In the last year we’ve seen pets pick up various accolades for their work in entertainment – even the hardest of hearts have melted at the sight of Uggie faithfully supporting his struggling owner in The Artist and Cosmo losing his best friend in Beginners.

Palm Dog winner Uggie is a veteran of the film world (he’s appeared in many films including Water for Elephants and Mr Fix It) but was rejected by his first owner for being too wild. His fearless nature is what makes him good on set, his owner, Omar von Muller, believes. How does he get Uggie to perform so well? It’s simply a matter of trust. ‘He’s like family, and it’s all about having fun,’ von Muller explains.

It’s not just dogs taking starring roles, of course. 11-year-old thoroughbred gelding, Finder, caused many a tear to fall for his emotive performance in War Horse. Finder is an old hoof at acting. His credits include starring roles in Seabiscuit, The Legend of Zorro and Unstoppable. And again, it is the relationship between animal and owner that produces the result. ‘Horse whisperer’ Bobby Lovgren enjoyed working with Finder so much while filming Seabiscuit, he bought him from the film’s producers. Lovgren describes their relationship as being ‘like dancers’ and it’s almost impossible to detect his directions, which the horse interprets faultlessly. Finder, too, can be a bit wild.

And now there’s Pudsey, winner of Britain’s Got Talent. He and his owner, Ashleigh Butler, will soon perform for the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance. Ashleigh was given Pudsey for her 11th birthday, six years ago and their shared love of performing is palpable. Pudsey began with agility training at 12 months old and progressed to ‘canine freestyle’, in which he clearly excels. Since Saturday evening, Pudsey has gained an agent, a book deal – and a very bright future.

Pyometra – literally ‘pus in the womb’ – presents with a range of signs, from the obvious (thick creamy pus discharging from the vulva) to the subtle (loss of appetite), all determined by how long the infection has been established and whether the accumulating pus is able to escape from the womb.

However, bitches with classic pyometra are usually older (pictured, right), usually show increased thirst (polydipsia), a swollen abdomen, vomiting, diarrhoea, fatigue and depression. This may be accompanied by an obvious fever, and her previous season will have typically been between one and three months ago.

The above describes the ‘open’ scenario, in which the bitch’s cervix is open, allowing visible pus to drain out. Less apparent is ‘closed’ pyometra, which occurs when the cervix remains closed – effectively sealing inside any pus and making the condition harder to spot. So to diagnose pyometra, your vet may recommend further blood tests, ultrasound or X-rays.

But why does this disease occur? There’s no simple answer: pyometra is caused by one or a combination of underlying factors, including the microscopic behaviour of the womb lining, hormonal imbalances, and a source of infection arriving from the vulva, blood stream or other infected area of the body.

Treatment options may vary depending on your vet, with most advising surgical removal of the infected uterus when it’s safe to do so, usually after administering shock-reducing intravenous fluids, as well as antibiotics and pain relief. A short course of misalliance (mismating) injections can sometimes help expel pus from an infected uterus, further normalising the bitch and resulting in an even safer surgical candidate.

But if pyometra is just an infection, can’t we just treat it with antibiotics? Due to the amount and thickness of the pus, unfortunately not: most injected or swallowed antibiotics can rarely penetrate such fluid successfully. Besides, underlying medical conditions, such as abnormal hormone levels, would usually lead to a recurrence of the infection after medication.

For this reason, surgical removal of the infected uterus – as well as the ovaries, as with spaying – is the most likely option. However, unlike spaying, an emergency pyometra procedure carries a high risk from infected tissues and usually costs more, as it requires a full investigation and round-the-clock care.

Pyometra is one of the primary reasons that we vets advise you to get your bitch spayed early, thus preventing life-threatening diseases and emergency surgery – so why not get your dog booked in today?

Marc Abraham is a TV vet who regularly gives the nation pet advice on This Morning, BBC Breakfast and Daybreak. As well as promoting responsible pet ownership, rescue pet adoption, microchipping and responsible dog breeding, Marc is also an active campaigner against the puppy farming industry and is the founder of Pup Aid. Marc has also written the books Vet on Call and Pets in Need and also has the Canine Care iPhone app for dog owners. For more about Marc, visit www.marcthevet.com or follow him on Twitter @marcthevet

A: Rabbits are generally very clean pets and will naturally choose one spot in their hutch to go to the toilet. Watch your rabbit over a number of days and you’ll see which spot she’s chosen, then place the litter tray there. Fill it with a safe litter, such as recycled newspaper or citrus-based litter, just in case she decides to nibble it. Try placing a treat or toy in the tray as an extra incentive, and then just be patient. She’ll make a few mistakes, but if you watch her and reward her for going in the tray with a treat, she’ll eventually get the message.

Scott Miller, vet

It’s important to recognise if your pet’s ‘bits’ look different to other pets, as these differences can lead to serious life-threatening conditions.

I’m talking about ‘hidden’ testicles – unsuccessful travellers on a developmental journey starting from right up near the foetal kidneys and reaching a final destination of the scrotum about seven to 10 days after birth.

The condition of hidden testicles – or cryptorchidism, derived from Greek words crypto meaning ‘hidden’ and orchid meaning ‘testicle’ – affects both cats and dogs, although it’s much rarer in our feline friends, with Persians seemingly most affected. Testicles absent from the scrotum by six to eight weeks – coupled with the classic tomcat signs of urine spraying, enlarged jowls, spines on the penis (which usually regress within six weeks after castration) – mean that it’s likely that they are either still within the abdomen or, more commonly, just beneath the skin of the cat’s inner thigh.

Cryptorchidism occurs in one in 10 dogs, with English Bulldogs, Boxers (pictured above) and many small breeds most commonly affected. Confirmation by examination may prove difficult, with some cases benefiting from waiting until puberty (at five to 12 months, depending on breed) before a definite diagnosis can be made of one or both testicles being undescended.

By far the biggest problem with abdominally retained testicles is an increased likelihood of them turning nasty. The rates of testicular cancer are nearly 14 times higher in dogs with cryptorchidism, making it extremely important to locate and remove the undescended testis and castrate the successfully descended testis at the same time.

Patients suspected of having cryptorchidism often show hair loss due to the production of excess male hormones – this is easily detected by a simple blood test and ensures any risk of related cancer can be detected. With rescue dogs, for example, a full veterinary history may not be available, so attempts to locate already removed abdominal testicles aren’t necessary.

Even with recent advances in DNA testing, the genetics of cryptorchidism are still not fully understood. Nevertheless, affected dogs should never be bred from and should always be castrated. More importantly, the genes responsible for cryptorchidism can be carried by both sexes, so both parents should also avoid further breeding, too.

Next week, it’s the turn of the girls as we look at the female reproductive disease of pyometra – infection of the uterus.

Marc Abraham is a TV vet who regularly gives the nation pet advice on This Morning, BBC Breakfast and Daybreak. As well as promoting responsible pet ownership, rescue pet adoption, microchipping and responsible dog breeding, Marc is also an active campaigner against the puppy farming industry and is the founder of Pup Aid. Marc has also written the books Vet on Call and Pets in Need and also has the Canine Care iPhone app for dog owners. For more about Marc, visit www.marcthevet.com or follow him on Twitter @marcthevet

‘My daughter had been out walking on a forestry road when Ben went through a hole in a fence and over a sheer drop. His injuries were so bad that he’d been rushed to the hospital.’

Looking back, Sue admits that the next few days were a blur for the whole family: ‘Ben was in such a state – it was touch and go whether they could save him. None of us got much sleep. We cried so much – we thought we’d lose him.

‘We’ve had him since he was just 12 weeks old. He really is part of the family.’

Apart from losing a lot of blood, Ben had a ruptured spleen and a dislocated hip, and his legs needed plates and pins. In fact, his body was so badly damaged that he had to go to Langford Small Animal Hospital, about an hour’s drive from their home near Cardiff.

‘Rebecca and I collected him from our vets and drove him to the hospital ourselves. It was awful. While Rebecca drove, very slowly, I sat in the back holding Ben, who was all drips and bandages. He couldn’t move at all and just laid there, looking at me…’

When they finally arrived at the hospital, three nurses were waiting to rush Ben into the operating theatre.

‘I can’t tell you how heartbreaking it was,’ Sue says. ‘He looked so pathetic and we didn’t know whether he’d live or die – even though Christina, the vet who operated on him, was wonderful and stayed in constant contact with us over the next few days.’

To begin with, Sue and the family were advised not to visit Ben, but after 10 days, Ben was declared well enough to return home. But when Sue and Rebecca arrived to collect him, they were in for a shock. ‘He was so thin and on so many drugs,’ says Sue.

‘He could only eat rice and we had to carry him everywhere. He really was a shadow of his former self.’

As the weeks progressed, Ben started to eat properly, put on weight – and walk, although with a limp. ‘They had put a toggle in to join his pelvis with his hip,’ Sue says. ‘The idea is that the muscle grows around the joint and the toggle then disintegrates.

‘We were told it would take 14 weeks for it to repair and for the muscle to grow, which would fix his leg. But about 12 weeks down the line, he couldn’t put his leg down, so it was obvious there was a problem.’

It turned out that the toggle had broken, so poor Ben had to have a second op. This time, the vet opted for a head and neck excision, which is used to treat painful hip conditions.

Thankfully, the procedure was successful, although Ben still has to have gentle exercise and hydrotherapy to stretch and strengthen his muscles.
‘Looking back, it’s incredible how well he’s done,’ Sue says proudly. ‘It was such a difficult time. We were also worried about the cost. We called Petplan as soon as he’d had his first op and they were lovely to deal with – and so helpful, as were the vets. It was a great relief, I can tell you.’

Nowadays, Ben is much more like his old self. ‘You wouldn’t think he’d had any trauma,’ says Sue. ‘Although he has a slight limp, he bounces about – and when I come in, he jumps up to greet me. In fact, for a nine-year-old dog, he acts like a two-year-old pup!’

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Neutering is an important part of responsible pet ownership: it not only stops your pet having unwanted litters, but also prevents potential behavioural, medical and surgical problems such as breast cancer. It’s also the perfect opportunity to get your pet microchipped.

The term ‘neutering’ describes the sterilisation of both sexes: in males, it involves the removal of both testicles (known as castration); in females, the removal of both ovaries and uterus (or spaying). While this may sound drastic, it’s a routine procedure.

On arrival at the vet, the patient is weighed, its heart and lungs are checked, its testicles (if male) are counted, and its temperature is taken. The vet will also make sure that the patient has been starved from the night before – this decreases the likelihood of vomiting and inhaling food into the lungs while under anaesthetic.

After you leave us your contact details and sign the consent form, your pet is admitted and given a pre-med – a course of drugs that means less general anaesthetic agent is needed, giving a much smoother induction and recovery, as well as making animals much easier to restrain for any intravenous injections. Blood tests may be recommended for older pets.

A vet performs a neutering operation on a male cat (castration)

Neutering procedures are usually first on the surgery ‘to do’ list, as they are considered ‘clean’, as opposed to ‘dirty’ surgery such as dental and abscess operations, which usually wait until the end of the day to reduce the risk of cross contamination.

Anaesthetised patients are intubated – a long rubber pipe is inserted between their vocal cords, down the windpipe and straight into the lungs to pump in gas to maintain sufficient anaesthetic depth. The surgical site is then clipped and disinfected.

As with most operations, techniques vary – but male cats (toms) are usually castrated via simple incisions that rarely require stitches, whereas female cats (queens) are often spayed via a keyhole incision on the left flank that requires a few stitches to close. Rabbits can also be neutered, allowing them to live happily together without fighting or breeding.

It will come as no surprise that canine ‘bits’ are bigger so usually require more intricate needlework beneath the surface. Bitch spays are recommended three months after last season or at six months of age, depending on your individual vet.

After a full anaesthetic recovery, your pet can be sent home to rest with a light diet and any appropriate treatments – for example, a buster collar – to prevent them licking or nibbling their wounds.

Marc Abraham is a TV vet who regularly gives the nation pet advice on This Morning, BBC Breakfast and Daybreak. As well as promoting responsible pet ownership, rescue pet adoption, microchipping and responsible dog breeding, Marc is also an active campaigner against the puppy farming industry and is the founder of Pup Aid. Marc has also written the books Vet on Call and Pets in Need and also has the Canine Care iPhone app for dog owners. For more about Marc, visit www.marcthevet.com or follow him on Twitter @marcthevet

What is?
Spraying is normal behaviour for cats, but is a problem when it occurs in the home. Scent is incredibly important to cats. The depositing of scent is called marking and there are four types of marking behaviour:

Bunting: the cat will rub its head or flank against people and items.

Stropping: creating a scent and visual signal as the cat scratches.

Spraying: the cat will squirt a small amount of urine against a vertical surface. Typically, the cat’s tail will quiver and it may tread up and down on its back legs.

Middening: a cat will deposit faeces in an extremely prominent place.

Although spraying involves urine, it is entirely different to normal urination, which is an elimination function – the bladder has to be emptied. Spraying is a deliberate action to deposit urine in a particular place as a mark. Both male and female cats spray and do so at any age once the cat is mature.

Why does it occur?
Marking helps the cat to define its territorial boundaries and to make it feel secure in its core territory – the home. If a cat feels threatened or anxious, then its normal indoor bunting or stropping marking behaviour may escalate to spray marking. Typically, spraying occurs when local cats enter the resident cat’s territory, entering through the cat flap, or peering in through windows or patio doors. The resident cat will then spray near doors and windows in an attempt to keep the other cat away. Disruptions such as decorating, building or new furniture may result in the scent being removed, and the cat may spray to re-establish its territory. The arrival of another pet or a baby can also upset cats and may result in spraying. A spraying cat is usually an anxious cat.

What to do
If your cat is spraying, it’s vital that it is not told off. It’s already anxious and punishment may make it even more so, which may make it spray more. Find out why the cat is anxious. Has another cat been coming in the house? If so, then closing off the cat flap can help your cat feel more secure. If children, a dog or another cat in the house is the problem, make sure that your cat has lots of high up, safe hiding places. Feliway, which reproduces the facial bunting pheromones, can be sprayed on new furniture or on newly decorated doorways at cat height.

Cleaning up
Clean the soiled area with your cat out of the room. Sprayed areas should be cleaned with one part biological washing powder and nine parts warm water, which will remove the proteins in the urine. Once dry, spray with alcohol, such as surgical spirit (test a small area first), to remove fatty acids in the urine.

Inga MacKellar, behaviourist

Few things are capable of striking as much fear into our hearts as discovering a strange lump on ourselves, with most of us keen to get anything abnormal we find checked out as soon as possible by our GP. But what about our pets, who rely on us to decide whether to see the vet?

As with us, lumps on pets vary greatly in size, shape and severity. Some are not even lumps at all – for example, the tick, a common parasite that buries its mouthparts in the animal’s skin head-first, with its exposed greyish body resembling a pea-sized lump. As well as causing local skin irritation, ticks can transmit harmful diseases and should be carefully removed with its mouthparts intact – otherwise a ‘true’ lump, known as a tick bite granuloma, may form at the site.

Common feline lumps range from classic pus-filled cat bite abscesses to much smaller multifocal crusty scabs known as miliary dermatitis. As the name suggests, these feel like millet seeds in the coat, and are often a manifestation of an allergic reaction – for example, to flea bites.

A small wart on the leg of an elderly Border Terrier

As with older people, elderly pets are more likely to have warts (pictured) and small growths of the skin or associated structures that may appear unsightly. They are usually benign – unlikely to spread or cause any harm – but do still require close monitoring.

Lipomas – soft, smooth, non-painful fatty lumps commonly found under the skin over the ribcage of more mature dogs – rarely require removal; in fact, most non-serious growths are usually purely cosmetic, with surgery only required if they causing discomfort, suddenly grow rapidly, interfere with bodily functions (for example, obstructing passageways), ulcerate, repeatedly get infected or act as a persistent focus for your pet to lick and chew.

Serious lumps, such as mammary cancers, mast cell tumours and melanomas, usually require more urgent treatment, with surgical removal, X-rays and laboratory tests helping to confirm identity and prognosis. Occasionally, much larger lumps may be sampled (a biopsy) to direct vets to the appropriate therapy.

Finally, one lump commonly appearing in the warmer months is the foreign body reaction caused by a grass seed stuck between your dog’s toes, a painful swollen area that requires prompt veterinary help. Early intervention will often prevent serious, painful or even life-threatening growths from developing further, so the golden rule for any lump is: ‘If you suspect it, report it.’

Marc Abraham is a TV vet who regularly gives the nation pet advice on This Morning, BBC Breakfast and Daybreak. As well as promoting responsible pet ownership, rescue pet adoption, microchipping and responsible dog breeding, Marc is also an active campaigner against the puppy farming industry and is the founder of Pup Aid. Marc has also written the books Vet on Call and Pets in Need and also has the Canine Care iPhone app for dog owners. For more about Marc, visit www.marcthevet.com or follow him on Twitter @marcthevet

The moment she spotted Horace on The Blue Cross website, Janet Parnell knew he was the cat for her. ‘It was love at first sight,’ she says.

However, within a few weeks of starting his new life, Janet and husband David became concerned that Horace was drinking excessively, sleeping a lot and not grooming.

‘David has diabetes, so I knew that extreme thirst is one of the symptoms,’ says Janet. A trip to the vet confirmed her suspicions, and that Horace would require insulin injections every day for the rest of his life.

‘I didn’t know diabetes was common in cats,’ says Janet. ‘But I wasn’t worried. I’ve often given my husband injections and the vet showed me how to inject into Horace’s scruff.’

Expense wasn’t an issue, either. Petplan covers cats, dogs and rabbits adopted through The Blue Cross with four weeks’ free insurance. Horace was already covered, so Janet simply needed to renew the policy and take out lifelong cover.

Thankfully, Horace began to feel better, although it took several months for the vet 
to work out the ideal dose. Meanwhile, Janet introduced a strict mealtime schedule. But a year later, Janet found him walking in circles and staring blankly with dilated pupils. ‘I thought he’d had a stroke and rushed him to the vet in tears,’ she says.

In fact, Horace’s blood sugar level had dropped dramatically and he was suffering from hypoglycaemia. He was treated for the condition with a sweet solution delivered intravenously.

Horace suffered another severe hypoglycaemic attack in May 2009, which resulted in Janet’s daughter rushing him to an out-of-hours vet, but he has been well ever since.
For the past year, Horace 
has been having twice-daily injections with a new type of insulin. And Janet has trained up neighbours, her daughter and brother-in-law to stand in if she and David are away.

‘Having added up all my claims, I realise how fortunate we were to have a Petplan Covered for Life policy,’ Janet says. ‘And Horace is a fantastic character who only needs a little more attention than the average cat.’
Amanda Riley-Jones

Spring has now sprung – and while April showers and hosepipe bans make easy distractions for pet owners, it’s now time to put our four-legged friends’ health and happiness first and prepare for the next season of potential hazards.

Warmer weather and lighter evenings equal more time spent enjoying our gardens, starting with simple weeding and planting. But while many of the plants that we commonly keep are beautiful to look at, these garden favourites can do some serious damage to our pets.

For example, bulbs of popular flowers such as daffodils can prove deadly if eaten. Other toxic plants, including tulips, snowdrops, lily of the valley and aconite, can also cause serious internal problems and sometimes even death.

Sadly, there are no specific antidotes to these dangerous plant toxins, so if you notice any signs of poisoning – for example, excessive salivation, vomiting, diarrhoea, appearing ‘drunk’ or even collapsing – then contact your vet immediately so treatment can be started as soon as possible.

Many of us also like bringing these same flowers indoors as bouquets. Lilies are a big unknown danger, carrying pollen so poisonous that it can cause irreversible kidney failure in curious cats.

As well as toxic plants, pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers all need to be kept in safe, inaccessible places, as these can lead to serious problems if swallowed; you should also prevent access to plants that have already been treated with such substances. In many cases, safer non-toxic alternatives are preferable and are equally effective.

Spring is also the time of year that fleas, ticks and other parasites really make their presence felt. Their populations increase dramatically in warmer weather, with dogs and cats equally popular targets, resulting in widespread discomfort and, potentially, Lyme disease or tapeworm.

Just as with people, dogs and cats can develop allergies to plants, pollens, grasses, and many other substances in springtime. However, allergies in pets will appear as itchy skin and ear problems, accompanied by hair loss or inflamed skin. Some pets will even change their behaviour due to irritation, or even suffer respiratory symptoms or runny eyes.

As with all conditions, the sooner pets are treated, the better their chances of recovery. But prevention is always key, so make sure your dogs and cats aren’t tempted by spring flowers, and leave them intact for we humans to enjoy instead.

Marc Abraham is a TV vet who regularly gives the nation pet advice on This Morning, BBC Breakfast and Daybreak. As well as promoting responsible pet ownership, rescue pet adoption, microchipping and responsible dog breeding, Marc is also an active campaigner against the puppy farming industry and is the founder of Pup Aid. Marc has also written the books Vet on Call and Pets in Need and also has the Canine Care iPhone app for dog owners. For more about Marc, visit www.marcthevet.com or follow him on Twitter @marcthevet