posted
It is my belief that vets in the arab world and I have only had experience with two, one in cairo and the other one here - yet my conclusion is that they are bombaclots. I think they have contempt for pet owners. As a child I had a sick cat and the love shown by the vet was genuine. My beef stems from the fact that my turtle has an eye infection probably from the water here. Anyway the vet easily dismissed the issue and although I was not present as I sent my turtle with someone else – the vet did not even look at his eyes. He simply asked what was wrong and prescribed eye drop antibiotic from a REGULAR PHARMACY!!!
I am just a little upset because I know my turtle is suffering although today was the first day that he slightly opened his eye. Oh and get this – I called the vet and told him that it is difficult for me to administer the eye solution because his eyes are always closed – the bombaclot replied by telling me to just put them on his eyes even if they are closed. Bombaclot.
Now I have learned that it might be necessary for a vet to slit under the eyes to bring down the swelling and for the removal of infected residue inside the eye e.g. pus - BUT I don’t think this guy is qualified to do so nor do I believe any vet in the Middle East is qualified. I don’t know how vets go about getting their degree but I could only hope that they dedicated at least 6 months to studying reptiles.
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posted
Exiled i know exactly wht ur talking about!! I had problems with my dog here,and when we took him to the vet,he didnt actually made any resarch about him,he just said fungi and thats it.he gave antibiotics and cream for him,which ofcourse helped nothing and as it turned out later it was completely stupid as he had some allergy,not a freaking fungy. My question was also,where the heck r they getting their diplomas from????? Since this incident im scared to have an animal here,as im scared if anything happens where im gonna take him to have him cured,and theres no single groomer even!! Awful. K
Posts: 46 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2007
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posted
^If they get their degrees from Cairo/Ain Shams universities then I think pet owners are in trouble. I am starting to believe that the apathetic/negative mentality concerning pets is the universal attitude in this region. I think the Middle East is unaccommodating for pets and they must simply be confined to the homes and if something happens or something goes wrong then pet owners are on their own in many regards. People might think a turtle is just a turtle but when you bond with them emotions grow. They are actually very smart and when they are hungry they rise to the surface begging for food.
My concern now is that my turtle might need minor surgery/incision and I wish there was a reptile specialist. There is a chance he might go blind if not treated properly. Good luck to me and my turtle and good luck to you with your dog.
posted
Exiled buy some Chloramphenicol/Chloromycetin 1% ointment NOT drops! from the pharmacy. Keep the turtle out the water for 20 mins and try to open the eye and lay a string of it along the eyelid. Massage it a bit if you cannot open the eye. Dont put in water for 20 mins then repeat that a few times a day. Even though his eyes may not open some of it will be absorbed and it is oily and wont wash off easily. This drug is brilliant for eye cases and after just a few times use the infection should clear up.
Best of luck It is approved for humans and animals.
Posts: 3416 | Registered: Oct 2007
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quote:Originally posted by katiamisa: Exiled i know exactly wht ur talking about!! I had problems with my dog here,and when we took him to the vet,he didnt actually made any resarch about him,he just said fungi and thats it.he gave antibiotics and cream for him,which ofcourse helped nothing and as it turned out later it was completely stupid as he had some allergy,not a freaking fungy. My question was also,where the heck r they getting their diplomas from????? Since this incident im scared to have an animal here,as im scared if anything happens where im gonna take him to have him cured,and theres no single groomer even!! Awful. K
Hey, I think I remember you!
BTW, we had wonderful vets (experienced and excellent command of English) when my cat had a problem with biting on this tail (since he didn't stop it my boy lost his tail completely in the end). They also offered lodging of pets while the owner was out of town (Cairo).
Exiled, turtles supposed to be eaten, right (just joking!!)?
Tooti, excellent advice.... hopefully the little fellow will do better very soon.
Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Exiled! I really hope,ur turtle will get better soon,and yea,this cream advice u got,sgould work i think!Since i dont know any vet,that u could go to. I was adviced Berge Yaqob,in Heliopolis,but tht place is awful,dude,there my pet got infected coz of lack of hygienes. Maybe Tigerlily can tell u that good vet of hers! And yea Tiger,i remember u too! Ciao K
Posts: 46 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2007
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-------------------- "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." (Sign hanging in Einstein's office at Princeton) Leap and the Net will Appear. Posts: 3891 | From: No good deed goes unpunished. | Registered: May 2007
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quote:Originally posted by TOOT Suite : Exiled buy some Chloramphenicol/Chloromycetin 1% ointment NOT drops! from the pharmacy. Keep the turtle out the water for 20 mins and try to open the eye and lay a string of it along the eyelid. Massage it a bit if you cannot open the eye. Dont put in water for 20 mins then repeat that a few times a day. Even though his eyes may not open some of it will be absorbed and it is oily and wont wash off easily. This drug is brilliant for eye cases and after just a few times use the infection should clear up.
Best of luck It is approved for humans and animals.
Thanks for the tip. I'll try it and hopefully it works. I'll let you know if it works. The medicine the vet perscriped for my turtle is called Garmycin with the active ingredient being gentamicin - it is not working.
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Thanks for the link - i'll read it later - his eyes look a little like the turtle in the pic but unfortunately my turtles eyes are closed shut and swollen.
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posted
Vets are indeed apathetic as hell when it comes to pets, zero compassion.
Three years ago I had a siamese kitten that died because the vet dismissed her illness & told me to just buy some stuff from a regular pharmacy & give it to her.
quote:Originally posted by VanillaBullshit: Vets are indeed apathetic as hell when it comes to pets, zero compassion.
Three years ago I had a siamese kitten that died because the vet dismissed her illness & told me to just buy some stuff from a regular pharmacy & give it to her.
Really?
If kittens are under the age of eight weeks they can't get vaccinated and are very vulnerable to diseases.
I lost a beautiful kitten that way couple of years ago - a damn shame little Pablos died so young.
Katiamisa, I really can't recall the name or location of the vet clinic.
Does Berge Yaqob in Heliopolis offers pet lodging? Do they have extra cages in the yard? BTW, in the pet clinic I was that was the first time I've seen Great Danes in Egypt. Holy moly I was really surprised!!!
Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Tigerlily,about lodging i dont know really!Yea,they have cages in the yard,but i dont think,this is the only place! Btw this idiot also prescribed "normal" medicines from normal pharmcy for my pet,one of them vas Betadine,that i had to pour onto his WHITE!!! hair 3times daily!And Canesten cream which is freaking ridiculous,and a damn antibiotic!He made the diagnose by just taking a quick look onto my puppy,no hair or skin lab test. I heared about some Veterinary Hospital in Abbaseya! Who has any info? K
Posts: 46 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2007
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posted
As I've said here before unless you can milk or eat an animal the vets are not interested.
Posts: 4476 | From: Scotland | Registered: Mar 2006
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accidentally I just clicked on the website of the pet care clinic of Dr. Amir Mikhail (must be half-Russian anyway) which is located in Maadi and at least the first impression is quite well.
Pet Care Clinic A compassionate veterinary clinic for your lovely pets
You might wanna check out this place at least for the yearly vaccinations and deworming (hopefully your dog never needs any other medical attention in his life again).
Anyway if the vet does a great job tell him I recommended his clinic to you. If he's a disappointment well.... what can I say but good luck!
Btw, the vets I used when I lived in Cairo also did home visits. I just don't remember anymore their contact information but I am quite sure they came from an animal clinic in the Heliopolis area.
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posted
Exiled about 10 years ago Gentamycin was responsible for me having to have a hearing aid. It made me 60% deaf. You can chat away to me from behind and I can't hear a thing!! lol I depend on a lot of lip reading in company of more than 2 voices or iof there is a TV or background noise. I dont use the hearing aid though as the bloody thing amplifies all sounds and send me crazy!! I am scared to death when I hear the word Gentamycin these days after what it did to me Anyhow hope the terrapin is on the mend. Chloromycetin really is a wonder drug for eyes, the ointment that is... Posts: 3416 | Registered: Oct 2007
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posted
Sorry to hear that Toot. What an awful and nasty drug to prescribe to people and animals. It has done nothing at all for my turtle – and now you have me worried – I was out today but forgot to write the name of Chloromycetin – but now I stored it in my memory – when I do get tomorrow (insha allah) how often should I give it to the turtle you think? And it will be impossible to put it in his eyes because if u go near them he tucks his head in his shell – I’ll gently try though but I don’t want to traumatize him – especially in his state – you know if you upset them they might refuse to eat.
P.S and for how long should i medicate him you think?
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posted
If a turtle's eyes are swollen, often shut, they either have an infection (conjunctivitis) or a Vitamin A deficiency. Either way, they again will require antibiotics to recover. It will NOT get better on its own. A turtle with swollen eyes will stop eating and become listless and eventually die without treatment. If the infection is severe, the eyes may have to be lanced, something ONLY a professional should ever do. The antibiotic of choice for my vet was triple antibiotic with neomycin, polymyxin B sulfates, and bacitracin zinc.
There is a new product to treat swollen eyes due to Vitamin A deficiency which is basically an eye drop with Vitamin A in it. It is called Zoo Med Repti Turtle Eye Drops. Here is a link to Drs. Foster & Smith which is one place that sells it.
Exiled, this is an excerpt from that link I gave earlier. Please read it. I am trying to save your turtles life.
-------------------- "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." (Sign hanging in Einstein's office at Princeton) Leap and the Net will Appear. Posts: 3891 | From: No good deed goes unpunished. | Registered: May 2007
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posted
Here are some vets I have used and recommend if your in Cairo..
ESAF has now 5 graduates who have been working for approx 4 months. Okay, they are new but they are having weekly training and are enthusiastic, know their limitations and will ask for advice. I have witnessed empathy from them to both the animals and the owners. They are trying to set up an onsite lab and we are fundraising for an ultrasound machine.
Dr Amir Mikhail 5/1 Small Lasilki St, New Maadi, 1st Floor 02 25203267 Mob 0103458080 www.ourpetclinic.com He initially worked for ESAF before moving to his own practice. He charges 50% off for Street Animal consultation. He will also answer any queries via email.
Avanced Care Vet Clinic Dr Adel A Amer DVM Road 199, 6, Degla, Maadi 02 27544267 Mob 0105058650 The 1st American vet clinic in Egypt. He worked for 30 years in USA. Is the most expensive but have a wealth of knowledge.
Dr Farouk Bahgat 02 27044225 Mob 0122198733 www.vetclinic.8k.com Is also a professor at Cairo Uni and involved with many animal societies. Some of Saudi Royality are staying in Cairo presently and the won't use anyone else.
Prof Faisal Teaches at the Uni and has a clinic in New Maadi near Dr Amir Mikhail. If you need access to xray, ultrasound, labs etc then contact him.
Those on this list not only see the anatomical side but also are aware that this is a living soul who feels pain.
quote:Originally posted by of_gold: If a turtle's eyes are swollen, often shut, they either have an infection (conjunctivitis) or a Vitamin A deficiency. Either way, they again will require antibiotics to recover. It will NOT get better on its own. A turtle with swollen eyes will stop eating and become listless and eventually die without treatment. If the infection is severe, the eyes may have to be lanced, something ONLY a professional should ever do. The antibiotic of choice for my vet was triple antibiotic with neomycin, polymyxin B sulfates, and bacitracin zinc.
There is a new product to treat swollen eyes due to Vitamin A deficiency which is basically an eye drop with Vitamin A in it. It is called Zoo Med Repti Turtle Eye Drops. Here is a link to Drs. Foster & Smith which is one place that sells it.
Exiled, this is an excerpt from that link I gave earlier. Please read it. I am trying to save your turtles life.
Okay I’m on it – they have a street here with literally more than a dozen pet stores and insha allah I’ll find it there and if not then I’ll use Chloromycetin alone.
The good news is my turtle is not listless at all he is moving regularly despite his eyes being shut and swollen. He was however listless several days ago and i had to check up on him several times to make sure he was still alive. He is very active now.
posted
^I have good news and bad news: The bad news is didn’t find the exact medicine ‘reptile eye drops’ but I did find an alternative called ‘R.B Aquarium series Aqua for tortoise’s eyes’ and it is for ‘curing the disease of the eyeball and the eye joints’
The other bad news is I did not find Chloromycetin and so I’ll see what the active ingredient is and see if I can find that.
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However, anyone in Jordan can bring their animal to the Center for treatment. We have a staff of professional veterinarians who provide the best service available in the country.
Note: The most recent addition to our Veterinary Department was our mobile clinic.
posted
Chloramphenicol is the name to look for in the pharmacy, that is the active ingredient. It is in a small tube about 5ml and ask for the ointment NOT cream as that works better. Couple of times a day should work. Because it is oily it will penetrate quite well even if just rubbed around closed eye. Try it yourself. Rub some on your shut eye well and you will taste it in your mouth fairly quickly. It really is brilliant for humans and animals. I gave it to both my dog and cat and it cleared up within 36 hours.
quote:Originally posted by soozi: Aw he's a sweetie - hope he's feeling loads better soon!
He is adorable – he is getting better and really I didn’t even think of it because I was so stressed by his eyes and simply focusing on that but of_gold put things in perspective when she said he must be better if he is moving around Posts: 2418 | Registered: Nov 2007
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quote:Originally posted by TOOT Suite : Chloramphenicol is the name to look for in the pharmacy, that is the active ingredient. It is in a small tube about 5ml and ask for the ointment NOT cream as that works better. Couple of times a day should work. Because it is oily it will penetrate quite well even if just rubbed around closed eye. Try it yourself. Rub some on your shut eye well and you will taste it in your mouth fairly quickly. It really is brilliant for humans and animals. I gave it to both my dog and cat and it cleared up within 36 hours.
Good luck Exiled
: )
I have the meds you’ve been raving about I bought it this evening and it’s locally made and called Phenicol and every 1mg contains 10mg Chloramphenicol BP. And yes it is in a 5gm sterile ophthalmic ointment tube – I will begin administering it him tomorrow because I’ve given him his previous med today. I am excited about – I can’t believe how much I love this little guy.
thank you i have a great feeling about this.
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quote:Originally posted by soozi: Aw he's a sweetie - hope he's feeling loads better soon!
He is adorable – he is getting better and really I didn’t even think of it because I was so stressed by his eyes and simply focusing on that but of_gold put things in perspective when she said he must be better if he is moving around
Thats a relief - let us know how you get on with your new ointment today! Posts: 836 | From: UK | Registered: Jun 2006
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quote:Originally posted by soozi: Aw he's a sweetie - hope he's feeling loads better soon!
He is adorable – he is getting better and really I didn’t even think of it because I was so stressed by his eyes and simply focusing on that but of_gold put things in perspective when she said he must be better if he is moving around
Thats a relief - let us know how you get on with your new ointment today!
The ointment is working wonders – I am in amazement – they are still closed but he opens them slightly. Thank you so much Toot – I am a believer and the Vet should be ashamed and I will call him and tell him that his medicine did not work but the Chloramphenicol did. I am confident that this medicine is working and I am confident that my turtle will fully recover.
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posted
My little guy is doing well but the progress is very slow. He opens his eyes but not continuously – a few days after I administered Toot’s ointment the inflammation subsided greatly. Then gradually he began to open his eyes but it was an on and off sort of thing. He would for example have them open for 1 hour and then closed for the remainder of the day.
Also initially he would open his eyes only when he was out of water. Now he opens them occasionally under water. Today he opened them in the salt water solution that I keep him in for 15 minutes everyday. Also today his eyes looked the clearest they have ever been in a long time. The great news is he is not blind and I tested him several days ago by giving him food and he reacted immediately to it.
His strength is also increasing gradually – this is evident by the way he pushes off with his little feet. I also had to break up a fight between him and the female turtle. I think he was hungry or something because he bit her on the hand and wouldn’t let go. This occurred with his eyes closed and it took me a good minute to separate them, the female turtle bit me in the process. He is definitely getting his strength back Posts: 2418 | Registered: Nov 2007
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do check out the Vit A thing though and maybe also I read that swollen eyes are a sign of respiratory infection in terrapins. Maybe get that checked out too.
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My turtle is doing great his eyes are perfectly normal and they have been this way for several days now. It was a very gradual process for him to heal but alhamdullilah he is completely healthy now. This was very traumatizing for him and very stressful for my wife and I because we had to maintain a ‘hospital tank’ changing water regularly – applying medication 2x a day and making sure he ate and just checking up on him all day long.
At one point I was so stressed out and I was like – why did I get a pet – I was thinking this way when I read a little tooooooo much on the internet and thought he might go blind. I imagine it to be very depressing to have a pet that is blind.
Anyway though he is fine, the only thing now is that he does not want to bask!!!!!!!
Karah Mia - thanks his name is little 1
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