15 Pet Hints and Tips

Add about a third of a soft banana to 1½ cups of dry dog food.

Slice it, mash it or stir it into the pellets.

Not only does it add variety and a bit of healthy sweetness, which most dogs seem to love, but banana can also help settle a dog’s stomach.

There’s no reason to wrestle your dog to the ground to try and give him medicine.

All you need is strongly flavoured cheddar cheese.

Grate a small amount, warm it in your hands and roll into a ball with the pill inside.

It should go down in a matter of seconds.

TIP: If your pet detects the different texture of the pill in the grated cheddar, try wedging the pill in a chunk of cheese instead.

If you have ever been on a diet, you’ll know all about carrying around peeled baby carrots to satisfy a hunger pang.

The good news is that dogs generally love raw carrots, too.

They’re sweet and healthy enough to make them a regular part of a dog’s diet in place of biscuits or other treats.

There’s nothing pleasant about the smell of a litter tray, but there is a simple way to control odour.

Place half a lemon, cut-side up, on a saucer and put it on the floor next to the litter tray.

For stubborn odours, place several lemon halves on a paper plate.

At bath time, you can stop your dog’s hair from clogging the drain by placing a nylon scouring pad or a snipped-off section of kitchen sponge over the plug hole.

The porous barrier will collect hair, which can then be easily removed and discarded.