Expert Pet Care Advice from Tails.com Head Vet
Sean, head veterinarian at tailored pet food company tails.com, offers solutions to common pet owner concerns. With a decade of experience addressing issues from unusual behaviors to nutrition and exercise, he emphasizes keeping pets happy and healthy. Owners frequently seek guidance on shedding, entertainment, and health risks.
Managing Heavy Shedding in Double-Coated Dogs
Jeanette Harman from Birmingham notes her Malamute-Siberian Husky cross, Cara, sheds excessively. Professional grooming helps, but the hair buildup remains challenging.
Sean explains that double-coated breeds like Cara naturally shed heavily. Regular use of an undercoat rake or de-shedding brush several times weekly reduces mess at home. Owners should avoid frequent baths, which can exacerbate shedding. A diet rich in omega fatty acids promotes healthy coats. Consistent grooming controls the fluff effectively.
Keeping Pet Rats Engaged and Active
Peter Thomas from Sevenoaks, Kent, asks how to best entertain his rats, who thrive on new cage items, and how often to rotate toys.
Sean recommends introducing novelty daily to stimulate activity and exploration. Inexpensive household or outdoor items work well. Supervised out-of-cage time and human interaction are essential. Rats possess high intelligence akin to dogs among rodents, responding to reward-based trick training. Online videos provide endless inspiration for enrichment.
Why Dogs Drag Their Bottoms on the Ground
Eve Rogers from Newcastle-upon-Tyne reports her dog Marley scooting on grass and carpet despite worming and flea treatments.
Sean clarifies that scooting rarely stems from worms. Instead, impacted or infected anal sacs cause discomfort. These pouches produce scented secretions for marking, explaining dogs’ rear-sniffing habits. Blockages or poor emptying prompt scooting. Veterinary expression of glands resolves most cases.
Stopping Cats from Bringing Home Prey
Sam Johnson from Manchester wonders why his four-year-old cat Barnie catches mice and how to discourage it.
Sean states Barnie acts on instinct, as cats hunt regardless of feeding. Prey delivery signals bonding or teaching. Dual bells on the collar hinder stalking, unlike single bells. Colorful collars alert wildlife to the cat’s presence. Restrict outdoor access at dawn and dusk, prime hunting periods, and increase indoor play. This behavior impacts wildlife, prompting many owners to use garden enclosures or keep cats indoors for safety.
Mother’s Day Lily Warning for Cat Owners
Experts urge cat owners to avoid lilies this Mother’s Day, as half remain unaware of their toxicity. Even pollen contact followed by grooming can trigger acute kidney failure, according to Cats Protection data.
In Wilmslow, Cheshire, two-year-old cat Louis survived lily exposure as a kitten. Owner Jill Millen, 68, recalls buying a bouquet with lilies. Pollen dusted Louis’s chest, prompting swift vet action with IV fluids to protect his kidneys. Millen advises, “Do not keep lilies at all, not only to protect your cat but also to avoid any invasive treatment which could be costly.”
Sarah Merrett of Cats Protection reveals a survey finding one in ten poisoned cats ingested lilies. Watch for drooling, lethargy, diarrhea, vomiting, tremors, or appetite loss. More on dangerous plants at cats.org.uk/dangerous-plants.
