From an unfriendly cat to a guinea pig’s dangerous tummy – your pet queries answered

HE is on a mission to assist our pets  . . . and is right here to reply YOUR questions.

Sean McCormack, who’s the top vet at tailor-made pet meals agency tails.com, has helped with homeowners’ 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.”

Q) MR TAILS, my cat, can’t stand my boyfriend and sometimes scratches him – even when he’s attempting to be good.

How can I get Mr Tails to simply accept one other man in the home?

Toni Charles, Norwich

Sean says: The finest recommendation in your boyfriend is to disregard Mr Tails and never overcrowd him.

Cats actually can’t abide needy individuals who attempt to power a friendship.

Let it occur on Mr Tails’ personal phrases, if in any respect.

If your boyfriend isn’t actually a cat individual naturally, his physique language, or how he reads your cat’s could also be barely “off”, leading to a stand-off and occasional scratch or chew.

If he adopts the chilly shoulder method, Mr Tails might all of the sudden take an curiosity and attempt to make pals in time.

You can’t power them to be pals, you’ve simply bought to respect his house.

Q) MY guinea pig Burt very often will get an upset tummy.

His pal Pete is all the time tremendous, and we’re cautious along with his dry meals.

I commonly give Burt grass, and dandelion leaves. Can I add something to his eating regimen to assist with this subject?

Sophie Day, Leicester

Sean says: Good-quality grass and hay ought to type the majority of his eating regimen and it retains guinea pigs’ digestive techniques in good working order.

I presume you’re feeding a dry meals particularly for guinea pigs?

I hope so, as a result of they’ve totally different necessities to rabbits, notably with regards to vitamin C provision.

Also, did you get Pete and Burt collectively?

Or if Burt got here later from a unique provider/breeder, he could also be coping with a parasite subject and even an infection that Pete has prevented till now.

Recent antibiotics may additionally trigger a intestine imbalance, an absence of fibre, and even dental illness. I might suggest a vet examine.

Q) PUDDLES, my cat, retains sitting on my pc keyboard. I shoo her away after which I come again and he or she’s on it once more.

I’ve an open-plan dwelling house so shutting the door isn’t an choice.

How can I cease her sabotaging my home/work life?

Sarah Cooke, Manchester

Sean says: The keyboard has double attraction.

It’s normally good and heat, so an awesome place to plonk your butt should you’re a cosy-loving cat.

Secondly, it’s a spot you possibly can go to the place your proprietor actually can’t ignore you.

You also can attempt creating a good higher choice for her close by the place she will be able to nonetheless come for some consideration, however is much more comfy.

An over-radiator cat hammock is a agency favorite.

Reward-based coaching to depart the keyboard on command and sit on her hammock or devoted cushion close by is feasible too.

Q) MY nine-year-old Siberian husky Barnaby has glaucoma.

I’m giving him eye drops, however is there anything I can do to assist save his sight?

Dave Brown, Exeter

Sean says: Glaucoma is a painful and normally progressive situation, however the reality you’ve got

Barnaby on early therapy and are giving him medicated drops is a extremely nice first step towards slowing down his lack of imaginative and prescient.

While he might lose his sight in a single or each eyes, dogs address this a lot better than we might, as their listening to and sense of scent are a lot extra acute than ours and assist them to navigate the world.

Keep an excellent relationship along with your vet, ideally a veterinary ophthalmologist, and they’ll information you in your decision-making over the approaching years.

Star of the week

GUIDE canine Leo helps 95-year-old Jacqueline Brooks keep lively and stay independently.

Jacqueline, from Cambridgeshire, has age-related macular degeneration and is likely one of the UK’s oldest information canine homeowners.

But she says having trusty Leo by her facet “gives me something to live for”.

Jacqueline provides of her canine companion: “Leo has saved me young.

“If people can get their heads in the right place after losing their sight, a guide dog truly can be a lifesaver.”

Microchips hint lacking moggies

MOGGIES lacking for a number of months have been reunited with their homeowners, because of microchips.

It will probably be a authorized requirement from June 1 subsequent yr, however the RSPCA reckon that doing it now may keep away from the heartache of dropping a much-loved pet for ever.

Six-year-old Oreo went walkabout for 9 months after his proprietor Emma Sykes moved simply half a mile away in Brandon close to Durham.

When he was discovered, considered one of his legs needed to be amputated as he’d been injured.

Emma, mum to James, 12, and Hollie, ten, stated: “It was so upsetting when he went lacking.

“The winter months had been particularly arduous, however he’s again in our lives now because of his microchip.”

Eight-year-old Daisy vannished for 3 weeks from her home in Northallerton, North Yorks.

The RSCPA discovered she had fractured her hip after being struck by a automotive.

Owner Kate Preston stated: “If it hadn’t been for Daisy’s microchip we’d most likely by no means have gotten her again.

She’s placing on a little bit of weight and has bought her purr again.”

RSPCA animal assortment officer Shane Lynch stated: “It’s wonderful for us to reunite cats – but it’s all thanks to the fact their owners had got them microchipped.”