Dog-Owners in SaiGon – FaceBook Group

There is a relatively new group on FaceBook.  It is called “Dog-Owners in SaiGon”.  The languages of the threads and files and links are English and VietNamese.  At the moment of this posting, the group had 39 members — a mix of Ex-Pats and VietNamese.  I expect the “enrollment” to jump in spurts, as word gets out.

Here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/262589443766505/

Dog-Owners in SaiGon

Another Whippet Whelping/Puppy Cam

Here is the new Whelping/Puppy Cam from Shojin Whippets:

Video chat rooms at Ustream

The Shojin Whelping/Puppy Cam

This is a real treat.  If they will keep the cam on and you are at the net at the right time,  you will have the chance to see the whelping of whippet puppies from Shojin Whippets in Michigan, USA.  http://www.shojinkennels.com    The puppies are due June 15th… but of course it may be sooner.  The mother is  Shojin’s Madd About You (Maddie).

Video clips at Ustream

Rocket Gets Stitched Up

No sooner does Rocket get over Łajka’s bi-annual cycle of Chanel no.5 , than he gets bit by an aggressive dog that looks 3/4 Wolf and 1/4 Pho Quoc.  This dog already had fresh stitches on his head.  He acted like a wolf by refusing to look me in the eye  (when I confronted him just after the attack and later when I took Rocket home).

Rocket was on leash in Pham Ngu Lao in the Saigon city Center.  The aggressive dog, that should never be off-leash, came into the garden of the cafe where we were having a meeting — just for the purpose of attacking Rocket.  Rocket was on-leash.  This fact combined with Rocket’s intentions to avoid conflict,  led to him getting bitten.  Long story short, he needed stitches.  My mobile Vet came to my place and they sewed him up.

The original plan of mine was for local anesthetic.  That didn’t work,  so Rocket was put under with general anesthesia.  These pics are of him while under the general anesthesia.  Notice the tongue flopping around,  the wide-open eyes that werent operational, and the curious-looking ears.  No, I didn’t use a flash.

Dog Foods in SaiGon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam

If you were wondering, yes there are packaged dog-foods in the country — both kibble and canned.  This blog entry will be about the choices that I have found.  I will gather more information and then add it to this entry as I compile it.

For now, I will show you 2 brands:

2 of the brands you can find in HCMC

“Birbo” is made by a brazilian company here.  As of April/May 2011, this 400g package was 15,000 dong in a small vet/pet-shop in district 4 next to the bridge going into District 7 towards Lotte Mart.

“Classic” has a similar looking kibble.  As of April/May 2011, this 400g package was 17,000 dong at the same little shop.  This product’s packaging is in English and Thai.  You can also get it in bigger packages at a few supermarkets like “Wellcome” (Western D1 next to the cinema  for, i think, about 89,000 dong) and Lotte Mart (in D7 for,  i think, about 109,ooo dong).  This brand has a puppy version and 2 adult versions based on breed size.

A third brand is “Pedigree Pal” (in both kibble and canned).  I will add this info here in the (i hope near) future.  I heard from a vet that Alpo has backed out of the market here.

There are some upscale brands available at the better-stocked/bigger vet clinics that have attached pet-shops.  brands like “Purina Pro-Plan” and “Royal Canin” might be found there for example.  Please keep your eye out for a future blog entry here about vet clinics in the City of Ho Chi Minh.

I have heard from vets that some dog and cat food producers in the tropics have put out some feed that has caused liver or kidney damage to pets.  You may want to talk to a vet here to get a given brand “cleared” with them.  I am not an expert, so I am not going to give any info or opinions on this topic.  I will just tell you that these 2 brands in the top photo are part of the diet of my dogs at present, but I am playing it by ear.

If you know of more brands here,  please tell me about them in a comment or an email and i will add it to this entry.  Thanks.