Question:

You were inquiring if any other readers had found any effective remedies for inflammatory bowel disease. I had a cat that had diarrhea since he was weaned.I read veterinary and herbal books searching for a cause and cure. While experimenting with his diet, I discovered he was allergic to fish. This solved the problem somewhat, but he still had weekly bouts of diarrhea. I read that valerian root could relax and soothe an irritated intestinal tract and that cats like the taste, so I treated him twice a day with this when he had diarrhea and once a day when he showed no symptoms. He lived to be 11 years old, most of the time symptom-free!One other success for herbal medicine was a cat I had with liver problems. He was tested by my veterinarian and found to have elevated liver enzymes, but no treatment was offered. I''d heard of experiments with milk thistle on humans in Europe, so I tried it on my cat. I gave him 1/2 dropper of a diluted solution of milk thistle in water tincture twice a day for 10 days for a mo

K.B., Houston, TX Dec 31, 2006

Answer:

Many holistic veterinarians are using the kinds of herbal medicines you mentioned (and a host of others) to good effect for a variety of conditions in cats and dogs. I do not, however, encourage people to experiment with these products without veterinary supervision.Cats and dogs suffering from hepatitis benefit from milk thistle and nutraceutical supplements like vitamin E, selenium, L-carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid and S-adenosylmethionine. They are also excellent supplements for geriatric animals. All animals benefit from fresh, unprocessed whole foods certified as "organic."

Question:

A friend of mine had to put her 8-year-old dog down because of kidney stones the vet said were caused by the dog drinking her tap water. I was very upset by this and decided to stop giving my 10-year-old terrier-mix tap water and started to give him only bottled water. At the same time, his groomer suggested I change his dog food. (He had been on Science Diet. I mixed the adult senior with the oral care.) Since I wanted to give him the best quality of life possible at 10 years of age, I switched to Nature''s Variety Prairie Chicken Meal & Rice.Within three days of switching his food, he started to vomit and had bloody diarrhea stools. I didn''t know that black-tar stools were an indication of blood. On the third night, when I noticed his vomit was getting pink, I immediately took him to the emergency veterinarian. There, he started to vomit red blood. The diagnosis was hemorrhagic gastritis. Needless to say, it was three days of hell for him and for me.What caused the gastritis? Could it have been the dog food

P.A., West Palm Beach, FL Dec 31, 2006

Answer:

My article on pure water on my Web site (www.doctormwfox.org) documents many reasons why neither we nor our animal companions should be drinking most municipal tap water.Always wean dogs slowly from one diet to another, giving a little less of the old and a little more of the new over a five- to seven-day period. A sudden switch could trigger an acute food hypersensitivity. This is most likely what happened to your dog. One or more ingredients in the new food probably caused a kind of food allergy.On the other hand, the vomiting could have been caused by a toxic contaminant in the new food. The attending veterinarian has a professional obligation and ethical responsibility to report your dog''s reaction to the new food (with batch number and manufacturer dates) to the manufacturer and the Food and Drug Administrations''s Bureau of Veterinary Medicine. A recall on this dog food might be needed urgently, but if there is inadequate reporting and recording of adverse reactions, companion animals will suffer the co

Question:

We have two female dogs: Heinz 57 is 7 years old, and Sheltie is 2-1/2 years old. They are mostly house dogs and are let out often in the back yard to do their business. Both are fixed. I bathe them every couple of weeks and brush them, but sometimes they come back into the house and stink to high heaven, even after a bath! Is it possible that they roll around in feces? If so, how can I get them to stop doing this? If not, what else could it be?.

T.W., Naples, FL Dec 31, 2006

Answer:

I sympathize with your situation. Dogs will routinely find something smelly to roll in, especially shortly after they have been bathed. It would be sensible to anticipate this and not let the dogs off-leash when outdoors until the following day.You may be bathing your dogs too frequently. With regular grooming and a good diet, dogs'' coats stay sweet and healthy -- not too dry, which excessive bathing can aggravate, and not too oily. Maybe putting a bit of aftershave lotion or cologne that you use regularly around your dogs'' cheeks and shoulders will satisfy their need to roll around in scented stuff.

Question:

Our 10-year-old Bichon was diagnosed with diabetes several months ago. He is under our veterinarian''s care. I have to give him insulin (which he doesn''t like and neither do I), and it''s not easy. It takes the two of us (my husband and me). Someone has to hold him while the other does the deed.We want to do everything to keep him in good health. We make a lot of visits to the veterinarian for blood work, etc., and insulin adjustment.I am so discouraged, and I don''t know how to tell whether he''s well or not. It''s really difficult. We have had many dogs but none with this problem. Please help if you can.

A.B., Gainesville, Va Dec 31, 2006

Answer:

Diabetes is very common in middle-aged and older dogs. It is often, as in humans, preceded by obesity. Attention to diet (fewer carbohydrates) and regular exercise are the best preventives.Animals with diabetes benefit from special prescription diets coupled with regular physical activity. Some raw foods may help. Feed him finely chopped vegetables and scalded or briefly boiled raw-beef cubes or chicken. Up to 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per 30 pounds body weight daily might help, too. Add it to his food in gradually increasing amounts until you''re giving him a full dose daily.

Question:

In a recent column, you expressed concern that many veterinarians are advising monthly flea-control drugs for dogs and cats -- for life. Would you expand on this subject as to the effects if the treatment is discontinued after a number of years?I have two 11-year-old indoor cats. One of them is stressed for other reasons, and I would love to discontinue the treatment for her, especially. Is it possible that after some years there is something like an immunity to fleas?.

I.W.B., Fort Myers, FL Dec 24, 2006

Answer:

The drug companies and suppliers of flea-prevention products reason that the risks of these drugs to cats and dogs are less than the risks posed by the fleas. Aside from easily treatable flea-bite skin hypersensitivity, a few fleas aren''t going to harm your cat''s endocrine, immune and nervous systems, and they won''t kill your cat. But any one of these commercial products certainly could.Check my Web site at http://DrFoxVet.com/info/Preventing-Fleas-Ticks-Mosquitoes for safe flea-control measures. At the top of the list is a daily pinch of brewer''s yeast in the food and daily flea-comb checks. Once a week, sprinkle Borax on carpets and floors where cats rest, then vacuum thoroughly the next day. The best preventive is to never let your cat roam free outdoors.

Question:

I found your Web site and read your essay "Organic Agriculture -- The First Medicine of Holistic Healing." The essay is brilliant. However, as I delved further into your Web site, I found recipes for cats and dogs. The recipes list animals as an ingredient.I was quite shocked to find you are suggesting people feed animals to dogs and cats. I guess I assumed you are a vegan. I have a vegan cat and a vegan dog. Both have been vegan for three years and are very healthy. My husband and I are both vegan as well.I don''t understand how people can speak of peace and harmony with life while eating animals.

K.H., Washington, DC Dec 24, 2006

Answer:

If you were a regular reader of my column, you would know that I am opposed to forcing cats to be vegan because they are obligate carnivores. Without supplementing their diets with essential fatty acids and certain amino acids of animal origin, chronic health problems can develop, affecting the heart, eyesight, immune system, etc. Certainly, on a quality vegan diet, cats may be healthier for a period of time than on conventional commercial cat food. Dogs, like us, are more omnivorous, and many, but not all, can thrive on a vegetarian diet that includes some dairy or egg products.I am glad you enjoyed my review article linking organic agriculture with consumer and environmental health. Farm animals do play an important role in ecological farming, and I see nothing ethically wrong (when they are raised and killed humanely) with feeding them to cats, dogs and those people who do not, for various reasons, wish to be vegans. My book "Eating With Conscience: The Bioethics of Food" (NewSage, 1997) provides a founda

Question:

My dog, Beau, an 11-year-old yellow Lab/beagle mix, has what my vet calls lip dermatitis around his lower lip and two small patches around his upper lip. The skin looks raw with scabs around it. It has been like this for a couple of years, sometimes worse than others. I have tried everything from changing all bowls to stainless steel and using steroid creams, and nothing seems to work. A biopsy was performed, and it suggested a possible allergic reaction to something because of where the dermatitis is located. There''s also a possibility it''s early epitheliotropic lymphoma. Beau eats Nutro dry food mixed with Iams wet food -- no beef flavors in case he may be allergic to them. There doesn''t seem to be anything in these foods that should cause a reaction. Do you have any insight or possible causes or cures for this?.

T.H., Burke, Va Dec 24, 2006

Answer:

Chronic skin disorders on the lips and nose can be extremely difficult to treat. My approach would be to apply liquid aloe vera or aloe vera and cortisone four times a day. At even intervals, apply a thin smear of the following mixture of oils, also four times a day: 10 drops each of frankincense, myrrh and Helichrysum in 2 tablespoons of almond oil. Also, give your dog a daily human multivitamin-and-multimineral capsule and 1 teaspoon of flaxseed oil in his food.

Question:

I purchased two young parakeets from PETCO. They are healthy and well cared for.My concern is that they can''t fly. Their flight feathers were clipped before I purchased them. They want to fly but can only jump up about 6 inches.How long will it take for their flight feathers to grow out so they can fly? If I had a choice, I would not want their wings to be clipped.

I.S., Jackson, NJ Dec 24, 2006

Answer:

First, I am glad that you purchased two birds instead of just one. I believe it is an overlooked cruelty to deprive animals of the company of members of their own species. Dogs can get out and play with other dogs, and I wish that more dogs had this opportunity. But this is not true for solitary cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and all other creatures whose only social life is with humans.Your birds'' flight feathers should grow back after their next molt. Be sure they have cuttlebone and, ideally, organically certified birdseed. Poor nutrition and poor feather growth go hand in hand -- or wing in wing!Make sure the room is bird-safe, and pulling blinds or curtains to cover windows is important at first, since naive birds may injure themselves by flying into the window glass.

Question:

I was reading one of your columns in the paper about the dachshund that eats its own poop. All anyone has to do is give the dog 1 teaspoon of yogurt daily. Problem solved.

V.N., Bloomington, MN Dec 24, 2006

Answer:

I have listed readers'' effective remedies for coprophagic (poop-eating) dogs in past columns. It really is a nauseating "vice," but for some species, like rabbits, it is a natural, nutritionally important activity.Many people have found that a daily dollop of yogurt works wonders, but only brewer''s yeast or acidophilus pills work for other dogs. As for the type of yogurt, nonpasteurized (with live bacteria), plain and organically certified are best.HOLIDAY-SEASON THANKSHere''s wishing all readers a happy holiday season, and to thank all who have sent me letters that help make this column informative and a pleasure for me to write. Please extend the spirit of the holiday season to all creatures in your community by sending a donation to your local animal shelter/humane society, wildlife-rehabilitation center or environmental-protection organization.

Question:

I just finished reading your column about the diabetic cat. I found it especially interesting, as I''ve been wondering why there is so much cornmeal, corn gluten and corn "whatever" in cat food (I guess in dog food, too).I''ve never seen a cat stalking an ear of corn. And I think corn has a lot to do with the prevalence of diabetes in animals (and humans, what with all the high-fructose corn syrup found in many foods). I''ve switched my cat Harvey (a 12-year-old neutered male) over to Innova EVO.Is the added corn in many commercial cat foods a concern? If so, how can cat- and dog-food companies, in good conscience, tout their products as being healthy?.

N.D., La Plata, Md Dec 17, 2006

Answer:

Corn, cornmeal, corn gluten, cornstarch and corn syrup are cheap ingredients in a host of processed human and pet foods.The high corn- and corn-byproduct content of many pet foods is a concern, and I believe it contributes to the high incidence of diabetes in dogs and cats. Plus, many cats are allergic to corn, and inflammatory bowel disease is one possible consequence.You ask how pet-food manufacturers can "in good conscience, tout their product as being healthy." The same question can be asked of human-food companies. Just look at the sugar-loaded breakfast cereals. "Good conscience" and corporate profits are so disconnected that I advocate greater consumer responsibility, as per my book "Eating With Conscience: The Bioethics of Food" (New Sage Press, 1997). And that goes for what we feed all our family members -- four-legged as well as two-legged.