Friday, December 23, 2016

A bearded collie has a large elbow haematoma

Dec 1, 2016.  22 days ago, the Bearded Collie had a big painful swelling above the right elbow. Vet 1 X-rayed and gave anti-flammatory which reduced the swelling considerably. 












Dec 23, 2016. 
But the owner discovered a growing swelling to the lateral side of the elbow. The dog appeared to have licked the right elbow area causing an elbow sore. He consulted Toa Payoh Vets and X-rays were taken. I palpated a soft firm swelling lateral and above the right elbow measuring around 6 cm x 6 cm x 5 cm.

I suspected it would be a haematoma based on the history of the sudden onset painful large swelling seen by Vet 1, a happy vet whom I communicated by phone on Dec 23, 2016. She remembered it was a caudal medial swelling from mid-humeral area to the elbow and gave the anti-inflammatory injection which worked effectively to reduce the swelling. 





Surgical exploration. I used a low dose Domitor + Ketamine 0.4 ml + 0.5 ml respectively IV and gave isoflurane gas. The 7-year-old dog weighed 33 kg

The swelling shot out dark red blood when I electro-incised over the swelling. There were no blood clots. There was a big "dead space" between the skin and the lateral side of the elbow where the blood had accumulated. I stitched up the "dead space" using interrupted absorbable 2/0 sutures. 

So, there was continuous bleeding since this Bearded Collie has been exercised twice a day daily causing rupture of some blood vessels, probably veins as the blood is dark blue. No blood clots but one broken tube looking like a vein was seen. A strange case.

The owner disagreed that the dog had a clotting disorder e.g. low platelets as he said the dog's wound heal easily in the past when bitten by other dogs. So there was no blood test done. 

I advised no more running around for one month to permit healing and clotting. But the owner said the dog needed to exercise before doing his business twice a day.

A very unsual case. Normally, the blood would have clotted and hardened or removed by the body cells. No reservoir of dark blue blood as a haematoma. My hypothesis is that the dog was too active after Vet 1 had given the anti-inflammatory as he felt no pain. So, there was no healing of the blood vessels near the elbow and blood vessels rupture forming a haematoma and some pain and lameness in this beloved dog.

2988. An 8-year-old cat had fits and salivation

Nov 30, 2016. Fits.













Follow up:
After 2 weeks on phenobarb 30mg at 1/4 tab twice a day, the cat has no seizures. To reduce dosage and see whether fits recur. 

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Dec 18, 2016

12-year-old Maltese X

Had bleeding gums, foul breath
Bruises all over the body -
Very low platelets (less than 10) but other blood values normal.









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Dec 21, 2016  After 15 mg pred for past week




Wednesday, December 21, 2016

2996. A 2-year-old male red-eared slider has a swollen neck for 12 days

Around 12 days ago, this terrapin had a swollen neck. The swelling appeared to be smaller and the terrapin was sent home.But the swelling did not subside and the owner came again.
"It could be swelling of fluid due to heart, kidney or liver diseases," I said.


Dec 24, 2016
After 2 injections at 2 days apart, the neck swelling disappeared. He goes home today. He does not eat when given the pellets. His eyes appeared closed as if he was sleepy. 





















Dec 24, 2016
After 2 injections at 2 days apart, the neck swelling disappeared. He goes home today. He does not eat when given the pellets. His eyes appeared closed as if he was sleepy. 


The cause of edema and inflammation is unknown. Likely related to exposure to paint pigments as he is housed near cans of paint. But 2 siblings had no problem. 



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Dec 24, 2016
After 2 injections at 2 days apart, the neck swelling disappeared. He goes home today. He does not eat when given the pellets. His eyes appeared closed as if he was sleepy.





The cause of edema and inflammation is unknown. Likely related to exposure to paint pigments as he is housed near cans of paint. But 2 siblings had no problem.

2995. House call review. A 13-year-old male cat has more control of his diabetes mellitus

Dec 20, 2016
House visit

This male cat had 6 episosdes of seizures around 3 months ago. Eats a lot, drinks a lot, pees a lot and yet lose weight (scrawny).

Blood test show hyperglycaemia. I visited the cat and saw that he was not having his clinical signs controlled by the insulin injection. So the cat was still looking for food but lesser urgency than before treatment. I taught the owner how to monitor the cat's progress so that the cat no longer feels hungry and thirsty. This needed time and patience.














House call review







Sunday, December 18, 2016

2994. A young Chihuahua has an itchy neck

Dec 17, 2016



The father bought this young Chihuahua for his son. There was an older dog in the house. This young dog was neutered two weeks ago. He is energetic and wanted to play with the older dog. I presumed that his itchy neck wound could be due to the claw swipe by the older dog rather than allergy or ringworm.

Other than that. he is OK. 




Saturday, December 17, 2016

2993. A red-eared slider has black shell spots and lines

Dec 16, 2016

A mother and teenaged daughter brought this red-eared-slider from the wet market.
She fed the special "home brand" food from the seller.
"Your red-eared slider is very thin," I showed the enlongated narrow neck without a bit of
fat.
"She eats and passed 4 large blobs of stools," the mum fed the terrapin according to the forum recommendations - amount sufficient to fill up the head volume and 3 times a week only.



  You can see that the terrapin is very thin as the area between the neck and the shoulders have
sunk deep in.