Pete the Vet: I let my dog off the lead in a park near our house — is this okay?

The Irish Examiner's resident animal expert answers reader questions — plus, how to get in touch with pet peeves of your own

Pete the Vet: There are different methods of restraining pets, each with their own pros and cons. The classic collar – for dogs and cats – is most commonly used. The most appropriate use for a collar is to carry identification: Indeed, under Irish law, all dogs must wear a collar at all times. A collar must have the name and the address of its owner (usually on an ID tag). If your dog doesn’t have this identification, a dog warden can issue an on-the-spot fine.

I have a very friendly golden retriever who loves people and dogs. We leave her off the lead when we are in a large park near our house. There is rarely any trouble: she plays and interacts well with people and dogs she meets.

But a small terrier, who is on a lead, has been snapping at her. The owner gave me an earful recently saying my dog should not be off the lead. Last week, she picked her dog up when she saw us coming and acted very cross and nervous. My dog instinctively went to sniff her dog in her arms, and she freaked out, shouting at my girl to get away. I apologised and explained that my dog is not aggressive and would not hurt her or her dog in any way. She said it was against the law to let my dog off the leash.

Am I in the wrong here?

Margaret, Tralee

The short answer is yes, you are in the wrong.

Under Irish national law, dog owners have an obligation to keep their dogs under 'effectual control'. This does not necessarily mean that all dogs need to be leashed at all times, but it does mean that owners need to keep their dogs under direct supervision, and they need to be able to control their pets at all times.

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In practice, this means that you need to continually monitor your dog closely. If there is ever an occasion where she may cause bother to anyone else (such as going up to a person or an animal who may be upset by her presence), then you need to call her back, and she needs to respond to your command at once. Even if a dog is not aggressive, close control is important. The other lady may be frightened of dogs (even if they are not aggressive), and she may be aware that her own dog becomes aggressive because of its fear of other dogs. It’s all about responsibility for your dog’s actions, and being aware of situations like this from the other person’s perspective.

Additionally, many local authorities do have by-laws which explicitly state that in certain parks and areas, dogs must absolutely be kept on a leash at all times.

I found a baby magpie that had fallen from its nest. There were two but the other one had been run over. I moved the bird about 50 metres, away from the road, and when I went back, it had gone.

Did I do the right thing?

CH, Dublin

Yes, your actions were spot on. Many baby birds are on the ground because they are learning to fly. They are best left in situ, as long as there are no immediate hazards to their lives (such as road traffic or prowling cats) Often, they are mistakenly taken home by well-meaning members of the public when they do not need to be rescued.

Wildlife casualties are a common problem in the Irish summer. If you ever need help again, there’s an excellent website: https://irishwildlifematters.ie/ which was specifically created to address the need for easily accessible information on Irish wildlife rescue and first aid. The website includes flow charts: you answer questions about what type of wild creature you have found, and the specific details of the circumstances. The website then gives instructions on the best course of action. There are also contact details for wildlife rehabilitators around Ireland, so that if you need hands-on support to help an animal, they will be able to assist.

I have a 16.5-year-old cat with a rotten tooth at the back. She went in to the vet to get the tooth removed, but her blood pressure dropped, and her heart slowed down, so she had to be brought back around immediately. She still has the rotten tooth, causing her pain.

My vet has offered to try again with a lower anaesthetic dose, but there is a risk of her dying. What would you suggest?

SD, Kilkenny

This is a difficult choice. If an animal is in pain, it’s important to remove the cause of pain, if possible. Everything in life involves risks, and in this case, the huge benefit would be that she would no longer be in pain if the tooth was removed. Now that your vet is aware of the particular risk of an anaesthetic reaction, they will take every possible precaution to stop this happening again, including special pre-anaesthetic medications, short-acting anaesthetics, and careful monitoring of all of her vital signs.

As long as the risk is minimised, and your vet is happy to go ahead with the procedure, then it’s very likely that the benefit to her (a pain-free life) outweighs the risk of a bad outcome.

Any tips on how to stop an 8-month-old Maltipoo from pulling on his lead? His brother walks properly on the leash, but he hops along on his back legs, trying to get off all the time.

Would it help to get him neutered?

MO’D, Dublin

Neutering will not help this situation: this is all about you training him effectively. The best answer is to find a helpful dog training or behaviour professional, so that you can learn from their expertise. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers Ireland (http://apdt.ie/) maintains a register of professional members who are required to use only reward-based methods and stay up-to-date on education.

Out-of-date dog trainers can do more harm than good. Among the signs that dog trainers are using outdated approaches are using words like 'dominance', 'pack leader', and 'electronic collar' (unless the trainer is explicitly stating that they don’t use these techniques).

My Jack Russell, Burt, had a harmless fatty lipoma removed from his chest two years ago. I was told it popped out whole. There is another growing in a slightly lower area and I am aware that they can grow back. Are there any changes in diet, natural supplements, herbs etc that could help prevent further growth please?

LP, County Kildare

Lipomas (benign fatty tumours) are very common, especially in pets that may be overweight. They are harmless, but they can cause problems simply because of their size, which is why they are often surgically removed.

There are no diets, supplements, herbs or drugs that can prevent these: the best answer is to keep Burt as lean as possible. Ask your vet to assess his body condition score (BCS) and weigh him every month to ensure that he stays at his optimal body weight.