Vet Pete Wedderburn has the answers

When Pepe, our nine-year-old Border collie cross, is in the sitting room with us in the evenings, she has started sitting on the sofa beside my husband, not taking her eyes off him. She stares at him for hours, keeping her paws on his chest or sleeping on him. If he stops stroking her she pats him with her paw to start again. Could this be the start of dementia?

MM, DONEGAL

Dementia can cause all sorts of altered behaviour, but there’s normally a pattern of a number of different changes rather than just one specific situation. It sounds more as if Pepe has simply developed a new method of preferred contact with your husband. When he stops paying her attention, she “asks” for more and he complies. This means that her “asking” behaviour is continually rewarded and so she continues doing it. It could be worth checking her vision and hearing: she may particularly like the close physical contact for reassurance if her sight or hearing are failing.

My two-year-old cat and four-year-old labrador adore food treats, but I am afraid of making them fat or feeding them an unbalanced diet. What sort of treats are best to feed, and how many can I give every day?

AB, LONDON

A simple rule of thumb is to make sure that you give no more than 10-15 per cent of the total diet in the form of treats. This low amount can improve a pet’s quality of life: they enjoy them, and they can be used as an aid to training improved behaviour and to promote mental stimulation.

It’s best to use high quality treats that have useful nutritional value as well as being tasty: e.g. the Lily’s Kitchen meaty treats for dogs (including “duck and venison sausages” that can be hidden in food-releasing toys such as Kongs) and Dentalife cat treats that help to clean cats’ teeth.

WE’RE WATCHING OUR PETS’ SECRET BEHAVIOUR

A survey by the Blue Cross pet charity has found more than half (57 per cent) of cat and dog owners worry about leaving their four-legged friends home alone, and almost a quarter have a monitoring device to watch their pet in their absence. Of those who use cameras to monitor their pets, 38 per cent say it’s helped them to change their pet’s routine or seek training for them.

RESCUE PET

Handsome Kimani (above) is a five-year-old bull breed cross. He is a playful and affectionate boy. Visit the Danaher Animal Home website at danaheranimalhome.org.uk or call 0300 111 4321.

To view outcomes of rescued pets, see petethevet.com, where Pete’s book, Pet Subjects, is also available.

Send queries to petsubjects@ telegraph.co.uk or tweet @PeteTheVet. All sick animals should be taken to a vet