Author: Hoshi_sheltie

Hoshi is a tri-colour Shetland Sheepdog, his barkday falls on 3rd April 2020 and we live on the tiny red dot Singapore. He absolutely loves chicken and will work hard for treatos. If you ever see us, do come over to give Hoshi some love and pets!

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Community Stories

A Cryptorchid Dog’s Neutering Journey

What is Cryptorchidism?

As you can tell, there is only one testicle in the picture.
  • Neutering will require your dog to be under general anaesthesia, and even though this is generally safe, there are still risks and complications to every surgery.
  • Neutering EARLY / at the wrong age / when your puppies’ hormones still have a role to play in his developing body can increase the risk of hip & joint issues. Your puppies’ hormones help them to develop their bones and joints properly. Therefore, puppies may be more vulnerable to hip dysplasia, torn ligaments and bone cancer if neutered at the wrong age.
  • Neutering increases the risk of obesity as the reduction in hormones will change the dog’s metabolism and hormonal make-up. Daily walks, exercise and monitoring their diet is extremely important to maintain a dog’s healthy weight after neutering.

  • Cryptorchid dogs are much more likely to develop testicular cancer in the undescended testicle. It is estimated to be at least 8-10 times more likely to develop cancer – according to our Vet.
  • Cryptorchid dogs have a risk of testicular torsion. Since the testicle is “freely moving” in his body instead of being secured at the right position (his scrotum), there is a chance where his undescended testicle can twist on itself or other surrounding organs – a super painful experience if it really happens.
  • Most dogs reach sexual maturity at 6-9 months. Generally, dogs reach full growth potential at 12-18 months. Hoshi is now at 16 months and I have noticed he stopped growing in size at around 10 months old. I decided to do it now and not at 18 months because this is my term break from school and I am able to take the time to hawkeye him after the surgery and really monitor him. Hence, we decided to do the procedure at this time when I have the time and I am rather confident that the removal of his hormones will not affect his growth that much. (We have also consulted the vet regarding this as well)

  • Cone Training

Hoshi really enjoys sleeping in his soft cone.

  • Purchase products beforehand

  1. ForFurryFriends Pet’s Activated Water Sanitizer

  • Consulting your Vet
  • Set an appointment for the surgery

  • Bring your dog out for a good run the day before
  • Set a grooming appointment the day before

Day 1 – No bruising, but the “cut” looks deep
Day 2 – No bruising yet, but some “flesh” started to grow along the incisions
Day 3 – Bruising along the side and his incisions doesn’t look good (I really got a scare on Day 3, kept watching him and cleaning it)
Day 4 – The surgical site looked much better and less swollen
Day 4 – Bruising went down by a lot after spamming with healing balm
Day 5 – Incision has a clear line of “clotted” blood, no visible swell, the bruising on the side almost all gone
Day 6 & 7 – Not much change in the pictures, but this is how it looked after one week. The vet has said that it is completely healed and the scab will come off on its own after a while. The bruising at the side is completely healed.

I hope that these pictures can give you a clearer image of what recovery is like and if your furkid is going through any bruising, please know that it is normal and it will heal!

What would I have done differently?

  • Brushing him daily

I definitely would have started brushing Hoshi every single day. This is because the cone wearing 24/7 has definitely caused some fur around the ears area to be matted. Previously, the longest time Hoshi was wearing the cone was for only 8-10 hours throughout the night and morning, so I did not notice any matted fur. I definitely would recommend brushing them if your dogs are long-coated or double-coated.

Self Cleaning Slicker Brush: https://shp.ee/ra2dg5h

  • If I could and have the time, I would have waited for him to reach 18 months.

I am still a strong believer that dogs would need their hormones in their growth. If I had the time and option, I would love to be able to wait till he is 18 months or even 24 months. However, to avoid any complications from potential testicular torsion (as Hoshi is an extremely active dog), and to do this procedure during our break this is the best time for us.

  • Teaching him to lie on his back

This would definitely come in handy when I need to check his wounds, clean them and apply the healing balm. Hoshi doesn’t like to be on his back, hence we pick him up to do these instead. If I had the time, I would probably train him to be comfortable being on his back, or even better to do it on command.

If you have read till here, thank you so much and I hope you have learnt a thing or two! For pawrents who have neutered or spay their dogs before, what other tips do you have for those who have yet to neuter their dog? For pawrents who have not neutered their dog, do you have any questions for me? Leave them down in the comments below and I would love to answer!

You can also DM me at @hoshisheltie (:

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Community Stories

Why I Don’t Think I Can Care for a Pet

Hoshi

Hello everyone, I am hoshi hooaunt.

I hardly appear on Hoshi’s account, if you’re unaware that Hoshi had an aunt, helloo! ?

Hoshi and me (hooaunt) at Wooftopia

Today I’m going to share why after getting Hoshi, I don’t think I can be a hoomum of another fur baby.

I care for Hoshi along with my sister, I mainly help out to feed him and just take care of him in general. Even though I am not the main caretaker for Hoshi, it has been a difficult journey. Caring for a puppy takes a lot of time and commitment, there’s much to take note for him.       

Smol Hoshi taking a nap in his old crate

Sitting on the sidelines, watching my sister sacrifice her personal time and her wallet for Hoshi, I am in awe of her efforts and hard work. Hoshi isn’t a difficult puppy to take care of, he’s very smart and super sweet. He knows where to pee and poo which is usually the most troubling issue for most pawarents. Something really magical ✨ about having dogs is that Hoshi knows when we are happy and when we are sad. I got to experience that myself and it was such a memorable moment, I am sure that it will remain forever in my heart. 

I had just came back from work, and was feeling a little down. I think Hoshi realised that I was a bit upset, he started to cuddle with me. It was unusual because, at that time, he would usually be quite active when someone comes home. However, that little cuddling session with him really healed me and it felt very special?. 

Hoshi being a cuddly boi after sensing that im sad ?

Having said all that, having a dog is wondrous thing however, there are things that i did not expect as well. 

Separation Anxiety 

Whenever we leave the house, Hoshi cries and whines and it’s really heartbreaking to hear and see him like that?. After he gets tired from crying, he would lay his head in between the gate and watch us leave. I guess leaving him alone at home is inevitable and it’s definitely a process that we have to go through. 

Hoshi being a sad boi when we leave for work
Hoshi being a happy boi when we come back

Time and Commitment

Having a pup takes up a lot of time and commitment. Starting from the basic care, his meals, his walkies, and hygiene, these are just some of the important things to take note of. ?

His meal times, Hoshi can be quite picky with his food at times, so we try to add in a bunch of variety for him. However, that would also mean that we would have to be on the constant lookout for new things for him to try. Thankfully, Pawjourr has a sampling program, where we can try out different things before purchasing the full-sized products.

Hoshi enjoying the free samples from Pawjourr!

Moving on to his walkie sessions, we try to walk him everyday however when it is raining, we can’t bring him down. In replacement, we would play fetch with him to waste his energy and spend some time with him.

Hoodad teaching him how to jump

As for his hygiene, we would have to brush his teeth, clip his nails, and care for him like a baby! It is a lot of work, but it is necessary for the lil baby! 

Hoshi’s cupboard –> where we store all of his things!

These are just the very little things that you would need to care for a puppy! It really takes a lot of effort and courage to love a puppy! Hoshi is a great blessing in our lives, and we are so in love with him!

For all those who are considering getting a puppy, please know that there’s a lot of hard work that comes from caring for one, but of course a lot of love as well. For all the pawrents out there, hats off to you guys! Lastly, for all the hooaunts/hoouncles that are just like me, keep loving your furbabies! 

Smol Hoshi taking pictures ?

Follow @hoshisheltie on Instagram to follow us on our journey.?

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Community Stories

Grooming Tips for Puppy

hoshi

Is grooming puppies a very difficult task for you? Is your pup very fidgeting and energetic? Here are some tips that you can try on your pup!

Hoshi is an 8 months old tri-color shetland, we have been grooming Hoshi on our own, mainly because he is still a puppy. We have only brought him to the groomer once, and we absolutely loved the services provided and the cut.

The basic grooming routine ✂️ that we do for Hoshi consists of trimming his nails, shaving his paw pads and potty areas, brushing his teeth, and cleaning his ears. We usually take about 1 hour to do each item in the routine because Hoshi can’t stay still. Hoshi hates grooming especially brushing his teeth. We always have a very hard time trying to groom him, as he will try to move around and escape.

#Tip 1

Treats! ?

Have plenty of treats prepared to distract your doggo while you groom him/her. Other than distracting, you can use treats to rewards your doggo. Here are some of the treats that we use for Hoshi during grooming:

  1. Chews
  2. Purree

#Tip 2

Have more hands on deck! ??

After trying a lot of different methods to groom him on our own, we figured out that having more people on board makes the process a lot easier. So we tend to have 3 pairs of hands when we groom Hoshi –> Hoomum, Hoodad, and Hooaunt! Hoomum would hold Hoshi down, while Hooaunt would do the grooming and Hoodad will distract Hoshi by praising him and giving him treats.

#Tip3

Stagger grooming timings ⌛

For Hoshi, completing 1 item in the routine takes about 1 hour. To complete the whole routine in 1 night, would be impossible for both the hoomans and doggo. Thus, we would split the grooming into days, and it not only helped us to take a break but also let Hoshi be more comfortable with us grooming him. Another tip that you can use would be to groom your doggos when they are about to sleep ?️! We usually groom Hoshi right before his bedtime, so he’s tired and would not struggle as much!

That’s all for the tips! Do try them on your puppies and let me know if it works! If you have any tips, please do share them with me too 🙂 Hope this helps you, even if you didn’t manage to groom your doggo, don’t give up! ?

Follow @hoshi_sheltie on Instagram to follow us on our journey ?

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Community Stories

Puppy Blues I never expected…

“Will I be getting my sleep back?”, “How long more till he knows where to pee and poo?”, “When can I ever leave him alone?”, “Can I return this pup to the breeder/SPCA?”

Have you been asking these questions to yourself?

You have just adopted a precious puppy, or waited two months just to bring your puppy home from the breeder. He is absolutely the most adorable thing you have ever owned, but… he is also sort of ruining your life. Was this whole decision a big mistake?

Welcome to “Puppy Blues”

Just like how mothers could develop postpartum depression, puppy blues are a similar phenomenon. Even though puppies are not children, there are some aspects of raising a puppy that is pretty much similar to raising a baby.

It is perfectly normal for you to feel exhausted, bumped out and overwhelmed. You are not alone and I can assure you this does not last forever.

Hoshi at 10 weeks old (First day at his new home)

When I first brought Hoshi from the breeder, I was really excited and wouldn’t stop looking at the precious ball of cuteness. However, it did not take long for the stress and blues to kick in.

On Hoshi’s first night home, there was barely any sleep as I woke up every 30 – 45 minutes to check on Hoshi and made sure he did not pee in his crate. This has led to a huge lack of sleep for at least a month. Sleep deprivation is a major contributing factor to puppy blues and it will become much harder to maintain your mental health when you can only sleep two to three hours each night! For me, I had to wake up every 1am and 5am to bring Hoshi on his potty break.

Other than potty training your puppy, you can expect yourself to simply not doing anything for the next two weeks! I am really blessed to have Hoshi join the family while I was on a holiday from school. But this will definitely be extremely hard on first time pawrents who have a full-time job or commitment.

Enjoy a short video of puppy Hoshi and my family members (really enjoying the time)

When Hoshi is awake, I am ensuring that he is not putting tissue paper into his mouth, he is not biting my sofa and not stealing socks from the shoe rack. Supervision is extremely important as you would need to spot the moment your puppy needs a toilet break and act fast before you need to start mopping the floor again. When he is sleeping, I am using whatever time I have to finally shut my eyes and get a good rest. There is barely any time for yourself, your work and relationships. I felt really left out when I saw my friends meeting up after a long circuit breaker and yet, I was stuck at home taking care of a poop machine.

Here is short 2 seconds video to show the panic in my voice as I screams “oh! shit shit” (He was about the poop half way when we were playing with him)

These are just small little snippets to how your lifestyle could change after welcoming a puppy into your life. I assure you that I have done plenty of homework two months prior to bringing him home for the breeder, yet I was still taken aback by these changes and sacrifices I had to make. I am sure you have done your research and preparation. But do set low expectations for yourself and know that it is okay and normal to be stressed or overwhelmed despite feeling you were prepared for it.

Raising a puppy takes time and effort, it is also difficult and some might even say painful experience, especially for first time owners. Along with these sad and anxious feelings there could also be feelings of regret and guilt. I was drowning in guilt for wanting to send Hoshi back to the breeder after day two!

I expected myself to be happy, after all this was something I had wanted since I was a child. My whole family was excited to welcome this new family member. Everyone was delighted but me. The guilt was overwhelming and I wished someone was there to tell me it was okay to feel what I felt.

To whoever who needs to hear this, it is absolutely okay and normal to be feeling all that you felt. There is no need to feel guilty for wanting to send your puppy back to the shelter or breeder. You are not a bad hooman.

So, when will my life actually get back to normal?

Well, it does not. Your life after having a puppy will never go back to what it was, but I am sure it will turn out to be better than what it was. Your puppy will need some time to understand you and your family. Likewise, it would take time for you to understand your puppy and its personality. Life will gradually start to become easier when you both have spent quality time to bond. Before you know it, your puppy will the best friend you can not live without.

At this point in your journey, give it some more time before making another huge decision that you might eventually really regret.  You might be feeling very overwhelmed at this moment and would just want to give up your puppy to remove all the stress at once. But take a step back and really give it chance for both you and your new family member. Take some time, talk to a close friend and really try to savour the funny moments or proud moments with your puppy.

Every single day, they are learning to love you and to communicate the love to you.

Baby Hoshi (at 12 weeks) and I wishing you all the best in your journey with your puppy!

Hoshi used to be my source of stress, but now he is now my source of comfort and support. I really hope that after reading this short story, you would not feel alone in this journey. If you ever need a listening ear or advice on your puppy, you can always find me on Hoshi’s Instagram @hoshi_sheltie. I would love to be a part of your puppy journey and really be there for you like how I wished someone was there that would really understand how I feel. If you have ever experienced this, do comment down below and share your story with new pawrents in the community to let them know they are not alone in this.

Love, Hoshi & Hooman

Insta: hoshi_sheltie