DR BRUCE CHARD

contact@northharbourvet.co.nz MY 4-month-old golden retriever puppy called Max has a light coloured coat and he has developed a small amount of brown staining at the inner corner of both eyes. How can I get rid of this?

I presume Max has been checked by your vet with his puppy vaccinations. This would have included seeing if there was a cause for excessive tears being produced or if drainage from the inner corners of the eyes was reduced. Excessive tears can be caused by inflammation of the eye or eyelids or there may be defects to the eyelids. Sometimes there are extra fine hairs that contact the eyeball causing overproduction of tears. Applying stain to the eye and checking to see if it is visible at the nostrils gives a rough measure of tear drainage. If these investigations find no cause and the staining is minor you may be able to minimise with wiping. A daily low dose of antibiotic is curative but would not be advised.

Our 14-year-old cat has been diagnosed with kidney failure. She is still eating reasonably well but she refused to eat the dry kidney food that our vet supplied. Is it important for her to have the special food?

It is very important to take advice from your vet. The kidney diet has reduced phosphorous and lower protein levels to help the reduced function of the kidneys. Placing your cat on such a diet will extend her life. There are two brands of kidney food with the option of sachets and canned food, which cats will often accept. Once she gets used to the wet food option you may find her appetite improved and she will also eat the dry food. My cat has kidney failure and she is doing well on wet kidney food along with dry; hopefully your cat will also make the change.