Monday April 4, 2016
This male 14-year-old Jack Russell growls at me but his back limbs trembles most of the time. Is he afraid of me or has he some nervous disease of old age?
I saw him as a young puppy and now he is a senior citizen. The owner used to feed him chicken bones and he used to vomit and get diarrhoea. That was in the past.
The owner is busy as a travel agent driver and so is vague on the dog's symptoms. "I noted that he was not active and had vomited once or more...I don't know."
The dog has fever and his eyes would close now and then. He limped on hi right hind. The owner will arm lock his head while I examine the dog. "There is the heart murmur on the left side," I said. "He might be "coughing" rather than vomiting".
Blood test showed bacteraemia and low red cell count and haemoglobin.
Monday, April 4, 2016
12. Dental disease. A 13-year-old Jack Russell has a 2nd carnassial tooth abscess 2 years later
April 4, 2016
The young lady spotted a big swelling below the left eye and consulted me.
"It is a carnassial tooth abscess - an infection of the 3 roots of the 4th premolar tooth into the sinus. The sinus is near the roots and so get infected and becomes swollen. The treatment is to extract the tooth and drain the pus."
"Can my dog still eat dry kibbles if you pull it out?" she asked.
"He has other teeth. If I don't extract the tooth, he will get recurring swelling of the face below the eye."
Under anaesthesia, the old dog needed minimal gas at 0.5% maintenance unlike young dogs needing 2.5% or they will wake up.
Pus oozed out from the front of the first root out of 3. The roots were still firm as the young lady was observant and detected the swelling early or she must have had done research. So, should I leave the decaying tooth alone as desired by the lady? There will continue to be facial swelling which will rupture under the skin causing an oro-nasal fistula. So, I decided to get the tooth extracted though it is harder to extract the other 2 roots.
I gave the dog an IV drip with painkiller and antibiotics 4 hours before surgery. Domitor + Ketamine IV at 20% normal dosage. Gas isoflurane + O2. Dental work. Then an Antisedan antidote to reverse the sedation of Domitor. He woke up within 2 minutes and went home with one tooth less.
VIDEO
The surprising abnormality from the blood test: Liver and kidneys although creatinine was low at 61 (89-177). However red cell count was 4.8 (5.5 - 8.5). The dog is OK now.
------------------------------
FLASHBACK
June 1, 2014. Right facial swelling below right eye with open wound oozing pus. Carnassial tooth extracted. No more problem till now 2016 when the left facial swelling occurred. So the young lady owner detected similar surgical condition and brought the dog for early treatment.
The young lady spotted a big swelling below the left eye and consulted me.
"It is a carnassial tooth abscess - an infection of the 3 roots of the 4th premolar tooth into the sinus. The sinus is near the roots and so get infected and becomes swollen. The treatment is to extract the tooth and drain the pus."
"Can my dog still eat dry kibbles if you pull it out?" she asked.
"He has other teeth. If I don't extract the tooth, he will get recurring swelling of the face below the eye."
Under anaesthesia, the old dog needed minimal gas at 0.5% maintenance unlike young dogs needing 2.5% or they will wake up.
I gave the dog an IV drip with painkiller and antibiotics 4 hours before surgery. Domitor + Ketamine IV at 20% normal dosage. Gas isoflurane + O2. Dental work. Then an Antisedan antidote to reverse the sedation of Domitor. He woke up within 2 minutes and went home with one tooth less.
VIDEO
The surprising abnormality from the blood test: Liver and kidneys although creatinine was low at 61 (89-177). However red cell count was 4.8 (5.5 - 8.5). The dog is OK now.
------------------------------
FLASHBACK
June 1, 2014. Right facial swelling below right eye with open wound oozing pus. Carnassial tooth extracted. No more problem till now 2016 when the left facial swelling occurred. So the young lady owner detected similar surgical condition and brought the dog for early treatment.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
11. Two dwarf hamsters had ingrown front teeth
Sunday Apr 3, 2016
It may be a coincidence but on Saturday and Sunday, I treated two hamsters with ingrown front teeth (video)
CASE 1
Sunday. The lady decided to bring in 2 hamsters with swellings for consultation. One is 23 g, lethargic and very thin. It was dehydrated and has a big abscess below the chin. This was the one with ingrown lower front teeth. The other is 40 g and has a nose bridge abscess.
CASE 2
Saturday. A 4-month-old thin Syrian hamster has two upper front teeth ingrown into the hard palate.
It may be a coincidence but on Saturday and Sunday, I treated two hamsters with ingrown front teeth (video)
CASE 1
Sunday. The lady decided to bring in 2 hamsters with swellings for consultation. One is 23 g, lethargic and very thin. It was dehydrated and has a big abscess below the chin. This was the one with ingrown lower front teeth. The other is 40 g and has a nose bridge abscess.
CASE 2
Saturday. A 4-month-old thin Syrian hamster has two upper front teeth ingrown into the hard palate.
10. Skin disease. Spending over $1,000 on skin disease treatment of a Jack Russell - ventral dermatitis
Sunday Apr 4, 2016
"Is there a cure for my dog as I had spent over $1,000 in veterinary fees to treat my itchy Jack Russell," the lady had consulted me in Oct 2015 for the itch skin disease. She did not return for a review one month later as advised as the dog had fully grown a coat.
She had consulted 3 vets for the skin disease before Oct 2015 without successful permanent cures and that added to the veterinary expenses.
Now the Jack Russell has a big bare red belly with white rings of various sizes but the 2-cm across rings were prominent. She had treated the dog with over-the-counter shampoos and other medications but the dog scratched more.
I showed the lady they glowed under the ultraviolet light and examined the hairs under the microscope. Ringworm is the diagnosis as in Oct 2015. Other parts of the skin had rashes hidden under the thick wiry coat.
The dog was clipped bald and looked like a Dalmatian with red spots (video). Generalised ringworm again.
Why?
"There are ringworm-contaminated places in your apartment. The dog lies down on this area and gets re-infected after recovery in Nov/Dec 2015," I said.
"He lies down anywhere," the mum said.
"Which is his favourite spot?"
After much thought, the mother concluded it was the floor under the piano. Thorough decontamination of the floor is needed. The dog ought to be reviewed in one month's time. This is a recurring case of ventral dermatitis due to ringworm which had spread throughout the body. I suspected that the dog did not fully recovered as the owner did not return for the review.
Skin diseases can be expensive to treat. The owner may not comply with treatment instructions and the dog may reject the tablets. A monthly review is necessary but many owners do not bother.
"Is there a cure for my dog as I had spent over $1,000 in veterinary fees to treat my itchy Jack Russell," the lady had consulted me in Oct 2015 for the itch skin disease. She did not return for a review one month later as advised as the dog had fully grown a coat.
She had consulted 3 vets for the skin disease before Oct 2015 without successful permanent cures and that added to the veterinary expenses.
Now the Jack Russell has a big bare red belly with white rings of various sizes but the 2-cm across rings were prominent. She had treated the dog with over-the-counter shampoos and other medications but the dog scratched more.
I showed the lady they glowed under the ultraviolet light and examined the hairs under the microscope. Ringworm is the diagnosis as in Oct 2015. Other parts of the skin had rashes hidden under the thick wiry coat.
The dog was clipped bald and looked like a Dalmatian with red spots (video). Generalised ringworm again.
Why?
"There are ringworm-contaminated places in your apartment. The dog lies down on this area and gets re-infected after recovery in Nov/Dec 2015," I said.
"He lies down anywhere," the mum said.
"Which is his favourite spot?"
After much thought, the mother concluded it was the floor under the piano. Thorough decontamination of the floor is needed. The dog ought to be reviewed in one month's time. This is a recurring case of ventral dermatitis due to ringworm which had spread throughout the body. I suspected that the dog did not fully recovered as the owner did not return for the review.
Skin diseases can be expensive to treat. The owner may not comply with treatment instructions and the dog may reject the tablets. A monthly review is necessary but many owners do not bother.
9. Skin disease in 2 male, not neuterd Papillons
Sat April 2, 2016
Most Singaporean pet owners will just consult the vet nearby and so I was surprised to see the 2 male Papillons from East Singapore.
One had very intense skin itchiness from head to paws. He keeps scratching all day and night. So the couple probably surfed the net and brought them to see me. The other had a few ashes on the body and less scratching.
"It looks like a case of bite wounds due to bullying or play biting," I advised clipping bald of the serious skin diseased dog or both dogs. "Male dogs want to dominate each other as they are not neutered.
"The bite wounds get infected over time and become very itchy. So the dog keeps scratching. These are likely bacterial rashes as I don't find any fungal infections."
The husband was not convinced the skin disease was due to biting. After clipping both dogs bald, the wife saw 6 small wounds in an arc in the lower neck skin of the less infected dominant dog. "These are bite wounds," she said and I agreed.
"Likely to be the 6 incisor front teeth of the bullied male," I did not snap an image as evidence. "He fought back and managed to nip the neck of the bully."
What's the solution.
Neutering. However, the husband did not want neutering as this will take out the life and energy of the male dogs.
"Give them more outdoor space to run" I presumed the couple lived in a house. But a small apartment is where the two males live and so there will be bullying.
Most Singaporean pet owners will just consult the vet nearby and so I was surprised to see the 2 male Papillons from East Singapore.
One had very intense skin itchiness from head to paws. He keeps scratching all day and night. So the couple probably surfed the net and brought them to see me. The other had a few ashes on the body and less scratching.
"It looks like a case of bite wounds due to bullying or play biting," I advised clipping bald of the serious skin diseased dog or both dogs. "Male dogs want to dominate each other as they are not neutered.
"The bite wounds get infected over time and become very itchy. So the dog keeps scratching. These are likely bacterial rashes as I don't find any fungal infections."
The husband was not convinced the skin disease was due to biting. After clipping both dogs bald, the wife saw 6 small wounds in an arc in the lower neck skin of the less infected dominant dog. "These are bite wounds," she said and I agreed.
"Likely to be the 6 incisor front teeth of the bullied male," I did not snap an image as evidence. "He fought back and managed to nip the neck of the bully."
What's the solution.
Neutering. However, the husband did not want neutering as this will take out the life and energy of the male dogs.
"Give them more outdoor space to run" I presumed the couple lived in a house. But a small apartment is where the two males live and so there will be bullying.
Saturday, April 2, 2016
8. Ruptured air sac in a parrot - head and neck swelling again and again
Saturday April 3, 2016
An old client brought in an $8,000 Maine Coon cat that had loose stools for the past 4 days after attending a cat show 7 days ago. He wants to specialize in Maine Coons and to be known, he does go to cat shows.
"Once I had a prairie dog for sale," he showed me an image from the internet and said that it was not a real dog as it was more like a gigantic guinea pig and was herbivorous.
"AVA will catch you when you advertise," I told him.
"Yes, AVA officers scan the newspapers at night and pretended to be a buyer," he told me he was fined $1,000 as the officers went to his home and took the animal away.
"Where did it go?" I asked.
"It is at the River Safari in the Zoo," his wife told me. "It is shown one hour at night."
"If only we had microchipped the prairie dog," the wife lamented.
The couple has a genuine love for cats and exotic animals. The man showed me an image of the fanned pigeon and various lovely pictures of parrots.
"Would you as a vet have microchipped my prairie dog?" he asked me.
"If the AVA officers asked me who microchipped it, I would have to point them to you!"u
This man also had a parrot as a pet. It had a large skin swelling above the head and neck.
"Dr Kong put a needle in and got the air out," he drew an illustration for me. "But the swelling reappears again and again. The vet said it could be an infection from the mouth causing air to bubble and accumulate under the skin. He prescribed antibiotics but the swelling recurs again and again!
"Now, I just use alcohol to wipe the area of the skin for me to pierce a needle to deflate the air. Not just one needle. It will not work. I insert another needle at the other side of the swelling. And whoosh, the swelling goes down. The only problem is that I need to do it so many times. I note that the swelling is less substantial now. Is there a solution to prevent recurrence?"
The cause is a large rupture of the anterior air sac. The best practice will be for the vet to insert a drainage tube to let the air out daily and hence allowing the tear in the air sac to heal. The parrot must be rested. Alternatively 2-3x/day drainage for a few days by syringe.
Recurrence makes a client lose confidence in the vet. The same applies to ear abscess treatment in terrapins.
An old client brought in an $8,000 Maine Coon cat that had loose stools for the past 4 days after attending a cat show 7 days ago. He wants to specialize in Maine Coons and to be known, he does go to cat shows.
"Once I had a prairie dog for sale," he showed me an image from the internet and said that it was not a real dog as it was more like a gigantic guinea pig and was herbivorous.
"AVA will catch you when you advertise," I told him.
"Yes, AVA officers scan the newspapers at night and pretended to be a buyer," he told me he was fined $1,000 as the officers went to his home and took the animal away.
"Where did it go?" I asked.
"It is at the River Safari in the Zoo," his wife told me. "It is shown one hour at night."
"If only we had microchipped the prairie dog," the wife lamented.
The couple has a genuine love for cats and exotic animals. The man showed me an image of the fanned pigeon and various lovely pictures of parrots.
"Would you as a vet have microchipped my prairie dog?" he asked me.
"If the AVA officers asked me who microchipped it, I would have to point them to you!"u
This man also had a parrot as a pet. It had a large skin swelling above the head and neck.
"Dr Kong put a needle in and got the air out," he drew an illustration for me. "But the swelling reappears again and again. The vet said it could be an infection from the mouth causing air to bubble and accumulate under the skin. He prescribed antibiotics but the swelling recurs again and again!
"Now, I just use alcohol to wipe the area of the skin for me to pierce a needle to deflate the air. Not just one needle. It will not work. I insert another needle at the other side of the swelling. And whoosh, the swelling goes down. The only problem is that I need to do it so many times. I note that the swelling is less substantial now. Is there a solution to prevent recurrence?"
The cause is a large rupture of the anterior air sac. The best practice will be for the vet to insert a drainage tube to let the air out daily and hence allowing the tear in the air sac to heal. The parrot must be rested. Alternatively 2-3x/day drainage for a few days by syringe.
Recurrence makes a client lose confidence in the vet. The same applies to ear abscess treatment in terrapins.
7. A beautiful sunset outside Queen's Veterinary Surgery.
How this picture is taken?
The sun was setting but dark clouds drifted to shield it. I snapped this image hoping to get a full view of the sun. This was a split second but dark clouds drifted downwards obscuring the sun.
.
Compostion. A good composition would be the background trees of a house forming a nice arc pointing upwards to the sun. .
If I was a young vet, I will prefer to build up my practice at Queen's Veterinary Surgery and not in the rough industrial area where Toa Payoh Vets is located.
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