Health and Wellbeing | PETS
http://www.facebook.com/petsmagazine August 73
LEG BITING
Q:
Dear Dr Jo, I have a Staffi e
cross, Mickey, who seems to
bite himself on the leg a lot. At fi rst,
it didn’t seem to be a problem, but
lately I’ve noticed he’s removing
some hair and I don’t want him to
hurt himself. Is there a reason for
this sort of behaviour and should
I try to make him stop?
Candice, via emailA:
Dear Candice, dogs can bite
themselves when they are
in pain and unable to do anything
about it. They chew and get some
small relief or distraction from the
discomfort and so they do it over
and over again. Hence, it is worth
seeing your vet to be on the safe
side — particularly if it’s the same
spots Mickey chews.
Another cause could be that he’s
allergic to something, but Mickey would also
likely chew at his feet and scratch his belly and
sides. If you check these regions for infl ammation
and irritation, you will have a better idea if this
is the problem.
Another possibility is fl eas or mites. Fleas canbe easily cleared with medications such as
Nexgard, Bravecto or Comfortis or collars such
as Seresto. Mites tend to be an age-dependant
condition that aff ects dogs generally younger
than two years or those that are unwell. So,
again, it would be worth a good check over
with your regular vet.LICKING LASSIE
Q:
Dear PETS, my adorable dog, Zoe
(rescued), has a bit of a strange problem
— she licks/cleans her behind. A lot. Is there
a reason she could be doing this and do I need
to take her to the vet?
Molly, via emailA:
Hi Molly, it’s never overly pleasant when
dogs clean themselves a lot, particularly
places such as the bottom. It may just be a
normal thing if Zoe has soft stools and she feels
her bottom is still grubby, but it could be she
has worms. I would make sure she gets regularly
wormed with a good-quality brand of all-wormer
such as Drontal or Milbemax at least every three
months, or have her on one of the monthly
wormers such as Interceptor, Sentinel, Revolutionor Advocate. But if you already take care of this
regularly, then she may have anal gland issues.
Dogs have two scent glands in the wall of the
anus (around 3:30 and 7:30 on a clock face) that
produce a smell that comes out with their poo.
This is one of the reasons dogs like to poo around
the yard and while out and about as they can
mark the areas they frequent with their scent. But,
when dogs get fed too much variety in their diet,
lots of soft, sloppy food or people food, they often
don’t have nice fi rm motions to help express
these glands when they defecate. The glands
build up and get enlarged and painful, causing
them to drag their bottoms or lick the area to
try to empty it. If you think this is the situation,
take her to the vet and they can show you how
to express the anal glands (or do it for you as it’s
a bit yuck). Good luck.It’s important to worm all dogs, including
puppies, to prevent serious health problems.PLF070_pg072-073_Ask your vet.indd 73PLF070_pg072-073_Ask your vet.indd 73 6/19/2017 2:44:11 PM6/19/2017 2:44:11 PM