Dear PDSA Vet,

My one-year-old cat grinds his teeth whenever I touch his face.

Why is he doing this?

Isabel

Dear Isabel, teeth grinding in cats isn’t very common and usually indicates pain.

There could be a number of reasons she’s doing this, including dental disease, or another source of pain.

To find out why your cat is grinding their teeth, you should book an appointment with your vet and take along a short video clip of your cat when she’s grinding her teeth so your vet can see exactly what you mean.

From this they should be able to determine the problem and help with the best course of action.

Dear PDSA Vet,

Despite my best efforts I just can’t seem to get rid of my dog’s fleas!

Although I have tried several different treatments they just seem to keep coming back!

Alex

Dear Alex, it is essential when trying to get rid of fleas that you treat both your pet and your home.

You should also use safe and effective products.

Pet flea treatments, if used the correct way, should kill any adult fleas that are living on the animal, or interfere with the eggs that the fleas have laid.

You also need to treat any other pets living in your home.

Flea eggs and larvae live in places like carpets, beds and in between floorboards, so unless you treat your home as well (e.g. with a household flea spray), the problem will continue in a cycle.

Washing and vacuuming your home thoroughly, especially the areas where your pets spend a lot of time, is also important. Taking advice from your vet on which products to use and the safe dose to use is highly recommended.

They can also advise on how to use a flea spray in around your home, or you can visit PDSA’s pet store: www.pdsapetstore.org.uk.

Dear PDSA Vet

My goldfish, Fin, has a sore red patch near his gill.

Will this go away by itself, or is there anything I can do to help him?

Millie

Dear Millie,

Goldfish can suffer from skin ulcers and bacterial infections, which could be the cause of this.

However, serious problems like septicaemia can cause the fins and non-pigmented areas of the body to turn red.

You should take Fin to your exotic vet specialist quickly to see if treatment is needed, and to make sure there aren’t underlying medical problems.

Poor water quality can cause illness in fish too, so make sure Fin’s tank is properly filtered and aerated, and check you are cleaning the tank often enough.

You can check the water quality using testing kits that are available from aquatic centres and pet shops.

Your vet will be able to offer advice about how to keep your fish healthy whilst at home.

PDSA is the UK’s leading vet charity. We’re on a mission to improve pet wellbeing through prevention, education and treatment. Support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery helps us reach even more pet owners with vital advice and information. www.pdsa.org.uk