Abby is ONE!

How time flies! It seems just not so long ago that Abby joined our family - she was about 3 months old then - and today, our little gal is turning 1. From a tiny ball of fur, she had grown much bigger, not just in size but in confidence too.

Sweet pea, thanks for all the joy and laughter you have brought to the family. Happy Birthday to you dearie, may you be blessed with good health and happiness always!

Can he make it?

Rushed to SGH after receiving SMS that Adrian’s condition is deteriorating. His BP had dropped really low and that is a very bad sign. Some felt that he could be waiting for Mei Ling’s return from Australia. As a dragon-boater, I believe that Adrian would not give up without a fight. Then again, from an objective point, what if he really pulls through? He will be waking up to a body that is no longer functioning like before…will he want that? His parents will need to care for him, and what will happen to him when his parents are gone? Then who will care for him?
Kelvin shared that he saw Adrian’s father broke down yesterday, and I felt kind of relieved because he had finally let out his emotions. But having heard him talk today, I can’t help but worry again as he seemed to be a little incoherent…

The Shock

I was looking forward to a peaceful Sunday but instead received a shocking SMS that Adrian nearly drowned in Sentosa on X’mas Day and that he is in a critical condition now. What really sent the chills down my spine was that he is on life support and that the plugs may be pulled tomorrow.

Hubby rushed me to SGH, my mind was totally blank along the way. As I walk into the ICU, images of a lively Adrian and his smiles flashed through my mind…I was speechless to see him lying lifelessly on the bed, my tears just rolled uncontrollably…His major organs had failed and he is comatose. It really hurts to see him in that state. Everyone was praying for a miracle, there were very few who weren’t red-eyed. One of his friends had managed to connect with him while meditating and conveyed a message to his parents that Adrian had requested for “a week to reorganise his body” hence he will be kept on life support for another 2 weeks.

I am very worried about his father: he was too calm, so calm that I find it very disturbing as Adrian is his only child. I hope that both father and son will be strong to tide over this crisis.

SGWesties Club X’mas Party @K9

Finally, we attended the first gathering since joining the club. Finally, I am able to put a face to the names that I had corresponded with on the forum. Finally, I got to see SO MANY Westies (16 to be exact) at the same time in the same place :) So happy that Abby walked away with the Best-Dressed Prize.

X’mas at Pet Movers

Uno and Abby had a great time at the dog run today. Left them to enjoy themselves until they zoomed past me…I almost freaked out cos never seen them so grubby and dirty before ! Hubby said to just let them have fun, afterall it’s X’mas…

Uno and His Itch

Last Saturday marked the 3rd (and final) dose of Revolution for Uno as prescribed by Dr Tan. But he is still scratching as before, perhaps not as much but yes, he is still scratching :( Well, at least now I know for sure that the itch is not parasite-related.

Companion Dog Show at Hougang

Abby seems to know we are bring her out and was absolutely thrilled when I put on her little romper :) She looked so cute:

Although the dog show was on a much smaller scale – more for hobby pet owners, we enjoyed it just as much. Bought a little jumper for Uno, look so athletic:

P.A.W. Veterinary Centre

Brought Uno to see a vet as his skin seemed exceptionally red today, and the spots seemed to have spread to a larger area on his back. Dr Tan was very patient and thorough in his diagnosis. He explained that skin issues are difficult to nail down as there are many possibilities. As the itchiness is restricted to Uno’s back, it is likely to be parasite-related. Food allergies are usually around the face, ears and leg areas. He also explained that the first dose of Revolution given to Uno may have killed some mites and the dead mites that were embedded in the skin could have caused the itchiness.
He prescribed a course of oral antibiotics for 18 days, topical anti-bacterial lotion to apply at the spots and 3 doses of Revolution to be given every 2 weeks. I was really reluctant to administer the Revolution treatment but he explained that this is necessary to eliminate the possibility of parasite issue while the antibiotics and anti-bacterial lotion will take care of any infections. Guess I need to try out in order to know the root cause of Uno’s itchiness…praying really hard that his skin will improve in 6 weeks’ time.

Pooches in Specs

Recycled Bryan's old specs as pooch fashion:

Dog Show at Expo

Saw so many familiar faces at the show: Steven showing his Schnauzer Xiaohei, Shih-tzu, members from Pets Channel…Surprisingly, someone even managed to recall that I am the Josephine with another Westie named Abby :) It had been an eye opener, seeing the dogs competing in the various categories. On the other hand, do the dogs really want the glamour? Think Uno and Abby are happier with more food and treats :P

Badly stained Westies

While at the Pasir Ris dog run this afternoon, we saw 2 huge Westies that were badly stained - rust-red - on their legs. Overheard some whisperings comparing them with Uno…wanted to chat with their owners but they seemed fairly aloof :(
Also saw Bambi the Cairn gal…her colouring is so unlike the usual Cairn, white with a goldish tinge…so pretty!

ACV

After reading so much that ACV and fruits may cause yeast to flourish, I decided to remove these items from Uno’s diet to see if it helps to reduce his scratching. Horror of horrors! Not only did it not help to reduce itch, Uno’s skin flared up with angry red bumps all over his back, legs :( Put him back on ACV, hopefully the condition is under control.

My trainers

After brisk walking for several weeks, finally got my jogging shoes last Wed and put them to use this morning. Uno’s stamina is really good…Abby and I were panting our lungs out while he looked absolutely cool :P
Since Uno and Abby came, I have become more active bringing them for walks, playing with them etc instead of hibernating infront of TV or reading a book. Finally understood why some folks refer to their dogs as their personal trainers ;)

My grooming skills

I was too ambitious …groomed both Uno and Abby today from 10am till almost 7pm! Ended with a terrible backache, tired arms and 2 happy dogs ;) Both trims turned out well but what really made me happy was that Abby did not shiver one bit during her session. Was it due to her confidence in me or has she become accustomed to the clipper? Or maybe it was a little of both.

Yippee! The last day!

Finally, today marks the last day of Abby’s heat. She is still having a slight yellowish discharge, so decided to hold back her walking regime for another week.

Manja gal

Aiyo…can’t stand Abby’s manja-ness…wants attention, wants to be carried, wants to be sayang-ed…gosh, she’ll even stick her butt at Uno to get his attention! Now that’s a real flirt.
Brought her for a walk as she had not been out of the house for almost 3 weeks, luckily we did not run into any other dogs

Abby in diapers

Shots of Abby in diapers...so cute!

Strange

Abby seemed quite clean for the last 2 days, which I thought was quite strange since her heat is supposed to last 3 weeks. She’s probably still emitting some smell as Uno will sniff her butt and places where she had sat really thoroughly. Not taking any chance cos this week is the DANGER period, so we’ll be watching both like hawks.

Messy gal

Sigh! Was I naïve to think that little dogs will have little mess… Abby was stained quite badly and boy, does she smell! No wonder the book said that male dogs can smell a bitch on heat from a mile away. Poor Uno looked so miserable watching her from the kitchen… so near yet so far :( Been spending more time playing with him to get his mind off her and even let him sleep in Eric’s bedroom. However, Phyo said that he’ll sneak out in the middle of the night to look at Abby through the yard door and she’ll have to bring him back to bed. Tonight, I’ll let him sleep in my bedroom. With the door closed, hopefully everyone, including Uno will have some good rest.

New walking route Part II

Checked out the 2nd part of the route we took last week, nearer the Indoor Stadium and met more dogs: Shiro the Westie, a gentle GR, a naughty poodle, 2 cheeky beagles, an aggressive Cavalier King Charles... Uno seemed to enjoy the walk very much, as he gets to socialise and enjoy a different view.

Abby’s a big girl now!

Talk about being punctual… Abby has just turned 8 months + 1 week old and her first heat came today! Other than the slight blood smears on the floor and the pen, Abby is pretty much her usual happy self, running about the house in her little pad-lined panty. On the contrary, it is Uno who will be suffering for the next 3 weeks :(

New walking route

Checked out a new route today by the waterway near Tanjong Rhu. Lovely place with many people exercising, walking their dogs, chatting with friends etc. Saw a Westie belonging to a Japanese couple, he was muzzled and seemed quite aggressive. I was delighted when the lady owner complimented Uno and Abby for being well behaved :)

Things are not looking good…

Uno’s ears looked dirty when I cleaned them this morning. He had been shaking his head relentlessly and looked so miserable :( Phyo said that he appeared to feel better in the afternoon. When I cleaned his ears again in the evening, they were relatively clean but he whined quite a bit (which is unusual) during the cleaning. Will monitor for another day before deciding whether or not to bring him to the vet.

Oh no…think ear canker is back!

Uno’s ears seemed a little dirtier than usual when I cleaned them last Saturday. Today, barely 3 days after I last cleaned them, there was brownish wax again :P Seems like the ear canker is back…
As he was due to apply Frontline this week, thought of using Revolution for this round since it is effective against ear mites too. Guess what? The groomer actually talked me out of using Revolution! He took his time to explain the toxicity of the product, how it stresses the doggy’s body and recommended an oil-based ear cleanser instead. Decided to listen to his advice and purchased the cleanser…super oily but leaves Uno’s ears smelling so nice :) Hope it works!

My first attempt to clip Uno’s hair

Uno’s trim turned out quite well after overcoming the initial difficulties in handling the clipper. He seemed fairly relaxed during the session, except when I tried to trim the fur on his paws (ticklish??) My next practice will be on Abby...

Finally!

After shopping around for so many days, I finally bought the clippers…and they were the most costly of the lot that I have seen. But what the heck! I won't know if I'd succeed until I have tried : ) Strongly recommended by pet owners and groomers, I’m placing my bets on Andis to last me a long time. Let’s see how Uno, my first guinea pig, will turn out!

The pendulum and my unconscious mind

The NLP trainer shared about using a pendulum to understand our unconscious mind. After calibrating the yes/no directions, I asked if I should groom my dogs personally instead of sending to the groomers. Guess what? The reply was yes! Indeed I had been toying with this idea, especially after Abby’s session :( The facilitator, Dr Billy Kueek explained that I may have picked up cues from both Uno and Abby that they are more relaxed being groomed by me than by a stranger. Hmmm….it is possible, afterall I have been grooming them for months.....but could it be that I am unconsciously ‘controlling’ the pendulum to give the desired reply, to justify the costs of buying the grooming equipments??

Abby’s makeover

Poor Abby, she was so stressed up during her grooming session today. The groomer at Happy Paws feedback that she was shivering, clung onto the grooming table and simply refused to co-operate. When I went to fetch her home, she leapt right into my arms and refused to leave!

I was quite disappointed with Abby’s new look…the cut looked more than a Schnauzer cut than a Westie cut and I can't bear to even take a photo of her :( Guess not only is she stressed up by this grooming experience, me too! Maybe I should take up lessons to groom Uno and Abby myself :)

Uno’s makeover

Finally got an appointment with Kingsley of Animal Arts Academy at Vivo City for Uno. Tought the cut was a little too short…here are his before and after photos:

Before grooming: unkempt and scruffy



After grooming: sleek and neat

Lesson #7: At the Park

Uno had his lesson at the park today. With so many pairs of eyes on him, he sure did his job well...strutting about with his head and tail held really high! Alfred brought Sable and Leo along, to try to 'distract' Uno from his training...fortunately he was not distracted but his owner sure is...hahaha!

Left: Sable, merle border collie

Right: Leo, rough collie

Yippee! Uno’s ears are clear

Finally, Uno’s ears have recovered and he is back to his playful self again :)

Argghhh! Ear canker attack!

Mystery solved after bringing Uno to see the vet…he was diagnosed as having ear canker and the pain is hurting him really badly . The ear mites might have ‘jumped’ onto him when he was playing with the other dogs at the pet event last week. Vet prescribed a load of medicines for him…antibiotics, painkillers, anti-swelling tablets. Aiyo! My heart aches just seeing him lying so pathetically in his corner….Hope he gets well soon…

Something’s wrong with Uno…

Uno had been feeling really grouchy and whiny this week, didn’t know why until I was cleaning his ears this morning. Boy! Never have I seen so much brownish wax in his ears before! He was yelping each time I insert a fresh cotton bud into his ears to clean out the wax . Could he have an ear infection???

It's official!

After much deliberation, we finally agreed to name our new pup Abby. It was a clever variation of her pet name Baby (thanks to Bryan!), which we had used quite liberally since she came..afterall she IS the baby of the family. That was until Charlene became upset that her "Baby" title had been taken over. So it's official: we are pleased to introduce our new family member Abby!

Passion by the Beach

The first doggie event for our family:

=> Remember the whisky ad? There you go: Westie and Scottish terrier

My new baby...

Today's definitely my lucky day. After months of searching, I finally found my new baby at a pet shop in Serangoon Central. It was definitely love at first sight...amongst the 3 pups (2 females & 1 male), she was the one that warmed up to me most quickly. Look at her sweet face and big round eyes:

<= Snooping around the house

Striked a pose for my new human mommy =>

Uno checking out the new kid

Lesson #3: Go for a Walk

Today's lesson was conducted outdoors. Alfred taught how I should hold the leash to control Uno during the walk. We walked round the swimming pool several times and he obeyed all instructions. A huge dog cookie for you, Uno!

Lesson #2: Down

Today's lesson was really tough on Uno...he was taught 'Down' command, but he refused to co-operate. And the consequence of being stubborn and wilful was being reprimanded repeatedly. My heart almost broke when he choked after Alfred pulled the choker chain. After several tries, my prayers were answered when he finally followed Alfred's instructions to lie on his side.

When I took over to practise with him, Uno was so co-operative. Was he being respectful to me as his owner or was he just defying Alfred? He must be thinking: "Who on earth is this monster doing in my house, telling me to do things that even my owner doesn't tell to?"

Uno's First Lesson: Sit

Uno attended his first lesson today. Alfred the trainer seemed quite a pleasant person and is knowledgeable about dogs. He taught us to jab Uno if we spot him misbehaving, and it worked! Uno was playing with his newfound toy, the door stopper, when Alfred jabbed him once to stop him. When he threw the door stopper back to him, Uno didn't even dare sniff at it! Ha...finally met his nemesis : )

Uno did fairly well today with the 'Sit' command. No slouching, sliding to the floor...in fact he sat so upright : ) For that, he earned himself a huge dog biscuit. Well done, Uno!

Keep it up, Uno!

Uno is really smart. For the past 2 weeks, we have been letting him out of his pen for limited periods daily to run about the yard and kitchen. And each time he needed to pee or poo, he will return to his pen. Barring the 2 - 3 accidents, he had been doing very well. He is also able to sit quietly while Phyo prepares his food, and will only eat when given the cue. We were totally impressed!

Uno's Vaccination

Uno finally got his 3rd jab this morning. What a baby…he yelped so pathetically when the vet jabbed him, as if the vet was cutting him up. Then I got a shock, when blood seeped out from the jab site and stained his coat : (
Vaccination, medication for his skin plus heartworm medication…spent almost S$100 at the vet’s :P Then again, I’m glad that we were able to get Uno out of the pet shop. I simply cannot imagine if he continues to stay there, without proper treatment for his skin condition.

Uno's First Bath at Home

My first attempt at giving Uno his bath this morning turned out quite well...thanks to my observation at the groomer’s last week : ) His skin is clearing up, so that’s good news. Hope that his coat will grow out soon as he does not look a bit like a Westie in his ‘botak’ look. Got him a cute little shirt to cover up his bare body:

Poor Uno

Hubby and I brought Uno for his first grooming session. We thought of dolling him up for CNY but ended up having to shave him : ( In view of his skin problem, the groomer suggested for him to be shaved down so that the spots can be treated more efficiently. Poor Uno, he looked really skinny in his new look. Don't worry Uno, I will make sure you are well fed to make up for the sufferings you have had.

Good job, Uno!

Uno had been on excellent behaviour today: he poo-ed only in the morning, and he pee-ed at the designated spot! As a reward, Phyo let him out of his pen for the afternoon. Looking forward to having him in the living room soon : )

Bright Idea!

I was so brilliant! When Uno whined this morning, an idea clicked in my mind: what about passing my pyjamas to him since he felt so comforted in my arms? True enough, he settled down within minutes! No more whining : )

Uno at the Vet's

We brought Uno for his vaccination but were advised against it as he could be stressed up due to the recent move to our house. The vet diagnosed the little scab on his neck as an infection, so that put our minds at ease. For a quick consultation and a tube of oilment, the fees were almost S$60! Sure ain’t cheap keeping a dog!

First Night Blues

Arrgghhh!! What have we gotten ourselves into??? Uno was whining so much that Hubby and I just didn’t have the heart to ignore him. Also, we were worried that he may disturb our neighbours. The first time we got to him, Phyo was already there clearing his poo. Urm…Didn’t KC say that Uno only poos after his meals?? Hmm..ok, maybe he was stressed up hence his toilet habits were also messed up. Afterall, I face this problem too when I go overseas :P

Shortly after we had settled him down, the whining started again around 4.30am L As I peered at him through the kitchen window, I realised that the pen was empty!! OMG, that woke me up immediately! Uno had actually jumped out of his pen! And he was whining because he can’t get back in to do his business (yes, he pee-ed on the floor the minute he dashed to the dining room). Sigh! Looks like the pen is not going to contain him for long.

How can I be so ignorant and naïve re puppy’s first night blues? Hopefully, he will settle down soon.

Uno's home!

The day that we have been looking forward to is here…we finally brought Uno home! He looked a little scared when we put him in the cage, sniffing around and looking at us with those soulful eyes. Luckily I managed to get his Kong toy from KC, that should offer him some comfort.

Phyo called at 10+ to complain that Uno had been barking non-stop. But when we reached home, he was already sleeping like a baby : ) Looks like the first night blues ain’t that bad afterall!

Counting down to 17 January 2009

Hubby and I went to buy the play pen today. The little fella seemed to recognise us...he was wagging his tail so hard when he saw us : )

Felt a sense of deja vu....like the time when I returned home without the boys after delivery as both were down with jaundice...

4 more days to Saturday, I'm counting down to bringing him home....

Our First Family Dog

It's confirmed: we bought the Westie! The little fella connected very well with the boys, especially Bryan. Co-incidentally, he shares the same birthdate as Bryan and the same Chinese Zodiac sign as Eric : ) Looks like he is destined to join our family.

Couldn't wait for next Saturday to bring him home : )

CNY goodies in Joo Chiat...or CNY doggy?

We were shopping for CNY goodies at Joo Chiat today when Hubby stumbled upon a pet shop Puppies Lodge. What an odd location we thought, so we popped in to check it out.

The minute we set foot in the shop, we were greeted by a chorus of barks....there was a spunky Japanese Spitz jumping about its enclosure, 2 Papillons barking enthusiastically, a Maltese looking at us through its sleepy eyes, a French Bulldog with its creased up face....and a Westie.

The little fella was so well behaved, sitting quietly in the enclosure. He has a somewhat aristocratic air about him and a piercing look...he seemed to be assessing us (??).

KC (the owner) took it out to show us. It nestled contentedly in his arms, looking at us with his jet black eyes. The last time I came this close to a Westie was during my JC days, and I have not seen any since. As I patted his head, he licked and sniffed at my hand....then he began to wag his tail vigorously... Thinks he likes me : )

As this is our first family dog, we wanted Bryan and Eric to take part in the decision making too. KC offered to meet up with Bryan and Eric tomorrow to discuss further. Wonder if they will like him too?