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 begs like a dog at mealtimes . . . and it’s the kids’ fault.
They have always given Bella treats and now she’s a complete pest at lunch and dinner.
Is it possible to retrain her?
She ignores food I put out for her.
She just wants what we are having.
Mick Sharp, Middlesbrough
Sean says: It’s only possible if you completely ignore her until she finally realises that this begging behaviour doesn’t yield the same rewards she’s been used to up to now.
The trouble is, it only takes one person to slip up once and she’ll be rewarded and try again even harder next time.
This is a classic example of what’s called an “extinction burst” in behavioural terms.
As a behaviour becomes less effective, animals will perform it more often and more intensely to try to make it work again.
And if it gets rewarded the 99th time it’s performed, she’ll try 150 times next time to make it work.
Q: OUR rabbit Pepe is really fussy.
I give him plenty of carrots and greens as well as a muesli mix, but he only eats bits of it.
What do you recommend?
Ally Edwards, Dover
Sean says: Super simple fix here — stop feeding muesli mix.
Instead, use a complete pellet diet.
Muesli mixes are terrible for encouraging selective feeding.
Rabbits have a refined sense of taste, and will often pick out the sweetest, most delicious and often highly calorific ingredients in the mix, leaving the healthy bits behind.
This not only leads to nutritional imbalances, but also leaves them prone to obesity and dental disease.
Put out plenty of good quality hay for chewing, fresh greens and vegetables, and a small amount of pelleted rabbit food daily to keep Pepe healthy and happy for a long time.
Q: MY dog Si, who is nine, seems to have a stiff back.
I’ve seen on the internet doggy chiropractors who crack dogs’ backs and it seems to make them better.
Do you think that’s worth trying?.
Angela Smith, Barnstaple, Devon
Sean says: Absolutely not.
At best, these people are taking a shot in the dark and believe their manipulations and “jiggery pokery” are having a beneficial effect on the animals in their “care”.
Animal chiropractic is not veterinary medicine, and these people are not qualified to make a medical diagnosis.
I’ve seen some horrendous videos, dangerous animal handling and quite frankly animal welfare abuses dressed up as therapeutic when there is zero evidence to suggest it has any effect.
Q: MY seven year old son Ed wants a lizard as a pet.
Is that a good idea at this age?
What’s a good starter pet and what do I need to keep them happy?
Mike Shields, Middlesbrough
Sean says: I would say that seven is too young for any reptile pet, really, as they are highly specialised and generally quite long lived animals.
Their cages, lighting and heating equipment are very expensive compared with the price of the animal itself, and it’s a huge outlay if your son gets bored down the line.
Are you prepared to look after a gecko for ten to 15 years, or a bearded dragon for 20 or more?
What about a giant African land snail or giant millipede?
Much easier to keep, and still exotic — but a bit more suited to his age.
Maybe a lizard could come later?
Star of the week
EVERYTHING Ch-ch-changed for nervous pooch Evelyn when she heard . . . David Bowie.
The pup was rescued from Romania by the Home 2 Home group, and came to live with her owners Hayley and Peter Finch, 55.
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But two years ago they enlisted the help of dog expert Anna Webb to help when the nervous dachshund/chihuahua cross struggled to cope with travelling by car.
Hayley, 39, owner of the Animal News Agency in Wendover, Bucks, said: “Anna suggested a calming musical playlist which included tracks by Abba, Bob Marley and, you guessed it, David Bowie!
“Now Evelyn is a calm and collected traveller.”
WIN: pass to Heights of Abraham
WE’VE joined up with The Heights Of Abraham to give three readers the chance to win a family day pass, worth up to £80 for two adults, two children and their dog.
The award-winning estate in the Peak District, near Matlock, is reached via cable car for cavern tours, walking trails and gardens.
There’s also a £75 voucher for the Vista restaurant.
To enter, send an email headed HEIGHTS to [email protected] by August 25.
See heightsof abraham. com.
T&Cs apply.
How to beat beach danger for dogs
DOG owners are being urged to keep a close eye on their four-legged friends while at the seaside this summer.
New research reveals that many pets are getting sick from eating jellyfish, wild seaweed, stones and rubbish from the shore.
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Pooches that consume these can suffer symptoms ranging from vomiting to severe allergic reactions, while those that swallow foreign objects may need an operation.
Since 2022, Agria Pet Insurance has received 8,500 claims for foreign objects, including 71 for fishing hooks alone.
CEO Vicki Wentworth said: “Beach days are great fun for us and our dogs, however we urge pet owners to remain aware of their surroundings. Contact a vet immediately if you think that your dog has eaten some-thing they shouldn’t have.”
One dog, Brodie, a “big, strong and daft” Labrador, chewed on a jellyfish when he was out running with his owner, chartered surveyor Andrew Johnston, 49, on Troon beach, Ayrshire, last month.
Brodie, two, started shaking his head and coughing.
Andrew said: “I was terrified. He needed an antihistamine injection and three days on medication.”