Venus: Doggess of Love

Venus & Magnet

 

By popular request, Venus now has her own Facebook page (click here to access it), which was set up two days ago.  So far it features a few of her videos which, most recently, include videos of her and her new companion, Magnet, the baby chick.

V.V.V. = Venus's Vimeo Videos

Venus the Starlet from Venus on Vimeo.

Click here to see Venus's other videos on her Vimeo channel.

Turtle Release Video

Baby hawksbill turtles in bucket awaiting release

I recently went to Magdalena Grand to see S.O.S. Tobago release Hawksbill turtle hatchlings to the ocean. I took my camera, did some filming and put together this short video with some of my original music. Enjoy. And check out www.sos-tobago.org to learn more about how you can help to protect these wonderful creatures.

Post by Elspeth Duncan.

Tobago Terriers Unite

Click here for me and Venus featured in People of Trinidad and Tobago ... a wonderful initiative/project by Rashmi Mathur.

May all 'Tobago Terriers' find their true home. Same goes for us humans! ;)

Seeking loving home for Ramona and Seal

Please click on image to enlarge.

Ramona and Seal are two adorable pups ("Tobago Terriers") who were found near Healing with Horses stables in Buccoo, Tobago. They are now at the Tobago TTSPCA. The friend who originally said she would take them can no longer do so due to unanticipated circumstances.

I would like them to be adopted together as they are sisters and are very close to each other. It would be a shame to separate them.

They are loving, playful, adventurous, curious, healthy, brave, well behaved, good with children and people in general. They will make great companions for their new owner and, I am sure, will be very loyal and protective. 

If you are in Trinidad and you want them & can give them a great home, I will bring them over for you on the ferry.

Thank you.

Elspeth
 

Ramona and Seal

On Wednesday, before teaching children's yoga, I was on the grounds of Healing with Horses. Veronika's house guest appeared holding a small brown and black pup that had been hiding under her cabin. A few minutes later she came back with another one—a black one. Both female, obviously sisters and obviously dumped/abandoned by someone who didn't want them.

Two children who were there to ride horses became fascinated with the pups and began playing with them. The little boy was 'massaging' them and the little girl was stroking them. At one point the boy yelled out: "Ouch!" and the little girl turned to me and whispered: "He just got bitten on his privates."

The little girl named them Ramona (brown and black one) and Seal (black one).

I left Ramona and Seal with the children while I went to teach yoga ... and returned to find the two exhausted pups fast asleep. They slept in a cardboard box all the way home and for a few hours into the night. I was babysitting them overnight, to take them to TTSPCA the next day, for treatment for worms, etc and also to be put up for adoption.

It is difficult to part with animals. They imprint themselves on the heart so quickly.

Just before leaving for the TTSPCA the next day, I was outside eating a piece of watermelon. I gave a piece to Seal and she ignored it. Ramona took it and went inside with it where she quietly consumed in near to the cardboard box. She then came back outside to see what else was on the agenda.

I began to run around the pool and the two of them took after me, running, ears flapping, but not able to catch up. Eventually Seal stopped, realising that if she stayed where she was, eventually I would come back around to her. Ramona, seeing me on the other side of the pool, thought it would be a shorter route if she cut across the width of the pool, as opposed to going around it. I heard a loud splash, and there she was with her terrified little face, paddling rapidly towards me.

Here she is, wet and bedraggled, wrapped in a hand towel after her swimming adventure.

They are currently at the TTSPCA, being treated. As each day passes, they continue to run through my mind, calling out to me: "Please adopt us ..."

Beautiful Stranger

On Friday morning as I sat at my laptop, something caught my attention through the side of my eye—a small shadow flapping behind the curtain. It looked like a feather. On closer inspection, I noticed it was a butterfly. Liking the way its shadow looked through the blue voile-like material, I quickly got my Canon Elph from my bag and began to shoot the above video.

As you read this post, I am in Tobago without my laptop. But I am writing it now (Saturday morning) and scheduling it to appear on Sunday morning.

Jasper's latest

I was lying in bed in the dark after yoga. Jasper jumped out of the window. A few minutes later he jumped back in. As he landed on the ground, I thought "It's been a while since he's caught anything."

Lo and behold, I heard him scurrying with something on the ground. I leaped out of bed and turned on the light to see a baby dove, still alive, gasping on the floor near the yoga mat. I grabbed the bird up and cupped it in my hands. After a while of gasping, it calmed down and remained still, only blinking its eyes. I noticed a wound to the chest, but not seeing blood, didn't think it was serious. The dove's body felt strong and I thought it would survive.

However, shortly after, it suddenly began to open its beak wide, its body started to twist and contort and, within seconds, it curled into itself and died.

R.I.P.

Move over, Susan Boyle

In Toronto, playing the guitar while my friend Dara's dog (Theo) sings along.
(Filmed by my friend Kim)

Driving Home

In case your internet connection speed is slow, let the video buffer before you watch it—so there won't be any pauses to spoil the effect.

Length: 11 seconds

Pippa is back home

Pippa—aka Pip, Pips, Pippy, Pipsqueak, Pippy-Squeaky, Squeaky, Squeaky-clean, Squeakalishus—finally came home today.


When I went to get Pippa at Mt. Hope Vet Hospital this morning she looked traumatised, having had to stay there in a small kennel for two days after surgery. I had been waiting for someone to deliver a dog crate, since the vet had advised that she have strict confinement (to ensure minimal leg movement) for at least the first ten days until her stitches are out. Then, 6 - 8 weeks of continued confinement and limited movement.

When I put Pip into the dog crate, she immediately fought and broke her way out of it, even though there was a lock on the door. The poor thing (understandably) hates small spaces. She's a very playful dog, accustomed to running and jumping all over the garden, which is quite big.

Driving home was a bit of a task, manoeuvering through flood waters with Pippa sitting on my lap (it was the only place she would go), squashing up under the steering wheel.

Now she is quietly resting indoors, tied on a short chain. The girl at the vet down the road said to keep her in the crate because if she bursts her stitches she will have to go through the operation again (as happened to another dog she knows who had the same op).

I'll monitor how she is on the chain, however, when Pip sees people she tends to stand up and get playful, so ... as distressing as it is to think of her being in the dog crate for extended periods, if that's what has to be done to ensure proper healing of her leg, then so be it.

. . . Unless I can find a small but spacious cage with lots of air and light coming into it.

Meeting interesting people at the vet

Pippa in the car on the way to the vet

One x-ray and a blood test later, Pippa's diagnosis is a torn knee ligament in her right back leg. She will need to have surgery, possibly later this week, followed by 8 weeks of recuperation and confinement. While I'm sure she'll be fine and will heal rapidly, our furry frisky friend is not going to be happy about (a) having to return to the vet (b) having to keep quiet as she heals.

At the vet hospital I whiled away the hours by observing the animal lovers who came with their pets. Humans don't own animals. Animals own humans.

There were two tough-looking Indian men who came in with one of them cradling a box for dear life. I asked him if the box contained puppies. He said: "No. A cat." Inside was a fluffy ginger-and-white feline who's belly apparently kept growing larger and larger whenever he ate food. The image of those two tough men and the fluffy cat was cute, if not incongruous.

Then there was the middle-aged Indian woman who kept telling me about "my Jesse" (her dog, also with a bad back leg limp). My Jesse this, my Jesse that. By the time it was "my Jesse's" turn to go into the examination room, she was calling him "Bobo."

There was the Indian woman who's dog had been knocked down and had its leg wrapped in a splint and bandage. She was juggling bringing the dog to the vet and taking the children to school.

There was the Indian man (most people there today were Indian) who had a small, fluffy dog, aged eleven, who had cataracts and couldn't see. He made up for his blindness by sniffing out anaesthetized Pippa's hind quarters as she stretched groggily across two chairs, awaiting her blood test.

There were the two thug-looking men who came in with a pittbull (without a leash). One man held it by its collar. At one point the dog began to release diarrhea—tons of it in a constant stream, liquidy like soup, all over the floor. The stench was enough to drive me and Joy outside.

Joy was the woman who struck up a conversation with me as she waited on her daughter. She had seen me walking up and down after Pippa was taken in for x-rays and asked me "How you pacing the floor so like a worried mother?" Joy bakes (from home) for a living and makes everything from mini cheese cakes to birthday cakes to wedding cakes at very affordable prices. I was amazed at how reasonable her rates were in comparison to what she told me of other prices. She told me to look for her Facebook page which her daughter had set up for her 2 weeks ago.

There's a camaraderie that strikes up among humans who bring their pets to the vet. "What happened to yours?" and "What's his/her name?" are the two questions which usually start up the ensuing conversations.

Pippa goes to the vet

Yesterday I returned home after having been away for four days. Pippa was on top of the hill looking down as I pulled into the driveway. I noticed she was holding up her back right leg and limping badly.

In 2005, when she was a pup, she had fallen from a step and injured that leg. It seems that the injury has recurred. I took her to the vet this morning—a new vet place on the Eastern Main Road near to the engine and underbody wash place.

Two young female vets were on duty. They were welcoming and professional. Since Pippa usually snaps at vets and strange people, I advised the vets to put a muzzle on her. However, she remained calm as I held her, allowing the two vets to stretch her leg, take her temperature, give her a full body check up, spray her—the works. She didn't even flinch when she received the worm-out injection which, as one vet warned—burns!

The vets suspect dislocation, so, to be sure, it's x-ray time on Monday. Hopefully nothing too serious. Meanwhile Pippa (being a frisky dog) has to be confined to a small space so she won't go leaping around on the leg, making it worse.

She's not too happy about her confinement.

For pet owners living in and around St. Augustine, check out this new vet place—D Animal Clinic. I was pleased with their loving handling of Pippa, the cleanliness of the space and the bill at the end of it all was reasonable. They even give both pet and owner a goodbye treat.

Letter to the Editor

I recently wrote the following letter to the Editor and subsequently saw it in the Express.

I hope:
(i) the owners of the dog I mentioned also saw it and were able to rescue their pet. I haven't seen the dog since, so maybe they did get him.
(ii) the media houses really consider implementing the suggested service. There must be animal lovers working in the media.

The Editor:

During the rainy season, whenever there is loud thunder, some dogs run from their homes in terror. They wander far and are not always relocated by their owners. It is customary after heavy rainfall to see confused, lost dogs sniffing around at the roadside. I suggest that media houses introduce a service whereby members of the public can call in with information on lost-dog sightings and that these announcements be made (where/when possible) via print, radio, television, internet.

Last week I noticed an Alsatian with a washed out forest-green collar wandering around St. John Road, St. Augustine. I made some announcements via email and Facebook and did not see the dog after. I assumed it had been picked up by its owners. However, this morning I saw it trotting along St. John Road, sniffing and looking confused. I called to it and it ran onto the compound leading to the University School. It looks a little skinny, but otherwise healthy.

I would appreciate it if you publish this letter, as the owners or someone who knows them may see it and be able to rescue the dog. It's not a good feeling to know that a pet is wandering away from home and you have no idea where.

Thank you.

Elspeth Duncan,
St. Augustine

Hindi's 5 star Canine Restaurant

Hindi
(Years ago, I had done a series of these animal images & quotes
to raise money for AWN)
*

I met Hindi in 1999. She was a ratty little pup, sitting on the steps of the Temple in the Sea, wagging her tail at me and saying "What took you so long?" She then proceeded to follow me as I walked around the Temple, wagging her tail, gazing up at me and claiming me as hers. I named her Hindi and, because it was Independence Day, the day became: "Hindipendence Day."

In the above shot, she was about five years old. These days she is eleven - i.e. approximately 77 in 'human' years (according to whoever decided that you multiply a dog's age by 7 to get the human equivalent).

In her later years she developed an allergy, resulting in thinning hair and severe itching and scratching (also causing little patches of bleeding skin).

Many things recommended by the vet were tried unsuccessfully: soaps, shampoos, creams, change of dog food. The only thing that ever "worked" was when the vet put her on a short course of steroids - but this only masks everything. As soon as the dog is off the steroids, the symptoms flare back up.

Lately I've taken her completely off of commercial dog food and have been preparing her meals from scratch. She gets a mix of of pearl barley (sometimes potato, sometimes yam), with sardines and finely grated, sometimes slightly boiled vegetables (like carrot or pumpkin). Sometimes I will also add a cooked egg. She loves her new 5-star meals and goes wild with excitement when it's time to eat - leaping, twirling, barking and wagging her tail non-stop. Her hair and skin have improved and the itching appears to have stopped.

In the course of changing her over to completely home-made food the vet prescribed a short course of steroids, to quell the itching while she adjusts. Now that the steroids are done, I will see if the cooked food is actually responsible for her improvement - and that the allergy won't flare back up.

Then, just a few days ago when I was wishing we had holistic vets and holistic dog food here, I unexpectedly met a man who is a distributor for a new holistic dog food (!) called Earthborn (the Ocean Fusion variety). Its basic ingredients are white fish, sweet potato and barley or rye. He said he will deliver to the vet this week - and both he and the vet agreed that the brand would be ideal for Hindi. The ingredients are about the same as those I use in the food I prepare for her now. I wonder if she'll like it as much.

The Freedom of Sat Nam

Sat Nam

I met this turtle on the sidewalk yesterday during my morning walk after sadhana. The heavy rains must have washed her up from the river or a drain. I named her Sat - short for Saturday (the day she was found), but also "Sat" (meaning Truth). Her surname is "Nam" (meaning name or identity). Together they mean "Truth is my identity." This mantra Sat Nam is used a lot in Kundalini Yoga and refers to the Universal Truth in all of us.

Speaking of Universal Truth, the shell and underbelly of the turtle are used in some cultures as a tool for divination. Their markings are believed to be a map of the stars, as well as ancient sacred writings. The Chinese saw the turtle's four feet as four corners of the world, holding up the globe - hence the powerful, grounded earth energy that is associated with this animal.

The message they bring as power animals - slow down, be patient, ground yourself to the Earth's power, go within and seek inner knowledge.

The below video shows Sat Nam being relocated to the wetlands at the back of Spring Village south of the highway in St. Augustine.

Important: How to care for an injured baby bird

Jasper observes Bird

When this little bird came to me a few days ago (and shortly after, died in my hands), I wrote to Detta (Wildlife Orphanage and Rehabilitation Centre - WORC) and told her about it. She is currently out of the country and sent a detailed email. I'm sharing it because at some point or another most of us come across baby birds that fall from their nests or are victims of attack. I can tell you from experience, it is very rewarding to nurse an injured animal back to health ... especially a bird, to see it fly off.

From Detta's email:
When you find a baby bird ( any bird) pick it up gently but securely and examine it for any wounds, broken legs, etc. Gently turning it over in the palm of your hand so that the chest is facing you (you can keep your hand in such a position that the bird is still vertical) ease out each wing at right angles to the body, checking the bones of the wing. They are in the same arrangement as your arm. From the inside view any breaks or punctures are easily visible.

In this case there may not have been anything you could have done . The pussy eyes may suggest an infection or pox contracted from pigeons. This would also have caused the swollen nares.

The pigeon pox is a virus and highly contagious to doves and certain other native birds. This is the reason I don't take in pigeons unless they have a pigeon club band. I have another resource person who handles them.

You could give simple triage easily. Keep some supplies in the house: peroxide, Q-Tips, cotton wool, iodine and children's Painol. Mix a small quantity of Peroxide and h2o (half &half) and using Q-tips or cotton wool, completely clean the wound and the surrounding area. Because birds don't have a liquid lymphatic system, and creams make a mess of feathers, I use powdered antibiotics. A good standard is Beneocin. It's a broad spectrum and well tolerated. If you know your doctor well enough and he trusts you, you could ask for a prescription, explaining why you want it.

Pain management is an often talked about problem, I have found the simplest thing is Painol, but if you can get ARNICA in a tablet or powder it would be better as it is homeopathic. Either get it down the birds throat or mix with a little water and give it with a dropper from the side of the beak, a drop at a time.

Just a cautionary note: When putting liquid down a bird's throat make sure you avoid the glottis. This is the opening on the back of the birds tongue. It is the airway to its lungs. Also remember that these are very small organisms and don't have much body mass. Use only very small quantities of the drug.

Lastly, keep it warm and secure. I have a cheap heating electric pad which I place under the cage at night. You could keep the bird in a box in a quiet and warm place in the house.

Finally: my valued resource person is quite close to you, Dr.Gabriel Brown. He is the avian specialist at the vet school, and you will find him in the small building on the south perimeter road as you pass the new Oncology unit, and the incinerator of the vet school. There is parking off the road but you have to walk round the corner to the glass door. Alternately you could drive around to the Small Animal Clinic, drive past it into the bovine area and the little building is facing you. In this case it would have been useful to have taken the little body up to him for a necropsy. This way you would get some information back on what happened to it. It also provides the students with useful experience.

I have a small styrene container in which I transport little bodies. The protocol they prefer is to have the animal/bird placed in a clean zip-lock bag as soon after it expires as possible. This way they can examine the parasites it may carry and then place it in the carrier with a few zip-lock bags of ice. No freezing.

FOOTNOTE FROM DETTA:

In the case of baby birds or an injury case, it is important to identify the species it order to feed it correctly. On the wrong diet, the bird will not survive.

Richard ffrench's book "the Birds of Trinidad & Tobago" has excellent plates for ID and some information on their habits and food sources. Be cautious when taking information off the net. The same species may occur in the southern USA but have different diets and are adapted to those, whereas, the same species from Venezuela, the Guyanas, and the amazon may have more closely related habits.

Finally, it is extremely important, to consider that you are helping this individual to survive and return to its own environment. Only if the individual is crippled and unable to survive in the wild should it become domesticated (habituated) and then a permit should be sought from the FORESTRY DIVISION, or it could be turned over to an established Rehabilitation Centre, for use.

THANK YOU, DETTA.

It died in my hands

This little fledgling (dove) flew into my window this morning. I found it looked sickly: swollen beak (where beak meets face) and runny eyes.
Held it to keep it warm and comfort it from the shock.
It kept fairly still.
Eventually started to sit up. Its parents were flying back and forth over us.
After a short while of holding it, it started to struggle and heave and (from experience of having birds die in my hands), I knew it was on its last. Said a prayer and chanted mantras for a peaceful transition.

National Jasper Geographic

Click here to see the wild cat in action.

Bat cave adventure

Yesterday I went to Tamana Caves for the second time. With me were my friend Nicola, Pascal (a visiting French photographer/new friend) and Ivan, our tour guide. An easy hike through the forest (approx. 45 minutes, stopping to look at things) took us to our destination. The Tamana Caves are estimated to contain more than 3 million bats. At 6 p.m. daily they fly out in a mass exodus which lasts about an hour or more.

Me and Nicola in the cave

Some of the bats in the cave. The caves, filled with millions more bats, go really deep ... too deep for us to reach.
(l. to r.) Bat, Nicola, me, Pascal

Some of the bats beginning to emerge from the depths of the cave at 6 p.m. They pass so close that the air from their wings is constantly wafting against your skin. An intriguing experience.