PETS

pets Ask a vet

Dr Pauline Taylor answers your pet questions

Is it bad for animals to drink swimming pool water?

I’m not an expert in swimming pool water but common sense tells me it’s not good for your animals to drink water laden with various chemicals to keep the pool water ‘swimming’ clean. I suggest you get a suitable container and fill it daily with fresh tap water for your animals to drink and do not allow them access to drink from your pool.

How do I introduce a new animal to my current pet?

Without knowing more about your current and potential new animal it’s difficult for me to give you good specific advice. Simple answer for any introduction is to proceed carefully, slowly and with supervision at all times. Expect on average at least two weeks of anxiety from your current pet to welcome a newcomer into their domain.

Why is my cat moulting so much?

Creatures throughout the animal kingdom undergo the process of moulting – the replacement of their horns, hair, skin or feathers. Most mammals shed their hair in autumn to grow a thicker layer of protection for the winter, and vice versa for the summer. Living in hot and humid Hong Kong, most cats do not require a thick coat so shed it more often.

Can my turtle overheat?

Yes it can, and it can die in a ‘too hot’ environment. However, often referred to as “cold-blooded”, turtles like other reptiles, generally maintain a body temperature comparable to their surrounding environment. They cannot internally regulate their body temperature like most mammals, instead they use an adipose tissue based specialized system which in some species of turtle can amazingly control their core temperatures to +/- 18C of the environmental temperature.

What are common skin conditions for animals in the heat?

Actually they are much the same as humans. Overheating leads to dehydration and general itchiness, and even sunburn, friction burns, thermal burns (from water in hose pipes left in the sun), hot spots (moist bacterial areas on the skin), increase in parasitic diseases especially fleas and ticks that bite, irritate and spread disease, blocked sweat glands, precancerous dry skin patches called actinic keratosis or worse fully blown skin cancers.