Why does my Singapore Special have bald spots?
My seven year old Singapore Special has developed bald spots on both flanks and the thighs of his hind legs for the past three to four months.
He feeds on cooked pork and rice, and eats and behaves normally. We switched to a hypoallergenic snack diet for three weeks but it didn’t help. We’re not sure if the cause of hair loss is food, parasite, or the environment.
Please indicate the best course of treatment.
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Kartik Niverthi
Dr. Juline Chua: Dog hair loss can have a number of reasons, some of which you mentioned.
Other possible reasons are frequent scratching or skin infections from bacteria, yeast, fungi, or parasites. This can also be due to hormonal or metabolic abnormalities, allergies, and nutritional deficiencies such as a lack of minerals, proteins, or vitamins.
A veterinarian should be consulted to determine the underlying reason for this.
The veterinarian may perform tests that are needed to diagnose conditions that may be causing the hair loss, such as: B. Skin and blood tests.
Depending on the results, your veterinarian may recommend additional steps to help determine the cause of your dog’s hair loss, such as: B. allergy tests, parasite prevention or special skin, blood and urine tests.
Please note that it may take some time and repeated visits to the vet for your dog to show improvement under some of these conditions. It is important to be patient and maintain open communication with your veterinarian.
When you visit your veterinarian, it is helpful to provide information about your pet’s medical history. This includes visits and treatments at other veterinary clinics, previous parasite treatments, your pet’s current diet, and any shampoo or topical creams or solutions that are used.
Moldy shell of the red-ear valve
I have a two year old red-eared man. While other pond turtles in pet stores have smooth, shiny clams, my pond turtle has a moldy-looking clam with black edges.
I set up my tank with a sunning area, but it doesn’t seem to want to use it. I didn’t notice any foul odor from the peel and it appears to be quite active. What treatments are there for his mussel?
Emily Leong
Dr. Shawn Chia: There can be several reasons for discoloration on the shell of a slider. However, the most common cause is a bacterial or fungal infection, or sometimes both, known as “clam rot”.
Mussel rot often results from impaired immune system function, which is based on water quality and hygiene problems as well as inadequate housing conditions.
This includes dirty water or an unclean housing. Other symptoms of shell rot include cracks in the shell, an uneven shell surface, or even leakage from parts of the shell.
Treating and preventing mussel rot requires a combination of medical interventions such as using antiseptics, antibiotics, and antifungal drugs to control the infection, as well as postural modifications to ensure your slider stays in optimal health.
Since it looks like the discoloration of the shell of your slider is fairly widespread, it is recommended that you consult your veterinarian for medical treatment for shell rot.
In the meantime, here are some tips for the living area of a slider:
– Water should be kept clean by frequent changes and sufficient filtration. Remove any leftover food as this will cause bacteria and algae to grow in the tank.
– Provide a warm, dry docking area with direct, unfiltered sunlight for your slider to bask in. Unfiltered sunlight is crucial to avoid mineral deficiencies.
– Provide high quality and nutritionally balanced pellets for turtles.
The Science of Animal Assisted Interventions Webinar
Animal experts Dr. Aubrey Fine (left) and Dr. Nancy Gee. PHOTOS: NPARKS
What: Animal experts Aubrey Fine and Nancy Gee talk about animal-assisted therapy and how pets can promote human wellbeing
When: March 25, 12.30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Entry: Free
The information: Sign up for the limited slots on this website.
Write
Do you have a question about your pet? Send an email with clear, high resolution images of at least 1MB (if any) and your full name to stlife@sph.com.sg. We reserve the right to edit and refuse questions.
Responses from Veterinarians for the National Parks Board’s Animal & Veterinary Service, Dr. Shawn Chia and Dr. Juline Chua.
