May 31, 2010
The owner cycled to the Surgery to settle his bills.
"How's the Chihuahua?" I asked.
"He's OK in his urination. Sometimes I do see some blood in his urine but this is rare."
"The colour may not be blood. It is best to get his urine checked. Does he still go outdoors and pee a lot at the first time?"
"No," he said. "He just pees here and there in his favourite bushes. He will pee till he has nothing to pee. Yet he still lifts his legs to pee."
"Do you feed dry dog food anymore?" I asked.
"No more as you advised. But sometimes, when his stools are watery. Dry dog food hardens his stools."
"Does he urine-mark inside the apartment?" I presumed he was staying in the same place.
"No, not at all. He will go outdoors twice a day and urine marks till he has nothing left in his bladder and still he goes on and on."
I suspected the occasional blood in the urine could be due to traumatic injury. So I asked the tall slim man in his 40s: "Does the dog humps on cushions?"
"Yes," the owner said.
"He might have injured himself with too much of this humping. Does he grip people's legs and rub against the leg?"
I was surprised when the owner said: "He does grip my left frequently."
"Daily?"
"Yes," the owner replied.
"You should stop him," I advised. "Or get him neutered."
"I thought the dog needs to do it. So I did not push him away."
"The cause of blood in the urine could be due to penile tip injury. Some male dogs have a strong behaviour to self-stimulate. Probably he licks his scrotum too."
"Yes," the owner said.
"Neutering will remove his urge to behave this way obsessively everyday."
"I will think about it," the owner said. It was about to drizzle. He cycled home quickly. I was not surprised at the anti-social behaviour of this male dog as humping is a common observation and shown in some movies as a humourous joke. Therefore to this owner, the behaviour is perfectly normal.
Update at www.toapayohvets.com
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
85. Plastic grate + pee pan house breaking
Thank you for your email. My reply is in CAPITAL letters below.
E-MAIL TO DR SING AND DR SING'S REPLY IN CAPITAL LETTERS
From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Help for toilet training
To: judy@toapayohvets.com
Date: Monday, May 31, 2010, 11:36 AM
Hello Dr. Sing,
I am a first time dog owner and has specially taken one week leave to toilet train my dog. I feel a bit frustrated now that I am not seeing any results.
IT TAKES 4-8 WEEKS OF CONFINEMENT AND TRAINING TO SEE SUCCESSFUL RESULTS
I just got my toy poodle named Ginger, close to 3 months old, back home on Saturday afternoon. I have set up my playpen as per the photo attached.
I have been trying hard to train her to get up onto the Pee tray. Sometimes she pees on the pee tray (that's when we confined her to just the pee tray) by a fence in btw. Yet most of the times, she will pee outside the Pee tray-Black area.
THERE ARE A FEW REASONS FOR THIS BEHAVIOUR.
1. YOUR PUPPY MAY BE USED TO PEEING ONTO THE SOLID FLOOR. YOU NEED TO LET ME KNOW WHAT TYPE OF FLOORING SHE WAS USED TO AT THE BREEDER'S HOME. IT MAY BE JUST TILED FLOORS. SO THE PEE TRAY BLACK AREA CLOSELY FEELS LIKE THE TILED FLOOR. CHECK WITH THE BREEDER. I suspect that your new puppy has no experience with this yellow plastic grate as the breeder or seller never uses it. It is usually sold to puppy buyers. The puppy has been used to another type of grate or flooring and so you do not expect her to eliminate on it.
URINE SMELL. For the yellow grate, you need to put urine smell (tissue paper with puppy's urine smell onto the pee pan. This pee pan is below this yellow grate. I hope you know what I mean.
2. YOUR PUPPY MAY BE THE TYPE THAT IS VERY CLEAN AND FUSSY. YOU WILL NEED TO WASH THE GRATE everytime she pees on it and also to get some urine smell onto the pee pan.
THE YELLOW THING IS CALLED THE GRATE + PEE PAN WHICH COLLECTS URINE BELOW THE GRATE. THE BLACK THING IS ALSO A PEE PAN OR PEE TRAY.
The spot she always pee outside the pee tray is the spot closest to us, marked "X" .Weirdly that's the area where we feed her food.
SHE HAS NO CHOICE FROM THE LAYOUT OF YOUR PLAYPEN. THE BACK OF THE BLACK PEE PAN IS WHERE SHE SLEEPS. THE YELLOW GRATE IS AVOIDED BY HER, I PRESUME. SO SHE HAS TO PEE ON THE FRONT PART OF THE BLACK PEE PAN.
MANY OWNERS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH TRAINING THE PUPPY ON THIS YELLOW PLASTIC GRATE + PEE PAN BECAUSE THE PUPPY IS USED TO THE WIDER METALLIC GRATE. GO AND VISIT PET SHOPS SELLING PUPPIES AND YOU WILL KNOW WHAT I MEAN OR SEE MY PICTURES OF GRATE + PEE PAN IN MY WEBSITE. YOUR PUPPY IS ONE OF THEM.
When she pees correctly on the pee tray, i will say "Good" , "Pee pee here", pat her and give her a treat.
PRAISE AND TREAT IS CORRECT. HOWEVER, DID YOU WASH THE YELLOW GRATE + PEE PAN? YOUR PUPPY MAY AVOID STEPPING ON IT AS SHE CAN SMELL IT AS UNCLEAN.
Sometimes, I like to say "Pee pee here" at the pee tray and get her to come to the Pee tray and put her in the peeing position. But she doesn't pee most of the time.
IT TAKES AT LEAST 4 WEEKS OF TRAINING AND CLOSE MONITORING AND TEACHING. YOU CANNOT EXPECT RESULTS IN ONE WEEK. KNOW THE HISTORY ABOUT HOW THE PUPPY PEES AT THE BREEDER AND LET ME KNOW.
Question 1: May I know if my method is correct? Cause weirdly after treating, the next time she still pees wrongly.
METHOD OF ORAL COMMAND, PRAISE AND TREAT IS CORRECT. BUT CAN YOUR REALLY STAY WITH THE PUPPY 24 HOURS. I DOUBT YOU CAN DO IT. SHE PEES EVERYWHERE INCLUDING THE FRONT OF THE BLACK PEE PAN.
THE SOILED YELLOW GRATE AND THE BLACK PEE PAN NEEDS TO BE WASHED PROPERLY. URINE SMELL ON THE BLACK PEE PAN (FRONT PART) NEEDS TO BE NEUTRALISED WITH VINEGAR:WATER AT 1:3 TO PREVENT MORE PEEING THERE.
Question 2: She got two ways of peeing. One is semi squat (the usual way), the other is " she will jump onto the fence-Legs on ground, hands on the fencing and pee. Is that normal?
YES. SOME OWNERS OF PUPPIES DO TELL ME THAT THEIR PUPPIES GRIP THE FENCING TO PEE. MOST LIKELY THIS IS BECAUSE SHE HAS NO SPACE OR IS TRYING TO AVOID THE FRONT PAWS STEPPING ON THE SOILED AREA. IF ONLY PUPPIES CAN TALK.
Question 3: For the past 2 nights she has been here, she poos in the early morning (eg 3-4am, 10am). I have peeped once before and saw that she poos with her legs on ground and hands on fencing. Do I have to stay up to make sure I catch her in the act and correct her when she poos?
IF YOU SLEEP NEAR THE PUPPY, YOU CAN DO THE HOUSE-BREAKING WITHIN 1-2 WEEKS. BUT THIS MAY NOT BE PRACTICAL FOR YOU. POOPING WITH FRONT PAWS ON THE FENCING IS DONE BY SOME PUPPIES, ACCORDING TO SOME OTHER OWNERS. I DON'T THINK IT IS ABNORMAL.
Question 4: Do I have to give her water often? I think maybe restricting her to peeing during certain hours could be better. So can I only give her water before play and during food time. Is that sufficient?
STOP ALL WATER AFTER DINNER OR 8 PM TO GET THE PUPPY HOUSE-BROKEN EARLIER. WATER AT ALL TIMES ADVISED. FOOD SHOULD BE GIVEN FOR 15 MINUTES AND TAKEN AWAY TO ENSURE THAT THE PUPPY DOES NOT EAT ALL DAY LONG. DO NOT DISTRACT THE PUPPY DURING FEEDING TIME AND SHE POOPS USUALLY WITHIN 30 MINUTES AFTER EATING. THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE IF YOU KEEP PLAYING OR DISTURBING HER.
My dog is very hyper. She doesn't seem to listen to my cue. When I say NO in a fierce manner, she doesn't really seem to catch it.
YOUR ORAL COMMANDS TAKE TIME TO BE USED TO. PROBABLY YOUR PUPPY DOES NOT KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. USE TWO WORDS INSTEAD OF 3 WORDS OR A SENTENCE AND USE THE SAME TWO WORDS FOR HOUSE-TRAINING.
You just need to be patient and keep at training. No other way.
See one case report at:
http://www.bekindtopets.com/dogs/20100158Grate_Training_Shih_Tzu_puppy_ToaPayohVets.htm
It may be useful for you. Let me know if you have any queries.
Draft report in this blog. Update is at www.toapayohvets.com
E-MAIL TO DR SING AND DR SING'S REPLY IN CAPITAL LETTERS
From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Help for toilet training
To: judy@toapayohvets.com
Date: Monday, May 31, 2010, 11:36 AM
Hello Dr. Sing,
I am a first time dog owner and has specially taken one week leave to toilet train my dog. I feel a bit frustrated now that I am not seeing any results.
IT TAKES 4-8 WEEKS OF CONFINEMENT AND TRAINING TO SEE SUCCESSFUL RESULTS
I just got my toy poodle named Ginger, close to 3 months old, back home on Saturday afternoon. I have set up my playpen as per the photo attached.
I have been trying hard to train her to get up onto the Pee tray. Sometimes she pees on the pee tray (that's when we confined her to just the pee tray) by a fence in btw. Yet most of the times, she will pee outside the Pee tray-Black area.
THERE ARE A FEW REASONS FOR THIS BEHAVIOUR.
1. YOUR PUPPY MAY BE USED TO PEEING ONTO THE SOLID FLOOR. YOU NEED TO LET ME KNOW WHAT TYPE OF FLOORING SHE WAS USED TO AT THE BREEDER'S HOME. IT MAY BE JUST TILED FLOORS. SO THE PEE TRAY BLACK AREA CLOSELY FEELS LIKE THE TILED FLOOR. CHECK WITH THE BREEDER. I suspect that your new puppy has no experience with this yellow plastic grate as the breeder or seller never uses it. It is usually sold to puppy buyers. The puppy has been used to another type of grate or flooring and so you do not expect her to eliminate on it.
URINE SMELL. For the yellow grate, you need to put urine smell (tissue paper with puppy's urine smell onto the pee pan. This pee pan is below this yellow grate. I hope you know what I mean.
2. YOUR PUPPY MAY BE THE TYPE THAT IS VERY CLEAN AND FUSSY. YOU WILL NEED TO WASH THE GRATE everytime she pees on it and also to get some urine smell onto the pee pan.
THE YELLOW THING IS CALLED THE GRATE + PEE PAN WHICH COLLECTS URINE BELOW THE GRATE. THE BLACK THING IS ALSO A PEE PAN OR PEE TRAY.
The spot she always pee outside the pee tray is the spot closest to us, marked "X" .Weirdly that's the area where we feed her food.
SHE HAS NO CHOICE FROM THE LAYOUT OF YOUR PLAYPEN. THE BACK OF THE BLACK PEE PAN IS WHERE SHE SLEEPS. THE YELLOW GRATE IS AVOIDED BY HER, I PRESUME. SO SHE HAS TO PEE ON THE FRONT PART OF THE BLACK PEE PAN.
MANY OWNERS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH TRAINING THE PUPPY ON THIS YELLOW PLASTIC GRATE + PEE PAN BECAUSE THE PUPPY IS USED TO THE WIDER METALLIC GRATE. GO AND VISIT PET SHOPS SELLING PUPPIES AND YOU WILL KNOW WHAT I MEAN OR SEE MY PICTURES OF GRATE + PEE PAN IN MY WEBSITE. YOUR PUPPY IS ONE OF THEM.
When she pees correctly on the pee tray, i will say "Good" , "Pee pee here", pat her and give her a treat.
PRAISE AND TREAT IS CORRECT. HOWEVER, DID YOU WASH THE YELLOW GRATE + PEE PAN? YOUR PUPPY MAY AVOID STEPPING ON IT AS SHE CAN SMELL IT AS UNCLEAN.
Sometimes, I like to say "Pee pee here" at the pee tray and get her to come to the Pee tray and put her in the peeing position. But she doesn't pee most of the time.
IT TAKES AT LEAST 4 WEEKS OF TRAINING AND CLOSE MONITORING AND TEACHING. YOU CANNOT EXPECT RESULTS IN ONE WEEK. KNOW THE HISTORY ABOUT HOW THE PUPPY PEES AT THE BREEDER AND LET ME KNOW.
Question 1: May I know if my method is correct? Cause weirdly after treating, the next time she still pees wrongly.
METHOD OF ORAL COMMAND, PRAISE AND TREAT IS CORRECT. BUT CAN YOUR REALLY STAY WITH THE PUPPY 24 HOURS. I DOUBT YOU CAN DO IT. SHE PEES EVERYWHERE INCLUDING THE FRONT OF THE BLACK PEE PAN.
THE SOILED YELLOW GRATE AND THE BLACK PEE PAN NEEDS TO BE WASHED PROPERLY. URINE SMELL ON THE BLACK PEE PAN (FRONT PART) NEEDS TO BE NEUTRALISED WITH VINEGAR:WATER AT 1:3 TO PREVENT MORE PEEING THERE.
Question 2: She got two ways of peeing. One is semi squat (the usual way), the other is " she will jump onto the fence-Legs on ground, hands on the fencing and pee. Is that normal?
YES. SOME OWNERS OF PUPPIES DO TELL ME THAT THEIR PUPPIES GRIP THE FENCING TO PEE. MOST LIKELY THIS IS BECAUSE SHE HAS NO SPACE OR IS TRYING TO AVOID THE FRONT PAWS STEPPING ON THE SOILED AREA. IF ONLY PUPPIES CAN TALK.
Question 3: For the past 2 nights she has been here, she poos in the early morning (eg 3-4am, 10am). I have peeped once before and saw that she poos with her legs on ground and hands on fencing. Do I have to stay up to make sure I catch her in the act and correct her when she poos?
IF YOU SLEEP NEAR THE PUPPY, YOU CAN DO THE HOUSE-BREAKING WITHIN 1-2 WEEKS. BUT THIS MAY NOT BE PRACTICAL FOR YOU. POOPING WITH FRONT PAWS ON THE FENCING IS DONE BY SOME PUPPIES, ACCORDING TO SOME OTHER OWNERS. I DON'T THINK IT IS ABNORMAL.
Question 4: Do I have to give her water often? I think maybe restricting her to peeing during certain hours could be better. So can I only give her water before play and during food time. Is that sufficient?
STOP ALL WATER AFTER DINNER OR 8 PM TO GET THE PUPPY HOUSE-BROKEN EARLIER. WATER AT ALL TIMES ADVISED. FOOD SHOULD BE GIVEN FOR 15 MINUTES AND TAKEN AWAY TO ENSURE THAT THE PUPPY DOES NOT EAT ALL DAY LONG. DO NOT DISTRACT THE PUPPY DURING FEEDING TIME AND SHE POOPS USUALLY WITHIN 30 MINUTES AFTER EATING. THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE IF YOU KEEP PLAYING OR DISTURBING HER.
My dog is very hyper. She doesn't seem to listen to my cue. When I say NO in a fierce manner, she doesn't really seem to catch it.
YOUR ORAL COMMANDS TAKE TIME TO BE USED TO. PROBABLY YOUR PUPPY DOES NOT KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. USE TWO WORDS INSTEAD OF 3 WORDS OR A SENTENCE AND USE THE SAME TWO WORDS FOR HOUSE-TRAINING.
You just need to be patient and keep at training. No other way.
See one case report at:
http://www.bekindtopets.com/dogs/20100158Grate_Training_Shih_Tzu_puppy_ToaPayohVets.htm
It may be useful for you. Let me know if you have any queries.
Draft report in this blog. Update is at www.toapayohvets.com
Monday, May 31, 2010
84. Sunday case - 2nd opinion and feedback
Sunday 30th May 2010
The lady wanted a second opinion. Vet 1 said that her 5-year-old Chihuahua had heart disease and had prescribed a cough mixture (on the first visit) and heart drugs (Fortekor 5mg and a white capsule) on the second visit. The owner does not know what the white capsules were for.
It was a beautiful Sunday morning. One entrepreneur had opened a small office at Peninsula Plaza and I had dropped by at 9.30 am to congratulate her. Then I rushed back to the Surgery for this second opinion.
I put the stethoscope on the dog's chest on the right and left. "I confirm that your dog has a serious heart disease. Is he still coughing?"
"Well, he did cough 2 days ago, but not today."
"Your heart drugs need to be given regularly and listen to the coughing period. Your dog must not be permitted to be too active."
"I can give him the cough mixture when he coughs," the lady in her late 40s said.
"In heart disease, there will be water in the lungs. The dog wants to cough up the water from the lungs. If you give the cough mixture to prevent coughing, your dog will "drown" with excessive water inside the lungs."
Fortunately she did not self-medicate or her dog would have had died. She sought a second opinion and that was good for her dog.
"I must tell you that your dog will not live to a ripe old age of 15 years unlike some Chihuahuas," I had to give the owner the prognosis. "If you are careful with the heart drugs and monitor him closely for coughing or other signs, he may live longer. He may need more dosage over time or other drugs. I don't expect him to live more than 1-2 years."
The owner held back her tears. I checked my records as this dog had dental scaling and teeth extraction done by me one year ago. He was OK.
"Coughing at night started one month ago," the owner said.
"Why did you consult Vet 1?" I asked for feedback to improve my services. Was something lacking in this case? Well, Vet 1's surgery was much nearer to her apartment and that would be the main reason.
"Vet 1 does not need appointments," the lady said. "She is very busy as there is a big crowd of patients. I had to wait one and a half hours to see her."
This feedback is important to me. No appointments mean more business perhaps? Dog owners in Singapore dislike appointments or are there more factors for owners to switch loyalty? I am sure the causes are many. I am glad that this owner got a second opinion. I asked her to check with Vet 1 what the white capsules were for and to keep in touch.
P.S It is deadly to give cough mixture to dogs with heart disease. Try and get proper veterinary advices.
The lady wanted a second opinion. Vet 1 said that her 5-year-old Chihuahua had heart disease and had prescribed a cough mixture (on the first visit) and heart drugs (Fortekor 5mg and a white capsule) on the second visit. The owner does not know what the white capsules were for.
It was a beautiful Sunday morning. One entrepreneur had opened a small office at Peninsula Plaza and I had dropped by at 9.30 am to congratulate her. Then I rushed back to the Surgery for this second opinion.
I put the stethoscope on the dog's chest on the right and left. "I confirm that your dog has a serious heart disease. Is he still coughing?"
"Well, he did cough 2 days ago, but not today."
"Your heart drugs need to be given regularly and listen to the coughing period. Your dog must not be permitted to be too active."
"I can give him the cough mixture when he coughs," the lady in her late 40s said.
"In heart disease, there will be water in the lungs. The dog wants to cough up the water from the lungs. If you give the cough mixture to prevent coughing, your dog will "drown" with excessive water inside the lungs."
Fortunately she did not self-medicate or her dog would have had died. She sought a second opinion and that was good for her dog.
"I must tell you that your dog will not live to a ripe old age of 15 years unlike some Chihuahuas," I had to give the owner the prognosis. "If you are careful with the heart drugs and monitor him closely for coughing or other signs, he may live longer. He may need more dosage over time or other drugs. I don't expect him to live more than 1-2 years."
The owner held back her tears. I checked my records as this dog had dental scaling and teeth extraction done by me one year ago. He was OK.
"Coughing at night started one month ago," the owner said.
"Why did you consult Vet 1?" I asked for feedback to improve my services. Was something lacking in this case? Well, Vet 1's surgery was much nearer to her apartment and that would be the main reason.
"Vet 1 does not need appointments," the lady said. "She is very busy as there is a big crowd of patients. I had to wait one and a half hours to see her."
This feedback is important to me. No appointments mean more business perhaps? Dog owners in Singapore dislike appointments or are there more factors for owners to switch loyalty? I am sure the causes are many. I am glad that this owner got a second opinion. I asked her to check with Vet 1 what the white capsules were for and to keep in touch.
P.S It is deadly to give cough mixture to dogs with heart disease. Try and get proper veterinary advices.
83. Sudden death during boarding
May 29, 2010 Saturday was my day off and it was a hot sunny day. Sex and City 2 movie was shown. I appreciated the better script and the great humour about menopausal hot flushes and irritable moods in Abu Dhabi, of actress called Samantha in the movie Sex and City 2.
During dinner, I went to the Inle Restaurant at Marina Square served a well cooked fried sweet, sour and chilly bass. This was the first time I had been to this outlet although I had eaten several times at the Peninsula outlet. I was pleasantly surprised that the fish was well presented and cooked to my taste. I am wary of smelly fish dishes not cooked properly. Then my mobile phone rang at 8.30 pm.
"A dog boarded at a kennel had died after a shower. Can you certify that he is dead?" Groomer Clara phoned me. I had known her for over 5 years and could trust her when she said she would come. Some people don't turn up after making emergency or ordinary appointments and don't inform me. Therefore, I have to be careful nowadays. Still I had to wait 45 minutes at the Surgery for Clara to arrive.
"Can you wait till tomorrow Sunday morning?" I asked.
"The owner wants it done today," Clara said.
I went back to Toa Payoh Vets. Clara arrived with a dog boarding kennel operator in a very small rectangular type of van for 2 people.
The Maltese had died. Rigor mortis had set in. His tongue was dark purple. I could just certify that the dog had died and go away. However this sudden death would be very distressful to the owner. She might want some answers for closure.
"Let me talk to the owner," I said to Clara.
"I had transported this owner's other dog to see you," Clara said. As I saw Clara rarely, I had presumed that this owner was not a client of mine.
I asked my assistant to take out the case card after checking the computer and to write a death certificate while I phoned the owner. My assistant took the card out and wrote the certificate. I checked the certificate and spoke to Mr Saw: "Do check the dog as your details are those of another breed of the owner." As the card showed one dog's details, he assumed the dog info was that of the dead dog.
I spoke to the grieving owner: "Your dog had passed away suddenly from a heart attack. Did he show any breathing problem or coughing?"
"No," the lady said. "He went for urinary stone removal via the penis and then 2 months later, the vet took the stones out from the bladder."
"When was that?" I asked.
"One year ago," she said.
"The dog had fully recovered," I said. "I don't know what is the cause of the heart attack. Do you want a post-mortem to check the cause of death?"
The owner was not keen on this advice. She said: "I am in confinement." By that I presume she had just given birth to a baby. "What do you want to do with the dog? Do you wish to have him cremated?"
After some discussion, Clara would bring the dog back to the kennel and the owner would see him on Sunday.
Some dogs do die during boarding. Many owners don't do annual health screening of old dogs. This dog was around 7 years old and was in good body condition. The teeth was encrusted with tartar as no dental check up was done.
P.S
It is important for the vet to communicate with the owner as regards sudden death in a boarding kennel as sudden death of a beloved pet during boarding, far away from home, is a very emotional issue.
Annual health screening using blood and urine tests and dental examination are seldom done by the Singaporean dog owner. Many diseases can be prevented or controlled from annual health checks if you want your pet to live long.
During dinner, I went to the Inle Restaurant at Marina Square served a well cooked fried sweet, sour and chilly bass. This was the first time I had been to this outlet although I had eaten several times at the Peninsula outlet. I was pleasantly surprised that the fish was well presented and cooked to my taste. I am wary of smelly fish dishes not cooked properly. Then my mobile phone rang at 8.30 pm.
"A dog boarded at a kennel had died after a shower. Can you certify that he is dead?" Groomer Clara phoned me. I had known her for over 5 years and could trust her when she said she would come. Some people don't turn up after making emergency or ordinary appointments and don't inform me. Therefore, I have to be careful nowadays. Still I had to wait 45 minutes at the Surgery for Clara to arrive.
"Can you wait till tomorrow Sunday morning?" I asked.
"The owner wants it done today," Clara said.
I went back to Toa Payoh Vets. Clara arrived with a dog boarding kennel operator in a very small rectangular type of van for 2 people.
The Maltese had died. Rigor mortis had set in. His tongue was dark purple. I could just certify that the dog had died and go away. However this sudden death would be very distressful to the owner. She might want some answers for closure.
"Let me talk to the owner," I said to Clara.
"I had transported this owner's other dog to see you," Clara said. As I saw Clara rarely, I had presumed that this owner was not a client of mine.
I asked my assistant to take out the case card after checking the computer and to write a death certificate while I phoned the owner. My assistant took the card out and wrote the certificate. I checked the certificate and spoke to Mr Saw: "Do check the dog as your details are those of another breed of the owner." As the card showed one dog's details, he assumed the dog info was that of the dead dog.
I spoke to the grieving owner: "Your dog had passed away suddenly from a heart attack. Did he show any breathing problem or coughing?"
"No," the lady said. "He went for urinary stone removal via the penis and then 2 months later, the vet took the stones out from the bladder."
"When was that?" I asked.
"One year ago," she said.
"The dog had fully recovered," I said. "I don't know what is the cause of the heart attack. Do you want a post-mortem to check the cause of death?"
The owner was not keen on this advice. She said: "I am in confinement." By that I presume she had just given birth to a baby. "What do you want to do with the dog? Do you wish to have him cremated?"
After some discussion, Clara would bring the dog back to the kennel and the owner would see him on Sunday.
Some dogs do die during boarding. Many owners don't do annual health screening of old dogs. This dog was around 7 years old and was in good body condition. The teeth was encrusted with tartar as no dental check up was done.
P.S
It is important for the vet to communicate with the owner as regards sudden death in a boarding kennel as sudden death of a beloved pet during boarding, far away from home, is a very emotional issue.
Annual health screening using blood and urine tests and dental examination are seldom done by the Singaporean dog owner. Many diseases can be prevented or controlled from annual health checks if you want your pet to live long.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
82. 6-month-old cat neuter and spay
SHARING KNOWLEDGE ON INJECTABLE ANAESTHESIA IN THE STERILISATION OF CATS AT WWW.TOAPAYOHVETS.COM, SINGAPORE - PART 1
Frequently Asked Questions For Dr Sing
1. Best time to spay my female cat?
If cats are home-based and not permitted to stray outdoors, it is best to spay at 6 months of age as their private parts (vulva) will be be able to develop into adult size.
2. Best time to neuter my male cats?
I advise 6 months of age. However, if there is a male and female sibling cats living in the same apartment, the male will be much interested in the female at 6 months of age. Get them sterilised when interest is shown or neuter the male at 5 months.
One case study
Two domestic short haired cats were adopted as kittens.
At 6 months of age, the male was very interested in the female cat at 6 months.
During sterilisation, the female cat's ovaries were enlarge and blood vessels were very red and big, indicating the cat was on heat. However she was not pregnant. The owner stopped water and food at 10 pm the previous night. One website claims that cats can still be given water prior to surgery. I don't agree with this.
3. What anaesthesia I use in the sterilisation of cats in 2010?
I find the following combination in one syringe given by IM safe and effective
INJECTABLE ANAETHESIA IM
Male cat 4.2 kg
Xylazine 2% @ 0.15ml + Ketamine 0.6 ml IM
Surgery: 10 minutes after injection.
Excellent analgesia
Female cat 3.0 kg
Xylazine 2% @ 0.1 ml + Ketamine 0.4 ml IM
Surgery: 20 minutes after injection as there was some delay by my assistant in the clipping of hair and cleaning of the surgical area. The cat was awake by then. There is no problem as isoflurane gas by mask at 5% for around 60 seconds and to effect provided excellent analgesia.
The combination dosage for this cat should be similar to the one in the male cat if isoflurane gas top up is not needed.
4. Cat cats be sterilised at 3 months of age or younger?
I am aware that cat-control activists and shelters spay them as early as 3-4 months to prevent unwanted pregnancies. On one websigte, one "vet" working for an animal shelter said that anaesthesia is safe for such age groups as anaesthesia nowadays are better than those in the 1960s. She did not give the % of deaths or type of anaesthesia used.
5. Will my cat's left ear tip be cut off after sterilisation?
No. I don't do it, even in stray cats, unless the owner requests it to be done. Many owners actually dislike seeing their cats being "disfigured" but stray cat activists do get such surgeries done.
6. Can vaccinations be done at the same time?
Yes. However, I don't advise it as the cat is under stress of anaesthetic drugs, pain-killer drugs and antibiotics. But some owners don't have time. So, vaccination is done. Usually there are no adverse effects.
SHARING KNOWLEDGE ON INJECTABLE ANAESTHESIA IN THE STERILISATION OF CATS AT WWW.TOAPAYOHVETS.COM, SINGAPORE - PART 2
1. Observations of one cat neutered by me
I find the following combination effective as one IM injection
1.1. 3 kg cat. Today, I spayed a Ragamuffin, female, 1 year. 3 kg using injectable anaesthetic.
Xylazine 0.15 ml Ketamine 0.6 ml in one syringe IM
Duration of anaesthesia around 20 minutes in this case. I don't need isoflurane gas top up. This is the ideal situation as it means less operating time.
1.2 5 kg cat. I have used xylazine 0.2 ml and ketamine 0.8 ml IM without side effects.
2. IV
I don't use IV as I find it time consuming but it is one vet's favourite mode of administration and he following simple formula, easy to remember is shared with vets.
2.1 3-kg cat. xylazine 0.1 ml, ketamine 0.2 ml in one syringe, totalling 0.3 ml. Inject 0.1 ml IV first, then another 0.1 ml to effect.
2.2 5-kg cat. xylazine 0.1 ml and ketamine 0.4 ml, totalling 0.5 ml.
Note that you give 0.2 ml IV first. Then increase by 0.05 ml doses to effect. You don't need to use all 0.5 ml.
3. MY CONCLUSIONS
I prefer the IM method for ease of administration and permitting me to focus on surgery. I do give isoflurane gas by mask for a few seconds to top up if necessary. This is very effective.
However, the IV top-up method is excellent if you don't have isoflurane facilities. The cat is shaved 5 minutes after IM and I operate 10 minutes after injection. Many years ago, I used xylazine IM and then isoflurane gas for cat spay. Now, I don't use it as I find the IM method extremely effective in healthy cats.
In the IV top up method, an IV catheter has to be used and this seems to be less efficient in my opinion. Every time the analgesia is insufficient by observation of the painful movement or cries, the IV anaesthetic is injected by increments to effect. This method is important in countries where the gas anaesthetic machine and isolfurane gas are costly.
For me, a whiff of the isoflurane gas by mask for a few seconds seems more efficient and quieter. Obviously, the vet has to be vigilant on the signs of surgical anaesthesia in both the IV and gas top up. The cat under my regime wakes up earlier than those using IV and I prefer to see a cat up and about as soon as surgery ends.
Friday, May 28, 2010
81. High cost of webmasters in Singapore
1. It was great meeting you one morning to talk about IT from a practitioner.
2. I attach two pictures about "Be Proactive To Make Your Dreams Come True" to inspire you as you are a young man and can achieve so many great things in life. I hope you like the 2 pictures and can see the story in the picture. If not, I will explain to you the story behind my 2 pictures.
3. You are I are service providers in our own industry. Sometimes, our points of view may differ from the customers' point of views. If we can give what our customers want, we will get excellent referrals and lots of businesses. Good quality business clients are from referrals who trust me rather than think that I am the cheapest vet in Singapore.
4. I wish to share with you my experience in looking for a webmaster from a "customer's point of view". Yesterday, a client of mine whose dog I treated, introduced me to her boss who has a website producing company in Joo Chiat. It is a small office with 2 men and my client. It is called .... This young girl will make an excellent frontline administration officer as she follows up for her boss and ensures that I meet him.
4.1 COSTS OF AN E-COMMERCE WEBPAGE
The boss had only one account that suited my requirements. It was a website with e-commerce payments by Nets, Master and Visa credit cards for a charity run by a local university. "How much to produce this website?" I asked. "$15,000".
Definitely, I can't afford this amount."Can I see the website?" I asked since the boss was showing me printouts from his file. I am looking for past performances before I engage a webmaster as webmasters in Singapore are extremely expensive compared to South Korea. From a report I read some years ago, most Korean companies have online pages as the costs are much lower. Singapore is still in the Dark Ages as many companies don't do it. Now I understand why few small enterprises in Singapore do e-commerce as $15,000 is really a lot of money.
When I asked for the website to be demonstrated online, the boss said, "Sorry, No more," He suggested that I use PayPal for e-commerce. This is a sensible idea as it saves a lot of costs from webmasters.
4.2 CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS). I can't afford to pay the webmaster for updates. In any case, the webmaster will have no timely updates for me as I update anytime and daily. The boss said he can provide a CMS whereby the client updates pictures and pictures himself. As to the software used for webpage design, he said it is proprietary.
4.3 WHAT I WANT IN A WEBMASTER. Basically, it is e-commerce and self-updating at least cost. To save a lot of time for both of us at the meeting, I had an example of what I want from another company and asked the boss to click on "Asia Travel Concierge". Unfortunately, this webpage seems to have "expired" when the boss tried to access it. And I could see it in the morning before I met him.
I hope the above will be useful in letting you know what I want from a webmaster. I hope you will persevere and succeed in your IT enterprise. Go for it. Build up your commercial client base. Be amongst the best webmasters by giving what your customers want and having a large portfolio to prove it if this aspect of IT is what you are passionate about. Sometimes, bread on the table may be more important for your long-term survival. But if passion is there, your clients will sense it and with referrals, you will get "manna from heaven." I have the wording on my desktop to remind me daily. It is "Belief, Passion, Drive & Perseverance".
With best wishes.
2. I attach two pictures about "Be Proactive To Make Your Dreams Come True" to inspire you as you are a young man and can achieve so many great things in life. I hope you like the 2 pictures and can see the story in the picture. If not, I will explain to you the story behind my 2 pictures.
3. You are I are service providers in our own industry. Sometimes, our points of view may differ from the customers' point of views. If we can give what our customers want, we will get excellent referrals and lots of businesses. Good quality business clients are from referrals who trust me rather than think that I am the cheapest vet in Singapore.
4. I wish to share with you my experience in looking for a webmaster from a "customer's point of view". Yesterday, a client of mine whose dog I treated, introduced me to her boss who has a website producing company in Joo Chiat. It is a small office with 2 men and my client. It is called .... This young girl will make an excellent frontline administration officer as she follows up for her boss and ensures that I meet him.
4.1 COSTS OF AN E-COMMERCE WEBPAGE
The boss had only one account that suited my requirements. It was a website with e-commerce payments by Nets, Master and Visa credit cards for a charity run by a local university. "How much to produce this website?" I asked. "$15,000".
Definitely, I can't afford this amount."Can I see the website?" I asked since the boss was showing me printouts from his file. I am looking for past performances before I engage a webmaster as webmasters in Singapore are extremely expensive compared to South Korea. From a report I read some years ago, most Korean companies have online pages as the costs are much lower. Singapore is still in the Dark Ages as many companies don't do it. Now I understand why few small enterprises in Singapore do e-commerce as $15,000 is really a lot of money.
When I asked for the website to be demonstrated online, the boss said, "Sorry, No more," He suggested that I use PayPal for e-commerce. This is a sensible idea as it saves a lot of costs from webmasters.
4.2 CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS). I can't afford to pay the webmaster for updates. In any case, the webmaster will have no timely updates for me as I update anytime and daily. The boss said he can provide a CMS whereby the client updates pictures and pictures himself. As to the software used for webpage design, he said it is proprietary.
4.3 WHAT I WANT IN A WEBMASTER. Basically, it is e-commerce and self-updating at least cost. To save a lot of time for both of us at the meeting, I had an example of what I want from another company and asked the boss to click on "Asia Travel Concierge". Unfortunately, this webpage seems to have "expired" when the boss tried to access it. And I could see it in the morning before I met him.
I hope the above will be useful in letting you know what I want from a webmaster. I hope you will persevere and succeed in your IT enterprise. Go for it. Build up your commercial client base. Be amongst the best webmasters by giving what your customers want and having a large portfolio to prove it if this aspect of IT is what you are passionate about. Sometimes, bread on the table may be more important for your long-term survival. But if passion is there, your clients will sense it and with referrals, you will get "manna from heaven." I have the wording on my desktop to remind me daily. It is "Belief, Passion, Drive & Perseverance".
With best wishes.
80. Employee vets and locums
May I share with you my personal views on veterinary assistants and locums in Singapore since I graduated in 1974 and had started my own practice www.toapayohvets.com in 1980?
Employee vets in Singapore want the maximum pay and the least hours of work. Many married lady vets want to work part-time and less days. It seems to me that there are many newly graduated vets but they are mainly ladies. They don't want the hard work - night duties, after-hour emergencies and so expatriate vets have opportunities in Singapore.
Inevitably, those hard-working ones will think they have better be their own bosses, after 2 years. Why work long hours and get a "salary"? But this is the reality of private practice. The employee vet who is calculating will never be happy because he or she feels exploited when the practice is very busy.
For you, I will advise you to think what you want in life? If you want to work in Singapore, take a package that is a "stepping stone" to know about the culture and make contacts in Singapore after your locum work is completed.
If you are really good in your veterinary work, I have no doubt you will earn more once you are here as referrals are very powerful in Singapore. There is a large expatriate community here and they do have the spending power. The practice you will be working in does not have the expatriate business. This is an opportunity for you to start getting expatriates for this practice and later to be your own boss.
But what do you want in life? Just be a flitting butterfly by doing locums? Locums are highly paid for hours worked but they do not build up a practice. If you just want to be a hired gunman on a project, as in the film "Have Gun Will Travel" (a famous English TV movie in the early 1960s), then, so be it. You may out-price yourself as there are other expatriate locums looking for jobs in Singapore too.
It is best to be your own boss from what I can read about you in your emails. In that case, you can fail as well as being successful. Much depends on you. Nobody knows what you want. I met a lady English Vet in Siem Reap in Cambodia. She was closing down the clinic as business was poor. She was there for around 2 years and was the only expatriate vet. But Singapore's small animal practice is so much different from Siem Reap and you, as an expatriate vet with many years of experience, should have a large clientele of Caucasian expatriates when you start up. Obviously, it is not a guarantee.
With best wishes.
Employee vets in Singapore want the maximum pay and the least hours of work. Many married lady vets want to work part-time and less days. It seems to me that there are many newly graduated vets but they are mainly ladies. They don't want the hard work - night duties, after-hour emergencies and so expatriate vets have opportunities in Singapore.
Inevitably, those hard-working ones will think they have better be their own bosses, after 2 years. Why work long hours and get a "salary"? But this is the reality of private practice. The employee vet who is calculating will never be happy because he or she feels exploited when the practice is very busy.
For you, I will advise you to think what you want in life? If you want to work in Singapore, take a package that is a "stepping stone" to know about the culture and make contacts in Singapore after your locum work is completed.
If you are really good in your veterinary work, I have no doubt you will earn more once you are here as referrals are very powerful in Singapore. There is a large expatriate community here and they do have the spending power. The practice you will be working in does not have the expatriate business. This is an opportunity for you to start getting expatriates for this practice and later to be your own boss.
But what do you want in life? Just be a flitting butterfly by doing locums? Locums are highly paid for hours worked but they do not build up a practice. If you just want to be a hired gunman on a project, as in the film "Have Gun Will Travel" (a famous English TV movie in the early 1960s), then, so be it. You may out-price yourself as there are other expatriate locums looking for jobs in Singapore too.
It is best to be your own boss from what I can read about you in your emails. In that case, you can fail as well as being successful. Much depends on you. Nobody knows what you want. I met a lady English Vet in Siem Reap in Cambodia. She was closing down the clinic as business was poor. She was there for around 2 years and was the only expatriate vet. But Singapore's small animal practice is so much different from Siem Reap and you, as an expatriate vet with many years of experience, should have a large clientele of Caucasian expatriates when you start up. Obviously, it is not a guarantee.
With best wishes.
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