The PAOs Maintainance: December 2012

This is a post long overdue. I had it typed out a week ago but for some strange reason I didn't want to post it out. December 2012 was also the month where we ( both me and Teh Pao) spent without having Dao Sah Pao with us. I can still feel the emptiness somewhere inside me, and shall do a brief write up on what actually happened to serve as a reminder to myself.

Monthly Average for the Pao's expenses as per December 2012:
Food: RM167
Treat: N/A
Veterinary and Medical: RM50
Accessories and Miscellany: N/A

TOTAL MONTHLY EXPENSES: RM217.00

Quater of cow's heart for early breakfast

Lost month I spent more than 50% extra on my average budget while giving home cooked and raw to Teh Pao. It was necessary, since I had to head back to my hometown to help my dad with his business ( and took the opportunity to visit Dao Sah Pao). Generally I spent extra RM98 with the purchase of two bags of kibbles which were put on clearance sales since it was year end, and also because those two bags are near expiry. I opened Acana first, and Teh Pao had no issues eating it, but because the expiry is in early February 2013, so when I left for my hometown, I took that bag of Acana along with me to be given to Dao Sah Pao. Teh Pao had Addiction Venison during my absence, and according to my younger brother, she didn't like it as much as Acana but nonetheless she ate her food. I still have 85% of the 1.8kg bag of Addiction Venison with my, expiring by mid of June. Well, I suppose I should be able to finish it in a month or two time. As for fresh food, I bought some really fresh ( not frozen) cow's heart and got some trachea FOC in my hometown from local butcher. According to the butcher, I'm one of the very few Chinese who buys beef or beef related products, and most of his customers are local Muslims; usually they don't consume trachea and other parts except for lungs and heart. Well, I suppose that's the difference in culture between a city where everyone will try their very best to utilize everything to earn a little extra here and there, and a small town where they supply and had the varieties of choices to choose from. We get along very well, and the butcher agreed to keep those trachea for me with a minimal cost of RM1 for each bag ( depending on how many cows he slaughter for that week) provided I buy a minimum amount of RM20 from his stall, including those internal organs at a minimal cost ( and he's going to charge me RM0.10 for each organs which human usually don't buy, ie kidney, pancreas..etc! How cheap can it be?!). Generally I didn't spend much on buying any source of fiber for Teh Pao except for those regular bags of carrots which cost RM2.50 per bag, and some freshly slaughter chicken and other protein from local wet market at a reasonable price. 

 Pumpkin soup with chicken and rice in it for a rainy night.

I got more zucchinis and a large pumpkin from my dad's oil palm nursery, those foreign workers there planted so much of food to the extend of leaving those fresh veggies to rot because they can't consume fast enough, and they told me to help myself to whatever I want. These are organic by the way, planted in thick piles of cow dungs, scooped up from the roadside connecting the nursery to the nearby cattle field. My dad sponsored some fish oil because he bought too many when he was in Australia, and they all expire at the same time - November 2013. So I had three huge bottle of of fish oil containing 1500 capsules each for everyone at home, so I'm giving Teh Pao one capsule twice a week for a start ( she didn't like it though). 

I didn't spend any on treats because I made my own from whatever food source I had. Taking those trachea for example, Teh Pao had it raw as her main menu, but sometimes I cut off an inch or two here and there when preparing a right portion for her meal, so I'm left with a little of this and that by end of the day. I didn't want to be wasteful so I usually chuck those trimmed off meat with small amount of fats, slices of trachea and even liver into the oven, or on lazy days, I just give 'em a quick boil, turning those leftovers into yummy treats for Teh Pao. Medical wise, I bought a box of Heartgard Green which will last us until June 2013, except for the annual booster ( required by law) which is coming up in April, I guess I won't be spending much for medical unless necessary *touchwood*.

Story on why I had to send Dao Sah Pao away

After the first month Dao Sah Pao joined my family, she got along well with Teh Pao. For some strange reason which I cannot understand, she was so frustrated and that resulted in chewing; from shoes to shoe racks, car tyre, flower pots... basically anything. What I think was appropriate that time, was to arrange for a dog trainer to come over for private sessions, to correct her misconduct and lead her to channel it in a more appropriate direction. When things started to improve a little, another problem pop up, Dao Sah Pao started to dash out of the gate, destroying fences in between mine and neighbor's house, so that she could run out and play with strays outside. My family did what we could do at that time, was to have someone holding and distracting her while the others reverse the car out from the front porch. In the event my mum had to go out and nobody's at home to help her, then she'll leash up Dao Sah Pao while she get out, parked the car, get back in to release her before leaving home. We thought that was the best solution while we worked on to direct her frustration and excessive energy with more walking trip and a longer distance. Things didn't work out perfectly, but it was improving.

It was towards the end of November 2012, me and my family went out for early dinner and one of the neighbor nearby threw a party of some sort and had a lot of visitors over with their cars parking along the road, including in front of my house. So both the PAOs did what a normal dog would do, they went and barked at those strangers. Two kids came over to teased the PAOs with empty plastic bottles, hitting them as they barked, threw sticks and pebbles into my house ( which I believed they aimed for the PAOs). According to my immediate neighbor who saw the entire incident, he said he told the kids to leave my dogs alone, and they wouldn't listen, so he called the PAOs and offered food to distract them. Then one of the kid decided to be an asshole, took a long stick trying to hit the PAOs but it wasn't long enough, so he put his hand through the gate and start swinging sideways, hoping to hit "something". My immediate neighbor said he yelled at those kids, and both the PAOs reacted to that yelling by charging at their direction - towards the gate. Both my dogs and those kids were separated by a metal gate. They screamed and ran off. According to my neighbor, he said he didn't see any of my dogs biting anyone, both the PAOs didn't even manage to get to the edge of the gate because that idiotic boy was swinging and trying to hit my dogs, and the PAOs ducked as they barked.

* NOW, before anyone starts to judge anything, please continue reading*

That evening when we came home, the host of the party ( lets call him K), uncle to those kids came over and demanded us to compensate for medical bill, and have both my dogs PTS. I didn't know what happened that time, so I asked him if it is possible for me to have a look at that so called bite wound, and medical report if any. K was very reluctant at first, then he obliged after my immediate neighbor ( Mr. L) came out and tell the story, so K took that little boy over and showed me that "bite wound" which doesn't even look like one, and that boy kept insisting that one of the PAOs bit him ( when asked to identify which one, he pointed first at The Pao, then later Dao Sah Pao). It was a long stretch of red mark along his little hand which looks more like he scratched himself on the metal fence. I raised my doubts, and K started to shouts and yelled at me, so I suggested why not we go to nearby clinic and get the doctor to inspect the wound, and see whether a medical practitioner is able to point that our as a dog bite wound. K refused my offer and insisted for compensation. I didn't pay a single cent that time, and challenged him to go for a medical check up, and if he wanted to, make an official complain against me as the dog owner then we can sort things out in civilized manner. I think that was more like black mailing instead. After that K didn't cause any more trouble so I thought maybe he figured out it was purely a misunderstanding after he cool down and manage to clear his mind.

Exactly 3 days down the road, we had a repairman over to fix the autogate, while he was testing the autogate, Dao Sah Pao dashed out suddenly and K took a video of that. He went and file a complain to the local authority, and a police report claiming that I let my vicious dog out without lease, endangering public safety, and claimed that his nephew was bitten by my vicious dog couple of days back. To cut the story short, officers came for an interview and a check, spoke to us and adviced us to send Dao Sah Pao away not because of her running out, but because of K having a good relationship with someone important enough to cause more trouble and harm, and he was obliged to carry out his order, one way or the other. In the best interest for both the PAOs, I had to make the painful decision of sending her off to my father's oil palm nursery.

Dao Sah Pao, the modern Goddess of Athena

During my visits, Dao Sah Pao looks much happier running along with the few other dogs. According to the Indon worker who lived in the nursery, there is no destructive behavior and served a good patrol companion when he goes around checking edges and fix fences. Up till today, I'm not sure whether it is the best choice to actually send Dao Sah Pao off, or what will happen if I decided to challenge the local authority. The only thing I'm glad is Dao Sah Pao doesn't look miserable or starved. I still longed to have her around with me, and Teh Pao had to be the one to cope with the sudden loss of companion.