To retrain your dog, don’t feed them by hand, then leave food in bowls

To retrain your dog, don’t feed them by hand, then leave food in bowls

...responds to queries raised by animal lovers across the city

My dogs all eat mud. Is this a problem, and what can I do? This could be worms, so have the faeces tested. It could also be a phosphorus or mineral deficiency so you need to give food supplements and far more vegetables and lentils in the diet. I have a three-year-old Pomeranian who doesn’t eat anything herself? This is a problem you have created for yourself by feeding her by hand since she was a puppy. Now you will have to retrain her by making her hungry and then leaving food in bowls so that she eats. Ask your vet what a hunger medicine could be. But do not give anything for more than a week or so — it might have long-term effects. My dog smells a lot. We bathe him every week but he starts smelling a few days later — even his ears smell? This sounds like a skin infection — mites, fleas, mange, pyoderma. Bathing him so often will remove his natural oils but will have no effect on the problem. Have a skin scraping done and check his ears for parasites and wax build-up. My female dog is having her first menstruation and she has been bleeding for seven days now. We would like to mate her but when will she allow mating? I don’t approve of mating dogs unless you have already got homes for the pups. The bleeding will last for 9-11 days and then the female will become receptive. My dog was spayed but she still gets milk in her nipples. The doctor said it’s false pregnancy. Is that possible? If the dog had both ovaries and uterus removed then it should not occur. But if just the uterus was removed or one ovary left behind, then there is a possibility of the female coming into heat and having a false pregnancy. Milk the dog so that the milk does not harden in her nipples and cause an infection. What do we do if we find a puppy/kitten on the road? If the animal is healthy, and if you cannot offer it a home, feed it every day at the same time and place, put a collar on it if you can and see when it needs vaccinations and medication. Animal shelters should be the last resort.