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.”
Q) MY husky Sam won’t let me clean his teeth.
It’s impossible to do it every day, but I do try once a week.
What can I do to stop this being such a stressful experience?
Like many huskies, he’s very dramatic.
Bill Cox, Edinburgh
A) I feel for you. Despite being such a striking and seemingly macho, brave breed, huskies are absolute wimps at times. In the vet clinic, they scream the house down.
Take things slowly, try for really short sessions and just place a toothbrush near, then in, your dog’s mouth temporarily. Slowly build this up over time using reward-based training.
There will always be some dogs, however, that just won’t tolerate this.
A behaviourist might help. But if Sam isn’t having any of it, rubbing enzyme gels on his gums or enzyme powders in his water can help to reduce plaque build-up over time.
Without regular tooth brushing, dogs will likely need a dental scale and polish under anaesthesia at some point to prevent dental disease progressing and causing health issues.
Q) OUR cat Primrose goes roaming for days and we worry.
She’s clearly going somewhere. How can I tell the other person she has a loving home?
I know cats have their own minds, but I want to discourage this. I’ve even considered a GPS.
Maggie Gray, Plymouth
A) You could try a GPS collar attachment, but a far less high-tech — and much cheaper — option is a simple paper collar or wristband that you can write on and secure around her neck temporarily.
Pop a message on saying you’d like to chat to whoever she is staying with and give your phone number. Hopefully, if she has adopted a second human family, they will get in touch and you can come up with some rules on how to co-parent Primrose.
It works for many people, if that’s what the cat wants.
Q) BARNEY, our one-year-old labrador, is a bin diver.
The minute I turn my back, he’s in there. I’ve even tried putting it in a cupboard. How can I stop this?
Sharon Sampson, Reading
A) A cupboard with a child lock is probably the simplest solution.
In many dog behaviour conundrums, the simplest answer — preventing them performing the bad behaviour — is often the most effective. Many dog behaviours that people deem inappropriate are normal, often with advantages for the pet, like protecting them from harm if barking, or mental stimulation if digging.
Q) IS there a best time to introduce fish to a pond?
I have just overhauled my outdoor pond to include a filter and pump system for plenty of oxygenation.
For a relatively small pond, what type of fish are the most hardy?
Sheree Cox, West Kingsdown, Kent
A) It’s certainly not this time of year, as the natural cycles of the pond ecosystem start to slow down and become dormant for the winter.
It would be best to wait until spring when the weather has warmed up and the last of the frosts have passed. Then find what’s suitable for your pond, bearing in mind its size and whether you also want to encourage wildlife.
Koi are only suitable for very large ponds and take a lot of work. Goldfish or shubunkins are hardy and colourful, and will breed and increase in number in medium-sized ponds.
If it’s very small or for any pond you’d like to see lots of other life in, buy a small number of native sticklebacks from an aquatics supplier. They are fascinating and won’t eat everything else that moves in the pond.
STAR OF THE WEEK
THRILL-seeking pooch Loki loves whizzing around on a motorcycle wearing his “doggles” and helmet.
The two-year-old travels pillion in a specially adapted seat with owner Frank Wogam between their homes in Chelmsford, Essex, and the Pyrenees in France.
Frank, a retired computer technician, said: “I first trained him to wear his doggles – his dog goggles – and a little custom helmet.
“From the beginning, Loki was super confident on the bike. Now, when I say, ‘In your bed’ and we’re next to the motorbike, he jumps straight in, waiting for me to zip him in.
“When I’m riding along the motorway, I can see Loki looking at the traffic or countryside and he is as happy as Larry.”
WIN: Beaver Believers book worth £12.99
TAILS.COM vet Sean McCormack has launched children’s book Beaver Believers, and we are giving away 20 hardback copies, each worth £12.99.
The tale centres on three kids who believe beavers can help solve their town’s flooding.
To enter, send an email headed BEAVER to sunday pets@ the-sun. co.uk by Nov 23.
T&Cs apply.
See thegreatbritish bookshop.co.uk or Amazon.
CAN YOU HELP RAISE LIFE-SAVING PUPS?
FOUR female golden retriever pups are set to be life savers thanks to Medical Detection Dogs, a UK charity that trains pooches to detect human disease.
But the charity needs YOUR help to raise them.
Mimi, Nik Nak, Shadow and Mary are among 45 puppies in training to join the charity’s 94 assistance dogs and 18 bio detection canines across the country.
With the right care and training, they will help detect illnesses such as bowel cancer and Parkinson’s using their keen sense of smell, or provide support as medical alert assistance dogs.
But they need puppy socialisers – volunteers who provide the nutrition and care they require, while nurturing them to become confident, capable dogs.
Chris Allen, head of dog supply and training, said: “This new litter is a joyful milestone, but it comes with a challenge. We urgently need more volunteer puppy socialisers. Without them, these dogs cannot gain the vital foundations they need to one day save lives.”
The charity and partner Royal Canin need volunteers, ideally based within an hour of Medical Detection Dogs hubs in Milton Keynes, Colchester in Essex or Perth.
