Pup quibble over kibble

Our vet works his magic on your furry friends

Q

Our nine-month-old cockapoo refuses to eat her kibble (dry food), although she does love chicken. We have tried four different brands and I’m worried, because kibble is important to her wellness. What do you suggest?

A

It is not unusual for young dogs to become fussy with their food. The first obvious starting point to unravel the problem is a veterinary check-up.

I would be looking for any inflammation in the gums or pharynx that might make eating kibble uncomfortable. It would be helpful if you can observe whether your dog has any obvious mouth discomfort or swallowing difficulties.

Good quality kibble-type diets meet all the nutritional requirements of dogs. These will generally be national brands, labelled as “complete” and “balanced”.

The Pet Food Manufacturers Association (PFMA) endorses many of these diets. However there are many wet foods that are also nutritionally balanced. I suspect, given a chance, dogs might prefer a number of wet diets as they have a stronger, meatier smell.

If a wet diet is labelled “complete” then your dog’s wellness won’t be at risk.

After an initial check-up with your vet you might consider transitioning to a wet diet or a mixture of the two.

This needs to be done slowly, preferably with vet or vet nurse advice. Once you find a diet your dog likes, keep to that and, if mixing with dry, ensure that calorie intake is not too high.

Q

Our nearly 13-year-old male entire Lhasa Apso has been losing hair for the last year. He has had blood tests for Cushing’s disease and hypothyroidism,

which are inconclusive. Biopsy under sedation has been suggested, although we are not keen on sedation. What should we do?

AYour vet suspects a hormonal abnormality, and testing for hypothyroidism and Cushing’s disease makes sense, being top of my initial differential diagnosis list too.

There are other less common endocrine (hormonal) diseases that could be worth investigating, along with hair follicle abnormalities.

The list of potential diagnoses is quite long and clearly what is required is a definitive one so specific treatment can start. In many skin diseases, a biopsy is the next step when preliminary tests have revealed no abnormality.

I don’t think you need to worry about sedation, as this would only be at a low level to calm the dog. Biopsies are carried out under local anaesthesia with very small injections similar to those used by dentists. Biopsy punches with a diameter of 6mm are used, and dogs tolerate the procedure well.

The problem could be in the interpretation of the biopsy – because although it may be diagnostic, many endocrine biopsies look identical and are therefore non-specific.

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) dermatology specialists have a particular interest in hormonal problems. I suggest discussing a specialist referral with your vet, as this is often cost-effective long term.

The other possible complicating factor that you mention to me in your message would also benefit from some specialist advice.

David Grant MBE has been a vet for more than 50 years. Email questions to him at pamperedpets@people.co.uk