The Miniature Schnauzer came yesterday Jun 30, 2011 for her 3rd vaccination. 7 days ago, the young lady owner with 2 small boys asked me whether it was normal for her 3-month-old puppy to poop 6x/day of 24 hours? What would be my advice since I said it was not normal?
Following my advice she reported that the puppy now poops 3-4X/day on 2 meals (breakfast and dinner as is customary in Singapore but puppy books recommend many more times for 3-month-olds).
"How did you do it" I asked for her secret.
"I did what you advise," she laughed.
I did advise a few things.
"Well," she said. "No distractions. That means my two boys and I don't bother with the puppy before and after meals. So she can poop all as you said."
That was good news.
"Furthermore," she said. "The puppy now does not pee on the side of the tiled area (left side). Just the newspapers. But she still pees onto the kitchen floor when let out although I remove the baby gate as advised by you."
"You ought to let her out an additional 50% of her present tiled area," I said. "Not the whole kitchen floor. Then increase the tiled area. She would then be able to remember to go to the papered area in the store room."
I forgot to tell her to neutralise the urine smell on the kitchen floor. The puppy still had dark brown anal sac oil expressed and I was surprised. I taught her how to do the anal sac expression. It was overall a happy encounter.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
484. E-mail query on toilet training behaviour
Hi Dr Sing,
I am having some paper training problem with my 4mth male Golden Retriever puppy and hope to get some advice from you.
My puppy is call .... and he had been with me since 2.5mths.
It took us 2 weeks plus to paper trained him to pee n poo on newspaper which we placed in the kitchen area.
He had been doing so for abt a mth.
However recently, he begin to sometimes pee in the living area and other areas.
Which means, sometimes he will pee on the newspaper (n tats usually in the morning) but other times he will pee elsewhere.
He still poo on the newspaper thou despite his peeing problem.
Another thing we notice is that he tends to 'leak' pee when we touch him.
There is even once he pee out when we are giving him belly rub (ya he pee when he is on his back like a fountain)
Is it because he tend to hold his bladder till very full and is unable to control till he reach the newspaper? There are a couple of times i saw him running into the kitchen n just pee half way before he can reach the newspaper at the corner.
Wang wang knew he had done wrong by peeing elsewhere other than the destinated place because everytime he mis-pee, he will quickly hide under the chair.
Is he getting restless thus the misbehavior or is there anything wrong with his bladder?
I will really appreciate your advice in Wangwang's change of peeing habit.
Thank you so much
Best regards,
Name of Owner
E-MAIL REPLY FROM DR SING DATED JUNE 29, 2011
I am Dr Sing from www.toapayohvets.com. Thank you for your e-mail.
There are at least 3 possibilities for your dog's actions
1. A urinary tract infection. Get your vet to have his urine analysed.
2. Submissive urination. Pees when his belly is rubbed. Don't continue with your rubbing. Don't greet him with a loud tone when he sees you. Build up his confidence. More socialising and outdoor experience. Read books on submissive/excitation uirnation.
3. Unknown causes arising from your management and housing.
In any case, a veterinary examination soon is advised.
I am having some paper training problem with my 4mth male Golden Retriever puppy and hope to get some advice from you.
My puppy is call .... and he had been with me since 2.5mths.
It took us 2 weeks plus to paper trained him to pee n poo on newspaper which we placed in the kitchen area.
He had been doing so for abt a mth.
However recently, he begin to sometimes pee in the living area and other areas.
Which means, sometimes he will pee on the newspaper (n tats usually in the morning) but other times he will pee elsewhere.
He still poo on the newspaper thou despite his peeing problem.
Another thing we notice is that he tends to 'leak' pee when we touch him.
There is even once he pee out when we are giving him belly rub (ya he pee when he is on his back like a fountain)
Is it because he tend to hold his bladder till very full and is unable to control till he reach the newspaper? There are a couple of times i saw him running into the kitchen n just pee half way before he can reach the newspaper at the corner.
Wang wang knew he had done wrong by peeing elsewhere other than the destinated place because everytime he mis-pee, he will quickly hide under the chair.
Is he getting restless thus the misbehavior or is there anything wrong with his bladder?
I will really appreciate your advice in Wangwang's change of peeing habit.
Thank you so much
Best regards,
Name of Owner
E-MAIL REPLY FROM DR SING DATED JUNE 29, 2011
I am Dr Sing from www.toapayohvets.com. Thank you for your e-mail.
There are at least 3 possibilities for your dog's actions
1. A urinary tract infection. Get your vet to have his urine analysed.
2. Submissive urination. Pees when his belly is rubbed. Don't continue with your rubbing. Don't greet him with a loud tone when he sees you. Build up his confidence. More socialising and outdoor experience. Read books on submissive/excitation uirnation.
3. Unknown causes arising from your management and housing.
In any case, a veterinary examination soon is advised.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Finding the diagram in the Murdoch Vet Library
Singapore does not have a Veterinary University and all its vets are graduates from overseas universities. So, it can be difficult to get the latest periodicals and books.
In October 2011, I went to Murdoch University. There was a big sadness as my god-daughter who was 5 weeks from graduation to be a vet from this University had died in a car accident one month earlier. I had seen her as a baby, baptised and grown up. Why did this happen? Nobody has the answer.
I have been searching long for some notes on catheterisation of the urethra of the female dog and spent half a day at the Veterinary library of Murdoch Vet School. Unlike Singapore's Universities which restrict or ban access from members of the public, I find that Murdoch University libraries permit access.
I found my information and drew out the sketch for the benefit of vets who may need such information.
The details are at www.toapayohvets.com, DOGS - URINARY TRACT PROBLEMS.
Or goto http://www.bekindtopets.com/animals/20081201PG7_Dog_Surgery_Anaesthesia_Urinary_Tract_Problems_ToaPayohVets.htm
if you want more case studies. The diagram is given below:
In October 2011, I went to Murdoch University. There was a big sadness as my god-daughter who was 5 weeks from graduation to be a vet from this University had died in a car accident one month earlier. I had seen her as a baby, baptised and grown up. Why did this happen? Nobody has the answer.
I have been searching long for some notes on catheterisation of the urethra of the female dog and spent half a day at the Veterinary library of Murdoch Vet School. Unlike Singapore's Universities which restrict or ban access from members of the public, I find that Murdoch University libraries permit access.
I found my information and drew out the sketch for the benefit of vets who may need such information.
The details are at www.toapayohvets.com, DOGS - URINARY TRACT PROBLEMS.
Or goto http://www.bekindtopets.com/animals/20081201PG7_Dog_Surgery_Anaesthesia_Urinary_Tract_Problems_ToaPayohVets.htm
if you want more case studies. The diagram is given below:
Tumours in a very old Chihuahua - benign adenomas
Old dogs with growing subcutaneous tumours may die under anaesthesia. Tumours keep growing to irritate the dog as they become infected. It is very difficult for the owner to take the risk as deaths on the operating table do occur in old dogs.
Different vets and doctors have different approaches to the treatment of tumours.
1. One approach is to do a fine needle aspiration and then a surgical biopsy of the tumour to be sent to the histopathologist to determine if the growth is cancerous or not.
If it is not cancerous, everyone is happy.
Unfortunately, the histopathologist takes time to reply the findings. In some cases, the fine needle aspiration is not useful. So, the histopathologist asks for a surgical biopsy. Time is needed and it may take two weeks to get the reply.
If the tumour is malignant but has not metastasized (spread to other parts of the body), the time taken by the histopathologist permits the tumour to spread.
2. Another approach is to excise the lump including a wide margin in case the lump is cancerous. This is known as radical excision. After surgical removal, the lump is sent to the histopathologist for a report as to whether it is benign, malignant or just an infection.
I prefer this method and have used it in this old Pomeranian. Fortunately she has a benign adenoma.
Different vets and doctors have different approaches to the treatment of tumours.
1. One approach is to do a fine needle aspiration and then a surgical biopsy of the tumour to be sent to the histopathologist to determine if the growth is cancerous or not.
If it is not cancerous, everyone is happy.
Unfortunately, the histopathologist takes time to reply the findings. In some cases, the fine needle aspiration is not useful. So, the histopathologist asks for a surgical biopsy. Time is needed and it may take two weeks to get the reply.
If the tumour is malignant but has not metastasized (spread to other parts of the body), the time taken by the histopathologist permits the tumour to spread.
2. Another approach is to excise the lump including a wide margin in case the lump is cancerous. This is known as radical excision. After surgical removal, the lump is sent to the histopathologist for a report as to whether it is benign, malignant or just an infection.
I prefer this method and have used it in this old Pomeranian. Fortunately she has a benign adenoma.
481. Sunday cases : Malignant fibrosarcoma in a 2-year-old cat
Sunday June 26, 2011. I was on duty the whole day as Dr Vanessa Lin was on leave. Usually I work from 9.30 am to 11 am on Sundays and Dr Vanessa Lin starts from 11 am to 5 pm.
BE KIND TO PETS
TIPS TO OWNERS
1. Malignant fibrosarcomas in a 2-year-old cat. The young couple came for a 2nd opinion as the cat came a few months ago for a right eye injury. Now the cat had multiple large firm hard lumps on the right side of the body mainly and the right eye is a white cloudy mass. The first lump appeared above the right shoulder blade. Then another one grew behind it. Today, the right front leg had a chicken egg's lump under the armpit (axillary lymph node metastasis). There were two smaller lumps to the left side of the midline near the left shoulder blade.
The owner had consulted Vet 1 who did the following:
1. Fine needle aspiration sent to the histopathology lab.
2. Surgical biopsy sent to the histopathology lab as the fine needle aspirate was not useful. Malignant fibrosarcoma was diagnosed.
3. Complete blood cell count indicated a high white cell count initially. X-rays were done.
MY ADVICE
The fibrosarcomas are malignant and grow aggressively to massive sizes. Surgical excision of the axillary lymph node is highly risky as the cat is not in good health (very thin now) and the tumour has spread to the muscles. The tumour will recur after surgery.
Chemotherapy is not well tolerated by the cat. Radiation therapy is not available for cats in Singapore. Therefore, it would be best to let the cat enjoy the expected one month of his life before the tumour ruptures causing infection and pain and requiring euthanasia. Also, the right front paw shows signs of swelling due to venous obstruction. The cat is thin and has difficulty walking on the right front leg.
CAUSES
A malignant fibrosarcoma is a cancerous growth of the fibrous connective tissue. It is one of the most common musculoskeletal cancers found in cats.
There are four possible causes of fibrosarcoma.
1. Older cats with usually a single, irregularly shaped mass found on the trunk, legs & ears.
2. Rare cases said to be vaccine induced sarcoma.
3. A mutant form of FeLV known as 'feline sarcoma virus' (FeSV). Usually happen in younger cats & occurs as multiple tumour masses.
4. Genetics? This has not been confirmed.
This young cat had the first lump appearing to the right of the midline, between the shoulder blades and had been vaccinated. It is possible that he could be suffering from a vaccine induced sarcoma. Could it be due to genetics? His right eye ball is no longer normal. Could it be the original site of the sarcoma inside the eyeball ? Could he be having FeLV too as this was not tested. It is hard to say.
RETROSPECTIVE
Cat owners with very small fast-growing lumps on the vaccination site or in any area may need to find a vet that will remove the lump immediately rather than do fine needle aspiration and surgical biopsy as these test takes time.
By fast-growing lumps, I mean that the lump "suddenly appears" or double in size every week.
Although malignant fibrosarcomas do recur in cats after surgery, early radical surgical excision with a wide margin and repeat surgeries when the lumps recur and are small may lead to an extension of more than one year of life.
By small lumps, I mean those that are less than 1 cm in diameter. Surgical plus chemotherapy prolong lives but chemotherapy is not well accepted by the cat. Radiation therapy has side effects too and is not available for cats and dogs in Singapore. Once the fibrosarcoma has spread, surgery is not advised as fibrosarcomas grow very big very fast and do spread elsewhere in the body.
Prognosis, cost and the welfare of the cat are important considerations in the treatment of fibrosarcomas in the cat. In this case, the owner opted for no treatment and asked me how long the cat would live. I expected one month of good quality life before the armpit tumour ruptures and become infected and painful.
In this young cat, early radical excision of the sarcoma and sending the tumour for histopathology would be my approach to the treatment of this case. This approach is to minimise the chances of metastasis (spread of the tumour).
The client would be advised that the fibrosarcoma will recur and repeat surgeries will be needed. There have been a report by a vet of success using this approach but not much details have been given as she only encountered 3 cases in 26 years and was successful in treating 2/3 cases with repeat surgical excisions.
From my experience, most pet owners in Singapore have a wait-and- see attitude. Only when the tumour is large will they seek veterinary advices. By then, the fibrosarcomas have spread and become inoperable.
Any updates will be at www.toapayohvets.com, goto Cats - Tumours in Cats
BE KIND TO PETS
TIPS TO OWNERS
1. Malignant fibrosarcomas in a 2-year-old cat. The young couple came for a 2nd opinion as the cat came a few months ago for a right eye injury. Now the cat had multiple large firm hard lumps on the right side of the body mainly and the right eye is a white cloudy mass. The first lump appeared above the right shoulder blade. Then another one grew behind it. Today, the right front leg had a chicken egg's lump under the armpit (axillary lymph node metastasis). There were two smaller lumps to the left side of the midline near the left shoulder blade.
The owner had consulted Vet 1 who did the following:
1. Fine needle aspiration sent to the histopathology lab.
2. Surgical biopsy sent to the histopathology lab as the fine needle aspirate was not useful. Malignant fibrosarcoma was diagnosed.
3. Complete blood cell count indicated a high white cell count initially. X-rays were done.
MY ADVICE
The fibrosarcomas are malignant and grow aggressively to massive sizes. Surgical excision of the axillary lymph node is highly risky as the cat is not in good health (very thin now) and the tumour has spread to the muscles. The tumour will recur after surgery.
Chemotherapy is not well tolerated by the cat. Radiation therapy is not available for cats in Singapore. Therefore, it would be best to let the cat enjoy the expected one month of his life before the tumour ruptures causing infection and pain and requiring euthanasia. Also, the right front paw shows signs of swelling due to venous obstruction. The cat is thin and has difficulty walking on the right front leg.
CAUSES
A malignant fibrosarcoma is a cancerous growth of the fibrous connective tissue. It is one of the most common musculoskeletal cancers found in cats.
There are four possible causes of fibrosarcoma.
1. Older cats with usually a single, irregularly shaped mass found on the trunk, legs & ears.
2. Rare cases said to be vaccine induced sarcoma.
3. A mutant form of FeLV known as 'feline sarcoma virus' (FeSV). Usually happen in younger cats & occurs as multiple tumour masses.
4. Genetics? This has not been confirmed.
This young cat had the first lump appearing to the right of the midline, between the shoulder blades and had been vaccinated. It is possible that he could be suffering from a vaccine induced sarcoma. Could it be due to genetics? His right eye ball is no longer normal. Could it be the original site of the sarcoma inside the eyeball ? Could he be having FeLV too as this was not tested. It is hard to say.
RETROSPECTIVE
Cat owners with very small fast-growing lumps on the vaccination site or in any area may need to find a vet that will remove the lump immediately rather than do fine needle aspiration and surgical biopsy as these test takes time.
By fast-growing lumps, I mean that the lump "suddenly appears" or double in size every week.
Although malignant fibrosarcomas do recur in cats after surgery, early radical surgical excision with a wide margin and repeat surgeries when the lumps recur and are small may lead to an extension of more than one year of life.
By small lumps, I mean those that are less than 1 cm in diameter. Surgical plus chemotherapy prolong lives but chemotherapy is not well accepted by the cat. Radiation therapy has side effects too and is not available for cats and dogs in Singapore. Once the fibrosarcoma has spread, surgery is not advised as fibrosarcomas grow very big very fast and do spread elsewhere in the body.
Prognosis, cost and the welfare of the cat are important considerations in the treatment of fibrosarcomas in the cat. In this case, the owner opted for no treatment and asked me how long the cat would live. I expected one month of good quality life before the armpit tumour ruptures and become infected and painful.
In this young cat, early radical excision of the sarcoma and sending the tumour for histopathology would be my approach to the treatment of this case. This approach is to minimise the chances of metastasis (spread of the tumour).
The client would be advised that the fibrosarcoma will recur and repeat surgeries will be needed. There have been a report by a vet of success using this approach but not much details have been given as she only encountered 3 cases in 26 years and was successful in treating 2/3 cases with repeat surgical excisions.
From my experience, most pet owners in Singapore have a wait-and- see attitude. Only when the tumour is large will they seek veterinary advices. By then, the fibrosarcomas have spread and become inoperable.
Any updates will be at www.toapayohvets.com, goto Cats - Tumours in Cats
Friday, June 24, 2011
480. Finding a good family for a young timid chihuahua
It is hard to find a good family for an adult dog. I had given up hope of finding a very good family for this timid Chihuahua who had been staying with an experienced and famous Chihuahua breeder for the last 8 months. The breeder gave the dog to me to find a good home as he did not want to breed a monorchid (one testes). I thought he would be giving me a puppy as he had done before but this was an 8-month-old handsome Chihuahua.
On July 22, 2011, a client phoned me to make an appointment the next day as her female Chihuahua had an "ant bite" in the backside. I happened to be taking phone calls like the receptionist. "Come before 11 am if you specifically want to consult me," I said. I am usually on duty before 11 am and after that my clients would be consulting Dr Vanessa Lin who works from 11 am to 7 pm usually.
So, time and space connected. The timid Chihuahua found a very good family and I am very happy for him. He needs a teenager who will have time for him and another Chihuahua who will be his playmate and make him grow up to be more confident. It was a coincidence as my client could have not be free to consult me before 11 am and therefore, would not be offered this Chihuahua by Dr Vanessa as the dog had nothing to do with her and I had not thought of asking her to look out for a family to adopt this dog. She had an older Shih Tzu whom she had found a new family to adopt and it took some time too. Mine took over 2 months.
It is just tough to find a family to adopt a dog unless one is the SPCA.
On July 22, 2011, a client phoned me to make an appointment the next day as her female Chihuahua had an "ant bite" in the backside. I happened to be taking phone calls like the receptionist. "Come before 11 am if you specifically want to consult me," I said. I am usually on duty before 11 am and after that my clients would be consulting Dr Vanessa Lin who works from 11 am to 7 pm usually.
So, time and space connected. The timid Chihuahua found a very good family and I am very happy for him. He needs a teenager who will have time for him and another Chihuahua who will be his playmate and make him grow up to be more confident. It was a coincidence as my client could have not be free to consult me before 11 am and therefore, would not be offered this Chihuahua by Dr Vanessa as the dog had nothing to do with her and I had not thought of asking her to look out for a family to adopt this dog. She had an older Shih Tzu whom she had found a new family to adopt and it took some time too. Mine took over 2 months.
It is just tough to find a family to adopt a dog unless one is the SPCA.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
479. Dachshund neck abscess - microscopic exam
Dachshund Male Neutered 10 years had a large golf-ball swelling on the neck above and between the shoulders. What was it?
SURGICAL DRAINAGE
Blood aspirated and drained (see syringe).
Wound closed and healed in 2 days.
On day 3, a golf-ball swelling appeared.
SURGICAL DRAINAGE
I snipped off the stitches and opened up the wound.
Clear yellow plasma-like fluid flowed out, around 10 ml. What was it?
On day 2, reddish brown fluid seeped out. This continued for next 3 days.
Some yellow pus-like tissues.
MICROBIOLOGICAL EXAM. TISSUE FROM NECK
June 9, 2011, I did a bacterial culture. Results: Moderate growth of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, sensitive to amoxycillin/clavulan, ceftriaxone, vancomycine, oxacillin.
Resistant to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, penicillin, bactrim, tetracycline and ampicillin.
I gave baytril for 3 days and metonidazole for 6 days. Irrigated the wound with hydrogen peroxide. The 71-year-old mum took back the dog on Day 3. Wound was left open. On Jun 22, 2011, I phoned the owner. All OK.
The owner was in Japan and was most worried. We communicated by phone. As to the cause, it was hard to say. Was it due to the tight bandaging or SC baytril injection? The sibling was given similar drugs SC below the neck and was OK, but he did not have tight bandaging.
Bacterial culture was needed in this case.
SURGICAL DRAINAGE
Blood aspirated and drained (see syringe).
Wound closed and healed in 2 days.
On day 3, a golf-ball swelling appeared.
SURGICAL DRAINAGE
I snipped off the stitches and opened up the wound.
Clear yellow plasma-like fluid flowed out, around 10 ml. What was it?
On day 2, reddish brown fluid seeped out. This continued for next 3 days.
Some yellow pus-like tissues.
MICROBIOLOGICAL EXAM. TISSUE FROM NECK
June 9, 2011, I did a bacterial culture. Results: Moderate growth of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, sensitive to amoxycillin/clavulan, ceftriaxone, vancomycine, oxacillin.
Resistant to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, penicillin, bactrim, tetracycline and ampicillin.
I gave baytril for 3 days and metonidazole for 6 days. Irrigated the wound with hydrogen peroxide. The 71-year-old mum took back the dog on Day 3. Wound was left open. On Jun 22, 2011, I phoned the owner. All OK.
The owner was in Japan and was most worried. We communicated by phone. As to the cause, it was hard to say. Was it due to the tight bandaging or SC baytril injection? The sibling was given similar drugs SC below the neck and was OK, but he did not have tight bandaging.
Bacterial culture was needed in this case.
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