Pet’s Corner Q&A

I’m thinking of getting a new puppy or kitten. What should I consider to give them a healthy start in life?
Bringing a new pet home is an exciting time, but the first few months of their life are vital.

Diet and exercise are an essential part of giving your new furry friend a healthy outlook from the outset, and it’s a good idea to start as you mean to go on.

The right amount of high-quality age-appropriate pet food, with an adequate volume of exercise and playtime for their breed, size, and age, will help your furry friend to grow into a happy and healthy adult.

It’s important to do your research and make sure a new pet is the right fit for you and your lifestyle, and if you would like a second opinion, remember that you can always ask your veterinary team for advice.

Our dog Horace has started to wet himself every night when he’s asleep. What can we do to help him?
As Horace is doing this in his sleep, he’s likely not aware of it, and this means he may have some degree of incontinence.

Incontinence can be caused by many different conditions and treatment will depend on the cause, so I would recommend booking an appointment with your vet to have this investigated.

In the meantime, please do not restrict his drinking water, ensure his bedding is clean and dry for bedtime, consider bathing Horace in the morning to stop his skin becoming sore from the urine, and you can also use puppy training pads in his bed through the night to help keep the urine away from him.

My rabbit, Orange, has an overgrown tooth. We try to help by giving her things to chew, including hard, fresh food, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. What should we do?

Unfortunately, dental disease is quite common in rabbits as a result of being fed a diet lacking in fibre or due to their breeding – rabbits with short, round faces are more likely to suffer because their teeth are squashed into a small space.

Rabbits’ teeth continue to grow throughout their life, so they need to constantly graze on hay or grass to ensure their teeth don’t get too long, and cause pain and discomfort – your rabbits should have at least their own body size in grass and/or hay every day.

However, you will need to take Orange to see your vet for advice on the best course of treatment, as diet alone is unlikely to help once the teeth become overgrown
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For further information on feeding rabbits, visit: www.pdsa.org.uk/rabbitdiet