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#BestForPets
I’ve noticed that my puppy has had hiccups for the past few days. Is he OK? Puppies commonly get hiccups and this is of no concern. They gradually grow out of this as they get older.
Even though she is well fed, my cat is eating grass? Should I be worried? Both cats and dogs enjoy eating grass from time to time – if you watch them they are very selective and are looking for the sweet ends on new growth. Sometimes the grass will get caught at the back of their throat and cause them to wretch or even vomit, which is where the common thought that they do it to make themselves sick comes from. Occasionally a blade of grass can become lodged at the back of the throat behind the soft palate, which can need removal under general anaesthetic.
My dog is barking more than usual, is this a sign that something might be wrong with them? It could be that your dog can hear something you can’t which is causing them distress. Also if your dog is an entire male then a bitch in season may cause them to bark and whine. Dogs can smell a bitch in season up to three miles away.
Why does my dog chase his tail? As much as it’s entertaining, I do hope he’s OK! It’s a completely natural behaviour for your dog to chase their tail. If they are biting at it or traumatising it then it may be best to get them checked by a vet.
How many meals a day should my 8 year old Labrador be having? He walks for 20 minutes twice a day and has some garden time. He also sleeps a lot! This varies from dog to dog, some have one meal a day, others have their food split into two meals a day (puppies need more). You should examine the packaging for the food that you feed them to check how much of the food they should get on a daily basis. Remember that these feeding guidelines assume that you don’t feed your pet anything else, which we all do, so for every extra snack they get you need to lower the amount of food they get in their meals. Most vets offer free consultations with nurses to discuss feeding and help to prevent weight gain or tackle obesity if it’s already got a little out of control.
My cat is obsessed with scratching the sofa and carpets - is there anything I can do? Although we think of cats as a predator they are also a prey species and their claws are important for not only catching food but also for defence. This is why cats like to keep their claws in tip top condition and they do this
by finding a scratching place. So providing them with somewhere to sharpen their claws such as
a scratching post or scratch mat can help save your furniture from destruction.
Provided by Sinead Bennett, Clinical Director.
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