VETS Q & A

Dear Vicki, I took on a Staffie earlier this year as his owner couldn’t keep him anymore. He’s usually a softy, but recently he bit a puppy after I’d stroked it. What can I do to stop this from happening again? As a short-term solution you should use a muzzle and never leave your dog unsupervised. Take him to your vet as soon as possible to check there are no underlying illnesses. If he shows no signs of underlying health concerns, your vet will be able to advise on how to address this issue. For example, if he isn’t neutered, getting this done may reduce aggressive behaviour. Training classes might help, and your vet may recommend referring your dog to an accredited pet behaviourist, such as a member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors www.apbc.org.uk.

Dear Vicki, My cat, Fanta sits on his litter tray but hardly produces anything, and sometimes there is a little blood. Those can be signs of cystitis. However, there are also other possible causes, such as bladder stones. Take Fanta to your vet so the cause can be diagnosed and any necessary treatment can start. Cystitis in cats is often triggered by stress, such as recent changes in the household (e.g. a new pet or a new baby), or living with other unrelated cats. If you have more than one cat in the house, make sure they have enough of their own resources (e.g. litter trays, beds, feeding bowls). There should be one of each for every cat in the household, plus one spare, in different places around the house so the cats can avoid each other if they want to. WWW.PDSA.ORG.UK