Scared of the outside world
QWe have a six-year-old rescue labrador that was probably used for breeding. She has a lovely temperament but is extremely timid. She goes into the garden, but is very nervous if she sees the lead, so we can’t take her for walks.
AIt seems that your dog has not been socialised and has spent most, if not all, her life until now inside.
She is clearly very afraid of the outside world and regards your home and garden as a sanctuary.
As this problem has been going on for a while it would be best if you get help and advice from a certified animal behaviourist with appropriate qualifications. Your vet will know of suitable experts in your area – most certified behaviourists will require a referral from a vet.
After taking a history, an individual programme can be put in place for your dog. Follow-up visits and/or virtual consultations will be necessary, as it will take some time to build the dog’s confidence.
In the meantime, I can make a few suggestions. It might be useful to get her used to the lead, building up confidence so that after a while she does not regard it as threatening. This involves giving her a treat every time you show her the lead and then later, when you put it on, without forcing her to move.
Similarly a programme getting her used to the outside will involve lots of treats, patience and support from the behaviourist you choose.
My 13-year-old cat is being treated for colitis. The vet has tried a special hypoallergenic diet, a course of antibiotics and deworming. The cat is on low-dose steroids which are helping, but is this the best thing to do long term?
AColitis (inflammation of the colon) in cats has well-defined symptoms. These include straining to defecate, and faeces that might contain specks of blood. This can look like constipation, but the opposite is the case and there may be evidence of diarrhoea if other parts of the intestine are involved.
There is a standard approach (often called the “work-up”) for this condition, and your vet has followed it. A work-up tries to establish a cause which, with colitis in cats, can be bacterial infection, parasites, a food allergy or other immune system issue and, less commonly, intestinal cancer.
Your vet has eliminated the most common problems and has opted to seek control of the symptoms, hence steroids.
A biopsy may be useful if there is a general inflammation of the intestinal tract. However, when signs are localised, as with your cat, and when they are relatively mild, symptomatic treatment is cost-effective with little risk to the cat.
With regards to risk, steroids used at the lowest possible dose are low risk. Reducing the dose to every other day once symptoms are under control can lessen this further. Your cat is responding, which is good news, and will benefit from regular checks to make sure the response is maintained.
David Grant has been a vet for more than 50 years. Email questions to him at pamperedpets@people.co.uk