PDSA Weekly Vet Q&A - 12 March 2024

Dear PDSA Vet, I'm about to adopt another cat, I currently have a 4-year-old cat, Winnie. Winnie of course has food bowls, litter trays around the house, but will I need to double up on everything before our new cat arrives? Thanks, Renata 

Hi Renata, a new furry family member, how exciting! Cats can be territorial and taking to another new cat can be challenging. Introducing your cats must be taken slowly. Keep them separate at first, scent swapping using each other's toys or blankets. Then allow them to see each other from another room, before introducing them in their own time. It may be worth using pheromone diffusers to help keep things calm. It's important to provide one litter tray, scratch post, bowl and bed per cat plus one extra. Spread them out around the house to give your cats space, so they can avoid each other, which they are likely to want to do, certainly at first. 

 
Dear PDSA Vet, my 9-year-old Shih Tzu has started shaking his head all the time, throughout the day and night he's often shaking his head, but he won't let me look at his ears, do you know what this could be due to? Damien 

Hi Damien, scratching of the ears or shaking their head regularly will likely be a sign of an ear problem. The most common causes for this include skin allergies, ear infections, something stuck down the ear or ear mites. Ear problems cannot only be irritating but in some cases painful.  Book an appointment with your vet as they will be able to examine the ear thoroughly and provide him with any treatment that he needs. The sooner the problem is diagnosed, the easier it will be to treat and the sooner your dog will feel relief.  For more information on ear problems in dogs, visit: www.pdsa.org.uk/itchyearsandheadshakingdogs 

Dear PDSA Vet, my dog Molly keeps sitting down and dragging her bottom along the carpet in the house, do you know why she's started doing this? Thank you, Lorraine 

Hello Lorraine, it sounds like Molly is 'scooting', this usually indicates that something is irritating, itchy or painful such as worms, anal gland problems, itchy skin or something stuck around her bottom. Unless the problem is obvious and simple to fix at home (such as something stuck you can gently remove), it's best to consult your vet and have them check Molly over to see what's causing the scooting. If her anal glands are impacted then they may need expressing, which is usually a straightforward procedure that your vet will do for you. Impacted anal glands that are left for too long can become infected and very painful, so I'd recommend that you arrange an appointment with your vet. For more information visit: www.pdsa.org.uk/scooting-in-dogs-advice  

 
Dear PDSA Vet, I bought two dwarf hamsters from a pet shop, and they got on fine to begin with, but I've noticed they seem to be fighting and it's quite scary when they do so! Are they ok to continue living together? Archie 

Hi Archie, when hamsters fight, they can cause serious injury so they need to be separated straight away, otherwise aggressive behaviour towards each other could lead to serious injury or even death. Some Dwarf hamsters can be housed together (Syrian and Chinese hamsters must always live alone) and live happily with the right environment and housing conditions, but it doesn't always work out. Hamsters can be very territorial, if they do not have enough space to explore and behave as they would in the wild; burrowing, foraging, exploring and running for miles this can cause frustration and conflict. They'll need enrichment including a large wheel, gnawing branches, multiple shelters and enough material to dig and burrow in. To create the ideal hamster home visit: www.pdsa.org.uk/hamster  

For more information visit pdsa.org.uk  

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