Vet Pete Wedderburn has the answers
Q Our seven-year-old dalmatian is increasingly aggressive towards other dogs. As he meets them on the path he attacks them, which is very distressing for me and the other owner. I am now very anxious about walking him, keeping him on the lead unless I can see well ahead. He was always a bit snappy, but this has become much more aggressive and frequent. SD, Enfield
A This common behavioural problem often stems from a place of fear: when a dog is on the lead, they can’t move away from something they are afraid of, and so they become aggressive. Visit careforreactivedogs.com to learn more. This is treatable, but it takes time and patience. A referral to a behaviourist (e.g. apbc.org. uk) makes sense. Many behaviourists now do virtual consultations, by Zoom or Skype, so it is easier than before to access this type of assistance. In the immediate short term, he should wear a muzzle to be safe.
Q My one-year-old ginger cat, Ed, has suffered from sore, swollen gums since he was young. He never lets me clean his teeth (as the vet has suggested) and he’s stopped responding to the injections and medication that used to help. My vet has suggested that extracting all of his teeth may be the best answer, but this sounds very extreme. Are there any other answers? BW, Oxford
A This sounds like it could be “juvenile gingivitis”, which starts in young cats, soon after the adult teeth erupt. It’s an immunemediated inflammatory disease that seems to be an allergy to some components of plaque. Rigorous tooth cleaning, every day at home, as well as every few months under anaesthesia at the vet, can help, but this is difficult, and in many cases, complete extraction of all the teeth seems to be the only way that affected cats can be helped to have a comfortable, pain-free mouth again. However, it’s reassuring (and perhaps surprising) to know that cats can cope perfectly well without any teeth, even managing to eat dry kibble comfortably.
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Send queries to petsubjects@telegraph.co.uk or tweet @PeteTheVet. All sick animals should be taken to a vet