VETS Q&A

Dear Vicki, My cat has just been spayed and she has a swelling on her wound. I have been told to keep her on cage rest for five days until a check-up and I would like to know whether it’s because it was done close to a season or that she hasn’t rested enough? She has also been given a course of antibiotics. Is there anything else I can do as she is really fed up being caged! I would call your vet for advice as they might want to see her earlier than planned to make sure she is healing well. It isn’t uncommon for there to be a reaction to the sutures under the skin which looks like a swelling but is just part of the healing process. However, there could be more serious reasons so get her checked over. Once she has been checked, I would recommend she can be house rested rather than kept in a cage.

Dear Vicki, My dog, Jack, sometimes eats grass from the garden and I’m worried it might make him sick. Is this normal for dogs? Dogs are omnivores, meaning that they eat both meat and plants. Lots of dogs are given complete dog food, but some still like to add extra plant material to their diet and do this by eating grass. If Jack is showing any signs of a digestive problem, such as vomiting or diarrhoea, you should take him to see your vet. But if he is well and only occasionally eats grass, this is nothing to worry about. You should make sure he can’t eat grass that you think might have been treated with pesticides or other chemicals and also protect him against lungworm in case he eats slug or snail slime.

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