Sunday, Jun 7, 2015
One of the 2 terrapins, 8 years old, was lethargic at home and was breathing fast. When he came to the clinic, he was most active while the other was quiet and had closed eyes. So what was wrong?
Both was housed separated by a barrier in a bigger tank as they bit each other when recently transferred to a bigger tank. "They are male terrapins and want their own territory," I said. "They pooped a lot and the water in a small tank needs to be changed at least once in 2 days. They need a bigger drying area to dry instead of being submerged 90% in water."
The filter was clogged and so was not functioning. The best is to change water daily as the tank is not very big, around 6 feet x 6 feet. A variety of diet, rather than just pellets from one brand from Taiwan had been fed for the past 8 years. "They don't eat vegetables," the mum said.
I advised smearing the pellets with medicine, put them into a small amount of water and let them eat 25% first. Same with dried shrimps and meat. It will be difficult for the boy to open the terrapin's mouth to feed medicine as he was not even able to pull the tail to examine the terrapin. Both terrapins curled their tails inside the shell strongly. They were kept together in the blue basin and must have had been biting each other's tail although the mother said "they never bite" when house in the smaller blue basin. Normally, terrapins don't curl their tails tightly.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Sunday, June 7, 2015
2456. Sunday Jun 7, 2015 - A cat with a painful enlarged right submandibular lymph node
A bright blue sky white cloud Sunday. Pregger, an old cat with a few teeth left, was brought in for anorexia 2 days. She was not drinking.
A very painful enlarged right submandibular lymph nodes and throat. Anorexia 2 days. Not drinking. What is the cause?
X rays show some opacity in the right tympanic bulla. Is there a tumour?
Anaesthesia no ulcers or decayed teeth
http://www.kongyuensing.com/laws/TP41051WWPreggar_VD_painful_throat_Jun705.jpg
A very painful enlarged right submandibular lymph nodes and throat. Anorexia 2 days. Not drinking. What is the cause?
X rays show some opacity in the right tympanic bulla. Is there a tumour?
Anaesthesia no ulcers or decayed teeth
http://www.kongyuensing.com/laws/TP41051WWPreggar_VD_painful_throat_Jun705.jpg
2189. An old cat is anorexic and has weakened purring
UPDATE
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2188. Bad breath and gum tumour in an 8-year-old Schnauzer
Sunday Jun 7, 2015
Miniature Schnauzer, Male, entire, 8 years
The consultation room stank of bad breath from this dog that had "dental scaling" 3 times by the dog groomer. Yet the bad breath did not go away. The owner came because the dog kept licking his front paws and the bad odour permeated into the hairs of the paws. The dog drooled and vomited yellow stuff sometimes, esp. after eating.
"This dog has a fever," I checked the rectal temperature as 40.1C. "Has he lost appetite?"
"He has not been eating and drinking for the past 2 weeks."
"What is the cause of the fever?" the man asked.
"Bacterial infection."
An IV drip with medication will be given today. Blood test. Then, tomorrow, anaesthesia and dental work. Many exposed teeth and loose ones. The gums were reddish instead of pinkish.
Always get a yearly vet check up and do dental brushing if you want your dog to keep his teeth to old age. Poor oral hygiene can also cause gum tumours to develop as in this case of a round gum tumour on the right upper jaw behind the right upper canine tooth.
Miniature Schnauzer, Male, entire, 8 years
The consultation room stank of bad breath from this dog that had "dental scaling" 3 times by the dog groomer. Yet the bad breath did not go away. The owner came because the dog kept licking his front paws and the bad odour permeated into the hairs of the paws. The dog drooled and vomited yellow stuff sometimes, esp. after eating.
"This dog has a fever," I checked the rectal temperature as 40.1C. "Has he lost appetite?"
"He has not been eating and drinking for the past 2 weeks."
"What is the cause of the fever?" the man asked.
"Bacterial infection."
An IV drip with medication will be given today. Blood test. Then, tomorrow, anaesthesia and dental work. Many exposed teeth and loose ones. The gums were reddish instead of pinkish.
Always get a yearly vet check up and do dental brushing if you want your dog to keep his teeth to old age. Poor oral hygiene can also cause gum tumours to develop as in this case of a round gum tumour on the right upper jaw behind the right upper canine tooth.
2187. A rare case of an ocular dermoid in a cat in Singapore
A rare case of ocular dermoid in a cat in Singapore.
Dermoids are ectopic eye tissues. They are non-cancerous tissues growing inside the conjuncitval, sclera or cornea or scleral-cornea areas. It is congenital and is said to have familiar cause.
In this cat, the dermoid is present in the lateral canthus on the sclera and corneal tissues. it causes epiphora.
SURGICAL TREATMENT
1. Scalpel blade No. 11.
2. I have used electro-surgery to excise the dermoid off the cornea in a Shih Tzu (see video). It is very effective in stopping epiphora and conjunctivitis.
Dermoids are uncommon and is said to be rare in cats. In general practice, vets will rarely see such cases unless they are from cat breeders. No seller can sell such kittens.
A dermoid usually has hairs whereas a pterygium does not have hairs.
VIDEO
Saturday, June 6, 2015
2186. Sibling hamster rivalry - bites neck of 4-month-old hamster
"If the bite wound is small, less than 5 mm, your hamster may not need stitching," I said to the man who phoned for advice. He decided to send the hamster for stitching.
Zoletil 100 IM anaesthesia. Debride. Stitched with 4/0 absorbable monosyn. Goes home on the same day.
Zoletil 100 IM anaesthesia. Debride. Stitched with 4/0 absorbable monosyn. Goes home on the same day.
2185. Pharyngeal X-rays
Pharynx
1. Recumbent lateral. The lateral view is most informative to locate foreign bodies. The dog lies on the side with forelegs retracted. Head and neck in lalteral position, in mild extension.Larynx shoulbe be clear of the mandible.
2. Upright lateral. Dog in upright position using the horizontal beam. Reduced time without producing too much contrast. This view to show the natural relationship between the epiglottis and the soft palate.
Friday, June 5, 2015
2184. KPI. How long it takes to neuter a cryptorchid dog?
I asked my assistant Naing to record the timelines for neutering a cryptorchid, starting from the IV injection and ending of stitching.
In a cryptorchid, the right testicle did not descend but was under the skin, further away from the scrotal bag. I pushed it towards the scrotal midline so that I needed just one skin incision instead of two. The descended testicle was pushed into this same incision. Time taken 21 minutes.
2.3 kg 8-year-old male Maltese. Thin.
A: Injection of Dom + Ketamine at 0.03 + 0.03 ml IV.
Isoflurane + oxygen gas used - 17 minutes.
B: End of skin stitching.
B-A = 21 minutes.
However, I ligated twice the cryptorchid testicle and the descended testicle. For the descended testicle I did a transfixed ligature and a normal one. So, one more minute is taken up. Usually I do one ligature into the grove using 3-forceps method. The lowest forcep was removed and the ligature was tied at this grove.
Post op methone, baytril and tolfedine inj.
Home on 4 days of tolfedine and baytril. No complaints as at 3 days post op today.
In a cryptorchid, the right testicle did not descend but was under the skin, further away from the scrotal bag. I pushed it towards the scrotal midline so that I needed just one skin incision instead of two. The descended testicle was pushed into this same incision. Time taken 21 minutes.
2.3 kg 8-year-old male Maltese. Thin.
A: Injection of Dom + Ketamine at 0.03 + 0.03 ml IV.
Isoflurane + oxygen gas used - 17 minutes.
B: End of skin stitching.
B-A = 21 minutes.
However, I ligated twice the cryptorchid testicle and the descended testicle. For the descended testicle I did a transfixed ligature and a normal one. So, one more minute is taken up. Usually I do one ligature into the grove using 3-forceps method. The lowest forcep was removed and the ligature was tied at this grove.
Post op methone, baytril and tolfedine inj.
Home on 4 days of tolfedine and baytril. No complaints as at 3 days post op today.
2183. The recurring right perineal hernia
June 3, 2015.
"Most dog owners do not turn up for neuter after perineal hernia repair," I said as the parents and their young adult daughter brought in a Maltese that has a small golf-ball-sized right perineal hernia. "The reason for neutering is that male hormones favour development of perineal hernias as this condition is uncommon in neutered male dogs and female dogs."
I reviewed my medical records.
"The hernia was orange-sized last time and you were advised to have your dog neutered after the hernia repair, " I said. "We did the two separately to shorten the anaesthetic time and reduce the risks of death on the op table. Some vets do both at the same time, but if the old dog dies, so be it. Deaths on the op table affects the vet too but it is the owners who are devastated."
"It is bad for the dog to have anaesthesia," the young lady presumed that brain cells must have been destroyed after any anaesthesia but did not elaborate. So no surgery to neuter and the hernia came back. .
"They don't get any side effects if they are healthy," I said.
"When should the dog be neutered after the hernia repair?" the father asked.
"Around 2-4 weeks."
Some vets may have a different opinion from me as he said he was advised 3 months later. However, he did not turn up for neuter and now, 4 months after the repair, the hernia recurs. I advised neutering first and hernia repair 2-4 weeks later. A special gauze is needed in such cases as the muscles to stitch up have degenerated in this old thin 2.3kg dog. Hence it would be difficult to prevent recurrence without the gauze.
"Most dog owners do not turn up for neuter after perineal hernia repair," I said as the parents and their young adult daughter brought in a Maltese that has a small golf-ball-sized right perineal hernia. "The reason for neutering is that male hormones favour development of perineal hernias as this condition is uncommon in neutered male dogs and female dogs."
I reviewed my medical records.
"The hernia was orange-sized last time and you were advised to have your dog neutered after the hernia repair, " I said. "We did the two separately to shorten the anaesthetic time and reduce the risks of death on the op table. Some vets do both at the same time, but if the old dog dies, so be it. Deaths on the op table affects the vet too but it is the owners who are devastated."
"It is bad for the dog to have anaesthesia," the young lady presumed that brain cells must have been destroyed after any anaesthesia but did not elaborate. So no surgery to neuter and the hernia came back. .
"They don't get any side effects if they are healthy," I said.
"When should the dog be neutered after the hernia repair?" the father asked.
"Around 2-4 weeks."
Some vets may have a different opinion from me as he said he was advised 3 months later. However, he did not turn up for neuter and now, 4 months after the repair, the hernia recurs. I advised neutering first and hernia repair 2-4 weeks later. A special gauze is needed in such cases as the muscles to stitch up have degenerated in this old thin 2.3kg dog. Hence it would be difficult to prevent recurrence without the gauze.
2182. The 5-year-old boy counts to 100
Jun 4, 2015
This tall and slim sun-tanned 5-year-old boy came with his father to take back the 8-year-old Maltese operated to remove two breast tumours. It was a day surgery. I examined the dog and marked the nodules as between MG 4 and 5 and between MG 3 and 4. The former had spread to the whole breast tissues of MG 5 and so there was a 3-cm lump removed. There were 2 stitched areas.
The little boy was talkative and asked Dad many questions. He studied in a pr"Whivate pre-school which could be better than the less expensive one, according to his father's perception. He said he could count to 100 and so he did, after pausing at 50. He could count to 120 too. The Maltese slept in his room and he tried to cover her in a blanket which the dog sloughed off.
"What is the name of the book you read?"
"Six in a bed," he said but could not elaborate.
"Now you have two in a bed when your dog goes home to sleep with you," I said.
He smiled. He is born intelligent and I see much potential in his future.
This tall and slim sun-tanned 5-year-old boy came with his father to take back the 8-year-old Maltese operated to remove two breast tumours. It was a day surgery. I examined the dog and marked the nodules as between MG 4 and 5 and between MG 3 and 4. The former had spread to the whole breast tissues of MG 5 and so there was a 3-cm lump removed. There were 2 stitched areas.
The little boy was talkative and asked Dad many questions. He studied in a pr"Whivate pre-school which could be better than the less expensive one, according to his father's perception. He said he could count to 100 and so he did, after pausing at 50. He could count to 120 too. The Maltese slept in his room and he tried to cover her in a blanket which the dog sloughed off.
"What is the name of the book you read?"
"Six in a bed," he said but could not elaborate.
"Now you have two in a bed when your dog goes home to sleep with you," I said.
He smiled. He is born intelligent and I see much potential in his future.
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