99. A bi-sexual toy poodle

YOUNG PEOPLE DOING INTERNET RESEARCH AND DIAGNOSIS

Sunday's Unusual Case Highlighted:

Toy poodle, female, spayed at 6th month, 6 years old. 3.9 kg (trim).
Neck had 3 itchy patches of ringworm infestation. Very itchy.

Complaint:
For the past few weeks, she would stretch her front legs forward, lower her body and maintain this posture for several seconds.

"My poodle is suffering from pancreatitis," the young man phoned me. "Do you do blood test to check this condition?"

Sometimes the young people diagnose their own dogs.

The couple whipped out the handphone and showed me the picture of the poodle in this pose. Seeing is believing.

"Is the dog eating well?" I asked today. "Very well," the owners said. I palpated the abdomen. There was not a touch of pain. So, I advised them to wait as the dog was being treated for ringworm and the results would not be accurate.

If owners request a blood test, it should be done. How does the vet know what is occurring inside the body system but a dog with good appetite is unlikely to have any medical problems. If the vet does not do a blood test on request and the dog becomes ill some days later, he may be liable for professional misconduct. So it is wiser to do the blood test.

In this poodle, my examination discovered an unusually large clitoris. It was about 4 mm in diameter. I asked the couple to hold the poodle. The dog had been spayed in Hong Kong at 6 months of age. On further detailed examination of the vulval area, there was an unmistakeable miniature structure resembling a male organ with the body of the penile organ being 1 cm long and 5 mm in diameter. The whole mucosa was a deep red suggestive of inflammation.

It was difficult explaining to the lady in Mandarin. She could get the idea of what I was trying to explain. As for treatment of the posture, there was none. As for the large bald patches on the neck between the shoulders, anti-ringworm medication would take several weeks to work. This must be explained to the owners.