Pet’s Corner Q&A
The fur around my Bichon Frise, Jake’s eyes keeps turning a reddish-brown. Is this normal or does he need to see a vet?
What you’re seeing is most likely tear staining. This is common in dogs and more obvious on those with white or light-coloured fur.
It can be brown or brown/pink and generally originates from the inner corner of the eye.
You can reduce the appearance of tear staining by keeping the hair around the eyes and nose shorter.
Regularly remove any dirt, tears, or crust that has built up using cotton wool soaked in warm water and then, once the fur has dried, apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to protect the skin and fur from further staining.
However, if this is something that has recently started or is causing Jake any discomfort, pop him along to see your vet to check for any other eye problems.
My rabbit’s head keeps leaning to the side. Is this normal behaviour or does he need to see the vet?
Head tilt in rabbits is a sign that something is wrong so, yes, he does need to be examined by your vet.
Head tilts can be caused by something affecting the ear, and/or the brain.
Inner ear infections, or a tiny parasite that causes swelling in the brain called E.cuniculi, are the most common causes of head tilt.
However, there can be other reasons for your bunny’s head tilt, so it’s important that he’s seen by a vet who will be able to get to the root of the problem and administer the necessary treatment.
For more information on head tilts in rabbits you can visit https://www.pdsa.org.uk/head-tilt
I’ve just added a budgie to my family and I know it’s important to have the right perch. Can you advise on which one I should choose?
Choosing the perfect perch is important to help maintain your budgie’s foot health and encourage their natural behaviours.
Providing a few perches around their home with various textures is a great idea to prevent boredom as well as encouraging them to use all of the space, flying from perch to perch.
Things to avoid include anything smooth or tube shaped, and anything covered in sandpaper.
A natural branch is the best choice, supporting birds’ natural position and circulation and allowing them to strip the bark with their teeth as they would in the wild.
Be mindful if you forage a branch yourself – make sure it’s from a suitable tree (willow, birch, poplar, or alder are ideal) and that it hasn’t been treated with any chemicals.