DR BRUCE CHARD
contact@northharbourvet.co.nz MY vet recently gave me ointment to treat a yeast infection in my cavalier king charles spaniel’s ear. Now the infection is back. I found a cleaning solution recipe online made of alcohol, boric acid and gentian violet. Is it safe to use?
I would not recommend making an ear-cleaning solution from a formula as it could be unsafe. You can buy ear-cleaning solutions available from your vet or pet shops without a prescription. Two common ones are acidic in order to dissolve wax in the ears. These can lead to irritation, if there is inflammation and are mostly used once an infection has cleared. A newer product has a neutral ph so does not sting the ears if there is inflammation. It also has an antiyeast affect. Using a manufactured product gives you all the benefits of the consumer act in case your pet has an adverse reaction.
I have two older cats – a 15-year-old burmese and a 15-year-old ragdoll. They have been together since they were kittens and get on well. I want to get a tonkinese kitten. Do you think my resident cats will accept the kitten?
I think it would be difficult to introduce a new kitten to a house with two older cats. While dogs readily adapt to another pack member, cats are different. They will sometimes adapt to another cat but are happy to be the only resident in a house. You would have to consider whether your house is large enough to keep your resident cats away from the new kitten, so there would be no competition for food and sleeping positions, before meeting. There could well be aggression towards the kitten, or one of your cats moving out of the house. Better to wait until you lose one of your existing cats before adding a new one.