1247. Miccroscope to show images on laptop screen to client

The instructio​ns for the microscope

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Chen Yuying	Connect the microscope using the USB cable to the USB port Start Programs Sco...	Jan 4 (13 days ago)
Connect the microscope using the USB cable to the USB port Start Programs Sco...

These instructions are important for the vet. It is good to show the images to clients but the vet sometimes don't bother as it is too troublesome..  

Connect the microscope using the USB cable to the USB port
Start
Programs
ScopeTek
ScopePhoto
Acquire
Live Capture
ScopeTek DCM310

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To take a photo:

Top left corner, click 'capture a frame' and another window box will appear. Click the red X on the new window and a pop up saying 'image has been modified. Need save?' Click yes.

To view one of the shots previously taken, click file on the top left hand. Click open image and then choose which image you want.

1246. Animal activism. An abandoned animal shelter

Straits Times Jan 11, 2013 report: 31 dogs rescued from 'abandoned' animal shelter.

In Singapore, the government had designated some land in Pasir Ris as spaces for dogs. Entrepreneurs bidded for the land and build the kennels or tanks to house the approved species of animals like dogs, cats and fishes. They developed the land and rent out the kennels to private individuals, some of whom operated animal shelters.

However rentals are very high compared to other countries with lots of land. Hence some animal activists find that they can't sustain their operations as they board more homeless dogs. After some years if they don't have financial donations if they could not manage their operations. This would be probably what happened when volunteers at Madam Yap's Shelter in Pasir Ris had not seen its operator for many week and 31 dogs were 'abandoned'.

In animal shelters, the dogs needed to be vaccinated against the serious viral diseases of distemper and parvoviruses. They needed heartworm disease and tick prevention. However, it is extremely difficult to do all these preventive disease program if the shelter has insufficient funds.

A few days ago, I met an animal activist who rented Pasir Ris kennels for $8,000 per month. She had given up this shelter and relocated the dogs or rehomed them.She said Pasir Ris kennels would be taken back by the government in 2014.

Madam Yap's shelter is reported to cost $4,000 a month to operate. This included rent, utilities and a full-time worker but not food and treatment for the sick dogs. Save Our Street Dogs has taken over the place. Their email is sostreetdog@gmail.com 

There is another shelter called Madam Wong's shelter which is still operational, according to my intern who visited Pasir Ris last Sunday, being driven there by her father who doted on her. I had asked her to write an essay on "Animal Activism in Singapore".

 

1245. Recurring FLUTD in a cat

TOA PAYOH VETS toapayohvets.com Date:   16 January, 2013     Focus: Small animals - dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs & rabbits REVIEW A CASE OF A RECURRING FLUTD IN A CAT Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS Date:   16 January, 2013   toapayohvets.com  Be Kind To Pets Veterinary Education Project 2010-0129 Jan 15, 2013 Recurring FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease) can be very distressful to the cat and the owner. In one sad case, a couple’s cat with recurring FLUTD of more than 2 times died at a veterinary practice and the wife was very sad. This case was recorded reported in: http://www.sinpets.com/F6/20120218FLUTD-cat-death-toa-payoh-vets_Singapore_ToaPayohVets.htm The cat becomes more aggressive as he knows what the vet is going to inject and catherise him again and again. This was what happened to this 3-year-old, male, neutered cat. The brown-striped cat hissed at me as the lady owner placed him on the consultation table. His spinal hairs rolled upwards making a ridge. However, Dr Daniel appeared not to distress him as he spoke to him while the lady owner kept a close watch. Then he held the cat by the scruff of the neck while I injected his back muscles with xylazine and ketamine to sedate him for a proper examination without stressing him more. The cat was catherised and urine was collected. He was X-rayed as Dr Daniel wanted to eliminate the presence of bladder stones.  FOLLOW UP I phoned the young lady owner today at 11 am to remind her that the cat’s diet must be strictly canned C/D for the next 4 weeks to prevent recurrence of blood in the urine and difficulty in urination. DIET & URINATION “What did you feed him before his urination problems?” I asked the young lady who returned my phone call. “Dry cat food. Sometimes canned food mixed with dry food once a week.” “Do you feed cat treats?” “Yes, he loves them. I give him alternate days. Some reddish pellets. I can’t remember the name.” “Does he drink water?” I asked. “He seldom drinks. He will run away when I try to give him water.” URINE ANALYSIS & X-RAYS Date April 7, 2011 (22 months ago) Jan 11, 2013 URINE ANALYSIS Urine colour Red, turbid Yellow, turbid Urine pH 8.0 8.0 Urine SG 1.021 1.026 Urine Protein + + + Blood in urine 4+ 4+ White blood cells in urine 50 30 Red blood cells in urine >2250 1359 Bacteria in urine Occasional Occasional Crystals in urine* Nil Nil X-RAYS X-rays Not done No radio dense stones Outcome Treated by an associate vet of my Surgery. Given 2 cans of C/D. No complaint for the next 22 months Recovered as at Jan 15, 2013. Fed canned C/D for next 4 weeks and review. No treats or dry food strongly advised by me. CONCLUSION * No crystals in the urine does not mean there are no Struvites or other bladder stones inside the bladder. The cat was sent home on the same day after catherisation and irrigation of the bladder. The cat tore out the urinary catheter at home on the second day. On the 3rd day morning, the owner phoned me saying the cat had difficulty peeing. In the evening, the cat was normal and there was no blood in the urine. Owner compliance with the vet's instructions on medication and prescription diet is invariably poor and so the FLUTD recurs in many cases.  Is this case of FLUTD a case of interstitial cystitis (painful bladder) similar in human beings since there is apparently "no struvite stones" inside the bladder? The presenting sign was the cat having difficulty in urination but no urethral abstraction. Will hydro-distension of the bladder, DMSO and other drugs supplied into the bladder resolve the problem of recurrent FLUTD? Nobody knows as the causes of FLUTD in a cat are numerous. ADVICES 1. Owner adds 2 tablespoons of water into the C/D food. Cat does eat C/D but will not drink water given by the owner. “When he was sick in Jan 11, 2013, he drank a lot of water,” the lady said. “But now he turns his mouth away when I give him water!” 2. Continue C/D canned food for at least one month. Water added to the canned food. 3. No dry food and no cat treats anymore. Webpage: http://www.kongyuensing.com/folder5/ 20130116Recurring_FLUTD_cat_3years_toapayohvets.htm   More info of interesting case studies at: Dogs or Cats To make an appointment: e-mail judy@toapayohvets.com tel: +65 9668-6469, 6254-3326 Toa Payoh Vets Clinical Research

1243. Mum's favourite dog died at the Surgery.

The "7-year-old" Silkie had difficulty breathing for the past 4 weeks. X-rays showed an enlarged heart. Two years ago, I had recorded harsh lung sounds on the right side of the lungs. Dental scaling and extraction of several loose teeth were just done in March 2012.

The dog wanted to bite me 4 days ago when she was put back into her carrier and the mum took her home after a day's stay in the Surgery for treatment of the lung condition. 1 day ago, the dog could not breathe normally again and was treated. For some unknown reason, the mum decided that the dog would be hospitalised. The dog was quiet and did not attempt to bite me when I checked at 8 pm. The next morning, the dog had passed away.

"I should have taken her home," the mum repeated. "He died of fright as he had never been away from hom at all."

"I did not expect him to pass away," I usually sent the dog home if I think the dog is very ill. "She died of heart failure as you can see the tongue is purplish."

This dog was mum's favourite, one son told me. "He would bite any one who goes near the mum. He is more than 7 years old as my brother got him back as an adult dog."
"Was she having difficulty breathing in the past months?"
"Yes," the girlfriend said. "She would be breathless when walked a short time."  

The dog's teeth were dark yellow and most were gone. So, this dog could be older than 7 years.

1242. A caterwauling and anal sac marking male cat

Saturday Jan 12  2013

A bubbly Malay lady from Woodlands came with her blue-eyed cat and a little boy. "Why do you come all the way from Woodlands? There are clinics near your home." It was her personal choice.
After the usual examination, I said she could come back in one hour to take the cat home.

"One hour?" the little boy with bright big eyes said aloud. He was most attentive
"Yes," I said. "Do you know what is 'one hour'?" I asked him.
He did not reply. Mum laughed.
Two hours later, the mum came with him for the cat.
"There is some bleeding from the operation site," the mum said."
"Disgusting," the little boy added. I was surprised that he uttered this word and wondered whether he knew what it meant. He was 6 years old as his mother told me later as I thought he was 4 or 5 years old. He was bright and would do well in life if given proper attention and if he studied hard.
The cat was left in the surgery till 5 pm when another adult came with 3 more children. Lots of joy and laughter with these young kids around. "I am the 5th sister," the mum said. "This is my 3rd sister."  Third sister was slim and more serious and drove a car. The cat was no longer bleeding and all went home happily.

As to why this 2-year-old cat was sent for neutering, it was because he was caterwauling.
"A stray pregnant female cat waits for him outside the door," 5th sister said. "He is on heat and wants to go out. That is why I want you to neuter him"
"Male cats do not stop meowing noisily immediately after neutering," I said. "It takes time for his male hormones to disappear.
"This male cat sprayed his urine and oil onto the neighbour's walls and they are so angry! That is why I want to neuter him!".

"In any case, why don't you get the pregnant female cat spayed?"
"She is my neighbour's cat," 5th sister replied. "Whe she heard it cost me $195," she did not want to do it.
"The cost of neuter is much less," I said to her. "You wanted the e-collar, the vaccination and the de-fleaing spot-on. This added up. The actual cost is around $125 with antibiotics and painkillers and surgery and anaesthesia@" 

   

1241. STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. HOW LONG IT TAKES TO NEUTER A YOUNG POM?

Saturday Jan 12, 2013


STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. HOW LONG IT TAKES TO NEUTER A YOUNG POM?
A young doctor came at 9.30 am on this fine Saturday morning, with a Pom as she had made an appointment for the neuter.

"Has he eaten?" I asked.
"Yes," she said.
"It is best not to feed the dog 10 hours before surgery as the dog may vomit during surgery."
"Your staff did not mention this when I phoned for an appointment," she said.

In the Singapore General Hospital where I went for surgery under general anaesthesia, surgery to remove a lump from my left wrist involved a consultation, blood test, X-rays, ECG and counselling on medical charges and anaesthetic risk and signing of informed consent after being informed of a possible risk of death on the operating table. A lot of time.

IV ANAESTHESIA
In veterinary medicine, such procedures would be costly. For this young dog, a general examination was done. The dog was deemed healthy and I operated 1 hour later. From my experience, the combined domitor + ketamine at 0.4 + 0.5 ml IV per 10 kg in a young healthy dog does not cause vomiting and permits short surgery without the need to top up with isoflurane gas.

My experienced vet assistant got the isoflurane gas ready. "If the vet is fast, there is no need for isoflurane gas top up because I gave 100% of the formula," I told Min. He was not convinced. As the dog would not permit shaving of the scrotal area, Min had to do it after I gave this formula.

Min recorded the time of the start of domitor and ketamine injection and the last stitch. It was 20 minutes which included shaving the scrotal area of around 2 minutes. It would be 18 minutes.

"What's the time between first skin incision and last stitch?" I asked Min to calculate. It was 10 minutes.

ANALGESIC EFFECTS
No isoflurane gas. Towards the 18th minute, the dog's leg moved a bit. As I started to stitch one horizontal mattress to close the skin, the dog moved a bit. "Standby for the isoflurane gas and mask," I said to Min.

 I completed the surgery in 20 mintues from IV injection of domitor + ketamine + normal saline in one syringe of 0.55 ml IV.

SURGERY
Three forceps method clamping the tunica enclosing the spermatic cord and blood vessels is the best. The lowest forcep is released. I ligated 3/0 absorbable polysorb on the groove from the released forcep one way and repeat the other way. I threw in 5 knots. I excise the area between the 2nd and 3rd forceps. No bleeding.

The skin incison of around 1.3 cm long was stitched with just one horizontal mattress using the same 3/0.

Bandage.

PAIN-KILLERS AND ANTIBIOTICS given..

No complaint today, Sunday, 24 hours after surgery. I will follow up tomorrow.

CONCLUSION   
I audit associate vets' efficiency. Surgery should be speedy, accurate and complete. Much time and resources are wasted when the vet is not well prepared by visualising the whole process. Pre-anaesthetic shaving saves a few mintues but this Pom would not have it done and so was shaved post-sedation.
    

1240. How to create an interesting video?

TOA PAYOH VETS toapayohvets.com Date:   13 January, 2013     Focus: Small animals - dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs & rabbits
First Romance or Fall In Love With You? Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS First written:  9 January 2013 Date:   13 January, 2013	toapayohvets.com  Be Kind To Pets Veterinary Education Project 2010-0129
For the past 20 years, I have been writing text and inserting images. In 2013, I will try to learn how to create interesting videos. The following is one of my first few attempts to create video with interest. This video was filmed by me at at the 25th Anniversary of the Nonyas and Babas in Malacca in late 2012. I was not really keen to go as such functions would be boring as I am not a Peranakan and I don't know anybody in this Association. Surprisingly, there were around 700 participants from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Australia and the organisation was superb as compared to heavy rain at the outdoor function in the previous year. Instead of sitting down with strangers making small talk during dinner, I took my camera to the dance floor and tried to create some videos. The following video with a story line may be of interest to viewers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0f0ZTKlS6U The following is how I teach my vet interns in video production. The same principles of a compelling story applies whether you produce a veterinary education video or a dance video. HOW DID I PRODUCE THE VIDEO ABOVE? Hook - Protagonist -- An attractive woman with flowers in her hair. She loves dancing and found a capable dancer hopefully. Is she a Nonya? Is he a Baba? I don't know them. Introduction - Crowded dance floor. Focus on this Protagonist whenever possible as a story is all about people and a character. . Middle - Antagonist -- Another good-looking woman who loves dancing too came into the scene. Would she be a better dancer? Who is her beau? Is he a good dancer? Is he a first romance? Will she fall in love again? To break the boredom of just showing dancers, I angled the zooms lens vertically. Not a good idea as conventional movies don't do it.  Who is the singer? Is he Cliff Richard? My lens zoomed on him. A camera man went into the dance floor and blocked my view. I was hand-holding my camera and moved elsewhere. A steady hand to produce good video with focus. I zoomed back to the Protagonist as she is a good dancer. But more dancers blocked my view. The Antagonist is hearing some conversation but the music is loud. What did she hear? Other dancers. Too soon, this 1-minute video had to end with the end of the song. Ending - Quite abruptly. Without a visual impact. This is my first video and I have much to learn. The website and updates will be at: http://www.kongyuensing.com/folder5/20130112video_first_romance_toapayohvets.htm Conclusion: Is this video capturing the attention of viewers? I think so. But it is up to the general viewer to judge.   Tips & Advices:  Join the fun rather than just eat and watch the poor quality TV screens of the dancers at the dining table. Get up. Take your camera. Go and see the real people and appreciate life. If you know how to dance, find a partner from your group of friends. There are many women who know how to dance well.    I thought the song was "First Romance" but could not find it in You Tube. I grow up listening to Cliff Richard's songs but there are so many other singers. At that time in the 1960s, there were no distractions like coloured TVs and the internet or mobile phones. The song was "Falling In Love With You" by Cliff Richard and they are at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRq642i-VVA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB_fTsVcv24 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=dEeP42flo6o&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp1ZLjavWd8 includes Mean Woman Blues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEz3emlyZhs (with lyrics) Song: The Young Ones: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=5Tmv7YMcdXc&NR=1 Apache http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=bNAyPK2O4fk These songs are for baby-boomers who grow up with music of the 60s. We still get the screaming girls in 2013! I would be going to Cliff Richard's performance in Singapore in Feb 2013 and the audience would be mostly in their late 40s and the screaming girls have had grown up with responsibilities. They would be more controlled in their emotions. I hope most of them have not fallen out of love.  I just booked the seats today Jan 13, 2013 but the good ones are booked. Although Cliff Richard is 72 years old, I am not expecting him to be at his peak. Just enjoy the music.  After all, the baby-boomer generation has matured too and the younger generation has taken over.  Update and webpage is at:http://www.kongyuensing.com/folder5/20130112video_first_romance_toapayohvets.htm