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.”
6
6
Q) HOW can I stop my parrot Polly copying the sound of the doorbell?
It’s really annoying.
James Walsh, Manchester
Sean says: Hmm, you probably can’t.
It’s a repetitive sound that makes something interesting happen.
Either you get up and go to the door and then come back and start talking to Polly, or you realise it’s her and start talking to her anyway, I bet?
See where I’m going with this?
Got a question for Sean?
Most read in Money
The solution is probably to completely ignore it any time she does it, so it never gets rewarded or reinforced.
That’s easier said than done if she does a really good impression.
Temporarily disabling the actual doorbell and asking visitors to knock instead will allow you to work on ignoring the behaviour.
It could take weeks or months for her to stop. Or she may never.
Q) I’M thinking about getting a cat for my elderly mum.
What’s likely to be the most affectionate and appropriate for a house cat?
My mum is 83 and has mobility issues.
Louise Smith, Rochester, Kent
Sean says: I would think about rehoming an older cat used to that sort of owner and home environment.
There are usually plenty of older cats in rescue shelters who have perhaps lost their owner and are looking for homes.
The shelters will ask for thought to be put into where the cat would go should your mum’s health change or if she needs to move out of the home, so some forward planning is needed.
Also, think about whether the cat will become a burden on your mum or her carers over the coming years.
Just go into it prepared for all eventualities.
But I agree, an older cat could be great company for her if she wants one.
6
Q) MY labrador Treacle has been carpet skiing on her bum.
She’s wormed regularly and is up to date with all of her vaccinations.
Is there a reason I’m missing?
Helen Campbell, Aberdeen
Sean says: This is a common misconception about dogs scooting.
It’s rarely caused by worms, not directly anyway.
The most common reason is full anal glands.
These are two little pockets inside the bum that store a smelly secretion.
The little ducts draining them can get blocked up and then they continue to fill and cause irritation, even infection if they get too impacted.
Dragging the bum across the carpet puts pressure on them so they squeeze out the blockage.
Hope I haven’t put you off your Sunday dinner with that.
Your vet can squeeze Treacle’s anal glands to empty them if it’s becoming a frequent problem.
Being a vet is a glamorous job!
6
Q) MY three-year-old neutered male Siamese cat Louie has a constant upset tum
Our vet now suggests a scan of his abdomen, and maybe change him to another type of diet.
We are only on a state pension and, as you know, times are really biting.
Do you think a scan is worth it? Please could you advise, as we’re struggling here.
Mike McKenna, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Sean says: That is a tough one indeed, and I understand how frustrating it can be, especially on a budget and without easy answers.
I think if you have got this far in the investigations then a scan is worthwhile, remembering that a negative result is just as useful as finding something worrying.
At least then you have ruled out some of the more serious issues that might need tackling urgently.
And you can trial a different hypoallergenic diet to see if this resolves it.
Star of the week
RESCUE Newfoundland Bob is working as a suicide prevention and emotional support dog – and at four years old he’s already saved three lives.
Owner and full-time paramedic Pete Lewin, 64, from Leicester, runs a non-profit organisation working with Bob and his pack of dogs.
6
They help those who have struggled with their mental health by going freshwater swimming with them.
The dogs help people open up about their problems.
Bob has now been recognised by security brand ADT, which is celebrating Britain’s bravest pets.
It revealed that one in ten people in the UK says their life has been saved by their pet.
Pete said: “Bob literally is a life-saver.”
WIN: MEMORIAL TREE
WOULD you like to plant a tree in memory of a pet and do your bit towards saving the planet, too?
Treedom is an online platform that plants trees around the world as part of an initiative to benefit the planet and provide income to farmers.
We have got 12 memorial trees, worth £20 each, to give away that will be planted in Africa.
You can also follow their growth online. Send an email headed TREEDOM – and tell us about your pet – to [email protected] by May 24. See treedom.net. T&Cs apply.
Do your bit to save our hedgehogs
HEDGEHOG Awareness Week starts tomorrow – and YOU can help save the endangered cuties.
From Mrs Tiggy-Winkle to Sonic, they are one of our favourite garden visitors, but in 2020 were classified as at risk of extinction with fewer than a million left.
6
British Hedgehog Preservation Society chief Fay Vass said: “Every one of us can play a key role in the survival of our hedgehogs, by doing our bit in the garden.
“Or if you don’t have a garden, contact your local park or cemetery, and get friends and neighbours involved.”
More than 100,000 helpers have already signed up at hedgehogstreet.org/register.
Clare Stone at hedgehog-house suppliers Home & Roost has these top tips:
- Get a hedgehog house for nesting and hibernating.
- Make a hedgehog high-way. Create a hole in your fence to let them in and out.
- lMake your pond wildlife- safe – put in a ramp or beach as an escape route.
- lLet a corner of the garden grow wild. Secure garden netting and clear litter, or hedgehogs will get stuck.
- Stop using chemicals.
- Put out snacks – some meaty cat or dog food, or cat biscuits – and water.
- Check before strimming or starting bonfires.
- Report your hogs at bighedgehogmap.org. The more groups know about where they are, the better they can help them.
