Dr Stafford, BVetMed, MRCVS

Biography

From a young age I knew I wanted to work with animals, and I am now in the lucky position that I get to live my dream looking after pets and farm animals in Northern Ireland. I studied at the Royal Veterinary College in London but returned home to work in mixed practice. I am especially interested in treating small animals and I am working towards gaining a certificate in medicine. All my pets are rescued, including a very old rabbit, a very old cat and a crazy greyhound puppy.

Questions Answered by Dr Stafford, BVetMed, MRCVS

my peekapoo puppy at about 4 months dark spots developed on his stomach and i can see them under his fur on his paws and legs. they dont bother him at all. what is it?

As a lot of puppy grow the pigmentation in their skin can change significantly. It is quite common to see pinkish skin with black patches throughout. If the skin is completely smooth and flat and the oy change is the colour then this is most likely natural pigmentation and nothing to worry about. If the areas are raised or rough, or there is redness or anything else out of the ordinary such as a smell then it could be signs of an issue such as infection. This would require a vet appointment. To me it sounds like normal pigmentation but if you are still concerned then you could ask your vet to check it the next time you are in.

This thing appeared in my dog’s anus after a day of having diarrhea non stop. I went to my vet and he told us that it’s between a tumor or an infection so I wanted to be completely sure what I’m facing. He’s 14 years old and he’s a Pekingese

From what I can see from the photo I think this looks more like inflammation or infection. Sometimes when dogs have diarrhoea they rub their bums which can lead to raw skin which in turn can become infected. Another possibility is an anal gland infection, these can burst out suddenly. There is always a possibility that it could be a tumour but it doesn't look like the typical tumours you get around the anus. With appropriate treatment an infection should heal within one to two weeks, whereas tumours would require more investigation/invasive treatment. I would chat to your bet about getting some meds for your dog if they haven't been prescribed already. Running bloods would also be prudent and may give further clues to the cause.

My 10 years old cat was diagnosed with Proliferative Gingivitis and Pharyngitis. He sometimes has difficulty swallowing and eating, he’s salivating when asleep, keeps licking his mouth and pawing at it. His gum is very red and his mouth smells very bad, and the vet does not suggest any methods or meds to help with the pain and the inflammation. 1/ Is there a solution to stop the pain as well as treat his gingivitis and pharyngitis. 2/ Would extracting his teeth help?

I'm very sorry to hear about Taiga, this is a horrible condition. With the combination of gingivitis extending into the pharynx, it sounds like your vet has diagnosed what we would know as gingivostomatitis in the UK. Which basically means the mouth as well as the gums gets horribly inflamed, ulcerated and sore. It is a tricky condition to treat but very much needs to be tackled head on as it is so painful. It would be a great idea to get your vet to run bloods first as a general health check for possible complicating factors thsy could effect treatment options, also an FIV FELV panel would be useful. Regarding treatment the key is to reduce the bacteria in the mouth and try and suppress the immune system. Various drugs combined with oral rinsing can help to achieve this, however results can be unsatisfactory and any benefit is temporary. You could certainly try and see how well Taiga responds. The other option for severe gingivostomatitis is full extraction of the teeth as you mention. Although it sounds extreme once the teeth are fully removed the mouth heals and there is no more inflammation as the source is gone. I would strongly recommend approaching a vet with extensive experience in feline dentistry as it is imperative that all teeth are removed fully. This may end up being the best option, but in the mean time bloods and meds will help. I hope you find a comfortable solution for Taiga.

My dwarf hamster had a tiny amount of blood coming from her anus area last night and she had nothing all day, but then I noticed another tiny amount tonight.. She has no other symptoms that I can tell, though, I'm working on cooling the room down as it jumped to 80 degrees.. I'm wondering what to do??

I'm sorry to hear that Tracy isn't feeling well. Certainly the jump in temperature may have effected her, but good that you are working to fix that. Blood from the genital area is quite worrying. It may be that she is a little dehydrated with the heat and her stools are firmer causing a little bleeding. However, it could also indicate an issue in the intestinal tract such as infection. Likewise the blood could be coming from the vulva and be related to a urinary or even reproductive tract issue. Unless she is much improved today I would take her to the vet as she will likely require treatment that is not available at home.

I found some kittens abandoned about two weeks ago. When I took them to the vets she said they were about a week old so now they are about three weeks old. I’ve been formula feeding about every 2 to 3 hours but the formula has been doing nothing for their growth. Today I gave them a new formula which seems a lot thicker and sweeter. They had about 30mls each but four hours on and they dont want anything to eat. Also, one of the kittens has not done a poo for about a week! The other 2 days.

Hi there, well done for being so good as to look after these little kittens! It is no easy task. Unfortunately with abandoned kittens there can be issues that have begun long before the adopter ever come into their lives, it can take these issues a while to manifest as disease in the kittens. Such issues could be due to infection, malnutrition or underlying congenital problems. Even kittens which have been with their mother from the start and have adequate colostrum can begin to fade. I say that more as a general point because successfully hand rearing kittens can be very difficult even when you are as dedicated as yourself. Having said that your kittens may be fine and just struggling to put on weight due to a poor start, you may find they are slow but suddenly start to grow. However I think it would be wise to take them back to the vet again for a follow up exam as their could be underlying problems. They should certainly be going to the toilet much more often. This suggests some sort of issue with the gut. Gently massaging the tummy and wiping the bum with a piece of wet cotton can help stimulate toileting. But I would stress that I think it is important you take them back to the vet asap. Good luck and no matter what happens please remember you have tried your absolute best with them. Fingers crossed they do well.