0112Singapore HJ Heights condo for rent & veterinary tips for first time pet owners.   Excerpts from "The Glamorous Vets, Singapore"   Sponsored by Asiahomes Internet, $13.50/40 words/90 days, affordable internet advertisements for Owners & Realtors, targeted at expatriates relocating to Singapore.  Email your ads to  judy@asiahomes.com

Could the stray cat with a gangrenous tail survive?

"Dr Foo, Tracey has never forgiven you for putting her Schnauzer to sleep," said Mrs Claire Chiang.  "That's why we have not consulted you for the past many years." I was speechless. 

"Now, I have an old cat that needs your help. I need to get some sleeping tablets to dope this stray cat before bringing her in"


No one else cared for this stray except for the Chiang family.  Her tail was run over by the auto-gate wheels.  CLICK to see larger image.

Should she use half of a Valium tranquilizer tablet? Where could she get Valium? She wanted to get the cat tranquilizer tablets.

"Cats are very smart, Mrs Chiang. They will not eat if they smell medicine inside their food, unless they are very hungry. Your cat is a street wise, having survived the traffic and other hazards of modern living in the Gilstead Road area," I said.

"Be patient. The best way is to put her favourite food inside the cage.  Close the door when the cat gets in."

Mrs Chiang laughed: "The cat ran out when my husband opened the gate this morning and I doubt that the cat would be so easily trapped." 

Why was Tracey so upset?  Eight years ago, Tracey was a teenager.  Her twelve-year old Schnauzer was very ill, vomiting blood and passing starchy blood in the stools without response to treatment.  

Fourteen months earlier, there was a similar bleeding episode indicative of a parvoviral attack on the intestines. I had referred the case to a veterinary surgeon with better facilities as he needed to be warded. For some reason, the vet had advised euthanasia.  

Euthanasia of an old friend was very traumatic for Tracey especially. I was asked to treat the pet and he survived.  This time,  the old dog had no response to treatment and was recumbent for several days.

There was no point explaining that it was the father's decision to stop further suffering and to let the old dog go. I was the executioner and I lost a good client for that act.

Now it was a pleasure to see an old client after a long absence of many years. 

Mrs Chiang brought in a  neutered female cat.  The cat would come to the house to eat and then would disappeared for the day. The cat came for the evening milk and the specialty canned tuna and was trapped.  It was not that difficult.

The stray cat was  dehydrated and breathing fast.  The tip of her tail was gangrenous but did not fall off.

She was in a very bad condition. Emaciated with ribs showing. 

Her breathing rate was so rapid, unlike normal cats. A wandering life was good for freedom but not for her health. 

"She might have asthma," said Mrs Chiang as this rapid breathing rate had been existent for sometime.

Fortunately Singapore does not have winters as this cat will never have made it through the cold winter.

Could it be the toxins from the gangrenous tail affecting her general health?  Most likely, as toxins travel by the bloodstream and intoxicate the bone marrow and all internal organs.

"The constant worry of grooming its dead tail end, getting rid of the flies, the maggots and  enduring the pain might lead to distressed breathing,"  I said.

You could tell that the tail end was gangrenous by its dark black colour and swelling.

All blood supply had been cut off and necrosis or tissue rot had set in.  The decomposing bacteria were at work. 

The gangrenous area was creeping upwards from the swollen end of the tail. It would have been fatal in the next few days if there was no intervention by Mrs Chiang.


Antibiotic powder tends to be licked away by the cat.  An Elizabeth collar was not used as it might stop the bones and skin cat from eating and drinking. It would take several weeks before we know whether the tail would bother the cat.

"This cat would run out fast once the cage was opened," warned Mrs Chiang. 

The cat looked tame. No angry response was elicited when something was placed in front of her face. She did not dash out when the cage was opened.

I held the cat firmly above the neck. The tail was rotten and broke off easily.  Fluid and antibiotic injections were given for the next 3 days.  There was no resistance or anger from this tiger-striped Singaporean stray.

After 3 days, she looked better. She would not eat inside the cage but when offered Mrs Chiang's boiled chicken and canned tuna, she ate hungrily.  She was not used to being an inmate and would hide in the corner keeping a watchful eye on any passer by. 

"No operation should  be performed in a poor conditioned cat as she may just die from the anesthesia," I explained.  "In any case, the end of the tail was infected and the amputation wounds would not heal normally. We would end up with a bigger hole"

"Will she survive?" asked Mrs Chiang. 

If only there was early veterinary attention, the tail would not have deteriorated and become gangrenous.  But this was a stray and independent cat, remember?   

"Was the cat suffering?" Mrs Chiang asked again. "Should she be put to sleep if she is?"

" This cat might recover if given a longer period of treatment and nursing." I said. 

"If she is suffering, put her to sleep," said Mr Chiang, a pragmatic Singapore father. 

"Tracey is working in Hong Kong," said Mrs Chiang. "Tracey would strongly object to euthanasia of her beloved cat if she was in Singapore. Cats are majestic and independent, unlike dogs. Such qualities of independence is what her daughter appreciates." 

It is usually a matter of costs when treatment without guarantee of success is prolonged.  But money was never a consideration for the Chiang family.

Now that Tracey is grown up, Mr and Mrs Chiang cannot just make decisions on her behalf.  But Tracey was not in Singapore and a decision to euthanase her cat could still be made by the father.

Veterinarians usually don't make the final decision to put the cat the sleep. 

Prolonged treatment without a cure in sight extends the suffering.  Of course, this beloved stray was not suffering intolerably.  It took 21 days before she could go home but she was alive.  


Nov 1 00: The cat had licked away all antibiotic powder whenever powder was applied. She was not given an Elizabeth collar as she might not eat or drink. The cat went home on day 10 with wounds almost healed.

Would it have been better if I had not concurred with Mr Chiang's decision and let the old Schnauzer pass away naturally rather than give a lethal injection?   It is sad to see a pet suffering and even sadder for any veterinarian to perform euthanasia. 

But would a grown up Tracey now forgive? Every decision made by a parent to euthanase a child's beloved pet will have deeper repercussions.

Singapore fathers may have to discuss with the young ones and get their understanding and consent. The young ones are smarter and more caring for their pets in the new millennium. Would the old stray cat have an irritable tail once she returned home and started  wandering?  The bone was still exposed as the  wound was not fully closed.     

"Would the stray cat with the gangrenous tail survive" story is part of the BE KIND TO PETS community education project, supported by AsiaHomes Internet.    

© 1996-01 · Asiahomes Internet · Blk 1002, Toa Payoh Lor 8, #01-1477 · Singapore · 319074 Tel: +65 9668 6468, 254 2728, 254 3326, 9668 6469, 978 53 978. You Got Tenant, Cat Owner? Looking for tenants is like winning a war. You need to know where your enemies can be found. You need to advertise in www.asiahomes.com where prospects interested in Singapore properties are likely to be found. Why not place an affordable internet ad to contact prospects direct and save you a few thousand dollars in agency commission? Telephone +65 9668 6468, E-mail All Problems, Questions And Comments To: judy@asiahomes.com

Copyright © Asiahomes Internet, 2001. All rights reserved.
Revised: January 13, 2001.