0120Singapore pet health and welfare educational for animal lovers, excerpts from The Glamorous Vets, Singapore, sponsored by  AsiaHomes Internet.


You can't teach old dogs new tricks.

"Joey had a small swelling in the ear and a vet had cut a small hole to drain the swelling.   Now the ear is swollen again," said Mr Jimmy Koh.  Animal doctor hopping is common in Singapore and therefore I was not surprised that he had sought veterinary treatment at another surgery.   

The white Bull Terrier cross had been adopted from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Dogs ten years ago and had been healthy and well loved for many years.

"However Joey might bite if you touch his ears," Mr Koh warned.

Groomer Ken who had just started his grooming business at the age of sixty five years came to help.   Joey was muzzled by him on a table. 

"Ken, I believe the muzzle for Joey is not of an inappropriate size," I warned Ken. The muzzle was meant for a bigger dog but Ken thought otherwise.  He was the groomer.  Nobody should tell him what to do.  As his hand brushed past Joey's painful ear, he received a lightning bite.

"I told you so," Joey's owner laughed.

"The dog bit me," said Ken.  "But there is no wound in my hand."   He repeated again and showed his left hand as a Boy Scout would show off his badge awarded for an accomplished task. Certainly he was proud that an old man's reflexes was faster than that of an old dog. In human equivalent years of seven times the dog's age, Joey would be seventy years old and a senior citizen just like Ken.  

Joey could bite as the muzzle was partially effective.  Ken would learn the hard way again and again.   

But Ken was taught how to muzzle the dog.  He did things his own way.  Just like Frank Sinatra's song, "I do it my way,".

Seven months ago, he had a similar condition called aural haematoma, with swelling of blood inside his right ear and surgery to drain the clot had been successful.  Now, Joey had a swollen left ear.  It was not the big swelling seen in many cases.   He had been scratching the swelling. His ear was clean.  Could it be the mosquito bites at Springleaf Gardens?  Nobody knows what caused the aural haemotma in Joey and why some bigger dogs never had this problem. 

Groomer Ken looped a nylon rope twice round his nose just in case the dog would bite again.

This was not the universal procedure.  Two ends of the rope was supposed to go one round from under the chin and knotted above the nose.  Then the two ends would go down to the chin and knotted.  The two ends would be placed behind the ears and knotted again.  This would be secure and no dog could bite.  But this was Senior Citizen Ken and he has his own style.

Can you teach old dogs new tricks? Or maybe I was outdate.  I should  think out of the box? Maybe, there are more than one way to muzzle a dog.

Ear swellings or aural haematoma can very painful and even a tranquilise dog can bite in response to painful procedures on the ear. It does not want to bite if you do not cause pain.

Ken seemed to be using a muzzle and a nylon rope to restrain the dog. That might be effective as Joey was tranquilized.    The price to pay for not following this proper procedure can be serious dog bites and I will not want a senior citizen to get hurt as older folks take a longer time for injuries to heal.

Joey was operated under halothane gas general anaesthesia. Mr Koh wanted to be present to watch the surgery.  He  saw blood clots and bleeding after incising the swelling.  Mr Koh was a strong fit man.

When I incised the big swelling, an explosive flood of blood, as if a dam was burst, shot out into the kidney-shaped drainage bowl. My white coat was splattered with bright red dots.



The wall partition of the small 100-square-foot surgery room shook violently.  Was it an earthquake tremor?  Should we stop the surgery and evacuate?  How much time did we have?

Although Singapore seldom has earthquakes, there had been one a few months ago. A minor one as only certain areas were affected.  I was not going to take chances and be entombed.

"Quick, support him before he knocks his head on the floor!" Nurse Ann shouted.   Joey was sleeping peacefully. What was Nurse Ann panicking about?

There was pandemonium as none of anticipated that Mr Koh could not stand the smell and sight of blood.  The bloody scene was just too nauseating for him.  He had fainted suddenly. 

Nurse Ann managed to stop him from hitting his head on the operating table.  That would be a real head trauma emergency. What if Mr Koh suffered an aural haematoma due to trauma?  That would be the first case of aural hematoma in dog and man.
   
It was a relief that Mr Koh was not injured. 

Joey went home with a tight bandage of his ear pinnae . Of course, the first thing he did was to shake off the bandage but he recovered and had all the love of his owner and family members.

Pricking the swelling with a needle (see small wounds in the ear in top photo) is ineffective in draining the blood as the small holes on the skin close fast.

Veterinary surgeons may need to make
a sufficient length of incision, otherwise fast healing wound would prevent drainage of residual blood.  The return of the swelling meant that the Owner had to pay for more veterinary bills.  An "S-shaped" incision of over 2 inches is usually effective.

What should I do with Groomer Ken? Should he be sent to pasture for his own good? Before he gets mauled by a Rottweiler or bigger dog next time? Can an old dog learn new tricks?

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