Question:

I have some additional input regarding your recent column in which a woman had a problem with her 8-year-old cat not using his litter box.Recently, a friend told me that she was going to "get rid of" her cat because she started having accidents outside her litter box. A key statement she made to me was, "I keep the boxes immaculate. Every week I empty them out and thoroughly clean them with detergent, and then I spray them with Lysol." On my advice, she no longer uses strong-smelling chemicals to clean the litter box, and her cat is fine.As for my family, we clean our boxes with lots of water with a very small amount (1/8 cup per 2 gallons water) of chlorine bleach. We rinse them at least three times and then air-dry them. We scoop our boxes once or twice daily, and, when a cat is off the mark and hits the sides of the box, we clean it with full-strength alcohol on a paper towel. We have placed the litter boxes in quiet, low-traffic areas of the house and have had no problems.

F.B., Albany, NY Oct 01, 2006

Answer:

Your letter is an important read for all people with cats. Cats often develop an aversion to their litter boxes, and you have identified an important factor. Baking soda sprinkled under the cat litter is a good deodorant with no bad smell.All cats that relieve themselves outside of the litter box regularly should have a veterinary checkup to rule out a physical cause, particularly cystitis and inflammatory bowel disease, both of which are common health problems in cats.GOLD HEALSVeterinarians at Oslo''s Norwegian School of Veterinary Science recently reported significant improvement in dogs suffering from chronic hip dysplasia after implanting five 35-milligram to 45-milligram, 24-karat-gold beads at five defined acupuncture or trigger points. Effective analgesia can also be facilitated by appropriate massage as per my book "The Healing Touch for Dogs" (New Market Press, 2004).

Question:

I have a 7-month-old Yorkshire terrier named Rudee. He weighs approximately 11 pounds and is fed two meals a day. The problem is that he always gets sick in the car. It doesn''t seem to matter whether I go five or 10 miles, whether he has eaten or not. I have tried putting him in an enclosed crate on the seat or on the floor. I have also tried letting him see out. Nothing seems to work. He''s been this way ever since I brought him home from the breeder''s. I would appreciate any suggestions you can give me.

L.B., Virginia Beach, Va Oct 01, 2006

Answer:

Dramamine, given 30 minutes before a car ride, helps some dogs. Ginger is excellent for calming the stomach. Give your dog 1 teaspoon of chopped, crystallized ginger, or two to three drops of ginger oil, in a wrap of cream cheese or peanut butter. Placing drops of the so-called Dog Appeasement Pheromone on the dog''s collar, according to studies in the United Kingdom, can help in some cases.Desensitization can also help. Just sit with your dog in the parked car for about 10 to 15 minutes, and give the occasional treat when he settles down. After several sessions, repeat with the engine running. Then, after five to 10 "idling" sessions, drive around the block slowly.

Question:

My wife and I have two cats -- a 6-year-old male and a 2-year-old female. Both live exclusively indoors and are neutered. They have been companions for about 1-1/2 years and have gotten along well. They sometimes chase each other around and "fight," though only once or twice has this exceeded what we would consider playful. Other times they eat out of the same dish and sleep next to one another in the same cat bed.Recently, the older cat developed a urinary-tract blockage and had to be hospitalized for 48 hours. Now that he is home, the younger cat has hissed at him several times, which is not at all normal for her. At other times, both cats seem to be keeping their distance from each other.Do you have any idea what''s going on? Is this likely to work itself out? Should we have reintroduced the two cats more gradually?.

M.B., Alexandria, Va Oct 01, 2006

Answer:

You are describing a nonrational aspect of feline social relations. A change in scent in one cat can make another react as though the familiar cat is a total stranger. This often happens when a cat has been away at the vet''s or groomer''s, or gets outside and picks up some alien scent on the fur. This is why some people are attacked or threatened by their own cats when they have put on a new perfume or visited people with cats.The pheromone spray called Feliway might help your cat settle down. Or you might try putting a dab of your own perfume on the temples of both cats.

Question:

I read your column in our paper concerning the leaching of toxins from plastic feeding bowls that can cause health problems in our pets.This past year, I''ve heard of two situations that may be related to the leaching plastic. Both cats had small, pus-filled scabs under their chins. Now that the owners are using glass bowls, the problem seems solved.If these toxins can leach and cause health problems in our animal companions, what about us humans? We use plastic for leftovers, frozen dinners, etc. What could be the implications for humans using so much plastic at high temperatures?.

E.E.S., Selkirk, NY Oct 01, 2006

Answer:

Yours is not the only letter I have received on this important topic.Thank you for confirming my column about potential health threats associated with plastic water bowls. I strongly advocate using either stainless steel or ceramic water and food bowls for cats and dogs. Using plastic containers to store food in the fridge is probably safe, but never microwave the food in the container. Microwaves may also denature some nutrients in the food.

Question:

I read your column every week, and you''ve made me rethink many things I always thought I knew about dogs. I''ve even begun using your Web-site recipe for making my two terriers'' food. They have been eating variations of this recipe (alternating ground lamb, turkey or beef mixed with whole-wheat pasta, brown rice or rolled oats) since mid-January. One of them had been refusing to eat several meals a week, but with this diet, he never misses a meal.I am concerned about one aspect of the diet, though. When I adopted the first dog, my veterinarian told me that dry dog food was better for controlling tartar than canned. I had been feeding my dogs mostly Iams dog food mixed with a little canned Iams to moisten it. With your diet, there is nothing crunchy to help with the tartar control. What do you recommend, or is the crunchiness even necessary in their diets?.

N.H., Houston, TX Oct 01, 2006

Answer:

I am glad that my basic recipe for home-prepared dog food works well for your dogs.Perform an experiment. Pour hot water on a tablespoonful of my diet and the same amount on canned food, whisk and let cool. Do the same with a tablespoonful of dry dog food. Then examine. Chances are the highly processed canned and liquefied dry dog food will have much brownish "gravy." It is made up of microparticles created by food processing that can get trapped between dogs'' and cats'' teeth. The whole foods in the kind of natural diet that I advocate have no such fine particles.The best tooth cleaner for dogs is a 3-inch-long piece of raw beef-marrow bone. Scald in boiling water to kill bacteria. Cooking makes the bone splinter easily when chewed and could put the dog at risk. (For cats, the gristly end of a raw chicken wing can do wonders.)

Question:

My male cat was diagnosed with diabetes when he was 10 years old. Within a year, he lost most of the fur on his front paws and belly. He was not an aggressive groomer and was eating high-quality, high-protein cat food. When he was 13, he had his teeth cleaned. Three were extracted.Within a month of his dental work, his fur began to grow back. Within three months, the fur had fully regrown. I think there must have been a connection. Maybe getting rid of an infection in his mouth improved his overall health. What do you think?.

N.K., Arlington, Va Sep 24, 2006

Answer:

A cat''s skin condition is a mirror of the cat''s health. A poor, lackluster coat, shedding hair and patches of baldness (sometimes aggravated by excessive licking, grooming and fur-pulling self-mutilation) can mean many things, hence the importance of having one''s cat examined by a veterinarian whenever skin and coat conditions develop.Your letter is an invaluable warning for people whose cats begin to lose their fur and develop any of the above skin problems. Diseased teeth can mean chronic suffering and a generalized toxicity from spreading bacterial infection. This is an all-too-common problem in dogs and cats that could be missed if routine, annual veterinary checkups, once every six months for old animals, are not done. Plus, diabetic animals are more prone to infections.

Question:

In a recent column, you asked for accounts of pet games. Here are some of my favorites.My cat Ivan''s favorite toys were terrycloth elastics for holding ponytails. He loved them and was always trying to fish more out of the drawer. He would put his nose through the middle and walk around with them, meowing. He would also toss them in the air and chase them, bat them across the floor and pick them up, drop them in his water bowl and fish them out, etc.Another activity involved very large rubber bands (about 6 inches long). He would pick one end up and wander around uttering fierce yowls deep in his throat. This frequently stimulated his brother, Mr. Melon, to answer him with little meows and go to him, and they would engage in roughhouse play.Mr. Melon''s favorite thing was to throw himself into the empty bathtub and run around in it, pouncing on invisible spots and generally just skidding around. A cotton swab could be added for further play.Another game would be to bring one of his stuffed toys into the bedro

V.C., Washington, DC Sep 24, 2006

Answer:

I''ve received several letters from readers describing their cats'' and dogs'' games. Your letter was particularly intriguing in providing vivid descriptions of your cats'' highly creative games, which reveal their intelligence and imagination.

Question:

I know you get a lot of letters about vaccination shots for dogs, but many of us don''t know how often each shot is required. Our dog died last week, and I firmly believe that being overvaccinated had a lot to do with it.Could you print a list of the shots that are required and how often dogs need them? We just got a new dog from the Humane Society, and I don''t want to overvaccinate it.

F.J.F., Fenton, MI Sep 24, 2006

Answer:

There are several core vaccinations that dogs should be given: canine parvovirus, canine distemper, canine adenovirus-2 and rabies.Adult dogs with a record of shots during puppyhood up to a year old do not need to be revaccinated for three years with any of the above vaccines unless a 1-year-duration rabies shot was given. Revaccination may not be needed if a blood-titer test is done to determine whether each vaccine is still providing protection.If your veterinarian insists that all these core vaccinations be given annually, have him or her read the American Animal Hospital Association''s 2006 Canine Vaccine Guidelines, or find another animal doctor.

Question:

My husband and I recently adopted a 2-year-old female black Lab mix who was rescued from Hurricane Katrina. We have named her Gumbo. She was obviously loved by her former owners, as she is extremely well trained and completely housebroken. She never begs for food at the table, will sit and stay on command and is everything you could ask for, except that she doesn''t know how to play.She has a huge basket of toys in which I hide treats to get her involved. She will not go for a ball or stick and actually closes her eyes or turns her face away if we toss the ball in front of her. We are lucky enough to have a great pool for her to swim in, but she won''t go near it. Do you have any advice on how to coax a dog to play?.

B.C., Naples, FL Sep 24, 2006

Answer:

Hats off to you for adopting a canine survivor of Hurricane Katrina. She may well be suffering from post-traumatic stress and will take time to heal, become more self-confident and eager to play.Daily contact and play with a friendly dog in your neighborhood could be good therapy and help your dog become more outgoing.But your dog could simply be of a shy, gentle and submissive disposition, scared by a raised hand or thrown object. Try a squeaky toy or simply roll, rather than toss, a ball toward her. How you invite play can be a factor in how she chooses to respond. As for going into your pool, her waterphobia after the flooding where she came from will be a major obstacle, so do not force her into the pool. Go in first, and try to entice her to join you.

Question:

We have switched our 12-year-old Westie from Science Diet to your homemade recipe. She loves it and dances around her bowl. But we''ve noticed that the resulting stool is smaller and not as solid as it was previously. Could you suggest a dry food (without coloring) that we could add to the moist?.

M.G., Fort Myers, FL Sep 24, 2006

Answer:

There are some good-quality dry dog foods on the market. Your best place to look is at a health-food store or a grocery that sells organically certified people food. Their pet-food section should have some organic dry dog food for which you will have to pay a premium, but your dog is small and won''t require much.I am glad your dog is enjoying my basic home-prepared diet. Smaller and softer stools should not, however, be a problem. Give your dog a 2- to 3-inch-long raw marrow (beef) shank/soup bone to chew on to help keep her teeth clean.