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: I have noticed that my seven-year-old Labrador has started to bleed from the nose. Though it was just a few drops and stopped without my intervention, it has happened twice and within a gap of less than a month. Please advise what I should do. Rita Singh
Labrador having occasional nose bleeding called epistaxis can be a sign of blood pressure issues or cardiovascular problems in general. This may be related to tick-borne fever which even in the silent or latent phase shows symptoms by epistaxis. You must not delay and visit your vet for a proper checkup for these two problems.
Q: I have recently bought a parakeet. It is kept in a cage. But my dog gets all excited and tries to play with it and even scratches the cage. Should I let them mingle? Seema Biswas
Birds and dogs cannot be friends in general. In fact, even a careful mix-up can become dangerous if your dog, intentionally or unintentionally, harms or traumatises the bird. If it is an adult bird, the chances of it getting frightened by the dog and suffering a cardiac arrest are high. Exceptions of bird-beast friendships are overruled. Therefore, in my opinion, you should avoid their mix-up.
Q: I have recently adopted a kitten. Do I have to get him vaccinated? What is the procedure, please? Sara Khan
Adopting a kitten and keeping it in a hygienic environment is important, and it is equally important to get it vaccinated. Vaccination in pet cats starts at two months of age and strays at 45 days only. Vaccination is important for both your pets and you as well. Along with vaccination, deworming should be done before you get inoculation for the best result.
Q: My Spitz female dog is nursing her pups. I have noticed that one of her nipples is quite dark in colour, swollen, and oozing pus. She appears to be in pain and snaps at the pup who tries to suckle it. What can it be and should we continue to let her feed the pups? Rehaan Rizvi
This Spitz nursing mother has developed a condition called mastitis. It is an infection and inflammation of the milk/mammary gland. It is very painful for the nursing bitch. Seek a vet's help. In the meantime, you can give lukewarm water therapy, but antibiotics and painkillers according to body weight are a must. Hence, taking your pet to a vet would be best. ([email protected])
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