Down with Tetanus.

Last week, I received a call in the evening for help to get a dog to a veterinarian. According to my friend, Yeoh, this dog was obviously in deep trouble with a wound that refused to heal. I know that as it was the same dog I helped to carry down the hill at Semarak two weeks ago so that another friend could buy her some medicine for a wound and a broken leg.

Dogs with problems at the hill are fortunate to have a few kind souls who care enough for all living things to ensure that they have food and water each day. Besides that Yeoh would be the first to see what could be done for a dog should it be sick. When God put those dogs there, He also made sure such great, wonderful people are around too. These are the people I admire and respect a lot. Their kindness and sacrifice are never in question, examples of angels on earth.

Yeoh told me the dog did not have any appetite for food. However, when Yeoh had it taken to a vet we found that the muscles of her jaws are tightening due to tetanus. And once the jaw is locked, it would not be able to eat and that would be the end of her and her unborn puppies, for she was pregnant.

The vet wondered if we would have her out of her misery by putting her to sleep. But then Yeoh was thinking of her unborn puppies and enquired if it was possible to give those puppies a chance at life. So, the vet agreed to give the dog, 'Small Black', an anti-tetanus injection.

She was taken to my place as we were afraid that Yeoh's other dogs would give this new-comer no peace. Furthermore there was this fear that her dogs might be infected with tetanus should there be cuts and contact among them. So, it was sent to my place for some rest. The next day saw both of us so happy as the dog seem to be recovering. The knitted brows were no longer there. She could eat and drink. However, I noticed that there was no urination or defecation. On the third day, it seemed to have recoverd so well that it started to chase my son's fluffy white chickens, the silkies.

That evening we took her back to the vet for her second dose of anti-tetanus. Expecting nothing but further improvement, we were disappointed to find her getting worse with the eyes getting smaller and the knitted forehead back. Slower was her movement too. She took some food but was hardly able to swallow it. By afternoon, it was quite obvious that her condition was deteriorating. At six that evening, I found her dead.

There was nothing more to do but to pass the bad news to Yeoh and then bury her under my longan tree. Well, perhaps that was her fate. May she rest in peace.