SURVIVAL SECRETS FOR PET SHOP OPERATORS - The Westie's itchy eye
SURVIVAL SECRETS FOR PET SHOP OPERATORS - The Westie's itchy eye
"It is over 8 days since the Westie was purchased," the pet shop operator told me as the owner handed her mobile phone to me to talk to her. "The puppy did not have eye discharge when it was sold."
So who was at fault for causing this Westie to keep rubbing its left eye till the hairs at the bridge of the nose fall off. A chessy milky eye discharge forms every day and would not go away for the past 8 days. The third eyelid was reddish but nothing abnormal was seen as I exposed the eye to the bright operating light while the puppy's fore legs were grabbing me to avoid the brightness.
I asked, "Did you have a hand-over check list? A general examination form stating that the various parts of the puppy are normal?" This is not a common practice. "Maybe, there can be a sharing of 50:50," I tried to help the pet shop operator to save on expenses and retain the good will of the buyer who may or may not refer more buyers to her. Referrals from satisfied customers are the best customers and the best building up of the pet shop or any business operations. No amount of advertisement fees can beat referrals.
I tried to help this genteel, soft-spoken waif-like pet shop owner that could be easily blown away by strong monsoon winds to retain her clientele's goodwill and increase her business profitability. Rentals are expensive in Singapore and competition in the business is cut-throat.
Eye injuries or infections are emergencies. If the Westie had rubbed itself blind, by puncturing its eyeball, it would have no eye-sight forever in its left eye. Consult your vet promptly.
http://www.toapayohvets.com
Now, the veterinary bill is as inexpensive as I can offer. $150 as the Westie was put under general anaesthesia gas for eye wash and for medication and over 50 minutes of consultation and surgery.
"Would the puppy die if it goes under anaesthesia at such a young age?" the career-lady owner had paced outside the operation room peering through the glass pane of the door. The Westie was bought at $1,800 and that is a lot of money to lose on the operating table.
I had advised, "There is no other way to evert the 3rd eyelid to flush and remove any hair or dirt trapped below it except under the pain-free general anaesthesia. All puppies will fight if its 3rd eyelid gets everted and its eye flushed because it is painful." I had not warned her of the risk as gas anaesthesia is generally very safe if done properly.
Now, the puppy has wakened with a swollen left eye and all signs of life are normal. It is the payment of the professional fees. What should the pet shop operator do?
Each pet shop operator handles the problem differently. Some refused to pay as it was now 8 days after purchase. What would this pet shop owner do? I asked the owner. She was the mother of a Primary Three student who seemed to me to love food. The husband was present but he left the negotiations with his wife. A closely knit family of four, but the elder daughter was not free to come this Sunday.
"Should not have waited 8 days, as the puppy could be blind by then," I advised the mother who had been wiping the eye discharge daily. She said that the pet shop groomer had rough-handled the puppy thereby causing the eye infection. I had no comment as I did not know the groomer. Now, what's the compensation from the pet shop owner?
The pet shop operator gave her credits towards future services and products from the pet shop. This was a neat solution. The owner paid with her credit card and I expect the Westie to have a normal life from tomorrow onwards. It was not possible to see small dirt flushed out, so there was nothing to show the owner. The success would be due to a ordinary normal eye without the thick spotty eye discharge.
"It is over 8 days since the Westie was purchased," the pet shop operator told me as the owner handed her mobile phone to me to talk to her. "The puppy did not have eye discharge when it was sold."
So who was at fault for causing this Westie to keep rubbing its left eye till the hairs at the bridge of the nose fall off. A chessy milky eye discharge forms every day and would not go away for the past 8 days. The third eyelid was reddish but nothing abnormal was seen as I exposed the eye to the bright operating light while the puppy's fore legs were grabbing me to avoid the brightness.
I asked, "Did you have a hand-over check list? A general examination form stating that the various parts of the puppy are normal?" This is not a common practice. "Maybe, there can be a sharing of 50:50," I tried to help the pet shop operator to save on expenses and retain the good will of the buyer who may or may not refer more buyers to her. Referrals from satisfied customers are the best customers and the best building up of the pet shop or any business operations. No amount of advertisement fees can beat referrals.
I tried to help this genteel, soft-spoken waif-like pet shop owner that could be easily blown away by strong monsoon winds to retain her clientele's goodwill and increase her business profitability. Rentals are expensive in Singapore and competition in the business is cut-throat.
Eye injuries or infections are emergencies. If the Westie had rubbed itself blind, by puncturing its eyeball, it would have no eye-sight forever in its left eye. Consult your vet promptly.
http://www.toapayohvets.com
Now, the veterinary bill is as inexpensive as I can offer. $150 as the Westie was put under general anaesthesia gas for eye wash and for medication and over 50 minutes of consultation and surgery.
"Would the puppy die if it goes under anaesthesia at such a young age?" the career-lady owner had paced outside the operation room peering through the glass pane of the door. The Westie was bought at $1,800 and that is a lot of money to lose on the operating table.
I had advised, "There is no other way to evert the 3rd eyelid to flush and remove any hair or dirt trapped below it except under the pain-free general anaesthesia. All puppies will fight if its 3rd eyelid gets everted and its eye flushed because it is painful." I had not warned her of the risk as gas anaesthesia is generally very safe if done properly.
Now, the puppy has wakened with a swollen left eye and all signs of life are normal. It is the payment of the professional fees. What should the pet shop operator do?
Each pet shop operator handles the problem differently. Some refused to pay as it was now 8 days after purchase. What would this pet shop owner do? I asked the owner. She was the mother of a Primary Three student who seemed to me to love food. The husband was present but he left the negotiations with his wife. A closely knit family of four, but the elder daughter was not free to come this Sunday.
"Should not have waited 8 days, as the puppy could be blind by then," I advised the mother who had been wiping the eye discharge daily. She said that the pet shop groomer had rough-handled the puppy thereby causing the eye infection. I had no comment as I did not know the groomer. Now, what's the compensation from the pet shop owner?
The pet shop operator gave her credits towards future services and products from the pet shop. This was a neat solution. The owner paid with her credit card and I expect the Westie to have a normal life from tomorrow onwards. It was not possible to see small dirt flushed out, so there was nothing to show the owner. The success would be due to a ordinary normal eye without the thick spotty eye discharge.
posted by Sinpets.com | 5:06 AM
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