Venus - Dare To Live

Every once in a while, an animal touches our lives and shows us what they are really made of – true courage, strength, love, compassion and determination. It has been said many times that animals enter our lives for a reason. We may not see the reason at that particular moment but some time down life's journey, when we sit and reflect, we often realize why they came into our lives. Nothing in life is coincidental, everything happens for a reason. Often, a very valid reason, that makes us better humans.

Strong and determined. Venus gave us many lessons in life.

For Venus, she taught us many lessons. She showed us how strong she was, fighting to live, getting out of her pain and depression from having lost her babies in a miscarriage and living in pain with a broken hipbone. Enduring surgery after surgery to rectify her broken hip, to be sterilized and then having to go through sessions upon sessions of massage and walks with Cary or Dawn (staff at the Vet) to build up her leg muscles again. The physical and emotional pain. She taught us to never give up, no matter how life gets us down. 

Bigger and stronger, Venus is slowly using her injured leg again.

For those who have been faithfully following Venus’ route to recovery, silently cheering her on, you would know that she has been at the Vet for more than two months – this would, of course mean that her bills have amounted to no small amount too. A whopping $3000+ to be exact. However, the thought of the escalating bills never discouraged us from helping her; never once did we think of releasing her back to the streets when she had not fully recovered. Just like Venus’ faith in us that we would care for her and see it through, our faith in all our friends and fellow animal lovers have not waned – we know that somehow, some way, friends will continue to contribute and help us out with her vet bills. We never doubted that, just as Venus had entrusted her life in our hands. She taught us Faith.

Venus also taught us to use our skills as Animal Communicators, to understand her fears, her pain, and her gratitude. Yes, despite the fact that she tries to snap at us when we pat her, we know she is grateful to us for helping her.

If you had for one moment thought that dogs are far more superior beings than humans, well – you thought right. Despite the hard life that Venus had gone through, she helped save a life! She was resting in her “Redhill Suite” when a Chihuahua, owned by Mr Vernon Cornelius, needed a blood transfusion. An An had not been eating for a few days and had been diagnosed with tick fever. He needed blood to live. Immediately Drs thought of Venus, who was lazing in her suite waiting for volunteer, Lynette, to bring her her daily ration of beef, eggs and rice. Dr Ang called Lynda for her consent and Lynda immediately agreed to let Venus donate blood and Mr Vernon was absolutely relieved. On a separate note, a doggy blood donor should be at least 25 kg in weight. Venus is lighter than 25 kg, but she was donating blood to a Chihuahua, and An An only required 75ml of blood from Venus, instead of the usual full bag of 450ml.

Blood is drawn from the jugular vein.

Drawing blood.



It's in their blood to save lives.

An An receiving blood.

We visited Venus the following day and what we saw absolutely amazed us – she was glowing with pride. Yes, she knew she had done a good deed, she knew she had saved a life and she was extremely proud of herself for doing that!

We are still hoping that someone would write in to offer to adopt Venus. Like we often say, even if it means living in the patio or garden for the rest of her life, it is still paradise compared to where she came from. Venus has been to hell and back. She never gave up, neither will we. Everyday we continue to hope and pray that someone will want to take her to their home and give her a life that this black beauty truly deserves.
 

A HERO in every sense of the word.

We would like to thank Lynette for faithfully bringing food to Venus everyday, rain or shine, for the past two months of Venus’ stay at the Redhill Suite and Dr Ang for the use of her photographs.

Do stay tuned for Venus’ next update, as she goes for her very first swim. Venus will be discharged this Sunday.

We salute Venus with this song, Dare To Live.

Written by Fiona.

A note from Mr Vernon Cornelius.

In certain emergencies Pet Animals DO need Blood Donations!

After my dog, An An, was diagnosed with 'Tick Fever' by Veterinarian Dr Ang Yilin, he was found to have a drop in blood count, and platelet count. A very dangerous situation, and he urgently needed emergency 'Blood Transfusion'! So the panic was on to find a suitable match and donor!

An An feeling down

It was to our blessed good fortune that a big, once badly injured dog named Venus, recovered by Ms Lynda Goh, was being treated at Mount Pleasant Animal Medical Center (Redhill). Venus' blood was a perfect match, and so began the process of her blood extraction to help An An survive!

St Venus' Blood Donation saved An An's life! It is with deepest gratitude and many thanks to the very generous heart of Ms Lynda Goh, but it was St Venus' 'gift of life' that saved An An!

Mr Vernon Cornelius with An An.

I must shamefully admit I never really gave much thought to Blood Donations for Animals, but having experienced this life or death encounter for my beloved pet, it made me realize the seriousness for such a need, and the urgent necessity for an Animal Blood Bank!

Doggie Dental Care - It's A Must!

We ensure that our dogs are fed nutritious food and given warm beds to sleep on, but unfortunately, often tend to overlook their dental hygiene. Many people seem to just expect dogs to have bad breath, and few owners brush their dogs’ teeth frequently enough. Dental hygiene is important to a dog’s overall health, and should be part and parcel of grooming. 

The Problems

Catching teeth problems early will help prevent severe dental disease in the long run. When plaque builds up on teeth, it turns into tartar, or calculus. These areas grow bacteria and eat away at the teeth and gums. Halitosis (bad breath), periodontal disease, oral pain and tooth loss will then occur. What is more alarming is that these bacteria not only cause disease in the mouth, but they can also affect other parts of the body, like your dog’s heart, kidneys and even the brain. The most important thing to do is address dental disease as soon as it is detected, no matter how minor. Better yet, work hard to prevent it early.

This is Lady Emerald. 8 yrs old, deaf and blind, used by unscrupulous humans for breeding. 

The Signs

Warning signs of dental problems:

Halitosis (bad breath) 

Reluctance to chew / crying out when chewing 

Increased salivation 

Red and/or puffy gums 

Bleeding gums 

Tartar/calculus (hard coating on teeth that is usually brown or yellow; results from plaque build-up) 

Missing and/or loose teeth 

Look at what was removed from her teeth

A nice set of pearly whites!

The Solutions

The simplest way to keep track of your dog’s dental health is to inspect its teeth on a regular basis, and watch out for signs that may indicate a problem. To inspect your dog’s teeth, lift the lips all around the mouth, and look at the front and back teeth as closely as possible. You should start a dental care routine as early as possible in your dog’s life, so it grows used to the feeling of having his teeth brushed and inspected. When brushing your dog’s teeth:

DO…

Use doggie toothpaste, and either a toothbrush, a nubby-surfaced rubber cap or a piece of gauze wrapped around your finger.

Position yourself and your dog so that you can access its teeth comfortably. 

Lift your dog’s upper lips and begin to brush in a circular motion, much like you would brush your own teeth. 

Brush where the tooth meets the gum-line, and remember to reach the very back teeth, since this is where your dog is most likely to develop problems. 

Brush your dog’s teeth at least two times a week, and have its teeth checked every six to twelve months by your vet, together with its usual wellness check-ups.

Feed your dog hard biscuits or dental treats, or provide a hard toy or bone for your dog to chew on.  

DON’T…

Use human toothpaste, because dogs do not spit and will most likely swallow what is used to brush its teeth.

Be demanding or forceful. If you make this a miserable experience early on, it will be so for life.

Put off brushing your dog’s teeth, as plaque begins to turn into tartar within 24 to 48 hours, so regular brushing is recommended.

While brushing prevents some tooth decay, a thorough scaling may be required if there is a serious plaque problem. Depending on the individual dog, professional tooth-cleaning by the vet is recommended every one to three years. This cleaning, which takes place under general anesthesia, consists of scaling to remove tartar above and below the gum line; polishing to smooth the surface of the teeth; and flushing, to dislodge tartar and bacteria.

Dental Promotion for your pets are available at all Mount Pleasant branches from now till 31 December 2010.

Enjoy *20% off Dental Prophylaxis now!

Book your pet in for a Dental Prophylaxis (Dental Scaling and Polish) now and enjoy 20% off listed price.

Our trained staff would also be at hand to recommend the best care to look after your pet’s pearly whites.

Contact our clinic for an appointment today!

*for a limited period only *20% off applies to Dental Prophy- laxis (Dental Scaling & Polish) only *offer not valid for all other services    

Singapore's First Canine Blood Donor Database Launch on World Animal Day

PRESS RELEASE

30 September 2010

SINGAPORE’S FIRST CANINE BLOOD DONOR DATABASE LAUNCH

ON WORLD ANIMAL DAY

Zeus Communications is pleased to announce, on the occasion of World Animal Day 2010, the launch of Singapore’s first canine blood donor database, maintained by Zeus Communications in collaboration with Mount Pleasant Animal Medical Centre. It is also organizing the first drive for canine blood donation towards this new databank.

Dogs, like humans, may need blood for a wide variety of reasons, whether as a result of traumatic injuries from accidents, bone marrow problems, surgical blood loss or tick fever. While blood transfusions are most commonly used to staunch blood loss, it is also used for the treatment of canine illnesses.

Lynda Goh of Zeus Communications explains that “too often, owners are faced with the situation of not being able to locate a suitable donor candidate when their dog requires a blood transfusion urgently. Currently, appeals for canine blood are circulated by email or posted on social networking platforms, and it may take days to locate a suitable donor.” Volunteers with Zeus Communications believe a database of potential canine blood donors can help to alleviate this problem and enable critically ill dogs to be treated sooner. The blood bank is targeted to be accessible by late next month (October 2010).

Pet owners need not be afraid that donating blood will either weaken their pets or be a painful exercise, Zeus Communications says that canine blood donation is similar to that of humans both in terms of process and preparation. Blood donation is relatively painless, and judging from past experience, most dogs do not mind giving blood at all.

The process is fairly straight forward. It starts with a physical check-up for the dog before any actual collection of blood begins. The potential donor has to satisfy a few conditions, such as:

-           Weighing at least 25 kilograms

-           Be between the ages of 1 year and 7 years old

-           Be up-to-date on vaccinations

-           Be on heart-worm prevention

-           Should not have previously received a blood transfusion or be on long-term

            medication.

After the donation, the dog donor may wish to take it easy, but many will get on with their normal routine.

Zeus Communications welcomes all dog owners to take part in its canine blood donation drive.  They can register their canine dog donor via an email to dogstalk@starhub.net.sg, stating their particulars and those of their pet’s.  Alternatively, they can visit Zeus Communications’ blog at http://zeusdoggybloodbank.blogspot.com.

Source: My Paper, 11 October 2010

Source: TODAY, 1 October 2010