Ask Anna, Your local Vet
In associaltion with Henlow Vets Your local Independant Veterinary Centre
Each month we invite readers of the Stotfold News Magazine to ask Anna Marshall-Brown of local independent Veterinary Centre Henlow Vets some advice on their family pet:
Dear Anna, We have recently taken in a cat from a rescue centre - she seems to be nibbling the insides of her legs quite excessively and has made marks on herself. Could this be an anxiety issue? She is fully up to date with vaccinations. Any idea how we can stop her form doing this and causing more marks? Firstly, well done for giving your little cat a new home. There's lots of animals that need rescuing in the country and the charities are always looking out for new owners like yourself. In answer to your questions, cats can nibble at the insides of their legs for a variety of reasons. Anxiety is definitely a possibility, however other Henlow Veterinary Centre reasons a cat will nibble is because they're itchy. T 22 Bedford Road Lower Stondon he commonest causes of itchy skin in cats are flea allergy dermatitis (FAD), ticks, mites, food allergies and Beds environmental allergies (atopy). All of these are a possibility. 50% of itchy cats have FAD and many owners SG16 6EA don't realise it's flea related as it only takes one or two bites to cause itchiness if a cat is allergic, and these (01462) 416416 fleas are good at hiding! Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8.30am - 18.30pm I would recommend visiting your vets to check that your cat has adequate parasite control, and to discuss her Sat 9am -12 noon diet and environment. Your vet may want to do some basic skin tests if they find any sore spots, to check for parasites. They may also do a trial of medication if they suspect the nibbling is due to an allergy, to see if she responds. If the tests show no obvious cause of problems and an allergy trial does not work, your vet may conclude that the issue is behavioural. Unfortunately anxiety does not have a diagnostic test to prove it, so we rely upon ruling out all other disease before concluding this is the problem. WE do have lots of options to relieve stress in cats, including appeasing pheremone plug-ins, calming natural Your Pets.... supplements like lemon balm, milk derivatives, and some mood modulating drugs such as tryptophan. You can also make sure that Name: Oreo your cat has lots of hiding places, and the ability to remove herself Age: 10 months from stressful situations. Breed: German Shorthaired Pointer Colour: Black & White Please also do look at the webpage Favourite Toy: Ball on a string https://icatcare.org/advice/over-grooming/ for more advice on Favourite Food: Prawn crackers over-grooming in cats. The iccatcare website also has a wealth of Likes: Walks, bird watching, cuddles information on parasite control, preventative healthcare, and Dislikes: Rain and when my hoomans go out! information on lots of current diseases; it's my go to website to give owners when they want to know more about their feline companions! When I grow up: I want to be allowed upstairs!!
Walks for Health
North Herts Road Runners
We are a friendly informal group who meet Thursdays at 10.45am
The next first Saturday of the month 5k on Letchworth Common will be 4th September. and the Standalone 10k is on 26th September.
Contact Beth Overfield 01462 815672
For further information please contact us on www.nhrr.org.uk or call Ian on 01462 639215
Thursday 10:45 am 2 September The Green opposite The Crown Pub Stotfold 9,16,23,30 September Arlesey Station on the station west side.
We are continuing with training on Tues and Thurs evenings under the guidance of qualified coaches.
To contact the Arlesey News Magazine please call 01462 731986
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