DR BRUCE CHARD

contact@northharbourvet.co.nz RECENTLY my cat, Marlon, had what appeared to be a bite wound on his neck. There were two puncture marks close together. I was wondering if it was from a stoat bite as I have seen a stoat in our area?

Many times when owners bring their cat to a vet for treatment of wounds they speculate it has been caused by prey their cat had caught. All cats instinctively hunt so there is a risk of bites from prey. The chance of a cat being bitten by a stoat is remote due to the size difference and the ability of stoats to avoid contact with cats. Owners also wonder about possums biting cats but confrontations would be unlikely to lead to conflict. Cats will sometimes hunt rabbits but this would be their largest prey. By far the most likely reason for any fight wounds on Marlon would be a fight with another cat.

My 10-month-old neutered staffordshire cross dog, Beau, has a small amount of cream discharge from his sheath. He does not seem bothered by it but occasionally it leaves a mark on the carpet. Is this normal?

All male dogs have a discharge from their sheath which is a normal secretion formed by cells inside the sheath. Once neutered, dogs tend to produce less but there is always a small amount. It sounds as though in Beau’s case it is probably normal as there are minimal clinical signs. Clinical signs of inflammation of the sheath would make Beau lick the area frequently and there would be an excessive green discharge. Treatment would involve your vet dispensing an antibiotic cream and flushing inside the sheath with a saline solution. Fortunately Beau should not need this. To control any staining you could carefully trim excessive hair away from the sheath opening.