Ask The Experts

Itchy dog

Dr Grace Heng 6 years ago
Q: My six-year-old Shih Tzu cross has been experiencing serious skin problems for the past nine months. We have visited several vets but his condition has yet to improve. While he does not lick or scratch when he is out on walks, he does so relentlessly at home. Could his condition be due to boredom or is it medically related?

Puss keeps bringing me her dead prey!

Zulkifli Bin Daud 6 years ago
Q: I am terrified of lizards but my three-year-old female Calico cat brings me dead ones and it is freaking me out. What can I do to stop her behaviour?

My cat has struvite stones

Dr Bruce Syme 6 years ago
Q: My three-year-old male Maine Coon suffered from urolithiasis and had to undergo a procedure to have the struvite stones flushed out. Although he has fully recovered from this episode, I understand that there is a high recurrence of the condition. What can I do to prevent this from happening again?

Brushing fido’s teeth is an ordeal!

Bernard Ong 6 years ago
Q: My newly adopted four-year-old Terrier mix does not let me brush his teeth. What can I do to improve his dental health?

Help! My cats don't get along!

Zulkifli Bin Daud 6 years ago
Q: I have a seven-year-old Ragdoll named Cuddles. I recently adopted a year-old local cat, Dimples, from a shelter. Unfortunately, Cuddles did not take to the new feline well and the two sometimes get into aggressive fights. Is there anything I can do to help both of them live peaceably?

My rabbit has wet eyes!

Dr Grace Heng 6 years ago
Q: George, my rabbit, seems to have wet eyes. It’s been going on for about a week and despite my flushing it with water and drying it as often as I can, the wetness still persists. He doesn’t seem to be suffering or experiencing any changes in appetite and behaviour. Could it be something in his cage that is causing the eye irritation?

Raw diet for skin allergies?

Dr Bruce Syme 6 years ago
Q: My six-year-old Great Dane, Gloria, was prescribed a semi-raw diet by my vet as she has sensitive skin. Her diet consists of prescription kibble for her breed and age as well as frozen raw meat (Gloria is only allergic to chicken; she takes rabbit and kangaroo mostly). Her skin has improved tremendously after two weeks but she recently rejected her meals (I usually mix the raw meat with the kibble), picking at it when she’s hungry but never finishing the entire serving. Should I combine kibble and raw meat and if there is any way I can switch it up so that she will like her food again?

Will castration make my dog less nippy?

Rodney Tay 6 years ago
Q: My eight-year-old Shih Tzu bites people when he is not happy. He especially likes to do this when he’s being showered, groomed or when he has to wear shoes. Everyone in my family has been bitten by him before. Will it help if we castrate him?

No jumping on the table!

Zulkifli Bin Daud 6 years ago
Q: My Russian Blue cat, Janelle, likes to jump onto my dining table whenever we have dinner. How do I teach her that it’s inappropriate? She is generally not allowed in the kitchen and eating areas but she has free run of the rest of the house, including our coffee tables and writing desks. Is that why she cannot tell the difference?

Sore and red eyes

Dr Grace Heng 6 years ago
Q: Recently, I noticed that my eight-year-old Holland Lop rabbit’s eyes have turned sore and red. His right eye seems to be a little more blood-shot than his left but he does not seem to be experiencing any pain. What could be the cause of this redness and what can be done to treat it?

Ear Irritation After Grooming

Dr Grace Heng 6 years ago
Q: My Jack Russell Terrier recently went to the groomer to have her nails trimmed. The groomer also cleaned her ears without our request. After the session, she’s been shaking her head and scratching her ears incessantly. We called the groomer and he said that it could be because she is not used to having clean ears. Please advise if that is true.

Black specks on my dog’s skin

Dr Bruce Syme 6 years ago
Q: My Golden Retriever has started growing black pore-like specks on his skin. They first started from the inner legs to the groin and stomach, and are now growing around the ears and chest. This has resulted in a dull and darkened fur coat. My vet has tested and found these specks to be harmless. I tried to lightly scrub them off during bathing, but they became raw and red. Is there any way to remove them?

Once bitten, twice shy

Rodney Tay 7 years ago
Q: My one-and-a-half year old male Chihuahua was bitten on his face by a big dog. Half of it was swollen and his eyelid and lower chin also bled. He is now tense around dogs and barks at trolleys or deliverymen even though I've brought him to a training school. He gets very aggressive during walks and I’m afraid to let him play with other canines. How can I help him behave better at home and outside, and how do I know if it is okay to let him play with other dogs without getting bitten again?

Kitty’s loss of appetite

Zulkifli Bin Daud 7 years ago
Q: My cat is slightly over a year old and has been eating very little and vomiting a bit of her food lately. She drinks a lot of water and pees without pooing. Also, my cat was born without eyelids. Please advise what is wrong with her.

How do I stop my Poodle’s fur from matting?

Park Sang Hun 7 years ago
Q: My Poodle puppy has a lot of mats but I would like to keep her hair long. Should I shave it off first and wait for it to grow again? How I can keep it from matting again in future?