My pet snake doesn’t shed his skin as well as he should – what do you recommend?

HE is connected a ngo to assistance our pets  . . . and is present to reply YOUR questions.

Sean, who is the caput vet astatine tailored favored nutrient firm tails.com, has helped with owners’ queries for 10 years.

He says: “If your favored is acting comic oregon is nether the weather, oregon you privation to cognize astir nutrition oregon exercise, conscionable ask. I tin assistance keep pets happy and healthy.”

Q: SOMETIMES my maize snake, Milo, doesn’t shed his tegument arsenic good arsenic helium should.

What bash you recommend?

Mark Holward, Bristol

Sean says: Problems shedding successful snakes, a information called dysecdysis, is usually related to incorrect somesthesia and humidity.

As with immoderate pet reptile, it’s captious to probe the biology conditions your taxon of prime would brushwood successful the chaotic and replicate that.

You request to supply a thermal ­gradient — truthful the enclosure has a cooler extremity and a warmer 1 — and usage a thermostatically controlled heating device.

For humidity, it’s advisable to spray oregon mist the enclosure regularly, particularly astir shedding time.

Even amended is to supply a humid fell container with damp sphagnum moss that Milo tin retreat into and immerse himself successful a high-humidity microenvironment.

Tupperware oregon a integrative retention instrumentality with a spread chopped successful the broadside is ideal.

Q: I HAVE an aquarium of fish, but 1 of them bullies the others.

Should I see rehoming him oregon is determination thing I tin do?

Simon Smith, Peterborough

Sean says: This each depends connected which taxon of food you are keeping. Without that accusation it’s precise ­difficult to advise.

Regardless, it mightiness beryllium champion to enquire astatine your section aquatics oregon food shop.

Many volition instrumentality successful unwanted food and rehome them.

When readying an aquarium, it’s important that you probe and take a assemblage of taxon that coexist peacefully.

Several taxon sold successful the aquatics commercialized arsenic freshwater assemblage food tin go unsuitable, either owed to temperament oregon increasing to a size that is excessively ample for astir tanks.

Doing your homework and uncovering a bully section food store volition assistance debar these sorts of problems successful the future.

Q: MY feline keeps disappearing for days connected end.

Alfred is intelligibly cheating connected maine with different owner. How bash I halt it?

Clive Parker, Manchester

Sean says: What a small rascal helium is!

But you mightiness not beryllium capable to bash thing astir this.

Cats and loyalty don’t ever spell manus successful hand.

You tin effort to pass with the different quality Alfred has deemed worthy of his visits.

Pop a insubstantial ­collar connected him with a connection and your fig written connected it.

You tin anticipation that idiosyncratic calls you and past you tin travel to an arrangement, possibly coparenting if it suits some sides.

Q: ALTHOUGH my six-year-old lad is ­desperate for a favored hamster, I americium disquieted our greedy feline Rupert mightiness terrorise it – oregon worse.

Can felines and rodents usually get along, oregon volition we request to marque definite they ne'er meet?

Gillian Dougherty, Edinburgh

Sean says: Have you ever seen the cartoon, Tom and Jerry?

Cats and rodents unneurotic are mostly not a bully idea.

Sure, I’ve heard of immoderate cats who wholly disregard the household tiny furry pets, but I wouldn’t spot immoderate near unsupervised astir them.

They tin inactive inflict harm done the bars of a cage.

Not lone that, but rodents are hardwired to fearfulness felines arsenic they are immoderate of their earthy predators successful the wild.

The scent and show of a feline would beryllium stressful successful itself.

So unless you tin guarantee they stay separated successful the house.

STAR OF THE WEEK

BUTTERCUP was cold, matted and frightened erstwhile she was rescued 2 years agone – but present she is the existent prima of the show.

The cockapoo was rescued by Woodgreen Pets charity, the location of Channel 4’s deed bid The Dog House.

And successful the occurrence this Thursday, February 6, she volition go the 100th canine to beryllium rehomed by the show.

New owners Sally Dabner, 78, and Gordon Whitby, 74, of Taunton, Somerset, renamed her Betsy.

Sally said: “It’s bully to cognize we’ve made a quality successful her life.”

Gordon added: “I wouldn’t alteration her for anything.”

If you would similar to spell connected The Dog House to follow a pooch spell to channel4.com/4viewers/takepart/the-dog-house

Help your canine upwind the storm

WITH storms causing chaos, canine behaviourist Emma Scales-Theobald, who is nonmigratory canine adept astatine vacation steadfast Canine Cottages, offers these tips.

1. Create a calming playlist. Offset the alarming noises extracurricular with soothing sounds.

There are galore playlists online. Or enactment connected the TV.

2. Block retired the storm: Heavy storms tin origin objects to stroke astir outside, which tin distress dogs.

Close the blinds oregon gully the curtains.

3. Distract them: If your canine is visibly distressed, it’s earthy to console them.

But creating a fuss tin reenforce behaviour.

Entertain your canine with indoor games specified arsenic fetch, offering puzzle feeders oregon a chew to play with.

4. Use calming aids: Such arsenic a plug-in diffuser, collar, spray oregon bedewed wipes.

If your canine gets peculiarly stressed, talk to your vet astir getting medicine calming meds.

5. Do I spell for a walk? If there’s beardown wind, thunder and lightning, debar walks and conscionable fto your canine successful the plot to bash their business.

If you bash walk, support it brief, see a raincoat for your favored and instrumentality to sheltered areas.

• For much tips spell to caninecottages.co.uk.