Choya had Brunch Too

Had a lovely morning walk and when it heated up, we adjourned to Elephant Grounds for coffee and brunch. It was a nice surprise to find out that Choya was also offered a complimentary meal (dine-in only) along with our mains. I said yes. 

It doesn't mean that when the food is free, I would want it immediately for Choya. However, this food item was a sous vide 100-g pack from BOMBOM. It's her usual meals. I trust the brand. Of course I accepted it. As a complimentary promotion thingy, I could only opt for chicken or pork. The manufacture date is in June 2026. That was fine. It stayed frozen in the freezer. 

Chose the chicken. She doesn't have chicken often. She's not intolerant to it, but I think it does up her itch levels, so I go easy on this protein for her. I watched the server prep her food. I didn't want it to be contaminated. The pack was heated up in a steel bowl filled with hot water. When it was ready, it was cut and poured out into the sugarcane disposable bowl provided by BOMBOM. Excellent. I approved of it. Not all servers would know how to be hygienic. This one did. 

I didn't know if Choya would eat it. She doesn't usually eat outside of the home. She is also choosy about what foods are presented to her, and from whose hand. If Momma offers, then her consideration would be whether the food tickle her tastebuds. She smelt it, and said, "Yes please, Momma. I would like to have that." So she did.

Choya cleaned the bowl. Waaaahhh. All right. No more lunch for this Smol Girl. An extra 100g of food today is A LOT.

Hit Palawan Beach

We try not to do a staycation over the weekend. One, it's friggin crowded everywhere. And the hotel room rates would be mad. So we do the whole week instead, and the crowds are usually manageable. Ryo came along with us to this Sentosa staycation. I don't think he understands what a staycation is since he has never gone on one. But he feels safe with us, and is happy with us in any room. So that works fine in having him settled.  

Took them out first thing to the beach. Smol Girl smelt the sea and sand. And asked to run. So I dropped her leash, and she ran and ran. And ran some more. She was soooo thrilled. At this age, she doesn't run that far away from us anymore. We can be out of sight for a while, but she would round back. Whewwwww. 

Choya hasn't been to the beach for a while. She probably missed the sand loads. She isn't interested in the water though. 'No swimming, Momma.' She has made it quite clear. She walks along the water's edge, and when the waves roll in, she runs away from it. She doesn't mind her paws get wet a little. She doesn't want to go in. If I pick her up to put her in the water, she can swim, but she will be miffed and she'll make straight for the shore. Heh.

Ryo, on the other hand, was a tad scared. He's still frightened and unsure of the outdoors and everything. He likes the sniffing and the smells, but he doesn't like being outside much. He would swim if forced to, but I don't think he wants to do it weekly. Today, he didn't want to swim at all. He didn't even want to run that much. He only trotted around. Whatever. He was willing to wait for Choya and sit with us for a bit. He tried to bolt, but with no success. 

I watched the Smol Girl sprint all around the sand. Her paws flew across the clean-enough sand. She was ridiculously happpppyyyyy. I was happy too, to see this soon-to-be nine-year-old still nimble, fast and active. Once she was done running this morning, she laid down and snoozed. She had a choice to snooze in the sun or move to the shade. I let her be. It was a hot day, but the breeze stirred continuously, and it felt wonderful to be out and about. Of course I had a giant sun hat. Ha! 

A Cool Breeze This Evening

It was mad blazing hot and humid in the morning. Then it was sort of thundery and rainy all afternoon. When 5pm rolled around, only a slight drizzle blanketed the area. We decided to stop by Grub Pasta Kitchen for easy drinks, and an early dinner. 

The grounds were wet, but the rain had abated. The temperatures went down low to 28.5dC. It was such a gorgeous breezy evening at the bistro. Choya was very happy to be sniffing around Bishan Park. She loves these after-the-rains smells. I just have to clean her paws thoroughly after this. 

Truth be told, each time she goes sniffing and licking, my heart jumps. Giardia eggs! Whipworms! Parasites! Protozoa! Fleas and ticks. Extra clostridium! Our city has too many humans, rats and dogs. I have no idea what is going into her stomach each time she sticks her tongue out, or if she inhales some horrible thing. She might not remember her stomachaches and diarrhea. I do.

All I can do is to wipe her down after as soon as I can, and hope she would be fine. Fortified by the supplements, I hope her gut microbiome returns to an acidity level that's sufficient to overcome the bacteria Such is life right? She gets such limited freedom. Everything she does is dictated by us. She doesn't have agency in that sense. I can't put her in a bigger bubble wrap and deprive of her little joys. 

I'm glad that her poop has stabilized two weeks after Round 3 of The Great Shitsplosion. We're also on Round 3 of a low dose of metronidazole. We'll see how this goes. I can't be complacent when it comes to clostridial diarrhea. It's a long and uphill battle... ... for the rest of the year. I can shelve what little of my travel plans now. 

When her doctor suggested getting her tested for Addison's since her bloodwork returned a low NaK, I hesitated because this was just about 1.5 weeks after her day of shitsplosion. If she has Addison's she would have more symptoms, and more indicators in her bloodwork. As much as this is called 'The Great Pretender', I know enough to recognize the signs, and weigh it against the Pacific Rimism (yes that's a thing) unique to these breeds. And I tend to err on the side of caution.   

These Sumatra Squalls

I have held off giving Gabapentin to Choya for months. Gotta restart. The monsoon months were thankfully not too bad. But now, thunderstorms are rolling in fast and furious and totally upsetting her. I'm afraid her gut microbiome is affected too. So it's a light dosage of Gabapentin as well in the recent weeks. 

I can't predict when the storms are rolling in, but a light dose doesn't hurt if the weather app is to be trusted. Or do one after. The point is to keep her cortisol levels constant. 

I used to love the rain, and thunderstorms. Lightning and all that. I still do. But I'm a tad weary of it now. And most certainly not at 3.30am or 4am. 

I loved storm-lit skies. 

Now each thunderclap finds fear 

Curled beside my feet. 

Metronidazole Round 3

Choya got the runs again. Round 3. And the culprit is a clostridium overgrowth. Again. Within two months of the previous bout, and a week of tapering off the last bits of metronidazole. WTF. She has gut dysbiosis, so it isn't strong enough to bear any bit of clostridium overgrowth. If I don't heal the gut and make it resilient enough, she's not going to be able to fully heal.

I was glad that I made the call to take Choya to the clinic at 8pm to do a fecal swab and insisted on antibiotics on standby. The fecal swab was absolutely necessary to eliminate a parasitic infection. She is clear for giardiasis, amebiasis, and worms, eggs and other parasites. That fulfilled our socially-responsible obligations to her fwens. 

I know Choya too well, so I recognize this kind of diarrhea. Once it begins, it wouldn't stop. This is not something ProKolin/ProMax or psyllium husk can heal. She didn't have much appetite and she was in pain with terrible tummy spasms. Purging 6x in 18 hours, and in this worrying manner made me give her the first light dose of metronidazole at 2am. It worked. That gave her some rest and sleep.

She didn't have the runs the next morning. That 9am walk was to decompress. She also ate a small meal. I'm almost glad that it didn't turn into hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. Most things don't faze me. Except Choya. Seeing her in pain made my heart break. 

I was desperately trying to trace back what the triggers could be. Too much cheese... a too-rich dehydrated surf clam and white bait? A blade of grass that she licked that held terrible bacteria? Thunderstorms? Where did I go wrong? When this dog also has chronic IBD, stress and anxiety can also cause a clostridium boom. The tapering off from the previous round was done with just tiny sprinkles; they wouldn't have had this effect of allowing clostridium overgrowth this fast within a week. I need to be stricter with food, and also not allow her to lick or sniff that much. Boring is the word.  

I had a little cry, and got on with it. I'm going to throw everything in the arsenal to sort out her gut dysbiosis. No more complacency. I have never once felt resentful for this choice to stay in town to be with Choya. I'm glad I'm around to handle this one. The husband wouldn't be able to do so. This is crunch time at work for him, and I'd rather him focus on that. I have no issues to be the one to manage the dog. She's Momma's girl.

All right. Here we go again.

Off Antibiotics Now!

Choya is finally off antibiotics. This is metronidazole Round 2 that began on April 14. I was slowly tapering off, and once we were at June 12, and her poop was solid, I knew it was finally time to call it a day.

I didn't even finish the seven pills for Round 2. When I stopped the dosage, we stood at 5.5 pills. Yayyyy.  

Those darned active clostridium spores should more or less killed. Whatever's left would be balanced out by the usual bacteria in her stomach. All dogs carry clostridium of some sort in their GI tract. That normal amount is okay. An overgrowth of clostridium (whichever strain) is super annoying. It really takes some effort and time to eradicate. 

Doing three rounds of intensive antibiotics is never ideal. Round 1 told me that intensive doesn't quite work. Carpet bombing clostridium spores only meant driving a good chunk into dormancy and they would promptly flare within 48 hours once the pills were done. I prefer to taper. Although I wouldn't do this without checking in with a trusted doctor.

Tapering gives Choya's immune system a chance to recover at an optimal pace, and a better environment for the gut microbiome to get back into balance after Round 1. Keeping a minimal amount of antibiotics in the system allow the clostridium spores to get active, but get eaten up by the good gut bacteria that can still flourish. 

To be honest, I'm nervous of letting go of the antibiotics. They've become my crutch. I gotta have confidence in my hypothesis, backed up by the poop that I've seen over the last two weeks — that Choya's gut is balanced now and is perfectly capable of dealing with mild unwanted bacteria and could produce the solid dense poop that I want. 

Had a celebratory little lunch plate for Choya. Her meals are just fine. Keeping them basic and clean.

May your poop be solid-gold, sweetheart. 

Nursing Choya Back to a Balanced Gut Microbiome

I have changed my sleep patterns and timings since April 1st, when 'Choya's Great Laosai' began. They are changed out of necessity. Her explosive diarrhea usually arrives at 5.30am thereabouts. It's logical because she would have supper, and food ferments the longest overnight, and her stomach can't take that. She can't not have a small supper because if her stomach is empty, she would puke bile in the mornings.  

I sleep by 11.45pm or so, before midnight. I stop doom-scrolling and doing work in the nights. I swopped to clearing work when I wake at 5am or so. I re-adjusted all social calendars that could accommodate my new preferences. I eat earlier so that I don't get indigestion; I drink a lot less because I need to be sober in the night to sleep through, and wake up feeling human. I'm not a morning person at all. But getting enough sleep helps.

Once I learnt what the diarrhea is about, I know how to manage it. I don't have to stress about the unknown anymore. I can get on with the logistics of solving a problem, weighing theories with practical applications versus desired outcomes. The medication caused Choya to pee a lot more, and I don't want her to hold it or stress the bladder. I take her out for extra pee-walks. This means more work on my part since my schedule is a lot more flexible than the husband's. 

Choya has stabilized. It has been 6 weeks since. Anecdotally, when she has excessive B12 in her system, she tends to pee a lot because she would be too thirsty. Even in this heat, and the bone broth drunk, the volume of urine has increased. I noticed her dribbling pee a little (not incontinent, but she does have this quirk) near the 6-hour mark. So I gave her extra pee-walks, which worked. That meant that she doesn't need the supplements now; whatever she takes via her food is sufficient. I stopped her B12 supplements.  

From twice a day, she has tapered down to a super-low-dosage of metronidazole just once in the mornings. She seems to be doing fine. I'll take her off of metronidazole in the next two weeks. Tapering it off instead of a sudden stop. (And yes, I've spoken with her doctor about this.) Let's hope her stomach rebalances as it should, and her gut microbiome remains calm. This cycle will happen again since she has chronic IBD, and she meets clostridium all the time. May the next shitsplosion happens a lot later than sooner. 

Mocktails & A Beach Clean-Up!

Bundled up the dog and went to Pasir Ris Beach to join Ocean Purpose Project (OPP) for the morning for their reception to mark the closing of Singapore Maritime Week. 

Ocean Purpose Project is a lot more than just doing beach clean-ups and planting TCM and Ayurvedic herbs in its eco-garden. The chillies and bittergourd and all are happily flourishing. I'm so glad they've got this little plot of land allocated by our National Parks Board (NParks). 

It was a good turn-out. We did a short 20-minute beach clean-up. We've done countless beach clean-ups, which literally means bending over to pick up litter brought in by the currents. It's a never-ending job because our oceans are soooo polluted.

I gotta admit I didn't really pick up litter. I had to hang on to Choya. It isn't conducive for her to be walking in all that litter and sharp bits, or hot sand. I had to make sure she didn't get heatstroke. I delegated the husband to do my part. The dog was in charge of supervising the humans, looking cute, and I was just her minder. Heh. 

Choya was soooo pleased to be rolling around and sniffing all these new-to-her and new-old smells. She identifies places by smells, so when this is a spot that she doesn't come often, she goes crazy. She also loves the beach. She totally enjoyed chilling out with us in this manner. 

But OMG, Choya's licking. Grrrrr. Clostridium strains are heavy in decaying leaves and marine sediments. I had to clean her up thoroughly, but I was still frightened by the idea of her mushy poop for the next two days. (It wasn't too bad. It was foul-smelling; some clostridium spores activated, but very manageable.)

After the hot-hot-hot bits, we retreated to OPP's little hangout. There were house-made pesto with bread. NOMS. The pesto was super garlicky. Loved it. Went well with small bites of bread. I loved the mojitos that they served up. The sea grapes were sooooo cool. (It is an algae.) I loved that salty tang. It was a mocktail, to be specific. This was at 11.30am. Too early for alcohol. The mocktails were "crafted with seaweed, sea grapes, and herbs grown using our own seaweed fertiliser — part of Singapore’s first seaweed blue carbon sequestration site under UN Ocean Action (Project Tanah Air)".

It was also meant to be a networking thing. You know me. I left it to the husband to do so; he returned with a big bag of garbage, as much weight as it could hold. I watched the dog, and chilled. After all, I would be networking next week at a conference, and I would have no choice but to be social. So that would be sufficient for me. 

Rebuilding Choya's Gut Flora

I had hoped against hope (based on patterns and scientific data) that when Choya completed her seven-day course of antibiotics, she would be well. She wasn't. Three days after completion, the diarrhea returned. I recognized the patterns. I knew it. We have clostridial diarrhea happening. Dammit. 

When her diarrhea stopped after the first tablet went in on 4 April, I knew it was a matter of time before the clostridium in her gut got controlled for a bit; exactly for how long, we wouldn't know. I didn't have high hopes. It was the week after the antibiotics that I was worried about. Acute colitis can be sorted in a week. However, SIBO/SID doesn't just go away magically overnight. She has chronic IBD and stress colitis, so the moment a flare happens in the form of SIBO/SID, it's bad. It goes on for a month. 

I had a bad feeling when her poop was less than ideal on Monday 13 April. Direa didn't even help. When Choya woke me up at 5.32am on Tuesday 14 April and did a shitsplosion, that was PTSD and total deja vu sial. Groundhog Day. We're back to 1 April. SAME PATTERNS. I don't even know what to write in my notes. 'Round 2, Repeat.' At least this Tuesday morning, her stomach hasn't made gurgling sounds yet and she isn't in pain or distress. I do not want it to deteriorate to that level. This means the clostridium is really flourishing and refuses to go away. The expensive tests I ordered to be done at the clinic during Round 1 cleared her of contagious or more serious things. 

We went back to the clinic to see a doctor we trust. It was a wonderful discussion. This is an experienced doctor with a good head on his shoulders. It confirmed my thoughts and the doctor's proposed plans aligned with mine, and we had an agreement. The math is sound. Here we go, Part 2. Her first poop two days after Part 2 super-low dose of metronidazole went in on 15 April, was exactly the color and mushy texture I expected. Much much better than what Part 1 produced.

I really dislike metronidazole, but it couldn't be helped. Most clinics only stock metronidazole. I very much prefer talking to my trusted vets. Tylosin is the better choice for colitis, EPI/SIBO and IBD. But Tylosin is OOS at this clinic. I have no choice but to administer this second course of antibiotics, but at a different dosage. This will be done at a super-low dosage over 14-15 days in order to eradicate the worst bits of clostridium, and hopefully the probiotics, B12 and food will sort out the rest and balance the gut after that. Food goes back to the basics. Fresh, whole and good. No unnecessary treats because I doubt I can negotiate with Choya about cheese. 

I'm literally unfazed by most things, but I'm battling anxiety at managing her stomach. I rarely cry, but if Choya is in pain, I feel it, and I cry. I'm reading, researching, and studying. Then I put it aside to take a breather and recalibrate. No, AI doesn't help beyond highlighting research topics and broadening the scope of reading. My moods are set daily according to the quality of Choya's poop. I can deal with mushy poop done during the usual walk timings. I cannot deal with shitsplosions. The main issue is control — I don't have control. I can only try, and pray. 

There might even be a Round 3. Damn clostridium dunno-which-strain. This Round 2 antibiotics will taper off in another week. It's meant to be given for 14-16 days. Choya's doctor and I agreed to do a super-low-dosage and tapering off instead of an abrupt end, giving her stomach time to reset and build its defences. It would be an uphill climb to get her gastrointestinal tract balanced — 16 to 20 weeks. We'll get there. 

Dear Choya & Her Sensitive Tummy

Choya was stricken by a bout of diarrhea, on 1 April. This April Fool's joke is not funny. I mean, dogs get the runs once in a bit. She has had a few of those in the past few years, but they weren't a big deal. (Not after those early laosai years.) This time, it was. The first runs weren't too concerning. But the second set of runs barely four hours later worried me. She hadn't been great for the past three weeks — she reacted badly to a root (bupleurum) in some TCM-cooked pack of food, and wolfberries in another pack of treatos. Those gave her gastroparesis. She has also been licking too much and sniffing too much, eating too many flies and weird things of the floor. 

On a hunch, I took her to the clinch for an expensive blood test, fecal float, and a Giardia test. Now, paying money for tests wouldn't give me conclusive answers, but the results help me eliminate reason and causes of this bout. The expensive clinic visit reassured me that she doesn't have Giardia, worms/parasites, leptospirosis, tick fever, poisoning or pancreatitis. 

Choya hasn't had diarrhea this bad for almost 3.5 years. Her stomach couldn't fight the bug with probiotics and Direa alone. She was purging twice a day for three days — full torrents of brown foul-smelling liquid. She held steady through the night. However, she was still bright and chirpy, eating and drinking as per normal. 

The clinic issued antibiotics (metronidazole) on standby, to be given for 5 days if needed. I'm never inclined to use antibiotics, but one 6am purge convinced me otherwise. It was the worst of it, and likely with stomachache. The poor sweet girl refused to purge at home or in the estate, and insisted on being brought out. Woahhhh. That was PTSD. That purge had too much liquid, too much stomach sounds, and that terrible stench. I remember it well. It's reminiscent of a persistent bug that would be the start of purging every three hours if I don't administer antibiotics. If I insist on not using it, then we're looking at up to six purges a day for the next three days. I'm not putting Choya or myself through that. That made me crush the first table to feed her the first dose at 6.30am. 

I shifted my entire schedule and pushed away as many commitments as possible that took me away from Choya. She's been extra sticky too. I'm reluctant to leave her unless it's absolutely necessary. Watching her also gives me a clue to her pain levels or discomfort. That would help me loads because the doctor ain't going to know, and I need every detail to aid their diagnosis. 

Looking at how metronidazole worked after one tablet (½ in the day and ½ at night), I knew my PTSD is pretty much deja vu. After years of avoiding the assault of clostridium (dunno what strain), she kena again. WTF. The last episodes were from her daycare/school days. 

Clostridium is sooooo annoying. It could be some sort of amoeba too, or things that don't show up in the limited range of tests we have. Ugh. This isn't an issue with food per se.  It's SIBO too. Helloooo….. she has been eating the same base for years. Maybe the pack of toppers… Maybe too much cheese. Sighhhh. It's also an issue with the environments she came into contact with, her constant licking and sniffing that's extra bad recently, and dunno-what-else lah. Dogs will be dogs. Arrrrrgh. 

I will have to rebuild her gut flora. To rebalance it. I accept that she will always have some level of clostridium in her gastrointestinal system. The trick is to prevent it from over-growing and going BOOM.

Lunch with My Smol Girl

I do enjoy hanging out with my Smol Girl at lunch. She's really quite the sweetest thing. Well, dogs chilling out at cafes are a thing, but not quite everything.

There're many dogs who can't quite do cafes, and that's okay. These floofs can stay at home. It's taxing for owners who insist on their dogs adapting to their preferences, and these dogs bark their heads off at every passing dog or human, and try to nip servers. 

Of course I would need to walk Choya before sitting down so that her toileting is settled, her sniffing sorted and she could exercise another aspect of her brains and maintain her training. I'm not fussed about her being on the floor. She always gets wiped before getting into the car, and a thorough wipe-down and brushing at home. I just don't want horribly dirty floors littered with grease, food remnants, cigarette ash and rat/lizard poop.

That day, Smol Girl and I went out to lunch at Acqua e Farina at Keong Saik Road. Along this whole stretch, this is the only restaurant that bothered to extend its canvas to shelter the outdoor tables from the noon-day sun. The sun hits full-on and even a 10am coffee at Tong Ah next door is quite unbearable. The overheard fans at the restaurant also made the humidity bearable on days I don't have portable fans. 

Lunch specials at restaurants are always fun. You don't have to eat that much. I feel slightly less pressurized to have alcohol. Hahaha. Well, it's all about self-discipline, isn't it? I had none of it that day, and got a glass of white to go along with my pasta. 

I decided to have an aglio e olio with mushrooms and pancetta. The flavors are always a winner when it's done dry. I really like how the restaurant does it here — casual and hearty. The kitchen threw in big chunks of garlic, along clear big chillies, not that much spaghetti and everything doesn't simply drown in oil. 

An Aesthetically Pleasing Plate

I was gifted a beautifully crafted Gotomaki Kigoromo plate from Gifu, curated by Artifactt. The texture and feel were splendid. It can be used on either side. Wow! The ladies put so much thought in selecting this plate for me. Absolutely gorgeous. I love it! Plates never have to come in pairs or be matching. I like singles. I have no issue with mismatched crockery and such. They look just fine to me.

I first used it to hold fruits — strawberries and mikan. Do they make my fruits taste sweeter? I dunno. Hehehe. I'm certainly happier eating them off of a nice holder rather than something perfunctory! When I'm really DGAF, I'll just eat fruits over the sink or off of the cutting board as I slice them up, say pears or apples.

Then I plated Choya's Lunar New Year food on it. It made for a pretty photo. And yes, my dear floof knows how to daintily eat off of such beautiful ceramic plates. She never makes a mess. She also loves tasting food served on different plates and bowls. Texture and aesthetics. I guarantee you both Ryo and Choya can discern fun bowls and such.

Choya has her own designated plates to use. However, I have no issues sharing some plates with her. I generally wash these plates by hand twice, then run it through the dishwasher. That whole batch of cutlery and utensils are cleansed at 65°C, which is effective for removing all bacteria. The floofs have a designated washing brush too. I don't bother with a separate flood-friendly dishwashing liquid, lol — that's pure marketing. My Seventh Generation bottles clean just fine for humans and floofs. 

Choya's dinner on said lovely plate.

My Two Floofy Clowns

That's a wrap for Ryo's year-end staycation with us. He has been coming over every year. Too cute. He seems to understand how it goes, and now at mine, he doesn't hide in a corner anymore. He sits out in the living room with us. He's super comfortable at home with us now. He is still reactive outdoors, but that is fine by me. I don't set him up for failure, and I watch out for him, and I'm happy to advocate for him. 

It is an effort to haul two floofs around, what more Ryo who is a lot less portable at 17.5kg. A bigger dog takes more time to clean. We can't not clean them either, especially during the rainy season. Allo, giardia and leptospirosis! When we all live together for weeks in a flat, it's in my interest to keep both of them clean, healthy and happy.

I'll just have to be conscious of their proximity to each other especially when they're not playing, and are both eager to welcome me or want my attention. That's when they do fight, aside from fighting over rules at home about walking around in the nights. AIYOHHH. It's hilarious what goes through the minds of these two floofs. They simply make up their own rules!

When they get their fangs in each other's faces, it's more than drool. They could get scratched and such. At one spat, Ryo's teeth grazed Choya's ears and drew blood. Her screams were bloodcurdling. Not from fear but from anger at Ryo. Luckily, there wasn't a tear or a rip. Whewwww. But there was a lot of blood because dogs' ears are thin with loads of capillaries. I stopped it and administered antiseptic and antibiotic cream. Choya healed fast. After a time out for both, they were friends again. Duhhh.

I really don't mind this little boy staying with us lah. I've watched this boy grow up. I know his temperament, triggers and inclinations. I don't even feel resentful against him that Choya was scratched. He didn't mean it. Two dogs at home would inevitably have squabbles every now and then. This is no different. And well, I threw out questions to ChatGPT and it did a great job to seek information on dog behaviour and reassured me that this wasn't a pattern or an inclination to bully. Hahahahaha.

Ryo knows how to ask me for food, and has largely followed Choya's usual two meal timings. I'm just pleased that meal-times with this boy is no longer a pain. He ate so well with us that I was honestly shocked. He hit 500g a day! Wow. It's quite unheard of. On many days, he doesn't even want to eat 450g. He likes keeping it at about 400g. Well, he knows that there're no snack times in this home. He would just have to eat his usual meals. At most they get cheese. 

These Damn Brown Dog Ticks

Ticks in Europe and the US are a thing. Lyme disease is more common than we think. The number one thing that bothers me about hikes through woods is ticks, not even leeches. We have no vaccines against tick-borne diseases and treatment options are limited. 

In the US, there're 15 states where ticks are considered endemic, primarily in the north east of New York, Maryland, Connecticut, and also California. When tourists go hiking, the last thing they would think of is to check for ticks when they come home. 

This was why I wanted a mud room when I was in W.A. And even now, when I travel, I shake out everything in my suitcase before re-packing them for the trip home. I also leave suitcases in the bathtub. I don’t use bathtubs because I don’t like soaking in a bath. It does nothing for me, and I have better uses for a bathtub in a hotel room. I DO NOT WANT TO BRING HOME TICKS AND UNKNOWN BUGS.

Of course ticks are present in Singapore. We have 11 species of them. Plenty of tick-borne diseases to go around. It's simply a matter of time. But we don't seem to have an issue with Lyme disease in humans in this city, yet. I'm glad that there are studies going on about ticks in Singapore and vector diseases.

A recent study published on January 17, 2025, led by Hokkaido University parasitologist Mackenzie Kwak, along with researchers based in Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia found loads of information about ticks in Singapore.

While ticks are less dangerous than mosquitoes, there is a risk of an uptick in tick-borne diseases going under the radar because Singapore does not conduct systematic surveillance of ticks or tick bites outside of research settings, according to Prof Tambyah and the researchers.

This dearth of knowledge prompted the study, which is part of an ongoing nationwide tick surveillance programme that began in 2018. The programme, based at the National University of Singapore, has involved veterinarians, clinicians, wildlife biologists and members of the public across the island.

I would not want to be bitten by fleas, bed bugs or ticks. Especially not ticks. To have a tick in my eyelid, ear or scalp. OMG. This is an urban nightmare! 

This is why I'm not as keen to go hiking or traipsing all around Singapore. If I do, I literally shake myself off before I get in the car, and I do it again before I step into the home. But with Choya around now, I'm even more careful not to have any bug get onto her from me, or from where we go.

Now, the dogs. The dogs. Dogs don't need to walk in forests to get ticks on them. They could simply be walking in an urban park or along the grass patches of any green space. This line in the article killed me because this was what exactly happened to Choya. She happily walks through piles of leaf litter and tall grass. I discourage it, but often she's too quick. 

Hidden in leaf litter near wildlife corridors, a poorly known threat to public health lies in wait for hikers, cyclists and dog owners frequenting Singapore’s green spaces.

That night, I was too tired and didn't do the usual nightly pat-down for her. It's disguised as 'rubs' which she loves. I use that time to check her body for lumps, bumps, ticks and nonsense that shouldn't be in her fur or on her skin. I had time the next morning to do a pat-down. And at 8am, I FOUND A TICK ON CHOYA. Firmly attached already. DAMMIT. This is the first tick that I've found on her. Looking at its size, it shouldn’t have been attached for more than 14 hours. Excellent. 

I didn't even bother to take photos. I calmly and firmly removed that tick with my bare fingers, so that I could control the strength. (I'm very practiced at removing ticks. Everyone tells you to twist it. That's dumb. It's not exactly a twist.) I didn't want it to burst in my hands, and I didn't want it to react and sink its mouthparts even deeper into Choya or release toxins and pathogens into the entry wound. It was a clean removal. Eight legs, head and mouth (two chelicerae and one hypostome) all intact. I placed it in a small ziplock, poured in Dettol, then squished it to death within another ziplock. 

Luckily the tick was found on her chest, slightly under her right 'armpit'. It's a spot where she can't bother with any paws or tongue. Ha! I didn't even have to cone her when I layer antibiotic cream on it. This doesn't require a clinical eye. There's nothing for the vet to go on anyway, not without any symptoms of infection of the bite wound or tick fever. In this case, an AI bot would be more helpful than an inexperienced doctor. I cleansed the wound and sprinkled Baneocin on it. That would be done twice daily for the next week till the scab formed and the redness in the area subsides. The little bump would be less swollen and remain so for a week. Other than that, everything is beyond my control. I'd just watch Choya for anomalies. 

Thank goodness I'm not an anti-vaxxer or anti-preventives. Choya is on Frontline Plus, monthly. I use the drops. Without those, she would have likely gotten tick fever thrice over (either ehrlichia and babesia prevalent in dogs here). You can preach all you want about poisoning the dog with flea and tick preventives since it kills the pests when they take her blood. But without these preventives, she will die even faster and in a more horrible manner. So take your anti-preventives speech and go away.

Earlier in the year, my skin crawled at this news headline 'Tengah facility with over 40 animal shelters, businesses hit by ticks'. Businesses. That meant breeders... with vulnerable puppies too. The animal shelters noticed an ermm uptick in tick infestations since 2022, making this in August 2025 the first major tick infestation. Even the volunteers visiting the shelter found ticks on their clothes and skin. Eioooooow! I hope the situation is resolved for the now. With this many dogs and cats housed in one Tengah facility, it's impossible to clear them all. But hopefully this round of infestation had been controlled.

By the way, ticks don't jump. They crawl. You can spot them and catch them. Just don't crush them please. Imagine if that one you crushed is a pregnant tick, thousands of eggs bursting... and hiding from your eyes, and hatching. LOLOL.

It's Definitely Gabapentin Season

It's damn sian to be woken up when I'm fast asleep because of a thunderstorm. Well, it isn't the crackle of the thunder or the rain pelting against the windows per se. I can easily sleep through those. But Choya can't and she's frightened to death of thunderstorms. So I have to be awake to sit with her. 

It's even more deplorable in this scenario — if I'm not asleep by 10.45pm and am awake to do chores and such, and when I'm ready for bed at midnight, the thunderstorm booms at 1am. WTF. It has been doing that for a few nights now. At least these 1am storms do mean that I can sleep by 2.45am or so. Not too bad.

I can't even like sleep in the living room when the thunderstorms roar. She needs me awake and moving. Music doesn't calm her down. Only Gabapentin does. But it doesn't work instantaneously. Sumatra squalls simply decide to form, rather unpredictably. I'm not awake to catch it. My voice seems to calm her down.

She vacillates between wanting to be carried, then put down, then be carried. It's rather exhausting. Reading a random essay seems to calm her down. She doesn't want me to talk to her; she wants to hear my reading voice. The academic tone. Okay. Can. That's my work voice.  

The Sumatra squalls are really annoying. They bring thunder that rumbles every 15 minutes or so as they pass. It takes about 1.5 hours for each squall to fully clear. We're still in inter-monsoon. Good lawwd. I can deal with the 1am storms. I might lack sleep but I'm not incapacitated the next day. These Sumatra squalls that come at 3am and 4am are the worst. Those are debilitating. Or when it stops raining, and I think the thunder has stopped, it happily rumbles again an hour later. wtf, truly.

I've eased off on Gabapentin for a few months, but it's the season to dose Choya again. I do need to keep her cortisol levels constant, and her body's immune system calm and not thinking that it has to fight inflammation (and anxiety) all the time.

It's not as if the thunderstorms will ease up when the Northeast Monsoon finally arrives in like 10 days. We're just going to get dunked with rain and thunder crackling again daily. Bringing out rain-gear and dealing with the wet ain't difficult. Dealing with a dog with true astraphobia in a full-blown anxiety attack is quite another. 

Floofs at Zouk

Took Smol Girl to Zouk since they were having a flea market and burgers Hungover event. We had some friends who had rented booths, and went to say hi. It was indoors and the AC was much welcomed in the searing afternoon heat. 

The only thing about Clarke Quay, there's absolutely no green patches for dogs to pee. I'm not a proponent for dogs peeing on the pavement or lamp-posts. Choya rarely does that unless she smells something really interesting or she needs to pee badly. So I took her out to the park to pee first before we went to Zouk.

The music volume was acceptable. We didn't turn up at noon or at lunch-time or even 3pm. We cleverly went much later at 5.30pm. That seemed to be a timing of which the crowds weren't there anymore. There were photo booths for dogs or something but I didn't bother. The queues were significant, and I had absolutely no interest in joining. 

Choya didn't mind the environment and had some fun sniffing other floofs and sniffing around. Then we ended up chilling by the friend's booth for a bit. I wasn't interested in digging through heaps and piles of clothes. They aren't going to fit me anyway. Or they're too short in length. Hahaha. I did find two fun pieces at my friend's booth though. Hers was the best laid out of all. Neatly hung up and placed. She even gave bat wings to Choya for Halloween. Great! That solves my issue of finding her a Halloween costume. Hahaha. 

How awesome it is to have a venue welcome floofs indoors without too much policing. The floofs I saw at the timing we went were all well-behaved and the pawrents were very reasonable and sane too. It made our hour there very comfortable. 

Choya is 8!

We were derelict and didn't celebrate Choya's birthday on the day. So we're making it up to her by celebrating for all of October instead. The birthday girl doesn't know. Shhhhhh. But she somehow is being extra cheeky for the whole month. She didn't like us being away, but she survived very well. (Thank gawwwd for trustworthy sitters.)

Now that we're back, she's sticky and refuses to let me out of her sight. Everything is 'Momma Momma Momma'. She has also taken to waking me up in the mornings, say for four days out of a week. I don't know why she takes it so seriously. The moment the alarm rings, she comes over to the bed. She toddles up the stairs to stare at me. If I don't wake, she'll come up to the bed to paw my face. Walao. She's got nails lehhh. 

We got her a cake from Little Favors, but we humans ate it. Hhahaha. I very much enjoy cakes baked in small batches by Ethel. It was a very nice Raspberry and Vanilla cake. We bought a small one so that we could finish it ourselves. We didn't hold a party or anything for her with fwens. 

Choya only got a lovely long lick of the buttercream. She likes cream. Dohhhhh. She has plenty of other wonderful foods lah. She's got a nice tenderloin (raw) and loads of fish and everything else. She doesn't need a special 'cake'. When she's on a raw diet, I really don't feel like messing up her stomach with a deluge of normie 'cake' that she had to finish on her own. It'd be too much cooked minced beef and too much sweet potato, potatoes and oat flour. She can have them in small doses; she did get to share Maddie's delicious cake. 

The happy Girl refused to take photos with the cake. So I had to be quick. No time for the Leica to do its job. It's just photos taken with the phone. As the years pass, celebrating a dog's birthday becomes bittersweet. They age too soon, and their lifespan is too short. The days are too short and the years aren't long enough. 

My darling Girl is 8 years old. Where did the time go. I prioritize her needs and schedule loads because she isn't just a dog now. She's our Little Girl with loads of sass and attitude. 

A 'Giardiasis Watch' for Choya

I put Choya on a 'Giardiasis Watch' for the past 14 days. She shared a space (a cafe) with a dog who had severe diarrhea, and he was diagnosed with giardiasis that very night. All our hearts sank. There's no point in going to the doctor now. I already know the risks of infection and such. ChatGPT provided a great summary for me. In many instances, ChatGPT is amazing. 

I already knew the dog had diarrhea, I didn't let Choya go near him during that hour. I cleaned her like crazy before we got into the car to go home. But she did step on the same floor that the dog did, and she licked her paws before I could stop her. At that point, I didn't know the dog would be Giardiasis Patient Zero. He might have shed giardia cysts on from his butt, fur and remnant fecal matter. The moment I knew the diagnosis, I cleaned house, and also bathed Choya with a medicated shampoo. 

The dog went to the vet clinic and was diagnosed with giardiasis and was doused with meds immediately. Excellent. He would heal fast with the right meds. What's horrifying to me is that the owners didn't heed the vet's advice to bathe him after the meds go in, or disinfect his bedding and the whole house. In fact, that dog hasn't been bathed for months, and it's quite obvious because he does smell. They went off for a much-awaited family vacation. I understood their choice. But I also realized that they had no idea what giardia is, what those cysts could do, and even if they knew, they didn't think anything much of the risks or this isn't on their priority list. I am not bothered to ask them what they think. At least they told me the diagnosis, and that he's being treated, and it's nothing more insidious (for the dog's sake). And that's all I need to know.  

Now, Patient Zero is on a course of antibiotics, which would be completed by the time his owners return from their vacation. If they get around to disinfecting the home and bathe him before the final dose of antibiotics, the chance of re-infection is immediately lowered. IF NOT, the danger is NOW, the 10 days after the final dose of antibiotics. There would have be plenty of giardia cysts shed and still existing in the home environment. Those little bastards are hardy af. The dog can pick it up again. In another week, if there is re-infection, it would happen then. 

It is the owners' choice to do what they prefer to. I'm not going to tell them what to do. It’s not my place to do that. 

BUT. It is my choice to not have Choya near said dog or their shared spaces till end September at the earliest to ascertain that no more giardia cysts remain on fur and surfaces, and her chance of being infected is kept super low. 

Need I also mention that giardiasis is zoonotic and can transmit to humans, especially those who are young, vulnerable and elderly, at risk of pneumonia and the immuno-compromised.

That's the burden of knowledge. If I didn't know, I didn't have to worry. But I know, so I worry. STILL. I'd rather know than not know. 

Giardia is highly contagious. It has no preventives and no vaccine (that is approved in SG). Next to leptospirosis, I'm deathly afraid of giardia and ticks. Giardia cysts and leptospira bacteria are insidious and can be picked up from a simple sniff of a contaminated area. The risks are high for any dog who walks and toilets outdoors. This is why I am anal about cleanliness at home, at entry points and I try to wipe Choya's paws before she gets to licking them. After she toilets and gets off of the grass and all, I wipe her paws as we sit down to dinner or a coffee. 

It has been a stressful 14 days of looking at Choya's poop, checking its texture, smelling it, giving her rabbits' ears with fur, probiotics and all trying to keep her stomach lining calm and easy, and hopefully drive out all potential giardia cysts before they even become trophozoites. She is not getting all an-clear till the weekend is done.

I calculated possibilities in an algebraic formula, drew up a skeleton of a 'Giardiasis Watch', and then I decided to let ChapGPT do it. It did a great job. Tehehehe. I checked in with Choya's doctor too. I also have friends who are veterinarians, but I do not bother to talk to them unless it's something major. Come on, you don't ask friends' for free advice or a free consult all the time when they do this (or other specializations) for a living. I respect our friendship too much to ask in this manner. My knowledge, complemented with Choya's doctor's advice, and ChatGPT's powerful core processing, resulted in a <5-minute draft of an excel sheet I wanted. LOL

As of today, the risks have diminished for Choya. I breathe easier. 

Teochew Fish Soup for Choya

I was quite tickled by all the businesses in Singapore doing their thing and trotting out SG60-branded products and food items. The Grateful Pet put out a 'Teochew Fish Soup'. They included cuttlefish and seaweed in there too. Excellent!

I hopped out to buy it at a store. I didn't bother with delivery because the brand's delivery timings don't match my schedule and I'm not buying that many packs. Vanillapup now located at the convenient Cluny Court stocks the soup packs and buying it from them is convenient.  

I shall get a fillet of fish and steam some slices for Choya to match it with this pack of fish soup. That would save me some effort in boiling down fish bones. Muahahaha. The Grateful Pet used barramundi. Choya isn't a fan of barramundi. I didn't have time to hunt down ikan kurau. Bought a slab of buri (鰤). Choya loves it as sashimi; the rest would be steamed and frozen to be saved for the next few weeks. 

Thawed out the pack 'Teochew Fish Soup' for a few hours in the fridge. This broth can be refrozen. The whole 240ml pack is too much for Choya to finish even in a week. I squeezed out 120ml of jellied blobs out, and chucked the rest back into the freezer. This 120ml can stay in the fridge and last Choya for three days.

Choya ate the buri as sashimi on the day I bought it. It was simply as a topper to her food. She does love her fish raw. The next day, it was time for lunch. So she can't be having all fish as lunch. She would need her usual base protein of venison, plus all the different offal and bone grind. That would go on one plate.

I placed the fish in the fish broth and heated it up for 20 seconds. It smelt divine. Choya obviously smelt it too, and from being fast asleep in her room, she zoomed to the kitchen and promptly laid down to wait for her meal.   

Choya loved this combination of her base meal, and a separate little bowl of fish and broth. She eats fairly daintily, and doesn't usually make a mess at all. She likes being neat, and she doesn't eat fast. I don't need need to use a slow feeder on her. She was pleased with what she saw. She carefully smelt both plates to discern what's for lunch, and went for the fish first. Hehehe. 

Dunking broccoli and carrots in broth is the only way to convince Choya to eat them. And she did. Although she still left them to the last bit because she doesn't like them. She ate them to taste more of the broth. Tehehehhe.

That's A Wrap for Ryo's Summer Staycation with Us.

The boy seemed to have had a fun time these two weeks. He has bonded with us much earlier (having Choya helps), but he's even more familiar now. Ryo's probably the only dog I truly have affection for besides Choya. I generally like all my friends' dogs, but I'd take him in a heartbeat in an emergency or for the long-term. Yes, his mom and I have discussed it. Oooof.

Ryo's turning six at the end of the month, and we've known him since he was a wee pup! He has finally come to trust us fully. He knows that he is welcome in this home, and he's found his corners and is comfortable here. That's not an unusual time-frame to gain a jittery dog's trust.

Ryo had to switch food suppliers (that's a whole brouhaha that went to the Small Claims Tribunal and we got the order in our favor), and I had to actually use my certification and some brains and what I know of Ryo to tailor a brand new food plan. Nutritional needs stay similar since his health profile hasn't changed, and his level of activity remains the same. 

His mom had such a giant headache figuring it out, and we're still checking out what each brand really offers and will settle on the few whose quality and delivery timings and punctuality that we're fine with.

I told her to never pay upfront S$3000 for a long-term food subscription that might not materialize after that first delivery. Choya's food supplier doesn't support a long-term subscription plan either. They give clients the freedom to choose. We only need to order food that will last for two weeks or four weeks. We're not obligated to anything else. 

I found solid alternatives for Ryo. There will always be as long as I search, and I didn't even have to search that hard. Ryo's fully on a raw diet now. He does fine on it. He's simply fussy, and he's not motivated by meal-times unless he's actually hungry. He likes desserts; I refuse to feed him tarts and cakes. Found him a decent base, and rather fun toppers. 

I had to sleep on the floor for two nights because they suddenly decided that it was fun pouncing on each other in the middle of the night, and then going full-on Crazy Shibe Bork Battle with spittle flying and fangs showing. They did that once in the first week. In the second week, they went at each other like thrice a night. I opted to sleep on the floor to physically restrain them at the first moments. Getting down from the bed was too slow. I was also concerned that they would really sink their fangs into each other. The husband was sanguine and said he trusted them both. Nope. No can do. I asked the floofs what the heck was going on. They complained loudly about it. Riiiiight. 

The first week was because Choya did her usual pacing, and decided to walk over and go up her stairs to check on me and see if I was still breathing. Ryo decided to police her about it and said that walking around at night and climbing beds weren't allowed. So they fought. The second week was this same thing about Ryo wanting Choya to follow the rules, except that he didn't wait for her to come nearer. He stalked her. The husband said he was waiting for her. I was like, NO. He was stalking her! Then he wanted to play with Choya at 2am. Choya hates playing at 2am; she wants to sleep. So they fought again and again. So much pouncing. OMG. 

So I slept on the floor to tell them NO. Had to do night training. Haha. The floofs got it, and pawmised that they would leave each other alone. They refused to pawmise me that they wouldn't do it again. Haizzzz. Thankfully, I got to sleep on the bed for the next three nights till Ryo went home. Those three nights were absolutely peaceful. 

Ryo is practically my second dog. He comes over all the time. Sure, he gets along with Choya, he's a Shibe. They can be trusted to stay home alone for a few hours. He does fit into my schedule and I don't actually have to adjust much for him. He's also a dog who has been taught home etiquette which meets my standards. Byeeee Ryo. See you again.