From an undernourished stray cat to a young dachshund – 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.

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Sean helps a reader with a young dachshund[/caption]

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.”

Q) MY little dog Teddy is always jumping up around my feet.

When I was carrying a cup of coffee I tripped over him and spilt some on his right ear and side.

I put cold water on him and took him to the vets who gave me hydrocortisone cream 1 per cent for him.

But his fur is stuck to his skin.

Will it get better just using the cream?

Liz Carolan, North Yorkshire

A) Tricky to say without inspecting poor Teddy’s ear and skin, but if in doubt, book him in for a recheck appointment at your vets.

You don’t say how long it has been, which may affect how it looks.

These things can appear worse before they seem better.

It might be time to stop the cream if it has healed.

Creams can be quite greasy so his fur will look a mess during treatment, but a good bath will sort it out once the inflammation has healed.

Q) WE have just bought two female guinea pigs.

They are only five months old but we have just found out one is pregnant.

Can you help with any advice? 

Matt Durnell, Northampton

A) How did you find out? Is it just that she has gained weight, or unmistakably has babies in there.

Guinea pigs give birth to large, well developed young that can run around and keep up with the crew almost from their arrival. So they get pretty colossal in size when pregnant.

As long as you are feeding her plenty of good quality hay, greens, vegetables and a small amount of fruit alongside quality guinea pig food she should be fine.

Pelleted diets are better than muesli mixes as they prevent selective feeding and thus nutritional deficiencies.

Q) NANCY, my two-and-a-half-year-old dachshund, was spayed five weeks ago but now smells.

Before the op, we showered her every two weeks.

Now it’s so bad we have to shower her every couple of days.

What could be the cause of it?

Paul Smith,  Port Talbot

A) The two things could be related or might be coincidental.

Hormonal changes from spaying can lead to changes in skin secretions or flare up skin conditions, but this is rare.

You don’t mention if it’s a general “doggy smell” all over her skin and coat or is a particularly bad whiff coming from somewhere else.

As a vet I would check if there is any discharge from her back end, as maybe she has an infection.

Or maybe it’s her anal glands playing up. A vet visit would be worthwhile.

Q) I ADOPTED a stray cat that was undernourished and its fur was very patchy.

Smokey constantly pulls at its fur causing bald patches.

Are there any home remedies as I can’t afford vet fees.

I tried using something I found online which is a “mild mix of hydrogen peroxide and also salt water”. It helped temporarily.

There is no evidence of any fleas. Smokey has a very good appetite and drinks a lot of water.

Martyn Hemmings, Coventry

A) If you cannot afford vet fees and are experimentally putting hydrogen peroxide on a cat for an undiagnosed skin condition, you are not providing a good home for them.

At best it’s doing very little to help Smokey recover from whatever is causing him to pull fur out, at worst it could be aggravating the issue.

It could even be causing more serious issues when Smokey is grooming and ingesting this chemical from his coat.

Please stop using this, and look into getting help from PDSA on subsidised vet fees, or rehoming centres that will ensure Smokey gets the medical care he needs.

Star of the week

SHIVER the soothing Blue-tongued Skink may not seem like the cuddliest therapy animal.

But the 21-year-old has helped rehabilitate prisoners, as well as calming kids with complex needs.

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Shiver the soothing Blue-tongued Skink was rescued by owner Dale Preece-Kelly[/caption]

Shiver was rescued by owner Dale Preece-Kelly 14 years ago and is a star of Critterish, an unusual collection of therapy animals based in Kidderminster, Worcs.

Dale, 55, says: “She has a hypnotic and calming quality.”

Shiver’s Zen-like air has won hearts at Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice, which has branches in Liverpool, Coventry and Middlesbrough specialising in helping early years children facing life-limiting illness.

Dale says: “She always captivates the kids.”

See critterishallsorts.co.uk.

Learn what makes your moggy tick

COULD your moggy be a life saver? A leading feline clinic is appealing for cat blood donors.

Dog blood donor services have existed for years but help for their kitty counterparts lags behind.

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Kerry Flynn says: ‘If you have a cat under eight years old, vaccinated and over 4kg, we urgently need donors and funds’[/caption]

Last year, The London Cat Clinic joined forces with Portugal-based Animal Blood Bank to create the UK’s first dedicated feline blood donation centre.

Clinic Director, Dr Jeremy Campbell, says: “Cat blood donations are a relatively safe procedure that can mean the difference between life and death.”

However cat blood is hard to store, so the donor must rush to the rescue.

In September, animal rescue charity Protected Paws started their own database.

Stray kitten Ruben, saved from deadly flea bite anaemia at four weeks old, is an early success story.

Co-founder of the London-based charity, working with DNA Vetcare, nurse Kerry Flynn says: “His blood matched a cat on our register. Pops was raced to us by his family and in 48 hours Ruben was playing.”

Kerry, 33, says: “If you have a cat under eight years old, vaccinated and over 4kg, we urgently need donors and funds.”

See protectedpaws.co.uk.