Pet query

Q I have a three-month-old parrot. When she came to us she used to eat a lot but in the past one month, her right leg is swollen. She is not eating enough food after the swelling, and can’t walk properly.
—Abhijeet Yadav A There are a variety of causes for swollen feet or leg in parrots. Malnutrition or inadequate or excess calcium, bone infection etc. are some of the common causes. Hope she is receiving good nutrition and has an appropriate perch to accommodate her feet. I suggest you take your pet to your vet as soon as possible to diagnose the cause of the swelling.

Q My cat was drinking milk but after 10 days she stopped touching it. Instead she ran away from milk. What could be the reason?
—Hritik Yeknath
A Cats are true carnivores and their ability to digest milk, sugar, reduces with age. In fact, they develop an upset stomach when overfed with milk. Cats also tend to avoid food associated with a bad experience. In addition, they cannot taste sugar; their nutritional requirement is higher than that of a kitten who requires milk. For eg., a kitten requires 3-4 times more calcium than a baby. Therefore, we recommend a high quality, well-balanced diet that meets all its unique nutritional requirements, such as taurine, high protein, arginine, preformed vitamin A etc. which is available only in meat.
(— Expert: Dr Umesh Kallahalli, Veterinarian)

Are you a proud pet parent? Have a cute cat story to share? Maybe your guinea pig is giving you trouble? Whatever is your creature companion, we are here to listen to you. Mention your full name and your city, and send your photos, queries and stories to [email protected]