Tuesday, May 30, 2017

3080. A pet mouse has a black-spotted red tumour excised.









This approximately 1-year-old pet mouse was one of 3 adopted by the young lady 2 weeks ago.
The female mouse had a large subcutaneous tumour. Anaesthesia by isoflurane gas was needed before a very low dose (0.01ml) of Zoletil 100 IM. Maintenance by gas. Tumour was excised. 4 stitches using 5/0 nylon. The pet mouse goes home on the same day. 

Sunday, May 28, 2017

3079. A 1.5-year-old Syrian hamster has a 71g tumour

Sunday May 28 2017

A pair cream Syrian hmasters produced 5. 3 were eaten by the mum.
Some mths ago, the dam had a large right neck tumour 70% size of a golf ball. Operated by Dr Daniel and now Ok.

Thursday, May 25, 2017

3077. A 10-year-old Maltese has difficulty breathing, coughs a lot and cannot lie down overnight

Congestive heart failure - left ventricle failure leading to pulmonary edema as seen in the X-rays.








Dog had high white cell count and neutrophils. T=37.6 deg C which is below normal.
Oxygen therapy, IV furesmide to clear pulmonary edema. The dog had bacteraemia.

Saturday, May 20, 2017

3076. A 1.5-year-old hamster's tumour grows bigger and bigger fast. How Toa Payoh Vets remove a tumour.

May 20, 2017

Hamster owners in Singapore do surf the internet to look for hamster vets to operate on the pet's tumours as illustrated in this case. "The tumour was small at first," the young man said. "But the vet did not do any surgery even when it grows fast."









This tumour is large at 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm x 1.0 cm. Therefore the anaesthetic risks are much higher as it takes a longer time to operate as compared to a small one at 0.5 cm. All was OK as the hamster recovered and went home.



Thursday, May 18, 2017

3075. Egg binding in3 red-eared sliders - oxytocin inj

Most owners delay more than 1 week of egg-laying behavior to seek veterinary advices. In the following 2 cases, Case 1 was given oxytocin injection within 7 days of egg-laying behavior (leg digging floor, soil) and passed out 3 eggs.  Case 2 with 5 eggs - the owner wanted to wait and see and no eggs were laid when given oxytocin >4 weeks after exhibiting behavior.

CASE 1



















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Case 2. Egg binding. 5 eggs. No eggs laid as oxytocin injections were requested by the owner >4 weeks after egg-laying behavior. .





Case 3. Egg binding. 15 eggs not laid as oxytocin injections were given over 4 weeks after signs.

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

3073. A 19-year-old red-eared slider has swollen limbs

Written by Intern Wong Shu Yu




Synopsis:

A 19 year old female red eared slider was limp and unresponsive when brought in.  The owner mentioned that the slider had not been eating for weeks and that she was gasping for air earlier that morning. As no reflexes were detected in response to stimuli, the slider was pronounced dead. It was noted however, that the slider’s limbs and neck were swollen. This was a possible indication that the slider had been suffering from kidney, heart or liver disease prior to death. The slider’s shell was also dented inwards in the centre, which suggested a history of shell rot in the past.

The slider was considered to have lived a long life given that the natural life span of red eared sliders in captivity typically ranges between 15 to 30 years. It is highly probable that the slider had died of natural causes due to old age; however, it would not be possible to pinpoint the precise cause of death without having resort to a post-mortem. Having discussed the various options with the owner, the owner agreed to have the slider sent for cremation.

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Date: Sunday, 30 April 2017

Attending physician: Dr Sing Kong Yuen, Dr Daniel Sing

Particulars

Name: -

Age: 19 years

Weight: -

Gender: Female

Species: Terrapin

Breed: Red Eared Slider



History:

The slider had not been eating for weeks.  Patient was gasping for air and struggling for air at 2.30am that morning.  Usual diet comprises boiled chicken, prawns, vegetables and commercial pallets.
The slider was exposed to half an hour UV light every day and allowed to bask and dry
off completely.

Physical Examination:

Patient was limp and no reflexes detected
Neck, and limbs were oedematous
Shell was concave in the middle
Carapace measured 16 cm long x 15 cm across

Diagnosis:

Patient had passed away upon arrival. Cause of death is likely to be old age.
Suffered from shell rot previously, thereby affecting integrity of shell
Edema suggests that kidney, heart or liver diseases could be present

Procedures done:

None.

Treatment Plan:

1. Explained to owner that likely cause of death is old age, but that it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of death unless patient is sent for a post-mortem at the government vet facilities. However, some owners find the process traumatic.

2. Owner appeared to be affected by patient’s death, and asked if the patient could have been saved had he sought treatment earlier. Advised that (i) the patient was considered old given that the natural lifespan of red eared sliders in captivity is about 15 to 30 years, and that (ii) treatment options for red eared sliders were limited. Consequently, it was likely that there would be no difference in the
outcome even if earlier treatment had been sought for the patient.

3. Provided owner with option of cremation. Owner agreed and the carcass of the patient was left in the clinic and arrangements made for cremation.

Exhibits:
Fig 1: Top view of patient-  Swollen limbs

3072. An 8-year-old cat's annual health screening


Written by: Intern Ms Wong Shu Yu

Synopsis:
Tammi is an 8 year old local tabby cat who came to us for her annual checkup and vaccination. While there were no significant abnormalities detected upon physical examination, it was noted that Tammi (standing at 4.6kg) is fairly overweight for her size. This puts her at risk for fatty liver disease. An examination of Tammi’s mouth also revealed signs of gingivitis and an ulcer on the upper side of her gums.

The annual vaccine was given to Tammi and blood taken for purposes of testing for liver disease. Other procedures performed included dental scaling, ear cleaning and anal sac expression. Notably, the expression of Tammi’s anal sacs produced a black-coloured substance, which indicated that the glands have not been expressed for a prolonged period of time.

Tammi’s owner was advised to switch to a weight reduction cat food formula in order to bring down Tammi’s weight to a healthier range. The results of the anal sac expression were also shown to and its significance explained to the owner. Dr Sing highlighted that the anal sacs need to be expressed regularly in order to prevent inflammation and subsequent self-injury perpetrated by the animal on the affected area due to discomfort. 



Date:                 Sunday, 30 April 2017

Attending physician:     Dr Sing Kong Yuen

Particulars
Name:             Tammi
Age:                 8 years
Weight:             4.6kg
Gender:             Female
Species:             Feline
Breed:             Local tabby
Neutered/Spayed:         Spayed

History:
Patient is here for annual vaccination and check up
Adopted from local SPCA in October 2014
Last vaccination done in November 2016
Eating and drinking normally
Urine and stools are normal
Diet of Pronature Adult Indoor Cat Dry Food; no other food or treats given

Physical Examination:
Patient is quite overweight
Some tartar seen on teeth. One canine is longer than the other
Signs of gingivitis spotted on the gums.
Patient has an ulcer on the upper side of her gums.
No tumours detected.

Diagnosis:
Patient is overweight and therefore at risk for fatty liver disease.
Gingivitis

Procedures done:
Dental scaling: No loose teeth detected
Ear cleaning
Blood taken from jugular vein
Expression of anal sacs: black oil was expressed, indicating that the anal sacs had not been expressed for a long time.
Vaccine given.

Treatment Plan:
Explained to owner that patient is overweight and is at risk for liver disease. Advised that protein content of present diet is too high.
Explained significance of results of anal sac expression to owner. Advised that anal sacs should be expressed regularly to prevent inflammation
Recommended diet change to weight reduction formula
Drontal dewormer tablets prescribed
Blood taken will be sent to laboratory to test for liver disease

Exhibits:
                   

Fig 1: Top view of patient                Fig 2: Patient’s present diet
 

Monday, May 1, 2017

3071. A 15-year-old Miniature Schnauzer has diarrhoea when medication is completed

May 1, 2017


Dog had left sided breast tumours excised by Vet 1 last year. Right side breast tumours appear now. Also distal to left side, near vulval region, a tumour of 5 cm x 5 cm x 4 cm appeared. Main complaint is that the dog now stopped eating and had diarrhea again.

Had diarrhea episodes twice and consulted Vet 1 on March 31 and April 15, 2017. Vet 1 took X-rays and blood test. X-rays say heart and kidneys enlarged. Blood test showed high urea, anaemia and dehydration.

Diarrhoea now.





Today, given IV drip, anti-fever and anti-diarrhea and antibiotic. To stop feeding beef and rice nowadays.
Intestines may be sensitive to beef and rice and there is a high fever.