Thursday Vet Run

We have said it before, it will be repeated here, TvT (Transmissible Venereal Disease) treatment is effective.

Today Moom & Phuky are given the all clear and after their individual journeys through the treatment course, they have reacted well to the medication and can now return to their routine lives.

Pat, Cynthia & Kelly are still hanging in there on their 3rd & 4th jabs but it will not be long before these girls are also given a green light for sterilisation & return to their homes.

Recently we became aware that folks reading this diary might be slightly confused about our treatment of TvT cases and we were concerned that people might think the disease was prevalent at the shelter. So in order to assist a clearer understanding, I will explain a little about how we come across these cases.

We are often contacted by dog loving folks to tell us about neglected dogs wandering the streets or of a temple where the numbers of dogs is growing and there being no real source of food or care. We also get calls from folks that see a neighbours dog in a poor condition and we also have our eyes wide open when moving around Chiang Mai, seeing the dog at the traffic lights or the dog with its head in a plastic bag looking for their next meal. And of course we also find cases by chance after the dog has been caught for sterilisation and under anaesthetic, an inspection reveals another problem.

When we first visit these dogs, it is quite apparent there are problems of the skin from loss of hair, blood, wounds etc. But less obvious initially are male & female dogs that either have blood coming from their sex organ, an obvious & visible tumour or at least a persistent licking or chasing of flies away. It is at this point we look closer and try to ascertain if there is a problem that we can help the dog overcome.

Often we find the onset of TvT is advanced and the tumour has developed to quite a size. However, sometimes, it is not until we take the dog to the vet for check, that we find they have a tumour in its early stage of development. Sometimes the initial diagnosis on the street is incorrect. The problem may well be vaginitis or even pyometra, which is an infection of the uterus and can be fatal.

So, as one can see from the above, these cases are not developing at the shelter but once we find a case of TvT ( or pyometra) we will take the dog to the shelter for care during the course of treatment, ensuring regular injections & also improved health overall.

Anyway, back to the vet trip!

Tac, one of the 3 poodles found dumped a few weeks ago on a road in Sankampeng, is the only one still at the shelter as the others, Tik & Toe, have already been adopted to new homes. He is having problems with his skin and today the vet confirmed that we should give regular showers with anti fungal shampoo. He is such an affectionate guy, he must have been in a family environment prior to being dumped.

Next up is Lady. Once again we are checking her blood condition. She is still not gaining weight and although the result of the blood test is overall positive, she still needs another check in 2 weeks time, whilst continuing on antibiotics, to assess if she has bacteria in her bone marrow or not.

Lastly there is Cindy. This puppy is actually last seasons pup of Cynthia. She was born at Wat Gaset Mai in Maejo and like her mother, very skittish and scared of humans. However, she is currently showing lethargy, not eating and losing weight. After a thorough check, the vet suggested we observe for a further 5 days & return for another check. Problem unknown!

Thursday vet trip

Panda was a little excited today, in more ways than one. Firstly when the vet looked at his willy, things started happening and following a final inspection for his TvT & given a clean bill of health, he was fit to go back home!! More of that later.

Phuky, after a long haul and a rough ride through her treatment for TvT, is also given the all clear today and we will sterilise her next week, as she is attracting attentions from handsome admirers at the shelter, as she appears to be on heat.

Pat, Kelly & Cynthia had their next TvT injections without incident and Moom appears to be on his final jab today, the vet saying she wanted to see him again next week & than his treatment should also be complete.

Dam, a cute short legged adult black dog, brought to the shelter for recuperation after being beaten up & badly bitten in the neck by other dogs, was sterilised last week and since then has been showing a strange nervous symptom. She literally curls her neck round to one side, as if staring at her tail and then walking like a drunk robot.

The vet said we should stop the antibiotics and see if this was a reaction to the medication and assured us that this was not a reaction to the anaesthetic at surgery of sterilisation.

The smallest of the cases today was Heather. She is a tiny pup of about a month old but with a dead tip to her tail. The vet suggested an operation under local anaesthetic this afternoon to remove the dead portion, which seems to have died due to some trauma.

And finally it was the turn of Lady, the abandoned elderly Labrador to have another check on her blood condition. She is not gaining weight and continues to look very thin and weak. Back at the shelter she is behaving like a broody mum, demanding to be with any young puppies, just to be near them. We think this reflects a little of her history that we are completely in the dark about. Maybe she was a breeding dog and now discarded as she came to the end of her production value. What ever the story, we will make every effort to bring her back to better health in her retired years.

13 Dogs to the vet in 2 cars!

Out TvT (Transmissible Venereal Disease) campaign continues unabated, today we had 6 cases to see the vet for update check & injections. The course of treatment typically lasts 4 to 7 weeks, depending on the severity of the tumour, the consistent provision of the medication and the dogs state of health to deal with the chemotherapy.

Phuky has been on the treatment the longest and is now well & truly on the road to recovery. Her condition was severe due to extended neglect and despite recently having fly larvae in her tumour, with antibiotics and increased cleaning routine, she will possibly only need one or maybe 2 more jabs.

Panda is doing very well. We are at least able to see his tumour, as the size has decreased and his foreskin can be pulled back, something a couple of weeks ago was unthinkable. He will need another visit next week before he is completely cleared.

Moom is in the same condition, check next week and then see if he can have Thursday's off in the future! Poor guy, hates getting up so early every Thursday for his trip to the shelter from home at 6.30am and then hanging out with all those homeless lot at the shelter!

Kelly is a new one to the list, she was picked up for sterilisation 2 weeks ago and found to have TvT during the op.

Cynthia is the girl we blow darted last week at a temple to bring in for sterilisation. She too was found to have TvT. Living at the temple, she is very scared and not social with people and handling her was a little problematic at times. I am convinced it wasn't the thought of me darting her again.

Pat is a restaurateur from near my home. Well that's what she said but frankly she is a dog that lives behind & under a restaurant with her 4 month old puppy along with a male companion. What a life! She has early TvT and hopefully will not need too many jabs as some of the cases we see.

Next up was Angie. She was found wandering in the streets with no place to call home. Her right eye is deformed and the vet said that this was a congenital condition called Anophthalmia. He suggested that unless it became infected, to just leave and keep clean. We will need to observe her and see how she goes on. The reality is that if she is startled, she shows a small eye because her reaction is to open her eyes wide and the small under developed eye shows through the controlling eye lids. Otherwise it just hides out of the way.

Mandy ( was called Pui) had her large tumour removed last week and today she is seeing the vet as she is having problems passing water. (Having a pee) The vet inspected her and said this was most definitely a bladder full of stone. We will take her in this Saturday for another op. Bless her, she is such a lovely girl. Dumped on the streets as she was, to improve her health would be a pleasure & give her a new lease of life.

Lady the Labrador is here today for an update blood check, to see if her platelets are recovering their balance.

After completing their other treatments over the past few weeks, Lucy & BuunRod are commencing their Heartworm treatments. The blood tests of kidney & liver were satisfactory and they got their first injections for Heartworm today. They have been on Aspirin for a week, to prepare their blood and today the injection will start to kill off the worms , which in both cases the vet said were at an early stage. Tomorrow they will receive their second & final injection. We will need to ensure they don't run around too much, so the dying worms do not clog their hearts & cause other problems.

Libby a cute little ball of fun. She was dumped along with 6 other pups at the front gate of Karin's home last weekend in a sack. They are getting along fine at this stage but time will tell. They were obviously removed from their mother far too early and their immunity will not be high. Today Libby was the 'guinea pig', getting the once over for blood, faeces & skin tests to check if they have anything happening that we should be aware of. The blood test shows a parasite present and we will medicate accordingly. Unchecked, maybe they would slowly deterioate. Watch this space.

And then last but far from least, is Joe. This dog was rescued last week from the corridors of a police station at a late hour of the day, where he had sought refuge. He was diagnosed last week by one learned scholar, who is currently responsible for teaching veterinary students at a reputed clinic associated with a local university ( no names no pack drill!), as suffering from pneumonia. Unfortunately, there is only one 24 hour emergency centre here.

Today the vet, who we are more confident with, gave us a proper diagnosis. He x-rayed Joe's neck and found the 1st vertebrae, the one you feel is a big lump behind your skull, or the dogs for that matter, to be damaged. The flange on the left appeared to be misshapen or fractured and this it was suggested could attribute why he was walking stiffly and could not bend his head. The vet gave him an anti inflammatory (a characteristic of my writing maybe?) injection and prescribed Prednisolone 2 x twice a day. (Karin tells me that Joe is already showing improvements, just hours after his jab)