Pets Q&A

Q My budgie scratches all the time. We’ve sprayed him with mite spray but his skin still looks red and sore under his feathers. Does he need to see a vet?

A Yes, these are signs of skin disease so you need to get your budgie examined as soon as possible. Scratching and skin redness could be due to various causes, such as mites, an allergy, an underlying infection or drying of the skin due to central heating coupled with a lack of fine mist water spraying. If a treatment for mites is needed, your vet will be able to recommend one.

Q My cat got pregnant without us realising and had her kittens six weeks ago. How soon can she be neutered?

A PDSA strongly recommends neutering to prevent unplanned litters such as this, so it’s good that you are planning to get her neutered now. A cat can usually be neutered approximately 6-8 weeks after giving birth, but the timing depends on several factors such as your cat’s health and whether the kittens are weaned, so it is best to ask your vet. It is advisable to get a general health check for a new mother and her kittens a few weeks after birth, so this is a good opportunity to ask about neutering, as well as general care for the kittens.

• Stuart McMorrow is based at Edinburgh’s PDSA PetAid Hospital, 26 Hutchison Crossway, 0131-443 6178