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Due to holidays and the like, answers to Vet Questions will be delayed. We apologise for any inconvenience and we'll do our best to respond within two weeks - but please bear with us as we take a few well earned weeks break.



Vet Advice

Glen Kolenc has been a practising vet for just over 10 years. After working in several veterinary hospitals in Sydney along with a four year working holiday in the UK, he now owns the Petersham Veterinary Hospital in Sydney's Inner West, along with its onsite boarding cattery. Glen's love of animals stems back to his childhood, which prompted him to study veterinary science at the University of Sydney. After graduating in 1997 with honours, he has spent over a decade doing "the most rewarding job in the world".

Glen is our resident Internet Vet here at Dogs and Cats and would like to remind visitors asking him questions that some medical problems can be extremely difficult to diagnose. A certain set of symptoms may be caused by several possible ailments. Therefore nothing can replace a veterinarian obtaining a full history, and performing a thorough examination of your pet. This Q + A segment though does allow for more general queries to be addressed.

http://www.petvets.com.au
http://www.petershamboardingcattery.com.au

Please note that due to the volume of questions we receive here at dogsandcats, we cannot promise to answer all of the questions posted here. We will select the questions we feel will be most helpful for a majority and the vet will answer these on a regular basis.
Glen and Kahlua

Glen and Kahlua

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Q:Do different coloured domestic cats have different temperaments? I would like to get a kitten that has a similar nature to that of the burmese (affectionate and trusting). How do I choose the best one for me from the RSPCA?
A:There is no real correlation between cat's colour and their temperament (though some people might argue that tortoiseshell cats can tend to be a bit cranky). The best way to select a cat from the rspca is to go there and spend a bit of time with the cats. The staff there probably have gotten to know the cats quite well and so would be able to advise of which cat has the temperament that suits you best.

Q:My 13 yr old female cat seems to be getting thinner even though she eats well. She has also lost her hair on her tummy and front paws.What could be wrong?
A:Weight loss despite a good appetite in cats can be caused by a number of things. There are a lot of medical conditions that can cause this such as diabetes, problems with an overactive thyroid gland, insufficient pancreatic function, worms. There are a lot of other less common causes of the things you have commented on. Your cat should be examined by a vet and possible blood +/- urine tests performed as an initial workup.

Q:We have just worked out that our 13 year old toy poodle is eating our cat's poo. Is this really bad? We are appalled by it.
A:Eating the cats feaces generally does not harm dogs, nor have a negative impact on them (aside from being pretty ordinary!!!!) Some dogs do eat their own, or other dogs or cats faeces. Sometimes it is purely a behavioural thing, sometimes it is caused by a mineral or fibre deficiency so maybe it should be checked that your dog has a fully balanced diet.

Q:My 4 year old bullmastiff regularly (at least once a week) has a day when he refuses to eat at least one meal, and sometimes throws up or has severe diarrhoea, and always seems to have at least slight diarrhoea or constipation. The vet has said he isn't ill when we took him for an examination. Any ideas as to what this could be?
A:Occasional vomitting and diarrhoea are very "vague" symptoms in that they may be caused by something as simple as dietary or if the dog is a garbage guts; but may also be caused by several different diseases of the stomach, intestines, pancreas or liver. So these are the broad possible causes. If this dog has been examined by a vet then I cant really add more to that without the benefit of examining the dog myself......suffice to say that if the dog has diarrhoea AND constipation then i cant help but think that this dog is not on a very well balanced diet.

Q:My 10 month old female Miniature Dachshund has had her first season 4 weeks ago. She did not mate, however I have now noticed a hard lump under each one of her teets about the size of a marble?
A:This sounds like the development of mammary tissue. Some dogs that do not get pregnant after a season may develop what is called a false pregnancy or phantom pregnancy. This is where the female is NOT pregnant but her body has some hormonal changes that mimic the hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy. Their body will develop some of the changes that occur during pregnancy (such as the development of mammary tissue, milk production, behavioural changes). These changes subside with time. Having said all that, however, it would still be wise to get the lumps examined by a veterinarian to ensure it is normal mammary tissue.

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