PDSA Weekly Vet Q&A - 30 July 2024

Dear PDSA Vet, my garden is full of plants, but it's also now full of slugs. Do I need to keep my eye on my dog, Caffrey around them? Thanks Lorna 

Hi Lorna, slugs as well as snails can carry lungworm, which is a parasite that can cause life threatening illness in our dogs. Caffrey is at risk of catching lungworm if he eats slugs and snails so it's best to keep him away if he's showing any interest in them. Unfortunately, even if Caffrey doesn't try to eat them directly, he can accidently swallow them when eating grass and he can be exposed to the parasite in snail and slug trails. Keep dog chews, water bowls and toys indoors when not using them so that snails and slugs don't leave trails on them. Keeping up with regular worming treatment that treats lungworm is the best way to prevent lungworm becoming a problem for your dog. It's best to check with your vet which one will suit Caffrey most. More information can be found here: pdsa.org.uk/lungworm

Dear PDSA Vet, my cat Garfield has started scratching my sofa, is there a way I can stop him from doing so? Julius 

Hi Julius, scratching is perfectly natural for cats, and it keeps their claws in good condition, stretches their bodies and helps them mark their territory. There are a few ways you can encourage your cat to scratch elsewhere - make sure Garfield has a few tall, sturdy scratching posts, that won't move when he has a good pull on them and place them around the house. Use a pheromone or catnip spray on them, this might encourage him to use them more than the sofa. Offer a variety of different scratchers to keep Garfield occupied, cats can use both horizontal and vertical scratchers, so bear this in mind and provide scratch surfaces that suit both needs. Sometimes cats will scratch if they are feeling playful – be sure to spend time playing with him every day. More information can be found here: pdsa.org.uk/stop-my-cat-scratching 

Dear PDSA Vet, I have a pair of rabbits, Lilo & Stitch, how do I prevent them from becoming bored? Thank you, Alice 

Hello Alice, boredom will affect rabbits' mental health, make them very unhappy, and put them at risk of health problems, so it's great you want to ensure they aren't bored! Giving your rabbits a large living space to explore and enjoy will make a huge difference to their health and happiness. Rabbits like to hop, run, jump and binky, so their run needs to be long enough to get up some speed and high enough to allow for some jumping. A great way to keep them occupied is by providing some foraging opportunities by scattering food around their living space. Rabbits were born to dig; you can try filling a planter with potting compost so they can dig to their hearts content. Also provide toys to play with, platforms to climb on and untreated wooden logs to gnaw. More information here: pdsa.org.uk/preventingboredominrabbits  

Dear PDSA Vet, I'd love to get a guinea pig, but have heard they need to live in pairs, or even groups, is this true? Salma 

Hi Salma, guinea pigs are very sociable creatures and need to live in pairs or small groups. Guinea pigs need other guinea pigs - they love nothing more than the company of their own kind; this allows them to express their natural behaviours and meets their social needs. Our company or that of another species of animal is not enough for them. Historically people have kept rabbits and guinea pigs together, this is not recommended as rabbits behave and communicate in very different ways to guinea pigs, so if they're kept together they won't understand each other! Rabbits can also pass on a bacterial infection that can make guinea pigs extremely poorly. We recommend always keeping two or more neutered or same sex guinea pigs together. Find out more about guinea pigs here: pdsa.org.uk/guinea-pig-health 

For more information visit pdsa.org.uk  

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