Category: Animals & Wildlife

Riot is a Belgian Shepherd just like Geo. He is 9 months old (Geo is still 5) and very well trained. I have been talking to the owner and I am hoping to finally move my ass and start training Geo.

Check out this video of Riot being very cute. [Link]

If anyone is interested in getting a puppy or kitten then I would recommend checking with PAWS. They have a lot of cute dogs and kittens that need homes and you can check and see whats available by checking their gallery on their website. [Link]

I posted about the “My Puppy” store back in November and I talked about how the store was animal cruel locking the dogs and cats up in tiny stinky cages with very little room to move. Well TwaiF a regular reader of the blog had an experience with the place he she would like to share with everyone:

Last week I got a cute white kitten for my freinds birthday from the “My Puppy” shop. The shop smells like shit and there was no electricity or air conditioning. I saw this little cute kitten in a dirty cage and I couldn’t leave her there in that stinky shop so I took her with me for KD70. Guess what? Today she passed away!! She hadn’t been eating and when we took her to the vet the Dr said that she was too small to be taken away from her mother. She was 2 months old according to the My Puppy shop keeper although we now think she was a lot smaller. I called the guy who owns “My Puppy” and told him what had happened and he replied telling me that it was my fault becouse of the weather she passed away! I hope Mark you write about this stupid shop and how dirty it is and how cruel the owner is to the animals. -TwaiF

I think local organizations like PAWS or local vets should do something about this place. Its sickening.

Update: extinct.dodo another reader had a similar experience which makes you wonder how many people have purchased puppies and kittens from that store only to have them die on them??

I bought a puppy from that place last year for KD250, and it died less than 2 weeks later..

What I did was that I took my pup to the vet, got papers to prove that the dog was terminally ill (distemper) and went back to the shop. Although they wouldn’t give me my money back, they did however get me another dog, although by that time I was emotionally devastated over my sweet baby pup that I’d gotten so attached to in the days that it had been with me.

Update 2: I emailed PAWS today morning about the above and this is what they just replied:

Hi Mark, I don’t know if you’ve seen today’s press coverage (Arab Times and Daily Star) on WSPA’s visit to Kuwait. Coincidentally the reps from World Society for the Protection of Animals visited My Puppy just yesterday with officials from PAAF and our PAWS Chairperson. Though meeting no international humane pet shop regulations whatsoever, they did not actually witness the worst of what WE (PAWS and you) know goes on at this place.

Please be assured that WSPA and PAWS are working with the ministry of animal health to enforce current legislation and bring in new laws regarding pet shop regulations and standards. Sadly, these won’t happen overnight. We will report your findings to both WSPA and PAAF and ask them to send regular inspection teams.

Please keep the reports coming in….they are very useful and will be acted upon in due course if not immediately.

We also took the WSPA officials to Little Jungle…..words fail me, but please, please use the power of your blog to report on the horrendous conditions which exist at this so called ‘fun family’ spot…..It’s off the 207 from the Fahaheel Express way and if you haven’t visited….do so, at least once…it might make My Puppy look like an ok sort of place,

Best regards, and use that Blog to keep animal welfare issues front and centre, PLEASE!

Barbara
for PAWS

Seems like I need to pass by Little Jungle and check out how bad it is. If its worse then My Puppy then thats some scary stuff…

Dogs can not get salmonella from raw chicken. A dog’s stomach is much more acidic than ours, so they have a lot more protection.

I just uploaded the video from Fridays dog show to YouTube.
You can check it out on YouTube [Link]

Yesterday I went to the first dog show ever held in Kuwait which was organized by PAWS. The event took place in the British Embassy gardens from 2 to 6PM and it was open to everyone even if you didn’t have a dog just as long as you signed up ahead of time and paid the KD2 entrance fee. The weather was perfect a lot of sun and a little cold breeze.

The British embassy is really nice and their garden is huge. There were a lot of stands selling stuff from used books and dvds to sandwiches and and soft drinks. It was Geo’s first time out to a public place since the me stepping on his leg incident over a month ago so he was very excited to be out surrounded by other dogs and children. I have to say Geo must have been the most playful and friendliest dog there. Their were other friendly dogs at the event but all of them at one point or another got upset by another dog or person and tried to attack/bite or bark back. Geo on the other hand never got upset with anyone.. even the dogs who tried to bite him.

There were easily around 40 to 50 dogs at the event yesterday if not more. You had a lot of good-looking dogs like my favorite which was a Sheepdog and you also had some previously rescued dogs that were mostly mutts. Speaking of rescued dogs, there were a couple of puppies during the event that were wearing “Adopt Me” bandanas, they were puppies and dogs that didn’t have homes and could be adopted by anyone interested in them. Geo had a lot of fun playing with two of them, actually as usual, Geo runs and jumps up and down by himself thinking he is playing with the dogs but they actually just sit there and watch him.

The events were fun to watch, Geo of course as I mentioned yesterday came in second place in the Best Puppy category, the puppy that came first was a German Shepherd and Husky mix and looked really cute. Maybe if Geo was 2 months younger he would have had a better chance at getting first place but yesterday he looked oversized compared to the other puppies. I didn’t get a decent picture of the puppy that came in first but I was checking the PAWS website and I found the puppies picture there, his name is Bear and he in the one on the right [Picture].

The US ARMY K9 unit was there and performed a fun show for everyone. I will talk about that in more detail once I post the video of their show maybe later on today or tomorrow. Anyway overall it was a really fun event and I would for sure participate again next year. I got to meet two Kuwait bloggers at the event, Stallion and iDip, they turned out to be a lot different then I expected them to be.. in a good way of course. I also met 3 readers of the blog, which is always a nice experience. I had a lot of fun and it was really exhausting for everyone but definitely a lot of fun. Check out the pictures from the event. [Pictures]

If you are interested in adopting a dog then check out the PAWS website, they have pictures and information on all the dogs they have available. [Link]

Today is the last day for the Camel races since they stop racing in the summer. The AWARE Center is arranging a final trip to the racing club in Kabad today. You can join them and take photos with the camels, and if time permits ride them. They will be meeting at the club at 2PM. Maps will be provided and admission to the club is free.

Date: Thursday, April 6
Time: 2pm

I was trying to find out if carrots were healthy for Geo our dog and I found the following list helpful and interesting.

* Apples (they contain potassium, which stimulates the immune system, and pepsin, which helps the stomach)
* Broccoli (rich in vitamins)
* Carrots (rich in vitamins, great treats to substitute for biscuits)
* Cabbage (rich in vitamins, good for digestive system and skin)
* Cucumber (good for teeth and bones due to potassium content; can combine with carrots to promote a healthy liver and kidneys; in juice form, a good diuretic … peel cucumbers unless organically grown)
* Celery (chopped or juiced; can help with arthritis)
* Garlic (removes waste from blood, can help repel fleas; use fresh garlic finely minced)
* Green beans (lightly steamed; healthy and low-cal treat)
* Parsley (can reduce allergy symptoms and aid kidney function; chop finely or boil parsley and add the juice over food)
* Kale (rich in antioxidants and can help reduce allergy symptoms)
* Spinach (very healthy; serve chopped)
* Bananas (in small quantity; a coveted treat)
* Olive oil (a tablespoon a day is good for skin and fur)

* Preparation suggestions: Many veggies can be served raw, lightly steamed or in juice form. For most vegetables such as broccoli and carrots, it is far better to steam them instead of serving raw for improved digestibility and nutritional value. Also, since dogs have small digestive tracts, you can puree vegetables to enable your pet to digest more. If you use canned vegetables, get the salt-free kinds.

* Organically grown benefits: Due to their smaller size and more compact body systems, pets can be more prone to the toxic effects of pesticide contamination than are people. So it is best to feed them produce that is organically certified, which also has higher nutritional value for everyone.

[source]

Just got the dog show forms and they are scanned and attached to this post. Here are the details of the event again.

Event: First Dog Show in Kuwait
Date and Time: Friday April 7th, 2-6PM
Location: British Embassy Gardens
“Join us for a great day out with bric-a-brac stalls, face-painting, fun competitions & great raffle prizes!”

Admission Form Front
Admission Form Back

Note: You don’t need a dog to join in the fun!

We will be entering Geo in the “Most Adorable Dog” and “Best Puppy” categories.

I had to take Geo to the vet again today. Since he has been using his injured hand as a weapon, hitting everything in his way with it, the plastic stick inside (the spoon) shifted positions and I got worried this would disturb the healing process. So, I went to the vet, I took the BMW this time since driving all the way there in the Wrangler is a very slow process and takes around 25 minutes. In the BMW, I was driving an average speed of around 140-160 and even managed to hit 190km/h in one place so I got to the vet in 15 minutes from Salmiya. It doesn’t feel like a long trip anymore. The vet fixed his leg again and now I have to keep an eye on him to make sure he stops hitting stuff with it.

After stepping on Geo last night I was hoping by today morning he would be ok, well, he wasn’t. He was still limping in the morning so me and Nat decided to take him to the International Veterinary Hospital. We arrived there at 8:30AM to a beautiful sight of around a dozen dogs with a dozen handlers all lined up outside the place doing some training. We later found out these dogs were mostly used for narcotic and bomb detection, really cool. We continued going in and asked to see the Vet, after waiting for a while outside on the green grass we were called in. Our usual vet only comes in during the afternoon so today we had another Italian vet except this time it was a woman. She did some physical tests on Geo and recommended we take some Xrays just to be safe. Good thing we did because it turned out he fractured bones. Now geo has something like a cast around his leg and he is going to have to be in it for up to 3 weeks depending on how fast he will get healed. The vet was very nice and although Geo looks like a dork now with his one green leg I am really glad he is going to be ok. I am going to hopefully get 10 days off work so I could be with him at home. I feel really guilty for what I did and even though he loves to runaround and play its not going to be possible until his leg heals. The vet told us he is lucky he is still a puppy because they heal a lot quicker. She gave us some calcium pills and told us to give him a lot of cheese to help speed up the healing process. The whole thing cost us only KD34 which is pretty decent and now Geo is sleeping in the living room while I am watching the Discovery Channel. I am sorry Geo!!

While running with our dog Geo on the beach I accidentally stepped on him! I was wearing my heavy timberland boots and I accidentally stepped on his front right foot. Geo started screaming in pain and I just went down on my knees and started hugging him. Fadibou was there with his dog Miki and that helped Geo forget about the pain a bit. While there we called the International Veterinary Hospital because according to their brochure they are open 24 hours a day in case of emergency, well thats bullshit. They told me I couldn’t bring Geo in because they were closed and I would instead have to bring him in tomorrow morning. What the fuck is that load of crap. If I get into an accident I go to the hospital right away, I don’t wait till the next day. Why do dogs have to wait till the next day?? I need to find a new fucking vet, they really pissed me off. Geo is back home now I don’t think his foot is broken but he is threading on it very lightly and is very quiet and sad. I think he is in shock from the incident and is really exhausted. I also think he might have either fractured his foot or sprained it. If by tomorrow morning he is still not stepping on his foot I am going to take him to the vet. It really sucks and I am really fucking clumsy.

I just found this website called Q8 Beasts and according to the description on the website its “The Only Free Home Delivery Online Dog Store In Kuwait”. I checked their products list and they don’t have a lot of items plus the fact that they are calling dogs “beasts” kinda puts me off. The background music is also pretty out of place considering this is an online dog store and not a music shop. Anyway here is the link to see what I am talking about. [Link]

Since we got our pet dog Geo we have been neglecting our Hamster Zero. Geo is taking up all our time and we haven’t been paying any attention to Zero and this is why we have decided to find Zero a new and better home. Zero is a female and she spends most of her time sleeping. Hamsters sleep during the daytime and come out to play at night which is perfect for people who have a job. Zero doesn’t make any sound and taking care of her is really easy. We will be giving Zero away with her two cages (which you can connect together) and all its accessories as seen in the picture above. We will also be giving a maze which you can attach to the cage if you have enough room. You will also get a large ball you can put the hamster in and he can run around your living room safely in it. Finally you will also get around 3 large bags of pet bedding (cedar wood chips) and some hamster food. All this for free but on the conidition you will take good care of Zero. If anyone here is looking for a very playful and friendly hamster then leave a comment below and I will contact you.

Thursday afternoon I drove all the way to Ahmadi so that I could take Geo our pet dog to the International Veterinary Hospital. I read from peoples comments on my site that IVH was the best veterinary hospital in Kuwait and I now believe that to be true.

I used to take our previous family dog to the vet in Shuwaikh near the Friday Market. That place was really dirty and I never felt comfortable there neither did my dog. But then again my dog never felt comfortable leaving the house and he “hated” strangers. Still, when my dog got sick that hospital really didn’t do anything and we finally had to put our dog to sleep. Since I didn’t want the same thing to happen to Geo I decided to take him to the best vet in Kuwait and all signs pointed to IVH.

Driving out to Ahmadi from my home in Salmiya took 30 minutes. The map on their website was very easy to follow and we never got lost. When we arrived to the hospital it was like arriving to a ranch in Arizona or somewhere in the Australian outback, it didn’t look anything like your usual Kuwait. To get to the hospital you have to drive off the main road down a paved path surrounded by desert bushes on the side and very little if any buildings around. You then come in through a large gate where you find two signs, one pointing to the emergency entrance and the other towards the visitors parking. We parked in the very clean and very spaced out parking lot and walked towards the main hospital building. I couldn’t believe how gorgeous the place was, there was green grass everywhere, large palm trees, no trash and everything looked really good, better then our hospitals!

We walked into the hospital and told the employees that we had an appointment and then we took a seat while we waited for our turn. The waiting room was very cozy, the benches had cushions on them and their were tons of magazines to read. Their were 4 other dogs in the waiting room with us, 3 labrador puppies and one Japanese breed. Geo spent most of his time playing with the Japanese dog which was very cute. When Geo finally got bored we took him back outside to play on the grass where he met another dog and started to play with him. Finally around 15 minutes later it was our turn to go in.

The vet was a very nice friendly guy and Geo ended up liking him a lot. When the vet asked us what we were feeding the dog, we told him raw meat… to our surprise the vet didn’t try to convince us it was not good for him like most vets would do. Instead, he turned out to know about the raw meat diet and how its the best diet for Geo. He started asking us if Geo was getting all his vitamins and proteins and what else we were feeding him. We told him we were also giving Geo raw eggs twice a week, One large yogurt spoon twice a week and brown toast with honey once a week. We also told him Geo wasn’t getting any Vitamin A or B since he wasn’t eating any of his vegetables, so he gave us some vitamins to give to Geo once a day until he started eating his vegetables. The vet then started asking us questions about how we were treating him and how the toilet training was going and he started giving us advice and tips which we already new about. And thats what I liked about the vet, he was telling me stuff I already knew, but the thing is I had to research my ass off to find out and learn all this stuff from various websites, breeders and people with different opinions. Its not stuff you learn at vet school but stuff you learn with experience after years of raising dogs yourself and this vet knew all the best methods and techniques and that gave me a lot of confidence in him. My previous dogs vet never asked me any thing and never gave me any kind of tips. This vet on the other hand was giving me a lot of tips and telling me all the right stuff. He’s amazing, he knows what he is talking about and I could have a decent conversation with him about my dog. We told the vet we wanted to start Geo on worming and he agreed and gave him the medicine. Finally we were done and we walked out thanking the vet. Our bill? KD12.500 and that included KD7 for the visit, KD1 for the worming medicine and KD4.5 for the vitamins. Not bad at all. I scanned the full price list and I have it linked at the end of this post for those of you that are interested.

Once we left the vets office we decided to walk around outside and discover the hospital more. We past by their pet shop which was pretty cool and had a ton of stuff. We also past by the agility course which looked like something Geo would really enjoy once he grows up. Finally we let Geo run around a bit on the grass before we decided to head back home.

I was really impressed with the hospital and I feel a lot more better knowing something like that exists in Kuwait. The only downside to the place is the location but I couldn’t find anything else and thats why I am going to give this hospital a 4.5 out of 5.

Click here to view pictures of the hospital
Click here to view the prices at the hospital
Click here for the IVH website