The young generation
prefers to text but it is not good when it comes to your
pug's illness as illustrated in the following case.
Nov 13, 2011 10.59 am
Good morning Dr Sing. This is ... the owner of Zorro
(Pug). We visited your clinic on 8th. My puppy was
having kennel cough and runny nose. He used to eat well
and was active but this morning, he is not having any
food and keeps on sleeping. When he walks, he has
difficulty walking due to heavy coughing. So he walks a
bit and then just sits down and he is not active
anymore. Antibiotic has not been finished yet but since
he seems not well, should I bring him back to the
clinic?
It would be much appreciated if you could reply to my
sms.
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| Nov 8, 2011. One day
after purchase. Pug was coughing and had runny
nose but was eating well |
Nov 13, 2011 12.04 pm
Pl tel me
NO REPLY. I PHONED. NO RESPONSE.
Nov 13, 2011 9.31 pm
Dr Sing, I really need your help now with my pug. For
all day, he rarely moved and seems no energy with him.
Is there any chance we can bring him for emergency now?
I PHONED THE OWNER. As the pug was ok, I advised giving
him a teaspoonful of honey + water and bring back to the
clinic at 10 am on Nov 14.
On examination, the pug had copious amounts of nasal
discharge. Difficulty in breathing. Some lung sounds,
but no fever. I gave treatment and cough mixture.
"It is not possible to cage him 100% at home," I had
advised the couple who brought the pug to me for
examination one day after purchase on Nov 8.
"Play with the pug for only 5 minutes after meals which
were given twice a day," I had advised. "Kennel cough is
caused by virus and bacteria. Viral diseases do not have
antibiotics but resting the puppy by confinement
strictly in a cage will help speed recovery. Some cases
take up to 3 weeks to recover."
In this case, the pug had space to run around as all
puppies take advantage of freedom at a new house. He
also hated taking medicine as he fought me when I
syringe him 0.05 ml of the cough mixture.
"It is difficult to give him medicine by mouth," the
young man said. "My pug rests his head on a soft toy,"
the gentleman said.
"Puppies do that when they can't breathe properly," I
said. I rolled up a towel like a small pillow. The pug
rested his neck on the edge of the pillow. Eyes bright
but he was tired.
"Can we visit him for 15 minutes?" the gentleman asked.
"Yes," I said. "But this pug must be inside the cage for
the next 2-3 days to rest." The couple came at 7 pm on
the same day. Nursing, feeding, electrolytes and
observation are made every 2 hourly to ensure that the
pug is OK.
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After 3 days of
confinement and treatment at Toa Payoh Vets, the
pug becomes active and starts eating. On the
morning of Day 3, I reviewed his condition. He was
ravenous and could not stop eating the kibbles. He
wanted to play. Two male Sec 3 students who came
for work foreshadowing, were producing a video on
kennel cough using my DSLR camera.
This pug went straight to the camera lens. He had
loose stools and some coughing but was OK to go
home. I phoned the owner to take the pug
home in the evening.
UNCOMPLICATED KENNEL COUGH.
Coincidentally, another older pug from a young
lady owner in her late 20s came to the Surgery
with a friend on the afternoon of Nov 17, 2011
(Day 3 of hospitalisation for the above-mentioned
younger pug).
This older pug had loose stools and I asked Dr
Vanessa to handle the case. "Did your pug suffer
from kennel cough?" I remembered seeing one
sometime ago.
"You were the one treating her when she was
coughing," the young lady reminded me when I said
I do not work at 8.30 pm and the vet would be Dr
Jason Teo. That was one of those evenings I had
been around as Dr Teo reported sick. I checked my
medical record which I had taken an image to
record this case and would post later. I did write
"REST" in capital letters.
"How long she took to recover?" I asked. "Was she
closely confined?"
"Yes, for around 1 week," she said. She had
strictly complied with my instructions to confine
the pug completely. She put the pug in the crate
in the kitchen, fed her and left her alone. This
was unlike the above naughty pug that was allowed
by the young couple out to wander and play. So,
her pug had sufficient rest and recovered without
complications.
Kennel cough can become complicated and need
in-patient treatment sometimes. |
Texting your vet is not a good idea as it is risky and
unprofessional for a vet to diagnose a serious
illness by texting as the history and latest situation
must be known orally if not by examination. |
TOA
PAYOH VETS
