26 JUN 2021. BE KIND TO PETS VETERINARY STORIES.
THE CASE OF THE HAMSTER THAT CANNOT STOP SCRATCHING --- ALLERGIES? PART 1/2. Images
Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow)
A 15-month-old female dwarf hamster keeps scratching her body and ears frequently for more than 8 weeks. She does it in my presence at Toa Payoh Vets too. What is the cure? Long-standing or chronic skin itchiness are likely caused by allergies. But it is not easy to detect the allergens as the hamster is too small to draw sufficient blood for allergen testing. The first step is stop the obsessive itch with a prednisolone injection. The second step is to treat the hamster as an in-patient for 1-2 weeks to facilitate monitoring and treatment. Many owners object to in-patient treatment and many vets do not provide such services.
In this case, the owner consented to my advice. 7 days after in-patient treatment, the hamster's lower body skin was 90% less inflamed and red. The much swollen red right elbow has returned to normal size and is now wrinkled. However, she still scratches her body and ears once in a while and is on a food allergy trial.
Video 1/2 video educates owners on the importance of in-patient treatment and shows vets who believe that injections will not kill the hamster if administered subcutaneously and in correct dosage, as evident in this case. UPDATES AT BLOG:https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2021/06/3607-how-did-toa-payoh-treat-very-itchy.htmlFINAL VIDEO: toapayohvets.com/videos.htm INSTAGRAM @toapayohvets
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2. FOR GINNY TO CREATE VIDEO
A 15-month-old female dwarf hamster keeps scratching her body and ears frequently and daily for more than 8 weeks. She does it in my presence at Toa Payoh Vets too. What is the cure?
HOW DID TOA PAYOH VETS TREAT A VERY ITCHY HAMSTER? Video 1/2
---THE CASE OF THE HAMSTER THAT CANNOT STOP SCRATCHING --- ALLERGIES?
"I consulted Toa Payoh Vets two weeks ago," Ms Chan showed me the image of her hamster clipped almost bald. She continued: "Ham Ham was shaved and I gave her the medications for the next 10 days. Yet, she still cannot stop scratching and biting her body day and night!"
"Dr Daniel is on leave today," I examined the hamster with my gloved right hand. "The hairs had grown on the upper half of the body as there is no skin inflammation. But the lower body is fiery red." The hamster sprinted away from me. I managed to grasp her and lifted her up to examine her from head to toe.
"Look at her lower body---so red and filled with bite marks!" Ms Chan pointed to lower body as I turned the hamster upside down.
"See her right elbow---it is swollen like an inflated tube of balloon seen at a kid's birthday party!" Ms Chan pointed to the right elbow that was now 10 times the size of the normal left elbow!
"What is the cure?" Ms Chan asked.
"The cause or causes of this skin problem need to be identified," I said. "Skin diseases are caused by allergies, infections or other causes. Some long-standing skin diseases take some days or weeks to find the cause. It is not practical to do blood tests in dwarf hamsters as they are so small. In the dog and cat, a sufficient amount of blood can be drawn for tests. A fungal culture of hairs will be done."
"I will stop the constant scratching first. I will give a pred injection, otherwise the hamster will traumatise the body which will become infected and oozing with blood."
The owner agreed to putting the hamster as an in-patient for the next 1 to 2 weeks. Most owners in Singapore do not want in-patient treatment, preferring medication to treat the hamster at home. Some vets do not want to ward the skin-diseased hamster too.
In-patient treatment facilitate monitoring of the skin health by the vet. Skin cleaning of the body and ears and oral medication are professionally done by the vet nurses. In this case, allergy is suspected. There are many allergens such as dust mites, chemicals from sand baths and bedding, urine scalding due to a bad habit of sleeping on the urine spots.
END VIDEO WITH DAY 13 OF IN-PATIENT TREATMENT. Food allergy trial. Still scratches occasionally but not every second as before treatment. Right elbow skin not red, swollen and wet now. Lower body skin is back to normal colour. Fungal culture results pending.
DAY 13 - IN-PATIENT TREATMENT. MUCH LESS INFLAMED BODY SKIN AND MUCH LESS ITCH.
UPDATES AT:
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Ms Chan, a very busy banker. She is single and in her late 30. She loves the sea and the sun.
She brings her nephew to the Palawan Beach in Sentosa whenever she
has the time. Both made sand castles and had a good time.
DAY 5 AFTER TREATMENT
DAY 1 BEFORE TREATMENT
DAY 7 AFTER TREATMENT
Cleaning body with anti-septic wash to remove all debri
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DAY 1 OF IN-PATIENT ---- CONSULTATION AND EXAMINATION
DAY 1 OF IN-PATIENT --- FURTHER EXAMINATION
The whole body was clipped bald last visit at Dr Daniel's consultation
DAY 2 AFTER IN-PATIENT TREATMENT
DAY 4 AFTER IN-PATIENT TREATMENT
Around 75% less inflamed and itchy body. You can see skin is not red now.
To stop the hamster biting and scratching, an injection is better than oral. Within 24 hours, as this video shows, the inflammation and scratching had reduced by 50%. The hamster can live a more normal life. See Video 1/3 consultation to appreciate the outcome today.
1. INSTAGRAM @toapayohvets
1 JUN 2021. BE KIND TO PETS VETERINARY STORIES. .
THE CASE OF THE SQUEAKING HAMSTER --- SHOW AND TELL
Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow)
This 2-month-old male dwarf hamster’s fractured left hind leg was amputated at the knee level at Toa Payoh Vet 3 weeks ago. She consulted me on 27 May, as tele-consultations & photos were not as good as a proper physical examination.
"Now Hammie has two unusual behaviours," Ms Thompson said. “Firstly, he squeaked loudly for some time on two occasions. Secondly, he used his right hind paw or both front paws to scratch his left ear vigorously every day!"
"The intense squeaking suggested pain," I pointed to the bruised brown patch on the left scrotum. "Self-inflicted biting and friction on the bedding led to bruised genital and pain." Ms Thompson was satisfied with my cause and effect explanation.
“As for the inflamed left ear, frequent scratchings with the right hind paw to relieve ear itchiness were the cause,” I explained. “Some dirt or sand had lodged deep inside the left ear canal. I showed her the close-up digital photos of the affected areas to account for the behaviours after I treated the itchy left ear via ear irrigation.
SHOW AND TELL using CLOSE-UP PHOTOS gain the trust of the owner as the dwarf hamster's ear and scrotum are relatively small in area. Ms Thompson could see the inflamed areas clearly and she felt much happier after viewing the close-ups. “Please WhatsApp the photos to me,” she reminded me as she boarded her GrabRental taxi home to her Orchard Road condo to continue her work from home after lunch.
UPDATES AND MORE INFORMATION AT:
https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2021/05/3597-case-of-squeaky-dwarf-hamster.html
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