Question:

I have an 8-year-old male Shetland sheepdog. He appears to be in good health; however, he''s had blood in his stool for the past five years.It began when I started giving him dry food for weight control. I took him off that, but the problem continued. I tried every kind of food you can think of. Recently, I''ve come to believe that commercial dog food is horrible, so I make his food.His diet consists of fruit, veggies and meat. I have taken him to several veterinarians who all seem to recommend fiber, especially pumpkin. I''ve done this, and it does not help.What should I do now? Most recently, it was suggested that he have a colonoscopy. I am wondering whether he has a food allergy. Truthfully, I am tired of cleaning up every time he comes into the house.

S.G., Washington, DC May 25, 2008

Answer:

Your dog needs to see a veterinary internal medicine specialist who can evaluate your dog for colitis and inflammatory bowel disease. This kind of problem is not uncommon in the breed you have.If the blood is fresh and in very small amounts, the prognosis is good. Small rectal tears that never fully heal can cause blood in the stool. Constipation and associated straining can aggravate this kind of problem.Give your dog a teaspoon of psyllium husks mixed in the regular food every day to soften and bulk up the stool.Your home-prepared recipe may not be complete and balanced. Check out mine at my Web site, www.doctormwfox.org, to see what you might be missing out of your recipe. You should also give your dog one-third of a crushed-up, human multimineral/multivitamin tablet mixed in the food daily.

Question:

Do you have any ideas as to why my cat sneezes so much? Could he be allergic to something in the home? How can I find out? I welcome your comments.

May 25, 2008

Answer:

Some people think it's cute or funny when a cat or kitten sneezes a lot, "acting just like a person." But be on the alert for potentially serious problems."In kittens and young cats, it could be the first signs of an upper-respiratory-system virus. Such an infection -- often aggravated by an already compromised immune system -- can further weaken the cat's immune system, leading to chronic bacterial infection. This can mean chronic sinusitis and living with a cat sneezing nasty, greenish snot everywhere. In some cases, pneumonia or chronic asthma/bronchitis develops. In others, an allergy is the cause -- notable where people smoke or where rooms are not thoroughly vacuumed every few days. Waste no time and get your pet to the vet.

Question:

I''ve always had trouble when my cats would start fighting. I learned early that when a fight starts, I just throw a blanket on them both. They scatter when I remove the blanket, and all is well again.

L.R., Laurel, Md May 25, 2008

Answer:

Thanks for the blanket tip! Throwing a coat, blanket or large towel over cats readying to fight or in mortal combat spooks both and quickly ends the fight.This is also a good emergency measure to use in the event of a dogfight.

Question:

My sister recently passed away, leaving behind a 12-year-old, all-white cat. He is great, but we are having trouble introducing him to our two dogs. I have a hound mix that seems to be afraid of the cat, so he''s not a problem. But our golden-husky mix is.The cat is really afraid of this dog, but had been brought up with a smaller dog at my sister''s place. He has been living down the basement and is pretty lonely all by himself.Any advice you can provide so we can keep this cat would be appreciated.

May 25, 2008

Answer:

You have a challenging situation. The old white cat could be severely stressed by the new environment with the dogs.So, if you cannot find a good, dog-free home for the cat, you must be on the alert for stress-related diseases, most especially cystitis and possible urinary-tract blockage. Both are results of refusing to use the litter box. Valium can help, but you must not let your cat hide away.Put the cat in a cage in the living room for a few minutes, several times a day, so the dogs can habituate safely and vice versa. Reassure the dogs and have the golden-husky mix sit and stay. When the dogs calm down, it is time to hold the cat in your arms and let them get used to each other. Wear thick gloves and clothing. Do not let the cat run off, since running away will trigger the dogs'' chase reaction.A harness and leash on the cat may help when you put the cat on the ground, but get the cat used to it during time out in the basement or your bedroom. Have someone keep the dogs quietly restrained on leashes and

Question:

Our 13-year-old cat has recently been diagnosed with a heart condition. His heart is three times the normal size and has a clot.He is on a daily regimen of Digoxin and twice-daily doses of Enalapril and Furosemide. Every other day, we give him one-quarter of a low-dose aspirin tablet.Although he remains his sweet self, he does not eat very well and has lost weight. I''ve switched him from Innova to California Natural dry food because he seems to like it better. He also likes Innova and California canned food. He''ll eat some cooked chicken and fish, but will pick out any veggies.Several years ago, he was diagnosed and treated for hyperthyroidism with radioactive therapy.I have two questions: Is it possible that the radioactive treatment may have damaged his heart? Do you have any holistic suggestions for helping his heart condition and keeping him comfortable?As mentioned above, his appetite is not very good. Our dog gets homemade diets, but the cats have never been very interested in anything other than the m

May 25, 2008

Answer:

Your veterinarian is on the right track with regard to the medicines, but a low-sodium diet is called for, and I would try to wean your cat off any dry food, which is high in cereals. Your cat should not be on a protein-restricted diet, but rather a low-salt, quality-protein diet that includes cooked and chopped chicken hearts, liver and cooked egg whites.Some types of feline cardiomyopathy -- which is what your cat has -- can be congenital in origin or linked to thyroid disease or taurine deficiency. Highly processed pet foods were deficient in this essential amino acid until it was discovered that this deficiency caused heart enlargement and blindness in cats. Manufacturers that add a synthetic supplement have ostensibly fixed the problem. Giving your cat whatever raw meat he will accept would be helpful in this regard. Many feline vet specialists recommend adding a feline supplement like Platinum Performance Feline Wellness Formula.

Question:

We recently experienced the tragic death of my niece''s beloved kitty, Baby. A family friend put some clothes in the dryer without realizing that Baby was asleep inside. The results were catastrophic and heartbreaking.I am writing to you in the hopes that you will be able to warn others to never allow their animals to sleep in a clothes dryer. Better yet, make sure that the dryer door is never left open. Many animals are attracted to the warmth that a dryer offers. We want to make sure that this horrible, senseless tragedy never occurs to anyone else.We cannot bring my niece''s kitty back, but if we can save one other animal, it will help us to believe that Baby did not die in vain.

M.J. & S. DeR., Chevy Chase, Md May 04, 2008

Answer:

Your story is terribly tragic and is a warning to all.We must always be mindful, especially with cats, to keep dryer and front-loading washer doors closed. Also, check the clothes themselves in case the cat may have jumped in while you weren''t looking.

Question:

I have an 8-year-old Maltese who appears to have a number of problems that have been going on for years:-- He continually drags his hindquarters on the carpet, even the same day that his anal sacs have been cleaned.-- He constantly has growths on his body that must be surgically removed. The new ones appear at different locations.-- He spends hours licking between the toes of his front paws. The vet checked his paws repeatedly and couldn''t find anything abnormal.Any guidance you can give on these topics will be greatly appreciated.

A.McG., Hertford, NC May 04, 2008

Answer:

Your poor dog''s multiple problems call for a holistic approach: more exercise, outdoor activity, a fresh raw beef-marrow-shank/soup bone to chew on and a radical change in diet. Chronic anal gland, gum, ear, skin, joint, and other problems often disappear or are significantly improved by feeding animals organic, whole-food diets plus supplements.A daily teaspoon of psyllium husks or human-grade (not fertilizer) bone meal in his food may also help the anal glands heal.