May 7, 2013.
I reached Changi Airport
from Amsterdam at 5.30 am
Singapore time and arrived
at the Surgery at 9.10 am
to check on the
administrative processes
and cases done while I was
on leave for 12 days. It
is part of the
responsibility and good
management. If the leader
(vet) is lazy and come
late to work, don't expect
the staff to be
hardworking -that applies
to all businesses. As
expected, my assistant
turned up at 9.14 am
thinking I was still
overseas. I had spoken to
him about work attitude
but some young people lack
self discipline.
It should be 3.15 am now
in Amsterdam and I ought
to be sleeping. The first
phone call I answered was
from a young lady asking
whether the vet does
house-call and how much. I
said we do house-call and
the fees start from $250
but not every dog can be
treated on the premises.
"A pregnant black cross
female dog at the Ang Mo
Kio factory is walking
here and there," she said.
"Can a vet do the check
up? The side of her tongue
is black."
I wanted to give her the
dog transport man's phone
number. She was hesitant
as this might upset the
dam. "You can accompany
her," I said. "Some dogs
do have black tongues from
birth. Some black pigments
on the tongue," I said.
"Is the dog eating and
drinking normally?" I
asked.
"Yes,"
"Is she peeing and pooping
normally?" I would say
that the black tongue was
natural since the dog did
not show any signs of
salivation, bleeding
ulcerations and was
eating.
"Yes."
"Is she active?"
"Yes," the young lady
said.
"How long has the dog been
pregnant?"
"2 months ago," she
replied.
"Did you see the mating?"
"No, I know it is 2
months. Everybody loves
her. She is a friendly
dog."
"She may be giving birth
soon" I did not explain
that the pregnancy is 60
days as nowadays, the
young lady Singaporeans
are well informed by
researching the internet
on canine gestation. I
just read the Sunday Times
dated yesterday on the
Singapore Airlines flight
back that there are 30
animal welfare groups as
compared to many years
ago. Some female
Singaporeans go on animal
care tourism e.g. panda
parks.
"Find a big box, towels
and newspapers. Put the
box in a quiet place e.g.
the landing between floors
to provide privacy for
giving birth."
It was not practical
advice as this was an
industrial park and no
privacy in between floors
would be available to give
birth. The lady said so
accordingly.
"How about near the
Security Guard house?" I
asked
"No, the guard will not
permit it esp. during
daytime."
Where to place her for
birth?
The young lady came to the
conclusion that the dog
was wandering around to
seek a private space.
So this young lady is an
animal welfare activist.
Her action reminded me
when I was in the Bukit
Merah Primary School. I
used to bring bread and
food to a nursing female
dog on the first floor of
the landing of the Redhll
flat. That was 50 years
ago. Now, there will be a
few hundred young female
Singaporeans taking care
of the disadvantaged dogs.
Men are fewer.
As for this pregnant dog,
I told the young lady that
a house-call was not
needed. She thanked me.
P.S.
The lady send an image of
the dog to my iPhone the
next day. The dog is a
cross-bred and looks like
a one-year old based on
her snow-white teeth.
I asked the young lady to
contact the dog transport
man who will bring a
microchip scanner to find
out if the dog has a
microchip. She suspected
that the dog could be lost
or abandoned.
I would hazard a guess
that this is a stray dog
that survived being
captured by the
authorities and pest
control contractors hired
by town councils to get
rid of stray dogs and
cats, through the kindness
of the young Singaporean
workers in the industrial
park and non-protests from
the older ones. She got
pregnant young and is
looking for a den to give
birth.
Recently, I read 3
newspaper reports of two
stray dogs being captured
and put to sleep by the
authorities causing
distress and protests from
the animal lovers in the
neighbourhood. A member of
parliament who adopted one
black stray dog also lost
it as she wandered out of
the house and disappeared.
In 2013, stray dogs are
quite rare unlike 20-30
years ago when one could
see them around
coffee-shops. As a country
advances, the strays get
easily trapped and
eliminated by the
authorities or are
protected in safe havens.
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