From pecking chickens to randy rabbits – your pet queries answered
HE is on a mission to help our pets. . . and here to answer YOUR question.
Sean, chief veterinarian at the right pet food company tail.com, has been helping owner queries for ten years. “If your pet is acting funny or unwell, or you want to know about nutrition or exercise, just ask,” he says. I can help keep pets happy and healthy.”
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Q) My chickens Betty and Blue used to be very smart but ever since I introduced Buttons their feathers have started to fly.
Someone said they needed to have a surgical order.
It was just a weird brawl but should I worry or will it settle down?
Anne London, Sevenoaks, Kent
ONE) It is a natural process when new birds enter the flock and will settle down after a short time.
It will be easier for each bird if you introduce more than one bird at a time as aggression will be less for more birds, but poor Buttons are now bearing the brunt of the designed dissection order. reset.
Just keep an eye on things, make sure there are no open wounds or skin damage, and also provide plenty of cover and obstacles in their path so she can run away and find shelter if need.
H) WE have a beautiful garden that my husband and I love to sit in and enjoy a cup of coffee.
But the local cats also use it as their toilet and the stench is horrible.
We’ve placed very expensive cat-scare tools all over the garden, tried all kinds of deterrents like citrus and expensive sprays, but nothing worked.
Any tips on how to get rid of it and stop the cats?
William Murray, Pontefract, West Yorks
ONE) It’s a part of cat ownership that is often overlooked in terms of responsibility.
We won’t, or at least shouldn’t, let our dogs roam and defecate in our neighbor’s garden.
The easiest way to prevent it is to prevent access, and there are various fencing solutions that can be fixed to existing walls and fences to keep cats out.
But they can be expensive and impractical to install in many gardens.
Annoying techniques are often recommended and can be effective, but are controversial – such as using a water gun or making loud noises when you see a cat in the garden. However, it looks like you’ve exhausted your spray and chemical containment options.
H) I HAVE two female rabbits, Bunty and Mrs Hop, they get along very well.
Is it necessary to pluck them, since they are girls?
Emily Brown, Bedford
ONE) While there’s very little chance of a random pregnancy here (never say never if feral rabbits are present), there are other reasons for female rabbits to be spayed or spayed.
One is a fairly common cancer, uterine adenocarcinoma — a tumor of the uterus.
It occurs in 60% of female rabbits over the age of three and the risk increases with age.
They may also develop problematic hormonal behavioral changes.
Therefore, for a long, happy and healthy life, I recommend that female rabbits be spayed.
The benefits far outweigh any risks. Find a veterinarian who is knowledgeable about rabbits and talk to them about options.
H) AFTER nine months of feeding a very anxious feral cat, it now begins to trust us.
We feed her three times a day and she is always able to come in and out of our garage where we have made the bed, although she has also begun to sleep in the house, especially when the weather is low. bad weather.
She needs deworming but stay away from any food that has crushed deworming tablets in it.
Can you advise us what to do?
Norman Stanbridge, Petworth, West Sussex
ONE) My favorite trick for cats who aren’t fooled into hiding a pill in their food is to crush the pill, mix it with some butter or Marmite, and apply it to their paws.
She’ll have to groom it and it’s pretty tasty so she won’t mind much.
But if you can’t handle her, try reducing her food intake a day, just give her a good meal in the evening with a well mixed dewormer and see how you do. .
Star of the week
SEEING Rosa the dog released her owner Dawn Crombie-Dick and smiled back.
Dawn, 73, of Horsham, West Sussex, was born with limited vision, which she completely lost at the age of 13, but two-year-old Labrador retriever Cross Rosa, trained by the See Dogs Alliance, helped her regain her independence.
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Dawn, a retired physiotherapist, said: “Rosa can take me to my friend’s shop, to the cafe and the hall where I sing in the choir.
“Having a dog is life-enhancing – it brings a smile to your face.”
For more information, visit seeddogs.org.uk.
WIN: Dog training assistance
WANT your dog to stop unwanted behavior like whining, barking, or scratching?
We’ve teamed up with PetSafe to offer two readers a chance to win a £188.99 Telemedicine & Teaching Rewards Coach.
This newly launched rewards-based training tool comes with online resources and support.
To participate, send an email titled PETSAFE to sundaypets@the-sun.co.uk with your name, address and phone number.
See anh.petsafe.net. T&C applies.
Pet names get royal treatment
ROYAL’s pet names are growing in popularity – and Prince George is at the top of the blue-blooded nicknames for our four-legged friends.
A new survey by pet charity PDSA has revealed FOUR grandchildren of the King appear in the top 10 – with more than 15,000 dogs, cats and small animals named after George, Archie, Louis and Charlotte .
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George shares his name with more than half of them – 8,000 registered pet patients since 2015 across PDSA’s 48 pet hospitals across the UK – showing the prince’s immense appeal 9 years old.
The second most popular regal name is Archie with 5,462 registered pets, followed closely by Harry with 4,822 – showing that their popularity has not decreased among pet owners.
The rest of the royal top 10 is: Louis on February 2,18, followed by Meghan (1,100), William (572), Charlotte (264), Charles (198), Kate (131) and Camilla with 47.
The nicknames of the King and Queen’s rescue dogs, Jack Russell’s Bluebell and Beth, have yet to make it into the top 10.
A total of 22,000 pets are registered with the royal charity, and the charity treats more than 360,000 pets annually.
Learn more at pdsa.org.uk.