Kess is 13 and it shows...

Kess turned 13 last month. See how she has aged. In her earlier photos, her brown and black coat is distinct, and her muscles are strong and defined. Now, her coat has turned whiter, her neck sags and her hind legs muscles have turned soft.

But you know what hasn't changed in her thirteen years? Kess' nature is still as sweet as ever. She is still our shadow, trailing us around the house as we go about our chores and she still loves to EAT, scavenging for food on the kitchen floor, on our walks, in the garden... Typical beagle!

Following birthday tradition in our household, Kess got a special treat on her birthday. This year Kess and Mia got roasted meatballs and bread served on a bed of regular kibbles.

But that's not all, grandpa had sent some money for treats for his two favorite beagles, so as result, the birthday celebration extended beyond the actual day with some yummy venison treats. Kess wasn't happy that she had to wait whilst her photo was taken with the treat so close yet so far...

But she was one happy beagle when she finally got her venison tendon treat!

To top off the awesome celebration, Aunty E was visiting us and decided to make a treat for the hot summer days - frozen yoghurt, peanut butter and bananas doggie ice cream. Needless to say, Kess and Mia thought it was Christmas and birthday rolled into one! All it took Kess was one gulp to gobble the icy treat.

After that, it was time for play as Mia and her went for a round of doggie sumo wrestling. Happy Birthday my sweet girl!

 

First Mia, then Kess

From the desk of Kess' mama:

In the last 2 months, both our beagles have undergone surgery. Mia went first as we had decided to get her spayed after we took her to the vet for a check-up. We are aware of the benefits of spaying a female dog - reduction of risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancer, as well as reduction of risk of unwanted pregnancy. Kess was also spayed, so it made sense to spay Mia too.

Mia was rather disoriented post-surgery, which is normal.

 

She did not like her buster collar, which was normal too as it got in the way of walking, sniffing, eating and playing. Plus she kept bumping into Kess each time she tried to play with her big sis, which Kess did not like...Thankfully, it did not stop her from enjoying a lie in the sun.

After a week, Mia was recovering beautifully and we we were able to remove her buster collar, which was a great relief to Mia (and us) and life was back to normal again for our happy-go-lucky beagle pup.

 

Next, it was Kess' turn. As Kess grew older, she started having lumps. A few years back, she had a wart-like lump on her left hip. We had it checked out by Kess' vet in Malaysia and at that time, it was not deemed to be a concern. It did however grow larger over the years. Earlier this year, we noticed two lumps, one near her left eye and one on the top of her head. Again, we got it checked out by Kess' vet in Hong Kong and at that time it was still quite small and not deemed to be a risk. However, the lump on her head got aggravated as Kess and Mia had their doggie sumo wrestling, as I like to call it. Mia would usually initiate their play/fight/wrestle and both dogs would head-butt, nip and chase each other around.

This sometimes result in bleeding, and then it would scab as the wound healed but it would occur again when they played next. Since the lump had increased in size, we consulted the vet again and decided to go for surgery to remove all 3 lumps. It was a tough decision due to Kess' age, and let's face it, nobody likes putting their dog through surgery. But it was the right thing to do.

I have to admit I was shocked when I picked up Kess post-surgery yesterday. Unlike Mia's spaying procedure which is on the belly, Kess' stitches were very visible as they were on her head, face and hip area. The cuts and stiches were also longer than I had anticipated, which looked worse because her fur was shaved around those areas. She looked like a patch up doll - my poor Kess. The upside was that she was full of energy, grabbing onto her leash, eager to go home. In the car, she knocked out and pretty much slept the entire journey home. Once home, she was hungry and wanted her dinner - she had to fast before the surgery and missed out on her breakfast. We were only supposed to feed her half her normal meal at 8pm but she was so hungry that we relented and gave her meal at 6 pm. She was still hungry after her half portion, that we gave her the other half since she did not seem to have any problem with keeping her food down. Anyway, the fact that she had her appetite was a good sign.

 This morning, Kess woke up early - because she was hungry! Typical beagle. She seems to be back to normal and is able to go for walks. We try to keep Mia from disturbing Kess too much. Mia misses her play mate! Kess' stitches looks less red today. Similar to Mia, we take pictures of Kess' stitches each day so that we can compare the recovery progress daily. Kess' lumps have been sent to be tested for cancer and we will know the results in about 4 weeks time. We pray that all will be well with our dear old beagle.

 

Kess got mail

This came in the post today. It was addressed to my human but look at whose name it was attentioned to - me, Kess!

 

The HK SPCA sent me the annual vaccination reminder...Sigh...Visiting the vet is not on my list of favourite things (no offence, Dr. Nic). But my humans say it's a necessary evil. Last year, after my annual visit to the vet, I ended up having to go for dental surgery to get my teeth cleaned and checked. Whilst I was going for surgery, I also got blood tests done. Thankfully, I was given a clean bill of health. Hopefully, there won't be any nasty surprises after this year's visit to the vet.

 

Admittedly, in the last year, this 11-year old beagle has slowed down quite a fair bit. Before, I used to be able to bound up steps with no problem. Now, I actually have to take one step at a time. In fact, my humans sometimes carry me up and down whenever we come across steps on our walks. My distances have also reduced. In fact, I sometimes worry my human on our daily walks at Bowen Road when I stop, look at her and then make a U-turn to signal my desire to go home, way before our normal turning point. But when we go on the trails, I could go on and on and on. My humans have to make the executive decision to turn back, despite this beagle's protest, as they realize that I may not be able to take the distance.

Apart from the slow steps climbing and shorter distances, with the old age, I've started to develop little nicks and lumps. When my humans first detected the little lump on the top of my head and the nick near my eye which didn't heal, they took me to the vet. However, it's too small for any biopsy to be carried out. I guess I'll have to see what Dr Nic says this visit. Age is definitely catching up. One good thing though, I haven't lost my appetite ;-)

A New Grass Patch for Summer

 The effects of dog pee on grass is pretty potent! My little 3 by 4 ft balcony grass patch was starting to look and smell bad after about 9 months, which is not surprising considering the potency of dog pee. So a couple of months back, my humans decided it was time to replant a new batch. They first had to dig up the old patch, which was not a very pleasant job.

It took them a while to get a new batch of grass replanted. The nursery said to wait until the start of summer so that they would have new batches of grass in. So, during that time, this beagle had to make multiple pee trips downstairs a day.

"Hmm..Where is my grass?"

Finally, my grass arrived. The first batch that came in accidentally got planted in the apartment's common area. It was a series of unfortunate events. So, I had to wait another few weeks. This time, it got planted correctly on my little planter box. I tested it and it works fine.

My humans dilligently water it after my pees but it is already starting to brown...Oh well...:-)

A clean bill of health

My dental surgery went well. The vet cleaned my teeth and got most of the tartar out. My two back teeth showed signs of receeding gum due to tartar built-up over 10 years but both teeth were still stable so no extractions were necessary. The vet also took the opportunity to do an ultrasound of my abdomen to make sure that there were no crystal build-up which could lead to stones in the kidney. For the first time in my 10 years, I had a comprehensive blood test as well. All tests were negative so this beagle was given a clean bill of health.

To be honest, I did not enjoy my visit to the vet and could not wait to go home. I left the vet with a pink bandage on my paw (for the drips) and some medication. The first thing my humans did when we got home was to take me for a short walk. The next day, I pretty much moped around the house, tail down and stuck close to my humans. All our friends noticed my sad mood and naturally showered my with lots of pats and attention. But I was back to my normal cheery self on Sunday as memories of the dreaded vet visit was forgotten. All is well again.

The Airport Beagle

My humans saw this beagle sign at the Taoyuan airport in Taipei and naturally could not resist taking a photograph. The beagle says "Declare or be fined! You must declare all animals, plants or their products on arrival in Taiwan..."

Beagles sniff - which is why we walk with our nose to the ground...


or in the air sniffing something 90% of the time!


More importantly, beagles are very good at sniffing out food, which is why we make such good airport sniffer dogs!

My Very Own Patch of Grass

After much delay, my humans have finally got me my very own garden patch of grass. Can't really call it a garden when what it actualy is, is a 3 by 4 ft plastic box filled with pebbles, soil and grass. So, I thought a patch of grass is more appropriate. I have to say though, it's quite a lovely patch of grass. Our neighbours are all quite impressed that we actually got real grass. Some of them got synthetic grass for their canines. My humans thought that the real thing would suit our needs better since this beagle is used to real grass back in Malaysia. My humans are grateful to the manager at our apartment who helped them source for the custom-built box and grass supplier. Otherwise, this would not have been possible. My little patch of grass is placed at our balcony. My humans did not let me out to the balcony for 1 week after the grass was planted so that the grass can take root properly. Finally, in the second week, they decided to introduce me to the grass patch. As always, this beagle is cautious when it comes to exploring new things and I gingerly climb onto the box and sniff.

I check out the Hong Kong view from the patch of grass:

I have a snooze on the patch of grass:

I did everything but pee on the patch of grass, which was why my humans got it for me in the first place! After a few days of failure, my humans thought of an idea. When they took me down to pee, they took a leaf that I had peed on and brought it back up to transfer the pee scent onto the grass. So the next morning, they opened the glass door to the balcony, fed me breakfast so that I would have to a full bladder, and stood in the cold balcony, encouraging me to pee. (The things our humans do for us...). Their perseverance pays off!

I still don't use the grassy patch on a regular basis, preferring to go downstairs instead. So my humans still have to take me downstairs for my night pee before bedtime. However, they now don't have to take me downstairs first thing in the morning. Instead, they open the balcony door and leave the option to me to pee there whilst they have breakfast. Sometimes, I'll pee on the grass and sometimes I just wait until my morning walk. Hey, it's a beagle's choice after all :-)

Separation anxiety

Beagles are pack animals. We don't like being alone. Now back home in Malaysia, I didn't like being left home alone. I've climbed over 7-foot fences, killed plants and dug the garden when left in the garden. During the rainy season, when left indoors, I would scratch the grill, shoe cabinet, shred paper bags....you get the picture...

My humans used to accept it in their stride. Sure, they got frustrated from time to time. But they knew that it's part and parcel of having a dog. Then of course, my humans had a network of family and friends whom they could rely on to keep an eye on me. We had the best neighbors, Aunty C and family absolutely adored me and I was equally at home at their place as I was at my own. Aunty C would usually bring me over to her place when my humans went out. If my humans had to travel, I would usually go over to gramps homes on both sides of the family.

Now that we're in Hong Kong, away from family and neighbours, my humans are faced with the predicament of having to deal with this beagle's separation anxiety. The first few times they went out, they put me in my crate, with a special bone treat. They even left the radio on so that there would be sounds at home. When they came home, they would find this beagle in a state of anxiety, wet from water spillage from the water bottle on the crate door because I had been "bouncing" my crate, as if I was trying to move the crate closer to the door. Looks like I never did adjust to being in a crate.
Because we live in a rented apartment, they don't dare to let me roam freely in the house due to fear of damage to the property. What they've resorted to doing now is getting in helpers cum dog-sitters when they want to go out. So each time they go out, they always have to watch the time coz they have to be home by a certain time. They've also tried a doggie day care once when they ouldn't get someone to come in. But they know that this beagle is more comfortable at home. It's been pretty challenging for my humans as it means they can't be spontaneous. They are now considering a full time helper, which is very common in HK so that there will be someone home with me whenever they go out. The trade off is loss of privacy. It's a real dilemma and they're still trying to find the best solution for our family.

Missing Kess

From the desk of Kess' mama:

I miss my little beagle. Thankfully, we'll be reunited in a few short days. Kess has gone to the govt vet for her physical examination and all her paperwork is now in order. She is happily staying with my parents, probably being spoilt to bits! Every morning, she will wait at the stairs for my mum to wake up and take her for a walk. No doubt dad will give her a piece of bread for tea (she never gets tea time when she's with me).

J and I have been in HK for close to a week now. Apart from putting our human affairs in order and setting up home, we've been busy exploring where to take Kess for walks. We found a great trail nearby, the Bowen Road trail, a popular walkway with joggers and dogs. When I go for a walk in the morning, I see lots of dogs, some walked by their humans, others by the domestic helpers. The one downside to this lovely trail is that there is a serial killer on the loose - dog serial killer! Since 1989, there has been more than 70 cases of dog poisoning and more than 20 deaths as a result of it. The most recent case took place just before Christmas last year. The killer leaves cooked chicken, laced with powerful insecticides. Who knows what posseses a human to do such a cruel thing? The police have offered a hefty reward for information on the killer but there has been no progress so far.

Anyway, to be on the safe side, we've bought a muzzle for Kess. She'll probably hate it but this beagle is a champion sniffer and super greedy. Back home in Malaysia, I've lost track of the number of times she has picked up food from the ground before we can stop her. So, we just can't risk her being poisoned. All throughout the trail, warning signs have been posted to alert dog owners to be careful. With a bit of precaution, I'm sure Kess will enjoy walking on this trail. For starters, she'll definitely meet a lot more dogs than back in Malaysia. So she'll have an active social life.

Counting the days till she arrives....

Busy, busy, busy

As the move date draws closer, life in our household is chaotic, to say the least. My humans have been busy spring-cleaning, deciding what to bring over to Hong Kong, what to leave at home, what to recycle/give away and what to throw. Not surprisingly, our home is pretty messy at the moment, with boxes and bags scattered all over.

At the same time, my humans have been busy trying to sell the car, close accounts and the 101 things in their "when we have to move overseas to-do-list". To top it off, they also have been busy catching up with all their friends before they go, which equals quite a fair bit of farewell lunches and dinners. Me, I am quite happy to go over to our neighbour, Aunty C's home when my humans are out. I will definitely miss our awesome neighbours!

My humans have decided to send for me 1 week after they leave. In the meantime, I will stay with gramps. They figured that the 1 week will give them time to run their errands and sort out all the stuff they need to do in their "when we arrive overseas to-do-list". Then, when this beagle finally joins them, my humans, or at least mum, will be able to spend some quality time at home with me to help me settle to condo living in a new country.

Mum continues to worry how I will cope with the travel and being in a crate for long periods. Although the flight to HK is only 4 hours, pick-up to the airport, will take place 6 hours before flight time. I will spend a couple of hours at the KLIA Animal Hotel where mum has requested for me to be let out of the crate until preparation for departure takes place, approximately 2 hours before. Upon arrival at HK Airport, it will be another 4-6 hours before I can be reunited with my humans as I would have to clear Customs Inspections, get my 2nd rabies jab and get a HK microchip, which is of a different standard from my existing chip.

So, as you can see, we are really quite busy. So, this would be it for now. My next post will be from HK. Until then, take care.

P.S. The mess below was created by a beagle who didn't like to be left home alone and has nothing to do with the move...

Preparing for the Big Move - The Crate

Cinnamon and Honey guessed correctly! We are moving to Hong Kong. Exciting right? Anyone who's moved will know the challenges humans and canines face when they have to cross borders.

My humans have been busy finding out about the procedures to bring me along to Hong Kong. Based on a friend's recommendation, they settled on a Hong Kong pet moving company. So, the logistics was sorted out. Next - the paperwork. The requirements to bring a dog into Hong Kong were pretty straight forward. Unfortunately, it required a visit to the vet and a couple of jabs - vaccination and rabies. Shudder...I'll need a visit to the govt vet in Malaysia a couple of days before departure for a health check and certification of fit for travel. Definitely not looking forward to that! To top it off, I'll get another rabies jab on arrival in Hong Kong. Yikes! The good thing is, as long as my paperwork is in order, I don't have to be quarantined and can be reunited with my humans 4-6 hours after I land in Hong Kong. Hurray!

One of the key things that I needed was to get used to my travel crate. My humans know that this beagle does not like being locked in a crate. They tried crate training when I was a wee pup and I used to whine! So, that was a big headache for them. But, as you all know, this beagle has a major weakness - FOOD! My humans capitalized on that by placing liver treats strategically deep in my crate. The result?

Day 1 - This beagle had 3/4 of her body in the crate to get to the food.


Day 3 - Add my day bed and this beagle is happy to have her snooze in the crate.


My humans have added back the door to the crate now and am experimenting with closing the gate for short periods. When they first did it, I was rather anxious. I would get up, and look mournfully at my humans. Now, I'm getting used to it, which is a relief to my humans.

More to come on my big move!

P.S. Honey, My human recalls reading your comment on her phone one day and the next day, it had disappeared. Strange...

Yummy...Three rotis!

"Dear, where did you put the roti canai*?" mum asks dad over dinner.

Dad looks at mum, jumps up from the dining chair and immediately rushes outside to look for the Malaysian pancake* he had brought home for breakfast the next day. Too late...he sees a packet of curry on the floor by the shoe rack, follows the trail to the garden where he sees shredded brown paper with a packet of dahl. No rotis... That's what happens when my humans leave any food on the top of the shoe rack, within the reach of a wily beagle.

Guess who had the 3 rotis for dinner? That's right. This beagle hit the jackpot tonight. Not only did I score my usual 1/2 cup kibble for dinner. I also ate the 3 roti canai with eggs (yeap...that's 3 eggs)! After that heavy meal, I could hardly move. Well, I wasn't going anywhere... My humans sent me to jail and banished me outside.


As further punishment, my humans debated whether I should forego my two meals tomorrow, i.e., my morning and evening meals or just breakfast. What do you think? Post your comment here or vote on the poll on the top right of this blog.

* Roti canai is a fried Indian Muslim pancake which is a favorite for breakfast or tea among food-loving Malaysians. Even so, my humans thinks that 3 rotis for 1 normal person is way too much...let alone for a canine...

Fenced Down

This beagle is turning 9 next month. I suppose I'm considered a senior citizen, although in some countries, you have to be 60 to be eligible for senior citizen's discount - I'm 6 months in doggie years, or about 3 human years short of that. My humans certainly think I'm a senior canine. Since last year, they've started restricting my climbing up and down the stairs of our double-storey house during the day due to concerns about my hip. In my youth, I've climbed 7 foot fences, which also means, I've had to jump off 7 foot fences. No wonder, my vet recommended that I take glucosamine!

My human mum's home office is in one of the rooms upstairs. This means that she goes up and down quite a few times during the day. Naturally, this beagle, whom she calls "Her Little Shadow" tends to follow her. Well, since they've put up the darn doggie fence, I'm now fenced down during the day and am only allowed to go up during bedtime. However, this wily beagle sometimes outsmarts them. Since this is a mobile fence, made up of two doggie fences hooked together, my humans sometimes forget to put the fence by the stairs in the morning. So, right after they have the breakfast, I anticipate when they'll be going upstairs to get ready for work, and quickly run up the stairs before they can blink. Hah!


So, every morning, it's a battle of wits - my human's forgetful memory vs. this beagle's determination. At some stage during the day, my human will remember to put up the fence. This is what you see when that happens...

The Many Faces of a Beagle

My humans and their friends came across this picture of a smiling pig on the wall of a restaurant.


The conversation went something like this:
"I wonder if the picture was doctored to make the pig smile"
"Well, I don't know know much about pigs, but I can assure you that beagles do smile. In fact, they have expressions pretty much like humans do."

And that is how this post about the many faces of this beagle came about...

The happy face

The serious face


The embarrased face


The sad face


The anxious face

The sleepy face


The "I'm thinking" face

The "Do Not Disturb" face

The "get out of my" face aka guard dog face

Last but not least...the "I'm stuffing my face" face...


Which one is your favourite face?

Happy Valentines Day everyone. Be sure to give your humans a slurpy lick to show them your love.

The Beagle That Should Have Been Named Hoover

My humans think that I should have been named Hoover instead of Kess. Why? Well, this beagle's favorite household chore is to "vacuum" any food bits that may have dropped onto the floor from our dining table (during lunch/dinner), sofa (breakfast or snack times) and kitchen (meal preparation). My humans make it a point not to feed me when they are having their meals, so I've never learnt to beg for food when they eat. Instead, I am contented to sit at their feet whilst they enjoy their food. But, the moment they finish eating and start clearing the dishes, this beagle immediately goes into "Hoover" mode, nose to the ground, ready to slurp any tidbits left behind.



In fact, I would have been happy to lick their plates clean, thus saving them the hassle of washing the dishes. Unfortunately, my humans did not agree with this beagle's point of view... They reckon that if I want to lend a paw around the house, I should learn to operate a real "Hoover" and vacuum the fur that I shed instead! That's not going to happen anytime soon...so it looks like my human is stuck with that household chore. I'll stick to the food removal!

P.S. My humans also think that I should have been named Socks. Although they call me Kess, my given name at birth is actually something else.

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Juliet (Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare)

A Typical Day in A Beagle's Life

AM

Go for a walk and scavenge for pre-breakfast tit bits


Eat breakfast - 1/2 cup kibble (now you know why I have to supplement my meals with scavenging!)


Dig a hole to China - very little progress so far...


Check for pesky squirrels and cats who hide out in our bamboo tree


Scratch an itch - aahh...feels so good


PM
Laze around in the cool of the house on a hot balmy afternoon


Bark at pesky junk mail delivery boys who clog up our mailbox


Walk again - I wonder what new scents I'll sniff out in the evening...


Eat again - another measly 1/2 cup of kibble


Good night!