Zhar to start special liver diet from Pets Corner

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154257112403535&id=635883534

Surrounded By Santas and Santarinas

Surrounded by Santas and Santarinas - http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/anthony-sb-thanasayan/article/surrounded-by-santas-and-santarinas

Service Dog Recovering From Tick Fever

From Anthony Siva Balan Thanasayan's Facebook: 

CAN SOMEONE please tell the Doberman of the house that he can't have any tuna because he doesn't have tick fever? 

That includes beef frankfurters, half-boiled eggs, non chocolate biscuits, cakes and ice-cream too. 

Moreover, the youngest service dog has an allergy problem to certain foods. 

He is also unhappy that Biman III who is

recovering from the disease gets to sleep near me all the time or under my wheelchair at night. 

The indignant Zhar will just have to learn that before him, there was a Biman III who is a German Shepherd Dog and the latter needs all the attention now. 

Thank you!

Petpostive's Senior Service Dog Biman who contracted tick fever last week is on the slow but sure steps towards full recovery. 

The canine's next blood test will be at Gasing Veterinary Hospital in Petaling Jaya on Friday. The ten year old dog is under the care of chief surgeon Dr Prem Anand and Dr Chong.

Kindly continue to pray for him.  

 PET+BLOGSPOT is the ONLINE BLOG of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association or Petpositive. Our stories are CURRENT, ACCURATE and RELIABLE. We offer both local and foreign news on animals, disability and the elderly. PET+BLOGSPOT was first established in October 2007. Our hits since then are now 250,000 and ever increasing! PET+BLOGSPOT is updated daily. Kindly note that views expressed in PET+BLOGSPOT are not necessarily those of PETPOSITIVE. You may also visit our Webpage by browsing: www.petpositive.org You can also find us in Facebook under PETPOSITIVE EMPOWERMENT. Please sign up as a FOLLOWER of this Blog if you haven't done so already in order to show us your kind support for our work. Thank you!

Zhar Happy, Well And At Home!

One for the album: Dr Adah, Zhar, Thanasayan & Daniel

PETPOSITIVE NEWSFLASH!

DATELINE PETALING JAYA, SELANGOR: 

DOBEACE ZHAR, one of PETPOSITIVE's youngest service dogs is at home this evening after having four stitches removed this afternoon. 

The medical procedure was conducted on the two year old Doberman at Gasing Veterinary Hospital here this afternoon by Dr Adah Jayamalar. 

Zhar's guardian and owner Anthony SB Thanasayan who is also Petpositive's President drove the canine over to the popular animal hospital and was met by volunteers Daniel Thuraisingam and Andrew Martin Anthony in Gasing Indah. 

"Zhar has been an incredibly good patient despite the fact that he had to put up with a medical collar that restricted his movements for all that time," said a smiling Thanasayan to PET+BLOGSPOT this evening. 

"The moment Zhar arrived home, he tried to do a lot of things for me like picking up my drinking bottles to business cards from the floor and passing it to me as if to say 'Thanks for removing that horrible thing off my neck.'" added Thanasayan. 

"But it isn't quite over yet for the Dobie. He will have to have his collar on whilst I'm not around until his wounds heal."

Zhar was spayed 10 days ago chief veterinarian of Gasing Vet Hospital Dr Prem Anand.

Read more about Thanasayan's adventure with Zhar in Wheel Power next Thursday in StarTwo of The Star.

PET+BLOGSPOT is the ONLINE BLOG of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association or Petpositive. Our stories are CURRENT, ACCURATE and RELIABLE. We offer both local and foreign news on animals, disability and the elderly. PET+BLOGSPOT was first established in October 2007. Our hits since then are now 250,000 and ever increasing! PET+BLOGSPOT is updated daily. Kindly note that views expressed in PET+BLOGSPOT are not necessarily those of PETPOSITIVE. You may also visit our Webpage by browsing: www.petpositive.org You can also find us in Facebook under PETPOSITIVE EMPOWERMENT. Please sign up as a FOLLOWER of this Blog if you haven't done so already in order to show us your kind support for our work. Thank you!

Thursday January 24, 2013

Wheel Power: Doggie dearest

WHEEL POWER
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN

Birthday dog: Zhar celebrated his second birthday with a party.

Life has not been the same since a Doberman pup came into the writer’s life two years ago.
DOBE ACE ZHAR, my service dog in training, turned two on Monday. The amazing Doberman was treated to a small but wonderful private party the day before in the very home where the black and rust-coloured pup was born.

The high-tea was attended by some notable guests. They included a couple of local research scientists, a doctor, an engineer and a plumber – all of whom are ardent believers of the power of animal-assisted therapy.

If dogs could only read and talk, there is so much that we, as pet lovers, would like to say to them.
Here’s a letter that I scribbled for Zhar on the eve of his birthday which I would like to share with you. I hope it will give you an insight into how much animals can contribute to the lives of people with disabilities.

Dearest Zhar,

My life simply hasn’t been the same since you came to live with me almost two years ago. It was only after I collected you that I realised we were alone in the car with no able-bodied persons around.
What if the car stalled midway? Or if there was an accident? Or a road bully confronted us?
Excuses like these which kept me at home didn’t work this time. I was so excited about having you come and share my life with me.

You never once judged me, laughed at me or put me down because of my human weaknesses. You accepted me, disabilities and all.

Even now when I am older and markedly slower, you never insist that I hurry up or expect me to move at your lightning pace.

You insist that your kibbles are tastiest when I feed you. And it’s me – not my able-bodied chums – who is your best playmate.

Thank you for retrieving all the things I need like my portable urinal, comb, toothpaste, coins, keys and shoes.

However, I would rather you leave some of my valuables like my watch or my Galaxy Note II alone.
Your antics leave me in stitches, and this is good, especially during times when I am down.
Pressure sores were a nightmare until you came along. Now I can count on you to zero in on any wounds so that I can get them treated immediately.

People look at me differently now whenever I am with you. Gone are the stares of sympathy. Instead, you invite comments like: “Hey, that’s a handsome-looking dog you have there. Did you train him yourself?”

If only they knew the truth, Zhar.

Happy birthday, my wonderful Zhar. Here’s to many, many more joyous adventures with you.

CHECK OUT THE FULL TEXT OF THIS STORY ON PET+BLOGSPOT ON SATURDAY.


PET+BLOGSPOT is the ONLINE BLOG of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association or Petpositive. Our stories are CURRENT, ACCURATE and RELIABLE. We offer both local and foreign news on animals, disability and the elderly. PET+BLOGSPOT was first established in October 2007. Our hits since then are now 150,000 and ever increasing! PET+BLOGSPOT is updated daily. Kindly note that views expressed in PET+BLOGSPOT are not necessarily those of PETPOSITIVE. You may also visit our Webpage by browsing: www.petpositive.com.my You can also find us in Facebook under PETPOSITIVE EMPOWERMENT. Please sign up as a FOLLOWER of this Blog if you haven't done so already in order to show us your kind support for our work. Thank you!

Extraordinary Doctors

MOST people think that ending up in a wheelchair signals the end of the road in life for anybody.

Never believe that for one minute, folks!

Especially when you know that such “precious advice” is coming from Yours Truly - someone who has been sitting in one for almost half a century!

True, life is never easy if you happen to be unable to walk on your two feet like everyone else. And ageing with disability further complicates matters.

However, with some help from some truly godsend – and in my case, extraordinary people – quite a few seemingly insurmountable tasks can be successfully overcome.

Last week, it was Zhar’s turn in my company of service dogs (SDs) to get his annual vaccination booster.

At 16-months of age, the novice Doberman candidate was more than due for his shots.

However, the trouble was: How does one get a more than 40kg Doberman that is petrified about needles to go to the veterinary clinic?

And what happens after you get there? Who’s going to get your monstrous pet and wheelchair out of the car and into the clinic?

I tried calling up all my dog-friendly pals that I could think of but they were all working at that time.

Just when I was about to give up hope, a most unexpected individual offered to help by getting out of his workplace at the nick of time and meet me at the vet’s. 

But back home there was still the humungous task of getting a highly suspicious and reluctant Dobie into the car.

Fortunately for me, Zhar, as an assistance dog is trained to accompany me anywhere.

Though admittedly, this time, I had to be a little naughty and trick him into thinking that our trip was nothing but an innocent car ride.  

This meant I had to hide anything and everything in the car that showed signs and traces of a vet visit – like a muzzle, bandages or medicines.

We followed all the normal procedures.

Zhar got out of his crate in my room and gently walked by the side of my wheelchair as I switched off the lights, locked my door and gate before getting into my car.

Incidentally, the super dog is trained to pick up anything that dropped along the way such as my keys, pouch and even his leash or collar – which he did.  

It wasn’t until the very last minute to the vet when I pulled over to the side of the road. This was to place the muzzle on my still unsuspecting Doberman.

At the clinic, my volunteer was already waiting.

Dr S R Dev, my physician – who also bred Zhar and gave him to me to be trained as a SD – helped to get him out of the backseat of the car and into the vet.      

The boys were out in no time after the shot.

Zhar leapt into the car with a huge relief.

And Dr Dev, without waiting for any word of thanks, just smiled and waved, before he drove back home as if this was a sort of a routine thing he did outside his medical hours.

As I drove Zhar home, I also recalled another experience of incredible kindness by another doctor – this time a dentist - just two days earlier.

Help isn’t always easy to find especially when you live alone. Wheelchair accessibility is also another real problem when you decide to visit any place.

I managed to get my law student pal A Kumaresh for a couple of hours for a haircut that I needed badly.

The obvious choice was to go to Mid Valley Megamall.

I also needed my teeth done too. Since the haircut salon and the dentist (Pristine Dental Centre) was opposite to each other, I called Dr Suresh Nair to see if he could fit me in.

Although it was barely a 24-hours notice, Dr Suresh and his team of assistants did not shun me off.

Instead they worked feverishly to fit me in at the time that I was visiting the hairstylist.

They did this because they realised how difficult it was for people in wheelchairs to get around.

When I got there, even though Dr Suresh already had patients waiting their turn, he treated me as if he had all the time in the world.

Not only that, he treated me whilst I sat in my wheelchair.

Dr Suresh understood the difficulty that many wheelchair users - depending on their levels of paralysis – often found in trying to get into the dental chair.

The lack of support bars positioned at the correct angle for wheelchair users make transfers to the dental chair difficult, if not sometimes even dangerous if there is a fall.

I was glad to get my two teeth filled. Another session for a third procedure is to be held anytime on my next visit to the mall.

I felt incredibly blessed by these special volunteers who touched my life last week.

I wish there were simply more of such people who would rush out selflessly and do something extraordinary for a disabled person when they need it the most.    

THE END

PET+BLOGSPOT is the ONLINE BLOG of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association or Petpositive. Our stories are CURRENT, ACCURATE and RELIABLE. We offer both local and foreign news on animals, disability and the elderly. PET+BLOGSPOT was first established in October 2007. Our hits since then are now 150,000 and ever increasing! PET+BLOGSPOT is updated daily. Kindly note that views expressed in PET+BLOGSPOT are not necessarily those of PETPOSITIVE. You may also visit our Webpage by browsing: www.petpositive.com.my You can also find us in Facebook under PETPOSITIVE EMPOWERMENT. Please sign up as a FOLLOWER of this Blog if you haven't done so already in order to show us your kind support for our work. Thank you!

Terrific Tails To Tell

THERE is plenty of laughter and happiness nowadays in one of the most popular disabled training outfits in Rawang, Selangor, called the Independent Living and Training Centre (ILTC).

And it is no secret as to who is creating all the smiles.

It’s the latest “member” to join in the self help disabled organisation situated in the quiet neighbourhood of Taman Garing.

It’s not a disabled person – but a dog.

Meet Toto - a bright and spunky three-month old mongrel that was rescued recently from the streets in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

“When Toto came into our lives a couple of months ago, it was like a dream come true not only for my husband and I, but for all the half dozen physically disabled residents in our home,” says Gurdip Kaur known also as Rina who serves as secretary of the ILTC.

“Toto has brought back all the fond memories of our previous service dog Dusty the Golden Retriever who died two years ago,” adds Rina who has been using a wheelchair for nearly two decades.  

Rina spotted a picture of Toto on an Internet dog adoption list and immediately fell in love with the pup.

She wasted no time in getting her tetraplegic husband Francis Siva – paralysed for 25 years – to drive all the way from Rawang to Subang Jaya. It was a journey that took more than a 100 kilometres to and back - just to bring Toto safely into his new home.

Today, there is no part of ILTC that Toto doesn’t light up each time he enters a room. He loves all the residents.

Their wheelchairs and walking sticks are no obstacles to him in getting close enough to them to give them a “happy new day” lick on their hands or faces. 

“It was so exciting to go shopping for Toto to get his food and proper utensils that go along with it,” Rina recalls.

“It sure beats just sitting around and thinking about our disabilities and our problems,” she adds.

However, the part Rina enjoys the most is how the marvellous mongrel has bonded with her so quickly. 

Toto loves to cuddle up with the couple in bed before he retires in his crate for the night in their bedroom.

Toto relishes his baths because he knows he has to “look good” to welcome visitors to the centre.

And when the time comes for him to attend to the calls of nature, Toto just communicates to the couple through a whine and they get the message.

Toto never leaves Rina alone for one minute. He follows her wheelchair everywhere and even loves sleeping under it at every opportunity.

Both Siva and Rina say they can’t recall when they have been happier over the past two years until Toto came into their lives.

“Our little boy just gives us the ‘oomph’ to carry on each day.” They smile. 

The young puppy will soon be enrolling into class with the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association to become a therapy-cum-service dog graduate for its wheelchair-using and loving guardians.

And that will be another tale to tell for another day.

Meanwhile, Zhar my latest service canine candidate turned 15-months old a few weeks ago.

This is the ideal age to start intensive training and the Doberman has been passing his marks with flying colours.

His ability to pick up a variety of objects and bring them to me has even surpassed that of my previous Golden Retriever that died last year of old age. 

The young Dobie refuses to sit still. Whether it is in the bedroom or the bathroom, Zhar is ever-ready to serve.

And the tailless wonder is a great help during car rides too.    

Zhar is the perfect four-legged assistant to leap out from the backseat to the front and get to objects from hard-to-reach places in the car.

Last week the incredibly large Doberman managed to contort his body in order to retrieve a mineral water bottle that strayed into the corner end of the floor of the passenger seat.

He can also pick up anything, from two-litre water bottles to delicate items such as combs, coins and business cards from the floor and bring them over to me.

However, the part that is most helpful about my Doberman-assistant is his patience when it comes to my wheelchair – which even puts some human helpers to shame.

Zhar will sit like a rock by my side when I do transfers like getting from my bed to my wheelchair and in and out of my car.

It’s as if he perfectly understands these critical moments of my life where if I fall, I could break it by falling on him and escape injury.   

With a completely caring canine companion like Zhar to help me along, no one could ask for a better friend in life!  

THE END

PET+BLOGSPOT is the ONLINE BLOG of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association or Petpositive. Our stories are CURRENT, ACCURATE and RELIABLE. We offer both local and foreign news on animals, disability and the elderly. PET+BLOGSPOT was first established in October 2007. Our hits since then are now 150,000 and ever increasing! PET+BLOGSPOT is updated daily. Kindly note that views expressed in PET+BLOGSPOT are not necessarily those of PETPOSITIVE. You may also visit our Webpage by browsing: www.petpositive.com.my You can also find us in Facebook under PETPOSITIVE EMPOWERMENT. Please sign up as a FOLLOWER of this Blog if you haven't done so already in order to show us your kind support for our work. Thank you!