From a parrot pulling out feathers to a canine’s meals – your pet queries answered

HE is on a mission to assist our pets  . . . and is right here to reply your questions.

Sean, who’s the top vet at tailor-made pet meals agency tails.com, has helped with house owners’ queries for ten years. He says: “In case your pet is appearing humorous or is below the climate, otherwise you need to learn about diet or train, simply ask. I might help preserve pets joyful and wholesome.”

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Q) OUR lovebird-type pet Pippin, who’s much like a small parrot, is pulling out his feathers.

We’ve put one other hen in a separate cage beside him and he has plenty of toys to maintain him occupied.

However the spray we purchased that’s meant to forestall him plucking doesn’t work.

We’ve requested different breeders however they are saying it’s a behavior and nothing will cease him.

Is that appropriate? Will he be chilly this winter?

Audrey Llewellyn, Cheltenham, Gloucs

A) Feather plucking is a posh downside, with attainable causes together with malnutrition, mites, different parasites, ache or frustration.

Behavioural causes are frequent, but when Pippin is certainly a lovebird, he wants a mate in the identical cage.

And ensure his eating regimen contains contemporary, vibrantly colored greens, a small quantity of fruit, plus darkish, leafy greens, pulses and complete grains.

A well being verify to rule out medical points can be a good suggestion.

Q) OUR four-month-old cocker spaniel Rudi retains barking whereas we’re consuming on the desk.

We’ve tried feeding him concurrently us or leaving the room to eat elsewhere, however he finishes his meal rapidly and begins up once more.

How can we practice him to cease?

Jeanette Samson, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire

A) The idea is that if Rudi retains barking, there have to be some profit, in any other case he would cease.

Rewards would possibly embrace desk scraps, consuming with you or having you speak to him — even when it’s simply to scold him.

He needs to be included, so to him, any consideration could also be good consideration.

Work on “settling” him someplace like a crate, mat or his mattress elsewhere in the home when you have dinner.

And ignore the barking.

A behaviourist might help in case you’re struggling.

Q) WE have a household of foxes that stay below our backyard shed.

They don’t trigger issues for us however are they any type of menace to our cat Bubbles, who’s 5?

So far as we all know, they’ve by no means crossed paths.

Gemma Metcalfe, Chiswick, West London

A) In a stand-off between foxes and cats, the rule of thumb is that cats are typically in cost.

Foxes can’t afford to get injured within the wild in order that they normally keep away from scrapping with different predators except they’re cornered or extraordinarily hungry.

There have been a couple of remoted instances of cats being killed by foxes, however that has tended to be tiny kittens or unwell or very outdated cats.

So long as Bubbles is wholesome and properly, I’m fairly certain they’ll maintain their floor and the 2 species will co-exist simply wonderful.

And the way fortunate you might be to have the ability to watch a household of certainly one of our most lovely wild mammals proper there in your backyard.

Q)OUR nine-year-old Tibetan terrier Bo has diabetes and an underactive thyroid gland, that are managed by treatment.

Nonetheless, she has a pores and skin allergy which we simply can’t get below management.

She is at the moment on Apoquel tablets and we now have additionally tried Cytopoint injections, all to no avail.

Is there the rest you could recommend? We’re getting determined.

Michael Sturt Gateshead, Tyne and Put on

A) Poor Bo. That’s a tough set of circumstances to handle directly.

With out realizing fairly in-depth element on Bo’s medical historical past, it’s tough for me to present particular recommendation on the place to go subsequent when it comes to diagnostics or different potential remedies.

Your personal vet is aware of greatest right here, so I’d advocate having a chat.

Bear in mind, additionally, that it’s at all times an choice to ask for a referral to a veterinary dermatologist — who can be used to coping with these tougher instances. Better of luck.

Star of the week

CAPTAIN Digby likes to rock out within the kitchen to Rod Stewart hit Crusing.

The 17-year-old African gray parrot additionally bops alongside to Elton John and Paul McCartney.

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Proprietor Rachel Clark, 69, of Meopham, Kent, who rescued him 12 years in the past, mentioned: “Captain Digby is clever, comical and cheeky.

When Glastonbury was on, I used to be dancing and Captain Digby joined in.

“I work with the Southern Golden Retriever Rescue charity and have a labrador Cosmo, 12, and goldie Lilly, who’s 4.

“My companion Noel and I foster rescue canines however Captain Digby positively guidelines the roost.”

Lend your title to canine crop regulation

PAWS And Claws readers are urged to signal a petition to cease the ear cropping mutilation of dogs.

Tails.com head vet Sean McCormack has joined ­animal charities and veterinary colleagues to induce the Government to prioritise making the Animal Welfare (Stored Animals) Invoice regulation so {that a} loophole permitting the importation of cropped canines may be closed.

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Newest RSPCA figures reveal a 338 per cent rise in stories of canine ear cropping.

Sean mentioned: “This process is being carried out up and down the nation with no anaesthetic, no ache aid, no antibiotics to forestall an infection and has zero ­advantages to the canines.”

Ear cropping entails slicing the floppy bits of canines’ ears so they give the impression of being extra upright.

Freshly cropped Bully Lyla, two, was rescued by the RSPCA and adopted by Kelly and Jake Mattison from Stockport.

Kelly mentioned: “She hates going out within the rain. She finds it uncomfortable as she will be able to’t cease the water going into her ears.”

An RSPCA spokesman mentioned: “We’re not calling for possession of cropped canines to be banned, as sadly there’ll at all times be rescues who want houses. We would like the importation of cropped canines, from international locations the place it Is authorized, to be blocked.”