Pet topics: why won"t my canine consume her food?

A: Pets naturally need to have much less food for the duration of the warmer months of the year: a latest review at the Royal Canin Study Centre in France invested four many years monitoring how considerably cats chose to eat, and discovered that foods intake elevated in colder months (they need to have much more vitality to preserve warm) and decreased during the summer (they have a tendency to lie all around a lot more, employing up less energy). The identical principle applies to all pets: it helps make sense to offer 10-15 per cent less meals throughout warmer climate. A lot of individuals use treats or particular meals to inspire a pet to eat more, but this is 1 of the typical brings about of weight problems in pets, so please really don’t do it.

Q: I am about to get a rescue cat but cannot discover a suitable litter tray. I have observed American ones that are planters with entry below the plant, and other individuals with progressive mechanisms this kind of as an automatic scraper to eliminate clumped litter into a smell-proof bin. Are these accessible in this nation, and, if so, what variety would you recommend?

A: Complicated litter-tray arrangements, such as people you describe, are offered in pet shops and on the internet, but bear in mind that these are developed with humans in thoughts, rather than cats. House soiling troubles are the most regular cat behavioural issue, and these are more widespread when men and women consider to force cats to use littering setups that they really don’t like. Cats have easy requirements: a broad, flat location with a appropriate substrate that they can scrape effortlessly to cover up their enterprise. The more challenging the litter tray – with extras this kind of as a roof, moving components or narrow cat-flap entry or exit points – the more most likely the cat is to mess in the house rather. My very own favourite is a more substantial-than-normal tray (such as a seedling tray from a backyard centre) with deep sides. A every day clean-out assures that offensive smells (and sights) are stored to a minimum.

Social media’s pet parade

Britain’s pets are joining the social media revolution, with cats major dogs in the trend. An infographic launched by cat foods brand Felix (tinyurl.com/jwprsey) reveals that 350,000 British cat owners have set up social media accounts for their feline friends. This craze, recognized as “social petworking”, consists of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even YouTube accounts focused to pets. Twitter’s most renowned cat, the US-based mostly @Sockington, is followed by much more than one.36 million folks. (Prime Minister David Cameron only has 697,000.)

Rescue pet of the week

Morris and Mabel are healthy, 3-12 months-outdated lop cross rabbits in want of a residence. Interested? Get in touch with Camp Nibble

Send pet difficulties to pete.wedderburn@telegraph.co.united kingdom. All sick animals must, of program, be taken to a vet.To find out the outcomes of the rescued pets featured in this column, see Pet Topics Rescue

Pet topics: why won"t my canine consume her food?

Pet topics: can I buy Wellington boots for ducks?

A: There are several triggers of itchy skin: you require to concentrate on getting a distinct diagnosis of the result in. It may be worth asking your personal vet for a referral to a expert veterinary dermatologist while this may be costly in the brief term, in the long phrase you will save cash and time, and the dog’s discomfort will be relieved more rapidly. A change of diet plan will perform only if the itchy skin is triggered by an allergy to an ingredient in the diet, and you don’t need to have a raw-meat diet program to investigate this probability. Most vets stock a assortment of particular diets designed to make it straightforward to rule meals allergy “in” or “out”. Appropriately sourced raw-meat diets will not give your dogs worms, but this way of feeding dogs does not suit every owner and animal.

Q:I have two Birman cats who sometimes regurgitate undigested food due to fur balls, which I am treating. Have you any concept what dye/food colouring goes into cat food, specifically the dried selection? The colour stains the carpet brilliant yellow and is extremely challenging to remove.

JD, Worcestershire

A: If any person ever has queries about elements in a certain pet meals, it is greatest to get in touch with the manufacturer directly, both on the internet or by telephone they are normally approachable and helpful. Colors are occasionally used in pet meals, typically to redress the all-natural variations in colour that can stick to heat processing of foods and the wide range of raw resources employed – animal, fish and vegetable. Some additives are derived from naturally happening supplies (typically plants) and other individuals are artificial substances. There is rigid EU legislation governing what additives can be used in pet meals, based on security, technical require and efficacy. The yellow colour you describe may possibly not be from the foods – it’s typical for bile to be brought up from an animal’s stomach. This is a bright yellow colour and can lead to deep stains that are not easy to eliminate.

Q:Our 5-yr-outdated black Labrador, Lola, is very delicate to rain and/or thunder. She becomes visibly distressed, taking to her bed where she sits with her head hung reduced until the rain has passed. Her bed is in the conservatory and the rain on the roof is specifically loud, but she refuses to settle in a quieter area in the home. What can we do to minimise her nervousness?

AP, Henley-on-Thames

A: The prolonged-phrase answer is to consider to desensitise Lola to the sound of storms by utilizing a specially designed audio download of foul weather (see soundtherapy4pets.co.uk). You play this very quietly in the background as component of the household’s typical regimen, progressively growing the volume as she grows utilised to the sound above weeks and months. You should also talk to your vet about occasional use of anti-nervousness medication to give her in advance when you know a storm is coming. It would make sense to set up another bed for her, in a room that’s greater protected from the noise of the climate. If she gets utilized to the new bed as component of her regular regimen, she’ll be much more probably to settle there throughout a storm.

British charity saving tigers with veterinary expertise

Canine distemper virus is killing a single per cent of the Siberian tiger population, and is also suspected to be existing in tigers in Sumatra and Bangladesh. Wildlife Vets Global is involved in surveys for illness in tiger nations, offering guidance on preventing ailment transmission. To locate out more about this and other tasks, please visit wildlifevetsinternational.org.

Rescue pet of the week

Ossie is a 1-12 months-old Labrador who is seeking for a property with no younger children. Contact information@labrador-lifeline.com or contact 01256 884027.

To locate out about the outcomes of the rescued pets featured in this column, see Pet Topics Rescue

*Send pet difficulties to pete.wedderburn@telegraph.co.uk. All sick animals must, of program, be taken to a vet

Pet topics: can I buy Wellington boots for ducks?

Pet topics: why does my puppy dislike our new cellphone?

Matted fur on the lower back is common in older cats, and can happen for a number of reasons, including lack of flexibility due to arthritis, dental disease preventing thorough self-grooming, and general geriatric lethargy. Ideally, early intervention can solve this, by gently teasing out the clumped fur before it accumulates. If you leave the clumps, they will get bigger, forming uncomfortable pads of matted fur. The best answer is to ask your vet to remove the clumped areas with electric clippers; during the same visit, you can ask about any related issues that your cat may need help with, such as dental disease, arthritis, and other hidden geriatric problems that can often be simply treated.

My 10-year-old cat Monty has always refused to sleep on my bed. He sleeps everywhere else: on the spare bed, under my bed and in any other cosy spot, but whenever I put him on my bed, he jumps straight off. I have tried various colours of bedding and I call him over when I am in bed to give him attention. Is there anything else I can do? I’d love the company of Monty sleeping by my feet.

EC, Skelmersdale

Monty may have once suffered some adverse event associated with sleeping on a bed with a person in it: perhaps his own rest was disturbed by someone’s feet wriggling? You need to do more to encourage him to enjoy sleeping there in the daytime, when there’s no one else there. Make your bed as appealing as possible, using thick, soft cat bedding. Set up an electric cat bed heater (available in most pet shops), spray cat pheromones on the covers (Feliway, available from vets or online, is good), and scatter some tasty treats on the bedspread to entice him (thrivepetfoods.com). If he discovers that your bed is the cosiest place in the house to snooze in the daytime, there’s a good chance that he’ll get into the habit of sleeping there at night too.

My garden has a wild patch that always sprouts nettles in springtime. In the past, I’ve kept my rabbits away from this area, but someone told me that they enjoy eating them. Is this true? Surely they could be hurt by getting stung?

LR, Salisbury

The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund website (rabbitwelfare.co.uk) has an advice sheet detailing the safe plants that can be fed to rabbits, and you’ll be glad to hear that nettles are included. Rabbits seem to be resistant to nettle stings, and I’ve heard of rabbits happily munching their way through nettle crops that would leave humans covered in painful stings. If you still worry that your rabbit may be sensitive, you could cut the nettles then allow them to dry for a day or so (or more rapidly by putting them in the oven). This removes some of the stinging effect for humans, so it’s likely to make them even more appetising to rabbits.

Time for action on fat cats (and dogs)

Nearly 80 per cent of vets believe pet obesity is on the rise since 2009, with serious adverse consequences for dog, cat and rabbit health and welfare. If pets are kept at their ideal body size, their lifespan can be extended by up to two years. A recent survey showed that nearly one in three (30 per cent) owners relied only on instinct when deciding pet food portion size rather than giving a measured ration of food. For tips on how to keep your pet at the ideal weight, visit pfma.org.uk/weighinwednesday.

Rescue pet of the week

James is an adult tabby cat with a lovely personality. Contact Celia Hammond Animal Trust on 020 7474 8811 or visit celiahammond.org to find out more about him. To find out the outcomes of the rescued pets that are featured in this column, see Pet Subjects Rescue.

*Send pet problems to pete.wedderburn@telegraph.co.uk. All sick animals should, of course, be taken to a vet

Pet topics: why does my puppy dislike our new cellphone?

Pet topics: is my canine sleepwalking?

Commercially developed diet plans created for cats with kidney failure are quite unlikely to be deficient in nutrients, so it’s well worth hunting into other possible leads to. Licking concrete is a type of abnormal appetite identified as “pica”, which can be caused by anaemia, or a lower red blood cell count. This is a frequent complication in cats with kidney condition, due to reduced amounts of erythropoietin (a hormone secreted by healthier kidneys that increases red blood cell manufacturing in response to lower ranges of oxygen in the tissues).

There are other leads to of pica (such as Alzheimer-like cognitive decline) but it is well worth a go to to your vet to investigate the probability of anaemia, because it can be treated effectively.

My 4-12 months-outdated yr Labrador keeps jumping up on to the counter soon after I have prepared dinner, stealing foods. I am continuously scolding her and pulling her down yet again. Normally when I educate her some thing she learns but not this time. Do you have any suggestions?

TB, Co Carlow, Ireland

Counter-surfing is a widespread dilemma in energetic dogs with healthful appetites. There are three approaches: initial, eliminate the temptation – never give her a likelihood to jump up on the counter when food is there by trying to keep her out of the space at these occasions (e.g. using a baby gate or a canine crate) second, teach her the “leave it” command, by supplying her an even tastier treat than some thing that she has initially picked up (see is.gd/K3942e for particulars) – you should then be able to cease her from jumping up by saying “leave it” and she ought to slowly drop the habit third, and significantly less politically right, you can booby-trap counters (e.g. with piles of empty drink cans), or use a remote control spray collar, to make it significantly less enjoyable for her to jump on to the counter. Don’t give up. You want to be much more stubborn than her on this.

1 of my rabbits, Tintin, who is now four many years old, has began to get mucky underneath his tail. Right up until lately, he groomed himself impeccably. Why do you believe he has stopped becoming his usual spotless self?

JD, Cornwall

This is a widespread, typically misunderstood, sign of illness in rabbits. A healthful rabbit eats its very own soft droppings, typically at night: this is named coprophagia, and it is element of the standard digestive approach. These soft droppings (“cecotropes”) are various to the inedible challenging spherical pellets that are created at other times. If a rabbit does not consume the soft droppings, they accumulate and dry out underneath the tail, forming clumps of dirty, matted fur. There are several typical causes, including dental ailment (affected rabbits may discover coprophagia agonizing) and weight problems (body fat rabbits locate it difficult to reach beneath the tail). You need to get Tintin checked by your vet.

Do you mind if I muzzle your dog?

Puppy bites are a critical risk to vets in practice: studies display that work-related injuries happen practically three occasions more usually to vets than to GPs. Older, skilled vets are much less probably to suffer this kind of injuries, presumably because bitter experience teaches them to be much more cautious. If your vet suggests muzzling your canine, really don’t be offended: prevention is usually preferable to the bodily and psychological problems of dealing with a nasty bite wound.

Rescue pet of the week

Foxy is a two-yr-old Akita who needs the proper long-term home after currently being in Battersea Dogs and Cats Residence for the past year. Get in touch with 01784 494 443 if you’d like to meet her .To locate out the outcomes of the rescued pets featured in this column, see petsubjectsrescue.petethevet.com

Send pet issues to pete.wedderburn@telegraph.co.united kingdom. All sick animals ought to, of program, be taken to a vet

Pet topics: is my canine sleepwalking?

Pet topics: why is my rabbit so aggressive?

Generally speaking, droppings of any species need to not be eaten (other than some herbivores like rabbits which consume their very own droppings as part of the digestive process). The main problem is that droppings can carry parasites, viruses and bacteria that can be passed on to other creatures. Chicken droppings can carry salmonella, so there is a concern that your canine might, in flip, choose this up.

It’s unlikely that there will ever be a severe problem, but it’s even now anything that you need to get measures to avoid if feasible. Perhaps you could confine the hens to a separate segment of the backyard? If you cannot end the behaviour, you may possibly just have to accept living with the little threat. Just be aware that if your puppy ever develops indicators of gastroenteritis, you need to have him handled professionally, and do not forget to mention his unsavoury routines to the vet.

My son’s West Highland terrier, Benji, aged 9, commenced scratching his rear underbelly two months in the past. Our vet has attempted many treatments, like a program of Prednisolone, to no avail. Can you recommend what may possibly be creating this difficulty and any possible treatment please?

AH, Northwich

West Highland white terriers should be the itchiest breed of all, genetically predisposed to creating skin allergies and sensitivities. However, it can be challenging to pinpoint the purpose for an person dog’s itchy skin, and many diverse brings about (such as meals allergies, mites, an underactive thyroid gland or an overactive adrenal gland) can contribute to the problem. The only way to fix the mystery of most itchy dogs is to systematically perform through a diagnostic process with your vet, or inquire for an even far more expensive referral to a specialist dermatologist.

That mentioned, anytime a canine is itching on the underbelly only, it helps make sense to rule out get in touch with irritation and allergy by preventing the underside of the puppy from coming into get in touch with with anything that may possibly result in an itch, such as floor cleaners or carpets. Wash floors with just hot water, and hold him on tiles and brown paper for a handful of weeks to see if this aids.

My female rabbit was a gentle, loving youngster, but now that she’s a yr old she has turn into terrifyingly aggressive, rushing at me and making an attempt to scratch me with her claws. I have often been gentle with her. Why is she behaving like this and how can I cease her?

MN, Manchester

In most species, it is testosterone, the male hormone, that’s linked with aggression. In rabbits, oestrogen, the female hormone, can have a fearsome impact, producing rabbits behave with out-of-character aggression. I’ve observed humans and other rabbits suffer nasty physical injuries from the sharp claws and teeth of rabbits that are beneath the influence of oestrogen.

The solution is straightforward: you want to get your rabbit spayed. In any case, uterine cancer is frequent in mature female rabbits, so for her very own health’s sake, spaying is the proper issue to do. The Rabbit Welfare Fund (rabbitwelfare.co.uk) has a leaflet called Biting The Hand That Feeds that explains much more about preventing rabbit aggression.

Saying goodbye – the greatest kindness

The Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) has made a leaflet that guides pet owners through the euthanasia determination-creating method, sympathetically explaining why euthanasia may possibly be the most caring alternative. The leaflet outlines the choices owners have, the diverse ways euthanasia could be carried out and what takes place to the pet afterwards. It also addresses the emotions owners might go by means of when determining to put their pet down. Check out bva-awf.org.united kingdom/pet-care-suggestions to download a copy.

Rescue pet of the week

Blue and Agatha are two giant-sized rabbits. They are one and two many years outdated. For more data, check out campnibble.com

To uncover out the outcomes of the rescued pets featured in this column, see Pet Topics Rescue.

Send pet problems to pete.wedderburn@telegraph.co.uk. All sick animals must, of program, be taken to a vet

Pet topics: why is my rabbit so aggressive?