The Five Rascals

Anti-whaling activist to go on trial

2010-05-27T14:47:00.003+08:00

Okay, so we admit, we have not been blogging for long. Pictures have not been taken as well. But I just had to add the article below.

Food for thought:

NZ anti-whaling activist to go on trial in Japan

27 May 2010, AFP

TOKYO - An anti-whaling activist of the US-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was due to go on trial in Japan Thursday for charges relating to high seas clashes earlier this year.

New Zealander Peter Bethune, 45, was arrested in February after he scaled the Shonan Maru II, the security ship of the Japanese whaling fleet, in Antarctic waters following a series of high-seas confrontations.

He faces five charges, including injuring a Japanese crew member with a projectile made of rancid butter, or butyric acid, during one of many clashes between the Sea Shepherd group and Japanese harpoon ships.

He was also charged with trespass, vandalism, obstructing commercial activities and carrying a knife when he scaled the ship.

If convicted he faces up to 15 years in jail.

The Sea Shepherd group pursued and harassed Japanese whalers in Antarctic waters for months in the 2009-2010 season, a campaign which both sides say reduced the Japanese cull by several hundred whales.

Bethune was the captain of the futuristic kevlar powerboat the Ady Gil, which was sliced in two in a collision with the Shonan Maru II in January while carrying six crew and sank soon after.

The next month Bethune scaled the Japanese ship from a jet ski with the intent of making a citizen's arrest of its captain for the attempted murder of the Ady Gil's crew, and to bill him for the sunken vessel.

Instead, Bethune was detained and taken back to Japan, where he was formally arrested by the Japanese Coast Guard.

Japan, which says whaling has been part of its culture for centuries, has also sought Interpol's help to arrest Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson for ordering his crew to harass whaling ships.

Taken from: http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20100527-218702.html

So.. What do you guys think?

True.. He was trespassing and probably did present a threat to the harpooners. However, the article did mention that several hundred whales were spared due to their actions.

I say that a life is a life no matter what. I applaud them for being so brave and fighting for the whales.

In time, hopefully lesser people will stick to "traditions" which are destroying our Earth.

That said, I do not eat Shark's Fin as well and do not intend to serve it at any dinner (yes, including my wedding in future).

A Natural Treatment for Mange and Ringworm

2010-03-09T10:43:00.004+08:00

It has been a long long time since we've last posted. We were just too busy with life, and not to mention M's online store is rapidly expanding!

We would like to share with our doggie friends a natural treatment for Mange and Ringworm.

Firstly, M has been scouting for a long time, and found out that her long time friend V, actually sold an Oil that is good for that! M calls it Healthy Skin Oil (for the lack of a better name), as it is not only good for Mange or Ringworm but also itchy skin (yes, we've tried it!).

M was speaking to V about managing Mange and Ringworm recently for a Mange case, and was introduced to C, a friend in the land of far far away that deals with many cases of Mange each day!

Here is what C recommended:

For Sarcoptic Mange, you would need to use Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth (we've posted on this before!) and a great natural cleaner to bust mites all around the environment as it is contagious.

Sarcoptic Mange will cause loads of itch and irritation on humans, so wash everything the dog has come into contact with, with hot water and in the hottest setting of a dryer if possible.

For Demodectic Mange, add Neem Bark Powder into the meals of the dog, as it is caused by a weak immune system.

As neem is a powerful contraceptive, it will make the mites sterile so you only deal with the mites you have now, and not more in future. Do not forget the raw diet as well - this is IMPORTANT!

For Ringworm, use the Healthy Skin Oil 2-3 times a day and clean the environment with a natural anti-fungal disinfectant such as Colloidal Silver. Wash the affected area once a day with soap and water as well!

We hope furbies with Mange or Ringworm will get well ASAP with this!

We are featured again!

2009-12-04T15:08:00.002+08:00

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.

Books on Animal Communication, Soapnuts

2009-11-16T18:37:00.004+08:00

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.

Pet Groomer Jailed for Hitting Dog

2009-10-26T13:30:00.003+08:00

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.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_445747.html

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..

A cruelty free lifestyle

2009-10-21T11:54:00.005+08:00

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

2009-10-21T00:18:00.002+08:00

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!

I rescued a human today

2009-09-11T22:48:00.000+08:00

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

Chit Chat

2009-09-10T14:34:00.003+08:00

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..

We're Back!

2009-09-04T10:59:00.005+08:00

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

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

The Dog's "Guilty Look"

2009-06-15T19:21:00.003+08:00

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..

Life of a Puppymill Bitch

2009-06-02T14:41:00.002+08:00

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

2009-06-02T14:28:00.011+08:00

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.

Credits to Prisoners of Greed
http://www.prisonersofgreed.org/Images/Shameless.pdf

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?

Remedy for Bloat & Stop and Chew Your Bones!

2009-05-29T00:11:00.011+08:00

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. =(

AVA to Revise Quarantine Import Requirements for Cats & Dogs

2009-05-26T02:51:00.003+08:00

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

2009-05-26T02:38:00.006+08:00

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.

Gentle Buddy Boy for Adoption

2009-05-22T13:28:00.003+08:00

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.

Hydrosols and their many uses

2009-05-20T19:49:00.005+08:00

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"!

2009-05-20T19:35:00.002+08:00

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

Our Blog is Featured!

2009-05-19T13:22:00.005+08:00

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

Whale Sharks may not be brought in to Singapore

2009-05-17T16:29:00.006+08:00

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

The Truth About Vaccinations

2009-05-03T02:23:00.004+08:00

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

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

2009-05-01T10:27:00.006+08:00

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

-------------------------------------------------------

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!!

-------------------------------------------------------

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.

Tinker, the Neutered Male!

2009-04-28T15:09:00.006+08:00

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!

Our New Lil Black Yuckie Pill

2009-03-24T02:28:00.005+08:00

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!

Save the Whale Sharks!

2009-03-17T18:02:00.013+08:00

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

A new sister?

2009-03-12T01:26:00.003+08:00

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!

2009-03-12T01:15:00.006+08:00

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!

Our Barkdays!

2009-02-22T00:58:00.012+08:00

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!!

Notice: Blog Name Change

2009-02-19T01:15:00.003+08:00

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.)

Click

2009-02-18T01:19:00.006+08:00

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!

Tinker: My Second BarkDay!

2009-02-12T01:54:00.006+08:00

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!

Thankiew to Velvet (aka Birdy) and Auntie I!

2009-02-10T20:57:00.006+08:00

Hello Peeps! This is Tinker Boy here. Candy let me use the blog as a birthday present (although i understand it is supposed to be OUR blog).

This pre-birthday post is specially for me to say:

THANK YOU Auntie I and Birdy for my birthday gift! YEY YEY YEY!

It's the first time I got a surprise present! I cant wait to see what it is, M won't let me open it till tomorrow!

PS: We are trying to upload the picture but there just seems to be a problem =(

Anyways, you'll get to see the OPENED gift tomorrow! I cant wait! I heard there will be goodies such as cake, which we only eat once or twice a year because its not very healthy. While D doesnt mind feeding me more of such stuff, M is very strict with Apollo and Candy. HAHA!

Update: Here is my gift from Auntie I and Vel-bird!

My Toy And I!

I love it!

Happy Chinese New Year!

2009-02-04T00:52:00.003+08:00

Finally our internet is working! Tinker came to stay with us while D was away, and initially he kept whining and wooing me! I know I'm simply irresistable. (M: Yeah right, we made an appointment with Dr Hsu to neuter Tinks already.)

Well, before the 15 days are over, HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR to all of you, from all over the world! Don't forget the red packets, one for each of us.

Our own Mommy didnt give us any red packets, but she ordered alot of food from a butchery! They can be found in Our Yum Yum's page. Here is a picture of a handsome hunk, by the way.

About Greyhound Racing, Adoption and Fever's Story

2009-01-14T22:49:00.010+08:00

The President of the American Greyhound Track Operators Association even said to People Magazine, “The animals must be disposed of. It’s an economic thing.”

Why is it that our greyhound friends have to suffer because of MONEY? Do YOU think its right that someone else dies for the sake of filling your pockets? Please think again! Greyhound racing does not only mean the animals are killed, these poor things have to go through hell before God frees them of their pain.

You might think that retired or injured greyhounds do get adopted, but remember, for every one greyhound adopted, it means another dog loses it's second and probably last chance at life. We aren't saying don't adopt greyhounds, but for the good of greyhounds, we need to get to the root of the problem. As Judy Paulsen, Founder of Greyhound Companions of New Mexico says, "Adoption is not the answer. It is merely a band-aid on a hemmorhaging jugular.".

"Why are there so many "retired" racing greyhounds in need of homes?", you ask. To produce exceptionally fast greyhounds, breeders overbreed and breed in large numbers. This selfish act causes the rest of the slower greyhounds to be abandoned, killed or given away. Some starve to death even before people can rescue them. Do not forget that the greyhounds are UNSTERILIZED and unlike rehomers or rescue groups, the breeders do not screen potential owners! This results in a vicious circle of 'newbies' hoping to break into the industry taking these hounds for overbreeding and then giving them away again.

Remember this, Without the destruction of the greyhound racing industry, no matter how many Greyhounds [the greyhound rescue groups] manage to find homes for, there will always be those who die mutilated in racing accidents; suffocate during transport; lie injured to perish in crates as a result of receiving little or no veterinary attention; and the list goes on and on.

Fever's Story

Fever, when she was rescued

To read Fever's story, please click the link below.

Greyhound Companions of New Mexico, Fever's Story

Did you know?

Greyhounds were initially thought to be dangerous and unadoptable by majority of the humane societies.
The number of greyhounds destroyed is nearly impossible to determine. Not every breeder registers their dogs with the NGA and the fate of these unregistered dogs are not trackable.
Information disseminated by the NGA pertaining to the number of greyhounds destroyed each year and the number placed into adoptive homes is misleading. Using the few surveys they distributed years ago, their statistics regarding the number of dogs being placed by adoption groups is pure speculation and likely overestimated. And for the above reason, they cannot possibly know the massive numbers of greyhounds actually being destroyed. Their claim that the number of greyhounds being bred each year is declining, must be regarded with skepticism.
Cases of abuse and neglect of greyhounds by trainers and breeders are underreported due to fear of retaliation by industry peers. The relatively small number of cases reported usually come from those who have defected from the industry in abhorrence of industry injustices and grotesque abuses witnessed.
Because greyhounds are generally docile by nature, they are prime specimens for research and veterinary teaching schools. The number of greyhounds turned over to these institutions has been greatly underestimated as demonstrated by a recent disclosure that over 900 greyhounds had been surrendered by trainers to a Colorado veterinary school in one year. The figures had been previously reported to be in the range of 300 until greyhound rights advocates uncovered the grisly truth. The dean of this veterinary school admits they destroy 500 greyhounds per year that are not even used for any teaching purposes.
After their association with the racing industry was exposed, the Colorado university agreed to eliminate their practice of destroying the glut of dogs coming off the Colorado race tracks; however, it is interesting to note that the number of dogs now available to adoption programs in that area is nowhere near the large numbers once being turned over to the university — where are those dogs? Are they being shipped off to other areas where they can be disposed of without the media attention and heightened public awareness that now exists in Colorado?
Slow and injured dogs are loaded onto "kill trucks" to make room for better performers in the kennel. Some are euthanised, others are less fortunate and are shot or bludgeoned to death.
Greyhounds are transported long distances during the heat of summer in trucks without air conditioning. There have been tragic reports of trucks reaching their destination only to open the compartments and find dead or dying greyhounds as a result of exposure to extreme heat.
Other species of animals such as rabbits are destroyed as a result of the dog racing industry Methods for training the most successful racers involve the torture and mutilation of animals that are used as "live lure" to heighten the prey instinct of the greyhound in training. Dogs trained by this method are considered ineligible for competing on most tracks; however, track officials often turn their heads to allow these more aggressive, crowd-pleasing dogs to compete.

*Fever's Story, pictures, quotes (in red), the "Did You Know" section and majority of the information are the courtesy of Greyhound Companions of New Mexico. You may visit their website through the sidebar of the blog. They have information on greyhound behavior and health too.

We'll post if you have any Animal Welfare or Adoption issues!

2009-01-08T18:10:00.003+08:00

Our family has agreed to help anyone in need of spreading the word!

About Animal Welfare Issues

If you have an animal welfare issue to bring up, eg. Cruelty in Puppymills (which we'll be doing soon), feel free to email us.

Be sure to add in supporting evidence (pictures, videos, statements, references). We'll do some research about it and post it up once its done!

About Rehoming An Animal

If you are rehoming an animal friend, please email us with all the details listed below, preferbly with a picture. We'll do a post for you as well!

The ONLY condition to spreading the word is that you are not SELLING the animal, but rehoming it for no cost.

If you wish to set an adoption fee, you have to explain what the money is for, and where it goes to. Receipts of defraying vet bills etc MUST be given to us for publishing, and we will NOT post if there is even a cent of profit involved. If anyone has given us proof that you are profiteering, we will delete your post immediately.

Also, you are advised to let the adoptor sign an adoption contract and make it compulsory to sterilize an intact animal.

Details which MUST be given:

Breed:
Name:
Age:
Gender: Neutered Male/Intact Male/Spayed Female/Intact Female
Reason for being given up:
Good with kids:
Good with other dogs:
Good with other animals:
Dog's temperament:
Dog's problems:
Ideal Owner:
Ideal Home:
Other info:

How are you related to the dog: Owner/fosterer etc
Contact:

*You can also leave a comment after you sent an email to remind us to look it over.

Good luck!

Ban Greyhound Racing!

2009-01-08T15:15:00.010+08:00

We came across some facts about Greyhound Racing while surfing the internet, and are extremely disgusted with the humans who did this to our fellow canines!

While M was in Aussie, she saw ads for greyhound racing, but she never knew about the horrors! We strongly urge anyone who is overseas NOT to go to any races at all. Please help us SAVE THE GREYHOUNDS!

One of the ten starving greyhounds found in South Phoenix pens with little food and no water. Taken from the Greyhound Protection League (www.greyhounds.org)

Greyhounds found in an Idaho dump near the dog track, shot or bludgeoned to death.
Taken from the Greyhound Protection League (www.greyhounds.org)

Greyhound Racing Facts, adapted from The Humane Society of the United States. (http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/running_for_their_lives_the_realities_of_greyhound_racing/greyhound_racing_facts.html)

If you dont think you can read the whole article, at least read the bolded parts.

1. Do problems exist with greyhound racing?

Yes. Greyhound racing constitutes animal abuse because of the industry's excessive surplus breeding practices, the often cruel methods by which unwanted dogs are destroyed, the daily conditions in which many dogs are forced to live, and the killing and maiming of bait animals, such as rabbits, during training exercises. The industry exists solely for the entertainment and profit of people—often at the expense of the animals' welfare.

2. Where does the greyhound racing industry get dogs?

Every year, the industry breeds tens of thousands of greyhounds, more than it can place at racetracks. This overbreeding is motivated by the desire to produce "winning" dogs. Thousands of greyhounds at each track are disposed of yearly to bring in a "fresh" group of dogs. A dog's racing career is usually over at 3½ to 4 years of age.

If able to live out his or her full life as a companion animal, a greyhound may live 13 or more years. Unfortunately, the industry kills greyhounds at various stages in the dogs' lives because they appear to lack racing potential or are injured. Many dogs, when they are no longer profitable, are adopted into good homes through rescue groups, but thousands are not. As with any business, profit is the bottom line; as a result, greyhounds are often destroyed using the least expensive methods, including gunshot. Reports of bludgeoning, abandonment, and starvation have also surfaced. Veterinarians humanely euthanize some greyhounds.

4. What is the daily existence of a racing dog like?

Racing greyhounds spend the majority of their adult lives in crates or pens or in fenced enclosures. Human companionship is limited. Many enclosures are not climate-controlled, causing the dogs distress during inclement weather.

5. Are any other animals abused by the greyhound racing industry?

Greyhound training activities have been known to maim and kill thousands of domestic rabbits and wild jackrabbits every year. (This estimate is based on HSUS investigations into the illegal importation of rabbits as well as the use of animals in training events.) One particular event known as "coursing" involves greyhounds chasing, terrorizing and eventually killing rabbits within fenced enclosures. Some industry representatives argue that this activity enhances the dogs' racing ability because they'll develop a "taste for blood." But greyhounds are sight, not blood, hounds, and their inclination to run is instigated by a moving object, not the scent of blood. The use of live lures is not permitted in at least 16 states, but such laws are difficult to enforce.

6. Why would a state legalize greyhound racing?

Lawmakers initially perceived racing as a way to raise needed revenue. Most were, at first, unaware of the inhumane treatment involved. The reality, however, is that state revenue generated by dog tracks amounts, on average, to far less than one percent of a state's annual income, and has been declining markedly in recent years.

7. What is the status of greyhound racing?

With attendance at racetracks dwindling nationwide, greyhound racing is on the decline, yet it is still entrenched in a number of states. Seven states have specific bans on live greyhound racing: Idaho, Maine, North Carolina, Nevada, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. All of these bans were passed in the 1990s. Forty-six tracks operate in 15 states. Nineteen of those tracks operate seasonally, and the other 27 operate year-round. Simulcasting, which is the televised transmission or reception of a live race to or from an out-of-state racetrack or off-track betting site, takes place in two other states.

During the 1990s, the greyhound racing industry's gross betting handle (total amount wagered) declined by a staggering 45%. State revenue from greyhound racing in the 1990s decreased by an even greater percentage. If simulcasting monies were subtracted from the bottom line, declines would have been even greater, showing that on-track betting and live racing are sharply declining sources of income and entertainment. In the past decade, 16 tracks either closed or stopped hosting live racing. While the U.S. economy experienced unprecedented growth and prosperity during that time, greyhound racing took a nosedive. Americans are clearly voting with their wallets and consciences that they do not want any part of this business.

Gaming industry* statistics paint a bleak picture: Of the entire $61.6 billion gambling market, greyhound racing held a 0.7% share in 2000. That's a decline of 6.65%, or $32.6 million, from 1999 figures.

8. How is the greyhound racing industry fighting back?

Because of the unavoidable economic trends, many tracks have lost enthusiasm for dog racing and, instead, are concentrating on gaming. Currently, five tracks in three states (Iowa, Rhode Island, and West Virginia) have slots, but tracks everywhere are pushing state legislatures to add slot machines, video lottery terminals, and/or some other forms of gambling to prop up their flailing dog-racing operations. A recent Orlando Sentinel article detailed how the gaming industry—which includes greyhound racing—and its lobbyists have flooded Florida state legislators with contributions, despite the electorate repeatedly voting down proposals to expand gambling in the state.

The expansion of gaming at dog tracks may improve some tracks' financial problems, but it will definitely perpetuate the misery and untimely destruction of healthy, young, and adoptable greyhounds. International Gaming and Wagering Business said, "If racing is to prove the New York Times wrong and survive in America, making new fans isn't the first priority, it's the only priority. Industries that can't recruit new customers die." In almost every state where greyhound racing exists, dog tracks are pressing for tax relief or state subsidies to survive.

9. Could the greyhound racing industry ever be operated in a humane manner?

No. The racing industry is inherently cruel. Greyhound racing is a form of gaming in which the amount of money a dog generates determines his or her expendability. The answer for greyhounds is neither regulation nor adoption of "retired" dogs, but the elimination of the greyhound racing industry.

10. Aren't "retired" greyhounds adopted? What happens to those who aren't adopted?

Greyhounds make wonderful companion animals and are loving and responsive to human contact. Unfortunately, thousands of "retired" greyhounds are not adopted each year. Many greyhound owners use adoption programs as dumping grounds when their dogs are no longer profitable. Although The Humane Society of the United States applauds the efforts of those volunteers who give their time and money to place unwanted greyhounds in loving homes, thousands of these dogs are still destroyed each year because there are not enough homes to accept them. In 2000, an estimated 19,000 greyhounds were killed.* This includes 7,600 greyhound puppies who were farm culls, and another 11,400 "retirees" who were not rescued. Other greyhounds are either sold to research labs, returned to breeding facilities to serve as breeding stock, or sent to foreign racetracks, sometimes in developing countries with appalling track conditions.

11. Who oversees the racing industry? Aren't there laws to protect greyhounds?

State racing commissions exist to regulate the industry, but their primary function is to protect the state's financial interests, not to enhance animal welfare practices. The racing industry is virtually self-regulated. Unlike other commercial animal enterprises—such as animal breeding, zoos, circuses, and animal transportation via airlines—greyhound racing is not governed by the federal Animal Welfare Act, which is enforced by the United States Department of Agriculture.

13. What is The Humane Society of the United States doing to help solve this problem?

The HSUS investigates industry abuses, works to educate the public about the inherent cruelty of this industry, and initiates and supports legislation to ban greyhound racing. The HSUS believes that as long as greyhound racing continues in this country, dogs bred for no other reason than to race will be needlessly put to death. We believe the dog-racing industry has a lifelong responsibility for the adoption of every dog it breeds. This population includes not only retired racers, but also thousands of industry-bred puppies who never make it to the track because they are deemed unsuitable for racing.

14. What YOU can do?

Don't participate in the cruelty of greyhound racing by attending or betting on dog races.
Tell your friends, family, and coworkers about the tragedy of greyhound racing.
Distribute copies of this web page.
If your state or neighboring state has a greyhound track, write to state officials to express your opposition to greyhound racing. Tell them that greyhounds belong in loving homes, not on race tracks.
Contact The HSUS for model legislation to ban greyhound racing.

*As reported by Greyhound Network News and the Greyhound Protection League

Please click on the link above to find out more about our greyhound brothers and sisters!

Last Snaps of '08

2009-01-07T01:50:00.005+08:00

On NY's Eve, D decided on the spur of the moment that he would like to try some shots for us, with the help of uncle H and M. You may notice the backdrops and stuff arent perfect (especially grooming the perfect ME), because they were in a hurry to setup.

Here are some of the pics, M said she loves 'Uncle Apollo' the most. HAHA!

And just one memory of Kola...

M: This picture was taken the last time D and I tried to setup the backdrop. We put his cushion underneath the backdrop so he just went to lie on it unexpectedly!

M's letter to Kola

2008-12-31T01:30:00.003+08:00

M:

Less than 6 days have passed since you left me, I still remember the first day I met you.

It was at my grooming instructor's pet shop. You were there for grooming. I still cant forget the way your eyes shone, how you wanted to jump on to me, despite the situation you were in. Did you even understand how much trouble you were in? Or were you still happy because you knew someone would save you.

You could say the reason I opened my heart to you was partly becaused you reminded me of Cocoa. But i knew you were different. You may be the same breed, same color even, but you look worlds apart to me. Your personalities were like chalk and cheese.

Still, I decided that you should not die because of a human. I was determined to rescue you. We tried so hard to find you a nice home. There were so many applications i rejected because I knew they were not the right ones. Just when I thought I got you the best home, you bit their kids. Not once, not twice. Many times. Once you even bit your M at that time. Despite them trying, you just didnt seem to behave.

Auntie J took you back for boarding and wanted your ex-M to pay the bill. Up to this day I still remember her SMSes. She told me to bring you to SPCA and that she will never part with a cent for you. She even scolded me for SMSing as it cost 5cents, as opposed to the FREE email. I couldnt believe it. It was your life we were talking about and she wanted to save 5cents and spend more time emailing?

D took you home again, because Auntie J refused to keep you without being paid. We tried so hard to accomodate you, but obviously D's place wasnt big enough to accomodate two dogs. Chinese New Year was coming... I pleaded to bring you back home.

"Until D comes back", I told your Grand-Mommy.

Days passed since D landed in Sunny Island again, slowly months slipped away. At times Grand-Mommy got angry with you, so did Grand-Daddy. It was because you bit people.. And not to mention, fought with Candy and bullied Apollo. The house was topsy turvy with you.

I pleaded with them, and they relented. Actually, deep down inside, I know that they miss the topsy turvy you turned this house into as well. It is so quiet now Kola...

We really miss you so. People keep telling me, that you are in a better place now. You dont need to suffer. You wouldnt want to see me like this. You would want me to move on.

I know all these, but letting go isn't easy. I know that it wasn't easy for you to let go as well.. Especially since you finally got Home.

I will live on happily, I promise you. I just need time... I will get over the grief, but i will never stop loving you.

More than two years have passed since Cocoa left me, I still think about her everyday. And now, i will think of both of you... And see you in my dreams.

Goodbye Kola, run free. Remember, I love you.

Our All Natural Herbal Remedies

2008-12-30T03:07:00.004+08:00

Previously I've mentioned that M ordered some remedies for our Angelic Kola from Far Far Away.

They arrived only today, and since St Kola isnt around to use them, M gives them to us!

She bought quite a few remedies, among them, Life Cell Support and Vibactra.

As Life Cell Support can be used to detox the body and enhance the immune system, M doses us with the recommended feeding, and OH MY DOG! THEY TASTE BITTERRRR!!

And trust me, Vibactra doesnt taste any better! But M insists that we take them because of our skin problems. These are natural remedies made of organic herbs, thus M is happy to use them on us.

It is too early to see any results, but M seems to love these products. In fact she is so happy that she is bringing in many more of these products, for tummy, heart, kidney, blahblahblah. C'mon M! These are borrrrrringgggg.

(M: Apollo is not young anymore, so i hope to have these remedies on standby rather than panic and import them. Most people may not trust these products but i spoke to and trust the person who helped formulate some of them.

Many people prefer to leave illnesses and diseases to the vets, I wish I could too. But I've seen for myself the effectiveness of traditional medicine, when Cocoa passed away, when Kola followed thereafter, when my hamsters and rabbits died one by one. Since the vets cannot save them anyway, I have nothing to lose by trying these remedies.

Apollo's skin problem recovered fully only after going natural by the way.)

Our Grooming Tools

2008-12-29T01:53:00.004+08:00

M thinks that grooming is very important, thats why she signed on for a professional grooming course almost three years ago. Now she grooms us herself, and with the help of D.

M & D both think that we should be as close to the breed standard as possible, and do not encourage shaving. We'll talk about that later on, but for now here are our grooming tools.

The Green brush is our Les Poochs Pro Brush with medium bristles and a soft flex. As it is double sided, and can be bent, M loves to use this to brush us as she says that it can dematt easily.

The Yellow brush is our Les Poochs Soft Bristle brush, M thought that this would be good for my delicate coat but she now prefers the Green brush as she says that my coat is so thick so a lil breakage wont hurt =(

The two steel combs you see are the Chris Christensen Buttercombs.

The one on the left is the 7.5inch long tooth comb, M says that it is great because it can reach allll the way down to the skin when she combs me.

It is important to comb all the way from the root so that the hair does not matt at the root. Some people only brush the surface. The hair may look ok, but if the root is matted, sooner or later the whole body of fur will be too. And dematting is PAINNNNFULLLLLL.

The comb on the right is the Poodle Comb, M said that she loves to fluff Kola up with this comb.

Join this facebook group!

2008-12-29T00:13:00.009+08:00

M decided to login FaceBook today as she rarely did, because there were a few requests.

She found this group that donated $10 to SPCA with every 1000 members. People with facebook, please join! Every cent makes a difference to our poor animal friends in SPCA. Kola-la was once in SPCA and nearly sent back until M took him in by the way.

The group's link is: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40091005543

Anyway she found a real nice quote there, credited to www.peta.org:

Why we should be vegetarian and save animals...

the question is not, Can they reason?, nor Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?
-Jeremy Bentham

We realise in our lives that there are many who love animals, but even more who do not view them as an equal. M's cousin ever asked M why she bothered spending so much time and money on us. We are afterall, 'just dogs'.

M was unhappy with the comment. (M: They are my kids, my family. We do not treat family as an inferior species.)

Lastly, M hopes that those who dont think that animals are worth a damn, can jump off a bridge and die. She says that if a person does not have compassion for animals, how can he have compassion for humans?

For humans who think they are superior to us dogs, or other species, please reconsider your stand. A life is a life isn't it? Humans have subjected many animals to different kinds of torture - killing cats and dogs, hunting elephants for their ivory tusks, and others for their skin. Is this really necessary?

Remember, dogs have and will continue to help humans in their daily lives, including saving others. One day, our canine brother may save your life.

There are alot of things on our minds, which we wish to blog about but right now we are feeling very tired about all that has happened. We'll continue on this soon!

Kola-la is home again!

2008-12-28T02:24:00.003+08:00

M and D brought Kola back home today.

They burnt (M: Cremated!) Kola at Tengoku (www.tengoku.com.sg) instead of at Mount Pleasant as M decided she couldnt wait till Monday.

The people at Mount Pleasant were nice this time, and even wrapped up Kola's body nicely, which M was grateful for.

Sam from Tengoku was very nice and understanding as well when he spoke over the phone with M. When M and D, together with Uncle H, brought Kola to the farm, the Tengoku guy, Ah Teng, recognized D! It turns out that they were staying in the same building block. (M: She means the same block of flats.)

After the ceremony, Uncle Ah Teng even brought the ashes back to D's place because he knew M wanted it by today.

Kola-la is finally home, M seems a little happier although she still cries sometimes. Apollo and I are at a loss. We don't know how to console M. We know how much she loves Kola, and us. We miss Kola too, although we don't really show it.

M: Thank you so much, Ling, Ah Teng and Sam. Special thanks to D for being with me all this awhile too, and H, loving my dogs so much.

A Poem To Kola-la

2008-12-27T03:45:00.005+08:00

M wrote this poem for our beloved Kola-la. We really miss him so.

-----------------------------------
A Poem To Kola

You came to me, as a homeless.
We tried to find you a home,
Although there were many who were heartless.
We knew you didn't want to be alone.

Thus we brought you back.
In the morning, you would wake me up.
Before you raided the rubbish for your daily snack.
At night, you would lie just like a pup.

There were good times and bad times.
At times, you bit, fought and scratched.
But you would also win hearts with your whines.
I thought you and I were the perfect match!

Everyday you would wake me,
By scratching at the door to go out.
When your antics, no one would see,
You would sit there and just pout.

Christmas Eve, I remember,
You running about greeting guests,
How I wish that moment would last forever,
For now, all i think about is your zest.

When I received the call,
I remember my heart beating faster.
They said you had no chance at all,
because of the dreaded cancer.

I asked to see you again,
I wanted to say goodbye.
But when I saw you in so much pain,
All I could do was cry.

When your time came,
And God took you away,
I cried out your name,
Without you, how could I get through a day?

I was with you till the very end.
Until you breathed your last.
Even though my heart may never mend,
In my life, I am thankful for your cast.

In Heaven, where all dogs go,
You can run with freedom,
Across the green meadows,
Without your joints being a burden.

There you can finally be happy,
You eat without having a price to pay
Past each day without a worry,
As i'm sure we will be reunited one day.

I love you endlessly,
And I know you love me too,
With a heart so pure and plenary
And a love so true.

- M to Kola

Run To The Other Side Of The Rainbow Bridge, Kola

2008-12-25T19:14:00.004+08:00

M: This Christmas, Kola woke me up at 0530 with his whines. His stomach was bloated again.

Both of us rushed down to MP Hospital as that was the only vet open, and he was put on drip. Doctor suspected something was wrong with his pancreas although blood tests showed it was ok.

At 8am, the other vet came in and did the ultrasound for Kola. They suspected telescoping of the intestines (where one part of the intestine sucked the other part in) and found pus in Kola's stomach. That means an infection in the stomach, and also the telescoped part of the intestines will have to be cut off. The stomach has to be opened to be cleaned and drained of the pus and gas as well. Chances of survival were 50/50 with the op, and 0% without the op. He would die today without the op. We gave the go ahead.

1230, the vet called me. Bad news. They found a tumour in Kola's pancreas. It was pressing against the stomach, intestine and liver - which is why he had pus, bloat and liver problems. He had cancer of the pancreas.

The vet said with the most intense antibiotics and medicine, he could last another two days at most. We saw the tumour, 1/4 of it. It was the size of a big meatball, i couldnt imagine such a big lump inside him, he went for tests last week! How come nobody knew?

We all could see his suffering.. It would be selfish to make him hold on for our sake.. We decided to let him go. We decided to let him go to a place where there is no suffering anymore, where he doesnt have to compete with other dogs, get hated by humans. A place without starvation, without hatred and cruelty. Without pain and suffering.

To Kola:

My dear Kola, I'm really sorry. For the past 10months we were together, I tried to give you the best. I know you were jealous of Apollo and Candy, but at least you had a place to call Home. For the past 5 years of your life, you were bounced from place to place because you bit people. You raided rubbish bins and fought with other dogs. But at long last, you were home.

Now, you dont have to suffer anymore. You dont have to endure the pain in your tummy, the pain that no one knew you were going through. You dont have to compete for attention, dont have to get scolded for stealing food.. Just run over the rainbow bridge, look for familiar faces. You can look for your sister Cocoa if you wish.

On Monday, you will be cremated and we will bring your ashes back, to our home. I love you Kola. I always did.

Thank you my dear, for waiting for me. For giving me the chance to say one last goodbye to you.

Yours and Forever,
M

To my Mom: Thank you for giving me your support through this period. I know times are bad, but you willingly forked out the money to go ahead with his treatment although you knew chances are slim because you wanted to save him. I love you Mom.

Our Martingale Collars & Walking Lead

2008-12-23T02:44:00.005+08:00

About a month or two ago, M decided that we should use Martingale collars instead of our usual ones, and since the old ones were getting dirty anyway she ordered these very very special collars made just for US!

Martingales are usually used for hounds, whose necks are thicker than the head. The collars are chokers but unlike choke chains which put pressure on the trachea, these martingales put pressure on the entire neck, so they don't damage the throat. It acts as an anti slip collar as well, which is why hounds usually use these. But M thinks we need this too as I loveeee to back out of my collar. Its fun!

Apollo not only has a Martingale, he has a walking lead as well, which is a Martingale collar and lead all into one. It was also custom made for Apollo and M loved the design. It has padding at the collar part as well and Apollo says its much more comfortable than the old collar.

Right in front: Apollo's walking lead. The red collar with stars is Tinker's, the one white and blue is Kola's and the red and white BITCH collar is MINE!

Apollo's martingale collar is not in this picture as M took all the gear from the previous beach trip to take this peekture.

M says that we don't need one because Kola and I share a coupler. She loves using the coupler as she says that we don't get tangled anymore as we did before. And the lead part she holds has a shock absorber as well!

The coupler with the shock absorbing lead.

The part where the coupler extension connects to the lead is made of three rings, so it won't tangle Kola and I up. Thats the main reason why M decided to get a coupler.

Bach Flower Essences

2008-12-21T09:15:00.004+08:00

Awhile ago, M ordered some Bach Flower Essences for us. She says it'll help with our emotional well-being whatever that means. Do note that these flower essences are made and can be used for humans.

These are what she bought:

Rescue Remedy: Made from five Flower Essences: Cherry Plum, Clematis, Impatiens, Rock Rose and Star of Bethlehem. Helps relieve stress.

Vine: Allows you to be a leader without being domineering.

Chicory: Allows you to love someone without being possessive.

Holly: Encourages a forgiving and generous nature.

She also bought Olive for D. There is a service in Singapore where they custom blend Flower Essences for you too if you wish, but M imported these directly from Far Far Away so she blends them herself. M thinks that they are good for dogs that are emotionally troubled, so be sure to check this out! Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, it worked with us.. At least M thinks it did.

Our Yum Yums

2008-12-18T15:46:00.016+08:00

I overheard M chatting with her friend, and she mentioned that she would be changing some of part of our diet into organic because of the Black One's recent liver disease. She thinks that Organic is the way to go, so that Apollo, Tinker and I wouldnt get caught by the Liver Disease Monster. I told her that only Black dogs will get caught by the Monster, since the Black One is well, Black. But she says no, that isnt true.

Our yum yums will be listed here from now on. (M: This is just what they'll have generally, not specifically for every meal. That will be in a later post.)

Our Main Diet:

1. Raw Meat & Bones - M said that it will cost too much to change our diet entirely into Organic, but she'll try to convert most of it or at least use free range meats if possible.

These are some of the stuff we eat:

Free Range Lamb Kidney

Free Range Lamb Heart

Free Range Lamb Liver

Free Range Veal Liver

Free Range Veal Heart

Free Range Empress Chicken (Whole)

Free Range Chicken Carcass

Organic Beef

Organic Chicken Breast

Lamb

Mutton

Game Hen

Lamb Shanks

Salmon

Cod

Beef Lungs

Beef Liver

Young Organic Chicken, for us and grand-ma!

Free Range Lamb Heart

Free Range Beef Marrow Bones

Free Range Veal Bones

Free Range Veal Heart

Free Range Veal Liver

2. Veggie Blend - M has always bought Organic veggies for us to eat, and they are deeeeeelicious. We eat almost any kind of veggie, RAW. That includes but is not limited to carrots, cabbage, butterheads, xiao bai cai, nai bai, french beans, and many many more!

3. Yogurt - As some of you may know, M makes yogurt for us herself, with the help of some bacteria. All along she used normal cows milk from the supermarket to make our Yoggie, but from now she is only going to use Organic Milk.

Organic Yogurt stored in a glass airtight tupperware

4. Goats Milk - I love this the most as I get the MOST! It is not organic as far as we know, but its fresh from the farm.

5. Organic Thorvin Icelandic Kelp - M bought this from far far away, it is said to be full of trace elements.

Organic Thorvin Icelandic Kelp

6. Organic Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth - M bought this together with the Kelpie, mainly to kill our Tickies, and it worked! She also feeds us some of this white stuff sometimes to kill something inside us. She calls them worms.

Organic Food-grade Diatomaceous Earth

7. Bovine Colostrum - From Newwwww Zealand, it is the first food of all beings! Even you humans! M said that it boosts our immune system and so we must have it with every meal, because our constitution isnt very good. WE LOVE THE TASTE!! YEY!

Our Yummy Bovine Colostrum

As for our Treats, M dehydrates them herself! And occasionally she bakes muffins, cookies or whatever she feels like. Her latest creation was Carob Cookies. The picture will b e up soon!

Dehydrated Omasum (the 3rd stomach of the cow)

Dehydrated Lean Pork

Dehydrated Mutton Sukiyaki

Koka Kola..

2008-12-18T02:45:00.004+08:00

Now Apollo and I finally figured out why the Black One is called Kola.. As you know, there is a drink called Koka Kola (M: thats Coca Cola), and its a fizzy drink. About 5 days ago, M and D had to rush Kola to the hospital because he was bloated (read: fizzy drinks!).

Day One
We went to Sentosa with D and Uncle H earlier in the day, even Tinker came, but no photos as Uncle H forgot to bring D's camera along.

(M: We noticed Kola was bloated and he didnt even sniff at his dehydrated treats. It was worrying!)

Kola was put on drip and had an Xray that night at Mount Pleasant Hospital, as M didnt know that our regular vet, Companion Animal Surgery, had a 24 hour facility now. (M: They are on call after hours.) The bill was a whooping $660+, grrrrrrrrr, that amount could feed us for slightly more than two months! Think of all the good food down the drain, cause of the Black One.

Day Two
M & D woke up at 8.30am to bring Kola to CAS for further check up. Dr Chua allowed M to bring Kola home, and was told that as long as he stopped vomitting and started eating normally (bland COOKED food they say), he should be OK, another check up would be scheduled in the next week.

However, after 2 hours of reaching home, Kola vomitted FOUR times! Poor poor Auntie G had to clean the floor FOUR times!! M offered him yogurt and boiled chicken but he didnt even sniff! Thats crazy, whoever heard of the Black One rejecting food?! M was worried and called Dr Chua, who told us to bring him back.

He was put on drip again, and his temperature hit above 40deg C. Blood tests and haematology showed liver enzymes and white blood cell count higher than usual. They suspect a liver infection.

Day Three
Kola kept biting off the drip line, so the doctors gave him injections instead. It was slightly more painful, but he deserved it!!!! HAHAHA! On the bright side, his fever had subsided and he was eating. The nurses said he was playful (read: naughty).

Day Four
Doctor said Kola was looking good, no bloat and eating. No fever as well.

Day Five
Kola came home!! Not that we're extremely overjoyed about this, we wished M could've booked him in longer. (M: Hello! This stay cost us $1.5k!)

Dr Lee and Dr Chua both said no more raw food for Kola, only cooked. And that awful Science Diet L/D for two weeks. My gosh! M isnt too happy about that though, she says that she has read some of the books she bought and websites that say raw food is especially important for dogs with liver disease. Of course, these books were written by holistic vets like Dr Pitcairn.

M has ordered some natural antibiotics and liver 'remedy/supplement' to be fed to the Black One. According to Auntie J, the lady in the land of far far away (M: thats the USA), the natural antibiotic can be fed in place of the one Dr Chua prescribed. We arent too sure about that though, we really wish there was a holistic vet in Sunny Island! Anyway by the time the natural stuff come, the medicine from CAS has probably finished. Dr Chua gave the go ahead for the natural liver supplement, after M asked her about it by the way.

Although this is the first time M and Kola has been to Dr Chua and Dr Lee, they are really nice people! Unlike the one at the previous clinic where poor older sis Cocoa passed away in.. I hope IF i get sick, nice people like Dr Chua and Dr Lee will be looking after me too!

M is also revising our diet, the nutritional yeast seemed to have made our skin itchy, so she's stopping that. Colostrum is yum yum by the way, we had it just now. I'll post our diet up after she's done with it, i hope SOOOON. I feel hungry just thinking about it!

Rescuing the Rubber Duckie

2008-12-03T13:51:00.007+08:00

M and D brought us out today. Uncle H also came along! It has been sooooooo long since we last saw him!

We all went to the beach, where my dear brother Apollo had to jump in the sea many many times to rescue a rubber duckie. I don't quite understand the logic, if rubber duckie wanted Apollo to rescue him so many times, why wont he stop jumping in?

Apollo watching rubber duckie.
Bravely retrieving rubber duckie from the cold waters. This is what Golden Retrievers are bred for, except they retrieve real game. But we eat some game meats at home already, so I guess Apollo doesnt have to hunt for us!

Having a rest and waiting for rubber duckie to go into the waters again.

Apollo to the rescueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Doesn't he look so cool in this photo?

At the end of the day, a very happy Apollo boy.

We found this Black One wandering around the beach... (M: Yeah right, and at the pink end of the coupler stood the Princess.) Mom!!!! I let it slip when you didnt let me publish any of my photos, but THIS IS TOOOO MUCH!!! GRRRRRRR!

All Hail The Almighty Princess! and.. her underlings.

2008-11-24T02:23:00.011+08:00

My name is Candy. I am a Princess. Apart from my full-time job, I am also part time Shih Tzu part time Lhasa Apso, gianted sized but having a great figure at 7kg! (M: Actually she was supposed to be Shih Tzu but no one knows for sure).

This is the beauuutiful Me:

(Dont I look simply smashing?)

I simply love bossing my three brothers around. My family simply lovesss to spoil me. I get ALL the toys in the house. (M: You don't. But you simply like to think so.)

Umm, lets skip the toys. I also have great food to eat everyday! I'll tell you all about that some other day.

But first, let me proudly introduce my three brothers!

This is my sweet Big Brother Apollo the Golden Retriever:

He is simply the gentlest dog you will ever meet. I remember during puphood, I climbed on top of him and chewed on his ears and he simply let me! Oh yeah, not forgetting the times I nipped on his legs, boy, was he angry! But no, he didnt bite me! All he did was let me off after letting me look inside his mouth for three seconds. (M: Apollo actually put her entire head inside his mouth but didnt bite. He just wanted her to stop biting.)

This is my handsome Tinker-boy:

A Miniature Schnauzer who lives with D! Although we dont see him everyday, we get loads of chances to catch up when D brings him over to play! See his black shiny coat? Well, he is Dark Salt and Pepper, and D regularly handstrips him. Okay i know, not too black yet but hey! He is still young! His Kennel name is Joquinn Greatest Wonder, aptly named as D thinks he IS the Greatest Wonder, not ME! I wonder why the rest of us dont have kennel names? (M: Well its because I lost Apollo's and Kola's ex owner didnt pass me his. You dont have a pedigree.)

And well.. thats the end of the intro.

Oh yeah right, there is the Black One as well. His name is Kola and occasionally he forgets his place and tries to challenge me for the Throne! Can you imagine that? But of course, I ALWAYS get the best of him, even though he is slightly bigger!

PS: This ugly peekture is specially chosen by Yours Truly. Doesnt he look so horrible after hydrotherapy? I'll tell you ALL about it another day.

He is a Miniature Poodle M brought home because he was about to be sent to the SPCA to be put to sleep, thanks to his evil ex owner who cruelly abandoned him.

Well, I got to take a Royal Nap now. Catch ya soon!