I usually reserved my comments as such remarks are typical of the baby-boomer generation. A generation that had suffered deprivations after World War two and could not understand that a younger generation has a different mindset. For the younger generation, dogs are a girl's or a boy's best friend.

I asked this boutique owner, "So what happened to the dog? Did he die of starvation? What did the mother do?"

"Well, after a few days, my sister phoned her daughter to inform her. The daughter asked that the dog be given the phone receiver. She talked to the dog." the boutique owner palmed a few more blouses to my wife to try saying, "You have not been to see me for the past few months. I have new dresses from Hong Kong. How can I survive if you don't buy some dresses from me?"

Wow, what a super saleswoman. When my wife went to the fitting room, She showed me a blouse "You will find that this 'Supreme' label sells 2 times as much in the O.G. Departmental Store. With the increase in petrol prices and food prices, I am still selling at the old price. I need to increase my selling prices next month..."

My wife returned and she showed him some black skirts. "Don't worry about payment. Your OCBC (Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation) is here!" the boutique lady with the hastily made up powdered face and creased worried forehead turned her head towards me.

"And what happened to the dog after the phone call?" I enquired earnestly and appreciated her slick sales. My wife never left her boutique without buying some dresses. And I am sure many of her clients too when she would text-message them to see her new products.    

After ensuring that my wife took 3 more blouses to try, the boutique owner said to me, "The daughter spoke to the dog via the telephone and said that he must eat or he would starve. After listening to the phone voice, the dog ate. What a stupid dog!"   

I did not comment. She said, "You must guess that I am no dog lover!"

It was best for me to be circumspect. She had the clothes that my wife liked. I know she was burnt out as I could see that she asked me what was my wife's name. Despite the fact that my wife had been her client as a teenager many decades ago. A burnt out proprietor just survives day to day without any passion in her business.

"Why not close down the business since costs are up and it is so competitive in the fashion business," I asked her. "The children are grown up. Staying at home is worse," she said.

My wife discovered her when I took her to see the Miniature Bull Terrier some months ago. The owner of the Bull Terrier always brings his dog to the office.

The boutique lady's office was in a poor location in a run-down shopping mall. There was no walk-in traffic at all. This shopping mall above the ground floor is as quiet as a ghost town.

The boutique lady did not bother with taking down phone numbers or address of loyal customers like my wife. That was a surprise to me.   

However, today (Friday August 15, 2008), I was visiting the Miniature Bull Terrier who had fits to check on the effect of the least dosage medication I recommended.

Her boutique was nearby and so I took my wife to see her during lunch time.

I note that working ladies need to acquire more clothing than they can wear. "Till I have to pack tightly my husband's clothes as I run out of the wardrobe spaces," a drug saleswoman in her 50s told me when she delivered some diazepam rectal tubes to my Surgery 2 days ago and introduced her company's products to me.  

I saw the Miniature Bull Terrier sleeping in a room at 1.30 pm in the office of his owner. His head was down between his front legs and just could not get up. I asked the owner, "Is Sylvester more sleepy today?"

"He was active at 4 am. He woke me up at 4 am to ask for some food," the owner said.

I noted that the Bull Terrier had some slight trembling of the lips. Maybe the medication was a bit too low. But we would wait and see whether the dosage needed to be increased.

The owner said,  "He paws his mouth after eating," the owner commented.

I replied, "Yes, there is one strong molar tooth I could not extract. It had exposed roots in a recessed gum. This can be quite sensitive and painful."  Now, the 7-year-old Miniature Bull Terrier has 4 solid and strong canine teeth and 1 molar tooth now.  

1519. Owner accepted risk of his dog dying during anaesthesia. A very high-risk anaesthestic situation.  When your beloved jogging companion suffers from epilepsy.

1520. Cluster of seizures continued. Blood test of very high white cell count indicated a bacterial infection. Most likely source was the 20 decayed teeth.  When your jogging companion suffers from epilepsy.

1521. Sylvester now has a much less painful mouth.  4 canine teeth & 1 molar teeth remained. 20 loose teeth extracted.  When your jogging companion suffers from epilepsy.

Later in the night, at 7.30 pm,  I phoned the owner to follow up on the anti-epileptic medication as the owner had a student to teach when I dropped by during lunch-time.

"Sylvester barked for his food before 8 pm. Very unusual. He had never barked for food before."

"Yes," I said. "The anti-epileptic drugs cause him to be hungry. A side effect. That is why I am monitoring him to try to give him the least but effective dosage.

"Any epileptic fits today?" I asked.

"No," the owner cheerfully replied. He had been very worried during the past few days. His jogging companion had at least 11 fits.   

PUPPY TEETH IN THE POODLE
Many dental problems and poor health can be prevented by getting your dog's check yearly by your vet. As for puppies, there are some with retained puppy teeth. I will advise removing them as they trap food debris and form tartar in time to come.

Gum infections and tooth decay set in. Below are pictures of a Poodle whose puppy canine teeth had been removed. Most owners in Singapore just ignore my advice as they don't know the implications of poor dental health later in the dog's life.