A heartbeat
on sunday morn,
was breath suddenly taken away.
Her life
too brief,
yet she was loved in every way.
Sweet rest
at last found,
in peace may Daisy stay.
Ten years
a special bond,
her memories with us always.
Condolences to T & family...
Saturday, June 23, 2007
it all started with...
How did a Soci Hons student end up as Vet Nurse? Carpe diem, seize the day, and things do happen.
First impressions...
Corgiboy was then a ripe one year-old puppy, and had been trundled off in his crate to Aunt Aggie's, his groomer. Taking countless advice from seasoned dog owners to "stay with your puppy in case the groomer ill-treats him" to heart, I hung around Aggie while she commenced her fur-trimming, nail-cutting routine.
When assured that Aggie was not going to smack the corgiboy upside down, nor leftside-right, I decided it was time corgiboy learnt to be independent. Afterall, one doggy year was rumoured to be the equivalent to seven human years. So out I stepped, to pop by the vet clinic conveniently situated next door.
An exclusive one it was, with a trickling fountain in front, frosted glass panels and (gasp!) an ionizer to sanitize the air. Not to mention the clinic's principles etched in green, of which one jumped out at me. The clinic did not approve of euthanasia...
The interview...
A few months later, corgiboy was back at Aunt Aggie's for his trim, and her "the clinic next door is looking for staff, why don't you give it a try?" greeting saw me sitting in a green rattan chair, back facing the frosted glass panel awaiting an interview. Afterall, due to a quirk in our uni-timetable, we had a couple of days free each week.
In short, I was hired as part-time staff, and spent the first day drawing out scores of vaccines into syringes as one of the vets was going out on a mass jabbing spree (read: it was actually a home visit to a shelter to vaccinate the strays.)
Learning Opportunities...
I learnt to:
~ stay till midnight to help in a caesarian, and subsequently watch the two little ones grow on their repeat visits.
~ keep a chinchilla baby peeping out from my scrub pocket to warm him up.
~ set up drip sets and blood transfusion sets.
~ pick maggots from open wounds.
~ assist a dentist in teeth-scaling.
~ use the autoclave and x-ray machines.
~ shave and prep an animal for surgery.
~ draw blood for blood tests.
Thankful for the "let's smile even when we are down and haven't eaten our lunch at 4pm" colleagues, and the furry, prickly, itchy, scratchy, scaly, feathery, fur-less animals.
Corgiboy Zaccheus' home away from home: The Clinic
How did a Soci Hons student end up as Vet Nurse? Carpe diem, seize the day, and things do happen.
First impressions...
Corgiboy was then a ripe one year-old puppy, and had been trundled off in his crate to Aunt Aggie's, his groomer. Taking countless advice from seasoned dog owners to "stay with your puppy in case the groomer ill-treats him" to heart, I hung around Aggie while she commenced her fur-trimming, nail-cutting routine.
When assured that Aggie was not going to smack the corgiboy upside down, nor leftside-right, I decided it was time corgiboy learnt to be independent. Afterall, one doggy year was rumoured to be the equivalent to seven human years. So out I stepped, to pop by the vet clinic conveniently situated next door.
An exclusive one it was, with a trickling fountain in front, frosted glass panels and (gasp!) an ionizer to sanitize the air. Not to mention the clinic's principles etched in green, of which one jumped out at me. The clinic did not approve of euthanasia...
The interview...
A few months later, corgiboy was back at Aunt Aggie's for his trim, and her "the clinic next door is looking for staff, why don't you give it a try?" greeting saw me sitting in a green rattan chair, back facing the frosted glass panel awaiting an interview. Afterall, due to a quirk in our uni-timetable, we had a couple of days free each week.
In short, I was hired as part-time staff, and spent the first day drawing out scores of vaccines into syringes as one of the vets was going out on a mass jabbing spree (read: it was actually a home visit to a shelter to vaccinate the strays.)
Learning Opportunities...
I learnt to:
~ stay till midnight to help in a caesarian, and subsequently watch the two little ones grow on their repeat visits.
~ keep a chinchilla baby peeping out from my scrub pocket to warm him up.
~ set up drip sets and blood transfusion sets.
~ pick maggots from open wounds.
~ assist a dentist in teeth-scaling.
~ use the autoclave and x-ray machines.
~ shave and prep an animal for surgery.
~ draw blood for blood tests.
Thankful for the "let's smile even when we are down and haven't eaten our lunch at 4pm" colleagues, and the furry, prickly, itchy, scratchy, scaly, feathery, fur-less animals.
Corgiboy Zaccheus' home away from home: The Clinic
Friday, June 22, 2007
BRANDEE
~ one of H's adopted minpins passed away peacefully in her arms, right at the vet's doorstep.
=========
sudden
in a heartbeat,
was breath taken away.
life
too brief,
yet she was a joy in every way.
rest
at last found,
in peace may Brandee stay.
love
a special bond,
your memories nestled always.
=========
Written in memory of Brandee, one of H's famous five.
~ one of H's adopted minpins passed away peacefully in her arms, right at the vet's doorstep.
=========
sudden
in a heartbeat,
was breath taken away.
life
too brief,
yet she was a joy in every way.
rest
at last found,
in peace may Brandee stay.
love
a special bond,
your memories nestled always.
=========
Written in memory of Brandee, one of H's famous five.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
TRINITY BAGEL (RIP)
This lil' one was born, and had one hind leg bitten off by her mum the next day. Such is the bitter result of natural selection - survival of the fittest. A double whammy soon followed, the humans decide to put her down, as if losing a leg is not enough, they want her to lose her life too.
An ex-vet nurse gotta do what she feels is right to do, and 3-legged Trinity came home with us. There and then, I felt like I was on trial as a puppy-mum. Woke up for 2 hourly feeds! Measured milk powder mixes, stimulated the end-products of the milk that she was consuming. As a non-dog, what I gladly left to the corgiboy to do, was to teach her Doggy Manners 101.
Life became even rosier for the lil' one after finding her forever home with a great couple. Imagine, she even got to fly to New Zealand - the land of a gazillion sheep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So tiny, like a toy in a plastic drawer..
First glimpse of light! (When Trinity first opened her eyes)
Such sweet innocence.
With her surrogate daddy, corgiboy Zaccheus, who taught her how to play the doggy way.
This lil' one was born, and had one hind leg bitten off by her mum the next day. Such is the bitter result of natural selection - survival of the fittest. A double whammy soon followed, the humans decide to put her down, as if losing a leg is not enough, they want her to lose her life too.
An ex-vet nurse gotta do what she feels is right to do, and 3-legged Trinity came home with us. There and then, I felt like I was on trial as a puppy-mum. Woke up for 2 hourly feeds! Measured milk powder mixes, stimulated the end-products of the milk that she was consuming. As a non-dog, what I gladly left to the corgiboy to do, was to teach her Doggy Manners 101.
Life became even rosier for the lil' one after finding her forever home with a great couple. Imagine, she even got to fly to New Zealand - the land of a gazillion sheep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So tiny, like a toy in a plastic drawer..
First glimpse of light! (When Trinity first opened her eyes)
Such sweet innocence.
With her surrogate daddy, corgiboy Zaccheus, who taught her how to play the doggy way.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
2 KITTY CATS went out to play (sung to the tune of "One Elephant went out to play")
One little cat went out to play
Out on Depot Road one day.
She had such enormous fun,
That she called for another kitty cat to come.
Hosted 2 kitties for a home-stay when their mummy went off to the land of smiles. Frequent diaper changing and expressing of pee was the order of the day as one of the kitties was paralysed and needed help in excreting. Lovely placid cats they were. :)
One little cat went out to play
Out on Depot Road one day.
She had such enormous fun,
That she called for another kitty cat to come.
Hosted 2 kitties for a home-stay when their mummy went off to the land of smiles. Frequent diaper changing and expressing of pee was the order of the day as one of the kitties was paralysed and needed help in excreting. Lovely placid cats they were. :)
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
HAMSTER CARE
before...
Ever heard of hamster-sitting? Well, I was tickled pink to be asked to hamster-sit. The wee little one was spotted with open wounds that wouldn't heal, and that was not due to the incompetence of his vet. Hamster had been caught chewing himself, much to the chagrin of his owners. This being their daughter's first pet, and they had to choose one that was prone to self-mutilation. Oh, their shock, their disbelief, their helplessness.
after...
Hamster looked like a hamster once again. He had fur, and was no longer raw and blistering. Thanks to doses of Vitamin C-laced water, fresh balcony air, antibiotic power and TIME.
Why TIME?
Time taken to do the above, time taken to occupy him after he had been sprinkled with medicine, so that he did not nibble his recovering flesh away.
Went back to the loving arms of his Mummy when he was 90% recovered, hooray!
before...
Ever heard of hamster-sitting? Well, I was tickled pink to be asked to hamster-sit. The wee little one was spotted with open wounds that wouldn't heal, and that was not due to the incompetence of his vet. Hamster had been caught chewing himself, much to the chagrin of his owners. This being their daughter's first pet, and they had to choose one that was prone to self-mutilation. Oh, their shock, their disbelief, their helplessness.
after...
Hamster looked like a hamster once again. He had fur, and was no longer raw and blistering. Thanks to doses of Vitamin C-laced water, fresh balcony air, antibiotic power and TIME.
Why TIME?
Time taken to do the above, time taken to occupy him after he had been sprinkled with medicine, so that he did not nibble his recovering flesh away.
Went back to the loving arms of his Mummy when he was 90% recovered, hooray!
Monday, June 18, 2007
YUNA
~ initially nameless, but later named, and remembered.
===============
Grey fur,
a blend with the cemented walls,
Forsaken, abandoned, behind the door.
And so was a shih tzu found.
Alone.
In a toilet,
she was bereft of sounds.
Matted, spirit gutted, she had lost her all.
================
First glimpse of Yuna was caught in a toilet in West Coast Park. Abandoned, silent and drenched was she. Yuna came home with us for a little while for a haircut and shower before being placed with a fosterer.
Passed on due to heart complications, after being loved at her new forever home.
~ initially nameless, but later named, and remembered.
===============
Grey fur,
a blend with the cemented walls,
Forsaken, abandoned, behind the door.
And so was a shih tzu found.
Alone.
In a toilet,
she was bereft of sounds.
Matted, spirit gutted, she had lost her all.
================
First glimpse of Yuna was caught in a toilet in West Coast Park. Abandoned, silent and drenched was she. Yuna came home with us for a little while for a haircut and shower before being placed with a fosterer.
Passed on due to heart complications, after being loved at her new forever home.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Saturday, June 16, 2007
CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST (nope! SAMOYED) ~ His mummy and daddy were holidaying elsewhere, so Casper had a little holiday with us too!
Holidays are about...
Making Friends! (with Dante the Guinea Pig)
Pool Games! Casper loved his splish-splashes...
& Lazing Around! With resident dog Zaccheus the Corgiboy.
Holidays are about...
Making Friends! (with Dante the Guinea Pig)
Pool Games! Casper loved his splish-splashes...
& Lazing Around! With resident dog Zaccheus the Corgiboy.
Friday, June 15, 2007
WE'RE BACK, BACK, BACK! (online, that is.)
Animalheartbeat has returned,
And to commemorate this occasion,
Here's a blog dedicated to all furries big and small
Who have played through our hallowed hall.
This blog has been re-created from my scribblings @ www.animalheartbeat.com which is no longer in existence.
Dedicated to all the woofs and meows around, to capture the little ones, the furry hearts beating at our feet.
Animalheartbeat has returned,
And to commemorate this occasion,
Here's a blog dedicated to all furries big and small
Who have played through our hallowed hall.
This blog has been re-created from my scribblings @ www.animalheartbeat.com which is no longer in existence.
Dedicated to all the woofs and meows around, to capture the little ones, the furry hearts beating at our feet.