I had a busy morning neutering 2 Shih Tzus as owners rushed to sterilise them in order to qualify for the $14 instead of $70 dog licence fee. The law with a fine of $5,000 for no licence was announced on Sep 1, 2007 and now it was 1.5 months later. $5,000 was too worrisome and some dogs had been abandoned.
Apparently the Shih Tzu was supposed to be booked in on the morning of yesterday. She came in the evening and was no dental work could be done. So, the owner complained that she was "48 hours without food."
Not advisable to retort. The customer is king? This Shih Tzu had a bladder stone and was booked in for surgery after a course of antibiotics. The Shih Tzu did not turn up. Maybe I ought to send a "surgery reminder card"? The owner had complained of her passing blood in the urine again. Finally the stone was removed and she was normal.
Now, she was late for her dental appointment. I checked her temperature. It was normal 38.6 degree C. Put her on gas. The teeth were all loose. Many owners hate the idea of the teeth being extracted as they seem to be "all right, hanging loose in the mouth".
It would be unethical just to scale the loose teeth as bad breadth would recur. Many Shih Tzus and small breeds seem to have bad teeth by 6 years of age as in this case.
Singapore owners seldom bother with their teeth or dental check up yearly. These decay and needed to be extracted or they just dropped out themselves. It is sad.
Dogs could have kept their teeth to old age if owners would have time for them or brush their teeth. Bad teeth with bacteria and toxins affect the heart valves and damage them. Bad health means shorter life span. A simple dental check up every 1 to 2 years would have prevented bad teeth.
By being observant, blood in the urine of the dog is not normal. Early veterinary check up may prevent bladder stone from forming and an operation.
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