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The pet shop girl condemns the veterinarians

"I would not consult any of the vets in this neighbourhood," the pet shop girl said when I asked why she did not send the two kittens with diarrhoea to the veterinarians for treatment. This was the first time we met and she had said that the two kittens with diarrhoea would not to be vaccinated this evening as they were not healthy.

A short Chinese girl in the category of the Y-generation which is said to demand instant gratification. Her short hair cut was tinted a light brown and made her look boyish. She did not wear spectacles unlike most Singaporeans. A competent manager exuding a voice of authority as she instructed her male helper as to which puppies would be required for vaccination. 

Some of the bigger pet shops vaccinate all two and three-month old puppies on arrival from Australia or from the breeding farms to eliminate the chance of contacting viral infections. It is hard to sell sickly puppies and time is of the essence. When the puppies are over three months, they are no longer cute and will not find buyers. It is always a fight against time for the pet shop owner.  

She elaborated, "Four flu kittens died after treatment. Also, two cats sent for spaying died on the operating table! My friend was devastated!  I would rather go to the veterinary hospital or Doctor X."  She had never patronised these two practices further away.  

I do not comment on cases as it would always be one side of the story since the veterinarian concerned was not around. Any death of a pet will usually mean loss of a client.

However, such deaths of a patient under treatment or anaesthesia are emotionally devastating to the veterinarian too. There would be the fear of malpractice suits and the potential damage to a hard-earned reputation. 

Deaths might occur as some patients are in poor health when put under anaesthesia operated or nearly dying when seen by the veterinarian. Some animal patients react adversely to the anaesthetic and just died of heart failure. The owner might perceive the veterinarian to be inexperienced and incompetent. Deaths of a companion have no excuses.

Sometimes, it would be best to reject all patients with poor health and maintain a pristine professional reputation. 

As I was thinking over her veterinary condemnations, the owner of an old hamster phoned.  His hamster had a swollen pimple below his left eye eight days ago and he did not want to take the risk of the hamster dying from anaesthesia should I operate. Two years of age mean the ending of the average life span of a dwarf hamster and I had to warn him of the risks of heart failure during anaesthesia and manipulation of the hamster. The stress of handling could also kill the hamster sometimes. 

However, the pimple grew into a large abscess and the hamster now was not eating. He wanted the operation otherwise his hamster would die within the next few days. 

Should I refer him to the veterinary hospital? He might not be accepted by the veterinarians there too and what would happen to the hamster then? A painful death arising from an inability to eat and drink would be most likely.  

Should this hamster be put under anaesthesia so that he would not experience pain when I lance his abscess? 

What if he died of heart failure on the operating table while under the gas since he was very weak now? If anaesthesia was risky, what would be the other option? 

There was no luxury of taking blood samples as in human medicine to screen for the health of this hamster. Was he dehydrated and therefore required an intravenous drip? It was not possible to do such a drip on the very small animal.  Was he feverish? Did he have kidney or liver damage or failure? In any case, a hamster is a "cheap" pet and all those health screening tests cost a lot of money.

I looked at the lethargic animal. He might die soon or during the handling. No anaesthesia for him. It was just too risky as he could pop off any second. 

I wrapped the hamster in a towel with my left thumb and forefingers. He was too weak to fight back. I incise the scalpel at the base of his abscess. It was painful but it was either pain or death.  

Almost half a ml of creamy pus leaked out from the cut area. There was more in the deeper part of the skin. I squeezed more out till only fresh red blood was seen. This took less than thirty seconds but the hamster stopped moving. Was he dead? No respiratory movements seen from his chest. Black pearl-like eyes were open but dead hamsters die with eyes open too.

The handling and the pain was too stressful perhaps. This was the end of a well loved pet and friend. A friend who de-stresses the owner who worked in the hectic field of information technology. A friend who could jump up and flip over his back in his youthful days. 

The hamster moved a bit and stayed on his sternum. I was relieved at seeing a spark of life. Staggering as if he had been under anaesthesia, he sauntered to the security of his home which was a circular box with an opening. 

I dared not handle him more than necessary. I kept him in his cage over night. Let him sleep with a towel covering his cage.  The next morning, he looked much better and happier and went home, alive to a happy owner.   

I was glad the outcome was a happy one but this was not guaranteed to be so in every case. 

What the customer wants is a live pet back and as in all businesses, if the service was unsatisfactory, there would be condemnations, bad mouthing and no second chance. 

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