Joyless joints
A^ Absolutely! This is very common in
dogs and less common in cats. Arthritis
can have many different origins and is
especially common in larger breed dogs
like Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherd
Dogs, Boerboels and Rottweilers. Often
problems like hip dysplasia and elbow
dysplasia have a genetic origin and should
be treated early in life to avoid painful
arthritis later in life. Your local veterinarian
can take radiographs and determine this
at an early age. Dogs will often struggle
getting up, climbing stairs, jumping up and
going on long walks. This gets even more
painful in winter and during cold spells.
Some animals will have visible lameness
in one or more legs as well.
Dr Marius Louw, veterinarianQ (^) Do pets suffer from
arthritis as well, and what are
the symptoms?
FOCUS
your questions answered
HEALTH, NUTRITION, BE HAVIOU R & TRAINING
Solitary snoozing
A^ Think about reinforcement for a second
- sleeping on the bed is comfortable, it smells
like his people, he’s close to his people,
perhaps he gets cuddles on the bed too.
Sleeping in his own bed simply does not
have that level of reinforcement! So you’re
going to have to change that, but it must be
done very gradually. Just throwing him off
the bed would be unfair and could cause
significant stress. Get prepared: put his bed
right next to yours, within arm’s reach, and
keep some tasty treats in your bedside table
(out of reach!). What you’re going to do is
direct him to his bed at bed-time, and give
him a treat. If he stays in his bed, you’re going
to continue giving him a treat about every 30
to 60 seconds until lights out. After that, reach
Q (^) How can I train my dog to sleep in his own bed? We fell into the
trap of letting him sleep with us when he was ill, and now it has
become a habit.
your arm out to him and gently touch him,
and tell him he’s a good boy! He’s probably
going to get on the bed at some point – that’s
fine, leave him. Simply don’t give him any
attention when he’s on the bed. No cuddles,
no chatting, nothing. But any time you see
him in his own bed, a treat will magically
appear and he’ll get loads of attention. See
what’s happening here? You’re changing
the reinforcement from your bed to his bed.
You’re making his bed the greatest place to
be and your bed kind of boring. Be patient,
don’t rush your dog and most importantly be
consistent – don’t confuse your dog by giving
the odd cuddle on the bed. Cuddles are for
his bed only!
Katherine Brown, behaviourist
Q How do I know if my cat’s water bowls are too small for her liking?
A If her bowls are too small, she will avoid drinking from them and rather
drink from the shower, wash basin or other places. She will enter bathrooms
vocalising at the water sources and sometimes even attempt to drink from
running water sources such as open taps. Cats absolutely love running water
and it is worth investing in little water fountains if you want to help your cat to be happy.
Dr Marius Louw, veterinarian
A bigger bowl please!