Shih Tzu, Male, Not neutered, Born 28 Sep 2005
July 15, 2010. 7.8kg 38.6 degrees C. Acute conjunctivitis both eyes. The groomer had commented on the red eyes.
Has fits for 10 X since 2 days ago. Wanted to hump with objects after recovery from fits. Daughter had given phenomav 30mg (1/2 tab per day), but once a day. No fits for the last 6 months. The dog was on K/D diet but also ate children's food given by the children. He had put on weight, now weighing 7.8 kg. "More alert," the mother said.
"Is the anti-fit tablet given the same time every day?" I asked the daughter. The mother had presumed this to be done as there were no fits for the last 6 months.
"No," the daughter said.
"In this case, the dosage is not effective. Sometimes you forget to give, sometimes you give at different times."
HISTORY
Fits started on Jul 28, 2008. Consulted Vet 1. Blood test OK.
Phenomav 30mg at 1/2 tab/day but not given regularly from 2008 - now.
Urine test: Aug 14, 2008.
pH = 9.0, SG 1.048.
crystals: triple phosphate ++
spermatozoa +++
TREATMENT Aug 18, 2008
acidify urine, C/D diet. Owner did not follow up.
NOW, 5 years old. Fits recently in July 2010.
To review blood, urine again. Daughter agreed to neuter to reduce humping behaviour. What's the cause of the fits? Usually the cause is unknown.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
131. Lateral ear resection observations
As at July 15, 2010
1. Cavalier King Charles. The wound is wet. The dog feels the pain when the horizontal canal is checked. Panalog ear ointment was applied inside the horizontal canal on July 14, 2010. Why is there wetness around the area of the horizontal canal? Is the fluid from the middle ear? I need to investigate further. No more head shaking seen. If you look at his pre-op picture, he had been using his left back paw to scratch the area whee the middle canal is located.
2. Cocker Spaniel. 12 years. Wound heals well. Should be able to go home 3 more days. This dog has no more urinary problems after I removed 31 stones in the bladder last year. Owner feeds home-cooked food, mainly vegetables with a bit of chicken meat.
3. Cocker Spaniel with maggot wounds on left ear. Wound healing well. Drainage tube removed.
1. Cavalier King Charles. The wound is wet. The dog feels the pain when the horizontal canal is checked. Panalog ear ointment was applied inside the horizontal canal on July 14, 2010. Why is there wetness around the area of the horizontal canal? Is the fluid from the middle ear? I need to investigate further. No more head shaking seen. If you look at his pre-op picture, he had been using his left back paw to scratch the area whee the middle canal is located.
2. Cocker Spaniel. 12 years. Wound heals well. Should be able to go home 3 more days. This dog has no more urinary problems after I removed 31 stones in the bladder last year. Owner feeds home-cooked food, mainly vegetables with a bit of chicken meat.
3. Cocker Spaniel with maggot wounds on left ear. Wound healing well. Drainage tube removed.
130. Working couple, 1 puppy, condo - grate toilet training
Miniature Pinscher, Female, 3 months. Came for 3rd vaccination.
Confined to balcony when owner is working. Grate + Pee Pan.
Two weeks with expatriate couple, both working.
Feeding: 10 minutes. Recently eating 50%.
Pooping: Around 20 minutes after eating. How many times does a puppy poop? "2-4 x per day," I said.
Peeing: Many times. Using the n-1 formula as a guideline where n=age in months, the 3-month-old puppy is expected to pee 2 hourly.
Problem: "She pees on the grate and pee pan mostly but sometimes outside it," the gentleman wanted the dog to pee inside the bathroom next to the balcony (utility area).
Solution: Confine to bathroom with baby gates at the door for 2-4 weeks. Put grate + pee pan inside the bathroom. Observe where the puppy eliminate. Keep grate cover clean from urine and poo. As the couple works, it will be difficult to use positive reinforcement consistently.
Conclusion:
The puppy may be trained to eliminate on the bathroom floor if that is what the owner wants.
Best time to Spaying
I advise 3 months after the first heat so that the female private parts are fully developed. If the owner does not want blood staining the condo floor, spay at 6 months of age.
Confined to balcony when owner is working. Grate + Pee Pan.
Two weeks with expatriate couple, both working.
Feeding: 10 minutes. Recently eating 50%.
Pooping: Around 20 minutes after eating. How many times does a puppy poop? "2-4 x per day," I said.
Peeing: Many times. Using the n-1 formula as a guideline where n=age in months, the 3-month-old puppy is expected to pee 2 hourly.
Problem: "She pees on the grate and pee pan mostly but sometimes outside it," the gentleman wanted the dog to pee inside the bathroom next to the balcony (utility area).
Solution: Confine to bathroom with baby gates at the door for 2-4 weeks. Put grate + pee pan inside the bathroom. Observe where the puppy eliminate. Keep grate cover clean from urine and poo. As the couple works, it will be difficult to use positive reinforcement consistently.
Conclusion:
The puppy may be trained to eliminate on the bathroom floor if that is what the owner wants.
Best time to Spaying
I advise 3 months after the first heat so that the female private parts are fully developed. If the owner does not want blood staining the condo floor, spay at 6 months of age.
129, Air-con for the Chow Chow After Spay?
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 inspection
Dusk fell fast in July. The waiting room was pitch dark as my assistant was at the back feeding the dog while the intern had just gone for her dinner. I was in the consultation room typing up my ear canal resection observations for my record and experience. Delays in writing mean never writing them up as every day seems to fly by so fast.
I noticed a young lady in black spectacle frames coming into the waiting area at 6.30 pm on July 14, 2010 as my consultation room door has a glass window on the top half.
I thought she was going to pick up her dog, cat or hamster as my associate Dr Teo has several in-patients. 3 cat fight wounds and 3 other dogs and two hamsters. I had two ear canal resection cases, a motorbike abrasion trauma case and 4 hamsters from one owner and two young rabbits nobody wanted to adopt. The kennel at Toa Payoh Vets was full house today.
After a while, I left my computer to speak to her. She had made appointment to inspect the Surgery prior to spaying her dog on Sunday. This was the first time I get an inspection from the non-regulatory veterinary authorities and I showed her the premises and answered all her queries.
The following queries regarding the spay of her Chow Chow this Sunday are recorded for the benefit of dog owners and for my knowledge management archives.
Dear Ms ....
1. No food and water 10 hours before arrival at the Surgery.
2. Your Chow Chow will arrive at 12 noon on Sunday and surgery will be performed around 1-2 hours later depending on my caseload.
3. Bathe your dog before coming to the Surgery and check that she has no skin disease on her belly area.
4. She should be active and has had normal appetite on Saturday. If she has vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite or is inactive, do not bring her for spay. Let us know when you cancel the appointment.
5. At the Surgery, she will examined and if she has no fever or heart problems, spaying will be done by me.
6. Belly hair will be clipped. Dog goes to Operation Room. Surgery takes around 15 minutes.
7. Anaesthesia domitor IV and isoflurane gas will be given.
8. An IV saline drip will be set up.
9. An antidote to domitor called Antisedan will be injected post-operation. This injection wakes up the dog in a few seconds as if from a short nap.
10. Post-op tolfedine and baytril antibiotic injection will be given.
11. The dog can go home 2 hours later with antibiotics and tolfedine pain-killers for the next 4 days. We will phone you.
12. For the first 2 days, the dog may or may not be active or eating much. It will be good if you take leave on Monday. If not, ensure that the dog is crated or in a small room.
13. Check the surgical area daily for pus or abnormal bleeding. Replace the plaster 2 days later after using a piece of facial cotton with clean warm water to wash away the blood clots. Dry the wound after washing. Then put on the new plaster.
14. No e-collar will be used in your dog although I do recommend in many female dogs. Your Chow Chow may not like it.
The plaster usually protects the wound. Usually the dog does not lick the wound if the painkillers are given as instructed. Some owners are unable to give the tablets directly onto the back of the tongue, close the mouth, stroke the neck while lifting up the head. Some dogs are too smart and just spit out the tablets and therefore do not get the pain-killing effect. They start to lick the operation wound.
Therefore, an alternative method is to conceal the tablets in cheese or meat balls. The first two ball given will not contain the drug. The third will contain the drug. Delay the meal time by one hour as an example. Usually the dog just swallow her favourite food quickly.
15. The absorbable skin stitches will dissolve in 21 -28 days. So you need not come for stitch removal unless you want to get the stitches removed in 14 days as some dogs do get irritated by the stitches. Stitch abscesses form and are irritating. Observe daily and you can use clean scissors to cut off the knots on Day 14. Usually I stitch 2 skin stitches and they can be cut off easily 14 days after surgery.
16. If possible don't let the dog walk up and down slopes or stairs in the first 7 days. As the wound is 2 cm long (if there is no complications), this will not be a big problem with stitch breakdown. However, try not to let the dog jump and run around as she will feel active by Day 2 as the painkillers mask the pain.
17. Air-condition post-operation for the Chow Chow with her thick coat. In my experience, the body temperature after surgery drops due to the sedation and anaesthetic. No air condition is necessary and no Alaskan malamute, Siberian Huskies or Chow Chow have suffered from heat stress due to the lack of air conditioning post-operation. In your case, the dog goes home two hours post-operation and therefore she should be OK with you.
18. During the past years, I seldom get post-operation infections and complications after the spay if the owner nurses the dog well. Some 10-15 years ago, I did not give pain-killers post-surgery and the dog may howl in pain at home and during the first night. With pain-killers and antibiotics properly taken, no spayed dog will howl at home 24 hours after spay.
19. I hope all the questions are answered. E-mail your questions if there are more. Best wishes.
Dusk fell fast in July. The waiting room was pitch dark as my assistant was at the back feeding the dog while the intern had just gone for her dinner. I was in the consultation room typing up my ear canal resection observations for my record and experience. Delays in writing mean never writing them up as every day seems to fly by so fast.
I noticed a young lady in black spectacle frames coming into the waiting area at 6.30 pm on July 14, 2010 as my consultation room door has a glass window on the top half.
I thought she was going to pick up her dog, cat or hamster as my associate Dr Teo has several in-patients. 3 cat fight wounds and 3 other dogs and two hamsters. I had two ear canal resection cases, a motorbike abrasion trauma case and 4 hamsters from one owner and two young rabbits nobody wanted to adopt. The kennel at Toa Payoh Vets was full house today.
After a while, I left my computer to speak to her. She had made appointment to inspect the Surgery prior to spaying her dog on Sunday. This was the first time I get an inspection from the non-regulatory veterinary authorities and I showed her the premises and answered all her queries.
The following queries regarding the spay of her Chow Chow this Sunday are recorded for the benefit of dog owners and for my knowledge management archives.
Dear Ms ....
1. No food and water 10 hours before arrival at the Surgery.
2. Your Chow Chow will arrive at 12 noon on Sunday and surgery will be performed around 1-2 hours later depending on my caseload.
3. Bathe your dog before coming to the Surgery and check that she has no skin disease on her belly area.
4. She should be active and has had normal appetite on Saturday. If she has vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite or is inactive, do not bring her for spay. Let us know when you cancel the appointment.
5. At the Surgery, she will examined and if she has no fever or heart problems, spaying will be done by me.
6. Belly hair will be clipped. Dog goes to Operation Room. Surgery takes around 15 minutes.
7. Anaesthesia domitor IV and isoflurane gas will be given.
8. An IV saline drip will be set up.
9. An antidote to domitor called Antisedan will be injected post-operation. This injection wakes up the dog in a few seconds as if from a short nap.
10. Post-op tolfedine and baytril antibiotic injection will be given.
11. The dog can go home 2 hours later with antibiotics and tolfedine pain-killers for the next 4 days. We will phone you.
12. For the first 2 days, the dog may or may not be active or eating much. It will be good if you take leave on Monday. If not, ensure that the dog is crated or in a small room.
13. Check the surgical area daily for pus or abnormal bleeding. Replace the plaster 2 days later after using a piece of facial cotton with clean warm water to wash away the blood clots. Dry the wound after washing. Then put on the new plaster.
14. No e-collar will be used in your dog although I do recommend in many female dogs. Your Chow Chow may not like it.
The plaster usually protects the wound. Usually the dog does not lick the wound if the painkillers are given as instructed. Some owners are unable to give the tablets directly onto the back of the tongue, close the mouth, stroke the neck while lifting up the head. Some dogs are too smart and just spit out the tablets and therefore do not get the pain-killing effect. They start to lick the operation wound.
Therefore, an alternative method is to conceal the tablets in cheese or meat balls. The first two ball given will not contain the drug. The third will contain the drug. Delay the meal time by one hour as an example. Usually the dog just swallow her favourite food quickly.
15. The absorbable skin stitches will dissolve in 21 -28 days. So you need not come for stitch removal unless you want to get the stitches removed in 14 days as some dogs do get irritated by the stitches. Stitch abscesses form and are irritating. Observe daily and you can use clean scissors to cut off the knots on Day 14. Usually I stitch 2 skin stitches and they can be cut off easily 14 days after surgery.
16. If possible don't let the dog walk up and down slopes or stairs in the first 7 days. As the wound is 2 cm long (if there is no complications), this will not be a big problem with stitch breakdown. However, try not to let the dog jump and run around as she will feel active by Day 2 as the painkillers mask the pain.
17. Air-condition post-operation for the Chow Chow with her thick coat. In my experience, the body temperature after surgery drops due to the sedation and anaesthetic. No air condition is necessary and no Alaskan malamute, Siberian Huskies or Chow Chow have suffered from heat stress due to the lack of air conditioning post-operation. In your case, the dog goes home two hours post-operation and therefore she should be OK with you.
18. During the past years, I seldom get post-operation infections and complications after the spay if the owner nurses the dog well. Some 10-15 years ago, I did not give pain-killers post-surgery and the dog may howl in pain at home and during the first night. With pain-killers and antibiotics properly taken, no spayed dog will howl at home 24 hours after spay.
19. I hope all the questions are answered. E-mail your questions if there are more. Best wishes.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
127. Lateral ear canal resection - Cocker Spaniel
Dog went home 4 days after surgery as I wanted the owner to save veterinary costs.
35 maggots 1 cm long in left lateral ear below the horizontal canal 14 days later.
Drainage cartilage eaten away. Ear and e-collar full of blood.
"Was the dog outdoors?" I asked.
"Yes," the mother said.
"Any flies buzzing around the dog? There is a strong smell of maggot wound."
"No flies," the mother said.
"Yes," the teenaged daughter replied.
I had to ward the dog for treatment. 20 maggots extracted out. Negasunt powder given. After 3 days of antibiotics and anti-inflam treatment, the wound was fresh red. I phoned for permission to close up the wound. Permission given.
The dog's wound looked wet and yellowish. Some 15 maggots still were around. Maggots removed. Wound stitched. Drainage tube.
35 maggots 1 cm long in left lateral ear below the horizontal canal 14 days later.
Drainage cartilage eaten away. Ear and e-collar full of blood.
"Was the dog outdoors?" I asked.
"Yes," the mother said.
"Any flies buzzing around the dog? There is a strong smell of maggot wound."
"No flies," the mother said.
"Yes," the teenaged daughter replied.
I had to ward the dog for treatment. 20 maggots extracted out. Negasunt powder given. After 3 days of antibiotics and anti-inflam treatment, the wound was fresh red. I phoned for permission to close up the wound. Permission given.
The dog's wound looked wet and yellowish. Some 15 maggots still were around. Maggots removed. Wound stitched. Drainage tube.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Sunday's interesting case: The case of the missing Struvite Stones
E-MAIL TO DR SING SUN JUL 11, 2010
On Sun, Jul 11, 2010 at 3:15 AM, ...@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi. I found out about Toa Payoh vets as I was browsing pet forums and blogs. I have a 5yr old female mini schnauzer (high risk for stones). I adopted her from one of my husband's friend's last year. She has been struggling with struvite stones ever since we adopted her. There was blood in her urine last July/Aug. It subsided after a course of antibiotics. The condition recurred again this year (June). I reckon it was due to the new food supplement I gave her. I have already consulted 2 vets, but they said surgery is main cure. I was browsing your website and saw that you guide owners who do not want surgery. I am interested in this approach.
I hope to have a second opinion. I am already cooking for my pet and she eating home cook food with Urinary s/o and cranberry juice. I hope to do more for her to ensure she has a better quality of life. Not sure if I can bring my pet down this coming week (preferably Mon, Fri or Sat mornings) for a consultation.
P/s: My pet is outside trained, and if she starts peeing indoors for no reason, it means the stones are back. She urinated at home again today, but not sure if it is due to stones or the change in schedule since we brought her for grooming and didn't bring her for her usual long walk due to the heavy downpour.
Thank you for patience in reading this long email.
An anxious owner,
Name and telephone
FOR THE BENEFIT OF OWNERS WHO WANT TO USE MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR THEIR WITH URINARY STRUVITE STONES, HERE IS A CASE STUDY.
Sunday July 11, 2010. Bright sunshine. Blue skies. Should be outdoors.
I phoned the owner after reading the e-mail as this is a case with no definitive diagnosis!
HISTORY
Spayed dog was adopted when she was 4 years old.
July 2009. Passed blood in urine. Vet 1 took X-ray and check urine pH. Vet 1 was unsure whether there were bladder stones but said urine pH was alkaline but the owner could not say whether it was pH 7 or 8. Clavet antibiotics for 2 weeks and Royal Canine Urinary S/O diet for one month. No problem. The owner stopped giving dry and canned dog food and treats. Home-cooked food with a piece of chicken meat now gave her peace of mind till the dog started peeing at home, an abnormal behaviour in July 2010.
June 2010. Passed blood in urine and urinary incontinence. Vet 2 from the same practice prescribed same antibiotics for 2 weeks. Now no blood in the urine and bladder control. Will the stones come back again?
WHAT THE OWNER WANTS
"What do you want for your dog?" I asked. I might have woken her up from sleep by phoning at 10 am.
"No recurrence of the blood in the urine and urinary incontinence problem for the 3rd time." She forgot to mention no urinary stone removal surgery.
OTHER INFORMATION
Licked vulval area most of the time after outdoor walk.
Dental hygiene poor - tartar.
PHONE DIAGNOSIS:
It seemed that there was no veterinary diagnosis of struvite stones. The owner believed that the dog has struvite urinary stones. The presence of struvite stones was not confirmed by urinary analysis. Although the Miniature Schnauzer is one breed prone to getting urinary stones, this case may be a case of urinary tract infection. She may not have non-struvite urinary stones.
ADVICE
1. Get a proper diagnosis:
t is best to get the dog examined for stones by palpation. A blood test to check the kidney function as the owner had been giving her own prescriptions. A urine test for crystals - collect urine via catherisation. X-ray after emptying bladder and use air contrast.
2. If the struvite urinary stones are very small, medical dissolution of the stones + acidification + prescription diet may be possible. 3-monthly check ups of urine will still be necessary.
3.
Behaviour - licking of vulval area must be stopped. Dental work must be done as the mouth is full of bacteria which may have infected the bladder via vulval licking. The female dog has a short urethra and bacterial infections are common. Veterinary cases such as this case of the recurrence of blood in the urine are more interesting than Sherlock Holmes' cases. However, I don't have Dr Watson to help me.
On Sun, Jul 11, 2010 at 3:15 AM, ...@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi. I found out about Toa Payoh vets as I was browsing pet forums and blogs. I have a 5yr old female mini schnauzer (high risk for stones). I adopted her from one of my husband's friend's last year. She has been struggling with struvite stones ever since we adopted her. There was blood in her urine last July/Aug. It subsided after a course of antibiotics. The condition recurred again this year (June). I reckon it was due to the new food supplement I gave her. I have already consulted 2 vets, but they said surgery is main cure. I was browsing your website and saw that you guide owners who do not want surgery. I am interested in this approach.
I hope to have a second opinion. I am already cooking for my pet and she eating home cook food with Urinary s/o and cranberry juice. I hope to do more for her to ensure she has a better quality of life. Not sure if I can bring my pet down this coming week (preferably Mon, Fri or Sat mornings) for a consultation.
P/s: My pet is outside trained, and if she starts peeing indoors for no reason, it means the stones are back. She urinated at home again today, but not sure if it is due to stones or the change in schedule since we brought her for grooming and didn't bring her for her usual long walk due to the heavy downpour.
Thank you for patience in reading this long email.
An anxious owner,
Name and telephone
FOR THE BENEFIT OF OWNERS WHO WANT TO USE MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR THEIR WITH URINARY STRUVITE STONES, HERE IS A CASE STUDY.
Sunday July 11, 2010. Bright sunshine. Blue skies. Should be outdoors.
I phoned the owner after reading the e-mail as this is a case with no definitive diagnosis!
HISTORY
Spayed dog was adopted when she was 4 years old.
July 2009. Passed blood in urine. Vet 1 took X-ray and check urine pH. Vet 1 was unsure whether there were bladder stones but said urine pH was alkaline but the owner could not say whether it was pH 7 or 8. Clavet antibiotics for 2 weeks and Royal Canine Urinary S/O diet for one month. No problem. The owner stopped giving dry and canned dog food and treats. Home-cooked food with a piece of chicken meat now gave her peace of mind till the dog started peeing at home, an abnormal behaviour in July 2010.
June 2010. Passed blood in urine and urinary incontinence. Vet 2 from the same practice prescribed same antibiotics for 2 weeks. Now no blood in the urine and bladder control. Will the stones come back again?
WHAT THE OWNER WANTS
"What do you want for your dog?" I asked. I might have woken her up from sleep by phoning at 10 am.
"No recurrence of the blood in the urine and urinary incontinence problem for the 3rd time." She forgot to mention no urinary stone removal surgery.
OTHER INFORMATION
Licked vulval area most of the time after outdoor walk.
Dental hygiene poor - tartar.
PHONE DIAGNOSIS:
It seemed that there was no veterinary diagnosis of struvite stones. The owner believed that the dog has struvite urinary stones. The presence of struvite stones was not confirmed by urinary analysis. Although the Miniature Schnauzer is one breed prone to getting urinary stones, this case may be a case of urinary tract infection. She may not have non-struvite urinary stones.
ADVICE
1. Get a proper diagnosis:
t is best to get the dog examined for stones by palpation. A blood test to check the kidney function as the owner had been giving her own prescriptions. A urine test for crystals - collect urine via catherisation. X-ray after emptying bladder and use air contrast.
2. If the struvite urinary stones are very small, medical dissolution of the stones + acidification + prescription diet may be possible. 3-monthly check ups of urine will still be necessary.
3.
Behaviour - licking of vulval area must be stopped. Dental work must be done as the mouth is full of bacteria which may have infected the bladder via vulval licking. The female dog has a short urethra and bacterial infections are common. Veterinary cases such as this case of the recurrence of blood in the urine are more interesting than Sherlock Holmes' cases. However, I don't have Dr Watson to help me.
Friday, July 9, 2010
125. Head tilt when ear drops applied
Friday July 9, 2010
English Cocker Spaniel, Female, Spayed, 12 years. 12.7 kg
Rotten tissue decay smell in the right ear
Scratches right ear onto the floor. Vet 2 advised 1,5 years ago to use ear drops from pet shop and seeing him 6-monthly. Ear drops worked till recently. Very smelly liquid from ear.
Advised: Surgery as permanent cure rather than visit Vet 2 six-monthly. 3 days of antibiotics, I would operate on Monday.
Last 3 days, head tilted to the right after pet shop Nova ear drops applied onto ear for one hour before sleeping.
1. It is important to check head tilt before surgery. Asked owner to exercise the dog. Slight head tilt to the right. May be blamed by the owner if head tilts after surgery.
2. Checked heart. OK for anaesthesia.
3. Blood tests. Father wanted to buy new puppy as $500 operation would pay for new puppy. "Does he want this old dog to be put to sleep?" I asked. "I will never agree to it," the young lady said. Due to economics, did not insist on a blood test.
4. Economics.
In August 2009, I removed 31 urinary stones (blood in the urine, complained that Vet 1 prescribed medication for few times, ineffective). No dry food or canned food. Fed vegetables, soup and little meat. No blood in urine colour. She used dipstick to check pH.
Then on January 2010, my vet removed a mammary tumour. No recurrence of tumour as checked today. So the young lady had to budget her expenses and savings as taught by her father from young. Very few parents teach their children financial management.
OLD DOG. 3rd anaesthesia after 31 bladder stones removed and breast tumour removal n 2009.
Sedation: Domitor 0.2 ml IM, Zoletil 100 0.1 ml IV, Atropine 1.0 ml IV. Top up with isoflurane gas. Excellent general anaesthesia.
SURGERY - A different surgical approach from my usual method.
Midline incision of vertical ear canal
Separate skin and SC tissues
Lateral wall seen
V-shaped cut of lateral wall from anterior and posterior ends.
Lots of bleeding controlled by swab
Cut lateral wall - cartilage end trimmed by cutting to depth of around 2mm so that the skin ends are free of cartilage (like ear cropping) and can be stitched. Nylon stitches.
NO drainage board. Much shorter operation time and incision.
POST OP
Antibiotics. Rimadyl 50mg/ml at 1.0 ml effective painkiller. Dog eating the next day.
Photograph on Day 2.
To stay 5 days.
English Cocker Spaniel, Female, Spayed, 12 years. 12.7 kg
Rotten tissue decay smell in the right ear
Scratches right ear onto the floor. Vet 2 advised 1,5 years ago to use ear drops from pet shop and seeing him 6-monthly. Ear drops worked till recently. Very smelly liquid from ear.
Advised: Surgery as permanent cure rather than visit Vet 2 six-monthly. 3 days of antibiotics, I would operate on Monday.
Last 3 days, head tilted to the right after pet shop Nova ear drops applied onto ear for one hour before sleeping.
1. It is important to check head tilt before surgery. Asked owner to exercise the dog. Slight head tilt to the right. May be blamed by the owner if head tilts after surgery.
2. Checked heart. OK for anaesthesia.
3. Blood tests. Father wanted to buy new puppy as $500 operation would pay for new puppy. "Does he want this old dog to be put to sleep?" I asked. "I will never agree to it," the young lady said. Due to economics, did not insist on a blood test.
4. Economics.
In August 2009, I removed 31 urinary stones (blood in the urine, complained that Vet 1 prescribed medication for few times, ineffective). No dry food or canned food. Fed vegetables, soup and little meat. No blood in urine colour. She used dipstick to check pH.
Then on January 2010, my vet removed a mammary tumour. No recurrence of tumour as checked today. So the young lady had to budget her expenses and savings as taught by her father from young. Very few parents teach their children financial management.
OLD DOG. 3rd anaesthesia after 31 bladder stones removed and breast tumour removal n 2009.
Sedation: Domitor 0.2 ml IM, Zoletil 100 0.1 ml IV, Atropine 1.0 ml IV. Top up with isoflurane gas. Excellent general anaesthesia.
SURGERY - A different surgical approach from my usual method.
Midline incision of vertical ear canal
Separate skin and SC tissues
Lateral wall seen
V-shaped cut of lateral wall from anterior and posterior ends.
Lots of bleeding controlled by swab
Cut lateral wall - cartilage end trimmed by cutting to depth of around 2mm so that the skin ends are free of cartilage (like ear cropping) and can be stitched. Nylon stitches.
NO drainage board. Much shorter operation time and incision.
POST OP
Antibiotics. Rimadyl 50mg/ml at 1.0 ml effective painkiller. Dog eating the next day.
Photograph on Day 2.
To stay 5 days.
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