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. He says: “If your pet is acting funny or is under the weather, or you want to know about nutrition or exercise, just ask. I can help keep pets happy and healthy.”
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Q) I HAVE always wanted a pot bellied pig.
Do you think it would make a good pet?
I have a large garden, but I’d like to train one to go on walks if possible as I live in a rural area. Is this a good idea?
Sarah Smith, Hexham
A) In a word, nope!
I’ve seen about ten times as many people realise just what a terrible idea it was to welcome a cute little piglet into their homes, and live to seriously regret it, than I have those who relished it and made it work.
Pigs are just not an easy guest or pet for most households.
Even pot bellied or so-called micro pigs still grow to the size of a large dog, at least.
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They are clever and demanding of time and attention.
They are clean animals but do come with their own distinctive odour, and have complex social needs that cannot be met by a single human owner.
If you’ve got land and space to provide a pair of pigs with a complex, enriched environment then go ahead.
If you are thinking a single pig will make a quirky substitute for a dog in your home, then I’d strongly urge you to think again.
Sometimes we have to ask: “Just because we can, does it mean we should?”.
Got a question for Sean?
Q) MY two three-month-old rabbits Bill and Ben love to play.
Should I give them toys to play with like you would with dogs or cats?
If so, what do you recommend?
Sophie Cousins, Lewes
A) Yes absolutely, rabbits love toys they can throw about, catch, chew on, forage for food in, roll around and sometimes snuggle up to.
So the possibilities are almost endless. From simple and free things you have anyway — such as cardboard boxes (staples and tape removed) — to ones designed specifically for rabbits available online or in pet shops.
Environmental enrichment, or providing lots of things to explore, play with and occupy their time is important for all pets, and rabbits are no exception.
Q) WHEN I feed my Labrador/Weimaraner cross, Zara on complete dry food her stools become looser after a couple of days.
She is absolutely fine if she has complete food which is described as meaty chunks.
I have tried to work out what is or isn’t in the meaty chunks as opposed to the dry but with no success.
Can you shed any light on this please?
Sandra Gill, Gillingham, Dorset
A) There are hundreds of dry foods and hundreds of wet or canned meaty chunks type foods on the market, so it’s unlikely to be entirely to do with the food being wet or dry, more to do with what brand and what ingredients are in each food.
If her stools are becoming loose then that’s likely to be a digestive intolerance to one or more ingredients.
You may find, by carefully analysing the food labels, that you see an ingredient in the one she’s reactive to that isn’t in the one she appears to stabilise on.
At tails.com we treat every dog as an individual, and we can cater to dogs with multiple health and dietary needs, including allergies or intolerances.
We do both wet and dry formats as well as treats. I’m sure our nutrition team would be happy to help you and Zara if you dropped them a line on [email protected].
Star of the week
MIA the cat became a surrogate mum to four kittens and saved their lives after their birth mum became poorly.
The seven-year-old snow Bengal had given birth to her own single kitten when a family friend’s cat grew too ill to feed her three-day-old brood the same week.
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Mia’s owner Karen Harris, 59, of Sudbury, Suffolk, said: “Mia is such a sweet cat we knew she would be a brilliant surrogate mum.
“She began feeding the kittens right away. She saved them.
“By coincidence my daughter Becky has had six surrogate babies, so we have a cat surrogate in the family too.”
WIN: Two-night break
DOES your pooch love exploring new places?
Win a two-night stay worth £280 for one dog and up to four people at Sunnyside Cottage (baytownholiday cottages.co.uk) in Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorks.
Enjoy beach playtime, dine at dog-friendly restaurants, and each furry guest will receive a goody bag.
To enter, send a email headed SUNNYSIDE to [email protected] by August 13. T&Cs apply.
How you can handle problem pups
THE top mischievous puppies have been revealed by one of Britain’s top behaviourists – who has given her five troubleshooting tips.
Judy Comer-Calder said Border Collies, Terriers, Spaniels, Rottweilers, Beagles, Australian Cattle Dogs, Alaskan Malamutes, Dalmations, Dobermans, Pinschers and Chihuahuas are all adorable pooches but can be more demanding than other breeds.
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But Judy (thedevondog lady. co.uk) said problems such as barking and jumping up are all avoidable.
Judy said: “No matter the breed, prevention is always better than cure. It’s vital to set the dog up to succeed.”
Here are Judy’s top tips for problem pups:
- If you know your pup is OK, ignore any whining or barking.
- Don’t let your pup chew your fingers, play fight or do “tug of war” games – it can teach them to mouth or bite.
- To prevent chewing, give your pup toys to play with in a safe place. If they are chewing your best hat, you left it in the wrong place.
- Excited greetings or play can teach pups to jump up. If you don’t want it, don’t teach it.
- With toileting, get your puppy to the right place at the right time in order to set them up for success.
