Owners should brush their cat or dog daily regardless of the length of the animal’s fur or the breed, and in and out of shedding season, a pet groomer says.
The pet groomer, who wished only be identified as Winnie, said brushing is helpful in maintaining hygiene and improves blood circulation, adding that skin conditions are often discovered by grooming.
Bathing the animal once a week is recommended to prevent oil blocking the follicles and to remove excess fur, she said.
Though most cats and dogs shed their fur in spring and autumn, Taiwan’s subtropical climate makes the cycle less pronounced and animals tend to grow their summer or winter fur in one to two months.
Certain breeds, such as the poodle or Maltese, shed small amounts of fur throughout the year, she said, adding that air-conditioning also causes irregular shedding.
Tainan-based Ren-ay Veterinarian Hospital vet Hsu Chia-chan (許嘉展) said that the most common animal skin disease is eczema, which can be triggered by dust mites, fugal spores, pollen, plants, diet or soap.
The symptoms are bald patches, dandruff and reddening or unevenness of the skin, Hsu said.
Constant licking, scratching or nipping at the same spot could also indicate skin disease, she said.
Taiwan’s hot and humid weather makes fungal infections another common problem for pets, she said, adding that the fungal infections can be compounded by bacterial infections that are then passed to the owner.
Cats groom themselves by using the rigid papillae on their tongues, with the fur ingested in the process accumulating in fur balls which are expelled by vomiting, she said.
When cats fail to expel the fur, a blockage of the digestive system can result, which puts the cat at risk of multiple ailments of the intestine or stomach, she said, adding severe cases can require surgery.
Cats that repeatedly vomit or retch, suffer from constipation or that have a lack of appetite could be affected by a blockage, especially during the shedding season, she added.
Not all cats cough up fur balls on a regular basis as cat food often contains additives that help to dissolve the fur, she said, adding that mineral oils, herbs and oral medicines are also available to alleviate problems caused by fur balls.
Brushing and encouraging the cat to drink water are also useful ways to combat the problem, she added.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)
CARGO LOSS: About 50 containers at the stern of the ‘Ever Lunar’ cargo ship went overboard, prompting the temporary closure of the port and disrupting operations Evergreen Marine Corp, Taiwan’s largest container shipper, yesterday said that all crew members aboard the Ever Lunar (長月) were safe after dozens of containers fell overboard off the coast of Peru the previous day. The incident occurred at 9:40am on Friday as the Ever Lunar was anchored and waiting to enter the Port of Callao when it suddenly experienced severe rolling, Evergreen said in a statement. The rolling, which caused the containers to fall, might have been caused by factors including a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in Russia, poor winter sea conditions in South America or a sudden influx of waves,
RSS