DETAILS
Singapore is a city State with a population of around 6 million. As over 80% of the residents live in high rises, small pets like hamsters are popular.
They need little space. They are less costly than dogs and cats if you buy from the pet shop.
They are nocturnal creatures and they are active at night, busy exercising, keeping the owners awake with the noisy turning of the wheel!
They are energetic companions and hence much loved by the owners. However, they live for 2.5 to 3 years. When they are one year old, they are considered middle-aged and as they grow older, they may develop illness such as stomach bloat, as in this case.
DIALOGUE
(Based on WhatsApp - Show a person reading WhatsAPP from the phone. -- the messages are texted inside the phone --- try and put them in a rectangular box....etc.
WhatsApp Dr Sing Kong Yuen (DR SING).
17 Apr 20
OWNER: 21:24 "Good evening. I am the owner of Tee, the Syrian hamster which I brought over to your clinic last week."
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| Lady texting on handphone |
(A video clip was shown. Dr Sing could see that the hamster had closed eyelid of the left eye and a swollen abdomen. Can you draw red arrow to show the swollen abdomen and left eyelid closed by pausing the motion of the video?
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VIDEO CLIP
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OWNER: 21:25 "He had been kicking the saw dust and moving around in a hurry."
"He appeared totally stressed all of a sudden".
18 Apr 20.
The owner was advised to bring the hamster for examination. He consulted Dr Daniel Sing and wanted repeat of the medication given 7 days ago.
First consultation at Toa Payoh Vets
10 Apr 20.
HISTORY:
The owner brought his hamster to Toa Payoh Vets as the hamster had a distended abdomen. Dr Daniel Sing palpated a hard lump in his gastric area. He advised X-ray. The owner decided on giving the oral antibiotics and painkillers for the time being.
FOLLOW-UP BY DR SING KONG YUEN
24 Apr 20 WhatsApp
DR SING: 02:24 "Hi, Is your Syrian hamster OK now?"
OWNER: 02:24 "He just passed on,"
Dr SING: 02:26 Please accept my condolences.
May I know what were his signs and symptoms?"
OWNER: 02:27 "He was doing fine, stomach was getting softer.
But he was very lethargic this morning."
DR SING: 02:29 "Was he having a big bloated stomach?
"Did he eat new food like treats?"
OWNER: 02:29 "Couldn't tell if it was bloated."
"But it was soft"
OWNER: 02:29 "Besides his usual treats like seeds, we fed him cucumber occasionally."
DR SING: 02:32 "How old was he? Were his eyes half closed as if he had eye discharge? "
OWNER: 02:32 "Had him for about 6 months. Not sure how old he was when he was in the pet shop.
"Yes, his eyes were half closed at times. He tried to open his eyes only when I pick him up to feed medication."
DR SING: 02:36 "How many days were his eyes half closed?"
OWNER: 02:37 "After giving him the medication or from the start?"
DR SING: 02:37 "From the start"
OWNER: 02:38 "Probably 3 to 4 weeks. It started a few days after his stomach was getting slightly bigger and tougher.
DR SING: 02:39 "Did he eat 50% less than normal?
OWNER: 02:40 "Before medication, he definitely ate less than usual.
"After medication, his appetite was slightly better.
DR SING: 02:43. "Thank you. Were his stools hard and smaller than normal?"
OWNER: 02:44 "Harder yes, definitely much darker/blacker in colour as well."
DR SING: 02:45 "Did he drink less?
OWNER: 02:46 "Yes! That's why I had to resort to feeding him cucumber.
DR SING. 02:48 "Thank you. Most likely, your hamster had gastric distension and bleeding. Did he eat lots of sunflower seeds and husks?"
OWNER: 05:33 "Yes."
DISCOVERY
1. The importance of X-rays in diagnosis.
X-rays are useful as an aid to diagnosis.
Four cases are shown as examples:
CASE 1. A Syrian hamster with a right abdominal mass may have a splenic tumour as shown in the X-ray. (Read text and show arrows indicating tumour...do NOT rush the narration...)
CASE 2.
A Syrian hamster has a uterus over-distended with pus. It is shown by "X" in the X-ray. A case of closed pyometra
CASE 3. A dwarf hamster has swollen abdomen distended with fluid. The fluid is shown as white dense area swelling he abdomen. A case of Ascites.
2. What causes the Syrian hamster's abdominal swelling?
Consent was not given for X-rays in this Syrian hamster. It was likely to have GASTRIC DISTENSION based on the appearance of black stools and his love for eating his new bedding as well as eating the husks of sunflower seeds.
His stomach became filled with these indigestible foreign bodies. Gas formed, bloating his abdomen.
Over the 3 to 4 weeks, the stomach became ulcerated and bled. Hence, the owner's observation that the stools passed were hard and blacker.
In stomach bleeding, the stools passed out would be black as they passed through the intestines. They would be red if the bleeding originated from the intestines.
3. Tips and Advices
1. Be aware of your hamster eating abnormal food or bedding. Try not to furnish the hamster home with so many objects as shown in this image as the hamster may want to eat them, swelling his stomach with foreign bodies.
2. Seek early veterinary treatment if your pet has a bloated stomach.
CREDITS
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