Pete the Vet: 'Help! My spaniel's ears are sore, what should I do?'

Pete the Vet answers your questions

Pete the Vet: Many dogs like spaniels need ongoing anti-inflammatory medication, combined with special ear drops, and regular ear cleaning to maintain optimal ear health.

My 16-year-old dog died a year ago, and I really miss the company of a dog, but I am working full time. Would it be OK to leave a dog alone for nine hours a day? Or if I got two dogs, could they keep each other company? I know that the answer is probably “no” but I would just love to have a dog back in my life. —RH, Dublin

You are right. It would not be fair to leave a dog alone for so long, and the idea of two dogs is not any better. Instead of one dog getting bored, you would have two dogs getting bored, and they would be likely to get up to mischief together. While it is possible to work when you already have a dog (you can use dog walking services and doggy daycare to help), it doesn’t make sense to choose to head into dog ownership when you know you are predictably going to be out of the house all day.