"Is your hamster still licking her elbows and knees?" I phoned the young lady on Oct 7, 2011, around 3 days after I had given an anti-inflam injection and prescribed medication, advised change of diet.
"Much better. Slightly itchy though. Some hairs are growing."
"It will take some time to be free of itchiness," I said. "Did you feed sunflower seeds?"
"No," she believed that sunflower seeds cause obesity. The dwarf hamster weighed 91 g 4 weeks ago when she came in for the first consultation. 3 days ago, she weighed 86 g.
"What food do you feed?" I asked.
"Pumpkin seeds," she said. "I could not find melon seeds for sale." I did advise buying the dried melon seeds from some provision shops, shelling them and feeding to the hamster since she did not want to feed sunflower seeds which are the usual component of a hamster's ration in Singapore.
It would need another 4 weeks for the hamster to recover.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
663. Switching to become a small animal vet
E-MAIL TO DR SING DATED OCT 7, 2011
Dear Dr Sing,
I chanced upon your blog when I was looking up some vet related blogs. I read that you completed your bond with the PPD, then started up toapayoh vet clinic. Was it difficult to transition from a government vet to a small animal vet? How do you keep the knowledge learnt for small animals fresh in your mind as being a PPD government vet requires a completely different set of skills? Would be great if you could provide me with some advice on this issue. I've been pondering on career pathways recently and I need guidance.
Regards,
XXX
E-MAIL REPLY FROM DR SING DATED OCT 8, 2011
Thank you for your email. In reply to your questions:
1. It is not difficult to change to small animal practice from regulatory practice for me as I had a mentor (an experienced senior vet) whom I spent time in the evenings (closing my practice) learning from him, assisting him, working as locum and doing house-calls.
2. Lots of reading on small animal vet journals. In 1982, when I started Toa Payoh Vets, there was no such thing as the world wide web. So, lots of reading vet articles and journals and subscription to the British and American vet journals. The PPD had a small vet library at 40 Kampong Java Road, now the K.K. Hospital.
3. For your situation, be an employee in one of the 46 vet practices in Singapore for at least two years. Choose a busy one, otherwise you would have not sufficient variety of cases. Work the night shifts and really attend to each emergency as if it was your own pet instead of being a "lazy" vet, letting the vet technicians do the hands-on blood collection, urine collection and X-rays.
Give practically free services to the dog breeders and animal activists. So much small animal veterinary work to do nowadays. Read up and discuss with mentors. Review cases done and see if there are better and more efficient and cost-effective ways to handling the case.
Add value to your employer. For example, I note that some young employee vets use more than necessary (increasing expenses to the practice and reducing the bottom-line) the sutures and materials used in surgery and treatment. This may not endear yourself to the Principal of the practice as it shows you don't care about the bottom-line. In private practice, the costs are high and you need to be aware of the economics of practice, other than the salary and benefits you are getting.
In conclusion, venturing to a new field requires a new mindset to work the long hours to achieve competence and success. Small animal private practice hours are longer and will not be similar to the regular hours of civil service as most clients are free during weekends and public holidays when the civil service vet is having time off.
Passion is required if you wish to excel. Competition is great nowadays as I expect more than 50 small animal practices to be set up in the next 5 years if you intend to open your own practice. Know the economics of practice. Add value to your employer or principal. Continuing education. Network. Be proactive in vet matters.
Phone me if you need more advice as writing advices are not as good as one-to-one talk.
- Show quoted text -
Dear Dr Sing,
I chanced upon your blog when I was looking up some vet related blogs. I read that you completed your bond with the PPD, then started up toapayoh vet clinic. Was it difficult to transition from a government vet to a small animal vet? How do you keep the knowledge learnt for small animals fresh in your mind as being a PPD government vet requires a completely different set of skills? Would be great if you could provide me with some advice on this issue. I've been pondering on career pathways recently and I need guidance.
Regards,
XXX
E-MAIL REPLY FROM DR SING DATED OCT 8, 2011
Thank you for your email. In reply to your questions:
1. It is not difficult to change to small animal practice from regulatory practice for me as I had a mentor (an experienced senior vet) whom I spent time in the evenings (closing my practice) learning from him, assisting him, working as locum and doing house-calls.
2. Lots of reading on small animal vet journals. In 1982, when I started Toa Payoh Vets, there was no such thing as the world wide web. So, lots of reading vet articles and journals and subscription to the British and American vet journals. The PPD had a small vet library at 40 Kampong Java Road, now the K.K. Hospital.
3. For your situation, be an employee in one of the 46 vet practices in Singapore for at least two years. Choose a busy one, otherwise you would have not sufficient variety of cases. Work the night shifts and really attend to each emergency as if it was your own pet instead of being a "lazy" vet, letting the vet technicians do the hands-on blood collection, urine collection and X-rays.
Give practically free services to the dog breeders and animal activists. So much small animal veterinary work to do nowadays. Read up and discuss with mentors. Review cases done and see if there are better and more efficient and cost-effective ways to handling the case.
Add value to your employer. For example, I note that some young employee vets use more than necessary (increasing expenses to the practice and reducing the bottom-line) the sutures and materials used in surgery and treatment. This may not endear yourself to the Principal of the practice as it shows you don't care about the bottom-line. In private practice, the costs are high and you need to be aware of the economics of practice, other than the salary and benefits you are getting.
In conclusion, venturing to a new field requires a new mindset to work the long hours to achieve competence and success. Small animal private practice hours are longer and will not be similar to the regular hours of civil service as most clients are free during weekends and public holidays when the civil service vet is having time off.
Passion is required if you wish to excel. Competition is great nowadays as I expect more than 50 small animal practices to be set up in the next 5 years if you intend to open your own practice. Know the economics of practice. Add value to your employer or principal. Continuing education. Network. Be proactive in vet matters.
Phone me if you need more advice as writing advices are not as good as one-to-one talk.
- Show quoted text -
Friday, October 7, 2011
662. The vet's unacceptable advice - when the hamster's tumour bleeds, come put to sleep
"When the hamster's tumour starts to bleed, bring her to me and I will put her to sleep, Vet 1 advised us," the mother brought her teenaged daughter and her hamster to me today 11.30 am, Friday Oct 7, 2011. "I consulted Vet 3 days ago and my daughter has been crying since."
Vet 1 had said that the dwarf hamster, being 2 years old, would die under anaesthesia and surgery. Therefore, wait till her abdominal tumour bleeds, to bring the hamster in to be euthanased. The mother could have surfed the internet and phoned me.
"It is not a guarantee that all dwarf hamsters with tumours will die under general anaesthesia," I don't understand why Vet 1 would not have asked the owner to see other vets if Vet 1 would not perform surgery. I just rejected a koi owner who phoned up to ask if I treat kois. It is the right thing to doand is in the interest of the animal. Not to advise waiting till the tumour bleeds and bring the hamster down for euthanasia.
"Much depends on the health of the hamster, the size of the tumour and the duration of anaesthesia," I happened to pick up the phone today as I was in the Surgery to interview a job applicant and teach 3 Temasek Polytechnic volunteers on cases involving an old Maltese with cystitis, a stray cat with FIV and a puppy on an IV drip, amongst other pets.
"How big is the tumour and is it a breast tumour?" I asked. The mum did not know and spoke to the daughter. "It is best I examine the hamster."
"How much is the consultation fee?"
"$30.00," I said. "But you already had consulted Vet 1. The decision should be whether you would want to take the risk of this old hamster being operated and pay the operation and anaesthetic fee.
"If the hamster survives the operation, she lives another 6 months as dwarf hamsters live up to 2.5 years of age. If she is not operated, the tumour gets infected and bleeds as the hamster keeps nibbling it. Lots of blood stains and great distress for your daughter in the next few days, leading ultimately to death by lethal injection. In such cases, your daughter would be much traumatised after seeing the hamster suffer from bleeding all day long!"
It is extremely difficult to be a mother of young teenagers nowadays. I could see that the slim fair 14-year-old was from an elite school. The cream of the crop, now much distracted by her hamster's poor health. She did not know when the tumour developed and so whether it was fast-growing or not, it was difficult to say .
"My daughter has her examinations till Monday," the mother said. I could sympathise with her as she wanted her daughter to excel in the highly competitive academic environment. How could she revise her lessons when she cried daily as her beloved hamster had no hope of survival?
As a veterinarian, the best interest of the pet must be priority. If the vet cannot handle a case, refer to other vets or ask the owner to find another vet. I don't treat birds and fishes and I don't accept such pets in the first place.
The dwarf hamster is old at 2 years of age, but she is full of energy. Weighed 36 gram and has an excellent appetite. Trying to escape when the cage door is lifted up.
"The chances of surviving anaesthesia are 70%," I said to the mother who had asked if I provided services to euthanase the hamster to prevent pain and suffering.
"Did you hear that?" the mum asked the quiet girl.
"Quite a good chance of survival," I said.
"You had operated on hamster tumours?" she asked.
"Yes," I said.
The 3 Temasek Poly students, Dr Vanessa, Mr Min and I attended to the dwarf hamster. "This is a case where Zoletil sedation is needed as isoflurane + oxygen gas will not give you sufficient time to excise and stitch up in less than 5 minutes."
I said to Dr Vanessa, "With Zoletil sedation, you have around 5 minutes of surgical anaesthesia to complete the surgery. But you can top up with isoflurane gas." I told Mr Min to switch on the gas, just in case.
"All the theories of dosage per kg in vet books are not applicable usually in the real practice," I said to the 3 students - a young man and two young ladies. "This dwarf hamster weighs 36 g. How many ml of Zoletil to give without killing her? This is why many vets all over the world do not like to anaesthesize hamsters. The safety range is very narrow."
I got the Zoletil ready. Two one-ml syringe was placed on the table. Mr Min got me a 23G needle which I told him was inappropriate. Dr Vanessa got the 25G needle.
A person learns by doing and making mistakes. No other way. I asked Dr Vanessa to get 2 drops of Zoletil from the first syringe of Zoeltil held by Mr Min. She got 2 drops. This would not even fill up 0.01 ml of the syringe. "Add normal saline 0.05 ml," I said. "Just a little bit."
She did it. Overall, the amount was less than 0.05 ml.
The students watched in silence as Dr Vanessa adjusted the drug inside the syringe. She pushed up the plunger up a bit. Suddenly a spray of anaesthetic shot out from the needle as she had not contained all at one lower end, if you know what I am talking about.
The students kept silent. Nobody dared to laugh as I am the serious type when it comes to training. I guessed the students were astonished.
"We have to start all over again," I said to Dr Vanessa. "Use a new syringe." This time I adjusted the drug content inside the syringe and then asked Dr Vanessa to inject the hamster IM.
"Inject IM?," Dr Vanessa said I should do it. I understand. This dwarf hamster has no bulky backside muscles like the dog or cat or even a rabbit.
I stretched out the hamster's left hind leg while Min held the front body. I pointed the 25G needle at the appropriate backside and injected. I have a big bandaged right hand but I could still do the injection.
"If the hamster does not go groggy within 1 minute of injection," I said to the students, "It means the dosage was insufficient or that I had not injected directly into the muscle."
The students were very silent. Within 60 seconds, the dwarf hamster went down on her side. "You have less than 5 minutes to complete the excision of the tumour without isoflurane gas," I said to Dr Vanessa. Everything has been prepared for her.
I handed her the scalpel. She knicked the tumour for 0.8 mm long, undermined, clamped and used the scalpel to excise off the lump. The hamster moved a bit as the anaesthesia was lighter.
It is extremely difficult to get the ideal dosage without causing death as the hamster is so small," I said to one student who later commented that the hamster had moved during the stitching up. "This high anaesthetic risk is the reason why many vets do not want to do surgery to remove big tumours."
The 3 students had a rare opportunity to see the whole process from pre-op to post-op
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Above took 57 minutes to create. National Library Victoria Street, 5.12 pm, Oct 7, 2011
Something wrong with the computer. The text automatically became so small as to be unreadable. So, had to stop writing.
Vet 1 had said that the dwarf hamster, being 2 years old, would die under anaesthesia and surgery. Therefore, wait till her abdominal tumour bleeds, to bring the hamster in to be euthanased. The mother could have surfed the internet and phoned me.
"It is not a guarantee that all dwarf hamsters with tumours will die under general anaesthesia," I don't understand why Vet 1 would not have asked the owner to see other vets if Vet 1 would not perform surgery. I just rejected a koi owner who phoned up to ask if I treat kois. It is the right thing to doand is in the interest of the animal. Not to advise waiting till the tumour bleeds and bring the hamster down for euthanasia.
"Much depends on the health of the hamster, the size of the tumour and the duration of anaesthesia," I happened to pick up the phone today as I was in the Surgery to interview a job applicant and teach 3 Temasek Polytechnic volunteers on cases involving an old Maltese with cystitis, a stray cat with FIV and a puppy on an IV drip, amongst other pets.
"How big is the tumour and is it a breast tumour?" I asked. The mum did not know and spoke to the daughter. "It is best I examine the hamster."
"How much is the consultation fee?"
"$30.00," I said. "But you already had consulted Vet 1. The decision should be whether you would want to take the risk of this old hamster being operated and pay the operation and anaesthetic fee.
"If the hamster survives the operation, she lives another 6 months as dwarf hamsters live up to 2.5 years of age. If she is not operated, the tumour gets infected and bleeds as the hamster keeps nibbling it. Lots of blood stains and great distress for your daughter in the next few days, leading ultimately to death by lethal injection. In such cases, your daughter would be much traumatised after seeing the hamster suffer from bleeding all day long!"
It is extremely difficult to be a mother of young teenagers nowadays. I could see that the slim fair 14-year-old was from an elite school. The cream of the crop, now much distracted by her hamster's poor health. She did not know when the tumour developed and so whether it was fast-growing or not, it was difficult to say .
"My daughter has her examinations till Monday," the mother said. I could sympathise with her as she wanted her daughter to excel in the highly competitive academic environment. How could she revise her lessons when she cried daily as her beloved hamster had no hope of survival?
As a veterinarian, the best interest of the pet must be priority. If the vet cannot handle a case, refer to other vets or ask the owner to find another vet. I don't treat birds and fishes and I don't accept such pets in the first place.
The dwarf hamster is old at 2 years of age, but she is full of energy. Weighed 36 gram and has an excellent appetite. Trying to escape when the cage door is lifted up.
"The chances of surviving anaesthesia are 70%," I said to the mother who had asked if I provided services to euthanase the hamster to prevent pain and suffering.
"Did you hear that?" the mum asked the quiet girl.
"Quite a good chance of survival," I said.
"You had operated on hamster tumours?" she asked.
"Yes," I said.
The 3 Temasek Poly students, Dr Vanessa, Mr Min and I attended to the dwarf hamster. "This is a case where Zoletil sedation is needed as isoflurane + oxygen gas will not give you sufficient time to excise and stitch up in less than 5 minutes."
I said to Dr Vanessa, "With Zoletil sedation, you have around 5 minutes of surgical anaesthesia to complete the surgery. But you can top up with isoflurane gas." I told Mr Min to switch on the gas, just in case.
"All the theories of dosage per kg in vet books are not applicable usually in the real practice," I said to the 3 students - a young man and two young ladies. "This dwarf hamster weighs 36 g. How many ml of Zoletil to give without killing her? This is why many vets all over the world do not like to anaesthesize hamsters. The safety range is very narrow."
I got the Zoletil ready. Two one-ml syringe was placed on the table. Mr Min got me a 23G needle which I told him was inappropriate. Dr Vanessa got the 25G needle.
A person learns by doing and making mistakes. No other way. I asked Dr Vanessa to get 2 drops of Zoletil from the first syringe of Zoeltil held by Mr Min. She got 2 drops. This would not even fill up 0.01 ml of the syringe. "Add normal saline 0.05 ml," I said. "Just a little bit."
She did it. Overall, the amount was less than 0.05 ml.
The students watched in silence as Dr Vanessa adjusted the drug inside the syringe. She pushed up the plunger up a bit. Suddenly a spray of anaesthetic shot out from the needle as she had not contained all at one lower end, if you know what I am talking about.
The students kept silent. Nobody dared to laugh as I am the serious type when it comes to training. I guessed the students were astonished.
"We have to start all over again," I said to Dr Vanessa. "Use a new syringe." This time I adjusted the drug content inside the syringe and then asked Dr Vanessa to inject the hamster IM.
"Inject IM?," Dr Vanessa said I should do it. I understand. This dwarf hamster has no bulky backside muscles like the dog or cat or even a rabbit.
I stretched out the hamster's left hind leg while Min held the front body. I pointed the 25G needle at the appropriate backside and injected. I have a big bandaged right hand but I could still do the injection.
"If the hamster does not go groggy within 1 minute of injection," I said to the students, "It means the dosage was insufficient or that I had not injected directly into the muscle."
The students were very silent. Within 60 seconds, the dwarf hamster went down on her side. "You have less than 5 minutes to complete the excision of the tumour without isoflurane gas," I said to Dr Vanessa. Everything has been prepared for her.
I handed her the scalpel. She knicked the tumour for 0.8 mm long, undermined, clamped and used the scalpel to excise off the lump. The hamster moved a bit as the anaesthesia was lighter.
It is extremely difficult to get the ideal dosage without causing death as the hamster is so small," I said to one student who later commented that the hamster had moved during the stitching up. "This high anaesthetic risk is the reason why many vets do not want to do surgery to remove big tumours."
The 3 students had a rare opportunity to see the whole process from pre-op to post-op
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Above took 57 minutes to create. National Library Victoria Street, 5.12 pm, Oct 7, 2011
Something wrong with the computer. The text automatically became so small as to be unreadable. So, had to stop writing.
661. Teaching 2 Temasek Polytechnic students how to write a script
"The usual scientific report and writing as taught in the schools will put the audience to sleep," I referred to a report on "urinary tract infection in an old dog" written by a student volunteering at Toa Payoh Vets. He started "An 8-year-old Maltese was brought by his owner to see the vet .........."
The following are my points for producing a more interesting video.
1. The hook
2. Introduction
3. Middle (5 important messages or points). One point is as follows:
Bacterial infection of the joints follow if you don't have time to get your vet to treat your hamster early.
The thick yellow pus forms. The skin infections spreads all over the hamster's body. The hamster stops eating. Dies of generalised bacterial infections
4. Conclusion
5. Credits
toapayohvets.com
Be Kind To Pets
Veterinary Education
Project 2010-0129
More info and details are at:
http://www.sinpets.com/F6/20111004Four-itchy-joints-dwarf-hamster-singapore_ToaPayohVets.htm
The following are my points for producing a more interesting video.
1. The hook
2. Introduction
3. Middle (5 important messages or points). One point is as follows:
Bacterial infection of the joints follow if you don't have time to get your vet to treat your hamster early.
The thick yellow pus forms. The skin infections spreads all over the hamster's body. The hamster stops eating. Dies of generalised bacterial infections
4. Conclusion
5. Credits
toapayohvets.com
Be Kind To Pets
Veterinary Education
Project 2010-0129
More info and details are at:
http://www.sinpets.com/F6/20111004Four-itchy-joints-dwarf-hamster-singapore_ToaPayohVets.htm
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Toilet training advices by email can be incorrect without puppy housing pics
Chua to judy
show details Sep 23 (13 days ago)
Hi Judy,
I read this article http://www.toapayohvets.com/sinpets/050620play_pen_toilet_training.htm and find it very useful. I am currently actively looking for a family pet and would be very thankful if you could help to answer my following query.
I am interested to use the crate + pee pan method or play pen + pee pan method. With one of these method, does it mean that they are trained to pee/poo inside the crate/play pen and I do not have to bring him/her out to pee/poo? How about at night? Do I still have to wake up and bring it to pee/poo or should I leave him/her in the crate/play pen? Your kind advise would be greatly appreciated.
Rgds,
K. K. Chua
show details Sep 24 (12 days ago)
I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets, http://www.toapayohvets.com.
Thank you for your email.
1. The objective of the two methods you mention in your email below is to confine the puppy for 2-4 weeks so that they will pee and poop within that confined area. However, the owner must clean up the soiled area immediately after the puppy has had eliminated. The puppy is naturally a clean animal and if the owner does not remove the stools or wash the soiled area, the chances of early sucess (ie. within 4 weeks) are slim.
1.1 Therefore, you do not have to bring the puppy out to pee and poop using the above methods. However, after midnight, in some situations where there is no distraction from many family members, (e.g. a couple living alone), some new puppies do make a lot of noise asking the owner to change/wash the soiled area. Owners who sleep near the puppies will do it. But most owners don't know and think that the puppy needs company.
2. If you wish to take the puppy out to pee and poop, you can do it but do it as a routine (i.e. at certain times e.g. after each meal) but you sabotage your objective as stated in Para 1. You just need to be consistent in your routine in toilet training.
I hope the above answers your questions.
Chua to me
show details Sep 24 (12 days ago)
Hi,
Thanks alot for the advice. One more question if you do not mind. After 4 weeks, do I still let the puppy pee and poop inside or do I have to switch training method to let the puppy pee and poop outside on a pee pan (without the cage). The intention is to eventually get rid of the cage so that the puppy can sleep in a cosy basket in my children's room, but will go back to the pee pan to pee and poop.
Rgds,
K. K. Chua
- Show quoted text -
show details Oct 5 (1 day ago)
Hi Dr Kong,
Would really appreciate your advice here. Thanks in advance.
Rgds,
K. K. Chua
Oct 6, 2011
I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets. Sorry, I missed reading your email as I have over a hundred junk mails a day. In reply, after 2-4 weeks, depending on your puppy's intelligence and your training methods and patience, expand the outer space (floor area by 100%. For example, you fence off a floor area 100% of the floor area of the cage. The puppy comes out to this area to eat and drink and jumps back to the cage (or pee pan) to pee and poop (in theory!) and sleep. do this for another 2 weeks or less. Once the puppy has the routine, you can expand the space to a room e.g. kitchen or balcony. Gradually increase the space till the puppy knows what to do.
I hope you understand what I am talking about. If not, let me know.
As I don't have pictures of what is the exact housing of this puppy, it is extremely difficult to know how to advise you. You may wish to email 3 pictures of how the puppy is housed and where it pees and poops. Otherwise you say one thing and I imagine and advise on another incorrectly. That is the problem with email advices on toilet training in puppies.
Thanks alot for the advice. One more question if you do not mind. After 4 weeks, do I still let the puppy pee and poop inside or do I have to switch training method to let the puppy pee and poop outside on a pee pan (without the cage). The intention is to eventually get rid of the cage so that the puppy can sleep in a cosy basket in my children's room, but will go back to the pee pan to pee and poop.
Rgds,
K. K. Chua
- Show quoted text -
show details Sep 23 (13 days ago)
Hi Judy,
I read this article http://www.toapayohvets.com/sinpets/050620play_pen_toilet_training.htm and find it very useful. I am currently actively looking for a family pet and would be very thankful if you could help to answer my following query.
I am interested to use the crate + pee pan method or play pen + pee pan method. With one of these method, does it mean that they are trained to pee/poo inside the crate/play pen and I do not have to bring him/her out to pee/poo? How about at night? Do I still have to wake up and bring it to pee/poo or should I leave him/her in the crate/play pen? Your kind advise would be greatly appreciated.
Rgds,
K. K. Chua
show details Sep 24 (12 days ago)
I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets, http://www.toapayohvets.com.
Thank you for your email.
1. The objective of the two methods you mention in your email below is to confine the puppy for 2-4 weeks so that they will pee and poop within that confined area. However, the owner must clean up the soiled area immediately after the puppy has had eliminated. The puppy is naturally a clean animal and if the owner does not remove the stools or wash the soiled area, the chances of early sucess (ie. within 4 weeks) are slim.
1.1 Therefore, you do not have to bring the puppy out to pee and poop using the above methods. However, after midnight, in some situations where there is no distraction from many family members, (e.g. a couple living alone), some new puppies do make a lot of noise asking the owner to change/wash the soiled area. Owners who sleep near the puppies will do it. But most owners don't know and think that the puppy needs company.
2. If you wish to take the puppy out to pee and poop, you can do it but do it as a routine (i.e. at certain times e.g. after each meal) but you sabotage your objective as stated in Para 1. You just need to be consistent in your routine in toilet training.
I hope the above answers your questions.
Chua to me
show details Sep 24 (12 days ago)
Hi,
Thanks alot for the advice. One more question if you do not mind. After 4 weeks, do I still let the puppy pee and poop inside or do I have to switch training method to let the puppy pee and poop outside on a pee pan (without the cage). The intention is to eventually get rid of the cage so that the puppy can sleep in a cosy basket in my children's room, but will go back to the pee pan to pee and poop.
Rgds,
K. K. Chua
- Show quoted text -
show details Oct 5 (1 day ago)
Hi Dr Kong,
Would really appreciate your advice here. Thanks in advance.
Rgds,
K. K. Chua
Oct 6, 2011
I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets. Sorry, I missed reading your email as I have over a hundred junk mails a day. In reply, after 2-4 weeks, depending on your puppy's intelligence and your training methods and patience, expand the outer space (floor area by 100%. For example, you fence off a floor area 100% of the floor area of the cage. The puppy comes out to this area to eat and drink and jumps back to the cage (or pee pan) to pee and poop (in theory!) and sleep. do this for another 2 weeks or less. Once the puppy has the routine, you can expand the space to a room e.g. kitchen or balcony. Gradually increase the space till the puppy knows what to do.
I hope you understand what I am talking about. If not, let me know.
As I don't have pictures of what is the exact housing of this puppy, it is extremely difficult to know how to advise you. You may wish to email 3 pictures of how the puppy is housed and where it pees and poops. Otherwise you say one thing and I imagine and advise on another incorrectly. That is the problem with email advices on toilet training in puppies.
Thanks alot for the advice. One more question if you do not mind. After 4 weeks, do I still let the puppy pee and poop inside or do I have to switch training method to let the puppy pee and poop outside on a pee pan (without the cage). The intention is to eventually get rid of the cage so that the puppy can sleep in a cosy basket in my children's room, but will go back to the pee pan to pee and poop.
Rgds,
K. K. Chua
- Show quoted text -
FIV in a stray cat - the interest of the stray cat is to get him eating and not sneezing
FIV in a stray cat - the interest of the stray cat is to get him eating and not sneezing
A mother with two young daughters found an adult stray cat. "Had runny nose and cough for the past 2 months," she said to me. "The cat follows us home. Must have been kept as a pet before. Just goes to the bathroom herself. Very gentle. I adopted her. But she can't eat now."
Dr Vanessa and I examined the cat. Deep yellow runny nose, saliva drooling from her mouth and her front legs were slimy by a thick crust of purplish red stains.
"How do you know this is a stray cat?" the mother asked.
"The left ear tip is clipped," I said. "There are kind people who gets stray cat sterilised by the vet. The vet cuts a piece of the left ear off to show the law enforcement AVA officers that the cat had been sterilised and is a stray. Hopefully, this cat does not get netted and taken away."
"I had intended to get a cat from the SPCA," she said. "But they charge for adoption."
"Well, you can adopt some from the road," I replied but actually, stray cats are quite uncommon nowadays, in coffee shops unlike 10 years ago. They are an endangered species.
I opened the mouth of the cat. Periodontal diseases with gum ulcers and loose teeth. That means painful mouth and so he can't eat properly. It is best to get the ulcers treated and then the bad teeth extracted."
This would be the most economical cost for a stray cat.
"Stray cats have FIV," Dr Vanessa said. "You should test for FIV."
"What is FIV?" the mother asked.
"Cat AIDS," Dr Vanessa said.
"AIDS, like AIDS in people?"
"FIV is cat AIDS"
"Will my children get AIDS from the cat then?" the mother was worried she would also get AIDS.
"No, no, cat AIDS don't infect people. However, the infected cat's life is short."
"How much to test for AIDS?" the mother asked.
"$85.00"
The mother hesitated. This money would be better spent on treatment as stray cat owners seldom want to pay much.
"It is better to get the infection of the nose and the mouth treated," I advised the owner and proposed a package of treatment and hospitalisation excluding FIV test.
Later I spoke to Dr Vanessa to think from the point of view and economics of heartland practice of stray cats in Toa Payoh area.
I asked her: "Assume I am the stray cat owner. Can you tell me that there a cure when I spend $85.00 and you diagnose that my stray cat has feline FIV?"
"No," she said.
"Therefore, in real world, it is in the best interest of the cat with or without FIV to get treated for her URTI (Upper Respiratory Tract Infection) - yellow nasal discharge and sneezing for the past 2 months with antibiotics and cleaned up her mouth. The cat will be able to eat and if not stressed out (by being a stray cat but housed and cared for, the cat will thrive. FIV does not need to be a terrible death for a cat that is well cared for. In other words, limited money for the average heartlander is better spent on treatment rather than on blood test."
Dr Vanessa nodded her head. The owner hospitalised the cat for the next 7 days. Later she phoned to say she wanted FIV test. Today, 2 days after antibiotic treatment, I asked Mr Min whether the cat had improved in health. Mr Min was non-commital. "Dr Vanessa tested the cat FIV positive," he said.
"Just see her nose," I said. "Any yellow discharge? Is the cat looking better? Has he got good appetite?"
The cat had clear clean nostrils and he looked bright-eyed and alert. His front paws had less dark brown sticky stains as when he came in. Those stains were caused by his continuous and excessive salivation and his runny nose stuck onto the front forelimbs when he failed to groom properly.
"Did you clean his noses?" I asked Mr Min.
"No," he mumbled. He just gave antibiotics as instructed by me. A normal cat always clean himself but definitely, the antibiotics had worked for him.
So Mr Min could see that there is an improvement if he is observant. The cat had no fever at admission. Despite having been tested for FIV positive, he had shown health improvement. A few days later, I will get his dental work done. So, he has a fair chance of leading a normal life if well cared for.
I need a lot of patience to mentor Mr Min as he is new to small animal medicine and surgery. Overall, I respect him as a veterinarian graduated from Myanmar and working in Singapore enables him to see the varied cases of dogs, cats and small animals that he has no opportunity to see in Yangon which does not have that large number of pet lovers as in Singapore in 2011. But I predict Yangon's small animal veterinary medicine and surgery should be expanding in 5 years' time as Yangon is growing fast and prospering.
In heartland practice of stray cat, the financial considerations are very important and expensive FIV tests take up the budget. So, in the best interest of the cat, I prefer to get him treated for his bacterial infections and periodontal diseases first rather than confirming the diagnosis of FIV. Of course, in an upscale practice, FIV is routinely done without a thought as the owners don't worry about a cent, in general.
A mother with two young daughters found an adult stray cat. "Had runny nose and cough for the past 2 months," she said to me. "The cat follows us home. Must have been kept as a pet before. Just goes to the bathroom herself. Very gentle. I adopted her. But she can't eat now."
Dr Vanessa and I examined the cat. Deep yellow runny nose, saliva drooling from her mouth and her front legs were slimy by a thick crust of purplish red stains.
"How do you know this is a stray cat?" the mother asked.
"The left ear tip is clipped," I said. "There are kind people who gets stray cat sterilised by the vet. The vet cuts a piece of the left ear off to show the law enforcement AVA officers that the cat had been sterilised and is a stray. Hopefully, this cat does not get netted and taken away."
"I had intended to get a cat from the SPCA," she said. "But they charge for adoption."
"Well, you can adopt some from the road," I replied but actually, stray cats are quite uncommon nowadays, in coffee shops unlike 10 years ago. They are an endangered species.
I opened the mouth of the cat. Periodontal diseases with gum ulcers and loose teeth. That means painful mouth and so he can't eat properly. It is best to get the ulcers treated and then the bad teeth extracted."
This would be the most economical cost for a stray cat.
"Stray cats have FIV," Dr Vanessa said. "You should test for FIV."
"What is FIV?" the mother asked.
"Cat AIDS," Dr Vanessa said.
"AIDS, like AIDS in people?"
"FIV is cat AIDS"
"Will my children get AIDS from the cat then?" the mother was worried she would also get AIDS.
"No, no, cat AIDS don't infect people. However, the infected cat's life is short."
"How much to test for AIDS?" the mother asked.
"$85.00"
The mother hesitated. This money would be better spent on treatment as stray cat owners seldom want to pay much.
"It is better to get the infection of the nose and the mouth treated," I advised the owner and proposed a package of treatment and hospitalisation excluding FIV test.
Later I spoke to Dr Vanessa to think from the point of view and economics of heartland practice of stray cats in Toa Payoh area.
I asked her: "Assume I am the stray cat owner. Can you tell me that there a cure when I spend $85.00 and you diagnose that my stray cat has feline FIV?"
"No," she said.
"Therefore, in real world, it is in the best interest of the cat with or without FIV to get treated for her URTI (Upper Respiratory Tract Infection) - yellow nasal discharge and sneezing for the past 2 months with antibiotics and cleaned up her mouth. The cat will be able to eat and if not stressed out (by being a stray cat but housed and cared for, the cat will thrive. FIV does not need to be a terrible death for a cat that is well cared for. In other words, limited money for the average heartlander is better spent on treatment rather than on blood test."
Dr Vanessa nodded her head. The owner hospitalised the cat for the next 7 days. Later she phoned to say she wanted FIV test. Today, 2 days after antibiotic treatment, I asked Mr Min whether the cat had improved in health. Mr Min was non-commital. "Dr Vanessa tested the cat FIV positive," he said.
"Just see her nose," I said. "Any yellow discharge? Is the cat looking better? Has he got good appetite?"
The cat had clear clean nostrils and he looked bright-eyed and alert. His front paws had less dark brown sticky stains as when he came in. Those stains were caused by his continuous and excessive salivation and his runny nose stuck onto the front forelimbs when he failed to groom properly.
"Did you clean his noses?" I asked Mr Min.
"No," he mumbled. He just gave antibiotics as instructed by me. A normal cat always clean himself but definitely, the antibiotics had worked for him.
So Mr Min could see that there is an improvement if he is observant. The cat had no fever at admission. Despite having been tested for FIV positive, he had shown health improvement. A few days later, I will get his dental work done. So, he has a fair chance of leading a normal life if well cared for.
I need a lot of patience to mentor Mr Min as he is new to small animal medicine and surgery. Overall, I respect him as a veterinarian graduated from Myanmar and working in Singapore enables him to see the varied cases of dogs, cats and small animals that he has no opportunity to see in Yangon which does not have that large number of pet lovers as in Singapore in 2011. But I predict Yangon's small animal veterinary medicine and surgery should be expanding in 5 years' time as Yangon is growing fast and prospering.
In heartland practice of stray cat, the financial considerations are very important and expensive FIV tests take up the budget. So, in the best interest of the cat, I prefer to get him treated for his bacterial infections and periodontal diseases first rather than confirming the diagnosis of FIV. Of course, in an upscale practice, FIV is routinely done without a thought as the owners don't worry about a cent, in general.
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