031028Singapore Chihuahua kennel cough virus, pet health and welfare educational for animal lovers, excerpts from Be Kind To Pets, sponsored by AsiaHomes Internet. The Chihuahua puppy has a runny nose  "I have 4 hours left to return this puppy if
you certify that it is not healthy or has poor conformation," said Mr Kirkwood.
"The pet dealer told me that I could get a refund of my money if it fails the
veterinary test."A handsome looking Chihuahua with a brown eye patch, just like a miniature version of Milo the Jack Russell in the famous pet movie all dog lovers know. A full belly indicating she had an excellent appetite and probably some intestinal Ascarid round worms. She looked healthy. Except for a very wet nose. A runny nose. Clear serous nasal discharge was pouring down the nostrils. I put the Chihuahua on the examination table and put a thermometer into its rectum. The rectal temperature was 38.6 degrees Celsius. It was a normal temperature for a dog. I put the stethoscope on its chest. The heart and lungs were normal. I palpated the throat near the Adam's apple. That was where the larynx was location. The larynx is the common pathway to the lungs and gullet. The puppy coughed a few times, indicating an infection there too. It did not cough up any phlegm. It was a dry hacking cough. Mr Kirkwood showed me the puppy's vaccination card. The puppy was vaccinated against the six major canine diseases on the day it arrived in Singapore, having been imported from Australia. It was sold to Mr Kirkwood sixteen days later. Should I recommend that this puppy be returned to the pet dealer in case it died of a severe viral infection. Mr Kirkwood would lose a large amount of money if it died. Imported Chihuahuas usually sell for more than $1,000 in 2001. Tomorrow would be Christmas. Mrs Kirkwood's five-year-old daughter had finally succeeded in getting daddy to buy her this puppy after promising to take care of it. If the puppy was returned, she might not have a second chance to own a Chihuahua she liked. If this viral infection continued and the puppy died, Mr Kirkwood would be very unhappy with the veterinarian. The pet dealer would naturally be unhappy with the veterinarian when the puppy was returned based on veterinary recommendations. "I do not want to cast aspersions on the integrity of the veterinary profession in general and the pet dealer's veterinarian whom I was was recommended to visit. I came to you as I just want a vet with an independence to act without impediments from extraneous sources," said Mr Kirkwood, a sales manager. The puppy must have picked up the pathogens at the kennel which had a throughput of over a hundred puppies per month. This could be the tail end of the viral infection, being the 16th day since it was imported. It had been infected immediately on arrival and the viral and bacterial infection would last around ten - twenty days. The pet dealer wound have given medication to suppress the runny nose. That made it drowsy. What should I do? My recommendation could affect Ms Kirkwood's happiness or provoke a pet dealer's wrath on Christmas Eve. "This puppy has a high probability, around 80% chances of recovering from kennel cough if kept in a quiet place and rested for the next seven days instead of playing and running around with the family," I told Mr Kirkwood. "You could bring it in for immediate treatment if it does not eat or get diarrhoea.
I continued: "This is a unique Chihuahua
with a brown eye patch, almost like Milo and you may not find another one like it. However
you will have to decide whether to return it or not within the next four hours." |
