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) WHAT are your thoughts about getting a micro pig as a pet?
I live in a rural area and have a large garden. I’ve always wanted one but don’t want to do this if it’s not right for the pig.
Mike Jones, Carlisle
A) For the most part, and for most people, it’s a terrible idea.
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It’s a fun idea, I’ll give you that, but the reality is it’s a challenging long-term commitment and a lot harder than most people anticipate.
Not to mention, your question has a flaw from the start, in that pigs are social animals and should never be kept alone without a pig companion.
So you would need two, at least. And they will churn up the ground, creating a lot of mud, especially in winter.
You almost need two or three separate areas to run them in, on rotation, to prevent your garden from turning into a quagmire.
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They live a long time — 15 to 20 years sometimes — and most “micro” pigs sold in this country are not micro at all, growing to the size of a Labrador retriever or possibly even bigger.
Proceed cautiously, visit and speak with other pig owners before you decide.
Q) DO you think it’s OK to give some turkey and potatoes to our cat Mog, aged one, and Spaniel Ruby, six, on Christmas Day?
I don’t want to upset their tummies but they always want some.
Kate Bachelor, Kent
A) As long as they don’t have very sensitive digestion with a history of stomach upsets, a small amount of lean meat and maybe potato could be OK.
But think about what else is in there. If it’s from a typical festive feast it’s quite likely they’re roast potatoes, and extremely high in fat in the outer crispy layer.
If mashed, then have you added butter and milk? All of these added extras will add calories, but also fat which could cause a digestive upset, or even pancreatitis.
So my advice is a little bit of lean meat as a treat is probably safest, with no skin or fatty gravy.
Nobody wants to end up in the emergency vet clinic at Christmas.
Got a question for Sean?
Q) WE have stables – and a semi feral cat, who we have called Beauty and is a little sweetie, has chosen them as her home.
We acquired her as a six-month-old kitten eight years ago when she was wandering along the top of our hedge.
She normally has tinned food but a few months ago she got the taste for squirrels and we saw her eating at least one.
Since then she has lost an awful lot of weight. She used to jump on bales of hay to sleep but she no longer does this.
She has regular worming. Please can you advise?
Roger Creasy, Surrey
A) I’m glad you mention worming, as that was where my mind first went with weight loss and eating wild rodents — be they rats, mice or more substantial squirrels. However, all wormers are not created equal.
So if it’s a product you bought over the counter from a pet shop, for example, it may be useful in treating some of the more common roundworms, but perhaps not all the tapeworms or other parasites such as protozoa.
Sudden weight loss in an eight-year-old cat is always an alarming sign, and could be due to a number of specific causes, so I strongly recommend a health check at the vets.
They may want to run some bloods, but also can prescribe an appropriate prescription-only medicine wormer if they suspect we may be dealing with a parasitic infection from the squirrels.
Star of the week
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CHAMPION guinea pig Macbeth is one of Britain’s rarest types and has helped mend his owner’s broken heart.
He is one of 80 guinea pigs cared for by Jme Eglington-Parkes, 36, of Dudley, West Mids.
Macbeth is a Belted guinea pig – with a white circle around the body – and they are so rare he is believed to be one of just five in the country.
Jme, a national guinea pig judge, said: “Macbeth and my guinea pigs have mended my broken heart after my divorce.
“Not only is he winning awards, but he will play a key role in making sure that his type lives on. He’s a very special guinea pig.”
WIN: Training tool
IF you really want to talk to your pet this interactive training tool is for you.
Brightkins is offering three readers the chance to win an amazing Hunger for Words range of pet communication buttons and resources which can help to get their dog communicating and learning commands and words worth £92.
To enter, send an email headed BRIGHTKINS to [email protected] by January 7. See brightkins.co.uk T&Cs apply.
Dogs at risk from festive feasts
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DOG owners have been warned to make sure festive treats are kept out of range as new figures have revealed pooch poisoning cases soar by a THIRD at this time of year.
Data collected by Kennel Club Pet Insurance, revealed 34 per cent of all claims for grape and raisin poisoning were made during the Christmas holidays.
Gully, a retriever, was only four-months-old when he was rushed to the vet in the run-up to Christmas, after he tucked into a mince pie that family cat Junior had knocked on to the floor.
His owner, Samantha Khan, 52, of Sandhurst, Berks, said: “We don’t know if this was a pre-meditated attack on the dog by Junior, or if he just didn’t fancy it himself. Either way, Gully was happy to clear it up for him.”
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Sam rang her vet who advised that because all raisin and grape products are poisonous to dogs, she should bring Gully into the surgery.
Robin Hargreaves, Senior Veterinary Advisor for Kennel Club Pet Insurance, said: “Traditional Christmas foods, such as mince pies and Christmas pudding, are full of things which are toxic to our pets, including raisins and grapes – and there are often no symptoms to ge spotted until the dog becomes very ill, very suddenly.”
