This morning I had the greatest of pleasures in sitting with a dear old friend during our trip to the vet with some other folks in the back but when we were in conversation, they didn’t really matter, we were mates, we were pals and we weren’t interested in what went on outside the truck cab.

First it was a conversation about the weather and what was becoming of the shelter. We chatted about the new building work and I explained about the 3 rooms and the new toilet, with an improved shower facility for the residents too. She seemed thrilled although it was hard to tell because she just had a wide beaming smile since we left the shelter anyway.

For anyone who hasn’t met Sheena, you will hardly understand.This girl is a treasure and a very special character. All I will say is, get yourself over to the shelter asap & introduce yourselves, she will be sure to make you very welcome.

At the vet clinic, Dr Bing discussed the cases we had on board today and seemed a little set back by the prospect of dealing with 9 dogs sat in the waiting area looking at the wall, waiting their turn.

Dusty is still waiting her Entropian operation, as her lungs have been a little watery, showing signs of numonia, we are reluctant to risk an operation under anesthetic just at the moment. The vet listed to her lungs this week and they are improving but we shall await another week of recovery with meds to help her. Until then, sadly she will have to continue crying with irritated eyes from the in-curling eyelids.

Sheena, well, we checked her blood and found all was ok except her platelets being slightly low, so we will continue to treat her bladder problem, reassured by the blood test and will pep her up a little with FBC.

Nu Daeng was 3rd, she was hit by a car a month ago and had pins inserted in her front leg.

Her hip had been badly fractured and that seems ok now and from the xray, the front leg appears to have calcified nicely. So next week she can have her pins removed.

IceCream, or I-Team if pronounced by a Thai person, came along today for a check on her leg.

This little girl was a dumped puppy that was removed from her mother far too soon.

The immediate effect was that her bones failed to develop properly and when the rest of her body grew, the stress on her left femur which was stunted in length, made it snap. It subsequently calcified but at a bad angle and then later it broke apart again.

Now her rear left leg has quite a lump showing at the hip but it’s only when you see the xray that you realise this leg will probably never be strong and one option the vet suggests, might be to amputate the leg, to relieve her of the constant break, heal, break heal syndrome.

She is a lively girl who we have tried to keep calm these past few months to give her the chance to heal the leg fully but sadly that is taking it’s toll on her by removing her from the natural rigors of growing up amongst other fit & playful dogs. When you are near her you feel her sadness and to know she is so young, makes you feel sad for her.

A couple of months ago, Mii (Bear) came to the shelter from her stretch of road where she hangs out, with a tumor on her side.

She had it removed and recovered well at the shelter and was returned to her old haunt. She has friends in homes near the road where she lives, they feed her and call Care for Dogs to tell us she is suffering albeit they say she is not in their family.

(Ermmmm funny people… you tell me !?)

Today, Mii is showing signs of developing more tumors. 3 actually. The vet felt them, took biopsies and recommended we try to slow their growth down with a medicine called Cyclophomide for a few weeks to see how she responds. But also suggested we commence treating her with chemotherapy.

Her kidney & liver as well as other blood indicators are all healthy so she is fit enough for the treatment.

Now if you thought ‘Gremlin’ or creature from another planet, you would have shared my thoughts too. MiMi is a spinldly legged bundle of wiry wool with eyes that belong on a child’s toy.

The combination is quite scary but when you cuddle her you realise she is warm, friendly and in need. Her flesh has some rashes on, which are bacteria and her teats are enlarged suggesting she might be pre or post pregnant. Ultrasound showed no foetus but suggested an enlarged uterus.

This little urchin, came to the shelter yesterday after being dumped at a temple and we have no background history. So we shall observe her a little more.

Dumped along with MiMi was MoMo, a slightly larger & more distinctive poodle. Folks at the shelter suggested she visit the vet today for a check up as she was not eating yesterday and was quiet but the vet could find no obvious signs of ill health so again we shall have to observe her for a while to see if she has anything other than emotional upset. Being dumped cannot be easy.

Patient number 8 today was Maggi / Henry, who a month ago was here at the vet for an infected anal gland problem.

Well, the infection is back, the crimson coloured blistered exterior of his left anal gland area, show the signs of his irritation and after being carefully shaved by the veterinarian assistants, the vet recommended a new course of medication to reduce the irritation, reduce the swelling and hopefully remove the infection from the anal gland.

In 2 weeks we shall need to check again if the inflamed area has improved before a possible surgical procedure is considered.

You may be asking yourselves why Magnum, the last dog on the table today, is always the last to be seen. Well, everyone at the clinic is petrified of Magnum and with the obvious obstacle of his big plastic collar on the transportation cage access door, getting him out of the cage is a real nightmare which often turns into a real bun fight and open brawl between the vet staff, trying to prize him out without any flesh getting in the way of his teeth.

Magnum is a real sweetie really, he is a nice guy but it seems that when he is couped up in a cage with that new friend around his neck, grabbing hands and funneled visions & sounds must get to him & push him over the edge. Poor guy.

Well today, once again, his wound has improved, it’s dry and a healthy colour but there is still a a way to go before it could be termed as healed. But it would seem that thanks to daily Metrodinusol tablets (spelling ?? Google doesn’t know about it yet !), the wound now looks better than it has in over 8 months.