HE is on a mission to help our pets . . . and is here to answer YOUR questions.
Sean, who is the head vet at tailored pet food firm tails.com, has helped with owners’ queries for ten years.
One reader asked if ‘puppy Prozac’ is a safe way to help their anxious pandemic cockapoo, Bean[/caption]
Q) BEAN, my four-year-old cockapoo, is really nervous and submissive around other dogs and gets separation anxiety when we leave the house (she’s a pandemic puppy!).
I’ve seen “puppy Prozac”, an antidepressant, on TV. What do you think of using such medication?
EMMA POTTS, Cardiff, South Glamorgan
Sean says: I was recently on ITV’s This Morning speaking about the rise in “puppy Prozac” and the effects of the pandemic puppy boom on anxiety and behavioural issues in dogs. Catch it on YouTube.
Behavioural issues can be tricky to deal with.
Medicating them, however, should be a last resort or an aid to help dogs undergoing a programme of retraining or behavioural modification.
Only a few dogs who cannot seem to adjust should be on these medications long-term.
Although it sounds like a tempting quick fix, I highly recommend getting a qualified animal behaviourist to come and visit Bean in your home and work with you on her issues.
Q) MY gerbil Snowball vibrates when me and my daughter Mia, who is ten, hold her.
She definitely isn’t scared. Is this normal?
KYLIE BARTLETT, Scunthorpe
Sean says: Yes, and there are two interesting reasons for it. Firstly, you may be detecting Snowball’s rapid heartbeat, which is typically between 360 and 600 beats a minute in gerbils, compared to ours at 60 to 100.
However, I suspect you may be describing purring, which gerbils do when they feel content and happy.
Snowball is obviously enjoying interacting with you, and her odd little buzz proves it. I do wonder if she might be happier with another gerbil friend though, if she doesn’t have one, as they are very social animals.
Q) MY nine-year-old female rescue cat Minxy kept peeing on my bed after I’d been away for a few days, leaving her in her own home with a relative.
It completely stopped until a week ago, when she did it again.
I’ve recently had a kitchen upgrade, but no big disruption. She has garden access, sleeps most of the day and is healthy. What could be the cause?
KAREN ANSCOMBE, South East London
Sean says: Urination issues can be due to stress, and a stranger in the home while the owners have gone away could be a trigger. It could be the kitchen upgrade, perhaps because Minxy is shy about coming to a litter tray or the door around people she doesn’t know.
I would limit her access to the bedroom for now as you don’t want this behaviour becoming a habit.
If it continues, it’s worth a vet visit as infections or bladder stones, even kidney issues, may need to be ruled out as non-behavioural reasons.
Q) WHAT’S the secret to getting dogs to take tablets?
I’ve tried hiding my 11-year-old husky Zorba’s medication in meat, peanut butter and tasty treats, but he spits it out every time. He needs pain meds for arthritis and I’m struggling. Can you help?
KEITH CHARLES, Middlesbrough
Sean says: There are many tricks, like grinding tablets into a powder and mixing it with liver paste. Dogs can rarely resist that.
You could also ask your vet about options other than tablets. For example, there is now a monthly injection for treating arthritis which may be easier for you and Zorba, and which could keep him comfortable — if he doesn’t mind jabs, that is!
STAR OF THE WEEK
BRANSTON the whippet is transitioning from study buddy to work- from-home partner as owner Izzy Fox celebrates graduating with her English literature degree.
The 14-year-old dog stayed calmly by the side of Izzy, 21, during long revision in the run-up to her final exams and now is by her side at home as she works hard applying for jobs.
Reader Izzy shared how her whippet Branston went from study buddy to work-from-home companion[/caption]
Izzy’s lecturer mum Sandy, 55, of Eynsford, Kent, said: “Branston is so full of affection.
“During the long hours of assignments, he kept Izzy company and she’s now celebrating after getting her degree with flying colours.
“Like many graduates, she’s now applying for her dream job.
“Branston has a heart condition – but the biggest heart.”
WIN: HENRY QUICK CORDED VACUUM, WORTH £160
TO celebrate their new Henry Quick Corded Vacuum, Henry is offering readers two to win, worth £160 each.
Its powerful suction dislodges dirt from carpets, upholstery and stairs.
There’s the Henry Quick Pet for homes with furry friends, too.
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SEE EYE TO EYE WITH MAN’S BEST FRIENDS
A THIRD of dog owners wrongly assume their four-legged friend sees the world in the same colour spectrum as we do.
Agria Pet Insurance surveyed 1,000 people and exposed myths around dogs’ vision as our pups are red and green colour blind, yet only 21 per cent of owners are aware they see in shades of yellow and blue.
A third of dog owners wrongly assume their four-legged friend sees the world in the same colour spectrum as we do[/caption]
One in six owners (16 per cent) falsely believe pooches only see the world in black and white.
Yet after learning about dog vision, 69 per cent of owners said they would buy toys, bedding or accessories in blue or yellow, with 78 per cent willing to spend more on items in colours their dog can see clearer.
The nation’s 13million dog owners collectively spend more than £2.4billion a year on their pets’ toys, enrichment tools and activities.
Hannah Molloy, applied animal behaviourist for Agria Pet Insurance, said: “Dogs experience the world in a very different way to us, and it’s super-important to understand that so we can create enriching environments for them.
“Positive sensory experiences can improve pets’ moods and behaviours, making for a better pet ownership experience for humans. Consider buying toys, accessories and bedding in colours they can see more clearly.”