vet
Back to the vet
Due to last night’s episode, I decided to send Dexter to the vet pronto. It was pouring outside and both my brother and I tried calling for a cab. We’ve dialed City Cab, Comfort and even TIBS but after calling for MORE than half an hour, NOT A SINGLE CAB WAS AVAILABLE!
*FAINTS!*
Finally managed to get one and we piah all the way down to Sunset Way. I was expecting a long queue but perhaps due to the rain, only two patients are in front of me. We managed to see Dr PM and she said that Dexter might be suffering from a stroke or inner ear infection. It can only be ascertain after taking a X-Ray but that means he will have to go under GA.
I don’t feel comfortable about this. Anything can happen during GA and I’m skeptical about letting him go through the risk, especially at his age and health condition. I’m afraid that he might not make it.
Fortunately, he do not need to be hospitalized again and was sent home with some Neuro medication to help control his head tilt but I have to observe how he’s reacting to the medication.
During this difficult time, I’m utterly upset and disappointed with some people, especially my father. Ever since Dexter‘s fallen ill, he’s been saying things like “putting him down” and “throwing him away”, etc
He knows I hate it when he says insensitive things like that and we’ll just end up arguing yet he’s out to annoy me! The dog is still able to walk, eat and drink but he just needs a little more assistance with his daily activities. Why can’t my father be more supportive?
I don’t understand how heartless one could be. Didn’t he feel a tinge of sorrow? Didn’t he have any feelings for the dog, which had been with us for the past seven years, ever since he’s a puppy??
Does the years spent walking in the park together mean nothing to him?
Dexter‘s currently undergoing treatment and he’s getting better by the day. I guess he’s slowly getting used to seeing sideways already. He can run a bit and still loves to attack the vacuum cleaner!
There are also some people whom I would like to thank, for the support and care they had shown me towards this difficult period, specially Mr Sim and Mrs Wee for their understanding, Mrs Tahir, for her words of encouragement via sms.
“Be strong for him,
pets are sensitive to our emotions.
It pains me too what you are going through but be strong…”
Then there’s also Edward, who helped to take over my duties during my absence and also to Melissa, Meizhen and Farzanah for their words of encouragement.
Come Home Please
I’ve been feeling down ever since Dexter was hospitalized. I do not have any appetite and I haven’t been eating anything in school for the whole day (from 8am to 5pm) and my tummy is feeling a little uncomfortable right now.
I’m very anxious right now because I am still waiting for the call from the clinic. Will Dexter be discharged? Dr PM promised to let him come home before Saturday but today is already Friday.
In the end, I called them instead and they said that Dexter still had soft stools this morning. He can only be discharged when his stools firms up.
I’ll visit him at the clinic tomorrow. Hope to bring him home by then.
initial diagnosis
Dexter’s appointment with the vet was at 2.30pm so I had to rush home after school to bring him down to the Animal Clinic at Sunset Way. Luckily, there wasn’t any other patients and we were able to see the vet right away.
We didn’t manage to get to see Dr Lee this time as he only comes on Thursdays.
After listening to the symptoms I had described, Dr PM did a blood test for Dexter and I waited for almost half an hour for the results.
Blood Test Results:
ALB = 1.3 g/dl LO**
Normal (2.2 – 3.9)
CAL = 5.1 mg/dl LO***
Normal (7.9 – 12)
CHOL = 66 mg/dl LO**
Normal (110 – 320)
GLU = 67 mg/dl LO*
Normal (70 – 143)
TBIL = 3.2 mg/dl HI***
Normal (0.0 – 0.9)
TP = 4.4 g/dl LO*
Normal (5.2 – 8.2)
Dr PM told me that something near Dexter‘s kidney is swelling, therefore, blocking food from going down properly which explains why he has been vomiting so much lately.
As you can see from his blood test results above, Dexter is malnutritioned. I was taken aback to know that he has lost almost 2 kgs! I knew he had lost some weight but I didn’t expect it was that much! Dr PM said his feet were weak because he isn’t eating enough and the seizure is due to his low glucose level. As for the reason for the swelling near the kidneys, Dr PM suspected POISONING.
The only logical explanation I could think of was the fogging done by the Environmental Officers these few months. Dexter could have licked his paws after walking on the grass and ingested the poison bit by bit over a period of time.
The vet suggested keeping Dexter at the clinic for a few days to monitor his progress and they will put him on IV drip to monitor his progress.
Dexter has never been away from home so imagine how panic-stricken I was when I heard that he isn’t coming home with me! I thought I could bring him home after getting some medications but things weren’t turning out the way I thought that it would!
I’m at a loss of what to do except to listen to the advice of the vet.
I asked to say goodbye to Dexter before I leave and the vet led me inside the room where the assistant was just preparing to shave off a bit of the fur on his leg for the IV drip.
Poor Dexter was trembling and trying to break loose from the clutches of the lab assistant when he saw me. The lab assistant was holding on to his harness and he stood on his hind legs with his arms outstretched, beckoning me to carry him.
At that moment, I just couldn’t take it anymore.
I felt my face burning and I lost control over my tears right in front of the vet. I turned and ran out of the clinic with tears still streaming down my cheeks before I even said goodbye.
dexter visits dr lennie lee
Wow… I have so much to write today but I don’t know where to begin…
Ok, this morning I brought Dexter to see Dr Lennie Lee for his annual vaccination shots as well to check on his eyes. Dexter‘s eyes have recently turned cloudy and I suspected it to be cataracts. True to what I believed, Dr Lee has confirmed that Dexter really do have cataracts but luckily, he’s only a mild case and can be treated with special eye drops to slow down the process.
Dr Lee said that dogs only developed cataracts around 7 years old. In Dexter‘s case, he’s only 5 so his problem could be genetic. In other words, Dexter was from a bad breeding whose parents were probably not checked for health problems.
Irresponsible puppy farms! And my dog was imported from Australia with papers! This is a lesson to be learnt that not all imported dogs are 100% healthy.
Dexter also had his vaccination and was dewormed as well.
In the afternoon, I went to Clubpets 1st Anniversary party held at Bishan Park 2. I collected Dexter‘s goody bag and it contained alot of stuffs!
Tonight, Dexter was feeling abit unwell due to the vaccination shots. He was hiding under the table and refused to go near anyone. He would growl and bare his teeth whenever I tried to touch him. When I approach, he will run away to hide in another corner… This is the first time I see him behave like this. He was not like this during the previous year’s shots.
He actually bite onto my wrist and refused to let go when I tried to grab him out from under the bed! My wrist is now swollen at the part where he’s bitten me. I feel so heart broken to see him like this. Its also the first time he’s bitten me…
The Dead Cockroach 