Vet’s Views
Dr Kaushlendra Kumar
The doctor has been practising in Lucknow for the past 20 years in canine and other pet animal medicine and surgery
Q: My Pomeranian has turned quite bad-tempered. For a small dog, he is very ferocious and attacks strangers and even family members. Is it a symptom of some disease or another reason for his foul temperament? What should I do? Simi Agarwal
If your dog has suddenly turned ferocious, it must suffer from some disease. In that case, you should contact a vet. Many times, kids- or even adults- tease pets for fun, thinking they would understand it is being done harmlessly. However, the animal may not be in the mood or take the teasing seriously. In that case, it starts growling or even attacks. You must ensure that no one is causing unnecessary tension to your pet. Don't try to force it into compliance or start thrashing it when it attacks. If you do, it may grow even more ferocious. There is a different way of dealing with such dogs. Consult your vet for a proper diagnosis of the situation. Your vet may prescribe some mood regulator medicines if required, depending on the situation. Sometimes in male dogs surgery (castration) also helps to calm down and regulate the behaviour and temperament of the dog.
Q: My pet- a female Labrador- has difficulty in passing stools. She is eight-and-a-half years old. What can be wrong with her and is there a treatment? Kapil Srivastava
Your pet falls in the elderly dog category. She could be suffering from some kidney or liver disease or an anal glad issue. Try to give her easily digestible home-cooked food. Her meals should be warm. Increase her intake of liquid. But first of all, take her to a good vet. He'd examine her and provide her with suitable medication. There is no need to worry, it could even be a simple case of constipation or worms but only a vet can decide that after a proper check-up.
Q: I have an Indie parrot which I keep in a well-ventilated, clean, and large cage. It is shedding its feathers. Is it normal or has it developed some allergy? Is there a treatment? Golu Sharma
You say you keep your parrot in a well-ventilated, clean cage so it would not be suffering from any allergy. Like dogs, birds too shed their feathers during changing seasons. It should stop soon and it would then grow new feathers. However, if there is such a loss that you can actually see the skin, you must consult a vet who is qualified to treat birds, like those at the zoo.
Q: We had two dogs. One of them died due to an infection. The other one looks fine. Can he also get the infection? Mohd Ashraf
You have not mentioned what infection your dog had died of, nor have you told whether this infection was covered in the annual vaccinations. Did you get your dogs properly vaccinated in the first place? If your dog dies of an infection like distemper or rabies, the chances of your other pet contacting the same are high. For that, you must get your other pet checked by a vet and also watch for signs of illness like loss of appetite and lethargy. Meanwhile, you must ensure that you do not miss getting the surviving pet vaccinated as this makes a dog immune to various life-threatening diseases.
Q: My Spitz had injured her paw when she was a puppy. Though she is two years old now, she has started limping on that very paw. Is there a treatment? Kamal Kumar
It is likely. A puppy has soft bones that break easily if mineral balance is not maintained. A balanced nutrition should be given to the puppy to help proper growth and bone density. But, then, there could be another reason like a fresh injury. You must get her paw x-rayed and get some treatment accordingly.
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