You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Playful kittens and puppies sometimes attack wires and this can be very hazardous if they are live electrical wires.

If an animal bites through a live electric wire it can be electrocuted which at worst can cause death, and at best may lead to severe burns in the mouth. So, pets should be discouraged from playing with wires :

• If possible all wires should be hidden (eg under carpets or behind furniture) so they are inaccessible to pets
• If a pet insists on playing with an exposed wire make sure the appliance to which it is attached is unplugged from the mains
• If the pet has other toys bring them into the room with exposed wires and each time he/she is attracted to the wires try to deflect the pet from the wires to play with the toys
• You can try to put your pet off playing with the wires by squirting it with water from a water pistol each time he/she approaches the wires
• Sometimes coating the wires with an unpleasant tasting substance (eg mustard, perfume, air freshener) may prevent the pet from biting them.

Updated October 2013