Boisterous Bengal is driving us wild; pets corner.

Byline: Scott Miller 

Q We have a Bengal cat, Jazz, who is four and a little rascal. We would like to let her out to use up her energy. She swipes things off shelves and breaks things as she shoots around the house like a mad thing. She also scratches and bites a lot.

Bengals can be quite wild.

AChaperoned short bursts outdoors for two weeks could be tried, using the lure of an imminent meal to be assured she will come back indoors. Then try allowing her out during the day, hopefully burning off some of that predatory aggression. Actively play with your feisty feline indoors to help tire her of play aggression, using fluttering or bouncing toys for 15 minutes twice daily.

Q My nine-year-old neutered female Westie suddenly does not want to eat and is not very well. The vet did tests and she was given an antibiotic injection plus a course of oral antibiotics. Since then she has staining around her eyes and her paws have also developed a dark brown tinge.

A The initial problem sounds like something as transitory as a virus, possibly complicated by a bacterial infection. The colour changes are fairly common in Westies. Darkly-pigmented tears are normal and are more obvious on a white dog. The dark colour to her paws can also be explained, with similarly pigmented saliva left when licking the feet leading to brownish stains. Try Diamond Eye, a product used by groomers to clean pigment stains from the eyes of white dogs.

Q We have an 18-month-old Shih Tzu who suffers from occasional panic attacks when he struggles to breathe. Our vet suggested cupping our hands around the nose to calm him.

A This could be more than just panic attacks with your flat-faced pooch suffering with problems in his throat common to these types of breeds. Many of these dogs can be highly strung, yet not all have breathing problems as severe as you describe. Ask for a referral from your vet to a soft tissue surgeon.

Q If we leave the house, our two-year-old Shih Tzu chews and scratches the door surrounds. He has our other dog for company and we never leave for more than two hours.

A This sounds like a classic case of separation anxiety. You are doing all the right things with company, treats and chews but you need to keep him as calm as possible before you go. Ignore him for 15 to 20 minutes before you leave the house, then don't say goodbye. Ignore him again when you return home, only giving him attention when he is calm and quiet.