Ask The Vet – Dr. Travis Gray

Hi, my name is Travis and I’m a vet at a referral practice in Cape Town, dealing exclusively with dogs and cats. I’m a catlover, and proud cat-dad to two rescues named Natsu and Falcon. In a world filled with conflicting veterinary information, Pet Prints has given me a chance to try and make sense of some of the muddle. So, if you have anything you want to ask, send it through and I’ll do my best to help you out.

Q: Dear Dr Travis, I have a gorgeous kitty-girl, whom I adopted a year ago. I am struggling to get her to eat properly. She prefers wet food however she tends to eat the gravy or jelly and not the food. She asks for food constantly (I can’t leave food out as the ants then take over). I feed her wet food 3 times a day, and at intervals give her kibbles. What can I do to get her to eat better?

A: When it comes to food, cats can be finicky animals and it might take a bit of trial-and-error to figure out what they like. This doesn’t only apply to the brand, or the type of food that you’re feeding. Some cats prefer eating from a flat surface rather than a bowl. In fact, some cats are completely turned off their meal if their whiskers touch the sides of their dish. The material that the bowl is made from can also affect how much the cat likes to eat from it.

The question doesn’t specify how old this cat is, but that you have had her for a year. It might be worth getting her teeth checked, as some cats will start to show a preference for softer food if their teeth are painful. Dental disease is very common in cats, and very easy to miss if you’re not looking for it.

My advice would be to keep kibble down all the time for her, as she may prefer those over soft food. Keep soft food as a treat, as she will be more likely to eat the meaty bits if it is offered to her less frequently. Wash her bowls daily if you aren’t already doing so. There is a chance that she is actually eating enough to maintain herself. It would be a good idea to monitor her weight, and body condition. If her weight is stable and her ribs aren’t easy to feel, then she is likely eating enough and you don’t need to be worried.

Q: Hi Dr Travis, I have an elderly cat who’s hair is matting. He is a shorthair kitty. I try to brush him, but I’m not getting the matted parts out. How do I go about cutting out the matted part without hurting him? It’s so close to the skin.

A: Cutting mattered hair off of a cat is not an easy task, and it is far too easy to cut the skin of you don’t know what you’re doing. You could try an electric clipper, which is less likely to injure the skin, but cats don’t generally like the buzzing sound and are likely to resist your well-intended attempts. It’s also possible to tease the matts apart, but this is time consuming and can be uncomfortable when the hair is pulled. Sometimes, the easiest way is to get professional help. An experienced groomer will be able to sort the matts, while keeping your cat comfortable.

On a related note: matting hair in older cats can be a sign of arthritic pain, as it becomes painful to groom themselves.

Take note if your cat has become less active, less keen to jump onto surfaces, or if they seem to be more irritable than normal. Most of us overlook these signs or attribute them to “getting old”, but these can be signs of arthritic pain in cats.

If you do notice any of these signs, it might be a good idea to chat to your local vet about what you can do to make your cat more comfortable. Older cats in general tend to mask subtle signs of disease so I’m just taking this question as an opportunity to remind everyone to get their elderly cats a geriatric check-up once yearly.

Q: Dear Dr Travis, I have a 3 year old Cocker Spaniel who absolutely destroys our house when we leave. We’ve had him at a behaviouralist who says that she thinks it’s because of separation anxiety. We’re trying to follow her guidelines with regards to having him exercised and leaving items of clothing for him to smell, but she said we might need to look into a medical treatment for him to calm him down. What does this mean? Should we get medication for him?

A: Behavioural medication is one of the tools that we use to modify unwanted behaviour of our pets. In some cases, the treatment is chronic and must be continued for the rest of the animals life. In other cases, the treatment is temporary, and is usually used when initiating other behavioural therapies so that the patient is more receptive to them. How long your dog needs to be on behavioural therapy depends on the long term plan of the behaviourist.

When it comes to cases like separation anxiety, the medication may not even be a daily dose. Sometimes, medication to reduce anxiety levels are only given on days that they are needed. For example, your dog might need to only have medication on days where you will be away for a certain length of time.

I would advise exploring the idea of getting behavioural medication as it sounds like your dog needs it. This is a conversation for you to have with your local vet as there are many types of medication available, and sometimes a bit of trial and error is needed to find out the combination that works. The right medication shouldn’t turn your dog into a zombie; he should still act as normal around you, but be less anxious and destructive when you’re not around. I hope this helps!

Q: Dr Travis, Hi, my name is Michael, and I’m looking for assistance with brushing my dog’s teeth. I recently had to pay the vet for dental work on my pitbull terrier and the vet said I should brush my dog’s teeth every week. Are there any alternatives you can suggest as he doesn’t like it very much. Thank you.

A: In order for brushing to be effective, you should ideally be brushing the outer surfaces of your dog’s teeth once daily. To be fair, this is often easier said than done, and it is a lot easier to train a puppy to accept brushing than an adult. It is still possible though! You can even just start with some gauze swabs wrapped around your finger and rub the outer surfaces of the teeth for a few seconds. If you are successful, give a treat.

While brushing is the most effective way to remove plaque, there are alternatives that do have some benefit. Dental chews can help, although a pitbull terrier is likely to annihilate them in seconds. You can also purchase veterinary diets which are formulated so that the kibble breaks in a way that scrapes plaque off the teeth. This is probably going to be the most viable option for you.

Dental sprays and gels can freshen breath and reduce bacterial load in the mouth, however they won’t so much to help plaque buildup.

If you have a question about your pets health that you would like to ask Dr Travis, please email us at mail@petprints.co.za