[AMA] I am a veterinarian. Ask me anything :D

fallraen

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so, i just adopted a rescue cat and she's currently in heat. i'm planning to spay / sterilize her but the vet closest to my home is charging about 400 dollars in total (I think they do bloodwork for felv and fiv). it seems a bit high as Island Vet, has it listed on their site for about 170 dollars. may i know whats the average cost of this procedure in Singapore? Many thanks!
 

lycans

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I would say that $400 for bloodworks and spey is an absolute bargain. Maybe Island Vet charge $170 for the spay but once you add in everything, it will probably even out
 

Magickiller9

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Are dried jerky good for cat/dogs? Is there diff between chicken, lamb etc. Thinking of making some instead of buying from stores.
 

lycans

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Are dried jerky good for cat/dogs? Is there diff between chicken, lamb etc. Thinking of making some instead of buying from stores.
I dont really use jerky as treats as I feel they may be high in salt and preservatives
 

Whizdom

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hi just moved in with my in laws after gotten married recently
wife got 2 cats and they are not litter train at all since young till now. how do I train their cats to litter train?


Read HWZ Forum Rules!
 

lycans

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How do the cat typically do their business? You need x+1 litter trays for the cats, where x is the amount of cats in your house. Must experiment with different type of kitty litter to see what they like and make sure its deep enough.
 

kbwang

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Got a 3 month puppy .. teething now... He is eating well. Kibbles soak in milk power with water.. ..But today noticed he drinks not much water..

How much water is consider enough daily ?
 

Killiney

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Hi guys, my cat has recently been diagnose with heart failure with liquid in his lung just few weeks ago as my brother noticed he was breathing little harder than usual. The liquid has been drained out and he is being subscribed to clopidogrel and frusemide. Unfortunately I am currently working (stucked) in Canada and my family is taking care of him. It is a really difficult process for my brother to feed him medication as my cat struggles a lot and drools after being fed with medication. (he seems to dislike the bitterness and tries vomit out each time) To make the matter worst, he is also having constipation problem, so he is being fed with lactulose and treated with enemas. He has been losing much appetize and vomiting when treated with enema ( vet said it is normal since he tries to poop). He also seem to breathing harder than usual at some point ( vet said it is normal when we sent the video). And when we tried to ask, emailing and calling the clinic, they are not very responsive about our queries as if once the treatment is given, they have no interest to follow up but just to sell more medication.
I am wondering if there is better vets around in Singapore who really cares about animal and will patiently helps my family to take care with the cat with ongoing treatment. Any suggestions on anything is greatly appreciated!
 

lycans

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Hi guys, my cat has recently been diagnose with heart failure with liquid in his lung just few weeks ago as my brother noticed he was breathing little harder than usual. The liquid has been drained out and he is being subscribed to clopidogrel and frusemide. Unfortunately I am currently working (stucked) in Canada and my family is taking care of him. It is a really difficult process for my brother to feed him medication as my cat struggles a lot and drools after being fed with medication. (he seems to dislike the bitterness and tries vomit out each time) To make the matter worst, he is also having constipation problem, so he is being fed with lactulose and treated with enemas. He has been losing much appetize and vomiting when treated with enema ( vet said it is normal since he tries to poop). He also seem to breathing harder than usual at some point ( vet said it is normal when we sent the video). And when we tried to ask, emailing and calling the clinic, they are not very responsive about our queries as if once the treatment is given, they have no interest to follow up but just to sell more medication.
I am wondering if there is better vets around in Singapore who really cares about animal and will patiently helps my family to take care with the cat with ongoing treatment. Any suggestions on anything is greatly appreciated!
Well, the vet clinic probably has to deal with 20 other pets with similar issues. If you cannot give meds by yourself or dont want to learn, then you will just have to pay someone else to do it for you.
 

ziggybam

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When dogs age, is it common for them to suffer from arthritis and dementia, and ultimately kidney failure?
 

smurfzzz

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When dogs age, is it common for them to suffer from arthritis and dementia, and ultimately kidney failure?
1. Dementia - aka canine cognitive disorder can happens as early as 9 years or as old as 14 years or more.
Google for Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Checklist, see how many ticks your dog has. Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, also referred to as “sundowner syndrome because some dogs will start pacing up and down, or bark at night. Another common symptom is getting stuck in corner.

2. Arthritis can starts from 7 years with sore muscle or as late as >10 years. Acupuncture, hydrotherapy, massage and warm compress are common treatment to alleviate muscle soreness. Like all humans, the spine will get weak as we/dogs age, which results in weakness of hind leg support. Gradually, they will put more pressure on the front paws. And slowly muscle degenerate all the way to neck area. Food is very important during senior years, you need to provide a lean protein diet due to muscle loss. Also, invest in an elevated food and water bowl to reduce straining.

3. Kidney failure does not happen in all dogs, likewise, not all dogs will get cancer. This can happen at any age. Senior dogs are recommend to take full ultrasound test ($350+++) every 6 months/year. Blood test does not give you much information on the health.

Aging in dog is similar to humans.
 
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ziggybam

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1. Dementia - aka canine cognitive disorder can happens as early as 9 years or as old as 14 years or more.
Google for Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Checklist, see how many ticks your dog has. Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, also referred to as “sundowner syndrome because some dogs will start pacing up and down, or bark at night. Another common symptom is getting stuck in corner.

2. Arthritis can starts from 7 years with sore muscle or as late as >10 years. Acupuncture, hydrotherapy, massage and warm compress are common treatment to alleviate muscle soreness. Like all humans, the spine will get weak as we/dogs age, which results in weakness of hind leg support. Gradually, they will put more pressure on the front paws. And slowly muscle degenerate all the way to neck area. Food is very important during senior years, you need to provide a lean protein diet due to muscle loss. Also, invest in an elevated food and water bowl to reduce straining.

3. Kidney failure does not happen in all dogs, likewise, not all dogs will get cancer. This can happen at any age. Senior dogs are recommend to take full ultrasound test ($350+++) every 6 months/year. Blood test does not give you much information on the health.

Aging in dog is similar to humans.

I’ve got 11 dogs over the years.

Most got dementia and/or arthritis as they age but all passed due to acute kidney failure.
 

smurfzzz

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I’ve got 11 dogs over the years.

Most got dementia and/or arthritis as they age but all passed due to acute kidney failure.
My dogs pass away this year, 14 years old due to spleen tumor relapse. And the other 16 years old, just aging. No kidney issue for both though.
 

ziggybam

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My dogs pass away this year, 14 years old due to spleen tumor relapse. And the other 16 years old, just aging. No kidney issue for both though.
Mine didn’t have kidney issues. They hv blood works done 4x a year. The acute kidney failure showed up in bloodworks about 5-7 days before they passed.
 

smurfzzz

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Mine didn’t have kidney issues. They hv blood works done 4x a year. The acute kidney failure showed up in bloodworks about 5-7 days before they passed.
yeah, one of my vets remark, if any issue that can be discover by blood test, means it's already late stages, that's why it's recommend to do more than blood test like ultrasound to detect early warnings.
 

ziggybam

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yeah, one of my vets remark, if any issue that can be discover by blood test, means it's already late stages, that's why it's recommend to do more than blood test like ultrasound to detect early warnings.
I heard this from a TCM vet too!
 
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