Our blog

Q: Our 10-year-old Labrador has developed lots of soft lumps over the years. Our vet told us that they are likely to be fatty lumps and that there were too many to test. Should I continue to point them out to the vet each time a new one develops?

A: It is very important to keep track of strange lumps and bumps on your pets and to report them to your vet whenever they are present. Fatty lumps called lipomas are very common in ageing Labradors, and tend to grow slowly while remaining smooth in texture.

Owners should be concerned if a lump or bump is growing quickly, or has changed in colour or consistency (for example, from soft to hard or from smooth to nodular), and this is always something that should be flagged up with your vet.

Q: My dog is disgusting – it eats the cat poo from the litter tray. How can I stop this?

A: This is known as coprophagia – the eating of faeces. A dog may eat its own, other dogs’ or other animals’ poo.

Cats eat a high-protein meat diet, so theirs is particularly attractive to dogs. Coprophagia can occur as a result of digestive problems.

You should clean your cat litter tray as soon as it is soiled, or place it where the dog cannot reach. Remember that dogs are scavengers and will eat all sorts of items that we find disgusting, so be careful about hygiene – particularly if you let your dog lick your face!