From a Labrador gobbling down food to cat that scratches – your pet queries answered

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) HOW can I stop my labrador Bob from gobbling his food in such a frenzied way?

It cannot be good for him.

What would you suggest, as it’s like he’s been starved at every meal time and he bolts it down without it touching the sides?

Kim Bryant, Plymouth

A) What you describe is classic labrador energy.

Did you know scientists have found that as many as one in three labradors are missing the gene that controls their hunger “off switch”.

Their brain doesn’t realise when their stomach is full.

So it’s actually a genetic trait of the breed, or at least a certain proportion of labradors.

To try and slow down this frantic feeding behaviour and, in particular, gulping or inhaling food which can lead to greater risk of bloat, you should use puzzle toys and slow feeders.

Even scatter feeding, to make Bob work for his food, is a good idea.

I’m not a big fan of just feeding dogs a bowl of food twice a day, anyway.

It’s a wasted opportunity to stimulate their minds and make them problem-solve for their dinner.

Q) MY boxer dog Harry, who is six, has had cancer mast cell tumours on his legs.

He’s had chemo and is doing great but now he’s just got a new mast cell tumour on his face.

The vet says it isn’t the same cancer, or isn’t connected.

Is that possible?

It feels like they’re just saying that as the chemo didn’t work and they encouraged us to have it at great cost.

Sarah Riley, Weymouth, Dorset

A) Oh dear, I really hate seeing this level of distrust in vets who, by and large, are very kind, empathetic people who have devoted their lives to helping animals and their people.

It is absolutely possible for a dog to develop a new type of cancer, even of the same group of tumour types, after the previous cancer treatment has ended successfully.

Add to that, you have a boxer, which is one of the breeds with the greatest predispositions to cancer of many types.

I’m sorry that it’s bad news again for Harry.

But I would urge you to trust your vet on this one and relay your concerns about how this could happen.

I’m sure they can show you the lab reports outlining the type of mast cell tumour he has now and had before.

Cancer, unfortunately, can arise again and again throughout life, even after we beat it once, twice, three times — in dogs as well as people.

Q) IF we are out for a long time our ten-year-old house cat Paisley scratches the wallpaper.

We have had her for two years and this has only started in recent months.

Have you got any suggestions why she is doing this?

Graham Rixon, Eynsford, Kent

A) Does she have scratching posts available that she’s allowed to scratch?

Does she ever scratch while you are home, and get interrupted?

Does she only do it in one partic-ular area and not others?

What’s near that area?

Has anything else changed in the household that could be causing her stress, and coincides with the arrival of this behaviour?

More questions than answers here — but you will see that behavioural assessment is rarely a one-size-fits-all answer.

Try limiting access to a favoured area, and provide allowed scratching posts in several locations.

If you find that this doesn’t work, then seeking out a qualified behav-iourist is a good idea.

Star of the week

LOLA the cockapoo is mascot for a veterans’ motor-racing team – and has also helped her owner to overcome his PTSD.

The two-year-old pup belongs to Martyn Compton, head of Stand2 Motorsport, comprised of injured military personnel.

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Martyn, of Battle, East Sussex, who suffered 75-per-cent burns in a Taliban rocket attack 17 years ago, said: “Lola goes everywhere by my side. She’s a reassuring presence.

“It was only fitting that she became our team mascot, as she’s always at the racetrack with my wife Michelle and two children cheering us on.”

WIN: Stacking game

BALANCE one kitty on top of another in stacking game Catastrophe.

But be careful – one wrong move and you lose.

Or raise the woof as you stack pooches to find the ulti-mutt champion in Dogsaster.

For a chance to win one of 26 games, worth £9.99, send an email headed GIFTREPUBLIC addressed to sundaypets@ the-sun.co.uk by Dec 3.

Available from Oliver Bonas stores and giftrepublic. com.

T&Cs apply.

Keep kitties away from mischief

WE have all heard of dogs behaving badly, but cats do too.

Now feline expert Paul Trott, from catit.co.uk, has revealed the top five kitty problems – and how to solve them.

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He said: “Many problems can be solved by providing your cat with comfortable cat furniture, stimulating toys, a clean and safe litter area and lots of attention.”

Here, he lists his top five problems and what you can do about them . . . 

CAT KNOCKS THINGS OVER: Provide alternative entertainment with cat toys that appeal to all five senses, such as treat dispensers or puzzles.

IT SCRATCHES THE FUR-NITURE: Place scratchers and cat trees with scratching posts in strategic areas of your home.

Apply catnip to tempt them away from furniture.

EARLY-MORNING WAKE-UP CALLS: Tire them out with playtime in the evening, and establish a consistent feeding routine.

An auto-matic cat feeder can help.

CLAIMING BEST SPOT ON SOFA: Provide them with designated cosy spots, like a soft blanket.

Tempt them with catnip.

“SURPRISES” IN LITTER BOX: Make sure the litter box is clean and placed in a quiet, accessible location.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk