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Toa Payoh
Vets Clinical Research
Making veterinary surgery alive
to a veterinary student studying in Australia
using real case studies and pictures |
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 toapayohvets.com
Be Kind To Pets
Veterinary Education
Project 2010-0129 |
Guinea Pig Neuter and interesting cases
on Sunday, Jan 2, 2011
Dr
Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS
03 January, 2011
Bright sunshine day. Sunday. Most vet clinics are closed but Toa Payoh
Vets has traditionally been open on Sundays. As Dr Vanessa is on leave
till Jan 10, 2011, I work the whole day. If not, I will work from 9 am
to 11 am on Sundays and weekdays.
INTERESTING CASES
CASE 1. GUINEA PIG NEUTER
A young man wanted his 2-day-purchased male 6-month-old guinea pig to
be neutered. "The female is still with Pet Lovers' Centre," he said.
"I don't want her to get pregnant. So I keep her there first." It is
best not to neuter so soon after purchase.
"Is the guinea pig adjusted to your new home? Is he passing stools?"
"Yes," the man said. "Lots of stools. Too much. He is running around
happily. In fact, I purchased the anti-stress powder as advised by Pet
Lovers' Centre."
Since the guinea pig was OK, I agreed to neuter him. There is no point
rushing to neuter newly purchased guinea pigs or pets as demanded by
owners as they may be incubating diseases. After the surgery, the
disease shows the symptoms and the vet gets the blame.
ANAESTHETIC RISK
This guinea pig weighed only 500g. What anaesthetic to use? The
following was done successfully.
PER KG Bodyweight, Domitor 0.2 ml and Ketamine 0.1 ml in one syringe,
totalling 0.3 ml.
I prepared the above and shook the syringe a few times. In this 500g
guinea pig, I injected 0.15 ml SC. The guinea pig squealed during
injection. 5 minutes later, surgical anaesthesia was excellent for the
next 5 - 10 minutes. Neuter using 1 ligature (twice knotted) on the
close tunica was done.
ANTIDOTE. Many guinea pigs will wake up slowly by themselves. As the
guinea pig was young, I decided to wake him up after surgery. He was
breathing but not standing. I gave Antisedan 0.1 ml (with saline) SC.
Within 2 minutes, he was awake and squealed when carried to the crate.
When the owner came, the guinea pig was standing. Pain-killers,
antibiotic and Fibreplex were given. This was the ideal treatment
regime for this guinea pig.
CASE 2. 8-YEAR-OLD SCHNAUZER HAD FITS AND VOMITING. The young couple
had been giving, at home, the Hartman and saline drips SC from Vet 1
who had diagnosed chronic kidney failure. Since Vet 1 was closed today
(Sunday), I was consulted as the dog had 3 episodes of fits and was
gasping for breath. Vomiting had occurred.
"Vet 1 would be giving TCM tomorrow," the couple said to me. I had to
be frank with them that their dog will not live long once fits are
seen as the toxic blood from the kidney failure causes uraemic fits.
"It may be kinder to let the stop more suffering as some dogs die
violently vomiting blood." It was bad news. In any case, I advised
that the dog be given IV drips (glucose of 50 ml, dextrose saline,
antibiotics, anti-fits, anti-diuretics and painkillers).
"Vet 1 had not given antibiotics but this is a matter of judgment," I
said to the owners. "Each vet has his own way of treatment and I don't
want to cause blame on Vet 1 nor do I want other vets to cause blame
to me."
The dog was hospitalised and we would wait 24 hours. Economics play a
great part. The couple did not want blood tests and so the present
treatment would suffice. There is no kidney dialysis and transplant
for dogs in Singapore and if there were, the costs would be too much
for the ordinary folks. This was a very sad case.
CASE 3. The black cat bit the lady's nose.
A handsome couple. I noted the bespectacled fair lady had a 2-cm
scratch on the left side of her pale white nose and kept quiet. She
had came with her husband to visit the hissing black cat hospitalised
and given treatment by my associate Dr Jason Teo yesterday (Saturday).
"How's the cat today?" the slim lady in her 30s asked me. "No more
high fever," I replied. "She can go home to her safe environment as
she looks stressed here."
There is no pure cat clinic in Singapore and some cats may not be
happy to be hospitalised with dogs. I put sick cats in a different
location away from dogs but still there are dogs around.
"What's the cause of the fever?" the young lady lawyer said that the
cat was brought outdoors on a leash the day before. The cat was
reluctant to go out and rushed to hide inside a shrub. She had been
frightened sometime ago when a dog came towards her. She was perfectly
happy in the apartment but the owners wanted to give her some outdoor
exercise. "Is she suffering from a viral infection?" the young lady
asked. The cat had her vaccinations.
"Some bacterial infection from the soil," I speculated. "Then you put
more chemicals on her body by using body wipes and she tried to lick
the perfumed smell away. Together, with the stress of outdoors, she
developed fever as her immune system must be down."
As my associate did not take a blood sample, I did not confirm the
bacterial infection but the sudden onset of high fever and outdoor
exposure to soil would point to a bacterial infection rather than a
viral infection.
"Did the cat scratch your nose?" I asked the lady.
"She bit me on the nose when I said hello to her," the lady laughed.
"Just a gentle bite and she did not dig her teeth into my nose."
"Fortunately you are married," I presumed. "If not, your marriage
prospects are poor!"
It would not be true as the lady had that innate inner beauty
expressed through her communication, facial gestures, physical
attributes and voice. It is hard to describe this inner beauty
presented in some handsome young ladies. Charisma? You just feel the
good and gentle vibrations.
The cat went home. Later the gentleman phoned: "The cat is not
eating." I said: "Wait another 24 hours. She may be recovering from
her stress."
CASES 4 & 5. BACK SPINAL AREA ITCHY IN 2 CATS. Two cats, with back
spinal area itchy. One grey cat had grown a different golden brown
patch of hair but was still itchy. I could not find any fleas as I
thought it could be flea-bite allergy. The owner could have given
treatment. I checked the anal glands. Dried, black grey particles of
oil. This could be a cause. It is hard to say. I gave an anti-itch
injection. As for the second cat, its back area was matted. It was fat
and had dirty years. It was constipated despite being fed "hair ball
diet" from Royal Canin. I got the groomer to clean her up, clip her
coat and hospitalise her one or two days to treat the constipation and
observe her.
CASE 6. PERIODONTAL DISEASE STAGE 4. The father and son tried to delay
dental treatment but now the old 8-year-old Silkie had pus in the
mouth and lost weight. "My cat must be in Stage 5," the son said when
I showed them the pictures of Stage 4. "No more stage 5," I said. "The
worst stage is Stage 4." I hospitalise the dog for IV drip and
antibiotics treatment before doing dental work the next day (Monday).
CASE 7. TRAUMATIC INJURY IN LEFT EYE. "Can it be glaucoma? Do you do
eye glaucoma test?" the lady presented me an old mixed terrier with a
white cataract eye. The dog had been scratching the left eye as I
noted that the eyelid areas were reddish.
"Did this acute conjunctivitis happen after the injury?" I asked.
"Yes," she said. "In this case, it is best to check for traumatic
injuries in the upper eyelid." The lady said: "There is a black spot
inside the upper eyelid." Indeed there was if you evert the upper
eyelid fully. I took some pictures. "This could be a foreign body
stuck inside, making the dog crazy and painful in the eye. Therefore
he rubs his eye trying to get rid of it."
I will be examining the dog under anaesthesia on the next day and cut
off the black spot. Sometimes, the cause is not obvious and we think
of glaucoma which may still be present.
I finished work at 6 pm and went to watch "Gullivers' Travels" at Ang
Mo Kio Hub with my family. It was probably more interesting to a
child.
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 BE KIND TO OLDER DOGS & CATS --- GET TUMOURS
REMOVED EARLY --- WHEN THEY ARE SMALLER.
More case studies, goto:
Cats or
Dogs |
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To
make an appointment: e-mail
judy@toapayohvets.com
tel: +65 9668-6469, 6254-3326 |
toapayohvets.com
Be Kind To Pets
Veterinary Education
Project 2010-0129 |
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 Toa
Payoh Vets
Clinical Research
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Asiahomes Internet
All rights reserved. Revised: January 03, 2011
Toa Payoh Vets |
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