Bobby and his tumor..

“Bobby” – does this name ring a bell? Did you ever buy a cute little Jack Russell Terrier (JRT) puppy from a pet shop in north-eastern Singapore many years back, and had the word “dog offer” and “no return” scribbled on your receipt? The little one whom you once loved had his birthday on Valentine’s Day (14th February) and who went home with you when he was slightly over three months old? Even though this little life was only a monetary transaction to the pet shop, you who bought him, have a lifetime responsibility towards him. We do not know what circumstances led you to give him up shortly after, but to a wrong home.

A kind lady J sent us some photos one fateful morning, which did not make us think twice. The rusty cage showed a JRT with skin condition but what was most alarming was, he had a huge growth under his chin and in the background of the photo, we see.. leftover human food and pieces of bread with shredded up and wet newspapers strewn all over. It was by a stroke of luck that J overheard her mum on the phone with an elderly neighbour who lives on a different floor. J has always known that they had a dog but did not know that he lived in such dire conditions, until one day the elderly neighbour mentioned her granddaughter was going to get rid of the dog.

The initial photos sent to us 

J wanted to help to rehome the dog as she has pets herself too, and thus popped by the elderly neighbour’s place to check out the dog. Nothing could prepare her for what she saw and she was literally dumbfounded at the stage of neglect Bobby was in. No one knows for sure how long Bobby has been staying in that smelly and filthy cage as the elderly neighbour’s memory was failing her, but it has been years. There is no one physically capable to care for the dog, as the granddaughter who adopted this dog is frequently not home. J wanted Bobby to leave that place like immediately. After linking up with us, J helped to bring Bobby in to our regular vet.

Poor skin condition

Long and unkempt nails

Bobby is eight years old this year and is surprisingly not in that bad health as expected. He has skin issues – from poor diet and his horrendous living condition, and also from hypothyroidism. A fine needle aspirate was done on the huge growth under his chin but did not yield much result. The growth will be sent for testing after surgery which has been scheduled at the end of the month. The vet will like to let Bobby’s health stabilize first as the growth is not life threatening after all and he is not in pain.

After a shower at the vet (Photo from https://www.facebook.com/mountpleasantveterinarygroup/photos/a.347281052145271.1073741828.346781535528556/452288981644477/?type=3&theater)

We have been asked if we will lodge a report with the authorities but we have decided against it. It is not because we condone such irresponsible actions which we certainly have zero tolerance for but the elderly neighbour is a 90 year old granny. Her family is rather complicated but it is not for us to judge and comment. The granny is barely able to care for herself and the other occupant in her house who has special needs. And the granny was just too grateful that we could find Bobby another home, as no one else cared and she is too old to do anything.

Bobby is under foster care for now, and we are looking at finding a permanent home for him. He is a cheerful and active boy thankfully not affected by his few years of living in the cage. This is the festive season and we also have a couple of other dogs boarded locally with medical issues as well which we have been caring for. Will you help us with Bobby and friends this Christmas? Do email noahsarkcares@gmail.com if you can give Bobby a home or if you can help with his medical bills. Thank you!

Made himself at home within minutes!

 

Fosterer kept him within an enclosed area to let him settle in for the first night

 

Sleeping comfortably!

Rescue after Rescue (5/5): Teddy

We frequently work with independent caregivers to spay their charges and render needed medical aid, with majority of their charges being street dogs. On this fateful afternoon, we got a call from one of our dedicated caregivers that she had with her a cat with a broken leg. The worker from a factory approached her for help and she kind-heartedly took over the cat. She has been caring for and sterilizing the street dogs in her area for over a decade but is honestly helpless when it comes to cats. We asked her to send the cat direct to the clinic.

Teddy is a ginger and white boy estimated to be only about two years old. The vet diagnosed the cause of his injury as either having fallen from great heights or that he was hit by a heavy object. The latter was more likely given the environment he lived in. Teddy though in pain, was still affectionate and kept meowing for attention. It was a very clean break as advised by the vet, and a metal plate had to be inserted into his left leg to let it heal in place.

Teddy’s surgery has already been performed and a kind fosterer has taken Teddy in to be fostered for six weeks under cage rest. He can already stand but movement has to be restricted. He has also been tested FeLV negative and sterilized at the same time. The clinic staff found him to be a loving boy with no issues in wound cleaning and feeding of medication.

     

Same like with Thumper (http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.sg/2015/07/rescue-after-rescue-45-thumper.html), Teddy will be up for adoption once he is better! Are you looking for a feline companion? Let Teddy be the one!

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With the multiples rescue cases pouring in, our vet bills are at an all high these few months. We appreciate any bit of contribution from each and everyone of you, and also need your sharing to spread the word about adoption for Nugget, Thumper and Teddy! Please email us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com if you are able to help in any way, thank you.

Rescue after Rescue (4/5): Thumper

“Thumper” is a fictional rabbit character from one of Disney’s cartoons Bambi. We have our very own canine version Thumper too, and he is named so because of the resemblance of his ears with the rabbit!

Thumper is an innocent young puppy who greets everyone with wags of his thin long tail. He can be carried, manhandled in any way and not even resist. How can such a sweet boy survive being a stray? But every stray caregiver will have such dogs and we only have endless worry for them – be it being abused or being caught by dog catchers for being too trusting.

Thumper in happier times before the attack

That fateful weekday evening, Thumper was attacked by a pack of five big adult dogs. What crime did he commit? He simply went up to a contractor whom he recognized to happily greet him. The attack was triggered solely by jealousy and pack instinct. We will not say the five dogs were vicious but Thumper as the weaker and lone dog was unfortunately deemed as prey to them. The two volunteers who happened to be present, together with the contractor, fought off the big dogs and finally managed to get them to release their grip on the helpless little boy. The humans got injured too in the process but poor Thumper was already drifting in and out of consciousness by then.

     

Thumper's multiple bite wounds L

We had to rush Thumper to the nearest clinic for emergency treatment and resuscitation. He was already in a state of shock and he had sixteen puncture wounds. There was only wound cleaning and temporary stitching done at the first vet, and we transferred Thumper to our regular vet for professional treatment. The next day upon being warded at our regular vet, Thumper underwent a surgery over three hours. The side wound was actually a stomach muscle tear and not fat layer damage as initially diagnosed. It was an incorrect diagnosis of minor injury and the temporary stitching got infected but luckily our regular vet managed to set everything right.

    

    

    

Thumper being transferred to our regular vet 

One of Thumper's bigger wounds

A few days later, we visited Thumper and what a great progress he has made. His smaller wounds have all dried up and closed, and he was a much happier boy. We are thankful he was still as affectionate and goofy, and the clinic staff likes him a lot. Thumper will still be warded for a few more days as the vet just wants to ensure the swelling of one of the bigger belly wounds subside a bit more to make sure there is no muscle injury.

Thumper still as affectionate

  Thumper "borrowing" the clinic dog's bed!

We have luckily found a fosterer for Thumper so that he can have a clean environment to recuperate from his wounds. And for sure, he will be up for adoption once he gets better! J

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With the multiples rescue cases pouring in, our vet bills are at an all high these few months. We appreciate any bit of contribution from each and everyone of you, and also need your sharing to spread the word about adoption for Nugget, Thumper and Teddy! Please email us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com if you are able to help in any way, thank you.

Rescue after Rescue (3/5): Ricky and his neighbour Rain

Ricky
Ricky has a very unique look among so many street dogs we meet – he has a scruffy body which makes him look lion-like. Apart from this, he is friendly even to strangers. When we met him for the first time, we could already pat him. Thereafter, he will always be waiting for us during our routine feeding and happily greet us with a swaying butt. Ricky was also one of the lucky few whose factory actually bothered to care for and look after him and tend to his day to day needs. We did advise his factory to keep him safe and off the streets as Ricky lived in a high culling area and can easily be taken away.

One weekend when we went to look for Ricky’s neighbour Rain (see story below), we found Ricky lying listlessly under a container truck. The worker told us he has been like this for the past few days and it was getting worrying. We thus brought Ricky to the clinic for a consult.

Various tests were done on Ricky and even an x-ray but nothing wrong was detected. Ricky was heartworm and tick fever free and his kidney, liver and blood count was good. He also stayed overnight at the clinic for two nights for monitoring in case there was something wrong with his immune system, but the only diagnosis was dehydration though the vet feedbacked there were multiple bite wounds on him. We heaved a huge sigh of relief though we do know we might actually sweat upon seeing the bill later! Ricky has been sent for sterilization and vaccination and thereafter returned to his factory where his workers have been asking about him whenever they see us.

    

Rain

Sweet Rain lives a few factories away from scruffy Ricky. She has a tipped ear so in all normality, we assumed she has been sterilized since a tipped ear is an indication of being neutered for street dogs. But when we saw her with a swollen vulva one night, our jaws dropped. The boys were also after her! Was she on heat? Or did she contract TVT like Chloe who was from the same area (http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.sg/2015/05/chloe-and-her-innocent-puppies.html)? We had a few cases whereby the dog had already been infected but did not show any signs yet. After sterilization and some time after when the symptoms started to show then we will know and then render medical aid to him/her.

Rain’s factory workers were curious as to what did we want with her as they confirmed that she has been sterilized. They were as bewildered as to why the boys were after her since she has already been fixed. We managed to convince them we meant no harm and on that very weekday morning Rain was in our hands, straight to the vet she went.

The vet did a thorough vaginal examination and did not find any lump so TVT was ruled out. A higher possibility was that the spaying was not properly performed and Rain has retained ovaries – that is why she came on heat again. We monitored Rain’s condition for some time and her vulva swelling did go down. It thus confirmed the vet’s suspicions of Rain having retained ovaries or otherwise, we might have to look at other conditions like vaginal infection but that should not attract the males to her.

    

We hated to have to send Rain in for sterilization once again as it was double the stress for her (and unnecessary too) but it needed to be done for her own good. Rain is finally properly sterilized and will be litter-free for the rest of her life. J
 
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With the multiples rescue cases pouring in, our vet bills are at an all high these few months. We appreciate any bit of contribution from each and everyone of you, and also need your sharing to spread the word about adoption for Nugget, Thumper and Teddy! Please email us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com if you are able to help in any way, thank you.

Rescue after Rescue (2/5): Di Di

Affectionately named Di Di by one of our volunteers P who has been caring for him, the origin of Di Di and siblings are unknown but the factory told P they took pity on them and took them from another industrial estate to put in their factory to care for them. Nonetheless, the conditions they stayed in were less than satisfactory though they had the basic needs like food and shelter. Some factories deem this kind of environment adequate as they are street dogs after all and they are known to be extremely hardy. This is highly debatable and often, medical care is minimal or even non-existent.

Di Di and siblings when younger

P went down to the factory as often as she could and also to bathe them almost every weekend with another volunteer E – this was the best she could do while she tried to rehome them. However, Di Di started showing signs of falling sick and being anaemic. P thus brought Di Di to the clinic.

The vet diagnosed Di Di with a strain of tick fever Ehrlichia and advised Di Di had a dangerously low blood count – he needed a blood transfusion urgently. It was a working day and multiple calls were made. Finally, a suitable blood donor came forth! We will like to thank the owner of J-Boy who kindly allowed J-Boy to help save Di Di’s life.

Thank you for saving my life J-Boy!

After the blood transfusion, Di Di rested in the clinic for a couple of days before we had to transfer him to a boarding facility for recuperation and medication. Di Di is still at the boarding facility as of now but he is so much better than before – boisterous and playful. He is certainly very grateful for a second chance at life and we also hope things will only get better for him from here on! 

     

Look at how cheerful and playful Di Di is now!

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With the multiples rescue cases pouring in, our vet bills are at an all high these few months. We appreciate any bit of contribution from each and everyone of you, and also need your sharing to spread the word about adoption for Nugget, Thumper and Teddy! Please email us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com if you are able to help in any way, thank you.

Rescue after Rescue (1/5): Nugget and Buddy

We had an influx of rescue cases flowing in over the past few weeks we could honestly barely cope. Practically, we do know we cannot save everybody, every single dog on the street. But if you happen to see an unwell dog in front of you, can you walk away? We are unable to. Be it a major problem or a minor one, if a minor ailment can be rendered medical attention in time, one more precious life is saved as well as further health complications. We try our best.

Nonetheless, all these require time, labour and funding. With our few on-site volunteers dutifully tending to their stray charges as always, we have also been actively working on TNRM (Trap-Neuter-Release-Management) on a restricted part of the island, which makes our manpower even tighter and more limited.

We need your help, be it with adoption, volunteering or funding our medical cases in any way you can help us with. Finding dedicated volunteers has never been easy, but our team has been kept running strong in working towards the ultimate goal of lessening the number of strays on our streets.

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Nugget

During one of our routine feeding sessions close to two years ago, we picked up this tiny little tri-colour puppy struggling away for his life in a deep wide drain. His sibling has unfortunately drowned but we managed to scoop him up in time before he suffered the same fate. He was just palm size then and very young – only a few weeks old. The fosterer named him Nugget.

Nugget has been rehomed a couple of times but was returned, as the adopters cited separation anxiety problems which means he cannot be left alone at home. Nonetheless, he grew into a handsome young lad. Unluckily, the fosterer recently found a growing lump at his throat. We sent Nugget to the clinic and the clinic managed to squeeze out what was in the lump while Nugget was under sedation. However, the vet was only able to see soft tissue for now. An ultrasound will be more appropriate in this case to actually diagnose his condition but we kept it on hold first due to the high cost. Meanwhile, Nugget was given an antibiotics injection which will last him about two weeks and thereafter a review will be scheduled again.

The photo is not very clear but can you see the lump at Nugget's throat?

Buddy
Buddy – a name given to this young lad before he breathed his last. We did not want him to go off unloved and unknown. We wanted him to know that though we did not manage to save him, we will remember him. Though Buddy was initially brought into the clinic for a different condition, his cause of death was similar to Brownie’s (http://www.noahsarkcares.blogspot.sg/2015/06/chloes-update-little-brownie-whom-we.html).

Buddy sustained a bite wound from an adult dog at his abdomen one Saturday afternoon. It was not a very deep wound but it just would not stop bleeding. He was brought into the clinic but further tests revealed serious underlying conditions – Buddy was severely anaemic and also he had fluid in his lungs. The vet suspected he could have accidentally consumed rat poison but he being a stray, we would not know what they have eaten or came across prior to us taking them in.

Buddy’s condition deteriorated after he was transferred to the hospital due to it nearing evening time on a weekend. The vet suggested a blood transfusion for him but as we were scrambling around for another blood donor (we just had a blood transfusion done for Di Di: http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.sg/2015/07/rescue-after-rescue-25-di-di.html), Buddy decided to give up. He was gasping for breath and we had to say goodbye to him. Rest well Buddy. Run along with Little Brownie when you meet him at the rainbow bridge!

Goodbye Buddy..

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With the multiples rescue cases pouring in, our vet bills are at an all high these few months. We appreciate any bit of contribution from each and everyone of you, and also need your sharing to spread the word about adoption for Nugget, Thumper and Teddy! Please email us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com if you are able to help in any way, thank you.

Chloe's update & Little Brownie whom we had to say goodbye to..

It has been a month since we took Chloe in (http://noahsarkcares.blogspot.sg/2015/05/chloe-and-her-innocent-puppies.html), and we do have both positive and not so positive updates. Well, this is the practicality of rescue work we have to admit. It is never a bed of roses.

The good news is, Chloe has been coping with the chemo jabs very well and her tumor has shrunk considerably. She also has a huge appetite! It really does help that she is young and her body is able to withstand the effects of the chemo jabs she has undergone. As we finish up her chemo jabs this week, we unfortunately have to start her on heartworm treatment as the vet noticed that her bloodwork was not looking good and after running some tests, she was diagnosed with heartworm.

Chloe nearing the end of her TVT treatment

 

Nonetheless, Chloe is an extremely friendly girl who will wag her tail like a helicopter rotor even though you are meeting her for the first time! She is HDB-approved size and please let us know should you know of anyone looking to adopt. We are sure you will fall head over heels in love with her once you meet her!

Do you detect a smirk on Chloe's face? :)

 

On the flip side, we lost a young life a couple of days ago. Mongrel puppies are aplenty, we know. But they did not choose to be born in such harsh environments where they literally have to fight for daily survival. One early morning over the weekend, J spotted a puppy lying on his side whining and panting heavily. We are not absolutely certain if he is one of Chloe's puppies given that to our knowledge, Chloe had only one brown puppy which was already adopted. Or did he come out in the open to "ask for help"? Regardless, we could not leave him lying there struggling.

Brownie lying on his side whining and panting heavily

J immediately brought Brownie to a clinic nearby which put him on oxygen therapy straight away. The poor boy was covered with lots of small ticks but to keep him alive was primary now. After a blood test and some x-rays taken, the vet diagnosed Brownie with acute gastroenteritis and subsequent aspiration pneumonia. The x-rays showed his lungs were cloudy which should not be the case, but further testing was required to determine what was actually wrong. They also found some bones and foreign objects in his little stomach.

Brownie on oxygen therapy

After Brownie stabilized a wee bit, we had to transfer him over to a hospital for round the clock monitoring. Over at the hospital, the diagnosis was sadly just as poor. A trachea wash was recommended as the vets needed to find out the cause of his condition before recommending further treatment. This was however, to be performed only if Brownie made it through the night.

The poor boy seeking some affection

A grateful smile from Brownie while being transferred to the hospital

Morning came and there was no call from the clinic the previous night. We were glad that the poor boy was still alive and the vet updated that his breathing seemed a bit labored without oxygen provided but apart from that, he was still coping fine for now. We thus made the decision to proceed with the trachea wash.

Another call came slightly past noon. We initially thought it was to inform us of the results of the trachea wash but the vet regrettably updated that Brownie had passed on. His heart stopped and they tried resuscitating him but to no avail. Our hearts sank but we knew we had tried our very best for this little one.

Vet bills are never cheap – all of you who bring your beloved pooches for health checks will know. Though Brownie incurred a fair bit of bills but eventually did not make it, at least we gave it a shot and did all we could. We are thankful for the kind contributions that came in for Chloe and if you can, we will like to ask for help with Brownie’s bills as well in any way within your means. Please email noahsarkcares@gmail.com if you will like to contribute to little Brownie’s last journey, thank you.

Chloe and Her Innocent Puppies

With the advancement of social media, we can often see news spreading far and wide within a short span of time and across the borders effortlessly. Within the animal welfare circle itself, we often get endless appeals for help too especially on Facebook. More often than not, mongrels unfortunately “hog the limelight” - as strict housing regulations disallow legal ownership of them in flats which majority of us reside in, and in some areas without (responsible) caregivers, the unsterilized stray females continue to reproduce - against their wishes.

During early May, J and A were as usual feeding some stray dogs opposite their workplace. One fateful night, there was this pathetic-looking beige female dog appearing all of a sudden in front of them, one which they have never seen before. She was a bag of skin and bones, but J and A could tell that she had just given birth. She wolfed down whatever was given to her and wagged her tail in appreciation, perhaps thinking that they were angels or that this was a beautiful dream to have a rare decent meal. J and A pitied her and gave her more food though her puppies were nowhere to be seen as yet.

 

 

J and A continued feeding Chloe regularly and one to two weeks later, they finally spotted her five puppies. Upon checking with the Myanmar workers at the worksite, the workers told them that the puppies were found on the roadside and fearing for their safety as they were young and vulnerable, the workers brought them into the worksite though they knew it was not a long term solution. The worksite was slated to become a petrol station within a couple of months and Chloe and her puppies will all be homeless then.

 

 

 

Nevertheless, the most critical issue at hand now was Chloe’s health. Chloe was painfully skinny and her private area was extremely swollen. J and A knew something was very wrong, and desperately asked around for help. We were contacted and went down to do a site check within a few days. Chloe was dewormed first and foremost. And as we caught sight of her rear area, we more or less guessed it was another case of Transmissible Venereal Tumour (TVT in short – http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/112500.htm) and a rather severe one. TVT is actually not an uncommon sight for us who come into contact with stray dogs regularly - both the males and female dogs can contract this disease and usually within a single area, we will find a couple of infected dogs with the same problem as they mate with the same female and pass the virus on.

 

 

Chloe managed to gain a bit of weight after deworming but plans were already in the pipeline to trap her as she urgently needed treatment. Chloe had by then become more familiar with J and A and us as she knew that we will not harm her and though she was still fearful of human touch which is normal for a stray, we managed to corner her into a confined area and thereafter into a carrier for ease of transport.

 

 

Over at the clinic, the vet was surprised at how friendly Chloe was as she was wagging her tail as the vet was examining her. Chloe did not put up any form of struggle at all and was very cooperative throughout, requiring no muzzling even when her blood was being taken. We were advised Chloe will need a minimum of six vincristine jabs each a week apart, and we are keeping our fingers crossed that she will be successfully treated. Different dogs have different reactions to the vincristine jabs and it is largely dependent on their own health and immune system too. In the meantime, Chloe will have to be boarded as TVT is contagious and also we need her to dutifully complete her course of treatment.

 

 

 

We are appealing for your kind assistance to help us with Chloe’s medical bills as well as help Chloe’s puppies find homes. We do not wish for them to live their lives out on the streets, especially when they stay in a high culling area and it is only a temporary space. If you are able to contribute for Chloe and/or foster/adopt any of Chloe’s puppies, please contact us at noahsarkcares@gmail.com. Chloe herself will definitely be up for adoption too when she has recovered, as she has an excellent temperament and has been through too much - she deserves so much more like all the other homeless dogs on the streets. Thank you!