"I could have
spent my time
making more
money," the
man in his
late 50s had
spent his free
time washing
the Golden
Retriever
daily for the
last 4 weeks.
The dog had
generalised
ringworm.
Reddish skin
in the face
and body and a
black lower
body. A very
itchy dog.
I shaved it
and instructed
that its
infected skin
be washed
daily with two
types of
washes I
prescribed and
give the
anti-ringworm,
antibiotic and
a multivitamin
+ zinc
medication.
Owners who
complied with
my
instructions
generally find
good outcomes
but many don't
come back for
a skin review
after a month.
In this case,
the owner came
because the
5-year-old
Golden
Retriever had
a very itchy
right ear -
all inflamed
and red.
The son had
bought the dog
but is too
busy to care
for him when
the dog had
generalised
ringworm. I
said to the
father, "Your
situation is
common in
Singapore.
Children buy
the dog but
have no time
to care for
them such as
daily walks.
The parents
take over the
responsibility
and some love
the dog to
bits.
"Why don't you
give this dog
away? After
all, you did
not buy this
dog. Golden
Retrievers
with their
long coat are
high
maintenance."
The older
generation of
Singaporeans
are generally
not dog lovers
owing to the
harsh economic
times they
were brought
up and so this
generation
tends to be
frugal and dog
ownership is a
luxury.
"A
relationship
is
established,"
the father
said.
"Do you go for
walks with
this dog?" I
asked.
"Yes," he
said.
"Dogs are
better than
human beings,"
I replied.
"Dogs have
time for you
but people
have their own
agendas. Dogs
don't get
upset or angry
with you for
various
reasons,
unlike
people."
He seem to
appreciate his
dog more after
my talk .
because he
asked me
whether his
dog would be
all right. I
had the
sedated the
dog to
irrigate his
right ear
thoroughly and
did dental
scaling to
scale off the
hard tartar in
his back teeth
and helped to
carry his dog
to the back
seat of his
car. The dog
was still
drowsy as it
was just 30
minutes after
sedation on
this bright
sunny Sunday
afternoon near
closing time
of 4.30 pm.
Dental scaling
under sedation
at the same
time as ear
irrigation
would save
some money for
the owner.
In any case,
the hard
tartar in the
back teeth
ought to be
removed to
prevent
periodontitis
and gum
diseases. The
owner came in
just for ear
problem but
the vet ought
to advise what
other health
care is
needed. It is
up to the
owner to
accept the
advices such
as dental
scaling for
the first time
for this
5-year-old
dog. It will
be for the
dog's good as
his back teeth
would last
longer. It is
not practical
for the busy
owner to brush
the dog's
teeth daily
when he has no
time for
himself. So I
was glad that
this owner
accepted the
advice and did
not say much
about the need
for tooth
brushing. The
dog is fed
chicken and
dog food and
is quite trim
owing to
walks. Not one
of those fat
Golden
Retrievers
that have no
outdoor
exercises.
As the dog was
still drowsy
and the owner
worried, I
rushed into
the surgery to
get the
antidote of
0.8 ml
Antisedan and
injected it IM
on the
backside
muscle of the
dog in the
back seat.
"Your dog will
wake up before
you reach
home," I said.
The owner was
quite happy as
he worried
about
anaesthetic
deaths.
In this case,
I gave 0.8 ml
domitor and
1.0 ml
ketamine IV
for a 33-kg
Golden
Retriever.
This IV
anaesthesia
was sufficient
for 15 minutes
to do dental
scaling of the
back teeth and
ear
irrigation.
The operating
table was
tilted
downwards so
that the water
from the mouth
during dental
scaling flowed
out.
P.S. 1.
Sharing my experience
with this IV
anaesthesia
regime for
other vets:
The formula is
0.4 ml domitor
+ 0.5 ml
ketamine IV
for a 10-kg
young healthy
dog. This
provides
around 20-30
minutes of
general
anaesthesia.
With this
formula, I
reduced the
dosage for
this 33-kg
Golden
Retriever as
he does not
need >15
minutes.
Antisedan IM
wakes up the
dog and this
puts the
owner's mind
at ease.
P.S. 2.
The dog's
ringworm was
not fully
cured. "It is
around 80%
cured," I said
to the owner
who had taped
up a wet wound
below the
right hock. I
took off the
tape which
revealed a
weepy wound
due to licking
and cover up.
There were
black skin
spots with
scales but in
general the
new hairs had
grown and the
dog was no
longer itchy.
I showed the
owner that the
lower body was
no longer
black as
before. I
prescribed
another course
of ringworm
medication.
Maybe a
reminder card
or SMS ought
to be sent a
month after
skin disease
treatment?
P.S. 3
This dog
snapped at me
suddenly at
the waiting
room when I
tried to touch
his head to
show the owner
that the
ringworm
lesions had
gone. He was
sitting with
the owner at
the
consultation
room after I
had examined
him on the
consultation
room table. He
did not object
to my
manipulations
and ear
checking then.
This was
unusual
behaviour for
a Golden
Retriever but
he must be
angry with me
for examining
his ears and
for previous
injections.
This time I
did not give
any injections
and so I was
surprised he
snapped.
It seems that
gentle dogs
do get rattled
too, like
people, for
various
reasons! But
this dog was
angry at me
for the ear
checking and
previous
treatments and
injections,
not with his
beloved owner.
P.S. 4
I phoned the
owner on
Monday
afternoon to
follow up, but
his mobile
phone call
terminated
abruptly
twice. Should
have sms him.
TOA
PAYOH VETS
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