Our first raw chicken feet

This deserves a blog post because I think it's a big deal. Popo had her first raw chicken feet today LOL. I know I know, I've blogged a lot on her raw feeding. But chicken feet! They're so creepy and freak me out. Totally. I used to be unable to even look at them, much less handle them.

However, chicken feet are a good (and natural) source of glucosamine. Popo's almost 5 years old already, and she jumps a lot on hard floorings. I'm pretty reluctant to feed her store-bought glucosamine supplements, since she doesn't have a problem with her joints at the moment. So chicken feet are like the perfect addition to her diet - an occasional cheap and natural dose of glucosamine.

So yes, I touched a chicken foot for the first time today. And gave Popo her first one too. *proud of self*

Some 'tips' I got online:

1. Don’t look closely at the feet. (Shit!)
2. Don’t listen to the sounds of scratching nails as you dump the package into the bowl. (Nope, snipped them off!)
3. Don’t watch your pup eat the feet because inevitably your dog will look up at you with a foot hanging out of it’s mouth. (Oops! Yes she did. Now I'm traumatized.)
4. No, you don’t need to clip the nails before feeding. (Double oops!)
5. Yes, they are considered a full meal. (Nope! A full meal on feet is gonna give my girl the runs.)
6. No, it won’t hurt coming out the other end. (That's good to know.)

I tried to hold on to it while she chewed, but she still managed to pull it away. Gave her some time to finish it, heart thumping anxiously, and lastly, she looked up at me with a satisfied look. It took her longer than the usual chicken neck, so I'm sure she got a better workout too. Very happy mom is me now. I just hope the huge amount of skin won't give her the runs. *cross fingers*

And I still need a snood. Where on earth can I get one?!

Edit 04/02: She pooped! Nice and firm, which means chicken feet will be part of her diet from now on! Happy mom. Lol.

CNY 2014

Happy CNY! Hope you all had loads of angbao. This year was a quiet affair, since we couldn't go visiting. Which was actually welcoming for me cause firstly, I was (still) sick. And secondly, I wasn't in the mood lol. Shall make it my goal to escape overseas every year from now on! =X

I quite like CNY this year. Last Friday (初一), I spent majority of the day at home, nua-ing and bathing the dog. Then popped over to SSD's place for awhile, before he came to mine. 

And on 初二, we all popped over to grandma's place. I got to bring Popo, along with her pretty new ribbon and bell! I wish I could bring myself to dress her up in pretty clothes, but personally I think dogs look silly in frilly skirts or dresses. And definitely not in this weather, even though she's single-coated. 

She wasn't used to the ribbon so I removed it after all the guests left. I guess natural is the way to go lol. Anyway, everyone loved her, especially the kids. I was a little not very happy because it wasn't hard to see that Popo was stressed out by the amount of attention she got. But none as bad as today (初三). My dad's friends came over and one had a little girl who went a little crazy with Popo.

She kept trying to get Popo to fetch and initially she entertained. But later she got bored and irritated and kept trying to avoid the little girl. Annnnddd the girl kept chasing her around. I was a little pissed too since she kept staying in my room and asking me questions. -_-

She's a pretty nice girl though, just that I reeeaaalllyyy don't like kids. Nor do I like seeing my baby stressed out like that. Next time they're coming I'm bringing my girl out.

Oh wells. Didn't get a lot of angbao this year. But Popo got a few! I think they're enough to cover next week's swimming session as well as the 2 toys I ordered for her. Speaking of which, I'm super excited about those toys. Can't wait to let Popo play. I hope she likes them. =)

2 more days before work starts. Not looking forward!

First visit to Marina Barrage

I'm a little late, but Happy New Year! Lol. 

So last Saturday, I brought Popo to the vet for her annual checkup and blood test. Several good news!

1. No queue = we could see Dr. Ling almost right away.
2. Checked her ears and the dirt (under microscope) and pronounced mite-free! Time for swimming!
3. Blood test results were normal...except for BUN. But Dr. Ling reassured me that it's quite normal for a raw fed dog due to the larger amount of protein.
4. Found out Dr. Ling is okay with raw feeding. I believe she did some reading of her own too. 
5. Wanted to do a hypothyroidism test too but Dr. Ling advised against it. I think other vets would do it without second thoughts. Who'd say no to more money?
6. Popo still trembled furiously, especially inside the examination room. But she was a little more relaxed outside in the waiting area. ^^v

I'm pretty glad I found Dr. Ling. She's probably going to be the only vet I'm going to visit ever. Did I ever mention that she did Popo's spay surgery too? The girl didn't even need an e-collar and the wound healed beautifully. It's barely visible now. I don't want to share where Dr. Ling's clinic is at, because her slots are packed full enough already. Boo.

After that we brought the girl to Marina Barrage! Her first official outing. Honestly speaking, I was almost as excited as she was. It was a nice feeling to be bringing her to places other than grandma's house, the vet, the groomer's, or downstairs around the neighbourhood. A small part of me wanted to show her off too. LOL. It definitely feels good when someone exclaims how pretty your dog is. And yes, she got another TWO compliments that day. =D

Here's her smelling the many new smells in the wind! And her excited face. <3<3<3 And SSD in the background preparing his kite for takeoff. Lol.

Love seeing the wind in her hair. Doesn't she look happy and relaxed?

She doesn't take to new places easily, so I brought a couple of her toys to help. I first played with the blue rubber toy on the grass, but she ran around in circles instead. She was more okay with her black pig on familiar concretes.

And she made a 'friend'!

The cute little thing wandered over and they started smelling each other. It was quite exciting to watch since this was our first attempt at socializing (those at the groomer's don't count cos even I feel overwhelmed with the amount of dogs). He totally looked smitten with her lmao! But it didn't end very well considering Popo rejected him with a small growl. Oh wells, at least we've taken the first step. More to come I hope!