Pets Q&A

Q Can you tell me why my Bichon Frise, who is 17 years old, collapses and struggles to breathe when he gets excited? Sometimes we have to massage his throat to bring him round.

A Your dog could have one of several problems, including heart or lung disease, and it's important that you get him checked by your vet. Another possibility is a collapsing trachea (windpipe) which is when the trachea becomes weak and flops inwards, partly obstructing the flow of air. Your vet will want to find out some more information, such as whether he coughs at rest or has a nasal discharge. Your vet may recommend some chest x-rays. These can be very helpful in checking the size of the heart, whether or not there is fluid in the lungs or whether there is something more serious present, such as a tumour. This would be a relatively rare cause, but the possibility increases as dogs become older.

Q I have three cats who are continuously going to the toilet in places around our flat instead of using their litter trays. One was spayed two months ago and since then I've noticed blood in her urine. I have used GET OFF sprays but this hasn't worked. Can you give me any advice?

A There are different reasons why blood may be present in a cat's urine but the most common cause is cystitis. If a cat has cystitis, they have the urge to pass urine more often than normal. You should take your cat to see your vet as soon as possible. They may want to examine a sample of your cat's urine to help rule out certain conditions. Cystitis in cats is usually caused by, or linked to, stress and is more likely where more than one cat is being kept together. As you have three cats you need to make sure there are enough food and water bowls, litter trays, beds etc. for each cat and that the cats can avoid each other if they want to. If they cannot, this can cause stress. Feeding bowls should be left in different places around the home so the cats do not have to be next to each other when they are eating. For other essentials such as beds and litter trays you should provide one more item than the number of cats you have. So, for example, for three cats, you should provide four beds and four litter trays and they should be spread out around the home. It's important that you don't punish your cat because this will increase her stress and make the problem worse.