9405Singapore pet health and welfare educational for animal lovers, excerpts from The Glamorous Vets, Singapore, sponsored by  AsiaHomes Internet.

Curry powder to stop bleeding



She looked outstanding. Even young for her age.  Good bodily condition. Well cared for.

A golden yellow neck with a thick cake of yellow powder encrusted round her neck.   She was a female cross-bred that had escaped from the clutches of the efficient dog catchers of the Primary Production Department for the past twelve years and now she was dull and listless, near death's door.

What do I mean by escapes?  Well, she was smart enough to sense that dog catchers were near and would run away fast before she could be trapped and the shot gun fired.  

She had freedom to wander round the Yishun neighbourhood.  Lots of green trees and woods.  She knew how to get back to the HDB (Housing and Development Board) apartment. 

She did get pregnant a few times although the number of stray male dogs had had been reduced drastically.  She had a six-week old and had walked over to see the other bitch nursing.   In this 80 sq. m 2-bedroom apartment, there was no way she could avoid the other bitch.

Now she was in a bad shape.  Her pup was not attacked that Saturday night when the owners were away to visit relatives.   

"What had happened?" Dr Chua asked.

"It was at 11 p.m that she was attacked by the other bitch that was nursing her puppies.  Both bitches had been living in the same apartment for the past 12 years," said Ms Khalid.  "There was a lot of bleeding, so I used curry powder to stop the bleeding."  

Nothing can be seen under the curry powder.  Dr Chua had to wash off the curry powder. There were multiple skin lacerations above and below the neck.  The bleeding had stopped.  However, the bitch was very weak and the body temperature was dropping to below the normal.

"Is there any hope of recovery?" asked Ms Khalid. 

"The curry powder had been absorbed by the blood stream.  A very large amount had also been rubbed into the wounds and this would have gone into the blood stream and this may be toxic to the kidneys and other organs of an old bitch," explained Dr Chua. 

Could the eighty-four human equivalent year old bitch be poisoned by curry powder?

The bitch was given fluid therapy.  She was not suffering from blood loss as her mucous membranes were of a normal colour, not pallid.  However, she looked very sick.   She passed away one hour later.  The maternal instinct in the other bitch was so strong that she would not tolerate the intruder. Was it enhanced by the pressure of high rise living? Nobody knows for sure.