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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Q) OUR hamster Ronnie runs and runs on his wheel for hours. Is that good for him?
I take him out in a ball for exercise each day but he has a lot of energy.
BEN HORN, Launceston, Cornwall
A) Yes, unfortunately most hamster cages really don’t give our furry friends as much space or stimulation as they truly need.
In the wild, hamsters can roam over large areas and live in extensive burrow systems.
Because they can’t go so far in cages, their wheel often becomes quite addictive for them, not only for running off excess energy but it’s also likely to release feelgood hormones.
I always recommend cages you can connect with tubes, the more complex the better, and rotate toys and furnishings for novelty.
Also have an enclosed room or space you can let Ronnie out in each evening to free-roam, always supervised of course.
Q) DO you think it is safe for my 17-year-old cat Pickles to have a general anaesthetic, or is she too old?
Our vet says it should be fine. She has a benign growth, but it’s been getting larger.
SCOTT DORMAN, Edinburgh
A) There is no way for me to tell without doing a physical exam on Pickles the week of, or even the day of, the proposed procedure.
I would also recommend running bloods too, in order to check her organ function and other indicators that she might be at higher risk, or potentially need some aspects of her anaesthetic to be tailored to her needs.
No animal is “too old” for an anaesthetic, because age is not a disease and their health and wellbeing is individual to them.
I’ve done fairly advanced surgeries on cats into their twenties and they’ve sailed through just fine.
But those pre-op checks are the best way to assess risk and tell you the pros and cons of going ahead or not, which only your own vet can do.
Q) SINCE my mum Linda died a few weeks ago, her cat Heathcliff’s behaviour has changed.
He isn’t eating as well and miaows in the night.
I’ve been giving him lots of cuddles but is he grieving?
LIZ JONES, Warwick
A) That’s very sad to hear.
I’m sorry you are going through that and Heathcliff is too.
Cats and dogs do indeed grieve.
The bonds our pets develop with people are truly unique in the animal kingdom, and when that bond is severed by a bereavement, our pets will suffer emotionally as a result.
Vocalising, as if crying out for the missing person, is common, appetite can decrease too, and some pets will seem more sleepy or withdrawn.
Others may become more clingy and seek attention from another human in the household.
The good news is that grief in pets does seem to subside a bit quicker than for us.
Q) WHAT do you think of the TikTok trend where owners pour icy water over their dog?
It’s like the ice-bucket challenge for pets.
Is that really a good idea?
I can’t believe people are doing it.
SHEREE COX, Sevenoaks, Kent
A) It’s one of the most idiotic things I’ve seen in pet trends.
Imagine shocking your pet who is meant to love and trust you, just for a laugh from strangers online.
Dogs don’t understand why they’ve just been doused in cold water.
You can see in many clips they are shocked and frightened by it.
Some of these people shouldn’t own pets if they just see them as the butt of a joke for entertainment.
Star of the week
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FRANK the Bengal cat refuses to curl up on his owner’s lap and he sits on her CHEST instead.
Owner Becky Harris, 38, of Sudbury, Suffolk, says: “We always joke that Frank is definitely not a leg man.
“When I sit down, he absolutely refuses to curl up on my knee.
“He’ll plonk himself down around my shoulders or on my chest.
“He’s like a scarf, except he purrs loudly before going to sleep.”
The nine-year-old Bengal also peeps through the letterbox in wait for their postman.
Becky said with a laugh: “He’s a real character.
“I thought only dogs liked to run to the door when the postman comes!”
Win: Hunger for Words™ talking set, worth £100
AS families begin the countdown to a new school term, your dog can learn something new as well.
Hunger for Words™ products include communication buttons that are recordable and teach words such as food, play and bed.
Four readers could win a Talking Pet Essential Words Set, Talking Pet Starter Set, Button Mat and Talking Pet Doorbell worth £101.80. To enter, send an email headed TALKING DOG to sundaypets@the-sun.co.uk by Sept 14.
See Brightkins.co.uk.
MEMORY-MAKING BUCKET LIST FOR DOGS
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A BUCKET list of ten things to do with your dog has been created – and playing hide and seek comes top.
Pet insurance brand Petgevity.co.uk has created the “ultimate list” after surveying 2,000 owners and finding 84 per cent would like to create more memories.
Spokesperson Kerry Willecome said: “At Petgevity, we know that pets aren’t just animals – they’re family. Creating memories together is about building a lifetime of happiness for both owner and four-legged friend.”
The survey also found nine out of ten pet owners believe spending time with their pup improves their own wellbeing.
Yet nearly half (43 per cent) spend less than 30 minutes a day bonding with pets, citing work commitments (64 per cent), family or childcare (31 per cent), and poor weather (25 per cent) as factors. Here’s the top ten activities:
- Play hide and seek
- Chase bubbles in park
- Attend pet-friendly festival
- Go to dog-friendly restaurant or pub
- Go on road trip
- Have a pet play date
- Get them a massage
- Try a puppuccino
- Pose for pet photoshoot
- Create paw-print artwork
