CAN MY DOG EAT THIS?

I just found this little quiz from Sam The Black GSD, and thought that it was a great quiz. Try it and see how much you know about what you can or cannot give your dog... I managed to get 8 / 10.

Can My Dog Eat This?

YOGHURT FOR DOGS?

My Cleo had a bad tummy for over a month recently, and although we've been to the vet nothing seemed to really help. It wasn't diarrhoea per se, but she had runny poo every morning. Yucks...

We discovered, after a stool test, that Cleo had a bacterial infection with a bug that was relatively hard to get rid of, and the poor girl had to endure quite alot of medication. The last bit of medication that she had was really the last straw as it was a really foul tasting liquid, and it didn't help that her condition was not really improving. Her dose of medicine was completed about a week ago, and she still had runny poo...

Unfortunately I had completely forgotten that in cases like this, you should actually give your dog yoghurt. Of course you have to be very careful of the type of yoghurt that you administer and you must be sure that your dog is not allergic to dairy - although most dogs with intolerance to dairy can consume plain natural yoghurt.

You should only give your dog PLAIN NATURAL YOGHURT with no added flavours or sugars etc. The yoghurt should also contain live bacteria cultures.

In Malaysia, I only know of one brand that is very good and inexpensive - Sunglo Fresh Yoghurt (There may be others but the local variety is always best as the bacteria cultures would have been harvested locally, which is what is needed). Generally the bacterial cultures from imported brands will help but are not as effective as local culture.

Cleo's tummy improved overnight literally! She started taking two very large table spoons of yoghurt twice a day 15 minutes before her meals, and the very next day her runny poo stopped. So I am going to carry on giving her yoghurt as a dietary supplement.

Should you give your pet yoghurt?

Your dog or cat can benefit from "local" natural yoghurt as it will have a unique blend of live, active, and probiotic cultures. That’s because these animals need some of the same friendly intestinal cultures that we do (L. acidophilus, B. bifidus, and L. casei). So if a poor diet, illness, or medication has upset your pet’s digestive health, try serving them Plain Natural Yoghurt.

You can also serve yoghurt for daily health maintenance. Like humans, pets can benefit from regular servings of these beneficial cultures. They can even help with "doggy breath." And though your dog or cat might not be able to tolerate other dairy products, Natural Yoghurt is different, because the billions of cultures help break down the lactose, making it more digestible.

Who Needs It? Natural Yoghurt can help:

*dogs or cats recovering from poor diet, illness, antibiotic use, or other medications (tranquilizers and pain killers, for example, can really upset a pet’s digestive system)
*any dog or cat who has had diarrhea
*young dogs and cats if they’ve been ill or eaten something they shouldn’t have
*dogs or cats with sensitive systems that are easily upset by changing diets, travel, or stress (ask your vet about changing foods gradually, replacing the old food with the new in growing increments over the course of a week or longer)
*adopted pets or recovered strays who may have had less than desirable diets in their previous homes or shelters
*puppies or kittens who need a little help getting the right microbial balance started
*older pets whose systems are slowing down—aging can diminish natural levels of beneficial cultures in the digestive tract

How Much?

Always discuss your options with your veterinarian before feeding yoghurt to your pet. (Although it must be noted that most Malaysian vets are not terribly keen on alternative healing methods)

Only serve your pet all Plain Natural Yoghurt. Even though our flavored yoghurts are also all natural and sweetened with only pure crystalline fructose, your pet does not need the added ingredients. Fortunately, most pets find Natural Yoghurt highly palatable.

Decide the fat level (Full Fat, Lowfat, or Fat Free) based on your pet’s overall dietary needs and specific circumstances of the ailment. Your veterinarian knows best which fat level is appropriate. Fat has flavor and some pets, especially those with weak appetites, need that extra flavor to entice them. In these cases, try Full Fat. But some ailing or recovering pets can find high-fat foods hard to digest. In this case, try Fat Free or Lowfat. Additionally, if your cat or dog is older, overweight, or less active, you might prefer Lowfat or Fat Free.

Doses:

a. For adults dogs, serve 1/3 cup once or twice a day for medium-size dogs (less for smaller, more for large). See how your pet tolerates the first dose before offering the second. Ask our vet how to adjust the dose for puppies.

b. Serve 1/3 cup once a day for daily maintenance for adult medium–size dogs.

c. For adult cats, serve 2 teaspoons once or twice a day for medium-size cats (less for smaller, more for large). Again, cats can’t digest most dairy products, but the proteins in yoghurt are more easily digestible because they are broken downd. Serve 2 teaspoons once a day for daily maintenance for adult medium-size cats. Ask your vet on how to adjust the dose for kittens.

MISSING SCHNAUZER

A 2 year old Miniature Schnauzer, PEPPER, has been missing from home since Chinese New Year Eve (17 Feb - 0900 hrs) from Taman Connaught; Cheras.

If you have seen this dog, please contact Regina at either of these numbers:

03- 9101 4976,

012 306 2856,

012-264 3050,

012-208 6568

A reward is offered for the safe return of this dog.

Description of Pepper:

Breed: Miniature Schnauzer

Sex: Male

Age: 2 years old

Microchip: 4580 9850 0047 012

Size: 2 feet long x 1.5 feet tall

Colour: Grey and Silver

Others: Droopy left ear and short snipped tail

CRUEL ACT!!!

Once again an article in The Star has horrified me. A dog was found with a bicycle cable tied round its forearm so tightly that it cut through the bone.

-Last year, 13 dogs were brutally murdered!
-Some months ago, a little black dog was beaten cruelly till it’s jaw had to be surgically removed.
-3 months ago I rescued a month old puppy that was so badly abused he’s still terrified of strangers.
-Two weeks ago I met a lady who had rescued an abandoned dog.

And these are only a small number of abuse cases that have come to light…

What is the matter with Malaysians? We seem to be capable of incredible cruelty, and yet we're supposed to be a nation that is moving towards being a developed country with state of the art technological capabilities and massive skyscrapers etc? Shouldn't development equal higher intelligence? What is the point of being a developed nation when our people can have the ability to inflict such cruel acts onto helpless beings?

The government is currently promoting tourism aggressively, but do we want tourists to confirm their preconceived notions that Malaysians are still barbarians by inflicting pain and misery to animals? Are these the sort of stories that we want highlighted in our newspapers for the world to see? That Malaysians are a nation that is cruel and unfeeling towards animals? I don’t think that tourists will be impressed with this sort of news especially tourists from European or Western nations where animals are loved and considered as part of their family.

I hope the culprits are caught though I understand that this would be close to impossible, esp. since this poor dog can't actually say who did this cruel deed to him.

I would like appeal to everyone to please treat your pets right, if you can't don't have one. And if you don't like animals, just leave them alone. there is no reason to abuse or mistreat them. And to animal lovers, please report cases of abuse, neglect and cruelty towards animals to the authorities, e.g. the SPCA, your local council, the media or even one of the Independent Pet Rescuers...

I would also appeal to the government to please impose much harsher penalties to all those who are guilty of abusing animals!

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Dog found with its forearm tied with bicycle brake cable
BY BAVANI M

BARELY two months after Joy the little black dog was rescued from the jaws of death, another case of animal cruelty has surfaced.

This time involving a one-year-old mongrel named Hoppy which was rescued by a kind soul in Puncak Jalil recently.

Hoppy: Was found cringing in pain with a bicycle brake cable tied so tightly around its forearm that it cut through the bone.

Florence Chan found the mongrel with its forearm dangling like a broken twig.
Hoppy was found cringing in pain with a bicycle brake cable tied so tightly around its forearm that it cut through the bone.

“My neighbours children alerted me about the dog and when I went to see for myself I was shocked at the condition the poor dog,'' said Chan.

“I rushed him to a vet's clinic in Subang Jaya and he is recuperating from the ordeal,'' she said.
Dr Vijay who is treating Hoppy said the way the cable was tied around the dog's forearm shows malicious intent.

“It was tied so tight that it practically cut through the bone and caused a 3cm wound that was infected maggot-filled. This was probably someone's idea of a cruel joke.

“The whole forearm was swollen and the tissues around it dead. In fact, we were not sure if the legs could be saved but so far he seems to be responding well to treatment, hence amputation may not be necessary,'' he said.

“The sad part is that he is terrified of humans. He cringes and whimpers when anyone comes near him and retreats to the furthest corner of the cage,'' said Chan.

“I am not sure what to do with him once he fully recovers as I have already adopted three dogs,'' she said, adding that she hoped someone could come forward to adopt Hoppy.

“Hoppy needs sponsors to help pay for the medical expenses and a donor to sponsor him for his lifetime at the Langkawi Animal Shelter and Sanctuary.

“But more importantly he needs to be loved and taught to trust humans again,'' added Chan.
For details, call 016-395 3992 (Chan).

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS - IT MUST STOP!!!

Hi everyone,

Just found out that my article was published in Malaysia Kini. Didn't expect them to publish it when I sent it in. It was also published in the Star's Citizen's Blog and the Malay Mail (although it was edited quite significantly). So once again I am appealing to everyone to help make a difference for our furry friends. If you feel you can't actively make a difference through rescue or adoption work, then at least write in to the media... every little bit counts!

Natasha

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I was walking Cleo as usual in the morning yesterday - we had to stop a million times to say hello to all her doggie friends that walk along the same track as usual - when we met a new Labrador.

The owner was running with the dog and the dog was just so happy to be with her. We stopped and the two of them said their hellos and then we carried on. I noticed however that the Labrador looked rather old and worn out. And he had lots of chaff marks on his legs and neck. My initial assumption was that he was probably very old.

Then we ran into each other again on our second lap of the track and this time we stopped to chat. The owner was a very nice lady, though I didn' get her name - all of us dog mad people seem to be more concerned with knowing the names of the dogs only. I then found out that she had only recently obtained Wallace (her lab). She had rescued him from a neighbour who actually just left the dog in his very small cage when they moved house.

Apparently this dog has been living in that cage with hardly any room to move for 2 whole years - from when they got him as a puppy. He was only let out for short period of times to go to the toilet. And these people just abandoned him when they decided to move. They left him in the cage with no food or water.

She managed to get into the compound and get the dog out after a few days when she realised that he had been abandoned. Wallace could not walk because his muscles were not developed from being in the cage his entire life. She has had to slowly build him up by feeding him a special diet and also by exercising him a little bit at a time.

He is now doing very well, although he looks 5x his age... He's only 2 and half years old.

How can people be so cruel? I just don't understand it!!!

I really hope that our society will progress and become more aware of animal rights. Owning a pet, be it a dog or cat, is a serious commitment. You must ensure that you can provide your pet with all that it needs, and by this I don't just mean food. Your pet needs companionship, exercise and adequate veterinarian care!

I would like to appeal to everyone to please think carefully before getting a pet. It's a lifelong commitment! If you can't treat your pet right, then don't get one!

I would also like to appeal to the government to impose stricter rules and harsher penalties towards all those who are cruel to animals. The current penalty is a mere slap on the wrist! I think that a minimum jail term of 5 years should be imposed on those who are guilty of mistreating animals. A fine just won't do the job!

And to all of you out there reading this, please help make a difference. You can make a difference by writing to the newspapers, and to various organisations. Send your letters to:

Prime Minister Y.A.B. Dato' Seri Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi
Prime Minister’s Office Malaysia
E-mail: ppm@pmo.gov.my

The Malay Mail and Weekend Mail News
e-mail: mmnews@nstp.com.my
Hotline e-mail: hotline@mmail.com.my

The Star Newspaper
e-mail: editor@thestar.com.my

New Straits Times
e-mail: newsdesk@nst.com.my
e-mail: news@nstp.com.my

Malaysiakini
e-mail: editor@malaysiakini.com

WSPA-World Society for the Protection of Animals
e-mail: wspa@wspausa.com

Your voice counts, and together we can make a difference!!!

JOY'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

I posted about Joy's birthday party some time ago. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it... but here is an article on the party from The Star...

Other posts on Joy

Joy's Birthday Party
Love Heals
Attack on Dog Because It's Haram

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Joy laps up the attention at party
By JADE CHANPhoto by LOW LAY PHON

Happy birthday: Yeap (left) and Foo with Joy and the birthday cake.LIKE any one-year-old, Joy enjoyed the attention he received at his first birthday and gobbled up pieces of the cake that had been specially baked for him.

Joy is not a child but a stray mongrel, which was cruelly beaten up by Indonesian workers in Selayang recently.

Guests at the party, sponsored by Pusat Penjaja Jinjang Utara managing partner Lucia Foo, comprised Joy’s supporters and animal lovers of all ages.

“He’s recovering well and has been putting on weight though he has to adapt to life without a front lower jaw,” said Furry Friends Farm managing partner Sabrina Yeap, who rescued Joy in early December.

Yeap said there has been significant character change in Joy since his rescue as he can now sit and stand on his own rather than cling on to his rescuers.

“Many have asked if Joy should get an artificial jaw fixed but the veterinarian said he doesn’t need it because he adapted to his situation.”

“I decided to sponsor this party because as an animal lover, I wanted to show my support for Yeap and what she’s doing – to save and rehabilitate underprivileged animals,” said Foo, 52.
Furry Friends Farm and Malaysian Pet Groomers Association will be organising two events as part of its animal welfare community projects where Joy plays the role of ambassador.

“My Favourite Furry Friend (A Dog) Children’s Art Contest 2007 is for all Malaysian children aged between nine to 12.

The Spring & Summer Collection for Furry Kids (Dogs) Fashion Design Contest is open to all Malaysians aged 17 and above.

For more details and registration, visit http://remembersheena.blogspot.com// or call 03-6201 1102, Monday to Friday between noon and 4pm.

DOGS MEAN ALOT TO NEW YORKERS

Here's another interesting article from The Star... I think the fine on owners for not picking up after their dogs is an excellent way to deal with irresponsible dog owners... do you agree?

The New York City Department of Sanitation has a rule which stipulates that dog faeces must be removed from the sidewalk or street. Otherwise, there is a fine of between US$50 and US$100.

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Dogs mean a lot to New Yorkers
TALE OF TWO CITIES NEW YORK:BY FOO YEE PING


IT sure ain’t a dog’s life in New York, not when you are the precious pooch of a caring American owner. New Yorkers have much love to give to their pets; so these four-legged friends always seem to have the best. They get to dress up and accessorised, besides trailing their masters or mistresses everywhere.


Paul (right) walking the dogs with her colleague in Manhattan, New York.These faithful canines would wait outside the bank or grocery store while their owners dash in to run their errands.

Once, a woman popped her head out of the supermarket entrance and blew a kiss to her dog which was waiting for her.

“Give me another five minutes!” she called out to her best friend, who was wagging his tail furiously.

Others get to ride on the subway train, comfortably nestled in their owner’s special bags.

“They treat the pet dogs like their own children,” said Angela Paul, who is a dog-walker.
Paul and her colleague were walking seven cute dogs on a frosty Monday morning when the temperature was minus 9.

“It’s cold today, so not many people send their dogs. Usually, my partner and I would be walking 14 dogs at one time,” she said.

Dogs need their exercise, so owners who are too busy to walk them would hire someone else to do the job.

The paparazzi often capture photographs of celebrities walking their dogs. Recently, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen was pictured going for a stroll with her three dogs in Manhattan.

The New York City Department of Sanitation has a rule which stipulates that dog faeces must be removed from the sidewalk or street. Otherwise, there is a fine of between US$50 and US$100.

So if the little fella decides to poo on the pavement during his walk, you must scoop it up and dispose of it properly. It is common to see people here taking out papers or small bags to clean the mess made by their pets upon completing their business.

A New York state law also requires that dogs be licensed. It’s just US$8.50 (RM30.60) for a neutered dog while the licence for the non-spayed ones is US$11.50 (RM41.40).

The Labrador retriever remains America’s top dog for 16 consecutive years, according to the American Kennel Club last month. This breed made up 14% of the club’s 124,000 registrations.

The club, which is the biggest purebred dog registry in the world, also named the poodle as the favourite breed among New Yorkers last year.

Taking the No 2 spot, both in New York and throughout the United States, was the Yorkshire terrier.

Here, pet shops sell a mind-boggling variety of products for dog grooming. A shampoo isn’t just a shampoo. There is vanilla, natural oatmeal or tearless shampoo to ensure great dog hair.
Let’s not even get started on the day camp and spa for dogs.

Bookstores here stock titles such as “Why Do Dogs Drink Out of the Toilet?”, “The Dog Bible: Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know”, “Planet Dog” and “Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul”. Of course, these are available in Malaysia as well.

It is fun to dog-watch here. Some are tiny ones like the chihuahua but others are awesome-looking beasts the size of a pony. At first sight, these giants surely make you take a few steps back.

ANIMAL RESCUE & CARE PROJECT

Came across this article in the Star. Thank you for caring!

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Group starts animal rescue and care project

KUANTAN: A group of animal lovers in Kuantan has initiated a Kuantan Animal Rescue and Education (KARE) project with the aim of rescuing and caring for abandoned and stray animals.
The group hopes to promote and nurture a kind and caring society by getting the public to participate in its activities including a fund-raising event and an Open Day.

According to KARE treasurer Erlinda Yap, she and her friends had been toying with the idea of a shelter for abandoned and stray animals for a few years.

“One of us, Dr Bhajan Singh, who is a veterinarian, suggested that we work under the Association for Sustainable Kuantan, and things began to fall into place,” she said when met at her office here recently.

Helping needy animals: One of the animal shelters at Geha Bodhi in Kuantan. --Picture courtesy of KAREYap said they later learned that a Buddhist group, Geha Bodhi, had a shelter for animals at Batu 12, Jalan Gambang, here.

“We decided to adopt the place and are now working with Geha Bodhi to manage the shelter.
“It is located on 0.8ha and is sufficient to take care of 23 adult dogs and seven puppies,” she added.

At the shelter, the animals were provided with food and basic veterinary care, she said.
“There are a few volunteers including a veterinarian and a pet grooming shopowner who will come on a weekly basis to give basic veterinary care and grooming.

“If we have enough funds, we plan to neuter the animals,” Yap said.

Yap said although KARE was managing an animal shelter, the public should not treat it as a dumping ground.

On expenses needed to run the shelter, Yap said it cost RM50 a month to feed and pay for basic medication and veterinary care for each animal.

“We call for support from the public and companies, be it in kind or cash.

“Milk is one of the items we need to feed puppies,” she added.

The shelter also needed volunteers to care for the animals and those interested could sign up as members, Yap said.

For details, call Fatimah Hashim (secretary) at 012-968 6284.

SILENT CRIES

SILENT CRIES....

I have only just heard about this book, Silent Cries... It is written by a Malaysian - Angeline Simone Chin, who obviously loves animals very much. Her book aims to promote animal rights and responsible pet ownership. (Am looking forward to getting a copy myself

Silent Cries can is retailing at RM39.90, and RM 5 from every book sold will be donated to independent pet rescuers. You can get your copy from most major book stores - e,g, Kinokuniya, Borders, MPH etc. Please support her effort in making this country a better place for our furry friends...

Angeline will be having 2 special talk sessions on her book at BORDERS on the following dates:

March, 10th (3 - 4 pm) : Berjaya Times Square
March, 17th (2 - 3pm) : The Curve

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Read more about Angeline Chin and her efforts towards helping our furry companions:

News Straits Times - Animal Passion

The Star - Book hopes to curb animal abuse

Remember Sheena Campaign - Silent Cries

WHO ARE THE MONKEYS???

Humans are supposed to have evolved from monkeys... well I am not going to go into the details of evolution, but you know what I mean. So theoretically, humans should be smarter than our furry counterparts. But somehow that doesn't seem to be the case in our country.

What on earth am I talking about? Well Cleo and I have been going for our morning walks in Taman Tar again, after a long hiatus; and while we enjoy our walks, we also get rather agitated with some rather irresponsible people who use the track.

There seems to be 3 main groups of people:

1. The Exercisers
2. The Monkey Feeders aka Litter Bugs
3. The Irresponsible Dog Owners

The Exercisers are fine... they are just people who are keen on keeping in shape. It's the other 2 groups that grate on mine and Cleo's nerves.

The Monkey Feeders, aka Litter Bugs.

While we have no problems with these people feeding the monkeys (they have not much food left in their "home" - since we humans have invaded their jungles) ; they piss us off for 2 reasons.

The Monkeys at Taman Tar

The first being that they litter! Crikey, you should see the amount of litter that these people leave behind everyday! We appreciate their being kind to the monkeys, but for goodness sakes don't leave the plastic bags/boxes and paper bags all over the place. It's not that hard to take it home or put the trash into a litter bin is it?

There's one particular stretch of this walking track - where the monkeys are - that is always full of rubbish... I think I shall try and take a better picture and post it tomorrow. But in the picture above, you can just about see a plastic bag and some bits of paper on the grass. (and this is a "clean" stretch!)

The second reason why the Monkey Feeders annoy us, is the fact that these rather "stupid" humans seem to think that the Monkeys are less dangerous compared to a dog on a leash... huh???

A large number of them, mostly Muslims, will be happily feeding the monkeys with their children in tow. They seem to have no worries at all that the monkeys may attack their children. But the minute they see me and Cleo walking past, and Cleo stays close to me on a leash, they pull their children back, and go like "eh, anjing besar...nanti gigit " and give us hostile looks. Mind you these monkeys have snatched food from them, and have even scratched some of them. But these humans still think that the monkeys are less dangerous compared to my doe-eyed Cleo? Hmmm...

Irresponsible Dog Owners

I am actually quite thankful that Taman Tar is still open to dogs... alot of people walk their dogs there and it's a really great track But unfortunately, there are quite a number of dog owners that are really stupid or irresponsible...

The first problem with them is that they allow their dogs to "poo" everywhere. Cleo has had a few unfortunate incidents where she actually stomped onto other doggie's poo... I wasn't impressed and neither was she. Why these people don't pick up after their dogs is beyond my comprehension... after all they will be walking on that same track every day, so wouldn't it be much nicer for them and for everyone else if the track was free of dog poo???

Cleo is not allowed to poo outside.. but I am always prepared and I always have a few plastic bags plus wads of tissues with me so that I can pick up after her if necessary. There were a few times when people have walked past me while I was picking up Cleo's poo, and I think they were quite shocked at what I was doing. But at the same time I knew they appreciated it, cause I can always hear them commenting softly : "wah, dia kutip-la..."

So please doggie owners, pick up after your dog!!!

The other problem with dog owners is the fact that there are some that allow their dogs to chase the monkeys. Why on earth do they do this I don't know... don't they realise that monkeys can be very aggresive? I am actually very fearful that the monkeys will attack once they have had enough. And the worst part would be that innocent dogs and their owners might fall victim to their attacks... We actually stopped walking in Taman Tar for a bit because there were a few very large monkeys that would actually stalk us. And I firmly believe that they wanted their revenge on the dogs that chased and frightened them...

Sigh... so tell me, who are the real monkeys here?