From giving goldfish their own tanks to barking dogs – your pet queries answered

The Sun

2 days ago

HE is on a mission to help our pets . . . and is here to answer YOUR questions.
Sean, who is the head vet at tailored pet food firm tails.com, has helped with owners' queries for ten years.
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Q) I HAVE three goldfish.
Swimster and Bubbles bully Gillbert. They share a big tank.
Should I consider giving Gillbert his own tank?
Sarah Cooke, Plymstock, Devon
A) Are they really bullying Gilbert? Is this a sudden thing that's started recently?
If your goldfish are of age then perhaps spring has sprung and Gilbert is in fact Gilbertina, and her tailshake is bringing all the boys to the yard?
If they have a big tank and plenty of places to swim away from one another or hide when needed then I would say keep them together.
Fish feel more secure in shoals. Look up breeding behaviour and signs in goldfish and come back to me with an update. I think this is more likely than bullying.
Q) PLEASE can you help us with our 18-month-old Cockapoo, Jed.
He was given back to his breeder by his original owners at four months old because their work commitments changed.
I'm a property expert, here are the five key things when moving with a pet
We got him a month later, so he's had a bit of an unsettled start.
He's a really good dog in every way other than barking in the garden at the neighbours, passing cats or when he hears other dogs bark.
I'm worried they are getting annoyed. I've resorted to keeping him on his lead in the garden first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
If I don't, he runs along the fences, barking. But on his lead, he doesn't bark at all. He's obsessed with me, thinks I'm the best thing ever.
Perhaps when he's on the lead, he feels safe? He's booked in to be neutered at the end of May.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Gemma Stone, Leeds
A) Without observing him in action it's difficult to say what the motivation for this behaviour is, and hard to give advice on tackling it.
There are many reasons for barking, including anxiety, territoriality, excitement, boredom and so on. And it may be different on different days and with different triggers.
I would highly recommend a qualified animal behaviourist observing you and Jed in action together and working through what's going on.
It always surprises me how much money dog owners are willing to spend on food, grooming, toys, leads and accessories but flinch at the cost of a behaviourist consultation.
They are worth their weight in gold. Trust me on this — hire one and thank me later.
Q) I'M due to emigrate to Cyprus in the next few weeks . . .
But I'm really worried that my cat Mika will be very scared on the plane trip. She is three years old but doesn't like other people and hides when they visit our house.
I am using a reputable company but I'm still concerned over the four- hour trip. Am I worrying too much?
David Potter, Brierley Hill, West Midlands
A) It's natural to worry about this, and to worry too much.
The company you have chosen will have done this many times and will know how to keep Mika as calm as possible throughout.
You could speak with your vet about calming supplements, sprays and so on to take the edge off the journey too.
We tend not to recommend sedative drugs for pets in transit any more as they cannot be monitored. Indeed, most airlines won't allow them.
If this is the one plane journey she has to make for four hours in her entire life, then it's worth taking and allowing her time to recover in a safe environment when you land.
She'll have forgotten about it in a few days, all being well.
Star of the week
ARTIE the miniature Cavapoo has been hailed a hero after she helped detect her owner's breast cancer.
The three-year-old has been given an award for being an amazing pup by Pets At Home.
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Owner Suzanne Nuttall, 62, of Sheffield, South Yorks, said: 'She was frantically licking and nuzzling into me.
'It was only after a routine mammogram revealed I had Stage 2 breast cancer that I realised she must have sensed something was wrong.
'I truly believe she was trying to tell me. She's been my little lifesaver.'
Amy Angus of Pets Foundation, the charity established by Pets At Home, said: 'Our pets are capable of amazing things, and Artie is a testament to this.'
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RECORD BREAKERS JOIN GUINNESS' PET-SET
GUINNESS World Records celebrates its 70th birthday this year with a special edition featuring record-breaking pets.
The world's tallest living dog Reginald, a seven-year-old Great Dane from Idaho Falls, USA, has just met the world's shortest mutt – a four-year-old Chihuahua from Florida called Pearl.
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Reggie stands at 1,007cm, while Pearl is just 9.14cm.
Further records include Bonnie, a five-year-old Spaniel, and Simba, a three-year-old Border Collie, both from Reading.
They have four: the fastest time for ten side leapfrog jumps by two dogs (16.78 seconds), and three one-minute records.
These are bottles put in a recycling bin (16); coins into a bottle (13) and clothes hung on a washing line (17).
Mr Pugsley Adams, a two-year-old Maine Coon from Minnesota, USA, has the longest tail on a domestic cat at 46.99cm.
The fastest 10 metres skateboarded by a cat is held by Bao Zi, a two-year-old American Shorthair from China (12.85 seconds).
Coco, a five-year-old guinea pig from Carolina performed the most tricks in a minute (16).
While the most items identified by a parrot in three minutes goes to four-year-old Apollo from Florida, who named 12.