I took my love for animals to the next level by marrying a veterinarian. Take a peak into our lives, his veterinary practice- and read occassional ramblings from our brood of adopted pets.
The last of our dogs from this blog passed away today. Trudis was 16 years old.
It was bittersweet as the Animal Doctor
performed euthanasia on Trudis this morning, June 18, 2024. Since last year, she had been
progressively declining, but she fiercely held on to life, even in
her last moments.
I wanted for nature to take its course, but If had to be
honest, I knew in my heart I was only doing it for my sake.
A couple of nights ago, I asked God for a sign that it was time to let Trudis go. I drifted off to
sleep, and there in my dream, saw her in the same playpen where she had lain
since January, bedridden, unable to stand and eat on her own. But this time, she
was sitting on her hind legs, looking up to me so happily. Its been a while
since I saw her like this.
I knew at the Rainbow Bridge, she will be young and
strong again.
Lorenza has a lot of pretty dresses in her closet, but this one is our favorite.
We just learned that our dear friend Lorenza had surgery for the removal of her kidney stones! Please cross your paws and fingers for our friend, join us in praying for her quick recovery. We can just imagine how Mom Veronica must be feeling right now. We know how difficult it is to see our beloved pets suffer and go through an illness.
An update on Trudis: Thank God, she has not yet manifested the symptoms listed by our friend Jasper via his comment to this post. But we are so bothered by her continuing weight loss. Trudis is wasting away no matter how often and how much she eats. She is getting treatment and supportive care for her heart and lungs but we need to treat the underlying illness that affected these organs. It is so frustrating that such illness remains elusive because the definitive diagnostic tools and procedures are beyond our reach. We are giving her a few more weeks to see if she will puts on weight, then we can say we are on the right track.
Thank you all for your support. We are sending healing vibes to all the doggies and kitties and all animals in need out there.
Our adopted asong pinoy*, Trudis has conjestion in her lungs. The Animal Doctor 's colleagues who saw the xray films via Facebook agree that Trudis' heart might be involved. To confirm this, Trudis and the Animal Doctor went this afternoon to the University of the Philippines( U.P) Diliman Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Trudis will get an electrocardiogram (ECG) examination and a second opinion from the Animal Doc's former professors and collegues.
Trudis is on antibiotic; her nasal discharge has lessened a bit. She still hasnt put on weight despite her five meals a day and pancreatic enzyme replacements. We hope we will solve the mystery behind Trudis' excessive weight loss and fight this diseases, whatever it is.
Again, thanks to the Animal Doctor for being on top of this case. I am likewise grateful for the outpour of support and positive vibes we are getting from all of you. Our online friend Jasper who lives all the way from UK has even offered to help us with the trypsin immunureactive test ( for pancreatic insufficiency) because its available in his country. Maybe our super dog friend Sweepy can fly Trudis over there? We will let you know of our next move.
* another term for a mix breed( mongrel) dog in the Philippines
There's an explosion of puppies and kitties in our street!
This is right in front of our house
This is from the neighbors, where we adopted Woody and Bambi
This little pup looks like she really wants to come with us, but we have no more room in our doggy pad. See that lady standing by the door? She said she's going to sell the puppies for P50 each.
The Secretary had planned to have our neighbor's two dogs spayed since last year, but never got around to it because our neighbor wasn't cooperative. Now there are 7 potential addition to the never ending list of unwanted dogs in our neighborhood.
A semi pampered mutt like me can expect a longer life span compared to my counterparts in the streets. I hope the Secretary will invest on my comfort as I sail through my golden years. Choosing the right dog bed is part of that investment. The dog's size, built and sleeping position are important things to consider.
After my sissy Scarlet got her very own bed, I have been trying to convince the Secretary a.k.a Mom that the rest of us need dog beds too. A semi pampered mutt like me can expect a longer life span compared to my counterparts in the streets. I hope the Secretary will invest on my comfort as I sail through my golden years. Choosing the right dog bed is part of that investment.
So how does our Secretary choose the right doggy bed--I mean, if and when she scrapes the budget for it?
Size and built of a dog are important factors. Dogs like my sissy Woody, who is umm kindahumungous big boned will most definitely need large dog beds Our health must also be considered, it will help if these dog beds are antibacterial and hypoallergenic. I also need to remind our Secretary that cheaper does not always mean better. Cheap dog beds may contain harmful chemicals that could be bad for humans too.
I saw dog beds in different shapes and designs in the internet. Some are flat like human beds, or shaped like donuts, or arm chairs. Im fond of curling up like a ball so a large donut shape bed will probably suit me. My brother Moymoy, on the other paw, catches zzzzs with his hind legs stretched out like there’s no tomorrow so a flat bed will be appropriate for him.
The Secretary read about Connie's plea for help at Dog-tracker.com, an online forum for dog lovers (where she met the Animal Doctor). Connie, a school teacher from Valenzuela City, didn't know what to do with her dog, Buba. Poor Buba was captured by Animal Control when she escaped from her house one day. Connie pleaded at the Animal Control people to release her dog, but they took Buba to the Pound anyway.
Connie bailed Buba out but when Buba returned home, something- a monster maybe, thought Moymoy- started to grow in her rear. For six months, it kept growing and growing like it had a life of its own. Connie sent a picture of the "monster, maybe" and it sure looked scary! Buba would bleed all over their house and antibiotic treatment did not help her. There were only two veterinary clinics in their place, and none of them were interested in Buba's case. Someone even suggested at Connie to just surrender her dog at the Pound where Buba could be put to sleep forever.
The Secretary immediately told the Animal Doctor about Buba, and after working her ingenious ploy to persuade the Animal Doctor, the Secretary replied to Connie's post at Dog-tracker. The Animal Doctor had agreed to offer his professional service and the clinic's facilities for free, but Buba must come over to our clinic so the Animal Doctor could personally examine the "monster, maybe" growing in her rear, determine what it was, and how to kill it.
Connie was overjoyed. The difficulty of transporting Buba all the way from Valenzuela City to our veterinary clinic in Greenwoods Executive Village in Pasig City, did not dampen her resolve to have Buba treated. It would take them three hours, on a rented vehicle, to reach us. Connie managed to get her whole family's support. They trooped to our clinic to bring Buba and to visit her during her confinement.
Finally, the Animal Doctor found out what was growing in Buba's rear- Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumor, click on the link if you want to know more about what is also called "TVT". Buba must have gotten it during her imprisonment at the at the Pound because it can be transmitted through mating, sniffing, any form of touch!
The Animal Doctor's choice of treatment was Vincristine, a chemotherapy agent that "exerts its antineoplastic effect by binding to the tubulin, thus blocking mitosis." ( These are very big words, thanks for the help, Mr. Google)
The Animal Doctor carefully administers the Vincristine, if it accidentally spills and touches the vein, it will cause serious chemical burns.
Buba had good appetite, and was a very brave girl during her stay at Greenwoods Pet Clinic.
She stayed with us for almost a month because she had to undergo chemotherapy weekly for three weeks.
Finally, Vicristine shrunk the TVT monster.
Buba is now home where she is being taken good care of by her mom.
Picture taken by Buba's Mom
During her confinement, Buba underwent several blood tests and the results made us all sad. She had elevated Creatinine and BUN even before she was treated with Vincristine. The figures even went up after her chemotherapy. She took home medicines to treat her kidneys, but it would be difficult to monitor her condition now that she is far from us.
Connie, sent us a text message to report that while Buba is still not as active as she used to be, she is eating well. Connie is happy for the time she has with Buba, even though she does not know how many weeks or months it will last.
She shared this beautiful prayer for Buba:
Lord, I entrust all who are dear to me
to Your never-failing care and love,
for this life and the life to come,
knowing that You are doing for them better things
that I can desire or pray for.
Amen
Note from the Animal Doctor: Not all cases of TVT have happy endings. One dog developed anorexia, persistent vomiting and became recumbent on the sixth week of treatment with Vincristine. Despite being effective in the regression of TVT, Vincristine has toxic effects. The cumulative adverse effects of Vincristine and the long standing duration of TVT on the dog may have led to his death. The study concluded that there is a need for effective management of the patient during and after Vincristine treatment to avoid death from toxicosis or other causes.
My sissies Woody and Bambi were still feeling woozy when these pictures were taken a day after the Animal Doctor removed their ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus through a surgical procedure called ovariohysterectomy, a.k.a spaying.
Woody
Bambi
Just like me, Woody and Bambi used to be unwanted animals. When the Secretary rescued and eventually adopted us, she vowed that our offspring will never suffer the same fate. And by that, she meant we will never have puppies of our own. Sad, but true, the Secretary does not have very much money and will probably miss more than just her lunch with more of us to take care of.
A word from the Animal Doctor: Spaying, just like any other major procedure, has various risks. The animal could bleed uncontrollably during the operation, not wake up from the anesthesia, or suffer an infection on the incision wound. In addition, potential health problems have been associated with spaying and neutering such as "increased risk of prostatic cancer in males; increased risks of bone cancer and hip dysplasia in large-breed dogs associated with sterilization before maturity; and increased incidences of obesity, diabetes, urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence, and hypothyroidism" Although we strongly support spaying and neutering pet animals as an effective means to prevent unplanned litters, diseases such as pyometra and other forms of cancers , and modify certain behavioral problems, we agree with the AVMA that the decision to have your pets undergo such procedure "requires the application of science and professional judgment to ensure the best outcome for veterinary patients and their owners".
The Secretary and I have discussed the pros and cons of spaying, and decided that under the circumstances, it is a must for our rescued pets.
Woody's incision wound
The Secretary thought Betadine it would make Woody's wound heal faster, so she applied, umm, poured Betadine over it. That's how things started to turn bad, the Secretary almost had a breakdown. For some reason, Betadine dissolved the stitches and penetrated Woody's muscles causing an allergic reaction. The Animal Doctor had to restitch Woody, but it did not work because Woody's abdominal muscles were all sore. The Animal Doctor had to bring Woody all the way to Las Pinas to his friend-mentor, Dra. Perlie who took over repairing Woody.
Bambi's incision wound
After a week, Bambi and Woody were all healed!
Thank you very much, Doc Perli, for stitching Woody together.
I'm pretty scared because I am next. The Animal Doctor said I will have my pre-anesthesia blood screen as soon as I am through with my heat cycle.
Just because we are in the service industry does not give our clients any right to treat us like slaves. They go to our office obviously because we have something they don't have; and we are willing to give it to them because they give us business in return. Our relationship should be based on mutual respect. Whoever invented the joke that a customer is always right was definitely not a dog.
Anyway, this client I shall hide in the name of Vile Woman or Ms. V. W had a run in with the Secretary last year. Our poor Secretary was enjoying a vacation from her job as a bank lawyer and was then assisting our groomer when Ms. V.W walked in with her two very dirty and severely matted shih tzus.
Upon seeing and feeling the dogs' tight, monstrous matts, the Secretary decided that dematting was out of the question. She felt it an atrocity to let pets endure this stressful procedure when it could be prevented by simply brushing the coat daily.
But Ms. V.W did not want any hair cut done with her dogs. She scoffed at the Secretary, claiming that her previous groomer could detangle the matts, so what's the big deal here? Maybe you don't know how to groom a dog? Your office is just new right? Oh, the rudeness and nastiness of this client. The Secretary tried to bear the insults and thought of just giving what the client wanted.
But more than thirty minutes passed and our groomers were not even halfway in separating the matts which were all over the dogs' body and close to their skin. The dogs were already tired and the Secretary could not get over Ms. V.W's rudeness. Thats it! She cried, grabbed the phone and called V.W and told her to pick up her dogs because the groomers could not deliver the service she wanted. Plus, the Secretary added in an icy tone: We deserve some respect too.
V.W angrily told the Secretary that she had already wasted V.W's time and that the groomers should finish the job, whatever the style. The Secretary thought it would end at that, but when V.W came to pick up her dogs, she lashed out at our groomers. This time, the Secretary fought back. She told V.W that she had no right to make her pets suffer nor insult the groomers for her own negligence. To highlight her performance, the Secretary returned the client's money, telling her that there are things far worth keeping than money, and that is a person's dignity!
V.W stormed out our office and swore that she will never ever come back. Well, you think this is the end of the whole hullaballo, don't you? Oh, but more than a year later, the two shih tzus were brought back but this time by another family member. The Animal Doctor and the Secretary were out, and no one remembered this particular client. After the dogs were groomed, the Animal Doctor got a call from V.W's daughter and husband and they were complaining that their dogs still had ticks after being groomed in our office!
The Animal Doctor explained to them that as disclosed in our services menu, basic grooming includes bath, trim, nail trimming and ear cleaning only. Removal of ticks is another type of service and the owner has to buy the anti-flea and tick application from our pharmacy.
The client did not believe this and kept on ranting how our service sucked and they wanted their money back. The Animal Doctor did not prolong his agony and told them they can have their money back.
What made the Animal Doctor really, really upset is that this abusive client stole another opportunity to strike. So I, Trudis, resident pet of Greenwoods Pet Clinic, hereby officially kick V.W and the entire Vile family out of our clinic. They will never be allowed to enter here for as long as I'm awake. And should I sleep on my job, here's someone who will stand in for me.
"Now, who's the badass?"
This is Pusit, the new kitty we rescued. She is living at the Pet Clinic with our office staff. Her business is making stink bombs out of her poop. I'm seriously considering ordering a box full to be delivered to the Vile Family's residence. But the Secretary said, I could go to prison for that. Should I believe her?
The funky artwork you see on the mud guard is my creation, a gift to my hoomans this Valentine's Day( Thanks Bambi for the collaboration). I did not quite expect the Animal Doctor's reaction-how ungrateful-( sniffles) but the Secretary hugged me and told me it was okay.
You cats and doggies must be wondering what got Scarlet all worked up like this.
Toys!
She goes at these poor stuffies like a reptile on a feeding frenzy, the one I saw on Animal Planet.
Addie sent me these toys all the way from the United States ( Aki, I did not have to go to the post office to claim my package because it was addressed to me, c/o Greenwoods Pet Clinic. )
Last Christmas, Aki and Poopie also sent us toys.
Scarket: Mine!
Thank you very much my friends! I don't mind sharing my toys because I'm a good girl plus I really enjoy watching Scarlet go a little crazy- happy more often.
Special thanks also to Angel T-Man, Teddy, CC-Man and their Mom for sending us a christmas card and to Lorenza and Sweepy for their e-cards, and all the doggies, kitties, hoomans who greeted us during the holidays.
Our friends have been asking about us after some time that we have not resumed blogging. The Secretary is busy with her day job and her nights are devoted to H.S (Human Son) and us furry kids. So, I, Trudis, took matters in my own paws.
I, Trudis, and my sister Scarlet played Addie's Pay It Forward game and offered to do random acts of kindness in behalf of the first three blog owners who responded to our post about it. But we realized this Christmas season, three isn't enough! And since we were not able to send pawsonal greetings to our friends ( which may have saved a lot of trees but made us feel bad), we decided to spread kindness and cheer to as many unfortunate animals in honor of our friends.
So with the help of our Secretary, who whipped up a yummylicious home cooked meal of rice, ground meat and egg; and the Animal Doctor who acted as our pawsonal chauffer, we went to some of the oppressed areas near our place to feed some dogs and cats.
We offer these acts of kindness to our friends who inspire in us LOVE, KINDNESS and COMPASSION. Without so much awoo, we present to you our Christmas greetings:
Our friend, Addie introduced us to this exciting game called Pawy it forward. This is how it works:
"The exchange focuses on doing an act of kindness without expecting anything in return other than that the recipient will, in their turn, pass the kindness along and 'pay it forward' in their own way.
This is how it works... I am going to agree to send something fun, inspiring or uplifting to the first 3 blog owners who post a comment on this entry. In turn you will then post about this on your blog, link to me, then send something to the first three people who sign up to play along through your blog.
There are no cost restraints, BUT don't go crazy!The little something you send can be something you made, bought, were given or found. No biggie, just a gift that will make the person smile.Maybe something unique from where you live?And, remember that kindness does not have to involve money; there are untold ways to help others every single day, everywhere you go - just look around."
So here I am, racking my brain for an idea. We hope Addie won't mind but we will modify the rules a bit, in that instead of sending something, we will offer to do three random acts of kindness in behalf of the first three blog owners who will comment on this post.
But guess who wanted to come along as I chase my idea?
SCARLET! Yay! This girl has not gotten out of our house for ages so I told her as gently as I could, " Okay, you can come with me Scarlet, but you gotta take a bath first because you stink!"
and, " Don't forget to wear nappies."
Here, the new Assistant, Nonoy, is carrying Scarlet.
"Hurry up, will you, Scarlet?"
Here I am resting after our secret activity.
And Scarlet did nothing but sleep!
We will reveal our secret activity tomorrow, and as mentioned, I am offering this to the first three bloggers who comment on my post. I hope they will join the Pay it forward game and pass along the kindness.
Our friend Lorenza wanted to see our christmas tree, so here it is:
There are no gifts for us underneath the tree, because here they are:
( drum roll please)
Woody
Bambi
Blaze
HUWAAAAT? Moy spluttered and Jappy blinked in disbelief. "B-but those are real puppies, not toys!"
These puppies belong to our neighbors who did not want them in the first place but did nothing to prevent their dogs from making puppies. They already gave Bambi away but I guess her suppawsedly new family did not want her either. Aki and Shelly guessed correctly, these three little puppies are going to live in our house until we find a family who will really want them. Some hoomans might have treated them badly in the past because the pups scurry to their hiding place whenever hoomans try to approach them.
The Secretary told us about Christmas during our last sunday story time. She likened the three puppies to the Three Kings. Woody, Bambi and Blaze came to our house to present us with gifts:
an opportunity to show
love, kindnessand compassion
to another living being.
Christmas is a time for gift giving, and some people think dogs make good gifts. Not so! This misconception is often the cause of misery and sadness to a lot of pet animals. For once, my nitwit brothers said something right. These puppies are not toys. They are live animals that have needs 24/7. They are not stuffies that hoomans can throw away or keep in a box when they outgrow their puppy cuteness or when they no longer fit the hoomans schedule or life plan.
This season, puppy millers are scrambling on their feet, getting their dogs mated without much thought; pet shops abound with animals in various sizes and shapes. Before you even begin to ask how much is that doggie in the window, please please please think of the thousands of homeless dogs in the street or in shelters hoping for some warmth and forever love this Christmas. Please think twice if you really need to buy a dog or if the person you'll be giving it to is prepared for the big responsibility.
By adoption, not only will there be one less unwanted dog in this world, but another person makes a stand against the indiscriminate breeding of animals solely for money.
My real siblings Benji and Wacky are having a howling time in our house. Benji reached her target weight and compared to before, she really is much happier and livelier these days. She's no longer taking those yucky pills and is allowed to eat regular food. The Animal Doctor stole a bit of her blood yesterday to check if her kidneys will be fine with this arrangement, and the kidneys said yes! My brother, Wacky, on the other paw, will be neutered today. Thank God, he has no other major health issues.
I am a bit very sad because the Secretary told me that Benji and Wacky are going home to their adoptive moms this Sunday. Benji's Mom already visited our house and told Benji to come home. Wacky's Mom promised that she will sort her personal problems so she could take better care of my brother.
The Secretary is sad too, she hugged me and made me understand that we have to let Benji and Wacky go home because we have a new job to do.
Today, I, Trudis, will tell you the story of Pussy O' Woosie. First of all she is not a dog, but the Secretary said that we are sisters by "default" . Hmmm, I do not know what that means, (All four leggeds in the house must look after each other like family-Secretary) but I said, Pussy, you can be my sissy as long as you don't steal my bone, okay?
Pussy came to Greenwoods Pet Clinic long before any of us dogs did. It was during the first few days of the clinic's operation when an office staff found her. She was just a tiny kitten then with an eye infection. The Animal Doctor thought she needed treatment; the Secretary thought she needed a home.
Back then, the Animal Doctor and the Secretary were living in a small room inside the clinic. There wasn't much space. Pussy had to live inside a prison house because the hoomans were afraid she'd escape to play with the other cats outside, then pick up a disease or worse, get herself killed.
This is where Pussy made poopiesinside her prison house. (I find the litter box a great aid in potty training cats if you don't have a garden or a backyard.- the Secretary)
Being cooped up like that made Pussy a little crazy especially during her scheduled play time outside her prison. She tore around the clinic and destroyed everything in her path, especially the bags of pet food that the hoomans sell in the clinic. It got worst when Pussy reached puberty and she really, really, really wanted to go out and date with boy cats. The Secretary was afraid of this because Pussy would then make kittens and the hoomans would end up taking care of more animals than they could afford.
The Animal Doctor knew of a way to stop Pussy from making any kittens, and that is by removing her girl bits. OMD! I am scared because I am a girl too, and that means....
? ? ?
Okay, I will not talk about it now, I will finish Pussy's story. She survived the operation but it took a week before she was able to get back on her four paws and resumed with her destruCATion. Around that time, the hoomans found a real house near the clinic and relocated Pussy with them. It was a perfect time to buy a real house because we doggies had arrived!
In our real house, Pussy is queen of the manor. She has no play time because anytime is her play time. She lounges in the roof, in the front yard, on top of the cabinet, or on top of the stove. I think she loves our house because she never leaves even if cats outside call her name. Oh, I think she loves to play with us more.
