Q. My neighbour is really worried as her old dog has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and her vet said nothing can be done. Do dogs get Alzheimer’s and is it true nothing can be done? Anonymous, Oxford.

A. It is true that dogs can suffer from a disease similar to Alzheimer’s in humans.

In fact this disease is becoming more common as our dogs are living longer.

The signs are related to brain ageing and affected animals show behaviour changes including disorientation, detachment from family and toys, changes in sleeping patterns and a loss of learned behaviour like house training.

There is no cure but a treatment programme which includes drugs, stimulating games/exercise, and retraining helps.

There is also a new diet called Purina Pro Plan Senior 7+Original which is proven to enhance the response to treatment.

Q. My friend noticed yesterday that my dog has a hernia and asked me if this can affect him or any of his offspring in any way. I don’t know the answer to this, although I shouldn’t think that it could. Please could you let me know?

Nicholas Walters, Oxford.

A. A true umbilical (belly button) hernia is a defect where the hole in the body wall which provides a pathway for placenta blood vessels to enter the developing puppy does not close after birth.

The result is a hole in the muscle layers through which a little tummy fat passes through and appears like a bubble under the bell.

These hernias rarely cause problems and can be repaired surgically. This is usually done at the time of neutering.

Occasionally a loop of intestine can pass through the hole and this can be serious. The bubble would swell, become hot and painful and the dog will be poorly. This requires emergency repair.

Dogs with hernias should not be used for breeding as the defect may be passed on to puppies.

Some dogs will have a bubble which looks like a hernia but there is no hole in the body wall and these are not true hernias and are not inherited.

Q. My nana’s dog, Sam, has hurt his paw and we think that his claw has been pulled out slightly as it looks bad and he keeps licking it. What do you think we should do?

S Whittaker, Didcot.

A. You could try bathing Sam’s paw in some warm water with a pinch of salt in it. The water just needs to be slightly warm. Do this for 10 minutes, twice daily.

This will help if there is infection in the paw and it does sound like there might be. If you think this does help, do it for 3-4 days. However, if there is no sign of improvement or if the nail is hanging loose, you will have to take Sam to your vet to have the nail removed and he may need some antibiotics.