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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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: OUR cat, Reggie, has started drinking a lot of water and peeing around the house.
He used to wee in his cat litter when he was in but we’re finding puddles next to it and on the carpet.
Reggie is eight years old. What do you think could be going on?
Alex Owen, Broadstairs, Kent
Sean says: The technical term for this is PU/PD or polyuria/polydipsia, and is a worrying sign.
It can indicate a range of problems from hormonal disease like diabetes to problems with Reggie’s kidneys.
But if caught early, many of these issues can be managed or controlled relatively easily. Early diagnosis and intervention is key.
So it’s definitely time for a vet visit, and if you can pipette up a sample of urine for them to quickly test during that appointment, it will help them find what’s wrong.
Q: AFTER my wife Diane goes to bed, our ten-year-old dog Honey sits in front of me panting and shaking, waiting to go out.
When Honey goes out she sits under a bush and I have to get her in myself.
My vet says it could be anxiety and gave her a course of tablets but nothing has changed. It’s been going on for several months.
What’s going on?
Alan O'Connell, Brackley, Northants
Sean says: This is one of those mysterious behaviour cases that I’m very unlikely to be able to solve with the little information you’ve provided.
It does sound like anxiety, but it’s tricky to say if it is to do with your wife’s departure, fear of the dark or associating night-time garden toilet trips with some traumatic experience.
There are lots of potential causes, and I suspect some of the behaviour pattern might also be influenced by how Honey perceives your mood — even frustration, perhaps — when retrieving her from the bush.
Enlist a qualified animal behaviourist who can visit to observe Honey.
Q: MY English bulldog Mickey has terrible flatulence.
He can clear a room. What can I do so stop his whiffy ways?
Ken Bartlett, Scunthorpe, North Lincs
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Sean says: Along with a host of other health problems due to how we have bred bulldogs for their exaggerated features, they are also prone to flatulence and digestive issues.
We might never be able to resolve Mickey’s windy ways, but some dietary adjustments can help.
Tailoring his diet to offer digestive support, with adjusted fibre levels, and perhaps the addition of some pre and probiotics might be worth trying.
My team can help if you want to drop us a line on hello@tails.com.
Q: AS my husky Ed has glaucoma, I am giving him eye drops. But I am worried he will go blind.
He is nine years old and otherwise well, although I give him Caninsulin jabs twice daily for diabetes.
The vet has said he may eventually lose his eyes if we can’t get the glaucoma under control.
If he goes blind can he live a happy life? I’m at my wits end as to what to do.
Barney Dyer, Bristol
Sean says: Try not to work yourself up focusing on the worst-case scenario.
As vets we need to tell you all the possible eventualities, but we also try to be clear on the risk and what can be done to help.
Glaucoma can be managed effectively with daily medication, which it sounds like you are on top of.
With a few adjustments to home life and routine, many dogs live very happy, long lives after going blind.
But I’m hopeful it won’t come to that with Ed. Just keep speaking with your vet who knows his case best.
Star of the week
CONGRATULATIONS to Mia, in a loving home after a record-breaking five years in a shelter.
The Dutch Shepherd was a puppy when rescued from an owner unable to care for her.
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While hundreds of her kennel mates were rehomed, Mia was passed over. The longest-serving resident of the Southridge Animal Shelter in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, she was adored by staff who threw her a party when she turned five.
She was finally adopted in February by a family in North Yorkshire. Claire Hoffman at RSPCA Southridge says: “Mia had spent almost her entire life in kennels. Her wait was heartbreaking.
“She blossomed into such a pretty, friendly and very intelligent dog. We’re all thrilled.”
WIN: Multi-surface cordless cleaner
THE new Bissell CrossWave OmniFind cordless cleaner is perfect for pet owners – and we have one worth £299.99 up for grabs.
The multi-surface cleaner can vacuum and mop at the same time, while the device’s innovative FurFinder headlights reveal hidden pet hair and dirt.
To enter, send an email headed BISSELL to sundaypets@the-sun.co.uk by May 1.
See bissell.co.uk. T&Cs apply.
LEARN PET FIRST AID . . . IT MAY SAVE A LIFE
APRIL is Pet First Aid Awareness Month, yet most owners don’t know the basics.
Expert Aubrey Oiller aims to put that right, after saving her pug, Loki, from choking on a treat.
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The 33-year-old, who set up Bluebell Pet Care first aid courses in 2023, says: “Many of us see our pets as family, yet few of us are prepared for emergencies.
“Knowing how to react in critical moments can mean the difference between life and death. Thanks to a course I had taken, I remembered the Heimlich man-oeuvre for dogs.”
Research from animal charity PDSA reveals that more than 90 per cent of owners have no first aid training, and 80 per cent don’t have a first aid kit.
The most common emergencies reported for dogs are cuts, bleeding, choking, poisoning and heatstroke. For cats, it is cuts and inability to urinate.
Aubrey, based in Ashford, Kent, teaches wound care, abdominal thrusts for choking and how to remove a lodged ball. The courses also cover food safety, heat stroke and CPR.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
She adds: “This is not a replacement for vet care but it can save a life when early intervention is crucial.”
