141. The 34.9 deg C Chihuahua & the 41.2 deg C man

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

I remember Nov 7 2005 well. It was a very good friend's birthday.

A friend under chemotherapy overseas was quarantined for over 7 days because he had a "viral" infection and was not permitted visitors. He was never given antibiotics despite the fact he had a 41 deg C fever controlled only by anti-fever injections.

Would his organs melt down? What's the fever, I message texted to him? 41.2 deg C for the past 2 days. Ice cold baths and Chinese medicine. Still the fever could not come down.

Did the doctors expect him to have no bacterial infection since his immune system had crashed due to the past 3 months of chemotherapy?

I messaged to him to be more interested in knowing his medical health and blood tests. Was his kidney and liver function normal?

"The doctor did not give me antibiotics because that is the same practice in the U.S. hospitals."

Viral infection. No antibiotics. That was one school of thought. Unnecessary use of antibiotics would lead to resistant bugs I know, although my friend would not be able to explain.

So, the fever rages. He had dry mouth. He could only breathe on oxygen tubes into his nostrils. He had fast heart beats. He had heart attackes and collapsed semi-comatose. Yet, no antibitoics.

He talked to me for less than a few seconds as he needed oxygen to breathe. "Confined to the hospital room for over 3 months. What am I doing in this world?" I could only imagine his imprisonment and solitary confinement in a hospital "prison".

It was one of those bright November evenings. Clear air. A brownish block of new Sengkang flats at Jalan Kayu shimmer under the golden rays. Deep blue skies. White clouds. There was nothing I could do for this friend overseas.



Then a phone call came from a Chihuahua owner. She had to know why her Chihuahua could not recover. Was she right to let the Chihuahua be euthanased as the puppy had diarrhoea and crying in pain over the past 2 weeks of hospitalisation? Was there some malpractice by the veterinarian or mismanagement by the pet shop operator? Was there a genetic cause for the abnormally high liver enzyme level from blood taken today before euthanasia? The puppy had been suffering for the past 2 weeks. Unable to stand and crying in the last few days. She had consulted various human doctors and vets.

Yet there was no answer.

Was she all out to sue the vets and the pet shop operator or to get their professional licence revoked? For all the grief and suffering over the past 2 weeks?
Every day was a day of no progress, just like my friend undergoing chemotherapy.

For the puppy, she could authorise euthanasia. For my friend, he had to tolerate the pain and not being able to eat food normally.

The puppy was referred to me by a pet shop operator at 11 a.m as it had collapsed. Its temperature was 34.9 degrees C. After fluid therapy and warming by the hair dryer for a long time, it was able to sit on its chest. The temperature was around 38 degrees C. Not able to stand. It was hospitalised at a veterinary centre in the afternoon but had never fully recovered. It was 2 weeks of agony for the owner.

She asked many questions I could have no answer.



"Was the chihuahua normal and eating before you sent it to the pet shop?"
"Yes," she said. "However, it had suddenly foamed in its mouth and passed out loose stools."

This 8-week-old Chihuahua could have been over-playing with the other dogs after purchase. I have seen a few of such cases of stress in the small breeds. They do not eat or forget to eat. The blood sugar level drops and they get into fits. Foaming at the mouth. Diarrhoea later on. Many cases recover if treated promptly.

In this case, the pet shop operator should have referred the puppy to the hospital instead of overnight stay with the older Chihuahua. It is best not to board less than 16-week-old Chihuahuas. You never know what will happen.

I had done a faecal parvoviral test. It was negative. One possibility was that it had fits or something affecting it. Like bigger dogs jumping on it as the owner had other adult dogs. Or falling down injuring its brain.

Nobody knows the answer.

So, I advised the owner to wait 4 weeks. Stop thinking about the puppy and if she wanted more answers and reports, to contact me 4 weeks later. That was the best solution I could offer to her.