'Hi, I’m Dr Michael. I studied veterinary medicine and zoology at the University of Edinburgh, then completed a small animal and exotics internship and currently live in London. I work as a vet at the RSPCA’s Putney Animal Hospital and absolutely love it. Every day is a new adventure!'
My cat scratches all my furniture – and Mum says I should get her declawed. But it sounds really cruel. Is it? And do you have any other advice to stop the scratching?
Declawing is a horrible and painful procedure and is thankfully illegal in the UK. I’d start by cutting your cat’s nails once every few weeks, if you’re not sure how to do it book an appointment with the vet nurse at your practice and provide lots of scratch posts and pads to redirect her from the furniture. You can even buy ‘cat scratch pheromones’ which can help in these situations - I use them for my cat. Provide lots of enrichment too, as some cats will scratch out of boredom.
I’ve noticed scabby patches around my guinea pig’s face and ears. What could it be? And what should I do?
It sounds like mites could be the culprit! Guinea pigs can catch them from other pigs, or contaminated bedding. The itching can be quite bad and secondary bacterial infections are common. Vets can easily diagnose mites under a microscope, which can be treated with topical medication.
My pup has started scooting along the floor on his bottom. At first, we thought it was funny, but is it a sign something’s wrong?
A scooting pup is definitely funny to watch, but it actually means he’s uncomfortable or itchy around his back end. Common causes include worms or impacted anal glands… yuck! A trip to the vet should sort him out.
My pooch had started to drink way more water in the last few weeks. Is it because of the warmer weather, or could it be a health issue?
Balmy weather can make your dog drink more but there are also some serious health issues which cause increased drinking in our canine friends. Some causes include liver and kidney disease, diabetes, infection and certain hormone imbalances so it’s always worth getting it checked out. Pop over to your vet with a fresh urine sample and they might advise some blood tests too.
My rat’s teeth look too big for him – they’ve definitely grown. What should I do?
The front teeth of rats (their incisors) constantly grow and are normally worn down when they eat. Sometimes this doesn’t happen, and the teeth grow too big and either start curling or growing at funny angles. The vet should be able to help your ratty.
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