VETS Q&A

Dear Vicki, My elderly cat Archie has a large bald patch along his spine. We think it is because of excessive licking or possibly stress. Is there anything we can do for him? Over-grooming can be a sign of stress. Causes include changes to ‘normal life’, such as building work, a new pet or a new baby. A common cause of stress is having to live with other cats, especially those that are not related. Sometimes, cats lick at painful areas so it is also important to rule out a painful spine in this case. There are also some potential medical causes that need to be ruled out, such as a food allergy, so my advice is to take Archie to your vet. Dear Vicki, Our dog Horace has started to wet himself every night when he’s asleep. There can be a number of reasons for this, and in some cases, medication can help improve the problem. Also, make sure that you take Horace out to go to the toilet every evening, so he doesn’t go to bed with a full bladder. Dear Vicki, My Westie, Baba, had a bad skin condition that looked like psoriasis – dry, scaly and really itchy. A few months ago I changed him to a hypo-allergenic food which seemed to settle it, but it’s come back worse than ever now. There can be many reasons for skin problems, including fleas or mites, bacterial or fungal infections, allergies or food sensitivities. Westies and some other breeds are prone to a skin condition called atopy, caused by allergies in the environment. Your vet will be able to identify the cause and advise on the best treatment to control Baba’s itchy skin.

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