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Last updated: 07 Mar 2000

"Is there a place in a well-developed Singapore for the underdog?"

A real dog who has no home nor owner. A canine vagabond. Usually a cross-bred dog or mongrel who lives in fear of being shot by the government's dog control unit? Who will care for it when it needed veterinary attention and nursing?

Dr Foo encounters many such cases as the one shown in the photo on the left. A young cross-bred male given food leftovers from the industrial park workers. As to its skin diseases, good luck to it. Frequent rubbing due to irriation from tick bites had led to a "hairless" look.

Testicle dropped out of scrotal sac and got twisted. Vomited after xylazine tranquiliser injection.

Now, it had a left testicle fallen out from the protective cover of the scrotum and it continued to lick at it, hoping it would disappear. The blood vessels connecting the testicle to the body had twisted and had resulted in a cut off of blood supply. The testicle had turned greenish yellow, a sign of impending gangrene and then death due to septicaemia and blood poisoning.

Even though the general anaesthesia and surgery cost S$200, a deep discount for this case, the kennelling costs would amount to over $600 for a 2-week stay. The kennel operator was not keen in reducing the rates as he would lose his motivation to work. He was not a charitable organisation with public donation to sustain an operation for canine strays.

Singapore is a rich country but not for this dog. It would have died soon as the testicular tissue rots. The dog used to go to a factory to be fed. Luckily, the Owner was willing to foot the bills.

General anaesthesia, greenish yellow gangrenous area of testiclel seen.

It was Christmas eve and the kennelling charges would be higher.

The yellow green patch of gangrenous testicular tissue was spreading. The wiry 50-year old woman worker who brought in the stray said it was a recent prolapse and her boss would pay for all expenses.

To operate immediately or to give it antibiotics and to wait a few days? What if it died and the veterinary surgeon gets blame for it? Some owners will say the vet is not good because the dog died under anaesthesia or shortly after surgery and therefore should not be paid. Or would try to get a discount. A stray dog has no real owner. It would be difficult to recover the costs.

The kennel operator was not keen to subsidise the nursing and boarding costs. He was in the business to make a living.

Stitches bitten off. Post-op nursing to keep wound clean important.

It was operated immediately. Of course, it bit off the stitches and had to be given an Elizabethean collar. 14 days later, the dog went home with a reddish wound where the testicle used to be (see photo on left). The kennel cost was 3 times the veterinary costs of anaesthesia and surgery. This vagabond will still fight with other dogs and maybe shot by the dog control unit. This is his life-style. If there are prospective owners in Singapore who want to adopt him, email judy@asiahomes.com.

Case extracted from "The Glamorous Vets, Singapore".

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