"Doc, my Dachshund has a
big lump behind his neck?" the lady owner phoned me regarding
a big lump in her Dachshund. "It appears in the last 2 days. I
think it is due to the tight bandage. What shall I do?"
"Is it as large as a ping pong ball?" I asked.
"Yes."
"It may be an abscess (pus inside) or a haematoma (blood
inside)," I said. "It is hard to diagnose without
examination."
She brought the dog in on Friday evening. "Well, there is no
pain in this lump," I said as I pressed it. Firm and tense,
around the 3/4 of the size of a table-tennis ball. I scheduled
for surgery on Saturday, forgetting I had my day off on
Saturday.
"I can't come on Sunday," the owner phoned me. "I have to
travel overseas on Sunday. Can the lump wait till I come back
10 days later?"
"It is best not to wait.
The lump could harden or the bacteria inside could spread to
the muscles, making it very painful and hard to operate. Can
you ask your husband to bring the dog in on Sunday at 9.30am
so that I can operate first thing in the morning?"
I was surprised she was single as she had that essence of a
combination of inner and outer beauty. "Well, I can arrange
for a dog taxi man to bring the dog to the Surgery."
She said she would phone me and later made an appointment for
Sunday morning 9.30 am. She was very punctual.
"There is no electricity," my assistant Min suddenly told me.
The HDB management had given prior notice of no electricity
supply till 9 am on Sunday morning but my staff did not inform
me.
"What to do?" the lady owner asked me pleasantly. That is her
personality. Not to get angry over unexpected circumstances
beyond her control.
"Don't worry," I said. "The dog will go home at 11.00 am". My
operation room has glass walls on one side facing the back
door which brings in the morning light and a glass screen
between it and the consultation room, bringing in daylight
from the consultation room. It is not a windowless operating
room as in most surgeries. We have torch-lights too.
I told Mr Min to clip as I had sedated it with 0.3% xylazine
IM. Min said, "No electricity. You cannot use the gas
anaesthetic machine."
I shook my head. "Do anaesthetic machine need electricity?" I
asked Min shaking my head. Sometimes I can get very impatient
with such feedback with no basis.
This was the Dachshund's 3rd anaesthesia and though nothing
ought to go wrong, I did not want to tempt fate as old dogs
are high anaesthetic risk. On the other hand, I could just
sedate the dog and drain the abscess and cut off the hock
melanoma spotted by the owner. It could be painful. A higher
dose of sedation may also kill the dog.
Therefore a light sedation of xylazine and isoflurane gas is
the best safest method of general anaesthesia. This was done
and the dog was as awake as a normal dog when the happy owner
came in a taxi to pick him up to go home.
"A lot of gas and blood with pus," I said to the owner.
"Really?" she replied.
"Min, take out the syringe with the blood and pus," I said.
I forgot to present the syringe but I did stick the melanoma
from the hock to show her.
Min took out the syringe and the lady was convinced. Seeing is
believing in veterinary medicine. I do not know why I had not
shown the syringe earlier.
Emergency surgery lights can be installed. However, these must
be maintained and tested weekly as they do fail if they are
not tested.
This is the Dachshund's 3rd anaesthesia in 2 months. It is
best not to tempt fate anymore. |
TOA
PAYOH VETS
