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 He
was the most energetic of all the Jack
Russell puppies. A 3-month old ball of dynamite. No time to waste
standing still for photography. He needed two women to hold him
still. The sun tanned and slim Ms Penny Stevens wanted to know why he had a red circle of hair less skin on the wrist of his right foreleg. Two more bigger ones on the left hind leg, near his hock. I spotted two small circles below his collar bone. Would there be more rings? Soon it would be "botak" (bald) if this infection persists. "Could it be ringworm?" asked Ms Stevens. "Or other bacterial skin infections?"  "Most likely to be ringworm," I said. "I needed to examine the skin scrapings under the microscope." Spores of the fungus attached to the hair shaft were seen under the microscope. This puppy had ringworm.  "Did you or any family get any skin infections around your arms and legs?"
I asked Ms Stevens. "I do get rashes on my elbow areas after holding the puppy, but they disappear after a while," said Ms Stevens as she checked her elbows. She might have a mild infection of ringworm. "Could it just simply be a vice? I mean, just like some people who would bite their finger nails continuously leading to injury." Ms Stevens postulated. So, was this puppy bored at home alone while Ms Stevens had to work? He could be licking those areas and the itchiness would set in, leading to more licking. The circular spot was inflamed and itchy. Totally devoid of hair. Bald. The puppy was licking it all the time. "What would be the treatment?" Ms Stevens asked. "Completely clip the coat to reduce the amount of infected hair," I recommended. "Apply anti-fungal shampoo daily for 14 days. I need to tranquilise it as it is moving all the time."  "Cut the nails at the same time," Ms Stevens requested. It was not fed in the morning so that it would not be vomiting food after tranquilisation. It was not fed but look at the black blocks of charcoal and the large amount of hair it vomited out after tranquilisation. The puppy had been grooming itself excessively and swallowing the hairs. As for the black foreign bodies, what were they? Would there be more pebbles 
and stones or other foreign bodies in his stomach? And in the intestine?
Puppies love swallowing things. If too many foreign bodies get into the stomach, a surgery might be necessary and at this age, the puppy may die under the general anaesthesia as it is too risky an age to be under anaesthesia. |
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Ringworm in a Schnauzer puppy www.asiahomes.com/singaporetpvet/0228ringworm.htm |
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www.asiahomes.com/singaporetpvet/dogs/0424JackRussellpup_foreignbodies.htm
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