Category: Community Stories

Featuring stories from real pet owners and resources for all thing pets

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Should You Let Your Dog Join You in Bed?

I started allowing Duoji to sleep in the room with me when she was about 9 months old. Subsequently, that progressed to her sharing the bed with me (or my sis, depending on her mood). At that time I didn’t really give much thought to it, nor was I aware that some experts online actually actively discourage this practice. I thought it was fairly common, cos who wouldn’t want to cuddle with your furry pal?

Some of the reasons cited include feeding into the dominant streak of your pet, increased risks of parasitic infections/diseases, and disrupted sleep, amongst others. Yet for every piece of literature discouraging this, there are also many other articles touting the benefits of sleeping with your pets.

For pawrents who are still on the fence, here are some of the pros and cons of letting your pet sleep with you, based on my personal experience over the past year.

You get to spend more time together

This was actually the main reason why I made the switch.

For her first seven months at home, Duoji slept alone in her playpen at night in the living room. My whole family works full-time and during the day, Duoji is alone at home. When I get back from work at night, I typically have about 3-4 hours with her before I have to shower and get ready for bed etc. That also signals her bedtime, where I’ll then secure her in the playpen and bid her goodnight. I would occasionally still hear her barking for attention, or whining, especially when she was younger.

The next morning, I let her out for her meal, pat her for a little bit, then I have to rush off to work. If you think about it, the actual face-time isn’t much. I do try make up for it over the weekends but still, there’s this sense of guilt gnawing at me inside. I felt like I wasn’t being a good pawrent #mumguilt.

Nowadays, with our new routine, Duoji automatically follows me when I head back to my room. Even when I’m doing my own things like reading, watching shows or waiting for my hair to dry after shower, she’s right there keeping me company (and vice versa). Or she would be snoozing in bed.

It may not seem like much but sleeping and spending time with your furkid before bed indirectly increases the amount of time you both spend together. Personally I noticed that Duoji became less whiny at night and more calm in the morning. Previously she would always be very excited and energetic in the morning, having not seen anyone the entire night. And that’s not helpful when you’re trying to get your dog to settle down and eat quickly so that you can head to work on time.

It can strengthen your bond

What better way to bond with your pet than sharing a cuddle at night? Or giving your furkid a belly rub as you netflix and chill in bed.

Sharing a bed (or room) with your pet is another way to connect without demanding too much from each other. Having a relaxing time with each other can help also help to build trust and confidence in your pet.

It may not solely be due to the sleeping arrangements but I did notice Duoji becoming more physically affectionate with me as she gets older. I often find her leaning up against me as she’s resting – on the sofa or the floor, or sitting on my lap, even when it’s not bedtime.

A short game of fetch before bedtime.

It’s comforting

For those who live alone or have their own rooms, having the presence of another living thing near you as you sleep can be a great source of comfort. It’s also extra cosy!

Waking up to a cute face or warm licks on the face is also a super nice feeling. I sometimes find myself wanting to stay in bed longer just so that I can prolong these morning cuddly moments.

Conversely, allowing your pet to sleep with you can also help your furkids feel more at ease, being close to their humans. Dogs are pack animals by nature. This can be especially beneficial for those who tend to be more insecure.

You feel safer

There’s a reason for the term Guard Dog.

It’s a known fact that dogs have excellent hearing and most are fairly protective of their humans. If there are any sounds or movement, you can be sure that your furry pal will sound the alarm and alert you.

Whether it’s an intruder (touch wood!) or just the presence of an unwanted critter. It’s like having a built-in protection system.

While it’s true that not all dogs are guard dog material, even a fearful whimper or scuttle across the room works as an alarm signal too! Just the knowledge that your dog will react in the event of something amiss can help you feel safer at night.

You can respond faster if anything happens to them

Having your furkids in the room with you is also a way of preventing them from roaming around and getting in trouble if they’re sleeping elsewhere. More importantly, it enables the pawrent to be more vigilant and react faster in case of any emergencies.

There was once I woke up to a loud wheezing sound. It was from Duoji, loud enough to jolt me from sleep. I would later find out that it’s possibly reverse sneezing but at that moment, it freaked me out. On hindsight the episode probably lasted less than a minute but it felt way longer to me. All I could do was to comfort her while waiting for it to stop.

Another time, I woke up in the morning to some retching sounds. Duoji had vomited bile.

While both occasions were not life-threatening, I was able to respond and soothe her almost immediately. For that I am thankful. Or else I might just be fast asleep, leaving her to suffer the discomfort alone in the living room.

Lost bed space

And now, on to the cons.

Top of my list is definitely the lack of bed space. Once you let your dog in your bed, to them the bed then becomes theirs. On many occasions I’d walk into my room or enter after showering to find Duoji sprawled across the bed or right smack in the middle, leaving me with little to no space to sleep unless I push her away. Fortunately she’s quite small in size so I can always pick her up easily.

“What chu staring at?”
Right smack in the middle
Forced to the edge of the bed and still got to provide belly rubs. #minionlife

Damaged items

If you’re like me and sometimes leave clothes lying around on the bed, be prepared for them to be damaged overnight. In the middle of the night, while everyone is asleep, your furkid might be awake and get bored. That’s when they may start to ‘attack’ items around.

I’ve personally woken up to discover damaged zippers on my clothing or missing buttons. These days, I try not to things lying around. In a way it makes the room neater so it’s a plus point I guess.

Woke up one morning to find Duoji ‘enjoying’ my bolster.

Sleep disturbances

Some people say that sharing a bed with your dog can be disruptive to your sleep. Perhaps that may be true for those more sensitive to movement or sounds but personally for me, that has never been a problem.

Duoji moves around throughout the night – sometimes my bed, my sister’s bed, her own bed but I usually manage to sleep pretty well even when she’s around. Maybe I’m blessed in this area. Even the occasional sound of her snoring isn’t that loud to be an issue.

In actual fact, I think my presence actually affect Duoji’s sleep even more. Dogs are already more sensitive to movements and noises. Add that to the human tossing and turning in bed, I think it’s more likely for the dog to be kept awake and not have a restful sleep.

I’m also the kind who sets multiple alarms and snooze them repeatedly so imagine the din that Duoji has to endure every morning. Yikes!

Disruption of nightly routine

One thing that I had to change recently to accommodate Duoji was my nightly routine. I’m a night owl and usually sleep after 2am. These days, I find myself consciously retiring to my room earlier so that Duoji would follow suit and get ready for bed.

Knowing that she prefers to sleep in dim lighting, I also started implementing ‘Lights Out’ time. I’d be doing my usual stuff like reading or watching shows on my tablet with a night light and earphones on so as not to disturb her. It’s a small trade-off though, one that I’m very willing to make.

What to take note of?

If you’re intending to welcome your furkid to bed, here are some things that you might want to take note of:

  • Make sure to only start after your furkid is fully toilet trained and is old enough to hold their bladder overnight. You wouldn’t want to wake up to a soiled bed or pillow. I have a pee tray in my room but Duoji only used it a couple of times. Usually she’s able to wait till the next day and pee after someone lets her out of the room.
  • Best to wait till your pup outgrows the chewing stage or you risk waking up to damaged items. When Duoji was younger she used to like chewing on my hair. Well, I’m glad she wasn’t sleeping with me then.
  • Is your bed too high for your pal? The height of your bed should ideally be safe for your furkid to jump up and down without hurting themselves. Alternatively you might want to use pet stairs.
  • Is your pet a drooler or shedder? If you have sensitive skin or allergies, you might want to reconsider or do a short trial. Personally I have mild eczema and sensitive nose but perhaps because Duoji is a toy poodle, the shedding issue is quite insignificant. I never had any issues with allergies or sensitivities caused by her.
  • Dirt and fleas can be picked up by your dog and brought into your bed. The best way to deal with this is to keep your furkid as clean as possible. That means cleaning their paws and body thoroughly with anti-bacterial wipes after every outing, cleaning the muzzle and butt after meals and poop, etc. I believe that this is something that many pawrents already do as part of their routine care.
  • And lastly, do know that once you start to introduce them to your bed, there’s no turning back. They may never leave!

Do I regret inviting Duoji in? Absolutely not. To me, the inconveniences are nothing to shout about compared to the extra bonding moments we have together. Perhaps the situation would be different if it involved another breed, or if she was bigger in size, or she’s the more active or disruptive kind. Or if I have worse allergies.

At the end of the day, it’s a personal choice. But for me, for sure I wouldn’t get to experience moments like these if I had left Duoji sleeping alone at night. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Rude little girl lying on me.
Curled up next to me
<3

Do you sleep with your pets as well? I’d love to hear your experience.

Until our next post!
@duojipoodle

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Community Stories

The Day I Euthanised My Dog

I’ve had the privilege to raise 7 dogs since I was 12. I came from a family and extended family of dog lovers and grew up with medium to large dogs. Singapore was a lot more carefree then and there weren’t restrictions on the number of dogs a family could have even in HDB dwellings. There weren’t such a thing as HDB approved list either.

Left to Right : Dulcey and Honey, West Highland White Terriers

Euthanization seems to be such a taboo topic these days that it can divide the dog community. Today, we see so many ‘no kill’ shelters even right here in Singapore. While I do agree that we have to euthanise responsibly, this is where the line is very thin and it’s so easy to place judgement.

The Tough Decision

The first time I ever encountered euthanization was when I was 14-15years old. My Westie, Honey, at that time was suffering from very bad skin ailments. No amount of medication worked and diets didn’t help. Her skin was perpetually raw every day. This was the 80s, so animal care wasn’t really as advanced as today.

She wasn’t fed kibble. She was fed freshly cooked food and honestly, our food wasn’t contaminated with much hormones then. After countless vet visits and treatments, my father sat me down to have the most dreaded discussion – euthanise the dog.

I was very much like all the anti-euthanization activists and I shut my Dad down before he could even begin a conversation with me. One night, he gently told me that part of raising a dog is to be responsible for its well being. That includes the dog’s physical, mental and emotional health. Instead of telling me all the logic of why we should euthanise our beloved family member, he asked me TWO questions – Why am I fighting for my dog’s life? Was it really for her benefit or was it for my selfish reasons? Before he left to say goodnight, he told me that love isn’t self-centered. Love is about always considering the needs of the other before mine. And that’s why love is the greatest. It’s about sacrifice.

That conversation jolted me and I started to examine the condition of my heart. I didn’t want my dog to be put to sleep because of my selfish reasons. All the reasons were because of my needs and not hers. It took me five days to find courage and I went to my parents to say I was ready to do what I needed to do.

To put the icing on the cake, my parents told me they were going to hire a pet taxi for me and I was going to our vet by myself. Honey was my dog and as her leader and primary handler, I had to go and do this. And, this was what I needed to learn if I ever wanted to keep raising dogs. I was horrified but I said okay.

When I got to our vet, he was really nice, he walked me through the whole procedure and told me to let him know when I’d be ready to go through with it. On the steel table that day, I felt the life of my dog whom I raised from 8 weeks old drain away. I saw all the times we trained, we participated in conformation shows, bred her, helped her delivered her puppies, raised her puppies and finally to the place where I brought her to die.

Growth

That day taught me the most painful and valuable lesson of dog ownership. It taught me to seize the day. It taught me to never have a bucket list with my dog. It was the first time I ever put aside my needs for my dog. It was the very first time in my life that I put her needs before mine. I was so ashamed that I placed me before her in all the years that I was her handler. Yet, she was loyal and devoted to the end.

Honey, my first West Highland White Terrier that I raised as a puppy to adulthood taught me about leadership and what the phrase “Leaders Eat Last” meant because even with her life draining out from her never once judged me for being selfish.

I took her body back home and buried her in my uncle’s garden. It was the day I grew up. It was the day I stopped having ideals and learnt the painful decisions that every dog owner may have to face one day. It was also the day I understood what real Love is about. Love isn’t about me.

In her tribute, I seek to be a better dog handler with every dog that I raised after her. Thirty years on, I am still doing so.

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Community Stories

Facts about Cat’s Tail and What are they trying to tell you?

https://www.instagram.com/p/B64u5tWJ5uS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
  1. Your cat’s tail helps them to balance. It helps to serve like a “balancing stick” when walking on narrow spaces such as fences or shelves. And the Tail also aids in balancing when a cat is running after or jumping on prey!
  2. Even though cats uses their tails for balancing; they can live without tails too. If a cat’s tail needs to be amputated due to injuries, or born without a tail, their adaptiveness will soon learn to compensate for the loss of their tails. 
  3. Tail injuries can cause permanent damages. Cat’s tails have many nerves that can affect the tails muscles as well as their control of urination and defecation. And pulling on their tails can cause nerve damages; and even though some may heal over time, but it can often be permanent. So never pull on a cat’s tail!
  4. Cat uses their tail to communicate. Their tail is a great indicator of your cat’s mood! 
Credit: Taste of the Wild
Cats are notoriously hard to read. But since they use their tail as a form of communication, that will give you an idea of your cat’s current mood and what might happen next!

HIGH TAIL

  • A high tail means that your cat is feeling confident and happy; that also means that have a friendly intention and if their tail is quivering a little, it means that your cat is very excited to see you! 

LOW TAIL

  • A low tail means your cats tail is straight down, this can be a sign of unease or fear. BUT, some cat breeds can naturally be carrying their tails lower than other. Do not be alarmed!

TUCKED

  • This is very similar to ‘Low tail’. If your cat’s tail is tucked underneath their body, they are feeling fearful or anxious.

QUESTION MARK

  • This is often a greeting sign when they see someone they know and they like! Sociable cats tend to do this with anyone they meet. Usually this “Question mark” will appear when they are approaching you.

PUFFED UP TAIL

  • Oh, that means they are pissed. Usually feel threatened, they may become aggressive if pushed. Cats do that to make themselves “look bigger”. Their tail is high and puffed up, along with the base of their tail and along the spine. They will instinctively do this when they are startled by something potentially scary.

TAIL WHIP

  • That means they are pissed too. Its squally a rapid motion back and forth showing that they are emotionally stimulated and potentially get angry and aggressive. Cats often to that when they have a disagreement with each other. Usually accompanied by yowling. Cute but feisty.

TAIL TWITCHING

  • If they twitched their tail, usually means they are experiencing some sort of conflict or feeling agitated. If you’re stroking them and that happens, its recommended to stop what you’re doing; as that might be an early sign to tell you that they begin not to enjoy it. Or sometimes when they wanna do something but they can’t – for example standing in front of a closed door, wants to go out but it won’t open. Or a ball that they are chasing rolled underneath the sofa and they couldn’t get it out.

SWISHING TAIL

  • Hunting mode!! Usually happens while playing (Jumping on a toy or hunting). Its recognisable by the slow swaying from left to ride.
Lokie says Bye!
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Community Stories

How to regain the trust of a scared rabbit

Whiskers chillin' beside the sofa

A story of how I made up with my bun after grabbing it

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAZv2JXATQf/

Read til’ the end for a happy ending! 🙂

The mistakes

Many young and inexperienced owners like me would not hesitate to pick up their bunny and put them on their lap or stomach so that they could stroke their little one, like how you would cuddle a baby. However, owners do not realize that picking up their rabbit would only cause them great fear, for rabbits are prey animals.

When Whiskers first came to our home, I would try to pick her up and put her on my lap so that I could cuddle her like a baby. I used to think that doing so would let her get used to me but it only made her more scared of me. Back then, I didn’t quite like the idea of letting an animal roam freely around the house since I was afraid they would go missing or ingest things that they shouldn’t eat. Plus, I liked the feeling of putting her on my lap to feel her affection and getting fur all over my clothes. Even though I let her roam freely sometimes, she would not leave the cage until I am out of her sight because she feared me for grabbing her from the cage every time I played with her. And when she does, she will hide in a dark corner and remain there until she feels like going back to the cage.

Sometimes, I would put her on a table or a very tall drawer so that she can pose for pics, and putting her high up would confine her to a small area since I wasn’t that fond of letting an animal roam freely, but doing so would only make her feel stressed out because being put in high places would simulate the experience of being too far above the ground that predators can see them.

Whiskers posing in front of a Koko Krunch Cereal box on a white table

Rabbits do not like to be picked up since they are ground-based animals and the higher above the ground they are, the more stressed they will feel.

Reasons for their behaviors

In the wild, rabbits will stay as close to the ground as possible or even better for them, dig a hole underground and hide there. A rabbit that is higher and further away from the ground will be exposed to predators like eagles or vultures. Being low on the ground would lower their chances of being spotted by airborne predators while being at higher altitudes would make them easily visible to their predators and more likely to get eaten. This is why these lagomorphs need to be left on the ground as much as possible, as they feel more sheltered when they are not being picked up

Like their wild counterparts, domesticated rabbits will feel uncomfortable with being picked up. Whenever an owner picks them up, it will remind them of being abducted by an eagle or vulture in the wild (Not saying that your bun has been captured by predators before, but picking them up will simulate that experience of being abducted by a predator if they were in the wild).

Back then, I didn’t understand why she would be so scared of me. I thought she was just scared of humans, only to realize she was just scared of me. As she got older, Whiskers became more rebellious and difficult to control. Picking her up got even harder now that she became more defensive. She would refuse to eat from my hand and even bit me once because she thought that I was going to grab her out of the cage.

I want to bond with my bun, the RIGHT WAY

Tired of being feared by my little furry one, I went to research on ways to gain back her trust, to no avail. Then one day, I came across a reddit post by this bun owner who also had a similar situation to mine. He said that his bun became scared of him ever since he grabbed her and doesn’t know how to win her trust back. He also shared that he didn’t trust the experts’ articles either because he has Asperger’s.

I’ve made my bun scared of me and depressed 🙁
byu/Meunier33 inRabbits
Getting help from this guy on Reddit

Then, I was enlightened by one commenter on that reddit post. According to that comment, one must sit near their rabbit while occupying themselves with their phone, book, TV or Nintendo Switch for a few days, while still attending to the rabbit’s basic needs such as replenishing their hay, cleaning their cage, etc. After the rabbit is used to your presence, you can try hand-feeding it to see if it’s comfortable being near you.

Thanks to susanshoos from Reddit!

It worked!

So I decided to try this out. I started by sitting near her cage while using my phone or playing with my switch lite so that she gets used to me being around. After a few days, I tried feeding her dandelion delights, her favorite snack by hand. This time, she ate it from me without fear. She took a few more pieces before getting head strokes from me. I was thrilled!

https://www.facebook.com/100008172999872/videos/2681078472174560

Ever since that day, Whiskers isn’t scared of me anymore. Now, she likes to follow me around whenever she is on the loose. She would crave snacks from me especially if I whip out a piece of heart-shaped carrot/apple dill (she used to refuse eating from my hand before this). Unlike before, I would not pick her up, knowing that she needs to have the freedom to explore the house by running around to get some exercise. I also do not put her on surfaces above the ground knowing that she doesn’t like it, but she will still climb onto the sofa herself just to be near me when I sit on the sofa.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBViEn1Dvtx/
Whiskers happily playing on the sofa 🙂

So if you ever need to win back your rabbit’s trust after grabbing them, just do what I did, and in just a few days they will like you back. Just remember not to grab them again and let them roam around the house freely for more exercise! 🙂

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Community Stories

An insider look at a dog volunteer’s journey

I became a volunteer in 2018 at The Right To Live (TRTL) dog shelter, and have been volunteering there ever since. Many people have asked me what it’s like to volunteer at a dog shelter. They wonder about the friendliness of the dogs, what I do to care for them and how the environment is like. Thus, I thought I would pen down my experience as a volunteer in hopes of encouraging animal lovers like yourself to support local shelters!

What kind of dogs do you care for?

Manja and I at Jurong Lake Garden Dog Run ❤️ (*taken before COVID-19)

“Are there any puppies at the shelter?” is a popular question I often receive. It is a misconception that most dogs you will meet at shelters are purebred young pups. They are mostly mongrels (aka Singapore specials), which refer to dogs who are bred on the streets. Singapore specials are commonly rescued from construction sites or sadly, families who have abandoned them. As they are a product of different dog breeds, Singapore specials do not look like purebred dogs. Despite their differences in appearance, they are no different from any other purebred dogs. Every Singapore special that I have met have their unique quirks, just like Manja in the photo above who REALLY loves her belly rubs.

“Dear hooman, rub my belly please… “

What do you do at the shelter?

Toffee giving me paw-fives ?

TRTL houses over more than 120 dogs. At our shelter, volunteers can walk and bath the dogs. The scope of work for volunteers may vary for different shelters but most shelters primarily need more volunteers to help with walking and bonding. As Singapore specials spend most of their days cooped up in their kennels, they do not get to make many hooman friends. Therefore, they get SUPER excited when they meet volunteers. Like many pet dogs out there, Singapore specials take time to warm up to new faces. The longer you commit, the better they will get to know you. One problem shelters face is finding regular volunteers who would stick around for long. These dogs need to foster a sense of familiarity with humans.

How is the shelter environment like?

Other TRTL volunteers ? (*taken before COVID-19)

When I first started, I had to gain the trust of many dogs at the shelter. Dog shelters house many dogs with different temperaments. Due to past experiences, some dogs may take more time to open up than others. Nothing wrong with requiring that extra boost of patience and T.L.C (tender, loving, care) right? What inspired me to continue my volunteer work at the dog shelter was witnessing how much I could brighten a dog’s day. Their smiles, hugs and antics keep me going.

“Not today hooman”

In a nutshell, many shelters in Singapore are looking for passionate helping hands to help care for our beloved Singapore specials. Besides joining volunteering programs, there are other thoughtful ways in which you can support local shelters. You could choose to adopt and not shop for a pet or become a dog sponsor. My volunteering journey has certainly been a fulfilling one, and I hope that it has sparked some inspiration in you to start your journey as well!

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FAQ: Blog Contributors

How do I be a contributor?

Drop us a DM on Instagram @pawjourr or simply get registered on our blog as an author!

As a registered author, you’re able to write multiple articles at your own pace as and when you like! There is also no number of words required for each article.

What can I write about?

Pawjourr advocate genuine experiences and knowledge. Here are some questions you can ask yourself while brainstorming for a topic!

  • Have my pet thrived on a particular product or diet?
  • What have I successfully accomplished as a pet owner which I hope more owners can learn about?
  • Learnt something the hard way which no owners should have been through?
  • Have my pet suffered from a particular medical condition?
  • What aspects of advice did I look out for as a new pet owner?
  • What is important to me and my pet?
  • How can I help new pet owners?
  • What are some issues that pet owners should be made aware and knowledgeable about?

As a #nofilter content hub, contributors are allowed to write their thoughts and feelings so long as there is no factually wrong information. You don’t have to worry

Don’t forget to use headings to section your writing if you are mentioning different points!

After submitting to the workflow, there will be a review process before your article gets published.

Is there a word limit?

There are absolutely no restrictions on the word limit. However, all articles should be substantial. We suggest separating your idea into different articles with an area of focus each.

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Have any queries? Drop us a DM and we may or may not send you memes. ?

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Community Stories

Allergies, allergies everywhere!

Allergy is defined as an over-reactivity or hypersensitivity of the immune system to a particular substance called an allergen. Allergens are protein that can come from plants, foods or animals.

Allergies are one of the most common issues here in Singapore. Allergies can start to appear when your pet is around six months of age and the majority of dogs affected with allergies are over the age of one or two.

Types of allergy

  1. Flea Bite Allergy
  2. Food Allergy
  3. Environmental Allergy (Atopy)

The most common type of allergies seen in pets is either environmental allergy or food allergy. Common food allergens are chicken, dairy, eggs or beef. Common environmental allergens are pollens from trees/grasses and dust mites.

Signs and symptoms of allergies

  • Itching of the skin
  • Constantly biting and licking of the skin
  • Scabs on the body
  • Flaking on the skin
  • Redness on the skin

Treatment options for food allergy would be elimination diet for 8 weeks with no other food, treats, flavoured chews or medications. A home cooked novel protein and carbohydrate diet or hydrolysed protein diet. Novel protein such as rabbit, kangaroo or frog meat can be sourced easily available from any meat supplier. Novel carbohydrate such as sweet potato, white potato and chickpea can be sourced easily from the supermarket. Hydrolysed protein diet can be found in veterinary clinics selling prescription diet.

Treatment options for environmental allergy would be giving medications or allergen specific immunotherapy. Medications such as apoquel, cyclosporine, corticosteroids and cytopoint injections can help to manage allergies. Allergen specific immunotherapy such as serum allergy testing or intradermal skin testing can help you identify what allergens your pet is allergic to. Most veterinary clinics can provide this service where they are able to draw your pet’s blood and send out the serum for lab testing.

*Do note that allergies CANNOT be cured but can only be managed

My Personal Experience

Hiro started showing signs of scabbing and crusting around his groin area when he was about six months of age. His main diet was kibbles and chicken is the main ingredient. We rarely give him treats and do not give him milk either.

Scabs started showing day by day and even though he wasn’t scratching or biting it, it definitely bothered me a lot and it was concerning. I immediately stopped his diet and avoided chicken at all cost and changed to another food brand with the main protein as lamb. To my relief, the scabs started going away and his groin area does not look nasty anymore!

Everything was going smooth sailing till he nearly turns 2 and that was the time when I found out that he has been licking and biting on his paws once in a while. It did not bother me at all as I thought he was only doing it due to boredom and a way to get our attention. Soon, the licking and chewing became so frequent that his paws were filled with saliva staining, fur loss and it was inflamed!

His angry red paws were definitely a red flag and worth the investigation! The vet did a simple skin cytology test and there is a yeast infection going on in all four paws! To manage the yeast infection in his paws, we got some antifungal and anti-itch medication to help him manage his allergies. The medication definitely helped to calm his angry red paws and he stopped biting and licking his paws! When there is no medication, I try to manage his allergies by washing his paws regularly with a medicated shampoo (Vetazole/Malaseb) and putting him on a cone to prevent him from traumatising his paws and applying antibiotic cream.

Conclusion

It is definitely worth a trip to the vet if your pet has been experiencing any of the above signs! Don’t let their skin issues deteriorate over time! If medications are not your preferred choice, regular washing of the paws with a medicated shampoo and putting on the e-collar at least so they do not traumatise their own paws just like silly Hiro!

I hope my personal experience dealing with Hiro’s allergies help to enlighten pet owners! Remember, each dog is different and our experiences may vary. Thankfully Hiro’s allergies are only his paws where yeast overproduces.

Follow us on Instagram: @hiroxcharoadventures to see the goofballs and their crazy daily antics!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CElh897jQOK/
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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

Categories
Community Stories

Caring for a Tripod Dog!

What is a Tripod Dog?

A Tripod Dog is a dog with three legs. 

  • The loss of a leg/limb can be due to reasons like medical reasons eg: cancer; Accidents eg: leg trauma; or congenital deformities/birth defects.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B81aqnjAxiK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Today,

I’m sharing with you guys our journey with Kobe; our 3 legged Mongrel a.k.a Singapore Special. He was found with his left hind leg severed below its knee; and a huge maggot wound behind his back. The cause of his injuries until today is unclear. Rescuers managed to get him to the vet, and it was determined after a specialist’s assessment that amputation of his hindlimb is essential to improve his quality of life.

  • Maggot Wound
  • Severed Limb
We apologise for the graphic content!

However, Kobe recovered quickly from the surgery under the loving care of his foster parents. Shortly after, we took him in and adopted Kobe as part of our family. He has always been such a happy go lucky doggo!

Doing tricks!

As this is our first experience loving and caring for a 3-legged dog, there are of course many factors you must consider before adopting a pet that may or may not have any special requirements. We did our own research and was mentally prepared to take up a lifetime challenge/responsibility of providing to the best of our ability to ensure Kobe has an enriched life.

Through the months we had Kobe, like any other dog owners out there, we had our fair share of struggles, trials and errors. But through those tough times were lessons that taught us patience to understand the reasons for Kobe’s behaviours and actions. Through these experiences, these are some of the important highlights to take note of:

  1. Keep tripod doggo slim!

According to the Vet and Therapist; The most common health issue with a three legged pet is that they may develop arthritis earlier than other pets. 

Because of his missing hind limb; weight bearing on both his front limbs, can result in increased muscle tension of his biceps and triceps.

Thats because more stress is placed on his remaining joints, hence, more wear and tear in the future. Therefore, it is very important to keep them healthy and slim, so as to not have any additional joint stresses from excess weight. A Balanced diet is the key!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCtPUBBjhMk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
  1. Exercise!

Since maintaining a healthy weight is important, its important to strengthen the core muscles! Using balance discs is one good way of strengthening the stomach’s muscles.

However we should take extra care to not overdo any exercise or prolonged walking. It is important to look out for signs of fatigue – Kobe would suddenly sit halfway during his walks and that meant he had reached his limit for the day.

It is also important to avoid ACL injuries (anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) as it is one of the key ligaments that help stabilise the knee joints) on their remaining limbs! 

It is highly recommended to consider consulting a Veterinary rehabilitation therapist for advise on how to protect and strengthen their remaining limbs!

EG: – RehabVet Centre 

Veterinary Rehabilitation centre & Physiotherapy 

Canine Wellness Rehab Centre.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_sUpJYjPNL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
  1. Keep our dog’s paw pad clean!

Proper foot care is very important for a three legged dog.

They might develop cracked foot-pads because of the additional weight placed upon each paw. We apply Natural Dog Company Organic Paw Soother Healing Balm for Dogs on Kobe’s paw pad to help keep it moisturised!

We apply it every night before he sleeps after his night walk.

It helps if you shave off your pet’s excessive paw pad fur so that dirt does not get trapped in between their toes and they don’t slip as easy while walking or running around the house!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBcIQXTjJik/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
  1. Manage Slippery surfaces.

Ensure there are not too many slippery surfaces in the house.

If you have slippery surfaces like wood, tiles or marble, covering these surfaces with rugs or baby foam mats helps especially when they are busy happily running or playing! As 3 legged dogs have less balance, extra care is needed to prevent them from slipping, as they are more prone to injuries. 

Lucky us, our floor is made of overlay Vinyl instead of regular tiles.

It would also benefit them by providing raised water/food bowls, to avoid prolonged neck bending while drinking or having their meal! 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCLC5UmD_8U/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
  1. Just let them be dogs!

We bring Kobe out on fun walks, swims on beach days and dog parks to allow him to socialise with other people and dog buddies!

Having a 3 legged dog does not stop them from their ability to engage in normal activities a dog would do. Kobe loves to have his daily zoomies around the house with his cat brothers & sisters. He excitedly jumps up and down the sofa whenever he is most happy about something.

Having lost his hind limb a such a young age, he has adapted the use of his remaining hind limb growing up. He behaves like any other normal happy dog would, and probably thinks other dogs are weird for having an extra hind limb. 

Kobe’s first swimming!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEv7PasD8XT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

We are the lucky ones to have Kobe in our lives 🙂

With love,

KOBE’S PAWRENTS. (Kendrick & Kimberly)

Categories
Community Stories

Ah Boys to Men – Dog Training with Porkchop

punggolporkchop

We got Porkchop in November 2019 when he was only 2.5 months old. Fresh from the pet shop and brainwashed by dramas, we thought that being a pet owner just meant welcoming a new member into your life. We were okay as long as he peed and pooped at the right places like your typical family member. Being a first time pawrent we were super clueless about the need for training until we met our first hurdle – excessive barking.

How it started

Sometime around February this year, Porkchop became territorial and barked at strangers, neighbours and anyone that walked past the door. He only stopped when the person walked away. Initially we were all trying to adapt to it. I mean it was just doggo doing their doggo duty right? When strangers came they just wanted to safeguard the family and alert the family of impending danger (which happens to be in the shape of a Grab deliveryman most of the time). The only issue was that as the days went by, the alert became louder, more frequent and disruptive.

It also didn’t help when we walked to his playpen to tell him to “quiet” whenever he borked. We thought we were doing the right thing. But in Porkchop’s eyes it meant, “Oh when I make a sound my favourite hoomans come.” Being a super attention seeker, this attention that we gave him led him to learn the negative behaviour and the excessive barking gradually became attention barking.

#ProTip: One of the ways to tackle attention barking is to simply not give it any attention. By ignoring it you are sending an opposite behaviour of “ If you make a sound, I will not come”. However it does take a lot of effort on the pawrent’s end and all family members will need to cooperate, be firm and consistent in order to make it effective.

Everything sounds bad so far right? So hoomum went to ask her best friend, Google for some tips. She also talked to a few other dog owners to understand their experience. After some research, we decided to try what we found on the Internet.

First Try – Teaching the “Speak” command

Okay so the logic was, if your dog keeps barking, you hold a treat up at his nose for a long time and not give it to him until he gets annoyed and starts to bark. When that happens, catch it and tag it with the “speak” command. Once he knows that speak = barking, he will start to learn to speak on command. When he masters this, you then teach him the “quiet” command. Sounds simple, but it was an utter failure for us. We spent 30 minutes teaching him to “speak” using reward based training (rewarding him treatos when he barks) and he ended up barking every time he sees treats…. *shakes head* Maybe we did something wrong with this method but we had to give up in the end and look for alternatives. This also shows that not everything you read on the Internet works.

Second Try – Obedience school

This was one of the methods that hoomum’s colleagues recommended. We then started our journey of researching for a good obedience school for Porkchop and enrolled in a 10 week obedience training course with a local renowned trainer. We learnt how to use leash correction and choke chain during the training and every negative behaviour revolved around pulling the choke chain in a sudden movement.

Practicing sit stay with the choke collar

So whenever Porkchop barked, we pulled the choke chain up and corrected him. It was pretty effective at the start since it was something new for him that he never encountered. The choke chain did provide some discomfort so he stopped when we corrected him and the barking became less frequent. We also worked on our heel work during school a lot and the training also helped to tackle the leash pulling problem that he had whenever he was out. (Yes he’s a boy with many behavioural issues. In our opinion this is not uncommon though)

Taken during one of our practices

Everything seemed pretty good until Porkchop started to get used to it. When he got used to the chokes, the barking came back. Not as bad as the beginning, but if we say we progressed significantly during the course, by the end of the course we felt like the progress had taken a huge step backwards.

Yepp, overall we still felt there was an improvement. We did reward him during this training time but to see our futile efforts going backwards instead of progressing made us feel quite disheartened. On top of that we had been diligently practicing his training every day after work for the whole time, even outside of classes so it was physically exhausting for us. Not to forget this was done when Porkchop was still a puppy. So the hyper energizer bunny became too much for us and we weren’t enjoying our time with him as much as we liked to.

#Protip: Obedience school is a good way to start and get your pets to learn good behaviour. However, make sure you do enough research (Google, talking to owners with similar breeds, forums etc) to decide on which school is right for your pet. each school uses different training methods which may or may not be suitable for the breed you have or the personality of your pet.

Third Try – E-collar training

Obedience school was lengthened due to the circuit breaker that happened halfway so by July we were super drained out. This was also the time where we started to follow tons of other cute local Corgos on Instagram and chanced upon our idols Lion and Bambi. We were amazed at how they were able to do down stay for a long time while their pawrents buy bubble tea or run errands somewhere nearby. Their heel was perfect and done off leash. It was like seeing our dream for Porkchop come true through them. We were amazed and didn’t know that pet dogs were capable of doing this.

After being wowed by their progress, we decided that we wanted to make our dream come true and contacted them for referral. We had a meeting with the trainer and got introduced to the e-collar for the first time. We got ourselves educated while we sent him off for a 2-week board and train programme. When we got him back, the results were impressive.

Previously, I would say we progressed 20% with the choke chain. With the e-collar training we had managed to progress to about 60-70%. While it’s still not perfect, we think that it is a much better tool to correct negative behaviour. It is easy to learn and the execution is much faster and immediate compared to leash correction. It is also much less reliant on the techniques and handling of the leash, which can vary drastically from owner to owner. We also used it to correct his barking and the situation has definitely improved. Of course, it’s still not perfect as training is a life long journey. But to see him improve tremendously these recent weeks has provided us with a great deal of motivation and satisfaction. Walks with him are now more enjoyable. Being able to stroll down the park with him right beside us without a leash and knowing that he won’t run away is the best feeling we have thus far.