Goodbye Tze Tzar

As I was travelling to work on 195 this morning, I am clouded by a tinge of sadness that I might be losing another friend for good.

She is a server at the eating house opposite my workplace and she impresses with her excellent customer service that puts any of Singapore's own to shame. Whenever I placed my order with her, she would know and serve the red chilli that I must have with my dish. Sometimes, she would even do that when the other servers who took my order failed to do that.

She will be returning to Xiamen after continued persuasion from her husband. I could tell she really enjoyed her time here, if not for the fact that her husband could not come over.

It's sad to know that one would be losing a friend.

Our Army

I am more certain than ever that our Army is getting all the war experience that the public is proclaiming it is lacking in.

Yesterday, I was talking to an Army captain about some specifications of a project. According to his narration, he was sabotaged in an intel exchange which caused him to prepare for less budget than needed. Higher echelon is not going to re-sup him for the deficit and the poor lad is now figuring out how to go to war with the existing resources.

Halfway through our conversation, he said, "I'll call you back later, fighting a war now! Bullets are firing in every direction here!"

I'm sure he will overcome the budget deficit, he is from our Army, afterall.

If there is something that I fear...

Last week, I experienced a feeling quite close to fear. It was a mixture between lost and depression.

During lunch time, I was looking for Nini-the-cat, and Jian told me that Nini was dead. And she was lying outside near the drain. My mind went from CMYK to grayscale, and froze slightly. I carried my heavy footsteps to the walkway outside and went in search of Nini's carcass. The dreadful feeling was made worst when I could not find her. I finally gave up search and went to ask Jian the exact spot.

He was joking with me. I punished him.

I later found Nini at level 2. And she was the same old Nini I met everyday. I never felt more relieved.

A good day of work has to start well

Besides Rose and Daisy, there is something that really tops icing over the cake, in coming to work.

Many mornings, when I entered my workplace, I catch sight of Nini, sitting about 15 metres away. I whistled out to catch her attention and she would let off a short 'meow' and run towards me, or sometimes, towards her bowl, signalling that she is ready for her meal. I would hold her food container and shake it to let out a rattling sound and Nini would 'meow' on, almost like doing a lap dance around you, albeit on the feet. After teasing her for about 10 seconds, I would finally grant her her long-awaited breakfast and she would determinedly chow down on it.

That's how a good workday should start, for me.

Ah Dng, 早日康復. Ah Niu, 快高長大

Rectal Prolapse in Dogs

By: PetPlace Veterinarians

Section: Overview

Rectal prolapse is an uncommon condition in which rectal tissue protrudes through the anal opening. It appears as a tubular piece of tissue attached to the anus. The rectum is the part of the large intestine that ends just inside the anus. Rectal prolapse typically occurs in puppies and kittens under 6 months of age. The cause of the prolapse is usually not ever determined, but many veterinarians feel that gastrointestinal parasites are an underlying cause. The affected animal typically strains and strains and eventually part of the rectum is pushed out the anus.

Older animals can also develop rectal prolapse. In these situations, the underlying irritation causing the straining and eventual prolapse is often associated with injury to the rectal lining or rectal tumors.

Animals with rectal prolapse have a fair chance of recovering with appropriate treatment.

It is crucial to take your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible if you suspect rectal prolapse. Dogs and cats do not get hemorrhoids so any tissue that protrudes from the anus is abnormal. Try to keep the tissue moist with warm wet washcloths and do not allow your pet to lick or chew at the tissue. Keeping the tissue moist and free of trauma will give it the best chance of being repaired.

What to Watch For

Straining

Tissue protruding from anus

Excessive licking of anal and genital area

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of rectal prolapse is made during physical examination. A rectal prolapse must be differentiated from a prolapse of the small intestine, which is a much more serious problem. Your veterinarian will likely take a thermometer or blunt probe and insert it around the edge of the tissue. If the probe easily passes, then the tissue is likely small intestinal and the animal will need surgery. If the probe doesn't pass very far, it is likely rectal tissue.

In addition to determining if the tissue is small or large intestine, your veterinarian will likely try to find the underlying cause of the prolapse. A fecal exam should be performed to determine if any gastrointestinal parasites are present. Abdominal X-rays may also be recommended.

Treatment

Early treatment is crucial. If the tissue appears to still be alive and not too traumatized, your veterinarian will try to push it back into normal position. A suture is then placed around the anus to make sure the tissue does not come out again. The suture must be loose enough to allow stool to pass out. This suture is generally left in for 48 hours and then removed.

If the rectal tissue is dried, severely traumatized or appears to be dead, surgery will need to be performed to amputate the damaged part of the intestine. The remaining tissue of the large intestine is sutured to the anus. Surgery may also be necessary if the prolapse returns after attempting to push it back inside and suturing.

It is best to avoid surgery since amputation of the rectum is fraught with complications. Serious infection and fecal incontinence can occur. Animals treated with surgery have a guarded to poor prognosis.

Home Care and Prevention

There is no home care for rectal prolapse. Keep the tissue moistened and do not allow your pet to lick or chew at the tissue. After treatment, animals are often prescribed stool softeners for a period of time. In some cases, a gel is recommended to be placed in the rectum to reduce pain and irritation.

Since the underlying cause of rectal prolapse is often not known, it is difficult to prevent. Have your pet dewormed routinely and have fecal examinations performed. Keeping your pet parasite free is one measure you can take to help prevent rectal prolapse.