11 September 2011

Case 1:
A lady brought in a Shetland with a wound at the hind leg area near the tail. On first glance, the area is filled with dry scaly skin with no hair. The owner mentioned that the Shetland kept scratching and biting the area till it is raw and scab forms. Dr. Sing asks the owner some questions, looked at the dog and diagnosed the primary cause to be due to fungal infection.

First thing that we need to do was to clear away all the dead skin surrounding the area so that new skin will grow back properly. So the Shetland was sedated and i was shown how to deal with the wound area. Using a shaver blade at a 45 degrees angle, the surrounding hair was carefully shaved off. Next, we have to remove the scab by peeling it off in a swift motion to reduce the pain and also to get most of the scab at the same time. After that, the Shetland is given an antibiotic shot and prescribed with some anti-fungal cream.

Case 2:
Pug was taken in to the clinic because of fits. Previously, it had Urinary Bladder Stones removed and was on S/D diet. Fit was observed after the surgery and thought to be related to Urinary Stones formation. Then the dog was brought back to the clinic few months later, with an episode of fit again. Blood test was done and bacteria infection was found to be the cause of the fits.
Advice was to stick to the S/D diet to prevent recurrence of the Urinary Stones formation and no dog treats were allowed.

Case 3:
This case is regarding a dwarf hamster which looks like it had skin problem. It's coat is disheveled and patchy. Some fur was plucked and looked under the microscope. Normal fur under the microscope have smooth surface, however this hamster's fur have spores on the surface of the fur. It was diagnosed with fungal infection. 
The owner said that this female hamster is living together with it's female sibling. Dr. Sing suspects that the patchy skin is a cause of tramatic injury (eg. fighting with the sibling).
Anti-fungal wash was prescribed to get rid of the infection. 

Above are all the cases observed during my hours at the clinic, in addition, i did some admin work. Helped key in the remaining client's details into the database [TPV ref: 42634-42673], made a form for the microchips (requirement by AVA from 01 sept '11)  and organised the microchips numerically so as to make it easier for the busy vets.

Working hours: 10.10am- 5.30pm

04 September 2011

Case one:

A female dog with swollen mammary and no menses for more than a year was presented to the vet. On the first look, it seems to be pregnant. However, owner said that dog was not mated, nor is there any chance where it can come in contact with any male dogs. Therefore, the conclusion is that the dog had false pregnancy. This is usually the result of a hormonal imbalance. The suggested treatment is a hormone injection to reduce the occurrence, but if not, the dog needs to be spayed for prevention against other reproductive diseases.

Case two:

Dog ate owner’s medicine, suffered from weak limbs.

Treatment is to induce vomit, to remove some or all ingested substances followed by IV drip for two hours to dilute the poison. Blood test is recommended, however, owner declined.

Case three:

Dog have been vomiting the past month, went to the vet, took medication and problem was resolved. Few days ago, dog started vomiting again. Owners noticed that the stools have been soft and runny for the past month and there is presence of red spots in the vomit.

Treatment suggested are; to do an ultrasound to check if there is anything wrong with the tummy and meanwhile, provide medication to calm the tummy, either by injection or oral.

Vet also noticed that the anal sac feels hard, which is the result of excess fluid accumulation in a dog's anal glands. We can also notice from the dog’s behavior (constant licking on the bottom) that the filled sac causes discomfort. If the anal gland is not constantly cleaned, it may run a risk of infection.

These three cases presented the need to take note of the pet in a day to day basis instead of noticing them only when the pet is feeling unwell.

Working hours: 10am-5.15pm

Start of the learning journey-- 28 August 2011

Being accepted by Toa Payoh Vets marked the start of my journey to pursue a veterinary career. I will like to take this chance to thank Dr. Sing for accepting my request to learn from him.

1) First case was about an old dog (10 years old) that had an emciated and balding body. Noticed the presence of tumors on the right lip and jaw area, foul stench coming from the mouth and the underside of the paws seem like it was constantly under abrasion so that it looked raw and it is even bleeding.

Dr. Sing diagnosed it to be tumors around the lip area, and the bad stench might be caused by the ulcers rotting within the mouth. Advice from Dr. Sing was to undergo a surgery to remove the tumors and to further confirm if the tumors are either benign or malignant by sending them to laboratory for testing?

However, a couple of issues complicate the situation further. First consideration is the age of the dog. Undergoing a surgery is already a risk, with old age the risk will be higher. Furthermore, we cannot determine if the frail dog is able to fight its way to good health after. Secondly, the surgery cost weighs heavily on the owner.

There's a dilemma between the decision to spend this precious sum of money to try to save their beloved dog, no matter what the outcome of the surgery is or to keep this sum for their own livelihood.
Owners walked out with a heavy heart.

Dr. Sing mentioned that the focus of being a vet is not always on how much money we can earn from the clients, but we must also pay attention to client’s welfare as well. That is the reason why Dr. Sing did not insist on the surgery, instead he send them home to consider about their situation.

2) Second case of the day is with regards to amphibian. Owner walked into the clinic carrying a big tub filled with low level of water, and in the middle sat a terrapin. First glance, you will see a very dirty looking terrapin. Upon closer look, we realize that the shell was covered with blood clots. According to the vet, the shell felt soft and seem abnormal.

The vet diagnoses it with the lack of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, the pet gave a prescription of oral multi-vitamin. To add on, the vet suggested for them to improve its housing by providing a balance between having lots of water for them to swim and somewhere dry for them to sun themselves.

3) Third case is about a poodle puppy which displayed a lack of appetite, and being listless all day long. First procedure is to take the puppy’s weight, then temperature. Puppy seems emaciated and weak. When prompt, owner described puppy’s diet to consist of brown rice, vegetable, beancurd and a bit of salt and apples.

Preliminary observations ruled that the puppy is malnutrition. To find out what other problems it is suffering if any, a blood test was carried out. The puppy was given Intravenous drip to replenish lost nutrients and was hospitalized till the result of the blood test is out. During this period, the puppy was fed dog food to aid in recovery.

Blood test result showed that the puppy have high uric acid, low urea and creatinine levels. High uric acid may be a result of being fed the wrong diet, and the low urea and creatinine levels represents kidney function, which shows lower than normal activity. All this suggests malnutrition. Advice was to feed puppy with quality dog food as growing dog needs plenty to be healthy and strong.

The dog was discharged.

Other than observing cases, I am also involved in some administration work. By picking up phone calls, registering clients and filling in their details into databases.

Today is a very rewarding day. I have learned a lot. In terms of animal handling, the procedures involved while attending to the patient and also on caring about client’s welfare.

Working hours: 10am-6pm