4085. Rare sighting of Oriental Garden Lizard near a car. 12.30pm 17 Feb 20

Afternoon, this lizard does not move away, permitting me to photograph.

4084. An emaciated guinea pig has chronic scabies

Feb 16, 2020


The young guinea pig's crusty skin disease was checked by Vet 1 using a skin scraping. He examined the skin scraping under the microscope. He could not see any mites and therefore mis-diagnosed this case. The owner washed her pet with the prescribed anti-fungal medication. The guinea pig's health deteriorated as he ate lesser amount of food over several weeks. The guinea pig was at death's door. She decided to consult Toa Payoh Vets.

Skin scrapings by Dr Daniel showed the scabies mites (VIDEO EVIDENCE). The guinea pig was emaciated and malnourished.

TIPS FOR OWNERS
Trixacarus caviae infestation in a guinea pig can kill it if the infestation persists for months as there will be emaciation. 

1. Early treatment of scabies is important. Most residents lead hectic lives but do make appointment to see the vet when your pet has skin diseases.

2. Seek a second opinion if the guinea pig has no response to veterinary treatment within 7 days.
  (see rabbit case - Day 5 of ivomectin injection).


TIPS FOR VETS
Skin scrapings may not show mites. There is a need to take at least 6 skin scrapings to rule out mites. In this case, the localization of the crusts is widespread all over the body, leading to Vet 1 diagnosis of a fungal infection. The owner usually uses home remedies or pet shop medicine for some time. This affect the proper diagnosis of scabies in the guinea pig.

---------------------------------------------------------

4084. A rabbit has has severe crusted body - chronic scabies.

Chronic scabies are rarely seen in Singapore's rabbits and guinea pigs in the years 2000 - 2020 as the pet owners would have applied spot-on insecticides to the young ones to prevent the disease reducing considerably the number of scabies seen in Singapore. Younger vets or pet shop operators seldom see a long-standing infestation, known as chronic scabies.

This is illustrated in a  case in 2018. The buyer returned the rabbit to the pet shop owner. Her first rabbit was treated by the vet for similar skin crustiness, but it did not get cured and had passed away. The pet shop owner phoned Dr Sing Kong Yuen that she had a "new" disease seen in the rabbit.

"The rabbit has a rhinoceros horn", she told me. "You will be the first vet in Singapore to encounter such a rare disease!"  I went to her shop. From the distribution of the skin crusts to the distal parts of the body (ears, paws, nose), I diagnose this rabbit as having chronic scabies. It is "rare" in Singapore in the sense that it had developed such thick crusts/ Treatment with 2 injections of ivomectin cured this rabbit who is now well cared for by my Veterinary Assistant Ms Hsu.

July 2018

LATERAL VIEWS LEFT AND RIGHT FROM HSU TO UPDATE THIS CASE.

Conclusion
Singapore vets rarely see chronic scabies in the rabbit as it is an untreated pet for some months.

Nowadays, the pet shop owner is well educated and will usually treats them with spot-on insecticide early. The vet does a skin scraping of the crust. It may show no mites, but the diagnosis cannot be ruled out.

So I was surprised to see on case of chronic scabies in 2020. The owner said that Vet 1 had taken skin scrapings and confirmed that there were no scabies. He prescribed some washes, but the skin disease got much worse. The guinea pig lose a lot of weight.

Chronic Scabies in a rabbit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI4j_30il9I

Blog:
https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2018/07/3205-rabbit-has-pointed-nose-rabbit.html

Scabies mites burrow under the skin and infests the cooler areas of the body. These are the ears, nose and paws. The whole body has crusts when the disease lasts for many months as seen in this rabbit. It responds well to treatment  but must be correctly diagnosed to achieve success.

VIDEOS - Edit the footage, narrate as follows: About the life cycle of the scabies mites, diagnosis and treatment.

Advise at least 6 skin scrapings to eliminate the presence of mites. Some owners dislike so many scrapings as they feel that the pet suffers. One negative scraping does not rule out scabies infestations. SHOW FOOTAGE OF MICROSCOPE AND THE SLIDE

4083. How to make your own mask - not a substitute or replacement for surgical masks.

How to make your own mask: Hong Kong scientists reveal temporary solution for those unable to get protective gear because of panic buying and price-gouging 

• Thousands have queued overnight outside pharmacies and prices have spiked because of dwindling supplies
• Lab tests by City University find home-made masks achieve 80 to 90 per cent function of regular ones in terms of filtration of aerosol and droplets

Scientists in Hong Kong have invented a cheap and easy way to make home-made masks as the city, gripped by fear over the deadly coronavirus, suffers from long queues and price-gouging over its dwindling supplies of protective gear.

The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital worked with the Science Park to devise the do-it-yourself method as thousands of people have waited overnight outside pharmacies promising new stock and costs spiking to as much as HK$400 or more for a box of 50 surgical masks. Often missing from the queues are many elderly – too weak or poor to join – some of whom have resorted to steaming the few masks they have left or and reusing one for days.

"I hope this can alleviate the public panic. Scientific tests found these home-made masks can offer a certain extent of protection if one doesn’t have a mask at home,” executive councillor and Elderly Commission chairman Dr Lam Ching-choi said.

"It’s not good for elderly to take such risks as queuing for a mask in the early morning.”

Lam said he was in touch with some schools to explore whether students studying at home could help produce more masks, adding that Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, the city’s top microbiologist tackling the coronavirus, had also endorsed the use of such masks.m

Releasing the procedure on Friday, the hospital said it hoped the home-made gear could serve as a temporary measure for those without surgical masks, easing the pressure on the city’s remaining stock.

Joe Fan King-man, the institution’s assistant hospital chief executive, said the home-made masks had undergone laboratory tests by City University and were proven to have achieved 80 to 90 per cent of the function of regular surgical masks in terms of their filtration of aerosol and droplets.

However, Fan said they did not serve as a permanent substitute for surgical masks.

"The home-made masks can only act as an alternative for those who don’t have any gear but need to protect themselves from infection. They can never be a substitute or replacement for surgical masks,” he said.

The Consumer Council is a partner of the project.

Required items: kitchen roll, strong tissue paper, elastic bands, a hole punch, paper tape, scissors, plastic-coated steel wire, a pair of glasses, plastic file folders and binder clips.

Preparation:

For the mask:

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and clean your items
• Put one piece of kitchen roll, with proper hygiene certification, on top of another
• Place a piece of tissue paper, which will act as the bottom layer of the mask, on top of the two pieces of kitchen roll
• Cut the stack of paper into two
• Use the paper tape to seal off the two sides of the mask
• Make two holes at each sealed side with the punch
• Attach the metallic wire with paper tape to the top edge of the mask to make the nose bridge wire
• Tie four rubber bands through the holes on the mask’s sides

For the protective shield:

• Cut the file folder into two pieces
• Attach one piece on the edge of the glasses with binder clips
• The shield can be reused after disinfection for each usage

Note: The hospital said other materials such as cling film, air conditioner filter paper, and cotton cloth were not suitable for making the masks.

This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia. 

4082. Singapore Wildlife: An Oriental Garden Lizard on Tree 3 in the Esplanade, Singapore

Friday 7 Feb 2020

VIDEOS

4081. Z plasty surgeries

Dachshund https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2019/08/z-plasty.html



https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2019/08/3374-dachshund-elbow-tumour.html



https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2015/09/2989-z-plasty-in-very-large-wound.html






Westie

https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2019/02/3423-westie-solution-for-high-tension.html

Big facial wound
https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2018/06/3187-z-plasty-for-big-facial-wound.html

X-bred  Large tumour excised

https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2017/11/3196-z-plasty-for-large-skin-tumour-in.html

4080. A red-eared slider has difficulty laying eggs. Lethargy and infections.

DYSTOCIA IN RED-EARED SLIDERS - 2 CASE STUDIES

CASE 1.  Feb 8, 2020. 
This 8-year-old red-eared slider had laid batches of 3-4 eggs twice per year since the age of 5 years. But no eggs were laid today despite soil digging. She was anorexic for 7 days. The slider had loose skin folds in front of the hind limbs, indicating a severe weight loss over the years. "We feed less and once a day," the mother said. The young man's mother said: "She is ravenous after egg-laying usually."

X-rays showed 6 well formed eggs. The slider was alone in this place except for another species.
The loose skin folds in front of the back legs and the inability to turn upright within 2 minutes suggested a slider in poor condition.

Digs soil. No eggs laid. Very thin. Anorexia 7 days.

Constipation - rectal mass

I did not give the oxytocin injection as the slider was in poor health. X-rays showed some

dense material inside the rectal area. Oil laxative was prescribed. No calcium and oxytocin

injections in this case as the slider was very weak.  

Follow up on 19 Feb 2020: 
11 days after the consultation and treatment, the owner texted me saying that the slider laid at least 4 eggs buried deep in the soil. The owner did not dig up all the soil and so the slider could have laid all 6 eggs.

"She has an excellent appetite but was picky, " he texted. "She ate only prawns, Hikari and Reptomin pellets. She ignored the vegetables and disliked the Critical Care. I soaked the pellets in a calcium supplement and feed her." This was a happy ending.   

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMAGES AND MORE INFORMATION FOR VIDEO MAKING

VIDEO - Consultation. Not eating, difficulty in laying eggs

Not able to turn upright is a sign of poor health.

OUTCOME

13 days later on Feb 19, 2020. Buried at least 4 eggs deep inside the garden soil.

Appetite ravenous now. Picky. Ate prawns and pellets (video) but not vegetables. The owner is

advised to feed more as the slider is very thin.

BETTER QUALITY TURTLE FEED IS GIVEN

TIPS AND ADVICES

Poor nutrition like insufficient calcium and infections due to the extensive shell rot lead to WEAK uterine contractions. The slider must regain her health and weight if she is to lay eggs naturally. In this case, I did not give the oxytocin and calcium injections as the slider is very weak and may be infected by bacteria.

In such cases,  the slider would still be unable to lay eggs after the injection.

Critical care and antibiotics are given for the next 7 days. The owner has to syringe feed 6 x per day the Critical care and observe the amount of stools and number of eggs passed. Oxytocin injections will be given when the slider is in better health if there are no eggs laid.

FINAL VIDEO:  HOW TO SYRINGE FEED A RED-EARED SLIDER

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Case 2. 2019

This healthy slider had difficulty laying more eggs. After oxytocin and calcium injection, she laid eggs in a short period of time. See video:

https://youtu.be/G2vElLP3Ii8

As seen from the X-rays. 3 eggs had been laid nataurally

In this healthy red-eared slider, the oxytocin and calcium injections were effective to stimulate the uterus to contract. An appropriate dosage is important.