E-MAIL TO DR SING DATED APR 22, 2011
2011/4/22 ...@hotmail.com>
Hi,
I would like to collect some data for my DnT research for 'o' levels. I am making a poop collector for my 'o' levels. It is mostly about dogs and their poop.
- What are the more common breed found in Singapore?
- What is it's size?
- What is their poop size?
Thank you for your valuable information :)
E-MAIL REPLY FROM DR SING DATED APR 23, 2011
I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets.
More common breeds found in Singapore in 2010 are the small canine breeds. These include Shih Tzus, Malteses, Miniature Schnauzers, Poodles, Silkie Terriers and Jack Russells and their crosses.
Sizes of small breeds - Usually weigh 10 - 30 kg. Height is usually around 14 inches.
Poop size - If you refer to one well formed faecal lump passed intact, I will say that the size is around half the size of a ping pong ball of around 3 cm x 2 cm x 2 cm. However, the small breed dog passes more than one lump at any one time.
It is best you get your hands dirtied and really measure yourself as this is the correct approach to research. Some commercial poop collectors are just too small to collect all the poop at one go. You really need to be hands-on to be a good researcher.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
414. Ear haematoma?
EMAIL TO DR SING DATED APR 21, 2011
Hi there
I've never been to your clinic. However, I would like to enquire if you all do dispense oral medication for ear infection/hematomas-related illness. My cross-breed dog (quite similar to the Miniature Pinscher) is 13 years old and she is quite aggressive towards strangers. She had been having her ear infection for some time, and recently there's been a lump growth just at the bottom of the infected ear, which I suspected is hematomas.
I was wondering if it would be possible to obtain oral medication for this illness without having to bring my dog in, as she is quite averse to travelling and towards strangers.
Please advise. Thanks!
E-MAIL REPLY FROM DR SING DATED APR 21, 2011
I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets. It is best to check what the problem is. An ear haematoma is a swelling with blood inside the ear flap. Send two images by email as soon as possible.
E-MAIL TO DR SING DATED APR 23, 2011
Dear Dr Sing
Thank you for your prompt response!
I will try to describe her condition as best as I can. Thus far, her ear has been giving out smelly discharge, which are slightly brownish/reddish in colour. The discharge is usually in liquid form. She tends to whine as she try to scratch her affected ear. Recently I've noticed that the discharge is not as much as before, in fact, I do believe that there hasn't been any discharge these two days and that her ears are relatively dry. Though however, the smell still persist. Admittedly, it is not as strong a smell as before.
Only quite recently did I notice the lump just below/behind her ear. It was quite "hard" when I touched it and it does not seem to cause her any kind of pain when I touched it. She does not have floppy ears.
I have also attached some photos of my dog for your preliminary viewing. The lump is on her right side, just below/behind her ear. I've also taken close up pictures of her affected ear. Pictures taken from behind makes the "lump" appear slightly bigger than it really is as her hair was sort of sticking out in the area.
Thank you
(Name of Owner)
E-MAIL REPLY FROM DR SING DATED APRIL 23, 2011
Thank you for your pictures. From your images, the lump at the bottom and back of the right ear appears to be
1. a haematoma due to the dog pawing his ears to relieve himself of the intense pain
2. an abscess due to infection by bacteria of the haematoma
3. a fast-growing malignant tumour since you describe it as "hard" and not painful and the dog is at the age when tumours are common.
Ideally, large haematomas and abscesses should be incised and drained to prevent infection by bacteria and pain which you believe is not painful to your dog but it actually is. Malignant tumours are best resected (removed) when they are smaller in size. In brief, surgery is advised.
Ferocious dogs can still be sedated and anaesthesized for the surgeries. A dog transport man can bring your dog to the vet for surgery. There are anaesthetic risks (of death) involved in sedation and anaesthesia of an old dog. An aggressive old dog poses higher risks. The alternative is to wait for the lump to subside if it is a haematoma and not causing pain. You will have to decide yourself as to what to do as the anaesthetic risks of death are higher in old dogs. Pl phone me at 6254 3326 for appointment or for more queries.
Hi there
I've never been to your clinic. However, I would like to enquire if you all do dispense oral medication for ear infection/hematomas-related illness. My cross-breed dog (quite similar to the Miniature Pinscher) is 13 years old and she is quite aggressive towards strangers. She had been having her ear infection for some time, and recently there's been a lump growth just at the bottom of the infected ear, which I suspected is hematomas.
I was wondering if it would be possible to obtain oral medication for this illness without having to bring my dog in, as she is quite averse to travelling and towards strangers.
Please advise. Thanks!
E-MAIL REPLY FROM DR SING DATED APR 21, 2011
I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets. It is best to check what the problem is. An ear haematoma is a swelling with blood inside the ear flap. Send two images by email as soon as possible.
E-MAIL TO DR SING DATED APR 23, 2011
Dear Dr Sing
Thank you for your prompt response!
I will try to describe her condition as best as I can. Thus far, her ear has been giving out smelly discharge, which are slightly brownish/reddish in colour. The discharge is usually in liquid form. She tends to whine as she try to scratch her affected ear. Recently I've noticed that the discharge is not as much as before, in fact, I do believe that there hasn't been any discharge these two days and that her ears are relatively dry. Though however, the smell still persist. Admittedly, it is not as strong a smell as before.
Only quite recently did I notice the lump just below/behind her ear. It was quite "hard" when I touched it and it does not seem to cause her any kind of pain when I touched it. She does not have floppy ears.
I have also attached some photos of my dog for your preliminary viewing. The lump is on her right side, just below/behind her ear. I've also taken close up pictures of her affected ear. Pictures taken from behind makes the "lump" appear slightly bigger than it really is as her hair was sort of sticking out in the area.
Thank you
(Name of Owner)
E-MAIL REPLY FROM DR SING DATED APRIL 23, 2011
Thank you for your pictures. From your images, the lump at the bottom and back of the right ear appears to be
1. a haematoma due to the dog pawing his ears to relieve himself of the intense pain
2. an abscess due to infection by bacteria of the haematoma
3. a fast-growing malignant tumour since you describe it as "hard" and not painful and the dog is at the age when tumours are common.
Ideally, large haematomas and abscesses should be incised and drained to prevent infection by bacteria and pain which you believe is not painful to your dog but it actually is. Malignant tumours are best resected (removed) when they are smaller in size. In brief, surgery is advised.
Ferocious dogs can still be sedated and anaesthesized for the surgeries. A dog transport man can bring your dog to the vet for surgery. There are anaesthetic risks (of death) involved in sedation and anaesthesia of an old dog. An aggressive old dog poses higher risks. The alternative is to wait for the lump to subside if it is a haematoma and not causing pain. You will have to decide yourself as to what to do as the anaesthetic risks of death are higher in old dogs. Pl phone me at 6254 3326 for appointment or for more queries.
Friday, April 22, 2011
413. Bitten by a tranquilised dog
I took my assistant Mr Min to a Toa Payoh General Practitioner on Thursday Apr 22, 2011. He was bitten twice by a sedated dog while helping Dr Jason Teo to remove maggots from it yesterday evening.
He showed me his two palms with dog bite wounds. One was bandaged. In my car, he recounted that he was once bitten in his finger by a turtle while working for a vet in Malaysia. "This turtle is not seen in Myanmar," he said. "Its mouth was very low and when I held it, it bit my finger."
"Next time, put a towel over the dog's head instead of trying to muzzle him," I advised as he got bitten while trying to muzzle the sedated dog.
He showed me his two palms with dog bite wounds. One was bandaged. In my car, he recounted that he was once bitten in his finger by a turtle while working for a vet in Malaysia. "This turtle is not seen in Myanmar," he said. "Its mouth was very low and when I held it, it bit my finger."
"Next time, put a towel over the dog's head instead of trying to muzzle him," I advised as he got bitten while trying to muzzle the sedated dog.
412. Puffy and closed eyes for 2 months in a red-eared slider
Many vets prefer not to treat the puffy & closed eyes red-eared sliders. In Singapore and all over the world, this condition is most common. It is said to be due to insufficient Vit A. In my observation, it is the poor quality of water.
For bad cases, I advise in-patient treatment. It takes over 2 weeks to get the eyes open if the case is moderately serious. See one case below:
For bad cases, I advise in-patient treatment. It takes over 2 weeks to get the eyes open if the case is moderately serious. See one case below:
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
411. A fast-growing backside tumour in an old Dachshund - a lipoma or liposarcoma?
"The lump on the right backside grows quite fast," the lady owner pointed to a 1.5 x 2 cm globular swelling to the right of the anus. "There are 4 other smaller lumps."
She was concerned about the large lump as it grows bigger every day. Could this be a liposarcoma (malignant growth) instead of a lipoma? Although middle-aged and old dogs, overweight female dogs do develop lipomas which are benign, I don't ask the owner to wait and see approach.
In one instance, Vet 1 had asked the owner of a Labrador Retriever to wait and see when the owner complained about a small globular growth above the neck of the dog. As typical of the busy Singapore owners, the owners waited till the lump becomes half the size of a tennis ball. When I saw it, it was a malignant tumour as it recurs after excision. "Well, Vet 1 had said that there was no need to remove the tumour when it was small," the owners said. Eventually, the dog had to be euthanased. From this experience, it is best NOT to advise the owner to wait and see. Give the owner the option to get the tumour resected and let her decide. The vet should not assume that every tumour under the skin is a lipoma and is benign.
In this female spayed Dachshund of 8.5kg, the owner had knowledge and asked me to operate. She was worried about the anaesthetic risk. A blood test showed the dog to be healthy for anaesthesia. Still the risks of death on the operating table are made known to her. She accepted the risks.
"Don't ask the vet to perform surgery during weekends or public holidays as the vet is busy and may need to rush through the surgery," I advised her and most clients that any rushed anaesthesia and surgery will not be in the interest of the patient.
I operated on April 19, 2011, a Tuesday morning at 10 am as scheduled and the owner arrived early. No food and water from 10 pm the night before. She used a marker pen to ink the 5 lumps as instructed by me. I still took one hour in total just to remove 5 fatty tumours and that included preparation, IV drip and surgery. The electro-surgery took around 30 minutes. Can't be shorter.
SEDATION
0.2 ml xylazine IM. My new assistant Mr Min asked if I wanted to give xylazine IV as I sometimes do. "No," I said. Isoflurane gas by mask was smooth and uneventful. The dog slept like a log. Intubated the dog to get oxygen and gas in. The anaesthetic machine was not leaking gas after industrial glue was applied to the hairline crack in the base tubing 2 days ago. 0.5 - 2% isoflurane gas was sufficient. "Keep to 0.5% and not less," I said to my assistant as he knew that the less the safer for the patient. But too little may lead to the dog waking up and delaying my surgery! A good assistant during anaesthesia is worth his or her weight in gold as vets don't have the luxury of the tax-payer's money to have an anaesthetist and the best equipment like the Singapore General Hospital.
ELECTRO-RESECTION
I like electro-surgery for such cases. No bleeding at all when I cut the skin of over 3 cm long to expose the pure white globular fatty tumour of 1.5 x 2 cm in size. Not one drop of blood. If you use scissors, you need to undermine the skin. The fine wire electrode just skim below the skin and the fatty tumour parted. I excised the base of this tumour attached to the muscle layer. I could see small red blood vessels of around 2 mm supplying this tumour with nutrients. This could be a liposarcoma as it grows fast.
Still no bleeding after I excised from the base of the skin to the top of the muscle layer and brought out the whole tumour intact. That is the usefulness of electro-surgical electrode (see image). There is no need to use scissors to undermine the skin and damage this fragile fatty tumour, pure white like snow and fragile too.
The owner came at around 11.30 am. The courier man had just taken the tumour inside the formalin bottle to bike back to the laboratory. So I could not show her but I have the image to show her. The other 4 small pieces of 3mm x 5mm were discarded as I did not keep them. However, she could see the stitched areas (3/0 absorbable sutures, horizontal mattress for the backside and simple interrupted for the others)
DOG POOPS
Unfortunately the dog started pooping. Brown solid stools started coming out from the anus. Surgery stopped and stools removed. Should have asked the owner to bring the dog to the toilet at home or plug the rectum.
"Is the dog awake?" the owner came at 11.30 am expecting a drowsy old dog. Well, this was the first time I met her and so she would have known about dog anaesthesia done in other clinics that use injectable IV anaesthesia. Isoflurane gas always allow the normal healthy dog to wake up within 10 minutes after completion of the surgery. As if it had a good nap. The surgery was not particularly painful but I gave the painkiller tolfedine SC and oral for the home.
"Yes," I said. "She woke up very fast after the end of anaesthesia." Xylazine 0.2 ml IM is a very low dose for a 10-year-old overweight Dachshund of 8.5 kg. I did not use xylazine IV this time as IM would be safer in an old dog, in my opinion.
"I had excised the 4 smaller tumours completely with their skins," I explained to the owner. "The backside tumour is large and if I removed it with the skin, there will be a big hole and the hole may not heal. So, I removed as much as possible under the skin and above the muscle. If it is malignant, it may recur." It is best to communicate this to the owner. The skin wound was over 5 cm long just to expose this 2x1.5x1.0 cm tumour and so there would not be enough skin to close the wound properly. I don't want a dog with a big gap in the backside due to the non-healing of the wound as this area is a high-tension area making wound healing difficult.
"Can you operate the other Dachshund? He has only 2 tumours similar to this dog?" the lady in her 40s asked. Red blood had oozed out from the dog's backside now despite the two horizontal mattress stitches closing the wound. "Your blouse and your handbag is stained with blood," I told her. "It does not matter," she said. The dog was alive and that was what mattered in her world.
She had earlier wanted two dogs done at one day. There are pros and cons for the vet. Pros - revenue comes in and client may go to the competitor if there is a delay. Cons - rushed job, not in the interest of the dog as mistakes in anaesthesia can result in the dog's death.
"It is always best not to stretch the vet as he has other surgeries and things to do in a day," I tried to educate this lady. I had asked her to bring just one dog today for the simple reason that I could focus on this dog alone and not be distracted.
I also did not want her to be waiting outside the reception room while I operated as to maintain a peace of mind during operation and not having a worried owner pacing outside the operating room.
"Well, it is best not to tempt fate," I told this personable lady. "Your operated dog is alive and well. It is not a guarantee that old dogs undergoing anaesthesia will survive and so it is best not to do another one on the same day. I am actually worried when I operate on old dogs! I don't even look forward to any old dog surgery." It is not that I am superstitious or can't do the 2nd surgery. There was no emergency for the 2nd dog to be operated on the same day and I do have a lot of things to do.
"Thursday will do," I said. Well, the lady was busy on Thursday. "How about Friday?" she asked. "If you come early on Good Friday at 9.30 am, I will operate as most clients don't come so early." However, I can understand that the owner is worried about the tumours in the sibling Dachshund becoming malignant through delay in surgery and she preferred me to operate. I had assigned Dr Vanessa to operate as this is a simple surgery. It is the anaesthestic death that the owner is very worried about and this must be understood.
Although there will be just 2 small fatty-like tumours, the whole procedure of preparation before op, sedating and giving the isoflurane gas and the IV drip and surgery can take 45 minutes in the 2nd dog.
No wonder, many vets just give injectable anaesthesia. No need to "waste time". I prefer isoflurane gas as it is much safer and the dog wakes up fast. But it sure takes 4 times as long. But in the end, the owner just wants a live dog and giving the owner a living dog is what she wants. Isoflurane gas gives a high safety margin and so I seldom use injectable anaesthesia in old dogs or young ones.
Injectable anaesthesia is also safe but it needs topping up in small amounts if the surgery takes longer than expected. A higher risk is involved in using injectable compared to isoflurane gas but usually a very small amount is injected and that is quite safe.
Well, each vet has his own choice but deaths on the operating table simply ruins a vet's reputation as owners spread the word and so, over the years, I rarely use injectable anaesthesia. It is preferred that other vets do the old-dog anaesthesia and surgery!
P.S LIPOSARCOMAS are uncommon malignant tumours of the fatty tissue. As this lump grew fast, the owner agreed to the histopathology to be done by the Lab.
Classified as low, intermediate or high-grade liposarcomas. With low and intermediate grade, the risk of spread to other parts of the body is low. With high-grade, the risk is much greater.
UPDATE APRIL 22, 2011
Histopathology results: A lipoma with no malignant cells seen. This is good news for the old Dachshund.
She was concerned about the large lump as it grows bigger every day. Could this be a liposarcoma (malignant growth) instead of a lipoma? Although middle-aged and old dogs, overweight female dogs do develop lipomas which are benign, I don't ask the owner to wait and see approach.
In one instance, Vet 1 had asked the owner of a Labrador Retriever to wait and see when the owner complained about a small globular growth above the neck of the dog. As typical of the busy Singapore owners, the owners waited till the lump becomes half the size of a tennis ball. When I saw it, it was a malignant tumour as it recurs after excision. "Well, Vet 1 had said that there was no need to remove the tumour when it was small," the owners said. Eventually, the dog had to be euthanased. From this experience, it is best NOT to advise the owner to wait and see. Give the owner the option to get the tumour resected and let her decide. The vet should not assume that every tumour under the skin is a lipoma and is benign.
In this female spayed Dachshund of 8.5kg, the owner had knowledge and asked me to operate. She was worried about the anaesthetic risk. A blood test showed the dog to be healthy for anaesthesia. Still the risks of death on the operating table are made known to her. She accepted the risks.
"Don't ask the vet to perform surgery during weekends or public holidays as the vet is busy and may need to rush through the surgery," I advised her and most clients that any rushed anaesthesia and surgery will not be in the interest of the patient.
I operated on April 19, 2011, a Tuesday morning at 10 am as scheduled and the owner arrived early. No food and water from 10 pm the night before. She used a marker pen to ink the 5 lumps as instructed by me. I still took one hour in total just to remove 5 fatty tumours and that included preparation, IV drip and surgery. The electro-surgery took around 30 minutes. Can't be shorter.
SEDATION
0.2 ml xylazine IM. My new assistant Mr Min asked if I wanted to give xylazine IV as I sometimes do. "No," I said. Isoflurane gas by mask was smooth and uneventful. The dog slept like a log. Intubated the dog to get oxygen and gas in. The anaesthetic machine was not leaking gas after industrial glue was applied to the hairline crack in the base tubing 2 days ago. 0.5 - 2% isoflurane gas was sufficient. "Keep to 0.5% and not less," I said to my assistant as he knew that the less the safer for the patient. But too little may lead to the dog waking up and delaying my surgery! A good assistant during anaesthesia is worth his or her weight in gold as vets don't have the luxury of the tax-payer's money to have an anaesthetist and the best equipment like the Singapore General Hospital.
ELECTRO-RESECTION
I like electro-surgery for such cases. No bleeding at all when I cut the skin of over 3 cm long to expose the pure white globular fatty tumour of 1.5 x 2 cm in size. Not one drop of blood. If you use scissors, you need to undermine the skin. The fine wire electrode just skim below the skin and the fatty tumour parted. I excised the base of this tumour attached to the muscle layer. I could see small red blood vessels of around 2 mm supplying this tumour with nutrients. This could be a liposarcoma as it grows fast.
Still no bleeding after I excised from the base of the skin to the top of the muscle layer and brought out the whole tumour intact. That is the usefulness of electro-surgical electrode (see image). There is no need to use scissors to undermine the skin and damage this fragile fatty tumour, pure white like snow and fragile too.
The owner came at around 11.30 am. The courier man had just taken the tumour inside the formalin bottle to bike back to the laboratory. So I could not show her but I have the image to show her. The other 4 small pieces of 3mm x 5mm were discarded as I did not keep them. However, she could see the stitched areas (3/0 absorbable sutures, horizontal mattress for the backside and simple interrupted for the others)
DOG POOPS
Unfortunately the dog started pooping. Brown solid stools started coming out from the anus. Surgery stopped and stools removed. Should have asked the owner to bring the dog to the toilet at home or plug the rectum.
"Is the dog awake?" the owner came at 11.30 am expecting a drowsy old dog. Well, this was the first time I met her and so she would have known about dog anaesthesia done in other clinics that use injectable IV anaesthesia. Isoflurane gas always allow the normal healthy dog to wake up within 10 minutes after completion of the surgery. As if it had a good nap. The surgery was not particularly painful but I gave the painkiller tolfedine SC and oral for the home.
"Yes," I said. "She woke up very fast after the end of anaesthesia." Xylazine 0.2 ml IM is a very low dose for a 10-year-old overweight Dachshund of 8.5 kg. I did not use xylazine IV this time as IM would be safer in an old dog, in my opinion.
"I had excised the 4 smaller tumours completely with their skins," I explained to the owner. "The backside tumour is large and if I removed it with the skin, there will be a big hole and the hole may not heal. So, I removed as much as possible under the skin and above the muscle. If it is malignant, it may recur." It is best to communicate this to the owner. The skin wound was over 5 cm long just to expose this 2x1.5x1.0 cm tumour and so there would not be enough skin to close the wound properly. I don't want a dog with a big gap in the backside due to the non-healing of the wound as this area is a high-tension area making wound healing difficult.
"Can you operate the other Dachshund? He has only 2 tumours similar to this dog?" the lady in her 40s asked. Red blood had oozed out from the dog's backside now despite the two horizontal mattress stitches closing the wound. "Your blouse and your handbag is stained with blood," I told her. "It does not matter," she said. The dog was alive and that was what mattered in her world.
She had earlier wanted two dogs done at one day. There are pros and cons for the vet. Pros - revenue comes in and client may go to the competitor if there is a delay. Cons - rushed job, not in the interest of the dog as mistakes in anaesthesia can result in the dog's death.
"It is always best not to stretch the vet as he has other surgeries and things to do in a day," I tried to educate this lady. I had asked her to bring just one dog today for the simple reason that I could focus on this dog alone and not be distracted.
I also did not want her to be waiting outside the reception room while I operated as to maintain a peace of mind during operation and not having a worried owner pacing outside the operating room.
"Well, it is best not to tempt fate," I told this personable lady. "Your operated dog is alive and well. It is not a guarantee that old dogs undergoing anaesthesia will survive and so it is best not to do another one on the same day. I am actually worried when I operate on old dogs! I don't even look forward to any old dog surgery." It is not that I am superstitious or can't do the 2nd surgery. There was no emergency for the 2nd dog to be operated on the same day and I do have a lot of things to do.
"Thursday will do," I said. Well, the lady was busy on Thursday. "How about Friday?" she asked. "If you come early on Good Friday at 9.30 am, I will operate as most clients don't come so early." However, I can understand that the owner is worried about the tumours in the sibling Dachshund becoming malignant through delay in surgery and she preferred me to operate. I had assigned Dr Vanessa to operate as this is a simple surgery. It is the anaesthestic death that the owner is very worried about and this must be understood.
Although there will be just 2 small fatty-like tumours, the whole procedure of preparation before op, sedating and giving the isoflurane gas and the IV drip and surgery can take 45 minutes in the 2nd dog.
No wonder, many vets just give injectable anaesthesia. No need to "waste time". I prefer isoflurane gas as it is much safer and the dog wakes up fast. But it sure takes 4 times as long. But in the end, the owner just wants a live dog and giving the owner a living dog is what she wants. Isoflurane gas gives a high safety margin and so I seldom use injectable anaesthesia in old dogs or young ones.
Injectable anaesthesia is also safe but it needs topping up in small amounts if the surgery takes longer than expected. A higher risk is involved in using injectable compared to isoflurane gas but usually a very small amount is injected and that is quite safe.
Well, each vet has his own choice but deaths on the operating table simply ruins a vet's reputation as owners spread the word and so, over the years, I rarely use injectable anaesthesia. It is preferred that other vets do the old-dog anaesthesia and surgery!
P.S LIPOSARCOMAS are uncommon malignant tumours of the fatty tissue. As this lump grew fast, the owner agreed to the histopathology to be done by the Lab.
Classified as low, intermediate or high-grade liposarcomas. With low and intermediate grade, the risk of spread to other parts of the body is low. With high-grade, the risk is much greater.
UPDATE APRIL 22, 2011
Histopathology results: A lipoma with no malignant cells seen. This is good news for the old Dachshund.
410. Vicarious liability & Duty of Care
Vicarious liability is a doctrine of English tort law. Employers will be held liable for the wrongdoings of their employees while the employee is conducting his duty. Intentional wrongdoings not in the course of ordinary employment were historically not the employer's liability.
But now, the employer is vicariously liable if the employee's intentional wrongdoings (e.g. deceit, fraud or sexual assault) is closely connected with the employee's duties.
EMPLOYER'S LIABILITY
Employers are vicariously liable for negligent acts or omissions by their employees in the course of EMPLOYMENT. For an act to be considered within the course of employment, it must either be authorised or be connected with an authorised act such that it can be considered a mode, though an improper mode, of performing it.
COURTS will sometimes distinguish between an employee's "detour" or "frolic". For example, an employer is vicariously liable if the employee had gone on a mere detour in carrying out his duties. If an employee acts in his own right rather than on employer's business, the employer is not liable for the employee's frolic.
Generally, an employer will not be liable for assault or battery committed by employees unless the use of force is part of their employment (e.g. police officers).
However, the employer of an INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR is not held vicariously liable for the tortious acts of the contractor, except where the contractor injures someone to whom the employer owes a non-delegable DUTY OF CARE such as where the employer is a school authority and the injured party is a pupil (e.g. principal abusing the child on a field trip).
DUTY OF CARE
is a legal obligation for an individual to conform to a standard of REASONABLE care
while performing any act that could foreseeably harm others.
THERE ARE 4 ELEMENTS - LAW OF TORT - NEGLIGENCE
To succeed in an action for negligence, the plaintiff must show that:
1. the defendant owes him a duty of care.
2. the defendant has breached that duty of care
3. the breach causes damage/loss to the plaintiff
4. the damage/loss is not too remote (not controllable, not foreseeable, not an expert on the particular subject matter).
It is the first element (defendant owes him a duty of care) that must be established to proceed in an action of NEGLIGENCE. The plaintiff must BE ABLE TO SHOW a duty of care imposed by the law which the defendant has breached.
THE STANDARD BY WHICH DUTY IS MEASURED
Once a duty exists, the plaintiff must show that the defendant has BREACHED IT.
This is the 2nd element of negligence. Breach involves testing the defendant's actions against the standard of REASONABLE PERSON. This varies depending on the facts of the case. For example, doctors will be held to reasonable standards for members of his profession rather than the GENERAL PUBLIC, in negligence actions for MEDICAL MALPRACTICE.
Once the appropriate STANDARD has been found, the BREACH is proven when the plaintiff shows that the defendant's conduct fell below or did not reach the relevant STANDARD OF REASONABLE CARE.
However, if the defendant took every possible precaution and exceeded what would have been done by an REASONABLE PERSON, yet the plaintiff was injured, the plaintiff cannot recover in negligence.
But now, the employer is vicariously liable if the employee's intentional wrongdoings (e.g. deceit, fraud or sexual assault) is closely connected with the employee's duties.
EMPLOYER'S LIABILITY
Employers are vicariously liable for negligent acts or omissions by their employees in the course of EMPLOYMENT. For an act to be considered within the course of employment, it must either be authorised or be connected with an authorised act such that it can be considered a mode, though an improper mode, of performing it.
COURTS will sometimes distinguish between an employee's "detour" or "frolic". For example, an employer is vicariously liable if the employee had gone on a mere detour in carrying out his duties. If an employee acts in his own right rather than on employer's business, the employer is not liable for the employee's frolic.
Generally, an employer will not be liable for assault or battery committed by employees unless the use of force is part of their employment (e.g. police officers).
However, the employer of an INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR is not held vicariously liable for the tortious acts of the contractor, except where the contractor injures someone to whom the employer owes a non-delegable DUTY OF CARE such as where the employer is a school authority and the injured party is a pupil (e.g. principal abusing the child on a field trip).
DUTY OF CARE
is a legal obligation for an individual to conform to a standard of REASONABLE care
while performing any act that could foreseeably harm others.
THERE ARE 4 ELEMENTS - LAW OF TORT - NEGLIGENCE
To succeed in an action for negligence, the plaintiff must show that:
1. the defendant owes him a duty of care.
2. the defendant has breached that duty of care
3. the breach causes damage/loss to the plaintiff
4. the damage/loss is not too remote (not controllable, not foreseeable, not an expert on the particular subject matter).
It is the first element (defendant owes him a duty of care) that must be established to proceed in an action of NEGLIGENCE. The plaintiff must BE ABLE TO SHOW a duty of care imposed by the law which the defendant has breached.
THE STANDARD BY WHICH DUTY IS MEASURED
Once a duty exists, the plaintiff must show that the defendant has BREACHED IT.
This is the 2nd element of negligence. Breach involves testing the defendant's actions against the standard of REASONABLE PERSON. This varies depending on the facts of the case. For example, doctors will be held to reasonable standards for members of his profession rather than the GENERAL PUBLIC, in negligence actions for MEDICAL MALPRACTICE.
Once the appropriate STANDARD has been found, the BREACH is proven when the plaintiff shows that the defendant's conduct fell below or did not reach the relevant STANDARD OF REASONABLE CARE.
However, if the defendant took every possible precaution and exceeded what would have been done by an REASONABLE PERSON, yet the plaintiff was injured, the plaintiff cannot recover in negligence.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sunday April 17th - interesting cases
Bright sunshine and blue skies. Sunday morning April 17th, 2011
Started work at 9.30 am and finished at 6.00pm with Dr Vanessa.
1. Shih Tzu bites till the paws and feet bleeds. Very distressed to see a dog going at its body and feet. E-collar helped but bleeding stains apartment. Couple saw Vet 1 twice but no resoltion. Expat husband phoned Vet 1 today (Sunday) but no response. "When Vet 1 returns call," the husband said to me, "I had already phoned Toa Payoh Vets for an appointment."
"Skin diseases are not easy to cure in many cases," I said. I handled this case as the leading vet with Dr Vanessa as it would be an emotional case and I prefer to take the lead. Dr Vanessa was OK with this approach.
2. Rabbit with big jaw abscess. I asked my vet whether she would operate. She passed. So I did it the next day.
3. Three female SPAYED dogs with skin disease.
1. Low platelet. Lots of yellow pus in vulva. Why?
2. Bites flanks both sides. Alopecia. Endocrine? Vulva very small (spayed very young). Reddish.
3. Old dog. Health screening. Blood test. Vulva normal pink and size.
Started work at 9.30 am and finished at 6.00pm with Dr Vanessa.
1. Shih Tzu bites till the paws and feet bleeds. Very distressed to see a dog going at its body and feet. E-collar helped but bleeding stains apartment. Couple saw Vet 1 twice but no resoltion. Expat husband phoned Vet 1 today (Sunday) but no response. "When Vet 1 returns call," the husband said to me, "I had already phoned Toa Payoh Vets for an appointment."
"Skin diseases are not easy to cure in many cases," I said. I handled this case as the leading vet with Dr Vanessa as it would be an emotional case and I prefer to take the lead. Dr Vanessa was OK with this approach.
2. Rabbit with big jaw abscess. I asked my vet whether she would operate. She passed. So I did it the next day.
3. Three female SPAYED dogs with skin disease.
1. Low platelet. Lots of yellow pus in vulva. Why?
2. Bites flanks both sides. Alopecia. Endocrine? Vulva very small (spayed very young). Reddish.
3. Old dog. Health screening. Blood test. Vulva normal pink and size.
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