Starting the new year with another addition to our Pawjourr Spotlight series, where we highlight unique creators and the jobs they have taken on to showcase our pool of talents and how they work with brands.
Introducing… Dr. Laura
Growing up in sunny SoCal, Dr. Laura experienced firsthand the different ways people view animals based on their cultural differences. She believes that as an animal health care professional, one’s utmost duty is to be an advocate for the safety and well-being of all pets. Especially improving the quality of life for all animals.
After graduating from the Western University of Health Sciences, Dr. Laura went on to work at Pawp, as a lead veterinarian. She served as an advisor and consultant to their network of pet owners – sounds exciting if you ask me!
Dr. Laura is also very passionate about pet food and nutrition and has worked with various brands as a consultant, along with crafting recipes for different clients.
Dr. Laura, like the rest of us, love warm hugs
“Vet Lo where the pets go”
Similarly, with Pawjourr, Dr. Laura serves as a veterinarian advisor and consultant.
In 2022, Animal Ortho Care wanted to work with vets through Pawjourr to promote their bracing products. We engaged Dr Laura who is an active content creator and practicing vet to take part in this campaign.
Dr. Laura worked with her patients to understand their conditions and customized Animal Ortho Care bracing products to suit their needs. Having personally tested the bracing products on her patients, she saw how it has helped them, giving them a stamp of approval for medical products like the Haute Wheels Dog Wheelchair and Lil’ Back Bracer.
She further shared video testimonials on her social accounts and provided testimonials to be used on the brand’s website.
Besides testing medical products, Dr. Laura tested out pet tech gadgets too. For example, the Eufy pet camera allows you to keep an eye on your pet while you’re not home. According to Dr. Laura’s review, the device is perfect for pets with separation anxiety, as it allows you to feed treats and talk to them through the Eufy app.
Benefits of working with vets
We previously shared about the benefits of customer reviews and how it has the power to influence consumers’ purchasing decisions. And what if I told you that a product review by an expert goes an even longer way!
A partnership between an accredited vet and a brand provides credibility and social proof for a product or service. Vets are considered experts in their field and their endorsement of a product or service can help to increase consumer trust and confidence in that product or service.
Additionally, when a product or service is recommended by a trusted professional, it helps to increase the perceived value of the product or service, which can potentially lead to increased sales.
The advantages of getting an expert opinion are endless! These experts tend to have a greater understanding and experience of the matter, which makes their opinion much more legitimate in the eye of a consumer. In this case, Dr. Laura was able to showcase the effectiveness of certain products and share them with her loyal audience.
If you’re a brand looking to work with vets, Dr. Laura is one of our best picks! Reach out to us at hello@pawjourr.com , and we’ll connect you with the right expert..
Closeup view of client with cute dog signing pet insurance policy at veterinarian clinic, panorama
Many people around me are getting furkids rather than having human children due to many reasons.
A furkid will always shower you with love no matter how old they get.
The cost of raising them is lower than human kids where you would need to think about getting a place near the ideal school and the cost of university, etc.
Talking about cost; The cost of raising a furkid is definitely not all fields of flowers, especially when it comes to medical cost since pets are unable to tell you when they are not feeling well. The most they can do is to hit their head against the wall or keep licking themselves etc.
Pet insurance is similar to hospital insurance for yourself. There are more and more pet owners who will get pet insurance for their furkid recently.
The cost of Pet Insurance starts from $300+ and can cover up to 50% of your vet bill.
I am an agent selling pet insurance, I can say that I am quite fortunate that I do not have much claim experience so far.
Hi there
Last year I had a claim where the poor girl had food poisoning and a visit to the vet set them back by $631.
Not sure about you but the bill kinda scares me…
Compared that to the premium of $350, doesn’t this feel like a bargain now? For the interested parties, feel free to reach out to me as stated in this blog or visit my website: www.pettoshield.com.
As a new dog or cat owner, the experience can sometimes be scary. How much do you feed them? How frequently do they need to be bathed? What kind of medical needs do they have? These are just some of the questions our pet owners at The Woof Agency have asked themselves when they first got their furbabies.
In order to clear some of your doubts, our team has put together a list of things you need to know when it comes to vaccinating your new puppy or kitten. This ranges from what the vaccines do, what the timeline is like, and what it protects your furkids against.
Are puppy vaccinations necessary?
As you’ve probably gathered, this vaccine is important because it protects your furkids from viruses that they may be susceptible to as a newborn. While it isn’t mandatory for owners to have their pups take the shots, vaccinating them gives you extra peace of mind when you bring them out for walks or an adventure.
How many vaccinations does my puppy/kitten need?
They need a total of 3 doses of the core vaccine, which will be administered 4 weeks apart.
The first dose should be given when they’re between 6-8 weeks old, second dose when they’re 10-12 weeks old, and the last one when they’re 14-16 weeks old. It’s important that you minimise your pets interactions with other animals during this period!
For those who are curious as to why there’s 3 doses, the reason is this: vaccines can wear off! 3 doses that are 4 weeks apart helps your furbabies build sufficient antibodies to stay protected.
What are the vaccinations for?
The core vaccine helps to stimulate the production of antibodies against deadly diseases in your furbabies. In doing so, it prevents them from contracting viruses such as;
DOGS 1 – Canine Parvovirus
What is it Parvo causes infectious gastrointestinal (GI) illness in puppies and young dogs, and can potentially be fatal for those that aren’t vaccinated.
It spreads via direct contact with a dog that’s infected or through their feces. Dogs that are infected can start to shed the virus four to five days after being exposed, sometimes before they even show any signs of infection. For pups that are diagnosed with parvo, it’s important to quarantine your dog not just for their health, but for the health of other dogs too.
Symptoms & Next Steps Here are some symptoms that you should take note of if you suspect your pup has Parvo:
What is it Canine distemper is a highly contagious virus caused by the paramyxovirus. It’s caused by the paramyxovirus virus. Animals get infected from contact with infected urine, blood, saliva, or respiratory droplets. Of these, transmission usually happens through droplets. It can be spread through coughing and sneezing or contaminated food and water bowls.
Canine distemper can potentially also cause brain inflammation and neurological symptoms, and is often confused with rabies. Neurological symptoms of canine distemper include:
What is it Hepatitis is defined as inflammation of the liver. As a specific disease, infectious canine hepatitis (ICH) is a viral infection caused by a member of the adenovirus family.
In the mild form the dog may merely have a decreased appetite, appear depressed and have a mild fever. Some dogs develop opacity (cloudiness) of one or both corneas of their eyes (so-called blue eye) one to two weeks later. Dogs may have respiratory signs such as eye and nasal discharge and a cough that is indistinguishable from other forms of upper respiratory tract infections or kennel cough (see handout “Kennel Cough or Tracheobronchitisin Dogs”).
Symptoms & Next Steps
Mild Symptoms: 1. Decreased appetite 2. Appear depressed 3. Mild fever 4. In some cases, cloudiness forms in one or both corneas of their eyes (“Blue Eyes”) 1-2 weeks later 5. Eye and nasal discharge 6. Kennel cough
Severe Symptoms: 1. Abdominal pain 2. Vomiting 3. Diarrhea 4. Edema (fluid swelling under the skin) of the head and neck 5. Jaundice
If your pup exhibits any of these symptoms above, it’s important that you bring your dog to the vet immediately as the severe symptoms can be fatal.
If detected, it’s important to bring your cat to the vet immediately.
2 – Pavrovirus
What is it Pavrovirus for cats is also a highly contagious virus, and is also a viral virus. It is able to infect rapidly dividing cells such as bone marrow cells.
Symptoms & Next Steps: 1. Vomiting 2. Diarrhea 3. Depression
It’s important to bring your cat to the vet immediately if you suspect that they’ve contracted this disease.
3 – Calicivirus
What is it Calicivirus is a highly contagious virus amongst cats, and is able to cause respiratory and oral diseases in them.
Symptoms & Next Steps: 1. Ulcers on tongue 2. Inflammation of tongue
It’s important to bring your cat to the vet immediately if you suspect that they’ve contracted this disease.
Summary
While it’s not a must, vaccinating your furbabies is a highly recommended practice to engage in when you first get your pet. It keeps them protected against common diseases, and gives you peace of mind when bringing them out to interact with both humans and animals alike.
If you think there are other steps that pet owners can take to keep their furbabies safe, let us know in the comments below!
Article originally published on Greencross Vets. Refer to the original article here.
Introduction to puppy teething
Just like human babies, puppies are born with no teeth. Their first set of baby teeth, or milk teeth, grow in between 3 and 4 weeks of age. When your puppy is around 4-5 months old, these teeth will fall out to make room for their permanent set of adult teeth. By 5-7 months, all the adult teeth will be present. It is important to note this can vary depending on the breed.
This means that puppies experience teething twice, once for their milk teeth and again with their adult teeth. While teething is generally not a painful process for your puppy, they may experience some discomfort in their jaw at this time. The best way to help them alleviate this is to provide your puppy with specifically-designed soft chew toys. This will also prevent unwanted chewing of other objects around the house.
Puppy Teething Timeline
Signs your puppy is teething
red, inflamed gums
drooling and offensive breath
increased chewing behaviour – chewing is the most obvious sign that your puppy is teething and you can help them by providing them with safe toys and discouraging biting
bleeding gums – a small amount of bleeding from the gums is normal and you may find specks of blood on your puppy’s favourite chew toys
missing teeth – you may find these on the floor but it is also common and safe for your puppy to swallow these as they fall out
decreased appetite – puppies may eat slower or less as it causes them discomfort
puppy in lower mood than usual – some puppies may whine and fuss or be more irritable than usual
When is it necessary to see the vet?
Some puppies experience a slight fever while teething which should be monitored to ensure their temperature does not climb too high.
While teething often involves some bleeding from the gums as your puppy’s sharp teeth emerge, if you notice a large amount of blood, immediately seek professional assistance from your vet.
Before all your puppy’s adult teeth have grown in, you should book them in for a dental appointment at your local Greencross Vets for a precautionary checkup.
What to expect at the dental checkup
The vet will check your puppy for:
crooked teeth – this can be caused by two teeth coming in at one spot, or if a baby tooth has not fallen out when the adult tooth is emerging. This may be evident during their vaccination checkups
jaw misalignment – for some breeds with short muzzles, a slight underbite is normal However, if your puppy is showing signs of a strong underbite or overbite, vet intervention may be required to correct chewing and eating issues in the future. These conditions are best treated early
bad breath – this is not normal in dogs and may indicate that your puppy has a low grade infection
broken or cracked teeth – if a tooth has broken below the gum line and the nerve is exposed, your puppy will be in discomfort and may develop an infection
bleeding and swollen gums – this may be a sign of teething
tartar build up – while tartar build up is uncommon in puppies, it occasionally does happen. Implement a dental routine while your puppy is young to avoid dental diseases in the future
When I first started my internship, I was told that we have an office hamster that is around 2-3 years old which is estimated to be around 80-120 years old in hamster age. Initially, I did not interact much with the him but as time went by, I slowly grew attached to him.
When he was still in office :3
I started doing research online regarding how to better care for a hamster. I started out by made some toys out of cardboard that he could play with. Then I started to, buy some snacks for him and would play with him once in a while. After a few months, I decided to get him a new cage that is bigger that his original cage so he can have a bigger space for himself as my research online said that small cages could make a hamster feel stressed due to the lack of space.
When Christmas and New Year’s came around, the last two weekends of 2020 were a long weekend and there would be no one to look after him if he was left in the office so I brought him home and he has been in my house ever since. My family also grew attached to him and plays with him when they have the time to.
Eating broccoli at my house
One day as I was feeding a treat to him, I noticed that his left ear seemed swollen and since I have no experience about how to handle this kind of situation, I googled and found out that it could either be a growth or an ear infection. I then contacted my close friend that owns 2 hamsters to seek for help. My friend helped me get an appointment booked with the vet that she usually brings her hamster to and she also went to the vet with me as it is my first time going to the vet.
His infected ear
After the vet checked on him, it seems that not only was his left ear infected and swollen, his right ear was also infected and he also has some on his skin as well. Initially, the vet wanted to clean his ear and teach me after so I could do it myself as well at home. However, when the vets were trying to clean his ear it seems that he was not used to being handled and he was very stressed by the situation that he gasped and almost collapsed. The vets decided to not clean his ear anymore, gave him some oxygen and get him to calm down.
The final decision was to feed him antibiotics and antihistamine to help with his infection and itching. At first, I was a little worried about needing to feed his medications myself as my friend told me that she had a hard time feeding her hamster medications back then when she had to. But when I tried to feed him his medication myself, he ate his medication well and did not reject eating it which was a huge relief for me. He is now still in the middle of his medication period and I hope that he stays strong and recovers well : )
No, not that kind of sugar baby! The term sugar baby is commonly used within the diabetic dog pawrent community as a term of endearment to describe our poor puppers who have been diagnosed with diabetes. Exactly a year ago, on 29 November, my Pomeranian Summer (aka Gou Gou) was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a condition characterized by high blood sugar levels in the body due to insulin deficiency.
My sweet little sugar baby!
The Diagnosis
I still remember the exact moment I received the awful news like it was yesterday. I had just arrived in China, and was in the car with my dad when he read out a text message from my mom saying that Summer had been hospitalized.
My mom visiting poor Summer at the hospital
Summer had suffered bouts of vomiting and experienced excessive thirst the day before. After a night of intense vomiting, my mom rushed her to The Joyous Vet where she received a preliminary diagnosis of diabetes and was hospitalized. My initial thought was to catch the next flight back to Singapore, but my dad dissuaded me and assured me that she would be fine. Thus, began the dreadful wait of receiving more information on Summer’s condition and prognosis.
Summer had to be hooked up to a strange machine to ensure she had enough fluids in her body
By the time Summer was hospitalized, she had already developed diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). In simple terms, DKA is a life-threatening condition where the body has extremely high blood sugar levels due to a lack of insulin to break down glucose into a form that the cells can use for energy. The body then starts to break down fat and protein as a means of obtaining energy. This results in the body becoming more acidic and not being able to maintain the right fluid balance.
Graphic from https://beyondtype1.org/high-blood-sugars-dka-spells-danger/
If left untreated, DKA would result in death. Summer had one paw in the grave and time was of the essence.
The Hospitalization
I was finally reunited with Summer at the clinic three days after her diagnosis.
I bawled the second I laid my eyes on Summer. She looked spiritless, disheveled, and had lost a lot of weight. The vet techs told me that Summer’s appetite was extremely poor. She refused to eat and had to be force fed blended kibble via a syringe. My heart sank when my usually greedy dog declined the snacks that I had brought her.
The attending vet informed me that while Summer’s condition had improved, her illness was still in a critical stage as her blood glucose levels were still sky-high. The vet acknowledged that the clinic could only check on her during operating hours and I was given the option to transfer Summer to a 24-hour clinic so that she could have her vital signs monitored more frequently. Nevertheless, we decided that Summer would remain at The Joyous Vet for the rest of her treatment to reduce the stress of moving her from one place to another.
My brave warrior kept a smile on her face despite the pain she was being put through
While it pained me greatly to see a listless Summer cooped up in a metal box, I knew it was necessary for her recovery, and assured her repeatedly that I would bring her home soon. We could only wait and hope for the best. Her condition improved slowly but surely over the next few days and she started enjoying food again.
The vet techs at The Joyous Vet teaching me how to draw blood from Summer’s vein so that I can test her blood glucose level at home. I have since learned to draw blood from Summer’s ear as it is a much safer and painless procedure
The vet techs at The Joyous Vet demonstrating how to administer insulin jabs
All in all, Summer was hospitalized at The Joyous Vet for eight days. It was a difficult period for both of us, but we had family and friends visit and root for her recovery. While her discharge marked the end of her hospitalization, it also marked the beginning of our onerous journey with the chronic disease.
On the car ride home after Summer got discharged!
Adapting to Life with Diabetes
Summer’s diagnosis meant a change in lifestyle not just for her, but for me, and her other caretakers too.
I used to feed Summer just once a day, but diabetic dogs are required to have equal portioned meals twice a day at the same time every day, 12 hours apart, right before their insulin jabs. As a result, my daily routine now revolves around her mealtimes. I have to wake up at the same time every morning (even on weekends!) and rush home after work so she will get her meals and jabs on time.
Every morning, I awake to Summer barking by my bed to remind me that it’s her mealtime
Neither my mom nor I had experience with giving injections. In fact, we were initially squeamish when handling the syringe. However, for the sake of Summer, we had to overcome our aversion to needles and learn to jab her.
As Summer had developed a fear of syringes at the clinic, we had great difficulty giving her injections at home. Whenever she saw the syringe, she would leap to her paws and run away from us. Even when we got hold of her, she would struggle and writhe vigorously in agony while making multiple attempts to nip us.
Summer snapping at me when I tried to administer her insulin jab. The struggle of injections was real and the stress got to not just Summer, but to me too
Desperate times call for desperate measures. I had to place Summer on a stool so she wouldn’t be able to run away while I attempt to jab her
My heart shattered into a million pieces as Summer had never behaved so aggressively toward me. Her aggression escalated with the days, and the injections were harder and harder to administer. There had been times when I broke down in desperation after a failed attempt, and had even forgone injections as it just seemed impossible to jab her without hurting either of us. In one instance, I even invited a delivery personnel into my home to assist me with the injection.
A failed attempt at administering insulin as a result of Summer’s struggles
Battle scars from when I had to wrestle Summer to inject her
Thankfully, I managed to get my hands on the Autoject, an auto-injector device that hides the syringe and pushes the needle into the body at the press of a button!
After conditioning Summer to the noise and feel of the Autoject, injections are now pain-free (for both of us) and take less than a minute, as compared to as long as 30 minutes before. These days, she gets so excited to see the Autoject that she would run to her feeding mat to receive her injection!
Summer now waits eagerly at her mat whenever it’s time for her jab!
Besides switching to diabetic kibble, I also disposed of all the off-the-shelf snacks that I had bought for Summer as they were no longer suitable for her diet. I began trawling the internet for treats that were suitable for diabetic dogs, and visited a few dog bakeries to purchase healthy, human grade treats. One of the bakeries that stood out was Feed My Paws. Summer and I were greeted by Crystle, who very patiently listened to my concerns, and provided recommendations based on her personal experience of having a diabetic dog too! Feed My Paws treats are now a staple part of Summer’s diet.
Summer and I are in no way affiliated to Feed My Paws. We are just two very grateful customers who were impressed by the shop’s excellent products and customer service, as well as the empathy displayed by its lady boss when I was at my most desperate
Living with a diabetic dog and managing the condition is a steep learning curve. But whenever I saw the smile on Summer’s face, I knew that the struggles were worth it.
Happy Days Ahead
A diabetes diagnosis is not a death sentence for your precious pet. Admittedly, I was fraught with fear and anxiety that I would lose my fur baby when she was first diagnosed. However, with research and support from other pawrents in similar circumstances, I soon learned that diabetes is a fully manageable condition. A little love, care, and patience will go a long way towards helping your sugar baby live its best life with fulfilling, blissful years to come. Here’s to Summer, the sweetest dog I’ve ever known!
We threw our Christmas Eve baby a barkday party for her 7th birthday slightly after she was discharged
Jalan jalan at Jurong Lake Gardens on her birthday
Summer passed her Therapy Dogs Singapore assessment with flying colors and served as a therapy dog for the first time earlier this year!
Going out for walks but still adhering to social distancing during the circuit breaker
Summer working from home alongside me
I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience managing my dog’s diabetes. Should you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us!
Oreo is a two-year-old adopted Japanese Spitz- Alaskan Malamute mix. When we adopted him in 2018, he had severe anxiety and he was not comfortable with people at all. He cried every second he was home and it took a lot of training (both home and professional) to improve his behavior.
Towards his family members, Oreo is a sweet and gentle fellow and is honestly one of the most obedient dogs I’ve seen or had. Today, he no longer barks at strangers but he isn’t outwardly friendly to them-so you can imagine a trip to the emergency vet was a nightmare for him (and maybe the nurses too!)
August 5, 2020
The day started out typical with Oreo and our Shih Tzu named Yani doing their normal routine of playing, sleeping, and fighting each other. At around 6:00pm, my mom reminded us that a flea collar needed to be put on the dogs (we use a collar because my Shih Tzu couldn’t take oral medications due to kidney issues). My sister obliged and put their brand new collar on. We didn’t think much of it because we’ve been using the same brand for almost 2 years now. The dogs didn’t seem to mind either, there was absolutely no change in their behavior.
At 8:30pm my sister went to bed with the dogs (yes, it’s early I know) and at 10:00pm she woke up to Oreo pacing. She thought Oreo was just restless so she went downstairs to get herself a glass of water. When she returned, she realized that there was white foam and blood on the bedsheet. Oreo was now vomiting but still strong and playful, even then we knew something was wrong and we prepared to take him to the emergency vet.
We saw a part of his flea collar chewed off (1/4 an inch-very tiny) and suspected that it might have been poisonous.
Since it was lockdown in Metro Manila, all the usual vets that we go to for emergencies were closed. We spent 18 minutes calling and finding a vet that would take him in after office hours. We finally found one and due to the road blockage, it took over 30 minutes to get there. The wait was excruciating, Oreo started changing within 48 minutes. He wouldn’t drink water, he was drooling excessively and he was panting.
Vet’s Office
You can see the wet part of the stairs, that was Oreo excessively drooling outside the vet’s office
It took two nurses to carry him out. The vet confirmed our suspicions that it was probably the flea collar and asked us to remove it from our other dog immediately.
Unfortunately for Oreo, an x-ray confirmed that the collar was no longer in his stomach and induced vomiting would no longer help. He needed to be warded for at least 3 days because with poisoning things can take a turn for the worse quickly as they start to digest the poison.
Oreo during his first night
Oreo’s treatment consisted of charcoal pills, an IV drip, and extra oxygen. His first night, he was extremely weak and unhappy. This vet was a whole new place for him and his usual humans were not around.
The next morning we got a message from his vet that Oreo refused to eat anything they gave him. My sister and her partner prepared Oreo’s favorite meals and visited him. The only place Oreo was comfortable and familiar with was the car. For the next days, it would be routine for my sister to visit Oreo and for the nurses to carry Oreo to the car with an IV to be fed.
Oreo in the car with his IV
By the third day, you could see a big improvement in Oreo. He was no longer drooling, he was stronger and he even seemed to be smiling again. There were still a few problems, the first one was that his kidney levels were not completely back to normal and the second was that for 3 days Oreo did not want to pass stool in the vet’s office.
Oreo still eating in the car but much happier
The vet decided that the next day (4th day) if he was still in stable condition, he could continue medicines for his kidney at home in the hopes that he would be in a more comfortable area where he can pass stool. Passing stool was important because Oreo needed to excrete the collar so it would stop releasing poison in his body.
The vet warned that taking him home would mean constant monitoring and any sign of drooling, pale gums, or seizures in the next 3 days would warrant an emergency trip back to the vet.
Bringing him home
Discharged from the vet
Oreo was discharged on August 8, 2pm. The next few days were filled with sleepless nights because we were continuously monitoring Oreo. Finally, on August 11 the vet was officially happy to declare that Oreo survived the poisoning and is out of the critical zone.
Learnings
Always have a list of emergency vets. We wasted precious time just figuring out where to take Oreo. It’s important to update this list especially during COVID where establishments change their hours.
Socialise your dog. It’s important for them to be very comfortable in a vet’s office. We realized after that Oreo never had a pleasant visit to the vet. We tried to avoid vet visits previously due to his anxiety but when he really needed to go, he was uncomfortable, to say the least.
Never use Bayopet flea collar. It’s insane how only 1/4 inch of the collar could poison a 20kg dog. I shudder to think about what would’ve happened if it was my Shih Tzu that ate the collar.
Today
Today, Oreo is back to normal. He’s happy and playful but his poisoning was a traumatic experience for everyone. We can’t believe he was poisoned by a flea collar – an item that has been deemed safe for dogs to use.
At some point, Oreo still needs to do a blood test to check if his kidney function is back to normal. At the end of the day, we’re just proud and happy to have our pup back home and healthy!
I am a worrier. So when my furbaby falls sick, I will feel as if I am ill too. I believe pet owners are generally very sensitive when your furbaby is acting out of the ordinary, or feeling unwell.
As for Simba, his first sign was peeing on the couch. Simba is 100% litter trained, and when he does things like peeing outside of his litter box, it’s usually his way of telling me that he is not feeling well, and that I better do something about it.
Subsequently, I noticed that Simba started going to the litter box very frequently – like almost once every 10 minutes, and each time he only pees a very small amount. What was more worrying was, Simba’s urine appears orange / red, which looked like there was blood in his pee. I collected the sample of his urine and immediately took him to the vet. His urine test showed that he has a urinary tract infection.
This was the urine test results. Let me share a little on what the vet explained to me.
The first red flag is the colour of his urine – which is red. This is abnormal as the normally the colour should be either yellow or orange. Red means there is blood present.
Secondly, the PRO level (which is the amount of protein present in his urine) is 3+, max being 4. By right, there actually shouldn’t be any protein in cat’s urine, so this is not a good sign either.
Thirdly, the BLD level (which is the amount of blood detected) is 4+, which is the max it can go. So since the colour if the urine is already RED, naturally the amount of blood present would be quite high.
Last red flag would the amount of LUKOCYTES, which is the amount of white blood cell present. When there is an infection going on, there is going to be white blood cells present to try to fight off the infection. So 3 out of 4 is again a very high indicator. Well, the good news is that his pH level is still fairly normal. I think if it goes up to 7 or 8 (more alkaline) then it would be a cause of concern as well.
Simba’s course of treatment would be anti-inflammatory and antibiotics injections + some oral medication. He took about 5 days to fully recover after treatment, and I will be bringing him to a review visit to the vet in two weeks to make sure that everything is back to normal.
In terms of medical bills, it cost about $250 in total, including consultation, injection and oral medication. This is the price range for Mount Pleasant vet.
So, all that being said, let’s look deeper into some facts about Feline UTI
Who are more at risk?
Feline UTI are generally more common in a multi-cat household, and it affects older cats more than kittens, and more in females than males.
The reason it affects females more is due to the anatomy of their urinary tract. Male cats have narrower urethra than female cats. When UTI occurs, the bacteria can cause a change in your cat’s urine pH, which will then lead to the formation of crystals in their urine. If those crystals become lodged in the narrow urethra of a male cat, it can cause a urinary blockage, which can result in serious consequences.
Signs and symptoms
So what are the things we need to look out for?
Visiting the litter box very frequently (i.e. more than usual)
Prolonged squatting in litter box
Inability to urinate or only passing a small amount of urine
Blood in the urine
Attempting to urinate in other parts of the house
Drinking more water than usual
Not eating as much as usual
The signs are usually quite clear and easy to identify, Simba checked quite a few of the boxes above.
What to do if you suspect your furbaby has Feline UTI?
If you notice any of the symptoms above, call your vet to book an appointment as soon as possible. In the meantime, try to collect a urine sample at home in a sterile container and bring it to the vet with you. It would be advised for the urine sample to be collected within 2 hours of the vet visit.
If the problem remains untreated, it can lead to serious problems such as kidney failure and/or bladder rupture. So it shouldn’t be ignored!!
What now?
Simba is fully recovered, and back to his normal routine (no more peeing on the bed or couch yay!)
Hope this article give you a better idea of what feline UTI is, and what are the things you should be looking out for if you suspect your furbaby may be unwell :/
Being a first-time dog owner, I was relatively lucky that Coffee had no major health issues for the first few years of her life. I always knew she had a weak stomach and had her fair share of vet visits, but nothing prepared me (and my wallet) for the multiple bouts of gastroenteritis that happened last year in 2019. I’m sharing my personal experience in hopes that you can avoid some of the mistakes that I made.
How it began
The first time it happened was on 27 Feb 2019, and it started with some diarrhoea earlier in the day. I did not think much about it at first because she occasionally had loose stools that resolved on their own. However, I knew something was wrong when she started vomiting and there was even blood in the diarrhoea. By the time I realised it was an emergency, her usual vet clinic was already closed. In my panic, I searched for vets nearby and found one that was open until 11pm. We rushed her there and disappointingly, the vet barely examined her (red flag!!), explained some possibilities and sent us off with metronidazole. Our bill easily came up to over $250 that night, which leads me to my point number 1:
1. Please research and have a list of vets for different situations! Your usual vet may not always be open when you need them, so be prepared with a list of good vet clinics you can go to for emergencies late at night/on public holidays etc. If I had a choice, I would not have gone to that vet that day.
We were then told to give her a bland diet and would likely still see blood in her diarrhoea for the next few days. She was still lively and had her good appetite then.
Coffee happily waiting for her steamed fish and pumpkin.
With the antibiotics she was taking, we thought she would get better but it took a turn for the worse. She continued to vomit and diarrhoea day and night and by 1 Mar, she had stopped wanting to eat or drink anything. I was working full time then, and the lack of sleep and stress was really building up. Luckily, I managed to squeeze in an appointment with her usual vet and I’m glad we went back to her usual vet for a second opinion.
2. Trust your gut instincts and if you feel like something is not right, you should see the vet immediately.
They examined her thoroughly (the vet even stuck her finger up Coffee’s butt to feel for any abnormalities), gave her injections and more medicine. Surprisingly, the total bill was only about $159 despite having more medicine. She eventually recovered and we thought that was the last of it.
The second and worst
In hindsight, we should have learnt from that experience and tried to be more prepared. We only learnt our lesson when disaster struck on a public holiday – 19 April 2019. Most vet clinics we knew of were closed, so we had to go to one of the few that were open and it was really far away. As usual, they gave her some injections as well as metronidazole and other anti-diarrhoea medicine. The vet had also suggested that we can hospitalise her so that they can keep an eye on her condition. Thinking that it was similar to the previous episode, I assumed she would recover and so I declined and brought her home. It was another bad decision because when she got home, the frequency of vomiting increased and there was even more blood.
It looked like a murder scene. Her diarrhoea was so bad she could not control herself and did it in the house multiple times.
I was so heartbroken seeing her in so much pain that I knew I had to bring her back despite the cost. She was later hospitalized that night, put on the IV drip to ensure she was hydrated. By the time I got home, it was almost 1am and I hardly slept that night because I was so worried. It was a relief to find out the next day that she was recovering and was ready to be discharged.
Coffee was feeling much better but very drowsy.
Her blood test results showed nothing out of the ordinary and they ruled out pancreatitis as well so they suspected it was food sensitivity or gastroenteritis. The total bill burned a big hole in my wallet as it eventually came up to around $1500 and this leads me to point 3:
3. Always have an emergency fund for your pets. You’ll never know when you will need it and emergency vet bills can really add up. You may also consider pet insurance.
The third and fourth time
To cut the story short, it happened again 2 more times in Oct and Nov 2019. It always started with the same symptoms and progressed to something serious and we had to rush to yet another clinic recommended by her usual vet for emergencies. We did a lot of blood tests, x-ray and even tested her stool samples, which is important for pets having diarrhoea.
4. Whenever possible, save a fresh stool sample (best to be within 1 hour) so the clinic can test for certain bacteria/parasites.
A learning experience
Unfortunately, all the tests came back negative and we never really knew the cause of all this. It is frustrating because it feels like we are up against an invisible enemy. However, at least I can take comfort in the fact that I am a little more prepared the next time it strikes. This whole episode was traumatic for my family and Coffee but we have emerged much stronger through this. Do comment and share your experiences too so that it may one day help anyone going through the same thing (although I pray you never have to!).
A couple of months ago, we had a day off work and made plans to bring Taro to Sentosa for our very first beach outing. Being inexperienced pawrents in this area, we simply headed off to the beach anticipating a day of fun in the sand and sea without reading up much on the ‘do’s and ‘don’t’s on a doggo beach outing.
Taro’s reaction to sand
Most dogs love sand. We commonly see videos and pictures of dogs enjoying themselves at the beach, running along the coastline, jumping into the seawater, playing fetch and digging into the sand, getting their noses all sandy and wet. So much fun! But yikes, Taro’s reaction to sand was entirely different from what we expected. Perhaps it was because he is a Shiba Inu with a lot of ‘cleanliness’ tendencies (PS. he side-walks puddles and refuses to step onto grass when it is muddy) – Taro seemed to hate sand getting onto his nose and we found him licking furiously away at the sandy bits that accidentally got onto his face.
Sand on Taro’s nose
Something doesn’t seem right…
We spent a good one hour playing with Taro on the beach, but after a while, we got a bit uncomfortable as we noticed Taro swallowing sand quite frequently. It didn’t seem normal to us but we couldn’t stop Taro from swallowing the sand. Hence, we decided to play on the safe side and return home.
Back at home, Taro seemed perfectly normal until dinner time (approximately 4 hours after the beach outing). Taro loves his food and would usually gobble up his entire bowl within 3 minutes. This time, he took two bites and hid under the sofa, refusing all sorts of food, even treats. We knew something wasn’t quite right. Taro also seemed a little lethargic and wasn’t interested in playing with his toys.
Sand Impaction and what it is
We started to get very worried as a few hours passed and Taro started to look increasingly unwell, and naturally thought of whether it was caused by Taro eating too much sand. We did a google search which led us to the topic of “Sand Impaction”. To our horror, the symptoms were similar to what Taro was having – lethargy, vomitting (Taro started to vomit later in the night), and lack of appetite. Taro seemed to be having abdominal pain as well as he refused to let us touch him and whimpered loudly when we tried to carry him into his crate.
In layman’s terms, sand impaction refers to how sand obstructs the intestinal passage of your furkid and it is a potentially serious condition requiring urgent veterinary treatment. We read a few cases online of dogs needing surgery to remove the sand in their stomachs. After a few sleepless hours of reading about this condition, we rushed Taro to the vet. Thankfully, Taro pooped out some sand just outside the vet’s clinic and seemed better in the morning. The vet advised that Taro was alright as he managed to clear out the sand in his poop, which meant that there was no serious blockage in his intestinal tract, and he was off with a few diarrhoea pills to clear out the remaining sand bits in his tummy.
As relatively new pawrents, this was a valuable lesson for us and since then, we have been extra careful of Taro licking up sand – not just at beaches, but also at parks or sandy places. It was horrifying to learn that it could have been a potentially life-threatening situation if we had stayed at the beach a little longer.
Tips for pawrents
While dogs can still enjoy the beach and sand, here are some tips we would like to share with the doggo community:
Always keep an eye on your furkid when you bring them to the beach or sandy places. Make sure they are not ingesting excessive sand when you are not looking!
Avoid playing fetch with your doggo at sandy places as they might inadvertently swallow sand as they pick up the ball/stick in the sea or sand.
Watch out for symptoms like lethargy, abdominal pain, vomiting, loss of appetite and strained bowel movements if you suspect that your dog might have swallowed some sand.
Finally, a tiny bit of sand ingestion during each beach outing might accumulate and potentially cause problems over time! Don’t let your guard down, play on the safe side and always keep a close watch while enjoying the sand and sea with your furkid 🙂
