Which variety Usually only Nelly Kelly is a available – a good, vigorous passionfruit. Avoid seedlings, as they don’t grow as strongly as grafted ones. Banana passionfruit are best for cooler areas, with long yellow fruit, not as sweet as the black ones. In tropical areas try Granadillas too. How to grow My favourite passionfruit […]

Question What is quince? Answer Quinces are in season at the moment so now’s the time to make the most of this unbelievably delicious fruit. Some people draw breath at the long cooking times but if ever “good things come to he who waits” had credence, it’s with the quince. Take one hard, yellow-green, nondescript, […]

Question: To avoid bunny boredom, hide some food around his or her quarters. Carrots, parsnips etc, hidden in places where your bunny will find them (with a little effort on their part) will keep them occupied and an interested rabbit is a happy rabbit! Answer: Hayley

Question: We have a nine-year-old female Jack Russell terrier who is terrified of loud noises, especially thunderstorms. How can we let her know it’s okay? Concerned, Wellington NSW. Answer: Noise phobias are a very common problem in dogs. It’s very frightening for them and what they’re experiencing is essentially a panic attack. Often they’ll hurt […]

By Lucy Hine Fleas are a common parasite which most pet owners are no doubt very familiar with. The flea may seem like just a small nuisance, but it is responsible for a lot of skin disorders on dogs and cats. Flea bites make your pet uncomfortable and extremely itchy! Because of their minuscule size, […]

You may not realise it, but your goldfish has a rather exotic past. Perhaps bought as a simple pet or just something to look at, your goldfish was actually the first species of fish prized for its decorative looks. As early as 970 AD, a red coloured goldfish known as the carp was developed in […]

Question: My 11-year-old Maltese has cancer on her inner back leg. It is starting to get quite large — it’s the size of a tennis ball and now is developing blisters. Is there anything we can do to make this less irritating for her? I am really worried. The blisters are starting to burst. The […]

Question: I have two miniature poodles that are one to two kilos over the recommended 10kg weight for their breed. How much food should I be giving them? I like to give them dry and tinned food daily, with raw bones once a week. The suggested amounts on the commercial food packets differ with each […]

Question: I have just adopted a nine-month-old Westie and we also have a two-year-old Maltese female. The Westie has just been desexed but will not stop mounting our female dog. How do I stop this as it’s really upsetting our little bitch? Jenny Answer: The first thing to note here is this is not a […]

Question: What do I do when my dog has skin problems? Answer: To soothe skin allergies in dogs, take some tea tree oil (about a tablespoon), add it to one bucket of warm water and bath the dog with the oil and warm water. Repeat in a week and the results are outstanding. Emily Hobden