1st Ever Dog Wheelchair Walk in Singapore

Spearheaded by our mascot, Harper; HOPE Dog Rescue held Singapore's very first dog walk for doggies on wheelchairs, on 17 December and what an amazing walk it was!

The doggies were really excited to meet fellow doggies on wheelchairs as it is not common that they get to meet their kind ❤️. They were, perhaps, exchanging facts about their wheelchairs!

The walk was attended by 5 doggies in wheelchairs and 17 normal doggies who had signed up to walk with these special doggies to show their support. We were touched!

The wheelchair doggies were:

1) Harper, born with a broken spine

2) Lucky, intervertebral disc disease (IVDD)

3) Jackie, traffic accident and owner didn't want her after her after the accident and a kind lady adopted Jackie.

4) Stephen - thrown out of a moving car in Shanghai and a family fostered him, adopted and brought to SG.

5) Suzu - senior dog

6) Chocolate - senior dog who inherited Jasper's wheelchair

7) Whisky - luxating patella and spinal issues

Harper thanks everyone for coming down to support her in this inaugural walk and making it a huge success.

If you have any queries regarding wheelchairs for doggies, feel free to drop us a private message or email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg. Not quite the experts but happy to share what knowledge we know. 

Kidney Disease in Dogs

Today, we shall talk about kidney failure or disease. There are currently 4 stages to kidney disease but due to its nature, it is often very hard to catch the initial symptoms. Many times, the dog could be just drinking more (a sign of abnormal thirst) or peeing urine that seems more diluted than usual when the kidneys start to fail. The more telling symptoms such as loss of appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy only become more apparent when in Stage 3 of the disease, which could be too late. 

Kidney disease is most common in senior dogs

The causes of kidney failure vary as well, from prior serious injury, ingestion of toxic stuff, hereditary etc. As dogs cannot survive without their kidneys, hence if left untreated, dogs with kidney failure will usually die within a short span of time. 

Considering the above, one may then wonder how best a concerned dog owner can try to detect possible kidney issues as early as possible? One way to do this is via regular blood tests. We have previously talked about the merits of having blood tests and ultrasounds done regularly especially if you have a senior dog. Through the blood tests, the vet will be able to advise you if the kidney indicators (BUN, creatinine, phosphorus etc) are within normal levels. It will be good to also specifically request for SDMA reading to be taken as well as the SDMA rises earlier than creatinine and can often give early warning of potential kidney issues.  

Chloe getting subcutaneous fluids at the vet

Even though kidney failure is not curable and often progressive in nature, dogs diagnosed early can still continue to live a quality life through proper management of diet (low sodium, low phosphorus and protein), subcutaneous fluids and regular check-ups and blood tests. So go ahead and book that appointment for the blood test for your furkid.  

Sources:

https://toegrips.com/kidney-disease-in-dogs-stages/

https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/urinary/c_multi_renal_failure_chronic

The colour of pee

 “Your urine is so yellowish—drink more water!”

Sounds familiar? 😂

This is something we hear so often from our parents. Very often, the colour of our urine has been associated with the amount of water we drink—the more water we drink, the clearer it is. Have you wondered if that works the same for dogs?

Well, not exactly. Contrary to what we know, the “best” urine colour for dogs should be pale yellow! 

Clear urine may not necessarily be the best for dogs. It could be a case of over hydration or that the dog's kidneys are unable to concentrate his/her urine. On the other extreme is urine that is too dark. The reasons could vary from simply not drinking enough water to more serious issues like urinary tract inflammation, kidney problems or even internal bleeding. 

Don't underestimate what we can tell from the colour of our dogs' urine, and always consult a vet when in doubt!

Dogs' urine colour chart (Source: https://www.petcarrierverdict.com/normal-urine-color-for-dogs/)

Banjo the skeletal dog

16 years old.

Skeleton dog

While most dogs enjoy their golden years with their owners, taking slow strolls together, eating their favourite foods and cherishing every moment, this little poodle was tied with a leash to prevent him from wandering about the house because he pooed and peed everywhere. Everyone worked and no one had time for him.

Double diapers :-(

Not a long leash, but a short normal leash we reckoned, for him to sustain such injuries.

And it wasn’t for a short while, but long periods. So long that he got entangled so badly, tried to free himself and had severe rope burns.

Bad teeth 

Rope / leash burns from being tied up for long periods 

How sad for a dog to have this happen and he's 16 

Testicle sore from urine scalding 

Blind in one eye

But wait, that’s not all – there is more to the neglect; they put him on double diapers and very likely left it on for hours. We say this because he had very bad urine scalding. The poor dog’s undersides and testicles look as if someone poured hot water on his skin.

Urine scalding 

Imagine the ongoing pain and suffering. And he is 16.

The scenario made us imagine our aged parent, left in a home, diapers not changed, tied to the bed, neglected. Our hearts broke into a million pieces.

His teeth are bad, yet he had kibbles left there free flow for him. They said he was picky with food – maybe he was so entangled by the leash that he couldn’t reach his food? His frame has ribs protruding like a refugee. Maybe his teeth were so bad that he couldn’t chew on solids?

 He has been eating and drinking very well at the vet clinic, eating like there is no tomorrow.

He is blind in one eye, has vision in the other and is able to walk around without bumping into things.

You know, dogs teach us such important lessons of forgiveness and resilience. This little doggy is so sweet and gentle. He allowed the nurses to clean his terribly painful sores without sedation – or is it the fact that he has given up and resigned to his sad fate?

We have named him BANJO. Dogs named BANJO tend to be good natured, loving and resilient. And this holds true for this sweetheart.

Here’s how you can help him – he needs a foster, who can clean his wounds 4x a day and feed him 4 meals a day. And he needs help with his vet bills. Banjo needs to go back to the vet clinic every 2-3 days to have his wounds scraped and get laser therapy for his terrible pain. 

Please email us hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg if you wish to help make him feel better.

Similar case back in 2014 HOPE Dog Rescue: Cry Of The Innocent

Senior Dog Issues

We've got a soft spot for senior dogs

As a dog owner, do you know when your dog enters into senior hood? Depending on their breeds, the expected life expectancy differ and as such, their age profile differ. Small dogs can live over 15-16 years while large dogs only around 10 – 13 years old. Like humans, our dogs start to experience more and more issues as they age. Some of these may not be readily apparent to us and could oftentimes be mistaken for behavioural issues. These can include:

1. Deteriorating vision and hearing. Like humans, these senses dull with age. Senior dogs with poor vision and/or hearing will not be able to detect approaching people or hear commands as well. As such, we may see them prone to being startled or turn aggressive on sudden touches / actions by others. One way to overcome this is to approach the dog gradually, making sure he is aware of your presence and intentions before physical contact. Sometimes these senior dogs are mistaken for being stubborn. 

Chloe

2. Loss of cognitive ability. This is somewhat similar to dementia in humans. You may see your dog ‘getting lost’ around the house or familiar places, or getting stuck in a corner, not knowing how to reverse and get himself out of there. This can be compounded by the deterioration in vision and hearing which makes it harder for the dog to recognise our commands to guide them out. While there may not be any proven ways to stave off this condition, regular mental stimulation exercises may help to some extent. You can refer to this post on some of the games that you can carry out with your dog here. 

3. Reduced ability to regulate body temperature, as a result feeling cold more easily. Do pay more attention to see if your dog needs an extra tee or blanket or towel, especially on cooler days or post a full grooming. Also common in senior dogs is anemia, and this would make them cold & shiver too. 

Zeus

4. Arthritis and joint pain. Again just like humans, the joints get stiffer with age. Keep a look out to see if there are changes in your dog’s gait. Regular moderate exercise, with supplements and massages may help to relieve these pains. Senior dogs should avoid running and jumping.

5. Obesity which comes about with reduced metabolism and activity levels. While we want to cut down the level of activities for our senior dogs, we need to still ensure they get the requisite amount of exercise to keep them healthy and mobile. At the same time, their diets will also need to changed to cater to their new activity level.  

As it can be seen from the 5 pointers, senior dogs are not unlike our human senior citizens. Whether they can lead a happy and comfortable life as they age will very much depend on what we do as dog owners. So be aware of their needs and together, let us all enjoy their golden years together.

Feeding the Fish Farm Dogs

Do you remember the "Fish Farm" doggies? 

HOPE has been providing these fishy doggies with canned food and kibbles since 2014!

Read their story :

http://hopedogrescue.blogspot.com/2014/01/dogs-grew-up-on-fish-food.html

http://hopedogrescue.blogspot.com/2021/01/fish-farm-dogs.html

We chanced upon them one day long, long ago and found out the poor doggies grew up on fish food! That’s how we started supplying them with dog food.

So happy with life on the farm

Worker, Uncle Segar, who loves the very much 

What a handsome doggy <3 

There used to be a lot more dogs but because we sterilized all of them, we managed to keep the population under control. Today, there are only 10 left; many have died from old age, illness or bitten by snakes – that’s the sad reality of a stray.

Handsome black boy <3 

Loving their freedom

They get cooked food when we go visit and Uncle Segar occasionally cooks for them too

This week we are visiting them to make them happy!

We will be bringing 15 cartons of Nature’s Gift canned food and 6 big bags of ANF kibbles (15kg each bag) and our volunteers will be cooking up a storm for them, to give them a feast. 

We are sure you wouldn’t want these sweet doggies to be eating fish food, so why not help buy some canned food for them? This amount of food would last them 2 to 3 months, before we visit again. 

This handsome one has lost vision in one eye

To buy food for the fish farm doggies, you may drop us a private message or contact our regular pet food supplier, Peggy (Pet HQ) at 96616103. Peggy has been very supportive of our work for than a decade, often providing us with food even when we couldn’t afford to pay her in the early days.

All you need to do is : text Peggy, tell her how much you wish to contribute and do a bank transfer to her. Peggy will help us accumulate everything and deliver all the food to us by Friday, in time for us to bring to the fish farm.

Thank you <3 

Holly, a gentle soul (1st update)

Holly, a sweet, tired soul.

Eyes that no longer sparkle 

Holly has been at the vet since her rescue. Poor Holly must be terrified to be in a strange environment with strange humans handling her that she has been trying to bite; we don’t blame her. The staff had to sedate her in order to draw blood and do a skin scrape; we wanted to ensure she has no contagious diseases before she goes off to a foster home, which she hasn’t found.

In summary :

• Female / 16Kg (underweight / ideal 18 to 20kg)
• Anemic
• Heartworm (Larvae and Babesia)
• Tick fever (Ehrlichia / Anaplasma)
• Severe Demodex infestation

Basically poor Holly has the whole package ☹

Exhausted from years of running & living on the streets 

Avoiding eye contact, not too used to humans and attention

Many of you have been asking about her puppies. The vet has confirmed she is not lactating / nursing, and has no puppies. Her dangling tits are from having given birth countless times. 

Such is the sad life of a stray. We will sterilize her when she is stronger.

Their sufferings are so hard, it is only something we can imagine

When our volunteers visited her at the vet, she was curled up in a corner of the cage, exhausted from years of running and living on the streets. Her eyes stared blankly ahead, eyes that no longer sparkle.

Holly allowed our volunteer to stroke her head, and we sensed that she liked it and it was the first time that someone had ever touched her or shown her love. Poor Holly, her entire body is bleeding from severe skin problems, and to think she has been living in this state for years.

Her very first human touch <3 

We hope to be able to find her a foster home within a week, while she is still recuperating at the vet; a family that has time for her, to cure her skin and heal her broken soul. The foster family might initially need to separate the dogs (if they have a resident dog) while Holly learns to trust, and also to help apply meds on her skin etc. 

Holly has just started on her heartworm treatment. There is a risk that she may not survive the treatment. We have no choice, but to proceed with it, before it gets even worse.

Please help Holly. Foster, share her post, or help with vet bills.

Email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

Holly - The Camp Dog

 Teamwork!

We got the camp dog!

A friend, Karen, had linked us with Ling from SOSD and after Ling contacted the relevant army personnel with suggestions on how to assist in trapping the dog, their team were very helpful in luring the dog into an escape proof enclosed room. Ling and trapper Mark then managed to secure the dog; a tired, battered soul, she was.

We would like to thank the military personnel for their kind assistance in this matter. We apologize if we unintentionally got people into trouble.

We have named her Holly.

Holly is at the vet and will have blood works done as well as a skin scrape to ensure she does not have any contagious skin issues before going into a foster home. From the looks of it, she just has extremely bad skin and had scratched herself till her skin bled. Her thin frame is a bag of bones.☹️

Holly will stay at the vet for 2 days, as we buy time looking for a foster. HOPE does not have a shelter and we rely on fosters to care for our dogs till they are adopted.

Write up by Mothership : Mothership.sg - There were challenges in getting access to the... | Facebook

We need the following help urgently :

1) Foster – please fill this foster form http://goo.gl/forms/2SF2X06AMh

2) Help with dog trapping and vet bills

Our email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg if you wish to contact us.

You showed your concern in our earlier post and now we need your help for Holly.

*Photographs courtesy of Ling

Fostering for HOPE

Taking care of senior dogs is not easy. But, it would mean the world to them.

You may have seen our constant posts for fosters, and some of you have written in. Yet, we continue to post for fosters, because we can't find the right fit.

Pet fostering provides temporary care to rescue dogs who get to live in a safe home environment and begin their rehabilitation. It can be from a few months, to years, depending on when the dog gets adopted, and the foster's tenacity. Our minimum fostering period is 4 months as we try not to disrupt the dog's schedule by moving from one place to another as this might make them anxious especially since many of them were abandoned / given up.

Here are some facts to consider if you are thinking of fostering:

1. Many are senior dogs – so they should not be left alone for more than 3 hours a day. Some have poor vision, and may not be able to find the water bowl, or pee / poo all over. There are others who need to go down to pee, require medications/ wound cleaning, or small meals throughout the day.

2. Some, like Malcolm, have severe separation anxiety and will go berserk if left alone for long hours. Some may even destroy things in the house trying to get out or to their human.

3. Our foster must be willing to provide at least 2 to 3 home-cooked meals a day, and monitor fluid intake. Some dogs may be intolerant to certain foods so their diet has to be very specific or they may develop other health issues which then need to be treated. Senior dogs also generally have to be coaxed to drink and can quickly become dehydrated.

4. Some dogs require experienced fosters who can provide injections or subcutaneous fluids (subcut).

5. We work closely with the foster who is expected to observe the dog and give feedback constantly. This is especially so for sick dogs, like Olive & Chloe who have cancer.

6. We would need the foster to pay for food, while HOPE pays for the vet bills, although any help from the foster is very much appreciated.

If you have the above criteria and wish to help our dogs, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sgor fill out this form - http://goo.gl/forms/2SF2X06AMh 

Helping an old JRT, Apple

Apple wandering off on her own (Photo taken by a passer-by)

Last week, we were informed that there was an old lost dog wandering the streets under a block at Petir Road. When we found the dog we noticed that her nails were really long and curled up (this can be very painful for dogs). From our past experience, sometimes the dog could belong to older persons who let their dog roam and expect the dogs to come back and are at times not even aware that they need to groom the dogs and clip the nails. 

Of course, also sometimes it could be that they may not have the financial means to do so or sadly at times, they just don’t prioritise it, at the expense of the well-being of their poor dog. 

Eventually, we were able to track the owner after her dog had been returned to her. We managed to find out that a neighbour had bought the dog kibbles because sometimes the family forgot or could not find the time to feed.

Apple at the vet with a volunteer

The dog’s name is Apple, a 15 year old white Jack Russell Terrier and she belongs to an 80 year old lady. Apple was given to her by her daughter in law, when she got married. 

Our volunteer approached the family and offered to take Apple to the vet, and HOPE would help with the vet bills – for a basic blood test and a much needed nail clipping. After some persuasion, the owner agreed.

Extremely overgrown nails

We took Apple to the vet, together with the owner, for blood tests and her liver readings were a bit high and she needs supplements for this. Her neighbour has agreed that she will go over daily to feed the supplements. 

Huge growth on her right paw

Apple also has a rather large growth (visible, pink, and big) on the right front paw and she needs a minor surgery to remove it. We have yet to arrange as we are truly concerned that the family may not be able to provide the post-surgery care and that may result in the surgical site becoming infected. 

In the meanwhile, we will try to persuade the old aunty to surrender the dog to us, because we truly think that it is a very sad life to live in a home that allows you to roam, not bother if you come home or not and occasionally forget to feed. We don’t yet have a foster, but we are worried that Apple could end up getting hit by a car as she is currently allowed to roam in the car park. We hope to be able to help her. 

Eye appears abnormal

A sore on her left leg

Apple’s vet bill from her last vet visit was $285. If you would like to help, please email us at hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg

Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis in dogs is an insidious condition. It is a potentially life-threatening condition, yet the symptoms may not be very obvious at first and even if they are, are common enough that they are usually dismissed or mistaken for something less serious. We had a brush with this disease when Timmy got it. His pancreatitis had led to acute kidney failure and we almost lost him. So we felt that it is important for all pet parents to be aware of what to look out for.

The pancreas is responsible for producing digestive enzymes to aid in digestion. Normally, these enzymes are not activated until they reach the intestines where their work begins. In some cases, the enzymes are activated before they reach their destination and this can result in the enzymes digesting the pancreas itself and the surrounding tissues and organs, causing damage and inflammation to these areas. The inflammation of the pancreas is what we refer to as pancreatitis. This can cause extreme pain to the dog so one of the signs of this is that a dog may adopt a prayer position when resting. The prayer position is where the front elbows are on the ground but the back legs are standing. This is never a good position to find your dog in because this shows that the dog has pain in the abdomen area which is why they are not resting on it. If you ever find your dog in such a position, you should take them to the vet immediately.

Some other signs of pancreatitis are repeated vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness and/or lethargy, loss of appetite, dehydration and fever. Again, these are not specific to pancreatitis and can be signs of other conditions which may be just as serious. As a general rule of thumb, if your dog only exhibits one of these signs, and only infrequently, then you can just monitor them. If multiple signs present at the same time and repeatedly, then you should take your dog to the vet immediately.

Exactly what causes pancreatitis is not known and an attack often happens out of the blue,but there are risk factors that are known to trigger the condition:

•  A high-fat diet is a major cause of pancreatitis, especially when a dog has a large helping of fatty food in one serving.
• Dogs who are obese, have diabetes or endocrine disorders may also be more susceptible to the condition.
• Certain medications such as corticosteroids may also trigger the condition.
• Some small breed dogs like miniature schnauzers and  other terrier breeds are simply more predisposed to developing pancreatitis.

Pancreatitis can be life-threatening and should never be treated with any home remedy. Types of supplements should always be discussed with your vet before giving them to your dog as some supplements may worsen the condition. For example, fish oil, though counterintuitive, has also been shown to lower lipid levels which can help. However, human studies have shown that probiotics actually worsens the condition.

Prevention is always the best medicine, and just as in most cases, it is important to make sure that you feed your dog a healthy, balanced (for canines, not humans) diet that is low in fat. However, sometimes you may do all the right things and yet fate has just dealt the dog a bad hand so it is critical to stay vigilant and be aware of the warning signs that your dog may be in distress. If ever in doubt, always err on the side of caution and take your dog to the vet. Better to be kiasu than not!

Olive, another Kai Kai (New Rescue)

Sweet Olive has gone to a volunteer’s home because we have not found a foster for her. She is still settling in and missing her family lots. She whines for them and stares at the door all day, waiting for them to come back for her. 

When people decide to give up their dogs, they don’t see the sadness and dejection that we see. The dogs would be thinking, why me? Why give me away? What did I do wrong? And the answer is always the same; they did nothing wrong. In fact, despite being given away, these dogs still love and remain loyal to the ex-families. 

We have done blood tests for Olive and her results are surprisingly good. Olive is 10. Olive has a huge tumour in her right ear – we can’t even begin to imagine how long she has lived with that pain and discomfort; blood constantly oozing down her face. We did a chest x-ray to see if her cancer has spread to her lungs but fortunately, we don’t see the spread yet. 

Olive has a pretty bad heart murmur, Grade 4 (out of 6) and so any surgeries that she undergoes, there is a risk of losing her on the table; but how do we let her go on living with a huge oozing ear tumour?

Olive was surrendered at the vet

Very bad skin chewed till she bled

We wonder how long she has been living with this huge tumour?

Next step, Olive will be scheduled for a heart ultrasound asap, followed by a surgery to remove the tumour. Its going to cost a lot and we will need to start raising funds for that soon. 

Extremely dry eyes

Rescuing senior dogs doesn’t come cheap because they often come with a host of health issues and often it is our very own volunteers that pay from their own pockets. One volunteer sponsored Olive’s home grooming as she was a smelly mess. And how cute she looks now! The volunteers also bought her a collar, harness, name tag, pee pads etc all from their own pockets. 

After home grooming, sponsored by a volunteer - so much neater  <3 

Huge tumour in her right ear

If you would like to contribute to Olive’s ultrasound and upcoming surgery to remove the huge tumour on her ear, please email us hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg Thank you.

Olive looking cute after her grooming 

Matilda Happy Ever After

I've been fostering Matilda for awhile now and finally decided it was the right time to officially adopt her. 

Throughout the period as her foster, I've always treated her as an official member of our family and her presence has really brought us together. 

Read Matilda's story http://hopedogrescue.blogspot.com/2015/06/news-from-vacated-factory-3.html

Ying Jie & Matilda 

Even though they say fostering/adopting a dog changes their lives, I would say that she has changed mine. With her goofy personality, antics and the improvement she has made through her walks, she has taught me unconditional love, patience, and resilience in ways I cannot fathom. I also see my family start to change and grow accepting of her since she entered our lives – from being skeptical about the idea of having a dog, to opening their hearts to her and showering her with love (and plenty of pats and treats). 

I would like to thank HOPE for the support and trust given to us over the years, I would not have done it without Fiona and the team's support.

Written by: Ying Jie

Patience plays a big part in Matilda’s life . . . . . and finally good things came to all who wait. 

For about 8 years, this brindle beauty has been waiting for the right family to adopt her.

As she is skittish and easily spooked when outside, she needed a patient and firm handler who had experience dealing with skittish dogs, and one who was also physically strong enough to withstand her tugs.

In the early years, Matilda’s skittishness led her to a couple of unintended solo adventures; holding the unfortunate record of having been lost the most number of times. Fortunately, thanks to our volunteers’ help, Matilda was found safe and sound.

Matilda had been present at many meet-and-greet sessions to meet her potential family. Although a permanent home eluded her all these years, fortunately, Matilda had a great foster who patiently fostered her all these years. Matilda thrived under her care. 

There is a special bond between foster and dog after having been together for 5 years.

Recently, we approached the foster to ask if she would consider making Matilda an official member of her family. She shared with us that Matilda had all along been seen as part of her family. Her parents had wanted her to graduate from school and start working, so she could be financially responsible for Matilda. Her time is now - Matilda has been adopted by her foster, Ying Jie and family, and we couldn’t be happier for yet another foster fail!

Baby Matilda

Patience has finally paid off for Matilda. Good things indeed come to those who wait. We wish Ying Jie and family and Matilda many happy years ahead.

Written by: Hope Dog Rescue