From pet bearded dragons to dogs with foot fetishes – your pet questions answered

HE is on a mission to help our pets. . . and is here to answer YOUR questions.

Sean, head veterinarian at custom pet food company tails.com, has been helping owners with questions for a decade.

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He says, “If your pet is acting strange or sick, or you want to know more about diet or exercise, just ask. I can help keep pets happy and healthy.”

Question: MY dog Marley has a foot fetish.

He sniffs the feet of everyone who comes to the house.

He will also occasionally give a foot lick.

How can I get rid of his unwanted obsession?

Jade Todd, Cambridge

Sean says: Dogs experience the world in stinkyvision!

So Marley is completely normal, I guess.

Should you leave this obsession behind and ruin his fun?

You have your hobbies, he has his.

If you must, I suggest a technique called response substitution, where he is rewarded for behavior other than sniffing or licking feet when he gets the chance.

Q: WHEN I am cooking dinner, my six-year-old cat, Marmalade, jumps onto the work surface in an attempt to collect something.

I put him back on the ground, but he is persistent.

He is well fed, but he likes treats.

What do you recommend to stop surfing his dresser?

I thought only dogs did that, but he’s an opportunist.

Shelly Brown, Brighton

Sean says: This is a common problem.

The trick is to make it unpleasant by changing what’s on the counter.

It’s a bit complicated – and you may have to do it repeatedly, which can be annoying – but covering the counters with aluminum foil or loose plastic sheeting for a while is a good deterrent.

Cats hate stepping on this.

Marmalade may then learn not to pop up, or may simply start over once the lining is removed.

Don’t reward the behavior and keep him out of the kitchen while cooking. This can also help.

Question: WOULD a bearded dragon be a good pet for my children?

My sons Ethan and Kyle, aged seven and eight respectively, are passionate about reptiles and I want to encourage their passion.

They asked for it, but would it be kind?

Is it a specialized pet?

Mike Castle, Barnsley

Sean says: They may still be a little young.

A responsible adult in the home will need to take control.

Lizards that are active during the day, such as bearded dragons, have sensitive needs.

They should be properly supplemented with calcium and multivitamins, fed a varied diet of live insects, a variety of vegetables and occasionally fruit.

They also need expensive UVB lamps and heat lamps to produce vitamin D to absorb calcium and maintain a healthy metabolism and skeletal system.

If all these needs are not met, they can become very ill.

And they can live more than 15 years, so it’s a long-term commitment.

When put on a lizard, a leopard or a crested gecko requires a little less maintenance, but reptiles are still a specialized pet.

They need the best possible start, not the bare minimum of housing and equipment that is sometimes sold with them.

A lot of research is needed!

Question: OUR two-year-old female poodle Misty sleeps on our bed at night.

But she has to pee two or three times a night and that disrupts our sleep.

Is that normal? And will she grow out of it as she gets older?

Terry Taylor, Sheffield

Sean says: Normally she should have outgrown that in two years.

Are you sure she needs to pee and doesn’t really just want late night walks and fun time with you?

My suggestion is to do a lot more walking and stimulation during the day, and finally a good long walk in the evening to make sure she has had enough time to do her business, both types.

Then crate training in the bedroom, or outside of it, might help you get a good night’s sleep.

Also pick up her water bowl after dinner and put it down first thing in the morning.

Hello to yellow for anxious dogs

OWNERS can now help anxious dogs show their true colors – with a range of yellow accessories.

According to the Royal Veterinary College, a third of puppies have suffered from mental health problems since lockdown.

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Sarah Jones, founder of accessories company My Anxious Dog, owns an anxious cocker spaniel, Bella, 12, who she always outfits with yellow items that say ‘keep dogs away’, ‘anxious’ and ‘don’t touch’.

She said: “Yellow is a way of telling other owners that your dog is not friendly, that it doesn’t want to play and that it should stay away.

“If you had a child who needed space, you wouldn’t think twice about letting people know, right?”

Sarah, 57, from Mortimer, Berks, informs owners about her national #DogsInYellow Day, on March 20, when she explains why puppies wear the color yellow.

A recent PDSA survey found that 45 percent of owners are concerned about walking their pets.

Sarah said: “If your dog is anxious, don’t label him by wearing yellow, show him that you love him.”

For more information, see myanxiousdog.co.uk.

Star of the week

BENTLEY was born with severe hip dysplasia, but now he keeps owner Joe Cameron and his colleagues fit by walking.

Joe, owner of holiday rental company Debbie’s Villas in Paddock Wood, Kent, said: “The vet said we could give Bentley a false hip or see if intensive physio and walks could help – and it worked.”

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The 11-year-old Labrador Rottweiler now leads a normal life.

Joe, 59, added: “I take him to work where everyone loves him and there is always friendly rivalry among the staff over who takes him.

“He is fitter than ever and a much-loved member of our team.”