2900. New Year 2016 cases. A terrapin, dog and hamsters

Jan 1, 2016

I have 2 in-patients and 2 cases from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm .

Inpatient 1,
A terrapin with left ear abscess for the past 7 days. Eating and active. The left ear swelling has reduced by50%. Mainly blood clots and hardened tissues as the terrapin's abscess was present for many months. The two pre-teen daughters finally surfed the net to get a "terrapin vet" after the mum threatened to abandon it in MacRitchie Reservoir.

It was very difficult to get the younger generation to spare time to do things for the mum. With time, the abscess became gigantic.

Inpatient 2.
The other patient is a 14-year-old Silkie with a deep right eye corneal ulcer of around 8 mm. The first vet had advised eyeball removal as the dog kept scratching her eye. I suggested stitiching up the eyelids first to save the eyeball as it was not infected internally. The dog had to be an in-patient for at least 7 days. At home, she would wander and rub her eyes despite having an e-collar. Here, she eats and sleep like an old person.

Case 1

G.P. F. 1 yr 3 months. Head turned stiffly to the left of the neck, but no head tilt, this morning. In Aug 15, 2015, had left head tilt but recovered after my treatment

A guinea pig could not turn her head to the right. Stiff neck, not left head tilt as in previous treatment by me. Videoed. The owner had not cleaned the ears. The G.P looked recovered at the exam room.

Case 2
A new client.
G.P. M. 5 yrs. o fever. Anorexia 1 day, but often lethargic. V thin. "Chipping sounds".

The G.P was very thin and in poor condition with overgrown lower front teeth, scales dropping from body, dirty ears and body. Pus obvious in right nostril. In-patient for treatment of upper respiratory tract infection.


Telephone 1.
A telephone call came in from a dwarf hamster that had an overgrown tooth curled and embeded into the hard palate (video). Around 4 days ago, the first vet had not examined the mouth and prescribed medication which the owner had to syringe feed. The hamster was very weak, dehydrated and his lower neck was wet with oral medicine spilled onto it. I got the curled front teeth clipped. The owner phoned to ask why the hamster was soft and not moving. "If a hamster has died, he should be rigid," she said.
"She might have developed rigidity overnight," I explained that rigor mortis occurred a while. "After that the body softens."  

This was a very sad case. The owner surfed the net, came across a Toa Payoh Vets video of a hamster had "overgrown" teeth. She checked the mouth. She came to me and I confirmed her diagnosis. A young couple with a little girl lost a young hamster.