Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers blog

Pets and their owners share a special relationship. Even if it means taking a dog for a walk in the rain, cleaning up after a messy rabbit or being woken up by a meowing cat in the night, everyone loves their pets. Of course, living with a furry companion everyday is sure to invoke the need for advice.

Luckily, much of this can be found on Answers as we have Julien Poublon, a veterinary surgeon asking and answering in the Pets category.

Julien, who runs his own website Vetstoria, currently specialises in working with small animals. Although he has been a qualified vet for six years, he worked at a farm as a teenager where he says his ‘interest in animal medicine started with sheer passion for any animal related business’. While working with as vet performing procedures on unwell animals, he realised how ‘varied, interesting and challenging the profession was’.

Since then, there hasn’t been any turning back. While devoting his attention to cats, dogs, rabbits or hamsters, Julien is also finding time to help out concerned users with a dogs that hasn’t visited the dentist or a troubled ferret that lost his sense of balance. Julien gave a well explained diagnosis for the little guy, saying that his poor balance may be because he is ‘he is suffering from a middle ear infection’.

Our vet’s ability to help doesn’t stop at dogs or ferrets though. Even though he may not treat them, he’s also knowledgeable about monkeys. One user was interested to know how large marmosets grow. About the ‘same size as cats,’ explains Julien.

 For any prospective first-time animal owners, if you’re thinking about entering a life full of paw prints or grubby fish tanks, it’s best to take on board some advice first. Caring for a pet is a big change for the owner. Cleaning, feeding, accommodating and entertaining – all these are needed to keep him/her happy. Julien thinks it’s good to balance out the pros and cons.

While ‘pet ownership is a beautiful thing which can bring pleasure and happiness’, he explains, it can also ‘become a nightmare if one isn’t ready to experience some difficulties/inconveniences’. Taking care of one helps teach responsibility but it can also be costly in terms of time and money. However if, like Julien, you simply love animals, you can easily find your ideal pet. If ‘you are ready to understand the needs of your pet and that you will take pleasure and joy in caring for him’, no problem should be too big.

As well as getting Julien’s help, you can also help him out with his questions. At the moment, he wants to know if your pet has ever disturbed your sleep. We’re sure that’s already got a lot of you nodding your weary, sleep-deprived heads, so go along and share your secrets to a good night’s sleep, or lack thereof.

Unfortunately even Answers can’t help you woof, chirp or meow to find out what is bothering your pet. And even though Julien can’t either, he is still here to offer his advice to any pet query you may have. So the next time your tailed housemate starts acting strange, why not pose your worries on Answers and perhaps Julien or one of our other experienced pet owners will have the purrfect solution.

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team