Friday, December 4, 2009

We are featured again!

We did not know of this website till the webmaster emailed us to tell us we are featured on this website!

Dog health problems attract over 200,000 unique visitors a month and we are happy to be featured there. Now more people will know about us and what we do. YAY!

To see our blog feature listing, please go to http://dog-health-problems.org/blog_awards/index.php?id=2191.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Books on Animal Communication, Soapnuts

Books on Animal Communication

M's books from Amazon has arrived a few weeks ago! She hadn't had time to update the blog and take pictures but here is a list of what we bought!

1. Learning Their Language: Intuitive Communication with Animals and Nature
2. Beyond Words: Talking with Animals and Nature
3. Animal Talk: Interspecies Animal Communication

There are four more titles but she has to check them up again. She has read a few books and will review them soon.

Soapnuts

M previously introduced her friend to soapnuts and decided to order some herself. They can be ordered from www.oneecostep.com for $37/kg with free shipping!

When the soapnuts arrive, all bedsheets and the humans' clothes will be washed by soapnuts! Pictures will be updated soon.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Pet Groomer Jailed for Hitting Dog

PET groomer Sun Hu was jailed two weeks for using a clipper to hit a dog last month.

The three-year-old Maltese terrier died of head injuries while still on the grooming table.

A district court heard on Friday that Sun, 24, had been working for a year at the Strawberry Pet Shop in Corporation Road in Jurong.

On Sept 13, Mr Deva Rajan Kamalasanan, 47, brought his pet, Junior, to the shop for grooming. About 30 minutes later, he received a phone call telling him that his pet had died.

A post-mortem by the Veterinary Pathology Branch of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) revealed that the dog had been hit on the head.

The maximum punishment is a $10,000 fine and a year in jail.


Finally, justice is served for Junior's family. The pain Junior's people went through must have really hurt.. No one can understand that better than M.

Hopefully this would be a deterrent for other dubious groomers.

As a groomer, M knows it can be frustrating to groom dogs sometimes. But under NO circumstances should you abuse a dog. A light hit on the bum will not kill a dog, the killer would have to deal a greater blow. Please becareful when bringing your dogs to groomers outside.

The main reason M learnt grooming was so that she could groom us. Thankfully..

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

A cruelty free lifestyle

Now that we have seen the light, we are embarking towards a 100% cruelty free lifestyle.

We know that we aren't vegans or even vegetarian, but to us, a diet with meat is inevitable. However, even while being meat-eaters, there are some other ways in which we could help animals and the environment.

1. Do not buy animal-tested products/ingredients.

Sure sure.. the argument goes "if you don't test it on animals, how do you know its safe?!". And the answer: TEST IT ON YOURSELF!

After going all natural, M found out that many natural products and their ingredients are not tested on animals but indeed, the inventors of those products test on themselves and family with great results!

For example, the natural soap M always gets hold of is tested by their inventors. Only after reaping great results does the soap go on sale. Some products just work too well on humans and thus get used on pets!

This "animal testing" is different from what we've mentioned above. The products are used by humans and thereafter given to animals when its proven to be useful.

Animal tested products and ingredients involve the cruel confinement of animals (eg. rats, dogs, etc) in cages in laboratories and applying harsh chemicals on the animals' skin, eyes, etc. These chemicals have most likely not been tested for safety in anyway and potentially harm or kill the animal.

2. Use only ALL Natural

ALL Natural meaning no synthetic anything.

We prefer essential oils to fragrances, not only do they smell wonderful, they have aromatherapeutic values as well!

We do not buy products with coloring as it is simply too unnecessary! Why pay more and harm your health and the environment just because of the color? Appreciate Nature as is!

3. Choose Packaging Wisely

Many companies have Corporate Social Responsiblity campaigns now. Look out for them and support companies who support the Environment.

Also, the main reason we use natural soap bars as opposed to natural shampoo is due to the fact that we save a plastic bottle from being manufactured (Greenhouse gases) and from the landfill.

4. Change your buying habits

Firstly, if you don't need it, don't buy it! That in itself is reducing the waste you'd produce.

Secondly, buy local whenever possible. Although it may be hard to do so in Singapore, small things help. Local and organic would be the win+win situation.

Thirdly, reduce the number of trips you make (especially when driving a car) by buying a week's worth of grocery, or a month's worth if the produce could keep that long.

Think Green, and you will naturally be Green. Do let us know if you have more suggestions as well by commenting!

Animal Communication

We were introduced to this by M's customer and silly M did not know that we can all communicate via telepathy!

M's animal communicator and now her mentor has told her many things about us and we feel happier now as we are understood.

M is now a practicing animal communicator who is making progress. She would love to do this as a career, but its still a loooong looong way to go.. Stay tuned for more updates!

Friday, September 11, 2009

I rescued a human today

Here's a story on how some of us dogs think, M thinks its a great one. Due to copyright issues we cant post it here, so here is the link.

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/i-rescued-a-human-today/page1.aspx?utm_source=dogcrazynews001et&utm_medium=email&utm_content=petplace_article&utm_campaign=dailynewsletter

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Chit Chat

We dogs and our pawrents are extremely happy to be able to speak with each other! M is especially happy that she got to speak with Kola, Cocoa and Diggy.

In fact, M has something planned for all of us, and herself. Something BIG.

PS: Remember M saying vaccinations werent good? Grand M made her take the flu vaccine because of H1N1 and she has been suffering from sinus infection ever since. It's better now though..

Friday, September 4, 2009

We're Back!





Thats my biggie bro! Slacking at the cafe...

PS: Will blog more as soon as we have MORE TIME!

Monday, June 15, 2009

The Dog's "Guilty Look"

M's friend showed her an interesting article about the guilty looks we give our hoomans when they think we've done something wrong.

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What Really Prompts The Dog's 'Guilty Look'
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611065839.htm#

ScienceDaily (2009-06-14) -- What dog owner has not come home to a broken vase or other valuable items and a guilty-looking dog slouching around the house? By ingeniously setting up conditions where the owner was misinformed as to whether their dog had really committed an offense, researchers uncovered the origins of the "guilty look" in dogs.

Horowitz was able to show that the human tendency to attribute a “guilty look” to a dog was not due to whether the dog was indeed guilty. Instead, people see ‘guilt’ in a dog’s body language when they believe the dog has done something it shouldn’t have – even if the dog is in fact completely innocent of any offense.

During the study, owners were asked to leave the room after ordering their dogs not to eat a tasty treat. While the owner was away, Horowitz gave some of the dogs this forbidden treat before asking the owners back into the room. In some trials the owners were told that their dog had eaten the forbidden treat; in others, they were told their dog had behaved properly and left the treat alone. What the owners were told, however, often did not correlate with reality.

Whether the dogs' demeanor included elements of the "guilty look" had little to do with whether the dogs had actually eaten the forbidden treat or not. Dogs looked most “guilty” if they were admonished by their owners for eating the treat. In fact, dogs that had been obedient and had not eaten the treat, but were scolded by their (misinformed) owners, looked more “guilty” than those that had, in fact, eaten the treat. Thus the dog’s guilty look is a response to the owner’s behavior, and not necessarily indicative of any appreciation of its own misdeeds.

This study sheds new light on the natural human tendency to interpret animal behavior in human terms. Anthropomorphisms compare animal behavior to human behavior, and if there is some superficial similarity, then the animal behavior will be interpreted in the same terms as superficially similar human actions. This can include the attribution of higher-order emotions such as guilt or remorse to the animal.

The editor of the special issue, Clive D.L. Wynne of the Department of Psychology, University of Florida, explained, “this is a remarkably powerful demonstration of the need for careful experimental designs if we are to understand the human-dog relationship and not just reify our natural prejudices about animal behavior.” He pointed out that dogs are the oldest domesticated species and have a uniquely intimate role in the lives of millions of people. Recent research on dogs has indicated more human-like forms of reasoning about what people know than has been demonstrated even in chimpanzees.

Elsevier (2009, June 14). What Really Prompts The Dog's 'Guilty Look'. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 15, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2009/06/090611065839.htm#

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M: I have seen the guilty look from all of my dogs but Kola. (St Kola: Of course! I am NEVER guilty.) It does make sense that dogs give the "guilty look" in response to our behavior (at the possible wrong-doing), but it never really struck me that way. This is food for thought..

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Life of a Puppymill Bitch

A bitch (female dog) in a cage so cramped that she can't stand up straight. She has never seen daylight. Covered in her own faeces, she wonders what her purpose in life is..

Footsteps approach. The rusty cage door swings open and two greedy hands reach out for her. She is nearly choked to death as the man holds her up by the chain on her neck.

She is brought to another place. There stood a male dog. Same breed, same condition. This was her purpose in life. To breed and give birth to as many puppies as possible. Puppies which she would never see again after they were weaned. Puppies - some were lucky enough to find a good home, others would suffer the same fate as their parents.

Have you bought from a pet shop or farm? The parents of YOUR puppy were most likely suffering this fate.

The Evils of Puppymills

A cute puppy at the pet store begging you to take it home.. Awww.. How cute.. NOT

Behind every puppy at most of the pet stores/pet farms, there is a tragic story...
(the ONLY exceptions are pet stores/farms is owned by an ethical breeder who cares about his dogs and the homes the pups go to. Continued later.)

Puppymills are exactly what they are named. They breed a dam and stud (female and male dog) as often as the dogs are fertile, then take the puppies and sell them. They do not care where the puppies go to, nor do they care whether the parents are healthy or not. It is a business to them. Money is of essence. NOT animal welfare.



More about puppymills: http://www.prisonersofgreed.org/Images/MillBooklet1.pdf

We have often heard excuses from many pet owners.

They say, they looked around already. The place seemed clean. Therefore they bought the pup.

Another said, it was love at first sight. They admit it was selfish. So what if you admit? Will it save your dog's parents? No. You are admitting you are selfish because you think that will ease your guilty conscience. And boy you better be guilty.

One more said, not ALL pet shops are bad.

The worst part about the three real life examples, were that they KNEW about puppymills already. We feel so disheartened when people know about puppymills but still continue to buy from them.

It is true not ALL pet shops are bad, but remember. An ethical breeder:

1. Breeds for the sake of bettering the breed
2. Does NOT breed for earning money
3. Lets the bitch rest in between heat cycles to recuperate
4. Cares about the homes the puppies go to.

Does YOUR pet shop/farm do ALL of that? 3 out of 4 is not good enough. There are NO negotiations about this.

Some people say that their dogs, albeit from a pet shop/farm, are imported from Aussie/USA/Taiwan or some other country. And that makes their dogs "good quality" and "non-puppymill". We cant stress how wrong they are. There ARE puppymills overseas too and a dog that is imported from say USA can jolly well be a puppymill dog from USA. It does not mean just because the dogs are imported they are of good quality.

Think about this: Will an ethical breeder overseas sell its puppies to a pet shop/farm without being able to know what homes the puppies will go to?

So beware of dogs from pet shops/farms - whether they are imported or not. If you want an imported dog, be sure to sound the breeder out. In turn, an ethical breeder would sound you out as well because they want to make sure you can provide the puppy a good home.

Advantage of buying from an ethical breeder:

1. You will be guaranteed that your puppy will have no genetic physical defects, health problems, and temperamental problems.
2. Your breeder will teach you many things, including how to raise a puppy.
3. Your conscience is clear.

Can you do that just to save dog-kind?

Friday, May 29, 2009

Remedy for Bloat & Stop and Chew Your Bones!

Hello peeps! Its Apollo Boy here. As you guys know, bloat is a very serious condition for dogs. It can kill so quickly that dogs who bloat when they are alone can be found dead by their owners when they return home.

Kola had experienced bloat before, and M rushed him to the hospital. We were quite disappointed at the conventional treatment actually. The vet told us that Kola would be put on drip and monitored to see if the bloat goes away. They'll administer painkillers and antibiotics as needed. And if the situation called for (meaning the stomach twists), they'll operate on him. (St Kola: Thank God I don't have to go through that again.. but that's cause i'm already dead isn't it?)

We were pretty shocked at the treatment, but since we aren't educated in veterinary science, what did we have to say?

Anyway, remember Auntie J from the land of far far away? She recommended M a product called Parvaid.

Its main purpose is to treat Parvovirus actually, but since parvovirus attacks the gastro-intestinal tract, parvaid can do wonders for vomitting, diarrhea, fever, dehydration and of course, bloat, just to name a few.

This is an all-natural product made of organic herbs, and the best part of it is.... IT WORKS! M gave Candy 10 drops of Parvaid for every 15mins she was bloated and she started burping till she was no longer bloated.

M brought Candy and the box of Parvaid to Dr Hsu the next day and it turned out that Candy was bloated because she gulped in alot of air. Dr Hsu agreed that she was no longer bloated and the Parvaid was probably the reason the bloat went down.

More bloat info: http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm

Parvaid info: http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/parvaid.html

Ok, the reason Candy gulped in alot of air was because she was holding her pee pee in the whole night (about 13 hours) and probably got stressed. We found out later, it was because that stupid bitch (Candy: HEY!) didn't chew on the chicken bones long enough and swallowed them. The bones ended up being stuck in her rectum because it was too painful for her to pass it out. Thankfully, Dr Hsu managed to pull the bones out and Candy was fine after that.

So remember peeps, please make sure your poochies chew on their bones long enough and not just swallow! We learnt a very big lesson this time. M feels so guilty Candy went through all that pain because she didn't supervise enough. =(

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

AVA to Revise Quarantine Import Requirements for Cats & Dogs

We are extremely happy! Finally someone cares about us cats and dogs.

Well, AVA is revising their quarantine import requirements so those of us who want to import furkids from ethical breeders can do so even better!

(But the down side is overseas puppymills can also send their pups over here better =( We hope to battle this issue soon!)

Anyways.. Read http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2009/sps/SGP/09_1464_00_e.pdf

We'll continue to summarize it.. if we feel like it. (no, we have not forgotten our vaccination article.)

Nutro Cat Food Recalled - Singapore

Dear Kitty pawrents and friends,

Nutro Cat Food has just been recalled by AVA. Please STOP feeding Nutro to your cats immediately!

The news article is below as we're afraid the link may be broken in future.

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Taken from: Straits Times, http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_381120.html?vgnmr=1

Cat food recalled
By Serene Luo

CAT food under the Nutro brand of products has been recalled by the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority here.

Mars Petcare, the parent company, had earlier this week announced a voluntary recall of the products in the United States, due to excessive zinc levels and under-supplements of potassium.

It said there had been a production error by one of its US-based premix suppliers.

The two affected mixes are: Nutro Natural Choice Complete Care Dry Cat Foods and Nutro Max Cat Dry Foods.

The two mixes come in 28 different product varieties, and have 'best before' dates of between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010.

Pet owners who have bought the products are advised to stop giving their cats the food immediately, and should monitor their cats for symptoms such as lack of appetite, weight loss, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Should their cats show such symptoms, the owners are advised to take them to a veterinarian for medical treatment.

The AVA is also working with supermarkets and pet stores to pull the products from shelves, a spokesman said.

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List of Pet Foods Recalled: http://www.ava.gov.sg/NR/rdonlyres/6E2A85C7-1551-4AE7-B73E-841AE6C3317D/24062/RecallofNutroCatFood.doc

Afterthoughts by The 5 Rascals:

See! Many kibble companies claim their product to be 100% nutritionally balanced, and to be fed for life. This is exactly how nutritionally balanced they are.

Granted that the food we eat (though researched as thoroughly as we can) may NOT be 100% nutritionally balanced, at least we know the food we eat, prepared in our very own kitchen, is SAFE.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Gentle Buddy Boy for Adoption





Buddy boy is up for adoption again =( We hope he'll find a forever home now..

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Status: For Adoption

Breed: Mixed Breed (He is quite big in size, weighing almost 35kg. Despite his size, he is very gentle)

Name: Buddy

Age: 3 years

Gender: Male

Spayed/Neutered: Yes

Reason for Being Given Up: Owner faced with family problem

Good with Children: Yes, very patient and gentle with small kids (Owner has a baby and 2 toddlers, and Buddy always allow them to snatch his toys, lie on him and even ride on him)

Good with Dogs: Yes

Good with other animals: Yes, he always run up to neighbor’s home to play with their rabbit.

Dog's Temperament: Very Tame, Sweet Temperament, Obedient, Gentle, not barkish and very patient

Dog's Problems: Had his tail docked off when he was found as a puppy (because someone tied a rubberband ard his tail) and when found, needs to be amputated. He is scared of having his nails cut.

More Information:
Buddy had been up for adoption a few times- not because he is aggressive, not because he is disobedient, and definitely not because he is hard to teach. In fact, he is a very gentle giant who is tame, obedient and takes in very well to dogs and small kids (look at his video and you will realize how tame and patient he is with kids, even small kids). The only thing that is not right would be his fate. He had been rehomed a few times not because the owners want to get rid of him, but because of all the circumstances happening at home which eventually does not allow them to keep Buddy.


Living a life of a roller coaster, having ups and downs, Buddy is still living his life with a smile. After searching for so long, Buddy boy thought he had finally found a forever home with his current owner. But sometimes unfortunate things just happen, as his owner is having some problem with the family and is forced to put buddy up for adoption.

Buddy is a big dog with a big heart. He is a giant but with a heart of gold. He is patient, obedient, tame and loyal. He will just give in his all to love you, and all he is asking for is someone to promise to take care and love him till his very last breath. Look beyond the surface and you will find something so special about him that is worthy for you to have him. He didn’t have a choice to live his life like this, but you have a choice that will make a difference to him by letting him be part of your life to bring you joy and laughter for many years to come.

Buddy still have many good years to come. To have him with you, I can assure you that he will bring you joy for as long as he live – only laughter, no sadness.


Ideal Owner: Someone who can see beyond his size, and appreciate his sweet lovely temperament and willing to love and take good care of him for the rest of his life

Ideal Home: Family with lots of love for him

Member putting up this adoption notice: Rescuer

Contact: 90600810

Adoption Fee: NIL

Go to http://pirateandbuddy.blogspot.com/2009/05/gentle-giant-looking-for-home.html to see more pictures and a video of Buddy playing with children.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Hydrosols and their many uses

Auntie A always wondered what M uses as our ear cleaner.. It smells so good, and not exaggerating, you can smell it from 3metres when she cleans our ears!

M uses a blend of hydrosols to clean our ears. Apollo had a series of recurring ear infections previously, and it was so bad he would cry when M cleaned his ears. Now his ears are perfectly fine, and not to mention - great smelling!

Suzanne Catty mentioned in her book "Hydrosols: the next aromatherapy" that "hydrosols are the condensate water coproduced during the steam or hydro-distillation of plant material for aromatherapeutic purposes."

"Hydrosols contain all of the plant in every drop," Catty says, thus the water-soluble liquid is one of the most recognized substances in healing.

What you have to know though, is that not everything is a hydrosol, or what some people call "floral water".

Some products which are passed off as hydrosols, are actually diluted hydrosols with artificial fragrance and coloring added! These products will not only NOT promote healing and benefit you & your furkid, they might cause allergies!

Others are simply few drops of essential oils added into water. Both types of products lack the healing properties and benefits of the true hydrosol.

Hydrosols can be used for a number of things, not only ear cleaning. It is a great toner for you humans, and can be sprayed on skin problem areas for us dogs as well. M uses hydrosols on her own hair, and sprays them on us for the fragrance as well as the healing properties. Imagine your dog smelling nice and having great benefits from the hydrosols all at the same time!

Our favourite hydrosols are rose, lavender, tea tree and chamomile. We have essential oils at home too, and will talk about them the next time.

Colloidal Silver, the "Wonder Water"!

Wonder Water is what M's friend calls Colloidal Silver.. It may very well be true.

*There isn't a pic of Colloidal Silver here because M simply CANT take a nice picture of the bottle*

CS is a natural antibiotic and can be used for any viral, bacterial or fungal problem. It also can be drank or sprayed on skin problem areas and even the EYES! M loves to spray CS on MY EYES or on Bubble, a Shih Tzu who has a very bad eye problem.

What we like about CS is that it does not sting at all! We dogs and M have tried it on our wounds and it really does not sting, and promotes healing.

Steve Barwick, a renowned natural health journalist, thinks of CS as "the world's most powerful natural antibiotic!"

His blog would be a useful read:

http://colloidalsilversecrets.blogspot.com

And the article on Colloidal Silver and Pets:

http://colloidalsilversecrets.blogspot.com/2008/02/pets-and-colloidal-silver.html

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Our Blog is Featured!

The Greyhound Companions of New Mexico (GCNM) has featured our blog in their bi-seasonal newsletter!

We didn't expect our blog to be featured because we did the Greyhound Stories (see below) but it was a pleasant surprise when Judy Paulsen, President of the GCNM emailed us. All that's said, we're just happy to help the greyhounds.

Their newsletter touches on many Greyhound issues from racing to rescue to health issues and even features (ones like ours and even more!)

Anyway, here's what they wrote about The 5 Rascals.

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Singapore Animal Welfare Advocate Blogs for Greyhounds

The plight of the racing greyhound reaches around the world and a visit to http://the5rascals.blogspot.com/2009/01/about-greyhound-racing-adoption-and.html is proof of this! Singaporean, Nicole Han has never been to the United States, but she is well aware of the crisis surrounding the American racing greyhound.

Sensitive to issues related to animals in general, Nicole even blogs about saving the whale shark! But you can tell her heart is with the greyhounds by the extent of research she has done. Greyhound Companions of New Mexico is prominently featured in her blog as well as other greyhound welfare groups working to end the suffering of the racing greyhound. Visit Nicole’s blog for a concise review of greyhound information she has accumulated from various reputable sources.

Thanks, Nicole, for partnering with us to educate the public on the plight of the racing greyhound.

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To read the entire GCNM newsletter, go to:
GCNM Newsletter Spring & Summer 2009

Read the two stories we did on greyhounds:
http://the5rascals.blogspot.com/2009/01/ban-greyhound-racing.html
http://the5rascals.blogspot.com/2009/01/about-greyhound-racing-adoption-and.html

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Whale Sharks may not be brought in to Singapore

Hurray!

Resorts World Sentosa will be considering an alternative plan to exhibiting whale sharks in their to-be oceanarium (which will be the largest in the world).

Although it is reported by AFP (http://travel.asiaone.com/Travel/News/Story/A1Story20090516-141880.html) that:

The park however said its move was not due to pressure by the seven animal welfare groups which have launched an online petition that has gathered more than 9,000 signatures.

"The MLP team does not take its responsibilities to both conservation and Singapore lightly and as such, we spent the past two years doing much groundwork," it said in a statement to AFP.

"We strongly believe that our action must be governed by the conservation of this species rather than what is dictated by fleeting public opinion."

We don't really care, as long as the interests of the whale sharks are protected.

Hopefully, the government will approve the change made in the proposal.

To find out more about why we do not want the whale sharks in captivity, read:

http://the5rascals.blogspot.com/2009/03/save-whale-sharks.html

Sunday, May 3, 2009

The Truth About Vaccinations

We do NOT get vaccinated. Not now, not ever.

Vaccinations are highly recommended by many vets in Singapore (and other parts of the world too). They work by introducing a weakened form of the disease you are being vaccinated against (eg. rabies). Thereafter, the body will produce antibodies to fight this weakened 'disease' and this response will prepare the body for the real McCoy in a limited timeframe (usually 1-3 years).

However what most vets do not tell you is that by vaccinating, there is a chance that you/your furkid will contract the disease vaccinated against.

Our Dr E said so himself when explaining vaccinations to M.

Also, Dr Pitcairn has mentioned in his book (Dr Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats):

"Besides the possibility that they [vaccinations] may not work, vaccines might also cause an acute disease or a chronic health problem."
This is especially true when the immune system is already not at its best (eg. when sick, weak, stressed, too young, or when the dog's immune system has been surpressed by previous disease or drug therapy (including steroids & anti-biotics)).

So, what our family recommends is to save your money and buy more foodies for your furbies! NATURAL foodies please!

PS: its 3am now and we cant think straight, thus this article is not completed yet.

Credits: Dr Pitcairn

Friday, May 1, 2009

FDA Confirms Investigating Nutro, Reasons not to feed Natural REBUTTED!

Hello furbies and hoomans. This is a piece of news we read from DoggieSite and would like to share with all of you.

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Title: FDA Confirms Probe of NUTRO Pet Food Deaths, Illnesses

By Lisa Wade McCormick
ConsumerAffairs.com
Copyright 2009 © All Rights Reserved

The lead:

April 20, 2009
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that the agency is investigating NUTRO pet food, following a series of unexplained illnesses and deaths. Consumers have been complaining for more than two years that their pets have become ill after eating NUTRO products; many have recovered when they were switched to other foods. The company has steadfastly denied that its food is to blame.

Please read the entire article @
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2009/04/nutro_foia.html
especially if you are feeding your furbie killer crap in a bag commercial pet food!!


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Auntie J from the land of far far away has warned us about consuming Nutro pet foods before but we were already on BARF and thus was not worried for ourselves. However, we worry for all the other millions of pets world wide that are still eating killer kibble!

We are really SURPRISED to hear that the investigation has JUST been CONFIRMED. The charge if any, will come probably much much later. Meanwhile, many pets may still fall sick =(


M can never stress enough, the importance of feeding NATURAL foods. Foods prepared in your own kitchen. Foods you can eat yourself. Although we eat raw food, we understand that some people may feel squeamish about it (Apollo: I dont! Its the best thing since.... tennis balls and bread), home cooked foods will do as well. At the VERY LEAST, you KNOW WHAT IS IN YOUR FOOD.

Reasons not to feed Natural - REBUTTED!

Lets tackle some of the excuses reasons why people do not want to feed natural foods but feed crappy killer kibble instead, or feed PARTIAL natural only.

Reason No 1: Home cooked food/BARF?!?! But I cant ensure that the diet will be 100% balanced! I rather feed kibble.

Solution: In our very honest opinion, we would rather an UNBALANCED NATURAL DIET rather than kibble which may kill us. Besides, look at all the rubbish in kibble. Salt, by-products preservatives, food coloring.... Is that ensuring 100% balanced nutrition? Puh-lease. What my M gives me is way better. Besides M did alot of research before embarking on the BARF diet. If my lazy lazy M can do it, so can anyone.

Reason No 2: I give partial HCF/BARF and partial commercial rubbish. That way i wont be afraid if I cant balance the diet because the commercial crap will be balanced.

Solution: Absolute rubbish. The BEST way to ensure a balanced diet is to feed ALL NATURAL.

Reason No 3: My pup is still very young! She wont be suitable to eat HCF/BARF at such a tender age. Wait till she's older.

Solution: Excuse me, we dogs plus our ancestors wolves have been eating all NATURAL foods since the day God created us. Kibble was only created about 50 plus years ago. Kibble is the un-natural diet that we were not meant to eat at all.

Reason No 4: I've got no time!

Solution: We dogs are your kids too. Just like your baby. Please tell me if you will feed your baby commercial food and NEVER home cooked for the rest of its life. Having cute furkids like us to shower love on you requires commitment.

Besides, have you got no time to relax? No time to sleep? No time to bathe? No time to eat? EXCUSES! Time can ALWAYS be found if YOU MAKE IT.

You can simply buy frozen meats once every month (or even every 2 months) then pack and freeze so every meal all you have to do is take out 1 serving (that you already packed) and defrost it. How hard is that? You can even defrost it in the fridge the night before!

For home cooked meals, you can even cook once a week and freeze the rest of the meal IF you really really have no time.

Reason No 5: I cant afford it! Look at the food bills your M has to pay!

Solution: If my M who works part time can afford it, you can! Okok, I know. You got housing bills, car bills, electricity bills, fine dining bills, buy Hugo Boss bills yada yada.

Frankly, natural feeding costs only just as much if not LESSER than commercial.

Our food bills are expensive cos M always buys free-range and organic whenever possible, even then it is cheaper than what we cost on a commercial crap diet.

Our commercial food bill was at $380/month for Apollo and I only! It was cause we were so fussy that M had to buy a very expensive wet food, as well as supplements for our skin problem.

NOW, our food bill is $300/month including occasional organic and quite a substantial bit of free range organs/bones/meats!

This is already on the high side although not as high as The Natural PawPals who feeds an ALL ORGANIC diet. Their M is not earning 10k/month as well but she does give them the best she can.

It usually costs only $30/month to feed a small dog and $100-$150 a month to feed a big dog. Just know where to go and get your meat. Dont be lazy and get from supermarkets. Tekka has pretty good bargains from what everyone tell us.

Natural is GOOD and CHEAP now. What other excuses have you got? Bring it on in our comments page. We would appreciate it very much.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Tinker, the *Neutered* Male!

As some of you may know, Tinker boy has been to the Animal Clinic for his sterilization and teeth scaling. M only wanted Dr Hsu to perform the surgery and we had to wait over 2 months!

Anyway, on the 22nd April Tinker boy was officially sterilized and Dr Hsu did a really good job in our opinion.

M had a really really hard time convincing D that neutering Tinker was for the best, but at last it was done!

Tinker is recovering well and is starting to jump all over already.

But here are a few pics of him resting after surgery *HAHA*




Now all I hope is that he will not run after me and try to hump me, or else!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Our New Lil Black Yuckie Pill

M had a package today. It was FULL of boxes that didn't smell too good, but we were still curious.

It turned out to be some little black pill that tasted yuckie! She forced Apollo and I to take one each, and even said that if it works well she'll be ordering again. I cant imagine how something that yuckie will work WELL. I mean, if its yuckie its not good for health isn't it?

Anyways, the label said Thera Neem Supercritical CO2 Extract of Neem. As usual, M ordered it from the land of far far away.

It is made with certified organic neem leaves and is known for its broad spectrum activity and antioxidant benefits. M gives us this to boost our immune system and clear up any skin problems as well. Neem is great, according to her. The only grouse is the smell.. BUT the neem capsules doesnt smell THAT bad.

Update:

M managed to trick Apollo into eating this yucky pill! I mean, i know we willingly eat our glucosamine supplements cause they are so tasty, but this is pushing the limit! It smells like well, neem. And it tastes like neem as well! (M: thats really cause its neem.)

Now Apollo eats the pills willingly everyday. Sheesh. Well, i'm sure M is NOT gonna trick me into doing it. (M: No eat, no treat)

M: Training Apollo to willingly eat supplements is great. Force feeding him is so tough because i have to stuff my entire hand into his mouth to get one pill down his throat. It doesnt help when he manages to spit them out all the time. I hope that Candy can pick this up soon too!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Save the Whale Sharks!

Credits to http://www.techdivethailand.com/wreck-diving-photos.htm

We are against Resorts World Sentosa importing whale sharks for their Marine Life Park, and would like to ask all of you to help!

To help the whale sharks please sign this petition: http://www.whalesharkpetition.com/

In a nutshell, whale sharks:

  • are endangered and close to extinction.
  • are known as the largest fish in the ocean and can grow up to 20m
  • migrate over 13,000km and
  • dive up to 980m deep
  • cannot thrive in captivity due to their size and migratory patterns.

Here is M's interview with Animal Concerns Research & Education Society's (ACRES) executive director Louis Ng.

M: What is ACRES'S main concern of keeping the whale sharks in captivity?

Louis: Whale sharks are a species vulnerable to extinction and efforts must be undertaken to protect all remaining wild populations. There can be no merit from removing a whale shark from its natural environment for a life in captivity.

On top of this, whale sharks can dive up to 980 metres and migrate over 13 thousand kilometres. No man-made environment, no matter how large, could accomodate their needs.

Evidence has shown that whale sharks fare poorly in captivity. In fact, two whale sharks - Ralph and Norton - died within five months of each other at the Georgia aquarium, U.S.A.

M: Do you think that Resorts World Sentosa will be able to provide appropriate care for the whale sharks in the oceanarium? Are there any specific tips on whale shark husbandry ACRES recommends?

Louis: ACRES would like to stress that we are not against the keeping of certain species in captivity. It is, however, simply impossible to cater for the needs of whale sharks in captivity and they should thus never be captured and kept in captivity.

M: If these whale sharks were NOT to be imported, is there any other way people can appreciate the world's aquatic biodiversity and promote conservation action in Singapore?

Louis: There has been no scientific evidence to justify the positive educational aspects of captive facilities. ACRES strongly believes that people can learn about aquatic biodiversity through visiting nature reserves like Chek Jawa and also seeing these animals in the wild. In fact, we believe that these create a more educational experience, without compromising the welfare of the animals.

M: The whale sharks are endangered. What is considered good conservation strategy for them?

Louis: A good conservation strategy is to protect the sharks in the wild and protect their habitats. Awareness must be and can be raised in Singapore and other countries without having whale sharks in captivity.

M: Should the whale sharks ultimately be in the oceanarium, what is the best advice you can give guests and Resorts World Sentosa themselves.

Louis: If the whales sharks are housed in RWS, we will be urging people to boycott the facility.

**UPDATES**

* http://the5rascals.blogspot.com/2009/05/whale-sharks-may-not-be-brought-in-to.html

Thursday, March 12, 2009

A new sister?

M has been missing Kola and Cocoa alot. I heard her say she misses the way they greet her. The way Kola steals food off the table. The way Cocoa demanded for food. Their abilities to fish out all the food they want with their nose and leave the rice behind, no matter how mixed in the meats are.

I even saw her searching for poodle breeders online. (M only buys from ethical breeders, otherwise she adopts. She knows of the suffering our pawpals go through in puppymills)

I cant wait for a new sister to bully!

RAWR! I'm ANGRY!

Every Wednesday for the past few weeks, M has been bringing Apollo out. Worst still, she doesn't bring ME along! Both of them will not tell me where they have been going or what they have been doing! I am ANGRY!

M: Its a surprise Apollo and I have been working on. Stay tuned! It'll be out in the next few weeks (or maybe a month or two.)

Apollo: Woof! I've been getting LOADS of yummies every week when M brings me out. Oh yes, have I mentioned, M is also clicker training me, not only Candy!

M: Initially I wasn't very fond of the idea of clicker training, but now that I've tried it, I can say i'm surprised how fast they learn with a clicker or a marker. Although i dont believe in a 100% positive non-confrontational training, this has been really working very well. I doubt i'll introduce corrections at this point unless they become too stubborn.

Apollo is a really soft dog, and even though marker training doesnt warrant corrections, I agree with Ed Frawley's stand that dogs who know the command but do not want to do what they are being told should be corrected. As for Candy, she learns pretty quick and is eager to please when there is a reward awaiting her, so we'll see. Updates to come soon!

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Our Barkdays!


Ahem, sorry for the late update. Apollo and I were enjoying our barkday with M and D. As you know, we both have the same barkday although some do not believe it!

Apollo's ex-owner told M his barkday, and my barkday was written on my vaccination card! That day issssss: 21st February!

After M came home, we saw her take out the box and packet. This is D's present to us. We smelt FOOOD, but it wasnt the usual kind like our natural raw diet. We still thought it smelt good though.


A close up of the packet. It turned out to be Lamb Pizza Crisps! And Auntie E from No Bones About gave us one extra! We love her! Thank you Auntie E!


A Cakie was in the Boxie! It was an apple cake with dried apricots and cranberries specially added in for US! M loves to give us extra fruits.



Dividing the cake....




Life is SO UNFAIR! Look what I got, compared to Apollo!



I only had ONE pizza crisp, Apollo had THREE!


Let the eating begin!



M giving me a piece of cake. And look at the greedy monster behind!


I think he is having hallucinations! When the cake is going in MY mouth, he opens his too!

Pigging out.

By the time Apollo was finished, I still had THIS much cake left.


M feeding Apollo.



Apollo: I WANT MOREEEEEEEEE!

M's favourite pic of the day:


M: Awwww, this melts my heart.

Oh yes, we forgot to mention. M says that our presents this year would be our clicker training courses. She seems to love clicker, or rather, marker training! And we love it too cause we understand it now and the click means REWARDS!!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Notice: Blog Name Change

Helloooo Peeps!

After the 3 rascals and our parents had a discussion, we have decided to change our name to include our respected and beloved Biggie Sister Cocoa! So from now on, we'll be known as:

The FIVE Rascals!

Thats right! FIVE and dont you forget it.

We thought it was the right decision to make since Kola has joined her in Doggie Heaven, and told us she may feel left out.

XOXO,
Candy & the two other rascals.

*PS: Since our blog name has changed, our email will change too. So please send stuff to our NEW email! (Although the old one will still be in operation in case some mail gets lost.)

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

*Click*

Today M brought me out! It was a special occasion because its not very often I get to go out with her and D ALONE! I mean, without any other canines (Apollo & Tinker).

We met trainer J, who trained us (M and I) using the Clicker Training Method. I'm not sure about the mechanics, but all i know was whenever i heard the Click i got rewarded. It sure works for me!

Trainer J was very nice and friendly, she even gave me a few cuddles! But M was surprised that i did not want food from J, she thought I was a greedy PIG! Like hello M! I'm not Apollo..

We really enjoyed this training session, and will be back for more!

Wonderful ME getting a treat from M.


M waited for me to get distracted before calling me! How devious!


Eyeing the TREAT! Yummie!


Thursday, February 12, 2009

Tinker: My Second BarkDay!

Helllooo Hooo-mans and Woofies alike! This is Tinker here again, reporting from D's house.

We had a tiring day! I am happy that this year D was around to celebrate my birthday. We went to M's house and played with Apollo, Candy and Auntie F! However, I wasn't too happy when D gave me a smacking for being naughty to Candy. =(

Welllll, on the bright side, he bought me a big beautiful cake from US Doggie Bakery. There were a few hiccups - the cake was wrong, came late and we were charged the wrong price, but the kind baker and driver has sorted it out with M. We all agreed to overlook the wrong cake thing since the cake was already here and we couldnt wait to dig in!


My Delicious Cakie Wakie! Yummieee!


We were supposed to have the cake with fresh strawberries, but oh well. Even the Hooo-mans ate the cake and thought it was quite good!

M said that Apollo could only eat a little little bit, but D didn’t listen! It made M frown a little, but Apollo boy was so happy!

See the icing on Apollo boy's nose?

Candy was acting high class and only wanted the cake when it came with a lot of icing.

I ate A LOT and I LOVE IT!! Here is a peekture of me eating:


I got so messy that D had to bathe me after that! Hoho.

Anyway, I came to a conclusion that BarkDays should be celebrated 365 days a year. I know it is impossible, but its not too bad, 10 days till Apollo & Candy's BarkDay and another cake will be coming!