36 Daily Express Monday, September 2, 2019DX1STexpressyourself
Don’t let fleas be bunny spoilers
Pampered Pets
OUR VET DAVID GRANT
WORKS HIS MAGICPARASITE WARNING: Cat fleas can also be a menace to your pet rabbitsQ
I HAVE a couple of rabbits that
spend some time indoors
under supervision. We also have a
cat, although it mostly ignores the
rabbits. Can rabbits pick up cat
fleas and how can this be
prevented?A
RABBITS in the wild have a
flea unique to them. The same
flea can occasionally be found on
rural free-roaming cats. Much more
commonly, however, the cat flea can
feed on rabbits. This is one of themost successful of fleas as it is quite
happy to feed on any warm-
blooded animal, including humans.
More than 95 per cent of fleas on
dogs, for example, are actually catfleas. Early August to late
September is the peak season for
fleas, and unless you have had a
comprehensive parasite control
programme in place it is very likelythat your cat will introduce fleas
into the home.
Whether or not you see evidence
of them depends on their numbers,
and whether an allergy to them
develops. In both scenarios they
can be quite difficult to spot.
Flea allergy in rabbits is less
common but you may find small
black dots of flea dirt in the fur, or
if in larger numbers you may see
the fleas moving around.
Ideally a comprehensive parasite
control programme should have
begun earlier in the year to prevent
problems.
But a trip to the vet is essential
for treatment of your rabbits as
many cat products that treat fleas
are toxic to rabbits.Q
MY 10-year-old Jack Russell
Marley has started eating my
carpets at night.
She licks short-pile carpets
causing bald patches and pulls the
stair carpet away before eating
it. Why does she do this?A
EATING carpets is
a well-known
canine problem
with two main
underlying
causes, medical and
psychological.
The most likely
medical problem is a
gastro-intestinal
disease and a good
starting point in
solving your problem
would be a check-up
with your vet,
especially as you write
that Marley vomits thecarpet up afterwards. Dogs also
sometimes develop an overactive
appetite that results in
inappropriate eating.
Blood tests are often used to
diagnose diseases causing this.
If psychological, separation
anxiety is common and can often
lead to destructive behaviour.
This may be one explanation, as
she only chews carpet at night when
presumably separated from you.
Another cause could be boredom
if for any reason she is not getting
enough exercise during the day or
stimulation from chew toys.
Chewing is a natural way for dogs
to relieve boredom or stress.
Has anything changed that could
have been stressful?
Diagnosing one of the causes
above, and then applying specific
treatment is the way forward.
There is a drug licensed for
separation anxiety that your vet
may advise.
This could be used along with a
training programme devised by an
animal behaviourist or your
regular vet.● David Grant MBE was a vet
at the RSPCA Harmsworth
Hospital for Animals.
Write to him
at Daily
Express, One
Canada Square,
Canary Wharf,
London E14 5AP
or email
pampered pets@
express.co.uk. He is
unable to enter into
individual
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