Saturday, January 29, 2011

Animal activism in Singapore: difficulties of the volunteer webmaster

E-MAIL FROM A NEW VOLUNTEER WEBMASTER DATED JAN 22, 2011

He explained to me that they have had bad volunteers who bad mouth them
and they are wary of accepting new volunteers. To ignore or turn off
potential volunteers is not helping them or the animals. If you treat
your volunteers like they are all bad people waiting to do something bad
to you, then who would want to work for free for you?


E-MAIL TO A NEW VOLUNTEER WEBMASTER DATED JAN 22, 2011


On 28/01/2011 03:29, Kong Yuen Sing wrote:
> You have done a good job and provided free service. That is good. The
> webmaster may be too old to learn new tricks or has no time. Well done.
> Volunteers come in different forms. Some are very dedicated but others
> quit after some time as no money is received. Pl be patient.

E-MAIL TO DR SING DATED JAN 29, 2011
Hi Dr Sing,
>
> I only moved it to .... and imported
> the content over from
> Blogger. Then I organised the content, added some contact/adoption forms
> and left it to them to do whatever they want with it.
>
> I was planning to do more for the web site but I asked the webmaster if
> he is willing to use the new features I had planned for him.
> Unfortunately, he said he is unwilling to learn to use them and post
> better written content and photos.
>
> I told the webmaster they need to take better photos and organise the
> content in a certain way like how I have done it for them. Initially,
> there was some resistance but in the end, it seems like they have taken
> up the suggestions. The older photos were terrible.
>
> So I told him if that is the case, I won't invest my time to create
> better features for his web site if he is not planning to use them.
>
> I think I will not do anything more to help them for now because they do
> not seem co-operative or appreciative.

E-MAIL REPLY FROM DR SING DATED JAN 29, 2011

Thanks for feedback. Voluntary work is never free from criticism by armchair critics and that makes the volunteer sensitive to outsiders. I think this group does not want much widespread publicity as the whole of Singapore's animal welfare activists will dump all stray cats and dogs at its doors (but not the donations). This does happen in real life when I speak to two such groups.


Animal activism is highly stressful for the volunteer webmaster who is usually dedicated to help find homes for the home-less dogs and cats using his IT skills which may be outdated as IT keeps changing and he probably is holding a full-time job.

My new volunteer webmaster friend wants to change the whole format and system. There is simply no time for the incumbent webmaster to do what he wants(as physically, time is limited for all volunteers since they have got to earn a living). The young is idealisitic. The incumbent old webmaster is pressed for time and money. The two sides will never meet.


In Singapore, the voluntary organisation for the homeless dogs and cats are always short of money as the numbers of strays grow in number. Volunteers are a big headache because of their demands for attention and time. Bad-mouthing critics, prowling tabloid journalists - this whole area needs a Human Resource Department to handle but small animal activist groups with little funding cannot provide this service.

Is it possible to sterilise 9-month-old cats? E-mail query to Dr Sing

E-MAIL TO DR SING DATED SAT JAN 29, 2011
On Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 1:44 PM, ...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to sterilize two of my nine month old kittens (Ragdoll and Ragamuffin). Is it possible? If yes, what are the available timeslots? Thank you!

With regards,


E-MAIL FROM DR SING DATED SAT JAN 29, 2011
I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets. Thank you for your query.

It is possible to sterilise cats after 5-6 months of age. I don't advise sterilisation at 4-5 months of age although this is being done by some animal societies to prevent unwanted litter. Please make appointment at 6254-3326. No food and water after 10 pm the night before surgery. Appointment one day before surgery will be OK.

Friday, January 28, 2011

re-train older dog to pee - email query to Dr Sing

Hi,

EMAIL TO DR SING DATED JAN 27, 2011
I came across your webpage accidentally while looking for help.

My toy poodle (male) is currently 11 months old. He is trained to pee and poo inside his cage and he is not kept in the cage. However, he started to pee and poo everywhere since 2 months back. I tried re-training him to pee and poo inside his cage but failed. We have since keep his cage cos he has out-grown it and now we want to train him to pee and poo at 1 place. How do i re-train him to pee and poo at the correct place? Especially the sofa, he will jump up and pee there....he wont pee there again before we wash the covers but do so after we have washed the covers.

Your kind advice is greatly appreciated.


Thanks and regards,


EMAIL REPLY FROM DR SING DATED JAN 27, 2011

I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets. The dog has taken a liking to pee on clean "fabric" through his sense of touch. To re-train, confine him to a small area (balcony, kitchen etc) and leash him (be careful of strangulation) for at least 2-4 weeks. No other way if you have no time to take him outdoors or train him daily by strict supervision of elimination. Hope this helps.



EMAIL TO DR SING DATED JAN 28, 2011

Hi Dr Sing,

Thank you for your reply.

When you say confine him and leash him, do you mean to the place where we want him to pee/poo?



Thank you and regards,

EMAIL TO DR SING DATED JAN 28, 2011

Yes. In that way, he has a restricted area to sleep and eat which will be his clean area. He will go to a nearby area to pee and poop. Since most dogs are clean creatures, they will not want to soil the sleeping area. Leash restricts his area. A small room or bigger crate will provide the same function.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Myanmar stories: A successful Myanmar entrepreneur

Jan 26, 2011

SUCCESS BUSINESS STORIES FOR YOUNG SINGAPOREANS

I met this successful Myanmar entrepreneur in Khin Khin's office today. Khin Khin and he were keying in employment data for S pass Myanmar prospect as he waited for his employment agency licence to be given to him 2 weeks later.

He started by giving entrepreneurship lectures some 10 years ago, charging around $10/person/hour. I remember one of my old clients doing the same and asked him: "Did you rent an office in Excelsior Hotel building to conduct lectures?" He laughed: "Yes." Now he has set up an Asian restaurant in Yangon and is in the midst of a building development project with Singapore partners.


TIPS FROM HIM
Be focused on one aspect

"Why do you need to wait for 2 weeks to get your licence?" I asked him. Asking is when one learns. "Normally, the MOM renews the licence without you having to wait."

He said: "I have set up a private limited company. So, everything starts from the beginning."

"So, you have Singapore partners," I guessed. "What is your share of the company?"

"30%," he said. "The two Singapore partners take 70% but I do all the operational work running around."

"Why will you be doing all the work and give your partners 70%?" I asked. "It does not make sense to me. You should be the one getting the major share. Are you paid a salary to be the working partner?"

This where the financial structure is important. How much to pay a working partner equitably without exhausting the $50,000 all 3 parties had put in. Real capital, not just paper ones.

"No salary. I get $1,500 per case closed." The fee for securing an S Pass is $3,500. So, $2,000 goes to the company and he still gets 30%. This sounds OK to me.

"I just can't believe that the two Singapore partners are sleeping partners," I enquired. It is possible but why would this smart entrepreneur give them 70% of the shares? He would have his capital since he had been working for some years. And judging from his looks of a man who looks well fed, I know he would not have problems raising $50,000 or less. At 3 closings a month, he would have an income of $4,500. He would have other sources of income, being a diligent, friendly entrepreneur.

Why give 70% to 2 sleeping partners. Khin Khin supplied the answer. The partners (probably realtors) have connections with Singapore employers in the industrial park. They provided the important link as there are more prospective Myanmar employees than employers.

"Don't you provide Myanmar maids?" I asked.
"No," he said. "Income from one S pass is equal to 5 maids. And much less people problems."

So a higher value prospective employee and a private limited and collaboration with Singaporeans are some factors of success for this Myanmar entrepreneur. He invited me to dine at his Asian restaurant in Yangon.

Mum and two sons and a rabbit being neutered

"I live quite far away," the mum of two pre-teen sons of 1.5 years difference in age gap said. "Can I wait in the clinic for the neuter to be completed and bring the rabbit home?"

"Yes, you can do that," I said. "However, you bear the risk as the rabbit after anaesthesia has not waken up normally yet. If he dies at home later due to the stress of being transported home immediately after surgery, you will blame the vet. It is a risk but not a big risk. Rabbits are more sensitive than dogs to anaesthesia."

"The boys do not want to part with the rabbit," the mum said. She did not want to take the risk. "Here's some hay for the rabbit," she came back to the Surgery with a plastic bag of hay. "OK, I will put the hay and the pellets in the crate after neuter," I doubted that the rabbit would eat immediately. However it does eat if given pain-killers post-op.

At 7 pm, she took the rabbit home. I showed her the rabbit's bottom to confirm there was no bleeding. The rabbit had woken up. Rabbits don't wag their tail and so there was no good indications.

ANAESTHESIA
6 month old dwarf rabbit. male.
Domitor 0.1 ml ear vein. Isoflurane gas needed to top up. Rabbit OK and goes home 6 hours after neuter.

P.S
The mum told me that she came to this practice as Toa Payoh Vets has "good" vets from her internet research. I did not ask further. The internet can also say bad things about vets too.

muzzle to stop a shih tzu puppy barking?

On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 1:33 PM, Ang soon Lee wrote:

Hi Judy,
I am wondering whether i can buy and collect the cloth muzzle for my two month shih tzu puppy today? Can you call me on my handphone:xxx
Look forward to your reply soon.
Cheer



E-MAIL REPLY FROM DR SING DATED JAN 27, 2011

I am Dr Sing. We spoke. A muzzle is not suitable for Shih Tzu's puppy or any dog for long periods of time. They may suffocate. You will need to train him from barking for attention and this takes practice (e.g. reward with treats, time-out system) and a "bossy" command of "no barking". I hope my advice will work. Some owners grip the puppy's muzzle when it barks and say firmly "no barking". You may find this approach useful if you are the "bossy" type as the puppy soon respects you. One working lady told me she has great success in using this approach and I believe it is her strong personality that helps too.

Best wishes.

3-year-old Pug with difficulty urinating

INTERESTING CASES ON WEDNESDAY JAN 26, 2011


I asked intern, Michelle to write down the following rather than being an observer. She has just completed her A levels and is waiting for the A-level results and wants to study vet medicine. So, I spent some time on this case with her to make vet medicine alive for her when I am free as she does not really benefit from case studies as she is not in Vet course yet.

The Pug had a complaint as follows:
Not able to pee normally for past 2 days. "But he pees normally at one big lot yesterday," the lady who loves pugs wanted to consult me as she had a black pug seen by me some 18 years ago. The black pug had passed away from old age and she never had such problems for the 3 pugs she had. Now, this pug that does not look like a "pug" because he had a longer body and not broad chested had dysuria (difficulty in urination). He had been operated on by an expensive vet one year ago ($2,000 for the whole urinary stone surgery case etc).

"The vet removed the kidney stones," the lady told me but had no medical records from the vet.

"Are you sure it is kidney stones?" I asked her as she was satisfied that the dog had recovered and that was what mattered. The dog had been on S/D diet for one month and C/D diet for 3 months. Then only home-cooked food for the last 8 months. Dysuria occurred 2 days ago. So she consulted me as she surfed the internet.

I was in charge of this case working closely with my associate Dr Vanessa Lin.

PALPATION OF BLADDER, URINE TEST AND BLOOD TEST
1. Empty bladder. So, I asked the owner to let me keep the dog till his bladder is full and I can collect urine for analysis of urinary stones and crystals as well as other tests. There is no point catheterisation at this stage to collect urine as the bladder was emptied recently. Blood was taken. An IV drip was given to get some urine produced.

2. URETHRAL OBSTRUCTION
Dr Vanessa told me that the catheter could not be passed through for more than 10 cm, i.e.. beyond the os penis. I advised X-ray and a spasmogesic injection to be given to relax the bladder muscles. She gave the spasmogesic injection and did the X-ray before 5 pm. She used a smaller hard-catheter and could get the urine out (around 20 ml in a collection bottle) for laboratory analysis.

I checked the pug at 6 pm with the owner who came to visit. The pug was put on the floor. He was very happy. He lifted his leg and peed around 20 ml of dark brown urine. The nurse matron apologised but I said it was OK and a common incident. The intern mopped away the urine.

The following is Michelle's case report is as follows:

3) Pug with difficulty urinating

Catheter could not go through; obstruction in the urinary tract; small bladder stone detected using x-ray

Urinated at 6.30pm; dipstick test:

pH 7.0

WBC 1.00+

Blood ±

Colour of urine: orange-yellow

Protein 2.00+

Specific gravity: 1.015


"The dipstick results are not as accurate as urine analysis," I told Michelle. "The urine test report will be in tomorrow and compare the results."

ADVICE FROM DR SING
Each vet has his or her own method of treatment. For me, the diagnosis is urethral obstruction behind the os penis (based on catherisation mainly). "The X-ray showed some opaque sand behind the os penis," I said to the owner. "What happens is that it causes pain and so the dog has dysuria. After the pain subsided, the sand particles go back to the bladder and so the dog could pee a large amount of urine at one go. Till the next episode."

"What is the treatment?" the lady asked me. "The dog can't be peeing with difficulty now and then."

"Be patient," I said. I advised a low dose of prednisolone and let Dr Vanessa Lin know about this approach. Pred brings down inflammation and let the sand particles be passed out. This is my rationale for the treatment but each vet will have his or her own approach.

Antibiotics for the next 2 days. The dog would drink water and urohydropropulsion can be used to flush out the sand particles. This would be tried first before another bladder surgery which the owner was not keen to do. This case may not need the bladder surgery but the owner must be patient for dietary and medical treatment. This is where many owners want fast results. Bladder surgery would resolve the problem fast but there is the owner's wish not to have it. It would not cost her $2,000 but economics do play a great part for the owner.

This is Day 1. The pug had passed urine at 6.30 pm with some difficulty (leg held up for more than 60 seconds). Will wait and see.

Dr Vanessa phoned the previous vet and was told that the urinary stone removed was 95% struvite. As every urinary case is different and every vet has his or her approach, my management of this case may differ from that of my associate vet. The urinary pH on dipstick is 7.0. So, a vet could argue that the urine is not alkaline. Struvites stone form in alkaline ph but a pH 7.0 on urine dipstick shows neutral pH.

Dietary and medical management, instead of surgery may be possible. Will update when urine test pH and crystal results come in today.