury? His left eyeball was protruding a bit relative to his right, but then Shih Tzus have protruding eyeballs.

This 9-year-old male Shih Tzu looked so much younger. No skin disease or ear and face infections unlike many Shih Tzus. I asked the owner to come back for review after 3 weeks. If the lump disappeared, it would be an infection. If it is still there, it is best to be removed. Clear communication is necessary with any dog owner as any delay in removal of a tumour that grows fast may be bad for the dog.

TOILET TRAINING

1. Newspapers and urine training aid in the bathroom next to the kitchen (in the HDB apartment). Spanked and commanded to go to pee on newspapers. The dog did not go outdoors during the first 4 years because the owner did not want his paws to be dirty.

But from the 5th years, the owners could not stand the strong smell of the urine inside the bathroom.

"We bought an industrial acid to neutralise the smell," the lady said. "Since then, he avoids the bathroom. He would just pee at the same spot on the kitchen floor. He usually pees after midnight. We have to clean it every day."

"How many times does he pee and poo a day?" I asked.

"3 times for peeing. 2 times downstairs and the one time in the kitchen. He drinks a lot of water. He poops 1 to 2x per day downstairs but sometimes poops overnight in the apartment. He learns from other male dogs to lift his legs to pee during the past 4 years. When he sees another dog or cat, he runs away."

"When does he eat his meals?" I asked.

"8 am and 6 pm but he gets treats."

URINE MARKING OF THE MALE DOG.
This dog has been urine marking the bathroom for the first 4 years but the owners did not know of this behaviour. The urine smells become unbearable. Neuter the male dog when he is around 6 months old may prevent urine marking. But not all owners want to do it. The Shih Tzu is still urine-marking the kitchen floor after midnight when the owner is not around.

GENERALLY, an adult dog pees 2X per day and poop 1X per day when given a routine of exercise downstairs. This seems to be the case in this handsome well-maintained Shih Tzu.

P.S In Singapore, Shih Tzus owners may not know how to maintain a Shih Tzu's ears, leaving the task to the groomer, the maid or the mother. With ear infections, the Shih Tzu rubbed its ears and face, leading to various skin disease of the head, neck and paws. To prove it, I swab the ear discharge with a cotton swab. I smelled the yellowish brown discharge. If it smells like sour vinegar, I let the owner sniff at it to prove that he or she has not done proper maintenance.

In this 9-year-old Shih Tzu, all ears were clear and clean, the face and paw was free from skin disease. The older couple in their fifties keep the Shih Tzu well groomed by themselves. It was a pleasure to see well kept Shih Tzus.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

26. Spay questions by e-mail to Toa Payoh Vets

August 9, 2007

<...@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hi,

I would like to make appointment to spay my husky. How long is op? Whats recovery time and recovery process like? And what are the charges? Thx

REPLY


Spay fees for a Siberian Husky are around S$300. Op takes around 30 minutes. Recovery time should be around 10 min at end of spay. Normally, the dog can walk after 10 minutes as gas anaesthesia is used.

Best time to spay is 3 months after last heat. Please make appointment at 6254 3326. No food and water from 8 pm. on the night before surgery.

More info is at:
www.toapayohvets.com --- INFORMATION - Dogs - Spay
and www.toapayohvets.com --- FEES

25. Who will rescue a pregnant damsel in distress?

Singapore's 42nd National Day or 42th birthday
Porridge with sweet potatoes dinner at Jalan Leban.


Do I have a poor sense of humour? Yesterday, I tried to tell a joke during dinner to my family but nobody laughed.

At the dinner, there were 3 young adults of around 20 years old. 1 girl and 2 boys and the mother.

I said, "Zoe Tay was reported in the Straits Times to have lost a lot of income because she was not paid as she was pregnant." All Singaporeans know who Zoe Tay is --- the Queen of Caldecott.

"Apparently she was paid on performance. Now that she is pregnant, she cannot work as a movie star. So she might have complained to the press about loss of income. Her contract could be a service contract, not an employment contract.

"In the same Straits Times report, a person commented, 'Who would ever see a movie when a pregnant damsel in distress is rescued?'

No laughter from anybody. The mother had laughed at the joke I told her earlier.

I don't know whether you find this joke funny too? I knew that my audience was not the romantic types.



"Maybe they don't know what a 'damsel' is", the mother comforted me.

I tried to explain to the Internet generation, "A damsel is a young unmarried lady. A damsel in distress is never pregnant in romantic stories. When she has trouble from wicked people, a handsome man will come to save her.

No white knight in shining armour will rescue a pregnant damsel." I mean the damsel is no more single. Know what I mean? The 3 young adults were in a silent serious mode. I shall stop telling such inapproriate jokes at dinner time!

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

24. Dr Goh Keng Swee's impact on vets and a M.P.

Saturday 4 August 2007, 3-5 pm, Level 5, Possibility Room, National Library Singapore.

"Are you a historian?" the author, Ms Tan Siok Sun asked as I handed her "Goh Keng Swee - A Portrait" to sign after the end of her talk. There was a queue behind me and so I did not talk much or ask her any questions.

Do I look like a historian? "No," I said. "I am a vet."

She had a fun talk with old timers and fans sharing their anecdotes about Dr Goh Keng Swee, a person I had never seen before.

But his political decisions and trouble shooting had great impact on all Singaporeans including veterinarians. I was affected twice by his men, once as a government vet and the other as a private Club vet!

1. PIGS AND CHICKENS
"GKS even had a hand in the Primary Production Department (PPD)," Ms Tan mentioned in passing as she had spoken about the setting up of the Jurong Bird Park was GKS'idea.
"Something about pollution."

I worked in that era when the AVA (Agri-Vet Authority) was known as the PPD. Dr Goh had dismantled the intensive pig production farms in Singapore as the pigs pollute the reservoirs, amongst other reasons. I was a PPD vet doing extension work for pig and poultry farmers. Well, the poultry farms had not been eliminated. Some hope of earning a livelihood.

2. RACEHORSES
I left the PPD in 1982 to become a Singapore Turf Club vet under a 3-year-contract. It was a risky thing to do as I could be jobless after 3 years. Junior vets before me seemed not to be able to continue a life-time employment at the Turf Club.



6 years later, Dr Goh came in with his men of trouble-shooters to make the Turf Club profitable. The Singapore Totalisator Board had taken over in 1988.

"There will be bean counters," the Human Resource Manager told me. "All performance will be analysed and department heads will be accountable for performance." I knew that the car, housing and the rights to private practice provided for the Club vets would be taken away. I would become a salaried man. Take it or leave it. I left after my 7th year of contract expired. I decided to start my own veterinary surgery.

So my destiny was affected even though I had not seen or met GKS at all.

ATTENDING TALKS BY AUTHORS
Much can be learnt at such talks. At the end of this talk, an elderly gentleman told a small group about his experience working for GKS. When a lady asked for his name, he would not say. "Are you going to expose me for revealing matters about GKS under the Official Secrets Act?"

One anecodte was interesting as I was also in National Service in the SAF Provost Unit. He recounted:

"Usually at 12 noon, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's car would leave the Istana. The Military Police guard would stand at attention, lift up his rifle and salute. But on that day, it was GKS inside the car. The M.P. was confused and did not perform his duty. The car left. Somebody later told Dr Goh that the M.P. was put into the detention barracks."

I thought this was rather severe punishment. In the detention barracks at Tanglin and Kranji during my time as a SAF Provost Officer, I could see that the SUS (Soliders Under Suspicion) had a tough life.

The story-teller comforted us: "Dr Goh ordered the M.P. to be released immediately."

We could have talked more but somebody switched on and off the lights to drive us home. It was 5.30 p.m.

23. 2nd sibling want privacy or a 2nd grate? Coprophagia - insufficient food?

"He is not so intelligent as the brother," the young couple said as the they could not understand why the 2nd sibling would not use the grate (pee pan plus wire flooring above). "He usually goes to the floor outside the bathroom to pee and poop or near the grate but not on top of it."

The other brother had no problems just stepping onto the grate and eliminating on it. Both were purchased from a home breeder with several Shih Tzu puppies without experience of using the grate.

"The grate is best as the puppy paws don't get soiled by urine," the couple told me. "Newspapers are messy."



"It is not about high canine intelligence," I explained. "The 2nd sibling just does not want to dirty his paws by using the same toilet area as his brother. So he goes to a new location."

"We use vinegar and water to neutralise the urine smell in that location outside the bathroom but he still goes there," the lady in her late twenties was exasperated. "Do you advise that we buy another grate for the 2nd sibling?"

"I don't know whether it will work," I dared not advise any expenditure which might not be justified. "Most likely he is used to eliminating on the tiled floor when he was with the home breeder."

Two puppies are sometimes harder to toilet-train. But in this case, the owners want the paws to be clean. So another grate may be the answer.

To human beings, it seems that the 2nd sibling is stupid. Some may think he needs privacy in his toilet habits. The most likely explanation for his behaviour is that he wants a clean toilet area to eliminate. That is the inborn instinct of puppies.


FEEDING

"The homebreeder advised 2 teaspoonfuls of dry puppy food 2 times a day. We feed 4 times a day, according to puppy books we read," the owners said. "We notice that the puppies eat less of their stools on giving them more meals. Are they fat?"

I placed my fingers along the spinal area. There was a slight feeling of the spines from the backbone.

"Just trim, not obese," I said. "Puppy book authors written by Caucasians do recommend 4 times feeding for this age but there are a small number that recommend twice a day feeding. If you feed more, the puppy poops more often and this affects the toilet-training success rate. That is why two-times-a-day feeding is recommended by most pet shop puppy sellers in Singapore."

"In this case, feed two times with 4 teaspoonfuls twice per day," I said. "It is a matter of observation rather than teaspooonfuls. Puppies generally stop eating or wolfing down the food when a sufficient amount is given. Observe the spinal area for protruding spines. If there is none, the puppies are well fed."

Coprophagia (eating stools) is a frequent complaint. In this case, it could be insufficient food as the amounts recommended by the homebreeder would need to be increased weekly as the active Shih Tzu puppies grow up.

P.S. Grate training can be successful in many cases because the puppies have had been crated when younger. They pee and poop onto wire flooring. The Singapore-grate with pee pan below set up closely duplicates the wire grating feeling for the puppy. Putting newspaper with urine smell onto the pee pan attracts the puppy to climb up onto the grate to pee and poop.

Obviously, this method cannot be guaranteed unless the owner actively teaches the puppy to use the grate. There are many anecdotes of success from my over 500 cases of case study of toilet training studies in Singapore. This grate is seldom recommended by the pet shop puppy sellers. It has to be used inside a confined area or room.

22. Success story: A rubber mat toilet for the Shih Tzu?

"Your newspapers recommendation as a toilet area were ineffective," the big shouldered man of around 1.6 metres tall told me. "My Shih Tzu simply shreds them."

"Is she toilet-trained?" I asked as I discharged her to go home, after removal of her cherry eye. A big red gland of around 0.8 cm x 0.4 cm had bulged from her left eye, at the medial side.


"Cherry eye" in the left eye of the Shih Tzu


"I bought a rubber mat from the hardware shop," the owner said. "In 10 days, she was toilet-trained on the mat put on the kitchen floor. She used to pee and poop everywhere and liked my carpet."

"Did you spray the puppy's urine or other liquid onto the mat?" I was surprised that a rubber mat could attract this high-energy Shih Tzu to eliminate upon.

"No," the man said.

Is it that simple? Just buy a rubber floor mat. The type with suckers below and put it on the floor. The puppy just go there to eliminate when all the time she has been doing it in the living room and the bedrooms? This puppy was not crated as she whined a lot. So, she had free roaming of the whole HDB apartment.

I would not believe that the rubber mat was so effective.

Here are the secrets for success.

1. Watch for signs of elimination. Mainly "sniffing" in this case.

2. In this case, the owner spanked the puppy lightly on the backside when she eliminates on unapproved areas and said: "No pee" firmly. Then he brought her to the rubber mat and said: "Pee here."

3. After 10 days, the puppy just went to the floor mat.

"She would run away after spanking," the owner explained. "But she learnt fast."

"Is the puppy free to roam when unsupervised?" I asked.

"No, she is kept inside the crate at night. She tried not to get in but we just put her in and locked the door.

"Feeding is two times per day and she poops after eating. She pees many times, uncountable."

This seems to be a success story. The newspapers are still used inside the pee pan under the crate flooring.

"The newspapers is put under the floor mat," the owner said. "In this way, she cannot shred them and they protect the floor from being soiled as the floor mat is smaller in area than the newspapers."

To me, this puppy is toilet trained to pee on the newspapers indirectly. The scent of newspapers, confinement, supervision, watching for signs and in this case, negative reinforcement training (spanking the backside) are critical factors for early success in toilet-training.

Friday, August 3, 2007

21. Pekinese and owner hates the smelly puppy training aid

"His eye tear stains are part and parcel of the Pekinese," the couple said as I gave the Pekinese with the thick red coat her annual vaccination.

Dark brownish black hairs flowed down the side and below the lower eyelids, occupying the grove above its lower skin ridge on either eyes.

"It is best to clip them so that the skin under will not be moist and get infected later." However the owners cleaned up the tearing everyday with cotton swabs but with no effect.

"How long you take to paper-train her and what do you use?" I asked.

"She took about a month to paper-train. We sprayed the smelly puppy training liquid on the newspapers. The smell was supposed to attract her to pee onto the papers. She would not go near the papers. We could not stand the pungent smell too."

"How did you paper-train?" I asked.

"We just used her own urine by soaking the newspapers on her urine. There was no problem in paper-training after that."

In some cases, the smelly liquid was effective but not all puppies can stand its strong odour.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

An electronic scarecrow?

August 2, 2007 7.48 am
To: Raymund Wee
c/o Lynda Goh

We spoke yesterday when I asked you about the business prospects of an electronic scarecrow in Malaysia.

It was very kind of you to volunteer information about the 26 Yishun swamp dogs and puppies relocated to NANAS successfully by Ms Lynda Goh. I was the vet who vaccinated them. I did not ask about them in NANAS anymore as too much queries of dogs not related to me can make me a nuisance to NANAS and you may then need to buy the electronic scarecrow to keep me away.

The dog with the amputated tail is called Bobby. It is believed that some looters hacked his tail while he was defending the vacated house. Ms Esther Seah got him treated by a veterinarian.

This information was very much needed by Ms Esther Seah who had adopted Bobby at the swamp land since he was 6 weeks old. On August 9, 2007, Bobby would be 2 years old. While Singapore celebrates its National Day on August 9, Bobby celebrates a new lease of life at NANAS.

If you had not approved of the relocation, Bobby would be dead by now, being given a lethal injection as his chances of being adopted in Singapore are practically nil.

So, on behalf of Esther and his family, I thank you for your decision and hope all will be well with your health. A picture of Bobby with Emily, Esther's daughter who loved him a lot, is attached.



Dr Sing Kong Yuen
Toa Payoh Vets
www.toapayohvets.com

Chapter 5 - Swamp Dogs - Swamp Dogs Saved From Lethal Injections.

Saving the Swamp Dogs From Lethal Injections
Dr Sing Kong Yuen, Toa Payoh Vets, toapayohvets.com

Chapter 1. Did the Animal Activist Fail in Her Mission?
Chapter 2. A Volunteer with Passion Is worth 40 Merely Interested.
Chapter 3. The Looters Attacked the Pack Leader.
Chapter 4. If Only We Can Turn Back the Clock for the Pack Leader...
Chapter 5. NANAS. Swamp Dogs Saved From Lethal Injections.


A text message

Hi Doc Sing,

Sorry I could not talk too long cause my side here is too noisy as I am at the old folk's home. I appreciate your news about Bobby. Now I am very happy :-).
From: Esther Seah, 2.43 pm 1 Aug 2007.



I had just phoned Esther to update her on Bobby who had survived a hacking of his tail and was now safely in the collection area of NANAS (Noah Ark's Natural Animal Sanctuary). She wanted to visit Bobby earlier but it was best to get proper appointments.

"Let Bobby settle down and make proper appointments," I advised. "Appointments are needed to visit dogs at NANAS as the people there have so many things to do. In any case, you are no longer the owner of Bobby..."

I could understand Esther's concerns. It was like giving up a child for adoption. Would the child be well looked after? How did the child fit in?

"Too much interference from the previous owner asking questions about the adopted dog would not be in the interest of Bobby and would affect the acceptance of other new cases by a charitable organisation," I said to Esther. "Concerns for the adopted dog may not be well accepted since the organisation is busy with so many things to do." She understood and waited for the right time to visit Bobby.

On that day, I had phoned Mr Raymund Wee, the founder of NANAS asking whether there is a business prospect of Malaysians being interested in a gadget to stop birds from eating the left over food at the hawker centre. He gave his views and then volunteered the information about the swamp dogs now at NANAS.

"There is a dog with a tail amputated and stitched," he said.

"Oh, that's Bobby," I knew this dog well, "Somebody hacked his tail off." Esther took him to the vet to get him treated.



"Did you do the surgery?" Raymund asked.

"No," I told him the name of the vet who did it. "How is he doing?"

"He is all right. Now he is at the collection area."

That was good news and I quickly let Esther know. Bobby was 6 weeks old when Esther had adopted him as his siblings disappeared one by one. In retrospect, the monitor lizards might have devoured them when they wandered around the fishing pond area.

However, Bobby was noisy for 3 days and Esther's neighbours complained about the noise nuisance. In Singapore, the authorities would come and evict Esther from her apartment as keeping an unapproved cross-bred that would grow above a certain approved weight was illegal.

So, Bobby was back at the fishing pond. For the past 2 years, Esther and her family saw Bobby as they went fishing in the Yishun Fish Pond and swamp lands in the north of Singapore.

In June 2007, the whole area was acquired by the military and all swamp dogs would have to be put to sleep by lethal injections or left to look after themselves if they remained in Singapore.

Fortunately Mr Wee accepted them in NANAS where they would live out their natural lives in freedom from August 2007. Lynda, the Animal Welfare Volunteer had accomplished her mission successfully.

P.S
Esther visited Bobby at NANAS on August 11, 2007 as scheduled by Lynda. Bobby was in good hands.