Sunday, March 26, 2017

3055. Inspirational images from travel


Mar 25, 2017


"Should I study to be a vet?" the working lady said she ought to be pragmatic as the veterinary field may be overcrowded, just like the many lawyers who are unemployed. Some offer to work for free work in the small legal firms. Too many vets in Singapore 6 years' time.

"There are over 80 vet practices in small animals," I estimated. "So, there is a boom for employee vets! Some proprietors want to relax and manage vets. Many lady vets want to work part-time and not do night calls. Some marry and leave the profession. There are other specialities like pharmaceutical, research and demand  overseas like Myanmar.  So I do not foresee joblessness for new graduates.

If she has the funding, she is already so fortunate. Most people so not have money to study overseas. Yet she is unsure of prospects as she is earning a high salary.

Nobody can decide for her.



More than 60 years old and this Yangon
man has been at the roadside selling petrol and diesel to motor-bike owners mainly. Nowadays, modern and fanciful petrol stations take over many clients. He can fight only on lower pricing.
He has to suck in some petrol from the container into a tube. Gravity then suck some petrol into a jar which he uses to pour some petrol into the bike. Not a healthy way to earn a living sitting from 5 am to 5 pm next to a dusty busy road and sucking petrol. He cycles home at the end of the day.

Compare to this more mature working Singapore lady whose worry is whether she will be jobless after studying veterinary medicine, a profession most young Singapore girls will not hesitate if offered an opportunity.    





Saturday, March 25, 2017

3054. Cases from RAVS, Yangon - Practise evidence-based medicine


Case 1.  Biopsy of nasal tumour is needed for a definitive diagnosis

Case 2.  2 views of radiographs to locate needle inside the puppy's throat 

Gas anaesthesia by cone is safest method to enable needle extraction



Case 3.  Pyometra is very common in Yangon's dogs and cats. RAVS surgical team.



Case 4. Liver hepatitis. Blood test and biopsy.

Thursday, March 23, 2017

3053. A young red-eared slider loses appetite for 2 weeks

Housed with 2 other sliders. Ate stools of other sliders. Passed black stools and loses appetite for past 2 weeks or more. Likely bullied.
Advised separate living and feeding spaces.







Wednesday, March 22, 2017

3052. A 20-year-old female red-eared slider has profuse bleeding. Not laying eggs since 5 weeks ago.



Feb 21, 2017
Came in for lethargy (not walking), anorexia. X-rays. Went home on Feb 21. Owner did not accept advice to give oxytocin inj. but will hand feed pellets 3x per day. Weight was 1.56 kg. X-ray 13 eggs.








Mar 21, 2017. Weight 1.46kg. Anorexia, no stools, pees when right thigh area stroked. Still not walking. Can swim. No eggs passed. Admitted as the slider passes lots of red bloody tissues and fresh blood for the past 2 days. Hospitalised. Given fluid, oxytocin, baytril and Vit K1. X-rays. 15 eggs.




Mar 22, 2017
Had bleeding overnight. No more in the morning. Goes home on Critical care to be fed 6x/day. 2nd oxytocin inj.

Saturday, March 18, 2017

3051. A 2-year-old red-eared slider has a swollen neck again

Mar 11, 2017


Fluid accumulates in the lower neck area and then the upper neck. Same as in Dec 2016. What is the cause? Swelling disappeared after aspiration of 1 ml of clear fluid and given antibiotics and anti-inflammatory. The slider did vomit blood once and slowly recovered his appetite.

But the swelling recurs 2 months later and the slider loses appetite.


Heart, lung or kidney disease disease?

An X-ray is done this time. Is there an obstruction in the throat area?



3050. A extremely hyperactive 1-year-old red-eared slider is "constipated". X-ray

Sat Mar 18, 2017

Male, RES, 1 yr
Losing appetite 4 weeks ago and 2 weeks ago, anorexic.
Yet he was energetic and wanted to climb any walled in areas. Why?

"He would chew at the "calcium" turtles as if they were real ones," the young man was much
worried about his RES losing weight and having no appetite. "He just ate and ate."

"How many 'calcium turtles' did he chewed and swallowed?" I asked. 
"Many, many," he replied.

X-rays are taken today.





There could be calcium impaction at the vent area although it is hard to say.

Given critical care and asked him to feed 6x/day and observe.


------------------------------------------
X-rays of other RES of similar ages.


Friday, March 17, 2017

3049. A 13-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog cannot stand on hind legs








I spoke to the owner today. He alleged that Dr Daniel who is on leave, had advised X-rays but somehow did not follow up. Rimadyl 4 days on and 4 days off did enable the dog to stand up for a while but he had stopped the medication for the past 2 weeks. Now the dog whines in pain and refused to stand up.
So, I suggested X-rays of the hip and spine as I was covering Dr Daniel's case. 


To prevent misunderstanding, it is best to record on the owner's invoice that X-rays are advised.
follow up.

The owner has to decide whether to get surgery done to remove the left femoral head and debris as the dog is 13 years old, at the end of the life span.