An 8-year-old female spayed Maltese hides in a corner and keeps scratching for past 3 months

Sunday Dec 11, 2016

TP 46489
Referral from the owner's friend on Dec 8, 2016.

This Maltese had skin disease for the last 3 months. The owner had consulted 2 vets who prescribed medication, prescription skin diet and said no mite infestation. But the skin disease and scratching persisted. His friend referred him to me.

Neck hairless and red. All 4 paws red. Ears painful. No scales or dry skin. The owner applied Chinese medicated oil to the paws to prevent licking.

After clipping bald, the whole body is filled with rashes and pustules. I call it generalised pustular dermatitis, usually caused by bacteria. Ultraviolet light negative fluorescence, so probably no ringworm. Oily skin could be due to yeast infection. 

Blood test showed low platelet count, with platelet clumping noted. High blood urea and low creatinine. High AST.


FOLLOW UP ON Sunday Dec 11, 2016
"After the first 2 days, the skin is better, not red," the owner said. "The dog now stops hiding in the corner and comes out to play."

"Why does she hide in the corner?" I asked.
"I don't know."
"Is she afraid that you put the Chinese oil onto her paws to prevent biting?" I asked as the platelet count was low and indicated toxicity in the blood.
"She could have licked the oil, I had applied for the last 7 days," the owner said. "She could be hiding to lick her paws!"

It is important for the owner that the dog feels better and come out to play. She eats better too. Will need to wait one month to review. In the meantime, no dog treats, Chinese oil application, no pet shop creams etc. Just home-cooked food as this dog could be allergic to dry dog food.

This dog had 2 episodes of itchness in the past and had recovered. But the past 3 months were the worst.

Chronic and severe skin disease is a costly disease to treat and follow ups are very important. Many Singapore owners do not follow up with the same vet.

2986. A red-eared slider has a swollen neck

Dec 8, 2016



Red-eared slider, M, 2 yrs




Sudden onset neck swelling on Dec 7, 2016. Why?
1. Traumatic injury. 2 other terrapins of similar age roam the apartment with him.
2. Allergy to paint nearby. Toxic reaction.

Hospitalised Dec 8 to 10. Neck swelling has subsided (see video) and the terrapin ate 20 pellets. Passed one large stool pellet. Had lost 40 g (weight 360g). Went home on Dec 10, 2016 (Sat, yesterday). 

I phoned owner on Dec 11, 2016 at 10 am today.  He said not eating and neck swelling is the same as on the first day.

2985. A phenomenon during tea at The Greyhound Cafe

Dec 8, 2016 was most memorable. I went for tea with an old friend who was a client. Her cat was very sick and the veterinary nurse of another vet asked her to go to another vet clinic. She would soon be employed by this other vet. She came to Toa Payoh Vets instead. Many years ago.

Today, I assumed it would just be a simple tea from 3 pm to 6 pm as invited by her. The last time we met, it was to celebrate New Year. I had sms her whether she would be celebrating Christmas which she does every year. I thought of going overseas for a break. She invited me for tea to catch up. Sometimes, she would not reply to my text message enquiring about her health. So, I attended the tea. Her sister was with her. I sat opposite her. Her sister sat to her left.

We spoke about her past life. Now she is very successful and everyone thinks it comes easy. I know that no success come easy as I had witnessed her from the pits of despair to the present day success of too many jobs. Others in the industry are lamenting and dying, retrenching staff.   
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2984.Shell rot in a 19-year-old female red-eared slider

Dec 6, 2016

Internet provided the diagnosis of shell rot for the lady owner. Many treatments on the net but she had no success with betadine. Consulted me today.

This terrapin is well nourished. Lays around 20 eggs per year for the last 10 years. She lives alone on a plastic tank. Lately, the lower shell (plastron) has red streaks of blood indicating shell rot below. Painful as the terrapin would respond when the red streaks were touched.

Neck wound due to attempts to escape from plastic tank.
Ventral feet had wounds due to paddling to "lay eggs".

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Dec 15, 2016 images from owner via email.

Hi Dr Sing

I brought my Terrapin M M to see you last Tue- shell rot and sore on underneath neck.

So glad to see that her neck sore cleared yesterday.  Right foot still has sore, suspect it is due to 'pre-egg laying kick'.

For plastron area, blood vessels are little less prominent at gular and humeral. Less pain reaction when I cleaned these areas for her. Need more time to clear up I guess.

.

2983. Dog photography -elkevogelang.com - tips for success

Ref: Amateur photographer  20 Aug 2016

elkevogelsang.com

Was a freelance translator. Started



Since 2014, live solely on dog photography

Clients - advert agencies, pet food and accessory markets, mag and newspapers. Sell directly.

1. get familiar with the psecies. know behaviour and body language. be calm and relaxed. never hassle animal to get a shot. reward dog often and has fun.  eye level. show dog's tricks or character traits in the pic.

2. continuous AF mode. AF poit on one ey of dog.
3. min. shutter speed 1/100 sec for still dogs. 1/1000 sec for dogs in action.

4. Camera and lighting. Keep it simple. Fujifilm mirrorless gear over DSLRs.
    lighting equp v basic. Walimex Pro VE Excellence with 3 flash heads. Often use only one flash. Reflection of umbrella in eyes, so main flash has an umbrella. 2 other flashes have strip lights to provide for a rim light on the fur.

Cameras, Fujiflilm X-T1 and X-Pro2. compact light weight, high quality.
Quirkly dog portratis , Fujinon 18mm lens - wideangle effect gives a bit of distortion but it is not a fisheye lens. More elegant portraits  Fujinon 90mm.

Images very sharp. Stick with aperture around f/9 in the studio but wider aperture outdoors.  Continuous focusing even for portraits and focus point on one eye.

Background  dark-grey cardboard but white backgrounds sell pictures better.

Processing, plug-ins like Nik or Macphun rather than heavy Photoshop comping.


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Profesional dog photographer   Andy Biggar

2982. A 2-year-old Holland Lop rabbit has smelly urine for past 6 months.

Saturday Dec 3, 2016

The young man is knowledgeable about rabbit medical conditions.
"This rabbit suffers from urine scalding," I showed the matted, rough patchy hair loss on the backside and private part area. Dark pigmentation also occurs. A fever was present at 39.8C

"Yes," he knew what I was saying.
The rabbit was groomed monthly by a groomer specialising in rabbit for some 6 months.

"Your rabbit has passed urine many times a day," I stated. "She can't control her bladder as she has a UTI or urinary tract infection."
"Yes," he confirmed urinary incontinence.
"How many X/day does she pee in the past 6 months?"
"Smelly yellow urine. 2- 3 X/hour instead of 1x/few hours."

I hospitalised the rabbit to treat and to clean up the urine scalded area under anaesthesia. She was a stout strong one and resisted handling. Antibiotics and pain killers may eliminate the bladder infection and give the rabbit a respite from continuous licking and cleaning her backside.

Vit C and digestive pill alternate day. 80% hay and 20% pellet. This young man knows about rabbit nutrition. Urine scalding is bad for the rabbit as it is stressful to have to groom herself every 2-3x/hr when urine leaks from an infected bladder.

X-rays showed no bladder or kidney or urinary stones. That was good news. The rabbit should recover after treatment. 

 

2981. A 16-year-old Shih Tzu has runny nose and right eye discharge.

Dec 4, 2016

The dog had enucleation of the left eye around 7 months ago. She ate and could pee and poop normally outdoors, hurrying the lady owner to go downstairs faster on occasions when she came back from work.

So, I was much surprised to see her recumbent as if dying. No fever, temp = 37.9.
"Her blood pressure is low," my assistant said as we could not locate the jugular vein for blood collection. We could not find the cephalic vein distended easily unlike normal dogs.

"The femoral pulse is strong," I palpated the femoral artery again. "So, the pressure cannot be low. Take blood from the hind leg vein."  She did so as we could see the vein well.

I suspect the dog to be septicaemic as she just could not stand up and made noises when she was held for blood collection. Blood test will tell. An IV drip with antibiotics, vitamins and pain-killer pacified her. She laid down quietly. No movement, as if dead. Yet no rapid breathing. Tongue was cyanotic now and then. There was a left mitral murmur. Yet the owner said no coughing, rapid breathing or drinking lots of water.

X rays

We hope she will recover overnight by being able to sit up. 

2980. Various terrapin x-rays

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Dec 3, 2016
A strange behaviour case study

restless and digging behaviour   14 year old female RES

fed pellets mainly 3x/week, one hollow head amount of pellets.

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Feb 9, 2017

RES, Female, 19 yrs

Prolapsed reddish lump from cloaca and lots of bleeding and blood clot yesterday.
Foul smelling loose stools - diarrhoea

Shell rot ventral and dorsal recovering since consult at TP Vets 1-2 months ago.
(see other case study of this RES)

Lays 8-10 eggs/year for around the last 10 years. lst egg this year was Jan 27, 2017 and 4 eggs total had passed.

Cloacasopy - no prolapse, no ulcers, growths in rectum

X-rays - 6 eggs - 4 well formed and big, 1 well formed and small, 1 uneven shelled egg

Diagnosis:  Prolapsed cloaca (yesterday). No prolapse today.

Fed milk bread last 3 days.

---- diarrhea  --- irritate rectum --- rectal tissues come out, traumatized by fiction - bleeding, blood clot

No milk bread

Antibiotics Trimeth for diarrhoea

Oxytocin IM, Baytril IM 

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Rectal prolapse 3rd time

2979. Travel: Myanmar donation months - Oct - Images

2969. An 8-year-old female cat has seizures from midnight to 5 am. Why?

Dec 1, 2016

Cat, Female, Spayed, 8 years
Dec 1, 2016. Seizures from midnight to 5 am. What is the cause?

History: Left eye infection on Nov 27.  Diarrhoea on Nov 30, and a blood test was taken.  Then
from midnight to next day 5 am, the cat had a series of seizures.

Nov 30, 2016. Blood test showed low platelet count, creatine and urea. High blood glucose.


Dec 1, 2016. X-ray shows enlarged kidneys. The stomach and intestines were full of food as if the cat had eaten a lot.

                      Abdominal palpation - enlarged kidneys, mid-abdominal pain.

  
The cat was no longer having fits when I saw her on Dec 1, 2016 at 9.30 am. She was hospitalised and given an IV drip with Vit K1. In the afternoon, the cat vomited food and passed out lots of stools. No fits or vomiting.

FOLLOW UP:
The cat is on phenobarb and has no more fits for the last one month..