Question:

We have a 3-year-old Sheltie. She is a beautiful, sweet, affectionate dog -- with my family, that is. But she backs off with neighbors or strangers.She''s getting overweight, and when we try to walk her, we can''t get her out of the house without pulling her so hard she throws up. Also, any noise she hears sends her barking to another room.When she was 6 months old, she would go for long walks. Then, for no apparent reason, she changed. We had her checked by our vet, who said it sounds like a mental problem. I rather think it''s anxiety attacks, judging by the scared look on her face when she hits the outdoors.

J.W., Toms River, NJ May 27, 2007

Answer:

Many bright and sensitive Shelties like yours suffer from what amounts to a hypersensitivity disorder.They become increasingly fearful of sudden and unfamiliar stimuli, sights and sounds in particular. Specific phobias often develop, such as planes flying overhead. If nothing can be done to protect the dog from such phobia-triggering stimuli, behavior modification through desensitization and remotivation can work miracles when provided by a qualified animal-behavior therapist.More generalized hypersensitivity and associated fear/anxiety can be eased with drugs like Xanax, Valium and Reserpine.PET-FOOD RECALLThe Food and Drug Administration estimates that about 8,500 cats and dogs may have died from the poisons in pet foods containing adulterated ingredients imported from China. (For an overview, see my Web site at www.doctormwfox.org.)Two of the identified poisons, melamine and cyanuric acid, combine to form crystals in animals'' kidneys, resulting in acute renal failure.I strongly advise trial treatments, un

Question:

I write in response to your reply to the letter about people who allow their dogs to travel unsecured in the open truck bed of pickups. This practice, for numerous reasons, ought to be prohibited by state law (along with allowing dogs to hang their head, neck and paws out of car windows). I would add that it is not sufficient to suggest that the dog be tethered when riding in an open truck bed.A couple of summers ago, I stopped for gas and watched as a young Doberman (perhaps 18 months) tethered in the back of a pickup truck attempted to leave the truck and found itself hanging over the side. Fortunately, as I approached to help it, the owners came out of the store. It is not sufficient to have a dog tethered this way. I have observed dogs left unattended with choke collars, prong collars and flat collars attached to leashes in trucks; to trees, street-light poles and other similar confinement. In the back of a truck, a secured crate would be safer. A dog really ought not to be left unattended with a leash or tether.

A.D.S., St. Paul, MN May 27, 2007

Answer:

Yours is not the only letter responding to that column. Several people wrote saying they witnessed a tethered dog jumping out and hanging on the side of the truck by a chain or leash secured to the dog's collar. Of course, that is an obvious possibility when a dog is not properly secured in the back of the truck, either on a short tether (ideally in a harness) or in a secured dog crate or cage. This is surely one piece of legislation that should be on the books in every state and municipality: simply stipulating that dogs should be secured safely and effectively when being transported, and they should be protected from the elements in inclement weather.

Question:

I love feeding and watching songbirds in my backyard. In recent months, a hawk has used my bird-feeding area as a feeding trough. On a few occasions, I have observed the hawk brutally kill smaller birds. I stopped filling my feeders in the hope that the hawk would leave. After a couple of weeks, I stocked the feeders, and the hawk eventually showed up again. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I greatly enjoy feeding and watching the songbirds and don''t want to stop.

P.H., Owatonna, MN May 27, 2007

Answer:

I was surprised one snowy winter day to see a sparrow hawk swoop down by my bird feeder and catch a small bird in mid-flight. The small prey, killed by a piercing strike at the back of the neck, was then swiftly plucked and eaten beside my window.I thought that I was making the songbirds more vulnerable by attracting them to my feeder. Putting less food out at intervals through the day did reduce the number of birds coming to the feeder, but I was already doing this as a health measure because attracting many birds to one feeding area helps spread bird diseases.Join me in welcoming the presence of raptors: They are a sign of a healthy environment. Less food will attract few birds, but feeding them indirectly feeds the hawks. The fatter the prey, the fewer may be killed to make a meal.

Question:

My dog Shelby is a 6-year-old retriever mix. I''ve included a picture to show how she looks: She''s been this way for almost three years.When I took her to the vet, they thought it was lupus. The blood tests came back negative. She has a low thyroid, but they took a biopsy and found nothing. They told me to take away all plastic, and she now only has metal bowls. Prednisone helps some, but it makes her fat, and she seems like she''s hungry all the time. She has seen three vets, and no one seems to know what is wrong. I also have another dog that is just fine.She won''t let us touch her face, and she gets aggressive with our other dog.

B.S., Richmond, TX May 27, 2007

Answer:

Sending the photo of your dog was most helpful. On seeing the open sores around her nose, muzzle and eyes, I concur with the veterinarian''s suspicion of a lupus-like disorder.Stop all medications and shift her slowly to an organic whole-food diet, as per the recipe on my Web site, www.doctormwfox.org.If she is on steroids, consult with the veterinarian about the recommended protocol for gradually taking Shelby off the medication. Share my Web-site article that discusses Endocrine-Immune Disruption Syndrome.A daily supplement of zinc, selenium and oil of primrose may help. I advise morning and evening applications of aloe-vera gel to the facial lesions. Around midday, apply a mixture of healing essential oils. Keep it away from her eyes, and don''t allow her to rub it off.One of my favorite mixtures is four drops each of organically certified frankincense, myrrh, Helichrysum and lavender (augustifolis, not adulterated with Lavendin) in 40 drops of almond oil. Make up a bottle of this. Most health-food stores s

Question:

My wife and I have a 3-1/2-year-old Boston terrier named Dublin. We have had her since she was a puppy. She is on the small side and is quite affectionate. She often naps or sits on our laps when we watch television. Moreover, she sleeps with us in our bed at night, usually under the covers.However, when we have company, she acts as if we don''t exist. Instead, she directs all of her attention and affection toward the guests. More surprisingly, if it is an overnight guest, she will go to bed with the guest and spend the night. Why?.

J. & J.N., Virginia Beach, Va May 27, 2007

Answer:

Dublin is clearly a social butterfly. You may feel jealous, but I believe she is responding to visitors like they are new members of the family -- the more the merrier!My guess is that Dublin is somewhat indulged and thinks that she is the alpha dog of your "pack."Some dogs react to visitors by giving a toy as a gift, as does one of my dogs. My dogs will often start to play with each other in front of guests, and I interpret that as their combined excitement and a form of relaxation: Visitors are fun!

Question:

Montezuma is my longhaired, thick-haired cat that has a problem with hairballs. They lodge in his system, and he often vomits to clear them.He has been to the vet and was prescribed Lax''aire, but he refuses to eat it, even when it is cleverly blended and hidden in his favorite foods. Do you have any suggestions?.

M.L., Schenectady, NY May 20, 2007

Answer:

Longhaired cats can be helped with daily grooming and drops of fish oil in their food to improve their coats. Adding natural roughage to their diets (1 teaspoon daily of mashed lima beans, chopped wheat grass or psyllium husks) can help cats get rid of fur balls. A product called Laxatone can help. Smearing it on your cat''s paw will get it down because most cats will groom themselves frequently to stay cleanThere is no need to panic when a cat retches up a fur ball. It is natural. However, a large accumulation of fur balls in the stomach and lower digestive tract is a veterinary emergency.

Question:

My cat had surgery on a tumor between her shoulder blades the beginning of last November. The pathology report came back as vaccine-related fibrosarcoma. A month after the tumor was excised, it started growing back in the same spot, a little lower on her spine. She now has a second tumor growing on the outside of her scapula. I have been doing research and know it is a hopeless cause, but none of the research gave information about how death comes about. Her vet said she would not become sick as she would with systemic cancer. So, how do you know when she's had enough? Do the tumors get so big she can no longer move? Or do they press on the spine so she cannot walk? Right now, she does not seem to be bothered at all by them, but they are still rather small (pea- and grape-sized). They seem to grow quickly at times and then lie quiescent for a time. She's such a happy, loving, friendly pet. It makes me furious that a vaccination could cause such a thing.

B.J.G., Averill Park, NY May 20, 2007

Answer:

I am sorry to hear that your poor cat is yet another victim of vaccine-related fibrosarcoma. All veterinarians should follow the correct vaccination protocol for cats. This entails injecting vaccines as low down one hind leg as possible. Then, if a cancerous tumor develops, the cat has a better chance of survival because the leg can be amputated. Injecting the vaccine in the neck or shoulder area makes it far more difficult to root out the cancer surgically. Injections of frankincense have wiped out melanomas in some horses. Your vet might try this as a last resort, injecting a small amount of this pure essential oil in and around the tumor. A healthy diet -- not dry cat food -- with supplements such as a few drops of fish oil and selenium may help give your cat a fighting chance.

Question:

Do you know of any way of getting rid of mice in the house without killing them? We have soundwave devices plugged into outlets in every room of our house, but we still find mouse droppings every day. We have no wish to kill the little things, but we want them out of our house. We do have a cat, but she apparently wishes to live in harmony with the mice.

A.N., Fishkill, NY May 20, 2007

Answer:

Some cats just aren't good "mousers," as you have discovered. High frequency/ultrasonic sound devices are often a waste of money. I would like to hear from readers who have found one that actually works. First, try to locate where the mice might be getting into your house. Then set up several humane, no-kill box traps around the house and spread mothballs liberally in your attic. Release the mice outdoors far away from your home and, after a week of baiting and trapping, seal all entry/exit holes you were able to find. Alternatively, build a "mouse house" in one corner of your basement and include food, water and nesting material. It should be designed with a couple of quick-sliding doors. Every couple of weeks, shut the mouse house up during the day and empty the contents outdoors, far away from the house. This worked well for a friend of mine who felt it was wrong to kill the mice.

Question:

I have two pugs. The male is 6 years old, and the female is 4 years old.Lately, when they go into the yard, the male urinates on the female in the same place each time. This is while the female is urinating. The dogs get along fine, but is there anything I can do to change this behavior? They have lived together for four years.

C.P., Oceanside, CA May 20, 2007

Answer:

There is nothing you can do to rectify this kind of problem. Just have a moist cloth on hand to wipe the female''s head and back when the two dogs are ready to come back indoors.My male dog sometimes urinates on one of my female dogs, especially when she sniffs spots he has marked with urine. Other times, my dogs will "mark over" the same spot that another one has just marked. Sometimes, in the process of marking over, the first dog to urinate doesn''t get out of the way soon enough and gets marked by the second dog. I think this is purely accidental. Dogs do no deliberately mark each other with urine but rather the ground beneath.

Question:

My 9-year-old mini-dachshund has been very stinky for a long time. My vet says she has bad teeth, so we have her on an antibiotic maintenance, one week each month. We haven''t scraped her teeth because she used to have seizures a few times a year.Since I changed her to a grain-free diet, the seizures seem to have stopped, but she is still very stinky. Her blood has been checked for parasites, and she''s OK with that. She also developed an itching problem several months ago that we haven''t been able to figure out, but it''s being treated with prednisone.I recently started converting her to a raw diet and am hoping that once she is completely raw we can wean her off the prednisone and see if that helps the itching. Any ideas regarding these issues are truly appreciated.

K.B., Carlstadt, NJ May 20, 2007

Answer:

As I advise routinely, dogs with seizures often show some improvement when put on a grain-free diet.Get your dog used to having her teeth brushed, and give her a raw marrow (beef shank) soup bone to chew.Check out my Web site (www.doctormwfox.org) for my article on Endocrine-Immune Disruption Syndrome, one sign of which can be chronic skin problems. Share this with your veterinarian, and have your dog''s thyroid function evaluated -- a common contributing factor in some skin conditions in older dogs.