PDSA Vet discusses safety concerns for pets at Christmas

Cats find Christmas trees so tempting – they often love to climb them and play with the sparkly decorations, so secure it to the wall otherwise your cat and tree can come crashing down! Avoid glass baubles which could shatter, choose more robust, plastic baubles, just in case he does knock them off. Fairy lights can cause cut mouths or even electric shocks, so choose battery powered ones and distract Ronnie with a toy if he looks interested. Cats love playing with tinsel, but it shouldn’t be encouraged as they can accidentally swallow it, potentially causing dangerous gut blockages. To keep Ronnie safe, keep the door closed on your tree, unless you can supervise. Read our Christmas survival guide here: www.pdsa.org.uk/christmas-guide.

Dear PDSA Vet: My three-month-old Springer Spaniel puppy, Derrick, is constantly ravenous and hyper. I feed him four times a day, is that enough? Pete

Feed Derrick a puppy food, which is suitable for his ‘life stage’ as this will contain higher levels of calories and protein to support activity and growth. Follow the packet feeding guidelines on the amount to feed and use some inexpensive electronic kitchen scales to check you’re getting it right. Splitting the food into smaller meals throughout the day suits smaller tummies. Puppies that are allowed to become overweight are more likely to be overweight or obese as adults. Springer Spaniels are very energetic, so you need to make sure that he’s getting plenty of opportunity for socialisation, exercise, and time to play. I would recommend taking Derrick to training classes. Visit www.pdsa.org.uk/dogtraining for more advice on reward-based training.

Dear PDSA Vet: My rabbits live in a big, sheltered hutch and I leave them outside over winter, with plenty of extra bedding and putting an old blanket over the hutch. But, if this winter gets very cold, should I bring them inside? Niall

Rabbits can still live outside even in winter; as long as rabbits are dry, clean, and out of draughts, they’ll tolerate cooler temperatures. Extra bedding and laying the blanket over their hutch (make sure you leave enough gaps for ventilation and access) is important to help keep them warm. If the temperature drops to freezing then you should move your rabbits’ home somewhere sheltered, like a shed. Make sure your rabbits still have plenty of space to exercise freely and access to natural daylight. Check their drinking water daily, making sure it’s fresh, clean, and not frozen, not forgetting water spouts if your rabbits use one.

Dear PDSA Vet: My rabbit, Sooty, has very watery eyes which sometimes look a little red. My vet prescribed antibiotic drops, but they didn’t appear to help. He said Sooty could have a blocked tear duct that may need flushing out, but he’s eating and drinking normally still, what could be wrong? Sophie

Eye problems in rabbits can be caused by many conditions, including eye infections, irritations, injuries, respiratory infections, dental disease or, as your vet suggested, tear duct problems. As the antibiotics didn’t appear to help last time, you’ll need to get Sooty checked by your vet again; this time they may want to try alternative medications or carry out some investigations. You can gently bathe the fur around the eye with some cooled boiled water, to help prevent the skin getting sore from the discharge. For more information about weepy eyes in rabbits visit: www.pdsa.org.uk/rabbit-weepy-eyes

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.