Pet’s Corner Q&A
My dog, Sprout, has been fully toilet trained for a long time but he’s now leaving wet patches around the house. Could it be medical or is he doing it on purpose?
Urinary incontinence can be caused by many conditions so you should take Sprout to see the vet for a full check-up.
Anything that affects the urinary tract, including the muscles and nerves that control it, can lead to incontinence.
Urinary tract infections can also cause this problem so, to rule this out, your vet will need you to collect and take a fresh urine sample with you, when you take Sprout to be examined.
Keep an eye on him to see if you can spot any pattern to when he is leaking urine, any information you can provide your vet with will help to get Sprout the treatment he needs.
I have an older dog who can’t wear her nails down by herself. I want to start clipping them – how can I do this safely?
You will need dog nail clippers and another person to hold your dog as they may wriggle.
Wait for your dog to relax before you start. Hold your dog’s paw in a comfortable position for them, ensuring you can clearly see the nails.
Dogs have something called a ‘quick’ inside their nail – it contains blood vessels and is usually pink or red, easy to spot in light coloured claws – this part of the nail will bleed and cause pain if cut.
Cut a few millimetres below the quick.
Don’t panic if the nail does bleed, you can dip it in cornflour or hold some cotton wool on it until it stops.
For more information on cutting your dog’s claws visit https://www.pdsa.org.uk/how-to-clip-dogs-nails
Otis, my cat, keeps sneezing. At first it was only now and again but now he is doing it a lot. I thought it was just allergies, but could it be something else?
Sneezing from time to time is usually nothing to worry about but, as Otis has started sneezing more frequently, there may be something causing this reaction.
An allergy, or an irritant, such as perfume, dust, or even a nasal polyp, could be contributing to his sneezing.
However, he could also have a respiratory infection or even something stuck at the back of his throat.
I recommend that you take Otis to see the vet for a check-up to get to the root of the problem.
For more information you can visit https://www.pdsa.org.uk/sneezing-in-cats
