Pets

Keep an eye out for these missing cats

Lost & found cats These are the most recent cats that have been lost or found. Please check out our Facebook page or give us a call if you have lost or found a cat: Lost Cats: Sturminster Marshall –black with a little white on chest 6/10: Westbury Way, Blandford – fluffy blue grey boy 28/10: Reminder Wiltshire Close, Gillingham – b/w boy missing since January: Sturminster Marshall –longhaired blue grey & Maple Close, Shaftesbury peach calico tortie 19/10: – tabby female not Overton Way, Blandford chipped: year old brindle tortie Downside Close, 11/11: Blandford black cat with Still not been found: Lost a little white on his chest: from outside Friars We are still offering Moors Vets Sturminster neutering and Newton – black female micro-chipping for £5 in last seen between Rixon postcode areas DT10, Close and Green Close DT11, SP5, SP7 and 12/10 Could have moved BH21. to anywhere by now Call 01258 268695 Found Cats: Penny St, Sturminster Newton – Brindle Beautiful young hens, all tortie since April: colours, shapes and sizes. Hazelbury Bryan –tabby white cat for about a year: Only £8 to good homes. Contact Clare on 07769 553999

Ask the vet...

This is the gorgeous Jinx. He is 11 years old and finds himself needing a new home. He’s a lovely tabby & white boy, looking for a home with a garden and in a safe location. He was very shy with us to begin with but having moved him to an indoor fosterer he has blossomed in just a few days. Call Cats Protection on 858644 or go to blandford.cats.org.uk

with Lynn Broom

Why has my pet suddenly started eliminating in the house ? House trained pets can start peeing and pooing in the house for various reasons. These reasons can vary between species. Dogs can start peeing in the house for various behavioural or health-related reasons. Dogs which dislike cold or wet weather may be reluctant to go outside in the winter and may intentionally (or accidentally due to having such a full bladder that they can’t hold on any longer) urinate indoors. Encouraging them to go out (maybe by putting a warm waterproof coat on them) and waiting until you have seen them urinate can resolve this. If they are scared of going outside, for instance due to fireworks or thunder, then they may start eliminating indoors. They can also urinate indoors if they are producing a larger volume of urine than normal but are restricted from going out as frequently as needed. Reasons for this can be increased drinking due to kidney disease, diabetes and several other conditions. More frequent urination can also be due to the discomfort present with urine infections and bladder issues. An enlarged prostate gland in older entire male dogs can lead to urine leakage. Dogs which have developed urinary incontinence can also leak urine particularly on their bed when asleep.

Investigations are available Vet Lynn to determine the underlying

Broom cause. Pooing in the house can be due to a dog developing diarrhoea, which increases the urgency to defaecate and they can’t hold on long enough to go outside. Once a dog has broken the ‘house training habit’ with diarrhoea this behaviour can continue after the diarrhoea has resolved so you may have to ‘re-house train’ them again. Older dogs with back or hip pain or reduced sensation due to nerve degeneration can start to pass faeces in the house partly due to the pain of not being able to ‘posture’ normally when outside and partly due to reduced awareness that they need to go. This can often be improved with pain relief and you should discuss this with your vet. Cats can start eliminating indoors mainly for behavioural reasons although cystitis (which is often stress related and not due to an infection) and diarrhoea can increase urgency and overwhelm behavioural desires to go outside. Cats are prone to stress related behaviours which can include urinating and defaecating indoors in inappropriate places such as on their owner’s bed. Minimising stress behaviours in cats requires multiple changes to their management and your vet can advise you further on this. In summary many causes of inappropriate elimination indoors are resolvable but the underlying cause needs to be identified so appropriate action can be taken. 37