He is on a mission to help our pets. . . and is here to answer YOUR questions.
Sean, who is the head vet for bespoke pet food company tails.com, has been helping with owner inquiries for ten years. He says, “If your pet is acting funny or under the weather, or you want to know about nutrition or exercise, just ask. I can help keep pets happy and healthy.”
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It’s about the environment and understanding how gerbils behave in the wildCredit: Getty
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Sean McCormack, head vet at tails.com, promises it can “help keep pets happy and healthy”.Credit: Doug Seeburg – The Sun
Q) I have read that it is common for gerbils to become depressed.
I have two females, Bubbles and Brenda, who seem very happy but I want them to stay that way. Any advice?
Sarah Turner, Edinburgh
Sean says: It’s about the environment and understanding how gerbils behave in the wild.
They live in complex burrow systems in the wild, so they must be given the opportunity to dig and tunnel in captivity.
Providing them with a deep, solid-sided cage or, preferably, an aquarium with deep litter will see them thrive.
There are many great articles online about how to deliver better.
A mixture of compressed paper bedding, wood shavings and hay provides ample opportunity for tunneling. You should also build a few underground chambers and tunnels out of cardboard or plastic tubes.
Q) My 11-year-old Border Collie Alfie was diagnosed with epilepsy six years ago.
I would like to put him on CBD oil as well as his Epiphen and Libromide meds. He has an attack about every two weeks. What dose would you give? It weighs 26 kg.
Neale Robinson, Stockport, Gtr Manchester
Sean says: My first thought is why? Is Alfie having seizures again? If so, I would suggest an adjustment to the medication dosage with your vet’s input.
If not, the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” comes to mind. The reason I say this is that even though CBD oil has many claims, some may be promising and others are likely to be a placebo effect for people.
The fact is, we don’t have enough studies to prove the safety or effectiveness of CBD in dogs. And it’s not licensed for use in dogs, so I’d stay away until that changes.
Q) BELLA, my Labrador, seems to be going deaf.
She is 12 years old and doesn’t hear people coming to the door, and sometimes it startles her. I have to shout quite loudly to get her to come in from the garden. Is there anything I can do to help?
Sean Evans, Newport
Sean says: This is one of those things with our aging dogs. I also noticed this with my last dog Suki when she was about 12, and she gradually got to the point where she was stone deaf by 15.
There aren’t many options to stop it from progressing I’m afraid, but there are some useful things you can do now that will make things easier for you in the future. Teaching Bella hand signals for commands is a good idea, but you’ll have a harder time getting her attention.
In public, keep it a long way away so you can call it back, especially near busy roads.
Some people use a gentle vibration attachment on the collar, not a shock collar, and train their deaf dog to come and get them when activated. Also, be careful not to startle her from her nap or allow visitors to pet her without her knowledge, as this can be scary for her.
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Tails.com offers custom nutritional pet food
Q) MY hamster is an escape artist. I’ve found him under the bed, he’s dug a hole in the carpet and at one point we found him lurking in the bathroom.
Am I not entertaining him enough? Does it have toys and a wheel?
Cath Edwards, Carlisle
Sean says: Hamsters in the wild roam great distances every night in search of food, mates and places to burrow.
Unfortunately, most cages are too small.
It is therefore vital that you provide him with as large a cage as possible, rotate his toys, tunnels and accessories daily or at least weekly and let him out in the evening.
I’ve seen some amazing videos on social media recently of hamsters training to complete homemade obstacle courses. Be creative!
STAR OF THE WEEK
Cheeky Joey the Cavalier King Charles spaniel and his companion Eddie are obsessed with eating books.
The best friends, who are both three, now use the Woofz Training app after tearing into a Marian Keyes novel owned by Kelly Lee, 39, and fiance Alex Hughes, 42, from Ashbourne, derbies
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Cheeky Joey the Cavalier King Charles spaniel and his companion Eddie are obsessed with eating books
Kelly said: “Joey and Eddie can be naughty if left alone and they always work as a team. But most of the time they’re good guys.”
Natalia Shahmetova of puppy training app woofz.com said: “Many dogs have a cheeky side, or even a mischievous side, which is why so many people turn to our app for advice and guidance to understand what makes your pet tick.”
BOXOUT WIN: HEALTH TRACKER
A NEW gadget will give you a complete picture of your dog’s health, and you can get your hands on one before anyone else.
Whistle Health is the first device of its kind to track important health behaviors and launches in the UK in October.
To win Whistle Health, a year’s membership, a Wisdom Panel Premium DNA kit and a £30 Pets At Home voucher, email the subject WISTLE HEALTH to sundaypets@the-sun.co.uk before of September 11. See whistle.com/. T&Cs apply.
ABANDONED ANIMALS AS CRISIS BITES
ANIMAL charities are urging people not to abandon their pets as the cost of living crisis worsens and rescue centers face unprecedented pressure to re-home animals.
The number of cats waiting to enter Cats Protection’s 34 adoption centers increased by 46% in July 2022 compared to July 2021 (2,582 cats versus 1,766 cats).
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The number of cats waiting to enter Cats Protection’s 34 adoption centers increased by 46% in July 2022 compared to July 2021
Both the charity and the RSPCA have issued urgent appeals for people to give pets a home.
Peter Shergold, head of field operations at Cats Protection, said: “This is the worst situation in organizational memory in terms of the pressure on our services.
“The increase is directly related to the cost of living crisis, such as not having the funds to pay for basic products such as cat food or cat litter or a much more serious consequence such as the loss of a job or having to move to a rented place. accommodation where pets are not allowed.”
Six-year-old cats Tinkerbell and Wendy are looking for a safe home after they were taken to Cats Protection’s Warrington adoption center in July after their owner suffered financial difficulties.
The RSPCA’s Animal Kindness Index found that the cost of living crisis is one of the biggest threats to animal welfare, with 68% of pet owners concerned that the price of care is rising.
RSPCA spokeswoman Amy Ockelford said: “We fear the cost of living crisis will see more animals abandoned than ever before. We urge anyone struggling to get help and never abandon an animal.”
