How can we stop dog jumping up on visitors?
Ask the vet
My dog, Max, always jumps up on people when they visit. He nearly knocks me over. How can we get him to stop?
Jumping up is rewarded accidentally, every time you walk through the door and acknowledge Max, any words or touch from you is positive to him. You’ll need to make sure that when you come home, you’re as quiet as possible. If he comes bounding up to you and jumps up turn away from him without speaking or touching him and walk into another room. Once he starts to quieten down you can go over to him, get down to his level, calmly speak to him and give him a treat, so his calm behaviour is rewarded. You’ll need to do this every time you come into the house; ask any visitors to as well, so that the lesson is consistent.
My cat, George, has FIV after being bitten by another cat. Can he still go outside? Will he get really sick?
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, or FIV, is a condition that weakens a cat’s immune system, making them more likely to get other infections. There is no cure for FIV, so treatment involves treating other infections as they arise and keeping your cat fit and healthy, by limiting stress and providing a good diet. FIV can be spread by bites, scratches, mating and sometimes through a mother’s milk to her kittens, so FIV- positive cats should live indoors. Keep George occupied with a tall and sturdy scratching post and cat activity centre. Cats love toys that they can chase and pounce on, such as
fishing rod- type toys. Provide litter trays too. FIV- infected cats will need regular health checks with their vet.
My dog is 16. Her eyesight is failing and she struggles walking. My vet said I may need to consider letting her
Making the decision to let go of a much- loved pet may be the most difficult thing we have to do as pet owners. Have another chat with your vet to discuss your dog’s situation. They will give you honest, sympathetic advice. You’ll be able to chat through how you feel that she is coping and they’ll offer their guidance
based on their clinical judgement. If she seems to be in pain, can’t go to the toilet or eat by herself, and/ or seems constantly distressed or disorientated then you may feel that she’s come to her time.
My rabbit Belle is two, she keeps getting diarrhoea but I don’t know why. Are there changes I could make to her diet to help her?
Belle should see your vet as soon as she can; diarrhoea in rabbits usually means that they have a health problem and this can be very dangerous if left untreated. The diarrhoea can be caused by a number of factors including; diet, infections, parasites or even stress. Vets might refer to this condition as ‘ enteritis complex’. Your vet will give you advice about what could be causing Belle’s problem.