Vet Pete Wedderburn

Has the answers

My seven-year-old shih tzu has an awful smell and continuously scratches until he bleeds. He has had blood tests, and my vet says he is allergic to everything and has a yeast infection. I shampoo him once a month, he’s on a special low-allergy diet, and he’s on steroids and antibiotics, but it isn’t any better. What else can I do?

The underlying allergies damage the skin’s natural defences, allowing strongsmelling bacterial and yeast infections to become established. So you need to tackle both the allergies and the infections. For the allergies, talk to your vet about the latest alternatives to steroids as antiinflammatories: these new products are costly but highly effective. For the strong smell, wash him twice a week in a potent anti-yeast and antibacterial shampoo from your vet. You may wish to seek a referral to a veterinary dermatologist for a comprehensive and detailed case review.

Our beloved, gentle 13-yearold cat disappeared last week and there has been no sign of him since. He had been getting very weak and had days when he would refuse to eat. Other days he was fine, but his quality of life was fading, and we were considering euthanasia soon. Do cats take themselves away to die?

Cats don’t have explicit knowledge of impending death, and they do not choose to go somewhere specifically to die. However, as they approach the end, they’re likely to feel weaker, and they seek somewhere comfortable and safe to lie down and rest. It’s akin to how wild animals die: it’s very natural. It would be a good idea to search carefully in all likely nearby areas where your cat could lie low, including sheds, woodland and fields.

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