Why is our spayed cat still on heat?
QWe have a 16-month-old female cat who was spayed at eight months. Since then, she has continually shown signs of being on heat. Our vet says it’s possible some ovarian tissue was left after the operation. A blood test to check for female sex hormone has been suggested, followed by an exploratory surgical procedure. Are there alternatives to another operation?
AThis is a very rare complication in routine spay operations. Your vet’s solution is the one that I would advocate, and always follow whenever I encounter this problem.
The blood sample checks oestrogen, and if this is present it effectively confirms the diagnosis.
The only difficulty that could arise is that the test is not 100% sensitive and if not diagnostic an exploratory operation might still be necessary.
Until recently there was a hormonal preparation in tablet form that suppressed heat in cats.
It’s been many years since I used this drug because there were some side effects, such as increased appetite, lethargy and marked increase in weight. As far as I know it is no longer available.
However there is a hormonal implant that suppresses heat in cats. This is licensed for male dogs and male cats, but not for females.
So its use is “off label” and needs your formal consent in writing. It could be worth discussing with your vet as a temporary solution.
It is easier to find an ovarian remnant when the cat is in season, and exploratory surgery would for permanently solve the problem.
QOur male cocker spaniel cross loves chasing a ball when we are out for a walk, but refuses to let us have it back. He goes straight to his bed when we get home and guards it, getting quite snappy. What can we do?
AThere are two separate problems here. The first is his refusal to drop the ball, and the second is his guarding it once in his bed. Refusing to give the ball back is very common and should be relatively easy for you to solve.
He needs to learn a new command such as “drop it”.
As with all dog training, this is reward based. When he has the ball, offer a treat and give the command.
As soon as the ball is dropped, immediately give him the treat. Don’t try to take the ball away or chase after him – that’s just part of his game.
With patience and consistency the majority of dogs learn quite quickly. Guarding objects in his bed is less straightforward.
It is likely he will guard any object he has in bed, not just the ball. This could escalate and end with someone getting bitten.
For this reason I recommend the help of a qualified animal behaviourist. This helps the family to learn subtle signals that dogs give out before growling or snapping. Programmes work on the basic principle of positive rewards for good behaviour, and counter conditioning to distract from the bad.
It aims to teach the dog that when people are approaching his bed it always results in pleasant experiences such as praise or a treat.