A 7-year-old Pom coughs non-stop - x-rays

Chihuahua, F, 6 years.
No respiratory distress. X-rays of normal heart and lungs for comparison with the Pom case below.



Pom, F, 7 years
Acute respiratory distress
Non-stop coughing
The first vet had taken a 2nd X-ray 7 days ago when the dog started coughing again and prescribed medication. He did not think it was a heart problem.

Yet the dog's coughing got worst and became continuous during the past week. The owner consulted me.  No X-rays were taken by me.


No heart murmurs. Irregular heart beats.
What is the problem? Any cure?

X RAYS FROM THE FIRST VET

ANALYSIS - COMPARISON WITH X RAYS OF 2 OTHER DOGS
VENTRAL-DORSAL VIEWS OF X-RAYS

7-year-old Pom with continuous coughing. Pulmonary edema (cloudy lungs).
The right and left ventricles are enlarged when you compare to the normal heart of the Chihuahua. No heart murmurs. Irregular heart beats.  
As a Mar 27, 2015, the dog no longer coughs, being given heart medication

Compare that to the 6-year-old Chihuahua with no heart problem. Clear lungs (black)

Compare to a 1-year-old Pom with right-sided heart enlargement, coughed blood and panting

No cardiogram or another X-ray were done during consultation at Toa Payoh Vets,owing to cost constraints.



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ANALYSIS - COMPARISON WITH X RAYS OF 2 OTHER DOGS
LATERAL VIEWS OF X-RAYS

7-year-old Pom with continuous coughing. The heart looks normal.  This X-ray by the first vet was taken around 7 days before the non-stop coughing presented itself.  I did not have any X-rays taken to lower medical costs for the owner. 



A 6-year-old Chihuahua with a normal heart and lungs


A 1-year-old Pom with right-sided heart enlargement








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ANOTHER CASE OF COUGHING AND PANTING in a Pom seen by me in 2009.
POM, F, 1 year old.

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A CHIHUAHUA WITH NO PANTING OR HEART PROBLEMS FOR REFERENCE

1149. Singapore: A safe and prosperous haven

"I am not a free lance tour guide," the girl with the deep set sad eyes said. "I am a part-time tour guide."  She was on duty at the travel agency office, just like a car salesman but this was the first time I saw her, despite over 10 visits to this office.   

"What is your target sales?" I asked.

"150," she has no problem getting 150 people to go on tours since she is an "old bird". She said she would be on duty this coming Sunday March 29, 2015 at Marina Bay Sands as she was required to be present. But with the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew on March 23, the travel fair was cancelled.

It is Mr Lee's transformation of Singapore from a swamp land to a First World Country with almost full employment, making Singapore a safe and prosperous haven in churning waters that this lady can work part-time. 

The older generation would worry about losing a full-time job and getting another. Here, she could work part-time for this agency and also for other agencies whenever she likes. There is a labour crunch due to the full employment, unlike countries like Greece with 25% unemployment.

1148. Skin diseases: White skin spots or patches in a dog or cat

Skin cells called melanocytes produce pigment giving the skin its colour. If melanocytes disappear or is not produced or produced less, the skin loses its colour. "White spots appear".

In people, the causes are:
1. Pityriasis versicolor (white spot disases), body and limbs, mild itchiness. The acids secreted by yeasts - Malassezia, inhibit melanocytes from making melanin. Selenium sulphide solution and clotrimazole cream are common treatments.  Oral anti-fungal medication for severe cases. Recovery of normal skin pigmentation may take many months.

2.   Vitiligo is a skin disordr. Melanocytes are destroyed. The skin is usually completely white and clearly demarcated from the surrounding normal skin.

3. Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis are 2-4 mm flat pale spots on the face, arms and legs. Extnesive and chronic sun exposure causing skin damage.

4. Post-inflammatory hypopigmentation - previous skin injury. Pigment temporary disappear.  After vaccination or injection in the dog or cat.

5. Chronic arsenic poisoning. Rare cases where contaminated well water or traditional Chinese medicines containing arsenic is consumed for a long time.

6. Hypopigmented mycosis fungoides is a form of skin cancer. White patches on the body. Uncommon.  Slow progress

Skin colour may take several months to recover after successful treatment.

In Toa Payoh Vets, the number one skin disease in dogs is ringworm which is curable.

Was the neutered father guinea pig responsible for 2 babies?

Mar 24, 2015

The pair of guinea pigs gave birth to 1 male and 1 female on   before the sire was neutered.

Parents  about 1 year old.
Sep 3, 2014   dam gave birth to a male and a female. F1 generation
Oct 7, 2014   sire was neutered by Dr Daniel
Feb 13, 2015  dam gave birth to 2 males. F2 generation.
Was the neutered sire the father? The Korean lady asked me.  Dr Daniel said that the neutered sire should be separated from the dam for 3 months after neuter.

Guinea pigs mature at 3 months of age.
Gestation period 59 - 73 days or 2 months.





Dec 3, 2014  F1 male will mature from 3 months and will mate with the mother.
Feb 13, 2015 (2 months' gestation, mating on Dec 13, 2014 by F1 son).
So the neutered father was NOT responsible.  

1146. Pug with folliculitis

Mar 24, 2015
Review of the pug. 9 days. Still has inflamed skin. Appeared spreading.
Ringworm +ve some hairs
Skin scrapings 3 areas - no mites seen.
Allergy?  Plastic biting of handles of mum's bedframe - allergic on chin and face.

1145. Sunday morning smiles on Mar 22, 2015 at 7.30 am

Sunday Mar 22, 2015

I went to the public fitness park at 6 am and at 7.30 am to exercise. I usually discipline myself to do it once, to exercise to keep fit this year. Bright cloudy morning.


As I walked out, the slim Myanmar maid, around late 20s, in bright red T-shirt, longer blue floral white shorts with two ties at the lower side and pony-tail was washing the bright red Porsche. She smiled nowadays when I said good morning or hello to her. This bright red Porsche alone would cost around $300,000 and her salary, assuming $500/month would mean 50 years of being a domestic worker to earn this amount. I hope she would save up and buy land in her village to better her life. Maids work to support their aging parents and siblings in Myanmar.


At the fitness park, I was surprised to meet this lady who walks her 11-year-old Golden Retriever every day. I met her some weeks ago when I walked to the subway to catch a train to work on a Saturday morning. Her dog was trying to sniff me out and she restrained him. "Are you from Grand  Spring condo?" I asked.  "No, I am from Rose Flower Gardens," she replied. "I was wearing long pants to work when we met some months ago," I said. "So, you will not recognise me. You walk to this neighbourhood too?"

"My dog gets bored walking the same route," the Golden Retriever was dragging her away.
"More likely you will get bored," I could not imagine a dog being bored when taken out in the morning to exercise. "How do you prevent tick infestations of your dog?"
"I spray an organic repellant on his body and paws and so this dog does not have ticks," she said.
"Do you use spot-on insecticide between the shoulders, e.g. Frontline?" I asked.
"Yes, I use it once a month."

"Be careful that you do not get poisoned with the daily spray as you will have inhaled it," I advised. "Even if it is organic, it is still poison!". Many Singaporeans do not bother to look into the medical side effects of multiple pills popped into their mouths including glucosamine and DMSO, anti-perspirant sprays and monthly hair dyes to look younger.

Assuming that a spray is organic, it will be safe for the health of the person and the dog. But long-term use will cause poisoinng of the body system.  

The lady smiled and her dog dragged her off.  Walking every day seemed to have reduced her weight since I saw her more than 2 months ago and she looked happier. She smiled as she left. 

There was another older lady who walked her Golden Retriever along the roads. She also carried pieces of newspapers to scoop up the poo. The dog stopped suddenly as if he wanted to poop and so she got the newspapers ready to place. I stopped walking so as not to distract the dog. Alas, the dog did not do it. She appeared embarassed and I asked: "How many times does he poo a day?"
"Twice," she replied as the dog dragged her off.

In my neighbourhood, I saw a light brown with black soft top, probably an Audi 2-door with a bicycle attached behind the boot, driving out. An older woman walked the road to exercise. A young couple put the golf sets in their car to golf. A Caucasian expatriate with helmet cycling. One man was jogging. An older man with knees bandaged walked past me, avoiding eye contact.

On this Sunday morning in a peaceful country, most of my neighbours are sleeping late and miss the beauty of dawn breaking, the birds chirping and the coolness of the early morning. For the past years, I did not exercise, as is typical of most Singaporeans. Work and raising a family took precedence. There must be time to smell the roses in Singapore when there is peace.   








  

Myanmar Stories: A Myanmar maid learns the basic of computers

Mar 18, 2015

At Khin Khin's employment agency, I met a Myanmarese maid from Pathein. Her employer had asked her to go home since the replacement maid will arrive soon. After 4 years bringing up a child and looking after the household, she did not want to renew her contract. Yet she had not completed her computer course yet and this course would start in 2 weeks' time.

Finding a new employer may be difficult. Her pay was $480. "I have an employer willing to pay $550," the agent said.  Her old employer had permitted her 2 Sundays off and she enrolled for this computer course. Her English is much better. Will she be able to find a new employer?