Singapore Pets

Game: GoPets

2006-09-09T10:05:00.000+08:00

GoPets is a global community composed of real people and virtual pets. Each GoPet is a unique 3D companion that makes its home on its owner’s desktop. GoPets are not restricted to a single computer, however -- when they feel like wandering, they leave home and visit the desktops of other GoPets users.

In their travels, GoPets visit their owners’ friends and families, as well as introducing their owners to other GoPets members who share similar interests. These traveling GoPets are messengers and ambassadors, they form the dynamic network of connections that comprises the GoPets social network

Dog reference books

2006-09-02T14:45:00.000+08:00

One of the most common problems for new pet owners is getting different advises on the same question from friends, online forums, self labelled experts, hear-say. While many are out to help you with your problem, it is safer to read up some books from the real pets experts, to arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible before getting a pet.

Here in Singapore, the selections of such books are not as much and the titles are even lesser from the libraries. You may want to invest in a good one for use as references.

Open the front cover and the first two pages you see contain the Index of Signs and Symptoms, from Abdomen (painful, swollen, distended, and tucked up) to Weight loss, Wheezing, and Whining (continual). There's a comprehensive index in back, of course, running the gamut from Abortion to Zinc-Responsive Dermatosis, which is all very useful, but when your pooch is in pain, it's great to be able to turn, with the minimum of folderol, to the page that says to relax, it's nothing a bit of extra grooming won't fix, or alternatively to hightail it over to the vet hospital. It's a wonderful reference for any dog owner!

There's the Scottish Terrier ("an earth dog used in hunting the fox and the brocke"), the Boston Terrier ("a lively, highly intelligent, smooth coated, short-headed, compactly built, short- tailed, well balanced dog"), or the Great Dane ("one of the most elegant and distinguished varieties of giant-type dog").

In fact, there are 146 AKC-recognized breeds profiled within the pages of the Complete Dog Book, and the pictures and text provide great bowser browsing. The breed descriptions help you choose among the hounds, terriers, toys, and working breeds, the herders, guard dogs, and sporting breeds.

Measurements help determine which dogs will best fit your abode (Chesapeake Bay Retrievers measure 21 to 26 inches high at the shoulder, Chinese Cresteds are a mere 11 to 13 inches off the ground, while the Irish Wolfhound stands 30 to 32 inches tall), breed temperaments help you choose your ideal pet, and show criteria help you know what you're looking for when you actually start to shop for a pup. In the meantime, there are interesting stories about breed origins, and a useful glossary of dog terms, while the chapters on grooming, training, and Canine Health and First Aid will come in handy once you've brought your new dog home.

Abused dog found dead near refuse chute

2006-08-24T23:55:00.000+08:00

A STARVED and abused dog was found dead beside a refuse chute in the common corridor of Block 652 in Punggol Central last Tuesday. Its mangled remains were already decomposing and had begun to smell.

Residents in the neighbourhood had an anonymous appeal slipped under their doors two days later, a copy of which was sent by reader BOTR via e-mail to Stomp, The Straits Times' interactive portal.

The writer of the appeal, which carried a picture of the dog, urged neighbours to call the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) if they had information about the owner of the dog.

'Most murderers/serial killers start off in their early years by abusing/killing animals. Would you feel safe living in an environment where an animal abuser exists?' the appeal read.

BOTR suggested to some dog owners that they use their dogs to trace the dead dog's home, but they were reluctant to do so for fear of exposing their dogs to possible diseases in the location of the carcass. BOTR said he was disturbed by the thought that the dog abuser could go free.

On Stomp's discussion forum, readers expressed their outrage. Laetitia wrote: 'I feel so sickened by people doing this... They are living creatures too and we should show respect to living creatures.

Game: Zetapets

2006-08-24T17:12:00.000+08:00

Zetapets is a fun, free, virtual pet community where users can interact with others as well as their own online pets. Our tons of constantly-evolving games, quests, and things to do will keep you entertained for hours on end! Over 315,862 people have signed up already, so why don't you start your own journey today? http://zetapets.com/

So what happens if your dog do get lost?

2006-08-23T16:21:00.000+08:00

So what happens if your dog do get lost?

Ok, the inevitable happens despite all the measures that you may have taken. There are a few avenues opened to you.

i. Go out and search in your vicinity.
Most dogs which wandered should stay within a 250 to 300m radius. However, this does present a challenge for concrete jungle Singapore. Apart from the horizontal distance that you have to cover, you will have to consider the vertical space as well. If your dogs mean something to you, then it would not consider that much of a hassle, but it will be very tiring nonetheless.

ii. Assemble your own search parties.
This method seems quite popular in small town USA. This really depends on your relationship with your neighbours.

iii. Report to online pet forums.
ThePetPortal.org, PetValley.sg. PETBAK blog will place the same notices too.

iv. Make your own lost advertisement.
What you need here would be quick word processing, a fast printer and paper cutter. Be prepared to pay a reward and the amount some finders will 'request' which can be from S$500-S$1000. (Yeah, it borders to almost blackmailing!)

v. Tag your dogs.
Prevention is always better than cure. Get a PETBAK stainless steel tag or a 2-in-1 accessory with lost and found service, personalized photo id tag, pink id card, mustard credit card, T-shirt tag etc.

A local video clip of a young puppy

2006-08-23T02:17:00.000+08:00

Animal Cruelty in Singapore

2006-08-20T22:55:00.000+08:00

To paraphrase Gandhi, a country's greatness is measured my how it treats its animals. Compared to countries like China, where bile is extracted from Sun Bears under horrendous conditions, Singapore is nowhere near the tail end on the animal cruelty spectrum.

Nevertheless, gruesome cases of mistreatment such as strangled kittens occasionally arise. Why?

I believe that our society's attitudes toward animals is one of condescension ; perhaps this is because we are on the top of the food chain, the proverbial "Kings of the Jungle". This is dangerous as some members of society then rationalize the ill-treatment or neglect of animals on the grounds that they do not have the same right to life as us.

There is indeed more that can be done to change our attitudes. With limited resources, the SPCA is not a panacea for our problems. We have to be more proactive via education. Schools should teach children to respect the sanctity of all lifeforms, possibly even setting up mini-zoos where interaction with animals is fostered from a young age.

Pet shop owners can also play a part by refusing to sell pets to people whom they believe will will not be able to take good care of their animals. Again, we have to take a break from clawing up the economic ladder to focus on society's common good or else our efforts will have more bark than bite.

A note of caution though - we cannot be selective and protest the ill-treatment of beloved animals like cats and dogs while turning our backs on other species. The inflictment of pain is cruel.

As such, do you really think that animals don't feel pain when they are killed?

Unless we abandon the use of all animal products, I really think that the complete eradication of animal maltreatment is not possible - just feel the leather belt on your waist.

Source: http://blogcritics.org/

Friends - Part 1

2006-08-18T15:16:00.000+08:00

Here's sharing with you a series of our best friends!

SPCA Fun Run 2006!

2006-08-15T17:11:00.000+08:00

Poster @ http://www.spca.org.sg/news_events/images/FunRun2006.jpg

For registration form, please download and print out the PDF version here. Return the completed form together with your payment to the SPCA, 31 Mount Vernon Road, Singapore 368054.

Funny video :)

2006-08-11T23:14:00.000+08:00

Signs of aging

2006-08-11T22:28:00.000+08:00

As dogs get older they can experience many physical changes as part of the aging process.

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They are more prone to infection because they have a less efficient immune system.

Bones become more brittle so arthritis can be a common problem.

Skin loss elasticity which can result in changes to the condition of the coat.

Obesity can be a problem as the dog's metabolic requirements and exercise reduce.

Bitches may experience urinary incontinence problems.

The risk of heart problems increases due to degeneration of the heart value.

Partial loss of memory can cause the dog to become irritable and disorientated.

Bad breath which can be linked to tooth decay and periodontal disease.

Hormonal problems can cause a number of health problems such as diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism or Cushing's disease.

Information from 'Your Dog' magazine.

Learn to take good care of your dog from day 1 onwards so that you can minimise any possible health problems in the future. Same goes for all dog owners to take good care of yourselves, your doggie needs you to be in good health to take care of them :)

Mummy Cat, Daddy Cat

2006-08-07T19:29:00.000+08:00

Whenever I ask my toddler girl what she would see "downstairs" (a local term for void deck), she would proudly say "Mummy cat, daddy cat!"

My wife has a way of awakening our daughter's, Rae's, primal instinct to interact with animals. We brought Rae to the zoo when she was 9 months. (We are a "Friend of the Zoo" now.) Since about 6 months old, Rae would bark like a dog whenever she saw one. Now she uses the word "dog" or "gogdi" (instead of doggie). We have these play cards which we showed her since 4 months old, and she sure can tell her animals apart. One small occasional mistake is white cats and dogs with black patches could be potentially mistaken for cows!

Apart from seeing them, my wife would sometimes let our daughter touch the stray cats, much to my disapproval. Well, we make sure that she washes her hands the moment she reaches home.

I think it is important to allow kids to exercise their curiosity and expose them to nature as much as possible. After all, MOE* extols the virtues of creating rich classroom experiences beyond the four walls. I have learnt to be less uptight about hygiene during play. Now Rae enjoys picking up leaves and twigs and stamping on puddles of rainwater to create ripples. Recently she saw a real grasshopper for the first time, 3-D and jumping.

And when play is over and the day draws to a close, Rae snuggles into her bed with her favourite stuffed toy and he is none other than Eeyore** ;-)

*MOE - Ministry of Education.
** Affectionately known to Rae as Eeyah

By Chris Chan

Singapore HDB Regulations

2006-08-07T11:13:00.000+08:00

what's allowed and what's not?

AVA assists the HDB in ensuring that dog licenses are only issued to dogs that qualify to be kept in HDB premises. HDB apartments are allowed only 1 dog of a toy breed or its cross (that stands at 40 cm at the shoulders and weighs 10kg or less).

The breeds approved by HDB to be kept in HDB apartments are as follows:

Affenpinscher, Australian Silky Terrier, Australian Terrier, Bichon Avanese, Bichon Frise, Bohemian Terrier, Bolognese, Border Terrier, Boston Terrier, Brussels Griffon, Cairn Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Chinese Crested Dog, Chinese Imperial Chin, Chinese Temple Dog, Coton De Tulear, Czech Terrier, Dachshund, Dandie Dinmont Terrier, English Toy Spaniel, German Hunting Terrier, Griffon Belge, Griffon Brabancon, Hairless Dog, Italian Greyhound, Jack Russell Terrier, Japanese Spaniel (Chin), Japanese Spitz, Lakeland Terrier, Lhasa Apso, Little Lion Dog, Maltese, Manchester Terrier, Miniature Pinscher, Miniature Schnauzer, Norfolk Terrier, Norwegian Norwich Terrier, Papillion, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Poodle (Toy / Miniature), Pug, Schipperkee, Scottish Terrier, Sealyham Terrier, Shetland Sheepdog, Shih Tzu, Silky Terrier, Small Continental Spaniel, Small English Terrier, Small Spitz, Smooth Fox Terrier, Tibetan Spaniel, Toy Fox Terrier, Toy Terrier, Volpino Italiano, Welsh Terrier, West Highland Terrier, Wire-Haired Fox Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier.

Dog Nuisance

Owners should not allow their dogs to cause any nuisance such as barking excessively, defecating in public places, harassing passers-by, chasing vehicles or biting. If the owner allows the dog to cause a nuisance, the dog license may be revoked or the license renewal disallowed.

Pooping for your new puppy

2006-08-06T16:22:00.000+08:00

House training is seen as one of the biggest challenge when you bring back that little cute puppy home.

Like small children, puppies do not control their bladders as well as adults so the moment they need to relieve they need to do it almost immediately too!

You can house train the new puppy the moment you brought her home. You can bring her out to the garden for those living in semi-d, private properties. Or to the corner of your HDB unit like near to the toilet or under the basin. Patient is the key word from now on.

Establishing a define routine will help her learn quickly to be clean indoors. House training may take several weeks and sometimes slighly longer depending on how fast she learns too. Do note that for young puppies do not expect them to hold on for long periods while they are under 6 mths old too.

Toilet spot
To ensure that your puppy always do her business at the same spot, always bring her to that spot and if necessary temporarily fence off the places you do not want her to use too. Ideally the spot should not be too far from the garden or the human toilet.

Toileting is a scented related activity so although you shouldn't allow numerous little piles to build up, leaving a single poo will also help encourage your puppy to relieve herself there.

The routine
House training is simple to teach but you will need to take your puppy out frequently to do her business so that she will be familiar with the timing and the spot to relieve herself.

Continue to take her out to the same spot at least every 2 hours during the day and also after her meals, playing waking up after a nap too. Also as a puppy gets excited she may feel the need to relieve herself too when there is visitor to your house, take them to the same spot too.

When she is doing her business avoid direct eye contact so you dont' put her off.
After your puppy relieved herself praise and offer a treat.

Note that during the day when she is eating, drinking and being more active she will need to relieve herself more frequently than at nite. Take her out last thing before you go to bed and then set your alarm so you can try taking him out every 3 hours too. However if she soiled herself inside instead, shorten to 2 hours instead.

Extract from 'Your Dog' magazine.

Note: For new puppies owners, you must have a clear understanding what your puppies can or cannot eat overtime. Some puppies are allegry to certain food and may need to do its business more often. Take note of the no. of times and adjust according its diet or even change it to a natural diet too. (see Natural pooch)

National Dog Walk 2006

2006-08-03T14:35:00.000+08:00

Link - http://www.mattleah.com/images/ND%20Poster%203.jpg

When is the best time to get a pet for your kid?

2006-08-03T13:42:00.000+08:00

Question: When's the best time to get a pet for your kid?

Answer: If you're more than a few months pregnant or have a baby or toddler, I suggest waiting until your child is older than 2 before bringing a new dog or cat home. Adopting a pet is a big commitment of time and resources, and the added responsibility can be difficult for new parents. You'll spend as much as three hours a day training and exercising a new puppy, and up to an hour with an older dog. Keep in mind that your child probably won't be mature enough to help out with a pet until he's 7 or 8 years old.

As far as cost, you can expect to spend up to $400 a month on your pet for food, training, and other expenses — especially in the first six months, when you'll be buying supplies and going to the vet more often. Buying a dog or cat can set you back anywhere from $100 to $200 for a shelter animal to $2,000 or more for a purebred (plus extra costs for spaying or neutering, vaccinations, and microchip identification).

If you still have your heart set on getting a new pet now, consider a dog or cat that's a "young adult" — from age 1 to 5. Dogs and cats in this age range are best with young children. They're not as excitable and prone to rough play as puppies and kittens, and they're not old enough to suffer from arthritis or other health problems (which can make pets crotchety and add to your responsibilities as a pet owner). Also, many young adult pets at shelters have lived in foster homes, where they've been trained to live with families. But no matter where you find your pet, be sure to choose one that's comfortable around kids.

By Nikole Sledd, animal behaviorist

Nikole Sledd received her bachelor's degree in animal science from Cornell University and has been training animals for more than ten years. She offers private training, group classes, and behavior modification programs for family pets in the San Francisco Bay Area through her Oakland, California-based company, Creature Teachers. In addition to helping individual clients and teaching group classes, Nikole trains, cares for, and finds permanent homes for a continuous cycle of foster animals. She is "owned by" two shorthair cats and two big mutts, all former rescue animals.

All contents copyright © BabyCenter LLC. 1997-2006 All rights reserved.
http://www.babycenter.com

ZEST in aid of the SPCA!

2006-07-30T10:56:00.000+08:00

ZEST, a team of 4 NTU students have come together to organise a jigsaw puzzle challenge to raise funds for SPCA Singapore for their operations.

The challenge?

To assemble pieces of interlocking dreams of the animals, birds and staff of SPCA into a sizable 4m by 3m complete picture. This event is in conjunction with the Citibank-YMCA Youth for Causes Socio-entrepreneurial Initiative and part of President’s Challenge 2006.

Purchase the jigsaw puzzle pieces at $5 a set and assemble it yourself at The Heeren. See how all the individual pieces create a picture worth of a thousand words that can never be conveyed by the animals!
Piece a dream for the animals. Help them.

‘We’re Pets. Not Toys.’
An SPCA ‘Fun’-Raising Jigsaw Puzzle Challenge
5th August 2006 ( Saturday)
11am – 9pm
The Heeren, in front of Spinelli (1st level)

We would be so grateful for those of you who have pets to volunteer yourself and your pet to be at the event to attract the attention of the public to their fundraising booth!

There are 3 shifts to choose from:
11.00am-2.30pm
2.30pm-6.00pm
6.00pm-9.00pm

If you are interested or need more details about this great event, please email Selina with your handphone number to educationpr@spca.org.sg
If you are not volunteering with your pet, please join us anyway and support the students in their fundraising efforts! Spread the news of the event, it's going to be a lot of fun!

We hope to see you all there!
http://www.spca.org.sg/news_events/news.asp#39

Cataracts. Opacity in the lens ...

2006-07-28T20:42:00.000+08:00

Cataracts are an important cause of blindness in the dog. Through special surgery, it may be possible to restore vision. Would you recognize a cataract if you saw one in your cat or dog?

WHAT IS A CATARACT?
The normal lens of the eye is a focussing device. It is completely clear and is suspended in position by special tissue fibers (called “zonules”) just inside the pupil. The lens focusses an image on the retina in the back of the eye in a process called “accommodation.” The focussing power of the dog’s lens is at least three times weaker than that of a human and a cat’s lens is at best half the focussing power as a human’s. (It is helpful to remember that dogs and cats have a sense of smell at least 1000 times more accurate than ours and this is their primary means of perceiving the world.)

Despite its clarity, the lens is in fact made of tissue fibers. As the animal ages, the lens cannot change it’s size and grow larger; instead, it becomes more compact with fibers. This condition is called “nuclear sclerosis” and is responsible for the cloudy-eyed appearance of older dogs but these lenses are still clear and the dog can still see through them; these are not cataracts. The lens is enclosed in a capsule which, if disrupted, allows the immune system to see the lens proteins for the first time, recognize them as “foreign,” and attack. The resulting inflammation is painful and can be damaging to the eye.

A cataract is an opacity in the lens.

Cataracts can be congenital, age-related, of genetic origin (the most common cause), caused by trauma, by dietary deficiency (some kitten milk replacement formulas have been implicated), by electric shock, or by toxin. The patient with a cataract is not able to see through the opacity. If the entire lens is involved, the eye will be blind.

More information at thepetportal.org

How to prevent dogs from running away?

2006-07-28T20:40:00.000+08:00

How to prevent dogs from running away?

When a dog has not got the necessary social involvement at home the dog may want to seek its "fun" in life somewhere else. If the dog is new to your home, it may wish to try and get back to its old environment. If you have an entire male and he senses a bitch on heat, he may feel the need to follow his instincts and escape. If you have a bitch on heat, the bitch may feel it is necessary to escape to find a mate.

If you don't want stray dogs hanging around when your bitch is on heat then you need to do the following: When you take your dog for a walk. Take her in the car to a park a few kilometers away from your home. The bitches urine is the main cause of attracting entire males to her. This way dogs will find it hard to track her scent.

Dogs normally roam because they are bored and they need to explore out of interest. If you were to exercise your dog every morning and every evening then a collar and a PETBAK tag will be best as this should reduce the amount of escapes that your dog need to make. If the dog has a lot of energy, you will need to wear the dog out so it sleeps all night. You need to check your property for gaps in fences or places where dogs can escape. Do not underestimate your dog because it could escape from any small place around the yard. If you have bins up against the fence the dog may jump up onto the bin and over the fence.

More information at Petbak.com.sg

Guide dog discrimination in Singapore?

2006-07-26T13:33:00.000+08:00

Kua Cheng Hock, Independent Society of the Blind together with his guide dog, Kendra were stopped by a security guard who prevented them from getting into a lift. Thank goodness a man stood up for them.