"How much do you charge to neuter a stray cat?" the woman, probably over 40 years old phoned me yesterday. "You had operated on some of my stray cats before."
I quoted her a fee lower than my usual charges. She phoned later after checking out the other vets and said, "Will you be using anaesthetic for the neuter? I want my cat to be operated under anaesthesia." Providing cheap vet services raise doubts about the veterinarian's ethics and morals. "I use anaesthetic to neuter the stray cat," I said to the woman. "It is not possible to neuter a cat and it is very painful for the cat." I don't subscribe to some practices in other countries where the cat or dog is held by force for surgery. Or during the old days where people are operated without anaesthesia.
A cheap and good vet. That is what many Singaporeans want. The cheaper the vet, the busier he is. He must be a good vet since he is busy. This is the Singaporean mindset: The longer the queue at the hawker stall, the better is the hawker's quality of cooking.
Unfortunately, cheap and good seldom applies to medicine and surgery that require more extensive treatment.
I illustrate 2 similar cases of rabbit limb abscesses below and their outcome. Some history is written in: Large limb abscess in a 10-year-old rabbit. What to do?
In the first rabbit, I presumed that, in this competitive veterinary industry, there was a desire to provide an affordable vet service and obtain the loyalty of the rabbit owner. The vet lanced the abscess and gave a cream to be applied. Lancing the abscesses to get out the pus would do in many cases of abscesses in the dog and cat. However, in this rabbit, the abscess persisted and the cream was applied for a long time.
So, how should I treat such cases? As if the Divine Powers were challenging me, the 10-year-old rabbit was presented to me some 3 days later. It must be a coincidence if you are scientific.
I handled this case differently. Lancing the abscesses was part and parcel of the standard treatment. However, I had the rabbit under general anaesthesia of more than 20 minutes as I needed a much longer time to irrigate and flush away the pus.
I removed as much of the capsule of one of the two encapsulated abscesses as possible. Pus from the other side leaked as you can see from one of the pictures.
I made a much longer skin incision to clear the pus and bacteria lingered in the recesses of the big abscesses. The wound was more than 3 cm long and on both sides of the leg. I stitched to close the big hole with 4/0 nylon interrupted sutures. Absorbable sutures might encourage bacterial infection into the wound and therefore I did not use them.
At home, I followed up with phone calls. Apparently, the rabbit did not bother with the wound. "Just licked it," the father reported. Mum had delegated the nursing to the father and son.
"Buy a bandage that can self adhere, at the pharmacy and cover the stitches," I advised over the phone. The owner got the leg bandaged effectively but it was not the type of bandage I recommended. But it did the job. Pain-killers given to the rabbit for 7 days prevented attacks on the wounds.
I 14 days later, the father phoned me and really came back for stitch removal unlike some owners who ignored medical advices (to save money).
The anaesthetic and surgical cost was much higher at over $300 compared to less than $50 in just lancing the abscess, squeezing out the pus. Was the extra cost worth it? The outcome and cosmetic results were satisfactory for the owner. Most important of all, the rabbit would not continue licking and biting the foot.
CASE OF THE FIRST RABBIT.
For many months, the cream was applied to the big swelling in the foot. Now, the skin is bald and the problem of abscessation still persists. The thinning of the skin could be the effect of the anti-inflammatory wound applied for a very long time. Owners must seek second or third opinions when abscesses do not heal as many abscesses do heal with ordinary lancing unlike the case of the second rabbit described below.
CASE OF THE SECOND RABBIT.
The boy who is now a young adult was permitted one rabbit as a pet. I had not seen him once only some 7 years ago. His father contacted me when the rabbit developed a large swelling on his hind limb. It was a pure coincidence as I had just seen a rabbit with a similar leg abscess problem. What should I do to cure this second rabbit once and for all? Owners don't like repeated treatments. Was it possible to resolve this rabbit's problems at one visit? The answer is yes. The costs would be treble.
CASE OF THE SECOND RABBIT. 14 DAYS LATER
I performed a very thorough removal of the pus. The father was warned that the rabbit could die on the operating table as he was really at the end of his life span. Rabbits live up to 10 years and this rabbit was 10 years old. The father phoned his son to inform him. But the son did not answer the phone. So, the father granted the permission to operate.
More pictures of the surgery are at: Large limb abscess in a 10-year-old rabbit. What to do? 14 days later, the father came to get the rabbit's stitches removed. I gave him an anti-inflammatory cream to be applied strictly for 7 days only as the stitch wounds looked inflamed. I seldom do that but this was an exceptional case as I was worried that the rabbit might attack the wound.
Owners want the rabbit to look normal and prefer not to have to apply cream for a long time. Some of my owners do come for cream and do not bring in their dogs for review despite being advised.
The pet's welfare depends much on the education and sophistication of the pet owner as pets can't complain. They can scratch but if the owner ignores such scratching but applies cream, that is the reality of life and the vet can't do much for the pet.
Many owners of rabbits all over the world, and not in Singapore want "cheap and green" veterinary services. A veteran salesman always used this favourite phase regarding Singapore's pet owners with skin diseases. They want "cheap and green" vet services.
Economics and competition dictate the reality of the private practice. This "cheap and green" phrase is the Chinese Hokkien dialect equivalent of "cheap and good". In some skin disease cases and rabbit abscessation, it is just not possible to provide such services to achieve a satisfactory outcome.
This must be communicated effectively to the prospective client. If it is not possible to provide a sustainable profitable service, it is best to reject the client or the dog breeder. It just does not make economic sense to provide below-cost services as the vet will go bankrupt one day or will be unable to upgrade his facilities. The laws of the concrete jungle are as harsh as the laws of the natural jungle in the survival of a business.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
3. Rabbits with large limb abscesses - Part 1
toapayohvets.com
Be Kind To Pets
Veterinary Education
Project 2010-0005
Thur Jan 14, 2010, 6.40am Singapore time but it is dark in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
I took a short break to explore Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. It was a bright sunshine day and several thousand tourists were present to view history and the 12th century architecture of the temples. In the evening, before 5.30 pm, a big group had climbed up the steep steps of a temple to watch the pink golden sunset, taking great risk. I did not do it as there was no railing to guide climbers and the gradient was around 60 degrees. Life is filled with risks, so I did not want to take unnecessary risks in this situation. In veterinary practice, there are also risks of anaesthesia in operating on pets as the two cases of rabbit with large limb abscesses below illustrates.
CASE 1.
Male Rabbit, 6 years old. Molar spurs and a big limb abscess similar to Case 2.
A 6-year-old rabbit had not eating for 3-4 days and had salivation. The owner knew it was due to his sharp molar teeth. "3 vets advised euthanasia," she had found the 4th vet who solved her problem by filing the rabbit's molars under anaesthesia. This must be done every few weeks.
However this 4th vet worked certain days and was unavailable. I was available on Sunday and so she consulted me. Now, the 4th vet had her full confidence and if the rabbit passed away under anaesthesia, she would have no suspicion about his competence. I was a first-time vet. I advised her to consult the 4th vet on Monday even if she had to take leave to see him as I or no vet could guarantee no death during anaesthesia to file the molars. She accepted my advice.
This rabbit had a very big lump, similar in size to CASE 2. The 4th vet drained the abscess and gave her a white cream to rub onto it. So she did it and over time, it became bigger and bigger. "Can surgery be done?" I wondered. "Is it too late now as the lump is so big, around 2cm x 1.5cm", I explained to her that there would be a big hole.
Should surgery be done in the first instance when the abscess was small instead of lancing it and draining it?
This is hard to say as the standard practice for an abscess is to incise and drain the pus. This had been done at the first visit. However, Vet 4 had prescribed a cream to apply and the owner had been using this cream for a long time.
I don't give cream after drainage but each vet has his own preferences. The owner has to see the vet if the abscess recur instead of applying cream and seeing it swell to a bigger size over time. Seek a second opinion.
Now that this rabbit has become older and weaker due to loss of appetite attributed to molar spur formation, the anaesthetic risks have had doubled.
This growing abscess could have weakened the rabbit and made it high risk anaesthetic patient based on the application of a "white cream". This cream relieved itchiness in the rabbit and I presumed it must be a potent corticosteroid.
If the owner had consulted the vet again when the abscess recurred and the vet had drained the abscess, the rabbit might not be having such a large limb abscess now.
Of course, it would cost money to see the vet again.
It is very difficult to remove an abscess intact with its capsule and some rabbit abscess do recur. But many rabbit owners seem to give up consulting the vet.
Applying cream would not make any big abscesses disappear. In this case, the owner showed me a small plastic container with white cream given by Vet 4. There was no name of the cream and so I would presume that it was a corticosteroid as it would relieve the itchiness in the limb. However, it did not help the rabbit in the long term.
Other than the age of 6 years and a loss of appetite for a few days, the other factor to consider is the long-term use of corticosteroid. This may suppress the immune system and thereby weakening the rabbit. If I took on this new client and anaesthesized her rabbit for the treatment of molar spurs, the rabbit may just die on the operating table. A death on the operating table is unforgivable by many owners and their family members if you read the rabbit internet forum.
The only possible conclusion this owner and her family members would make would be that I killed the rabbit due to poor judgment or incompetence.
It would be very highly emotional and sometimes the owner would bad-mouth to all friends to avoid the practice.
No excuses or reasons would be acceptable to the owner and her family members when there is a death of a pet at the vet.
Therefore I advised and the owner accepted that her usual vet would handle her case on Monday.
It would appear that I was not confident enough to treat her rabbit. I did not have a good feeling in this case and it would be best to lose a client and have a live rabbit for the owner. Vets are not Gods.
CASE 2.
Male Rabbit, 10 years old. Big limb abscess similar to Case 1.
Two days after seeing Case 1, a 10-year-old thin rabbit came to challenge me as to how I should handle a similar case.
An almost identical case with the abscess equally as large but at the starting stage. No anti-inflammatory cream had been applied. I had seen this rabbit for nail clipping some 6 years ago and the young boy is now a grown up man. His silver-haired father said, "My son is upset that his rabbit has this large swelling in the right hind leg."
This rabbit is ancient and towards the end of his life span! "He had not been eating for 2 days," the mum said. Well, when the parents said 2 days of anorexia, it could be more than 2 days of inappetance or loss of appetite. So, here I have. A more high risk anaesthetic case. I gave him less than 30% chances of survival under anaesthesia and prolonged surgery. There was no point incising the abscess and draining out as much of the pus as possible. This rabbit would not have a second chance at surgery as he is so old. I decide to try and get the capsule of the abscesses shelled out but this is easier said than done. On closer inspection, he had 2 abscesses. The medial one appeared encapsulated. The lateral one was soft and both were connected to give the impression they were one large swelling.
So, one cut to drain both would not be satisfactory. The abscess would recur.
"Telephone your son to let him know this is high risk and he may not see his rabbit alive today if anaesthesia is done." The father phoned but there was no response. "Go ahead. Do your best." he said. He knew the odds. He was the father who took time off to get the rabbit's nails clipped some 6 years ago and there was no medical problems till now.
To shorten the story, here is what I did.
1. Dextrose saline 20 ml with baytril antibiotics. It was not possible to give an IV drip in small rabbits.
2. Ear vein. 0.1 ml Domitor. Isoflurane gas mask to maintain when the rabbit needed anaesthesia e.g. squealing or moving a bit.
3. Incision as long as possible to get all pus out. I could not see the capsule in the medial side but much of the debris and capsule were scrapped off. The lateral side had soft cheesy pus. "Why is the pus so thick," Alice, a 4th year Murdoch vet student asked me. Dog abscesses are usually watery and she was asking a pertinent question. I wanted my vet assistant to answer but they might not know and so I saved them the embarrassment. Fortunately I had an answer. "Rabbits do not have an enzyme to liquefy the pus, unlike dogs," I hope this answer would satisfy her. Having vet interns can be quite problematic or challenging if one has no answers? So some vets don't want interns.
4. Surgery. 2 incisions at the side. Large enough to view and scrap off infected capsule if possible. Normal saline flushed out all debris. 5/0 nylon sutures, simple interrupted.
5. Trimethoprim and meloxicalm oral for 14 days. Rabbit goes home after 2 days. Stitch removal in Day 14.
Will abscess recur? Follow up by the owner is essential. The rabbit was caged since the past year as the owner shifted to a much smaller apartment. He was permitted out but would not dare to come out as his cage was in the balcony. "He may be afraid of being preyed upon by birds or the smell of breeze," I explain as this rabbit was active and was roaming the room in the old residence for the past 9 years. "Why not permit him in the living area?" How he got this big abscess, I don't know. I hope he recover fully and will not need any surgery. He may live past 10 years as he is well cared for. This is a very long-lived rabbit in Singapore. If he was not caged, he might not have this abscess. But who knows?
4 days after the surgery, I phoned the owners as we had a relationship of trust. "I leave it to my husband and son to nurse the rabbit," the wife answered the phone as the husband was driving. The husband phoned me later and said: "No biting of stitches. The rabbit is eating normal and receiving his medication. Does he need stitch removal?"
"Yes," I said. "The rabbit was stitched up with 5/0 nylon sutures which would not dissolved. Bring the rabbit in 14 days after his surgery for stitch removal."
This old rabbit hides behind the sofa set when released in the living room or will just stay inside the cage when placed in the balcony. Before the shifting to a new apartment one year ago, this rabbit was sociable and running around inside the apartment. What causes this change in behaviour is hard to say.
Large abscesses in a 10-year-old rabbit
Large limb abscesses on the dorsal surface in rabbits are rare compared to facial abscesses and bumble foot. Therefore, having two cases in a short time appeared to me to be too much of a coincidence. I am not superstitious but was this situation a test by Divine Powers. Like scientists experimenting on animals, Divine Powers experiment on human beings? Sounds like a Science Fantasy?
SOME RABBIT REFERENCES
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html - Ileus in Rabbits
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html - Dental Problems in Rabbits
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/urinary.html - Urinary Problems in Rabbits
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sneezing.html - Respiratory Problems in Rabbits
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/tilt.html - Head Tilt in Rabbits
Be Kind To Pets
Veterinary Education
Project 2010-0005
Thur Jan 14, 2010, 6.40am Singapore time but it is dark in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
I took a short break to explore Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. It was a bright sunshine day and several thousand tourists were present to view history and the 12th century architecture of the temples. In the evening, before 5.30 pm, a big group had climbed up the steep steps of a temple to watch the pink golden sunset, taking great risk. I did not do it as there was no railing to guide climbers and the gradient was around 60 degrees. Life is filled with risks, so I did not want to take unnecessary risks in this situation. In veterinary practice, there are also risks of anaesthesia in operating on pets as the two cases of rabbit with large limb abscesses below illustrates.
CASE 1.
Male Rabbit, 6 years old. Molar spurs and a big limb abscess similar to Case 2.
A 6-year-old rabbit had not eating for 3-4 days and had salivation. The owner knew it was due to his sharp molar teeth. "3 vets advised euthanasia," she had found the 4th vet who solved her problem by filing the rabbit's molars under anaesthesia. This must be done every few weeks.
However this 4th vet worked certain days and was unavailable. I was available on Sunday and so she consulted me. Now, the 4th vet had her full confidence and if the rabbit passed away under anaesthesia, she would have no suspicion about his competence. I was a first-time vet. I advised her to consult the 4th vet on Monday even if she had to take leave to see him as I or no vet could guarantee no death during anaesthesia to file the molars. She accepted my advice.
This rabbit had a very big lump, similar in size to CASE 2. The 4th vet drained the abscess and gave her a white cream to rub onto it. So she did it and over time, it became bigger and bigger. "Can surgery be done?" I wondered. "Is it too late now as the lump is so big, around 2cm x 1.5cm", I explained to her that there would be a big hole.
Should surgery be done in the first instance when the abscess was small instead of lancing it and draining it?
This is hard to say as the standard practice for an abscess is to incise and drain the pus. This had been done at the first visit. However, Vet 4 had prescribed a cream to apply and the owner had been using this cream for a long time.
I don't give cream after drainage but each vet has his own preferences. The owner has to see the vet if the abscess recur instead of applying cream and seeing it swell to a bigger size over time. Seek a second opinion.
Now that this rabbit has become older and weaker due to loss of appetite attributed to molar spur formation, the anaesthetic risks have had doubled.
This growing abscess could have weakened the rabbit and made it high risk anaesthetic patient based on the application of a "white cream". This cream relieved itchiness in the rabbit and I presumed it must be a potent corticosteroid.
If the owner had consulted the vet again when the abscess recurred and the vet had drained the abscess, the rabbit might not be having such a large limb abscess now.
Of course, it would cost money to see the vet again.
It is very difficult to remove an abscess intact with its capsule and some rabbit abscess do recur. But many rabbit owners seem to give up consulting the vet.
Applying cream would not make any big abscesses disappear. In this case, the owner showed me a small plastic container with white cream given by Vet 4. There was no name of the cream and so I would presume that it was a corticosteroid as it would relieve the itchiness in the limb. However, it did not help the rabbit in the long term.
Other than the age of 6 years and a loss of appetite for a few days, the other factor to consider is the long-term use of corticosteroid. This may suppress the immune system and thereby weakening the rabbit. If I took on this new client and anaesthesized her rabbit for the treatment of molar spurs, the rabbit may just die on the operating table. A death on the operating table is unforgivable by many owners and their family members if you read the rabbit internet forum.
The only possible conclusion this owner and her family members would make would be that I killed the rabbit due to poor judgment or incompetence.
It would be very highly emotional and sometimes the owner would bad-mouth to all friends to avoid the practice.
No excuses or reasons would be acceptable to the owner and her family members when there is a death of a pet at the vet.
Therefore I advised and the owner accepted that her usual vet would handle her case on Monday.
It would appear that I was not confident enough to treat her rabbit. I did not have a good feeling in this case and it would be best to lose a client and have a live rabbit for the owner. Vets are not Gods.
CASE 2.
Male Rabbit, 10 years old. Big limb abscess similar to Case 1.
Two days after seeing Case 1, a 10-year-old thin rabbit came to challenge me as to how I should handle a similar case.
An almost identical case with the abscess equally as large but at the starting stage. No anti-inflammatory cream had been applied. I had seen this rabbit for nail clipping some 6 years ago and the young boy is now a grown up man. His silver-haired father said, "My son is upset that his rabbit has this large swelling in the right hind leg."
This rabbit is ancient and towards the end of his life span! "He had not been eating for 2 days," the mum said. Well, when the parents said 2 days of anorexia, it could be more than 2 days of inappetance or loss of appetite. So, here I have. A more high risk anaesthetic case. I gave him less than 30% chances of survival under anaesthesia and prolonged surgery. There was no point incising the abscess and draining out as much of the pus as possible. This rabbit would not have a second chance at surgery as he is so old. I decide to try and get the capsule of the abscesses shelled out but this is easier said than done. On closer inspection, he had 2 abscesses. The medial one appeared encapsulated. The lateral one was soft and both were connected to give the impression they were one large swelling.
So, one cut to drain both would not be satisfactory. The abscess would recur.
"Telephone your son to let him know this is high risk and he may not see his rabbit alive today if anaesthesia is done." The father phoned but there was no response. "Go ahead. Do your best." he said. He knew the odds. He was the father who took time off to get the rabbit's nails clipped some 6 years ago and there was no medical problems till now.
To shorten the story, here is what I did.
1. Dextrose saline 20 ml with baytril antibiotics. It was not possible to give an IV drip in small rabbits.
2. Ear vein. 0.1 ml Domitor. Isoflurane gas mask to maintain when the rabbit needed anaesthesia e.g. squealing or moving a bit.
3. Incision as long as possible to get all pus out. I could not see the capsule in the medial side but much of the debris and capsule were scrapped off. The lateral side had soft cheesy pus. "Why is the pus so thick," Alice, a 4th year Murdoch vet student asked me. Dog abscesses are usually watery and she was asking a pertinent question. I wanted my vet assistant to answer but they might not know and so I saved them the embarrassment. Fortunately I had an answer. "Rabbits do not have an enzyme to liquefy the pus, unlike dogs," I hope this answer would satisfy her. Having vet interns can be quite problematic or challenging if one has no answers? So some vets don't want interns.
4. Surgery. 2 incisions at the side. Large enough to view and scrap off infected capsule if possible. Normal saline flushed out all debris. 5/0 nylon sutures, simple interrupted.
5. Trimethoprim and meloxicalm oral for 14 days. Rabbit goes home after 2 days. Stitch removal in Day 14.
Will abscess recur? Follow up by the owner is essential. The rabbit was caged since the past year as the owner shifted to a much smaller apartment. He was permitted out but would not dare to come out as his cage was in the balcony. "He may be afraid of being preyed upon by birds or the smell of breeze," I explain as this rabbit was active and was roaming the room in the old residence for the past 9 years. "Why not permit him in the living area?" How he got this big abscess, I don't know. I hope he recover fully and will not need any surgery. He may live past 10 years as he is well cared for. This is a very long-lived rabbit in Singapore. If he was not caged, he might not have this abscess. But who knows?
4 days after the surgery, I phoned the owners as we had a relationship of trust. "I leave it to my husband and son to nurse the rabbit," the wife answered the phone as the husband was driving. The husband phoned me later and said: "No biting of stitches. The rabbit is eating normal and receiving his medication. Does he need stitch removal?"
"Yes," I said. "The rabbit was stitched up with 5/0 nylon sutures which would not dissolved. Bring the rabbit in 14 days after his surgery for stitch removal."
This old rabbit hides behind the sofa set when released in the living room or will just stay inside the cage when placed in the balcony. Before the shifting to a new apartment one year ago, this rabbit was sociable and running around inside the apartment. What causes this change in behaviour is hard to say.
Large abscesses in a 10-year-old rabbit
Large limb abscesses on the dorsal surface in rabbits are rare compared to facial abscesses and bumble foot. Therefore, having two cases in a short time appeared to me to be too much of a coincidence. I am not superstitious but was this situation a test by Divine Powers. Like scientists experimenting on animals, Divine Powers experiment on human beings? Sounds like a Science Fantasy?
SOME RABBIT REFERENCES
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/ileus.html - Ileus in Rabbits
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html - Dental Problems in Rabbits
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/urinary.html - Urinary Problems in Rabbits
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sneezing.html - Respiratory Problems in Rabbits
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/tilt.html - Head Tilt in Rabbits
Saturday, January 9, 2010
2. Anaesthesia - Giant Rabbit and Guinea Pig
BE KIND TO PETS
bekindtopets.com community education
Sharing knowledge with veterinarians
Giant Rabbit Neutering
The vast majority of Singapore pet owners keep small rabbits of around 2-3 kg. So my staff quoted the normal prices of $75.00 for neutering of a rabbit. A price list is displayed prominently at the reception. It says: "Castration, rabbit, $75.00"
However, a giant rabbit was presented after the owner phoned for a quotation. Unfortunately, my staff had never thought of asking its weight, unlike the case for dog neutering. A Giant Fleming Rabbit of 5.2 kg turned up. He was extremely hyperexcitable. This type of temperament is a high anaesthetic risk.
METHOD 1.
One method is to use injectable anaesthesia of zoletil IM, 5 minutes later, give domitor IV via the ear vein.
However, this method seems to be unsuitable as restraint and injection causes the rabbit to move a lot.
Zoletil 50 0.2 ml IM
Waited 15 minutes
Wanted to give Domitor 0.2 ml IV, ear vein.
Still struggling. Abandoned this method in favour of Method 2.
METHOD 2
Zoletil 50 0.2 ml IM given. In around 7 minutes, the rabbit staggers and by the 15th minute, the rabbit was recumbent.
However it exhibited excitation when the ear vein was pricked and moved away.
So, I used isoflurane 5% gas by mask.
Isoflurane gas - mask - maintenance at 0.5% - 1% was excellent. The rabbit was neutered without problems.
METHOD 3
Xylazine IM, Ketamine IM is another method I used for smaller rabbits of around 2 kg. Isoflurane Gas top up may be necessary.
This Giant Rabbit recovered after 30 minutes and went home. Method 2 is the best method for me but each vet has his own preferences.
Guinea Pig Neutering
In a 4-month-old, 700-gram male Guinea Pig I neutered recently, Zoletil 50 0.1 ml IM was given. Then a few seconds of isoflurane gas at 1-2% provided excellent surgical anaesthesia when the guinea pig moved. The guinea Pig woke up within 1 minute after neutering was completed.
As rabbits and guinea pigs are not starved 10 hours prior to anaesthesia and surgery, unlike dogs, I neutered this guinea pig 4 hours after the young lady owner brought him in for neutering to prevent breeding. "It is much safer to neuter than to spay the guinea pig," the young girl told me. "You are correct," I replied. "Spaying takes a much longer time and require internal access inside the abdomen."
After Zoletil injection, a copious amount of yellowish-brown fluid came out of the guinea pig's mouth. This appeared to be "vomitus". His mouth was cleaned before the gas mask was applied. This could be a side effect of Zoletil injection.
toapayohvets.com
Be Kind To Pets
Veterinary Educational
Project 2010-0001
bekindtopets.com community education
Sharing knowledge with veterinarians
Giant Rabbit Neutering
The vast majority of Singapore pet owners keep small rabbits of around 2-3 kg. So my staff quoted the normal prices of $75.00 for neutering of a rabbit. A price list is displayed prominently at the reception. It says: "Castration, rabbit, $75.00"
However, a giant rabbit was presented after the owner phoned for a quotation. Unfortunately, my staff had never thought of asking its weight, unlike the case for dog neutering. A Giant Fleming Rabbit of 5.2 kg turned up. He was extremely hyperexcitable. This type of temperament is a high anaesthetic risk.
METHOD 1.
One method is to use injectable anaesthesia of zoletil IM, 5 minutes later, give domitor IV via the ear vein.
However, this method seems to be unsuitable as restraint and injection causes the rabbit to move a lot.
Zoletil 50 0.2 ml IM
Waited 15 minutes
Wanted to give Domitor 0.2 ml IV, ear vein.
Still struggling. Abandoned this method in favour of Method 2.
METHOD 2
Zoletil 50 0.2 ml IM given. In around 7 minutes, the rabbit staggers and by the 15th minute, the rabbit was recumbent.
However it exhibited excitation when the ear vein was pricked and moved away.
So, I used isoflurane 5% gas by mask.
Isoflurane gas - mask - maintenance at 0.5% - 1% was excellent. The rabbit was neutered without problems.
METHOD 3
Xylazine IM, Ketamine IM is another method I used for smaller rabbits of around 2 kg. Isoflurane Gas top up may be necessary.
This Giant Rabbit recovered after 30 minutes and went home. Method 2 is the best method for me but each vet has his own preferences.
Guinea Pig Neutering
In a 4-month-old, 700-gram male Guinea Pig I neutered recently, Zoletil 50 0.1 ml IM was given. Then a few seconds of isoflurane gas at 1-2% provided excellent surgical anaesthesia when the guinea pig moved. The guinea Pig woke up within 1 minute after neutering was completed.
As rabbits and guinea pigs are not starved 10 hours prior to anaesthesia and surgery, unlike dogs, I neutered this guinea pig 4 hours after the young lady owner brought him in for neutering to prevent breeding. "It is much safer to neuter than to spay the guinea pig," the young girl told me. "You are correct," I replied. "Spaying takes a much longer time and require internal access inside the abdomen."
After Zoletil injection, a copious amount of yellowish-brown fluid came out of the guinea pig's mouth. This appeared to be "vomitus". His mouth was cleaned before the gas mask was applied. This could be a side effect of Zoletil injection.
toapayohvets.com
Be Kind To Pets
Veterinary Educational
Project 2010-0001
Saturday, April 19, 2008
1. Rabbit Hernia Grows Bigger Daily
--- On Sat, 4/19/08, <...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Subject: Please advise on rabbit hernia
To: judy@toapayohvets.com
Date: Saturday, April 19, 2008, 8:40 AM
Dear Sirs:
I have a pet cotton-tail white rabbit at home. She is about 2.8 kg and female. She is now about 1 and a half year old. My kids bought it as a present for me last Jan 18, 2007. But she has a mass on her belly. I brought her to our local vet last March 28 and had x-ray. I was told it was umbilical hernia. Is it risky for my rabbit to undergo surgery to remove the hernia? What are her chances of survival and recovery? I was also told it is an expensive procedure than buying a dozen local rabbits. And in our place, the rabbits are rarely taken to surgery. Mostly the vet surgeons here treat dogs and cats. At present, my rabbit is active and still eating. But the mass on her belly is getting bigger and harder when I touched it as she grows bigger. My kids and I had come to love and care for the rabbit very much. She is very much a part of our lives. Thank you.
Respectfully yours,
Name of owner
Re: pls advise on rabbit hernia
Saturday, April 19, 2008 9:25 PM
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"David Sing"
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<...@yahoo.com>
Cc:
judy@toapayohvets.com
I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets. Is your rabbit in Singapore?
In Singapore, there are very few rabbit surgeries as rabbit ownership is very low.
In my experience, a healthy young rabbit over 6 months of age is unlikely to die on the operating table from anaesthesia. The owner must accept the risk no matter how low as the rabbit may suffer an adverse drug reaction and dies.
If the umbilical hernia in any dog, cat or rabbit is growing bigger, surgery is needed. The sooner it is done the better as the rabbit may lick at the "growing" lump which is painful and irritating as it walks and hops.
Some parts of the gut may have dropped into the herniated sac and gets trapped and then twisted. In such situations, the rabbit feels intense pain (when you touch the umbilical hernia). It stops eating. The blood supply to the gut gets cut off and the intestines become gangrenous. The rabbit dies when you rush it in for surgery at that time as it is already in poor health.
Hernia repair surgery including anaesthesia costs are high if your rabbit was bought for $5.00. You may be able to buy 4 dozen rabbits if your vet charges $250. I hope I have answered your questions.
If possible I will appreciate if you will email to me a few pic of the rabbit hernia and its X-rays.
Subject: Please advise on rabbit hernia
To: judy@toapayohvets.com
Date: Saturday, April 19, 2008, 8:40 AM
Dear Sirs:
I have a pet cotton-tail white rabbit at home. She is about 2.8 kg and female. She is now about 1 and a half year old. My kids bought it as a present for me last Jan 18, 2007. But she has a mass on her belly. I brought her to our local vet last March 28 and had x-ray. I was told it was umbilical hernia. Is it risky for my rabbit to undergo surgery to remove the hernia? What are her chances of survival and recovery? I was also told it is an expensive procedure than buying a dozen local rabbits. And in our place, the rabbits are rarely taken to surgery. Mostly the vet surgeons here treat dogs and cats. At present, my rabbit is active and still eating. But the mass on her belly is getting bigger and harder when I touched it as she grows bigger. My kids and I had come to love and care for the rabbit very much. She is very much a part of our lives. Thank you.
Respectfully yours,
Name of owner
Re: pls advise on rabbit hernia
Saturday, April 19, 2008 9:25 PM
From: This sender is DomainKeys verified
"David Sing"
View contact details
To:
<...@yahoo.com>
Cc:
judy@toapayohvets.com
I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets. Is your rabbit in Singapore?
In Singapore, there are very few rabbit surgeries as rabbit ownership is very low.
In my experience, a healthy young rabbit over 6 months of age is unlikely to die on the operating table from anaesthesia. The owner must accept the risk no matter how low as the rabbit may suffer an adverse drug reaction and dies.
If the umbilical hernia in any dog, cat or rabbit is growing bigger, surgery is needed. The sooner it is done the better as the rabbit may lick at the "growing" lump which is painful and irritating as it walks and hops.
Some parts of the gut may have dropped into the herniated sac and gets trapped and then twisted. In such situations, the rabbit feels intense pain (when you touch the umbilical hernia). It stops eating. The blood supply to the gut gets cut off and the intestines become gangrenous. The rabbit dies when you rush it in for surgery at that time as it is already in poor health.
Hernia repair surgery including anaesthesia costs are high if your rabbit was bought for $5.00. You may be able to buy 4 dozen rabbits if your vet charges $250. I hope I have answered your questions.
If possible I will appreciate if you will email to me a few pic of the rabbit hernia and its X-rays.
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