Good Food!

I'm always behind time. This time, I'm blogging about an outing that I went 3 Saturdays ago.

Posing for a picture because Rane insisted on taking a photo.

The ever-so-excited Posh.

Rane decided to bring us to this new place call K9 Campus. It comprises of a grooming salon, a dog school, a dog hotel, a dog bakery and a cafe (that is dog friendly!)

Posh can't resist the 'free smells' at the cafe.

We were lucky to get a slice of free cake each from a doggy who was celebrating his birthday.

However, I don'tcan cakes, pastries and biscuits. Rane says I'm a fussy dog.

Meanwhile, Posh was enjoying every single bit of it.

And she left some remnants of the cake on my head!

Lots of it in fact! What a messy eater she was.

The birthday boy! We are sorry we didn't catch your name. Neither do we know how old you are. Nonetheless, we'll still like to wish you a nice and wonderful barkday. Happy Birthday!

A close up of the cake.

Rane decided that Posh should not be eating two slices of cake.


Thus, she coaxed me into eating by baby feeding me. How could I not obliged?

The very greedy Posh.


Posh is willing to do anything for food.


Rane says Posh is such an easy victim for a dog-nap to take place.

As usual, Rane wanted both of us to pose for a picture.

We got bored indoors and Rane decided to let us out for a short run.

When the human food came, Posh couldn't stop smelling and staring at it!

How greedy can she be!

I decided to check out the garbage bag but was scolded instead! The human will never understand our love for trash. As the saying goes 'one man's meat is another man's poison'.


Then came out food. I was so hungry I forgot to ask for the name of this dish. I only tasted rice, vegetable and mutton.


Rane was ensuring that the temperature of food was just nice for us, just so that we will not be scalded.


And as usual, we had to pose with the food before we can eat.

Permission granted to eat!

We attracted the attention of other (human) patrons as we ate our meal. They couldn't stop commenting on how fast Posh gobbled her meal and how well mannered I was to eat demurely.

While I was halfway through the meal, Posh has already finished hers.

I had to double check that Posh finished every single bit of her food.


This collie just wouldn't spare Posh's butt!

A gorgeous husky.

An awesome sheltie.

All good thing comes to an end.

I can't wait for the next outing.

Dearest Rane, when will you ever be free to bring us out again!?!?!

Sweet Licks,
Sugar the Beagle

Brownie's1st Birthday

3 Saturdays ago, Brownie (our classmate/friend) invited us to her 1st barkday pawty at her favourite cafe, Urban Pooch.

Oh boy, we were so excited about it. It's our first time attending a barkday pawty!

Rane said we must post a nice picture for the camera.

She made us look as if we were looking at the camera lens by placing our food right below the camera. How mean can she be!

Mage ordered lamb meat balls & chicken shepherd's pie for both Posh & I to share. For the first time after her surgery, Posh got to eat delicious food outside her 'special diet'.

The birthday girl waiting for her yummylicious lunch in great anticipation.

Poor me was made to stay before the food and pose for a picture while everyone else was chomping away.

Poor Brownie was placed in the playpen after she stole my food. I didn't mind sharing my food, really. After all, she was the birthday girl!

Evidence of the stolen food.

The silly bowl kept moving as I licked up the food and I had to walk while eating. After a while, I saw Brownie staring at me! Woops!

Rane placed me on the chair and I was stuck there for a good 10 minutes because I didn't have the guts to jump down.

After lunch, we were all made to pose for a picture.

With many unsuccessful attempts.

When all of us finally looked at one direction, it was the wrong direction! We weren't keen in looking at the camera.

All of us refuse to cooperate, making the humans look like monkeys as they tried hard to get our attention.

Posh was so bored that she leaned her head on me.

After 4 cameras, 6 people and 43 shots (that's not including the number of photos taken by other fur-parents), this was the most successful picture taken by us.

Silly Rane and Mage forgot to take a picture of Brownie blowing out the candle.

Brownie waited impatiently while her mummy divided the cake among the 6 of us.


Brownie was really please with her mummy's choice of Strawberry Cheese Cake.

And so were we.

Choco decided that cheese cake was not to her liking and guess who benefitted from it?

Brownie was looking forward to unwrap her barkday presents.

All of us started to chill after all the fun, food and joy.

Posh (on the right) and I (on the left) just before we leave the place.

Dear Brownie,

Thank you Brownie for your invitation to your barkday pawty. We really enjoy it loads. Meanwhile, I hope you had an enjoyable and wonderful birthday celebration.

Happy 1st Birthday~

Loves,
Sugar & Posh

Wordy Updates on Our Tummy

Dear All,

We are sorry for the lack of updates for the past two weeks. Since the start of this year, the dogs took turns to fall sick and it doesn’t help when I’m not feeling that well either. The vet detected the existence of bacteria from both Sugar’s and Posh’s poo sample and it makes me wonder if the bacteria were spread among the dogs (and maybe even me) to fall ill.

I guess I have to stop the dogs from interacting too much with each other, share water bowls, share food bowls (both of them have their own food bowls, but they always have this impression that the other dog is having a better deal of the meal) and toys, so as to end the vicious cycle of them suffering from diarrhoea episodes. I too, have to pay more attention to personal hygiene, especially after handling them but this proves to be a challenge because as long as I’m at home, I touch and kiss them ever so often and in return, they will shower me with their love in the form of slobbers and saliva.

Ever since Posh had her diarrhoea, she was prescribed two different kinds of antibiotics for two times a day. It’s been a challenge to not miss a single dose. Each morning, I have to feed her medication and food (as antibiotics are acidic and not recommended to be fed on an empty stomach) before I rush off to work. I am thankful that my parents for helping me when I woke up a tad too late to medicate and feed Posh.

I was really glad when her course of antibiotics ended. However, my happiness was short lived. Posh started having diarrhoea the very next day after her course of antibiotics ended. I decided to monitor her condition as on most days, it was a ‘one time off’ thing.

But things took for a bad turn. Posh diarrhoeaed a total of 6 times yesterday and off we go to the vet. What a ‘nice’ way to celebrate Valentines Day. The vet could not identify the exact cause of her diarrhoea.

There are three possible reasons.

1. Posh’s stomach could not function optimally as the previous courses of antibiotics had killed both the good bacteria (that aids digestion etc) and bad bacteria in her guts.
2. It could be the bad bacteria (that Posh probably picked up from licking off the ground and rubbish from the trash bin).
3. The surgery had taken a toll on Posh’s digestive system.

The vet has decided to not prescribe another course of antibiotics, just in case it was the lack of good bacteria that caused the problem. Moreover, too much antibiotics do more harm than good to her body. Instead, the vet prescribed antacid, charcoal, probiotics, enzymes and another medication (to stop diarrhoea).

We left the vet $163.90 poorer, and two paper bags filled with medicine and prescribed diet (both canned food and kibbles.)

I fed all of Posh’s medication except for the one that stops diarrhoea as she did not diarrhoea after we left the vet’s clinic. I did not want to feed her too much anti-diarrhoea medicine just in case she got constipated and at the same time I was half hoping that she will pass out all the bad stuff that was causing the diarrhoea.

Meanwhile, it is a good sign that Posh is still active, bright and alert. We are keeping our fingers crossed that Sugar will not be affected, if Posh’s episode of diarrhoea is related to bad bacteria. I really want to break the vicious cycle of my dogs taking turns to diarrhoea.

I am so sick of queueing up at the vet, collecting the dogs’ poo samples, feeding medicine, monitoring their conditions, checking their progress and making sure they are fine. I want to spend my time pampering my dogs with treats, bringing them out for long walks, swimming with them in the sea and playing with them just like any other dog owners would. I want my dogs to be happy and healthy, not gloomy and sick.

Sighs. On top of that, the amount of money we spent on the dogs’ medication since December last year is scary; it’s a four figure sum! I have yet to calculate the exact ‘damage’ done to our pockets.

I am so thankful that my parents helped me to pay most of the bills, otherwise I will have a hard time coping with the expenses all by myself. At times, I really wish that my dog’s hospital bills can be deducted via my Medisave (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medisave) account.

Love,

A Very Tired Rane

On behalf of Sugar & Posh

Wordy Updates on Our Tummy

Dear All,

We are sorry for the lack of updates for the past two weeks. Since the start of this year, the dogs took turns to fall sick and it doesn’t help when I’m not feeling that well either. The vet detected the existence of bacteria from both Sugar’s and Posh’s poo sample and it makes me wonder if the bacteria were spread among the dogs (and maybe even me) to fall ill.

I guess I have to stop the dogs from interacting too much with each other, share water bowls, share food bowls (both of them have their own food bowls, but they always have this impression that the other dog is having a better deal of the meal) and toys, so as to end the vicious cycle of them suffering from diarrhoea episodes. I too, have to pay more attention to personal hygiene, especially after handling them but this proves to be a challenge because as long as I’m at home, I touch and kiss them ever so often and in return, they will shower me with their love in the form of slobbers and saliva.

Ever since Posh had her diarrhoea, she was prescribed two different kinds of antibiotics for two times a day. It’s been a challenge to not miss a single dose. Each morning, I have to feed her medication and food (as antibiotics are acidic and not recommended to be fed on an empty stomach) before I rush off to work. I am thankful that my parents for helping me when I woke up a tad too late to medicate and feed Posh.

I was really glad when her course of antibiotics ended. However, my happiness was short lived. Posh started having diarrhoea the very next day after her course of antibiotics ended. I decided to monitor her condition as on most days, it was a ‘one time off’ thing.

But things took for a bad turn. Posh diarrhoeaed a total of 6 times yesterday and off we go to the vet. What a ‘nice’ way to celebrate Valentines Day. The vet could not identify the exact cause of her diarrhoea.

There are three possible reasons.

1. Posh’s stomach could not function optimally as the previous courses of antibiotics had killed both the good bacteria (that aids digestion etc) and bad bacteria in her guts.
2. It could be the bad bacteria (that Posh probably picked up from licking off the ground and rubbish from the trash bin).
3. The surgery had taken a toll on Posh’s digestive system.

The vet has decided to not prescribe another course of antibiotics, just in case it was the lack of good bacteria that caused the problem. Moreover, too much antibiotics do more harm than good to her body. Instead, the vet prescribed antacid, charcoal, probiotics, enzymes and another medication (to stop diarrhoea).

We left the vet $163.90 poorer, and two paper bags filled with medicine and prescribed diet (both canned food and kibbles.)

I fed all of Posh’s medication except for the one that stops diarrhoea as she did not diarrhoea after we left the vet’s clinic. I did not want to feed her too much anti-diarrhoea medicine just in case she got constipated and at the same time I was half hoping that she will pass out all the bad stuff that was causing the diarrhoea.

Meanwhile, it is a good sign that Posh is still active, bright and alert. We are keeping our fingers crossed that Sugar will not be affected, if Posh’s episode of diarrhoea is related to bad bacteria. I really want to break the vicious cycle of my dogs taking turns to diarrhoea.

I am so sick of queueing up at the vet, collecting the dogs’ poo samples, feeding medicine, monitoring their conditions, checking their progress and making sure they are fine. I want to spend my time pampering my dogs with treats, bringing them out for long walks, swimming with them in the sea and playing with them just like any other dog owners would. I want my dogs to be happy and healthy, not gloomy and sick.

Sighs. On top of that, the amount of money we spent on the dogs’ medication since December last year is scary; it’s a four figure sum! I have yet to calculate the exact ‘damage’ done to our pockets.

I am so thankful that my parents helped me to pay most of the bills, otherwise I will have a hard time coping with the expenses all by myself. At times, I really wish that my dog’s hospital bills can be deducted via my Medisave (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medisave) account.

Love,

A Very Tired Rane

On behalf of Sugar & Posh

My Miserable 3rd Birthday

Remember how I would like to celebrate my 3rd Birthday, as mentioned on my Resolution in Year 2009?

It's gone down the drain. The worse thing is, almost everyone forgot about it. Rane only know that it was my birthday after realising that it's the month of February now. Then she guiltily sang me a birthday song.

A very sad me.

To think she started borrowing books and surfing websites since last year, to search for recipes on baking a birthday cake and cookies for my birthday pawty. All thanks to Posh; she kept all of us so worried and busy, we didn't have time to plan nor carry out a birthday pawty.

Sighs.

Luckily Rane decided to make up for it by promising to bring me out (alone without Posh of course) for a nice meal and a long walk. I secretly hope she'll bring me to the beach though.

Sweet Licks,
The Sad Birthday Girl
Sugar

Sugar's and Posh's Progress

Dear All,

It's me, Sugar the Beagle again. Though I'm still under medication, I have more or less recovered. I no longer vomit nor diarrhoea excessively.

Posh's wound has also healed nicely. No secondary infections (as yet). She still has to be monitored closely.

As Posh hasn't been consuming any food since she was admitted to the hospital, food has to be slowly reintroduced, starting from semi solid food.

We had to purchase canned food that was prescribed by the doctor and mashed it up with water so that it will be easier for Posh to digest. Initially, we fed her 4 to 5 teeny tiny meals a day, with each meal consisting 2 spoonfuls of food.

This is Posh's expensive canned food. I love eating it just as much! I kinda wish I was sick too.

Posh was recommended to eat (only) half a can of food each day. However, that was insufficient for ever so greedy hungry beagle. She started whining/barking/howling each time somebody eats or enters the kitchen. She was such an annoying dog!

From there, her meal portion was slowly increased. To date, she is eating almost 1 canned food. Posh currently weighs slightly over 10kg (approximately 22 pounds). Both Rane and the vet felt that Posh is too skinny for her size.

Now, there's some bad news. Posh has an attack of diarrhoea. It was so bad, we had to clear up after her 8 times! Rane will be bringing her to the vet later in the afternoon. We'll keep everyone updated about her condition.

Sweet Licks,
Sugar the Beagle

The Mystery

Dear Readers,

I'm sorry for the late post; I started typing this post on 17th Jan, but only managed to complete it today. I am such a slow blogger. Sighs.

Anyway, I know many of you are concern abou't Sugar and Posh's condition and is anxious to know how they are. In general, Posh seems to recover pretty well while Sugar's diarrhoea seems to be getting worse.

I just realised that I did not mention Sugar's condition in the previous posts.

On Sunday, when we discharged Posh from the clinic for a night, we brought Sugar to see the doctor too. The doctor diagnosed that Sugar was most probably suffering from gastritis, and we were instructed to monitor her condition, just in case it deteriorates and that could possibly mean that there are other reasons being her throwing up.

We brought her home and fed her with medicine. All else looks fine until .................... she started having diarrhoea on It's been a 'on off' thing and we're monitoring her condition while feeding her with charcoal. Recently, Sugar's been releasing quite a lot of gas too (farting). I hope that is an indication of recovery.

However, I decided to bring her to the doctor yesterday after she diarrhoeaed continuously thrice. The doctor poked Sugar's anus with a thermometer and took it out with traces of her feaces. Sugar's temperature was within normal range and after checking the feaces under the microscope, the doctor found the presence of a bacteria (I can't remember the name of the bacteria).

The bacteria is present in contamined water or soil and Sugar probably picked it up when she licked off the ground (without our notice) or from the sea water when we brought her out for swimming.

I started feeding her medication last night but she still continued to diarrhoea more frequently today. We're (still) monitoring her condition and hopefully it improves in due time.


Back to Posh.


For days, we've been guessing what could Posh have possibly consumed that upset digestive system so much. We had guessed squeaker toys as she had puked some rubber like items while she was hospitalised. After the ultrasound scan report mentioned that cloth or tissue like material was detected, we guessed soft toys as Posh is very fond of gnawing soft toys, even after the thread breaks. At times, she'll chew on the fibre and will only stop if we caught notice of it.

Make a guess what Posh swallowed?

The packet of stomach content stank so much that we could smell it through 3 plastic bags and 1 container.

Least did we expect Posh to swallow ............................

YARN

WOOL

My family and I do not have the slightest idea where did Posh get the yarn from, because nobody in the family knits. Even though we have a few balls of yarn, they are well kept in a container beyond the reach of dogs.

The one and only ball of yarn that was not kept in the container, was thrown into the bin by my mum last year. Since Posh has this bad habit of raiding the bin, we highly suspect that she stole it from the bin and slurp it down, imagining she was eating spaghetti.

The original colour of the wool was not brown. The colour was 'dyed' by Posh's GI tract.

We were told by the veterinarian that the ball of yarn was lodged at the back of her tongue (towards the opening of Posh's throat), all the way through her oesophagus, duodenum, illeum and colon. The tension of the wool pulling was so strong that Posh's intestine were held together, like an accordian. In order to remove the wool, the doctor had to made 4 separte incisions on 4 different areas of Posh's small intestine. Posh's vet also commented that if surgery was delayed, gangrene would have occured in Posh's digestive tract. Phew! How lucky Posh was admidst the unluckiness.

It looks more like a pile of poo. It smells like one too.

Another picture of the yarn stuck in Posh's GI tract (gastrointestinal tract). From the colour difference of the yarn, one can likely guess which part of the yarn was stuck at which part of the GI tract. The bottom part of the yarn where it looks like feaces is in the midst of being form, is probably taken out from the colon. And that probably explains why it stinks!

Posh was shaved further for the surgery.

The first two days after her surgery, Posh was pretty listless. By the third day, when Posh started to feel better, she jumped around excitedly appoint seeing us. We were so worried that her stitches would 'burst'!

Posh was discharged 4 days after her surgery, after the staff at the clinic ensured that Posh could drink and eat without vomiting.

The very long incision.

Posh was made to wear the elizabethan collar, until her surgery wound recovers fully. Just in case she decides to chew on her wound when it itches. The last thing we would want is to have her internal organs spilling all over the ground. Gross!

Posh was also instructed to have cage rest, so that she doesn't overly exert herself. Being a typical beagle, she started to whine/bark/howl after some time. The little bout of energy simply refuses to be caged up!

Posh's first review is due today in the evening. I will update on her progress in due time.

When will she ever learn?

Regards,
Rane
(Owner of Sugar & Posh)