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PDSA Vet Nurse Nina Downing answers all your pet questions

Dear PDSA vet, my dog, Shadow seems to have piled on weight recently. Does he need to eat less? Thank you, Alex Hello Alex, you will need to know Shadow’s ideal weight, and your vet will want to body condition score and weigh him to work this out. Your vet may advise changing to a diet food, this can make weight loss much easier for you both. They’ll also be able to advise you on any changes that you may need to make to Shadow’s exercise routine. If the weight gain is really sudden, its best to get a check-up booked in to have Shadow looked over to make sure there isn’t anything else going on.

Dear PDSA Vet, I want to change my cat's food to a different brand, how is it best to go about this? Oscar

Hi Oscar, if you want to switch your cat's food, do it gradually over a couple of weeks to prevent any issues. Avoid sudden changes (unless advised by your vet), as it can cause tummy upsets or refusal to eat. It’s best to introduce a new food in small amounts over a few days. If adding the new food goes well, then slowly increase the portion of the new food whilst decreasing the old food. Once your cat is consistently eating the mix of the new food with the old for at least a week, start phasing out the old food.

Dear PDSA Vet, my hamster, Luna, has started pawing at her eye and it appears to be covered with a crust. Is her eye infected? Thanks, Laura Hi Laura, there could be a number of causes for Luna’s eye issue, but she definitely needs to get checked over by your vet. It could be Luna has an eye infection, and there may even be something stuck in there that she can’t get rid of. As hamsters can be very wriggly it can be difficult to keep them still enough to examine them properly. As such don't try to look, touch or remove anything from Luna’s eye yourself, as hamsters are very delicate creatures and the last thing you want to do is accidently cause her any more issues. Best to get her checked over straightaway.

Dear PDSA Vet, I have an indoor cat, named Simba, does Simba need to have a microchip if she doesn’t go outside? Thanks, Nikki

Hi Nikki, as of 10 June 2024, all cats, no matter if they go outside or stay in will need to be microchipped by law. Even if your cat prefers the indoor life, microchipping is still necessary.

There’s plenty of ways cats can sneak outside or nip out through an open door or window.

By June, it will be law regardless of whether your cat remains indoors or not.