Question:

I have been using your recipe to feed my dog for some time now. It is so healthful that he''s probably in better shape than I am. And it smells delicious!In a recent article, you mentioned adding a vitamin, occasionally. Do they really need that on top of the calcium, wheat germ, brewer''s yeast, garlic, vinegar, carrots and sweet potato? I have faith in your wisdom, so if you say it''s needed, I''ll add it.We have a Finnish Spitz, an unusual dog to have been found by the pound, roaming in our semirural county. He is gorgeous!.

K.J., Hendersonville, NC Jul 27, 2008

Answer:

As you will see on my Web site (www.doctormwfox.org), I have modified both my dog and cat recipes in the light of advances in veterinary clinical nutrition. Some dogs have adverse reactions to garlic and wheat germ. I have dropped all cereal grains for cats, and reduced the amount for less-active dogs.I advise a daily multivitamin and multimineral tablet or capsule (from a good brand) of human daily supplement: half a human capsule for a 50-pound dog. For animals with digestive problems, allergies or old-age issues, daily probiotics and enzymes can do wonders.

Question:

Our 6-year-old German shepherd suffered severely for about three years with what we thought was skin allergies. She was skin and bones and had sores all over her body, which made her smell bad. She also had yellow diarrhea.We had her on every medication from steroids, antibiotics -- you name it. She also itched 24 hours a day. Almost all of her hair fell out and, at times, I hoped she might die just so she wouldn''t suffer anymore. She was tested for mange and that came up negative. She was also treated with ivermectin shots.Finally, she was diagnosed with pancreatic insufficiency (70 percent of dogs with this problem are German shepherds). The medicine prescribed was Viokase -- at about $160 per month for the rest of her life, we could not afford this. So we found a product on the Internet called Prozyme for $22. She''s been on this for about three months and is now a completely different dog! She''s gained weight, her hair is beautiful, and there''s no more diarrhea. Her skin is healthy, and there''s no more ob

D.E., Seymour, CT Jul 27, 2008

Answer:

I am pleased to hear of your dog''s recovery, owing to your persistence and discovery of Prozyme. I hope all readers and veterinarians will take this to heart. Complex skin diseases that are linked to one or more internal organ dysfunctions, like Cushing''s disease and hypothyroidism, take veterinary expertise to diagnose. Only too often they are seen simply as some problem with the animal''s skin that owners think might simply go away or respond to with some skin cream, rather than immediately seeing a veterinarian who may be able to nip the problem in the bud. With complex skin diseases associated with illnesses like pancreatic insufficiency, the worse the skin gets, the more difficult the underlying disease can be to treat as the animal becomes anemic and other health problems may develop.Many chronic diseases, geriatric pets and animals recovering from illness can be turned around for the better when good nutrition is combined with digestive enzymes.The digestive enzymes (like plant-derived lipases, amylase

Question:

We are a retired couple in our 80s and have a Japanese Chin that we rescued -- he is the delight of our lives. However, he has several habits that we cannot break him of:1) He will urinate and defecate in his cage. He will also eat his own feces. This is not constant, but will happen once or twice a month. He is taken for a quarter-mile walk three times a day and is out in our fenced-in yard at least five to six times a day.2) If someone is at the front door, he will bark annoyingly.We rescued him when he was 1-1/2, and he is now 2 years old. At first, he was extremely shy around people, but is becoming more used to strangers. We allow him to be around when we have family or friends visiting, and he is now OK with being petted. Any advice would be appreciated.

A.J.O., Naples, FL Jul 27, 2008

Answer:

It seems that your patience and good care have helped your dog become more trusting and sociable.But why the cage? Such confinement is probably stressful, hence the urination and occasional defecation. He most likely eats his stools because that''s his way of cleaning up his own mess.I advise against cage confinement. A better alternative would be an open cage lined with a blanket that can serve as a secure den that your dog may enjoy."The annoying barking might be reduced by aversive noise conditioning: Give your dog a command of "quiet," and shake a tin can of coins or keys close to the dog. Then praise the dog when quiet, ideally pre-trained to "sit" as well."A dog-training clicker available at pet stores might work well, but when I tried it on one of my dogs, Batman, he was absolutely petrified!

Question:

I have been feeding my two 4-year-old Maltese-poodle mixes, Sonny and Cher (14 and 8 pounds), your fresh-food recipe for 1-1/2 years. Their conditions have dramatically improved, and we''ll never go back to commercial food. The benefits are truly worth the little extra trouble to make the food once a week.Not only do my dogs completely enjoy their new food; they can''t wait to eat. Their feces are no longer constantly wet, the dark discharge from their eyes is much less, and their fur has much better texture. They don''t have odors anymore and are much easier to groom, as they used to be matted terribly and hated to be groomed).I have also discontinued giving the dogs the once-a-month flea medicine, and neither I nor the dog groomer has seen evidence of flea or tick infestation. I don''t know whether this is because of the ingredients in the food or their better overall health.Until recently, we were supplementing with a small amount of dry dog food in the middle of the day because we were concerned about keepin

K. & B.J., Alexandria, Va Jul 20, 2008

Answer:

Thanks for confirming the health benefits of good nutrition that people witness often so dramatically in their dogs and cats when taken off manufactured junk pet foods. Hence my advocacy of home-prepared cat and dog foods that consist primarily of whole-food ingredients, ideally organically certified.Raw beef marrowbones (scalded to kill surface bacteria) are the only bones dogs should be given to safely clean their teeth as they enjoy gnawing. Do not cook for long or they will become dangerously brittle. A few dogs are obsessive bone gnawers and can damage their teeth, so I advise a five- to 10-minute bone chew daily or a safe rubber chew toy (like a Kong product) that, when stuffed with peanut butter, can relieve dogs'' boredom and separation anxiety.

Question:

Five years ago, I adopted a 6-month-old male kitten from a local shelter. He was very sweet when he was "in jail," but as soon as he was neutered and I could bring him home, I knew there was an issue."His meanness was his way of handling stress. A little more than a year ago, he went into a cat rage -- he had reached his stress limit. This was all new to me -- so I did some research and decided to try Feliway.I use the dispenser and keep it plugged in all day. This has worked wonders for him and us. I was going to have him put down, but Feliway saved his life. He is still a bit cranky, but he''s definitely manageable.We also have a female cat, and Feliway has no influence on her, but the male calms down immediately within minutes of plugging the dispenser in. Maybe this will help other cat owners with similar issues.

T.C., Clovis, CA Jul 20, 2008

Answer:

I am glad that the pheromone Feliway helped your cat feel more secure and turned him from an attack cat to a lap cat.French veterinary researchers recognized the profound behavioral and psychological effects of certain body odors called pheromones, and they developed this product.I would appreciate hearing from other readers about their experiences using Feliway on their cats with various behavioral problems.There is an equivalent pheromone product available for use in dogs suffering from such conditions as separation anxiety, the pheromone being like the scent around a mother dog''s teats.

Question:

Our recently rescued cat Mickey (estimated to be more than 10 years old) urinates and sprays outside of the litter box. He is very vocal and cries a good deal (independent, we think, of accidents). We do not know if he cries about pain, frustration or attention. He does not appear to be in physical pain, but he does not like to be picked up or held, so we may be wrong about that.Mickey's urination behavior is frustrating, and it wears us down. Cleanup can take an hour, and we are worried about the permanent smell, material damage and emotional distress to our very clean older cat. Because the behavior is confined to the litter-box area, we assume it could be related to straining or maybe it is marking, but we don't know. Do you have any advice?.

W.L.H., St. Paul, MN Jul 20, 2008

Answer:

Your poor cat seems to have more of a physical than emotional problem."Cats often behave like Mickey when they have painful, impacted anal glands or spinal arthritis. Have these possible causes checked out, the latter being helped with daily massage therapy mentioned in my book "The Healing Touch for Cats." Arthritis affecting the vertebrae is quite common in older cats, for whom a daily massage and up to 1 teaspoon of fish oil daily provide considerable relief -- but never give human anti-inflammatory and arthritis drugs like Tylenol and Aleve to cats or dogs, since fatal liver failure could occur, even with small doses of these drugs."Additional measures include trying a different brand of litter -- dusty, clay-based litters can cause problems -- a larger or extra litter box and plastic sheeting on the floor. Litter boxes with covers can become so ammoniated inside if not cleaned out daily that cats may refuse to enter.Chronic pain with muscle spasms and associated anxiety can be alleviated with Valium or

Question:

I love your column and advice (which is usually great). However, as a feral-cat caretaker and advocate for more than 10 years, I felt compelled to write to educate you and your readers.Your recent advice to a query involving a free-roaming feral cat was to call Animal Control to trap and get the cat into a more responsible home is, unfortunately, just not realistic.Millions of healthy, adoptable cats are killed in our shelters each year due to overpopulation. Feral cats are killed almost immediately, usually in the trap they arrive in. The only humane solution is TNR (trap, neuter, return). Once the cat is fixed, rabies-vaccinated and ear-tipped for identification purposes, the nuisance behavior stops. A feeding station should be set up in an out-of-sight location.Dr. Fox, you could educate so many people. It is my mission to make it a more humane world for these forgotten felines. For more information, please go to www.alleycatallies.org.

T.B., Naples, FL Jul 20, 2008

Answer:

I respect your concern and passion. Doing good feels good, as I know too well as an animal-rights advocate; but what feels good may not always be the best thing to do."The TNR that you and many other cat lovers and protectors advocate is extremely controversial. It is no panacea for the plight of homeless, lost and feral (gone wild) cats. It can be extremely detrimental to indigenous wildlife. I would only endorse TNR, coupled with regular monitoring and daily supplemental feeding, for feral-cat populations living where humans have created a rodent overpopulation and related public-health problems, as in warehouse districts. A healthy, well-managed, "working" group of TNR cats is appropriate biological warfare in my mind, like using guard dogs to protect sheep from coyotes. But I am wholly opposed to TNR projects that return cats to the wild."

Question:

I just finished reading a letter in your column from J.K. in Norfolk, Va., about the dog experiencing grand-mal seizures.This happened to my beautiful 8-year-old golden retriever named Blu. He continued to have monthly seizures, even while on increasing doses of phenobarbital. Then my vet tested him for hypothyroidism, which seems to be the culprit. Blu is also now on Thyro-Tabs.I hope I''m not jumping the gun, but it has been 54 days since Blu has had a seizure, and we are hopeful that this trend will continue.I''m not certain what the eventual outcome will be. He has periodic blood work to check certain levels, and I am hoping we will be able to wean Blu off the phenobarbital. For now, I''m just grateful that he doesn''t have to experience those seizures and the two-hour aftermath.

J.S.B., Troy, NY Jul 20, 2008

Answer:

Hats off to your veterinarian for testing your dog for hypothyroidism. It must have been quite advanced for it to cause seizures.Readers: Please take note of this because thyroid deficiency is the most prevalent canine endocrine disease -- with diabetes, Cushing''s (adrenal) and pancreatitis following close behind.When middle-aged cats become more irritable and aggressive, check for overactive thyroid disease. One cause of this disease is thought to be the bromide-based fire-retardant chemical dust in homes from treated carpets and upholstery.

Question:

As an animal lover and owner of an indoor cat, I have to wonder why there are no cat-leash laws.It''s safer and healthier for cats, far safer for the birds in our backyards, and can help decrease the amount of kittens born when cats are not allowed to roam. I''d love to see the numbers of unwanted cats drastically reduced. Spay, neuter and keep inside! I''d appreciate your thoughts on this issue.

L.H., Minneapolis, MN Jul 13, 2008

Answer:

Most municipalities and real cat lovers share your concerns. The problem is the cost of effective law enforcement.All I can say is: Cat owners wake up! Never let your cats outdoors except on a leash or in an escape-proof backyard or enclosure. Some cat owners believe that it is inhumane not to let cats follow their instincts and go out to hunt, insisting that trying to keep their cats indoors makes them go crazy. I say nuts to all of this. Free roaming cats kill, injure and disturb wildlife. Several times a day, the squirrels and birds on our property give alarm calls and upset my wife, myself and our dogs because we know that our neighbors'' cats are on the prowl. Screams and fur flying the other morning meant another mutilated squirrel.I receive many letters with complaints about cats defecating in peoples'' gardens -- a nasty, foul mess that is a serious public-health issue -- and spraying and vocalizing around peoples'' homes where there are indoor cats that can become seriously stressed by such outdoor fel

Question:

I have a 5-year-old Labrador, and he has had ear-infection problems.My sister has a very good friend who is a Lab breeder and veterinarian, and she advised me to change his diet. I was feeding Science Diet Light, but the vet recommended no beef or chicken, so I switched to Nutru Natural Choice Lamb and gave him only lamb treats."The ear infections cleared up, and we were fine for a couple of years, but he began gaining weight and the Nutru Natural Choice didn''t come in "light," so I went back to the former food. Within a few months, the ear infections came back. I switched back to the lamb formula (which now came in "light" form), and his ears are fine and he has also lost weight. The vet says the ears look real good, and I should continue with this regimen."It''s also important to note that I use Vet Solutions Ear Cleansing Solution monthly. I hope you find this information helpful.

S.G., Milford, CT Jul 13, 2008

Answer:

Thank you for your helpful insights. Although I do not endorse any particular brand of pet food, I do advocate quality foods, ideally organically certified with all specific ingredients clearly labeled.Meat byproducts and meat meal could mean any kind of animal protein from pork to horse, even road-kill deer and -- until recently -- euthanized dogs and cats from shelters and vet hospitals. So you don''t know which animal protein your dog may be allergic to. And there are other sources of protein, as well as various additives, that can appear in manufactured pet foods about which the label on the can says nothing. The massive pet-food recall of 2007 is evidence enough, the only good news being that the owners of thousands of dogs and cats killed or sickened in this debacle could share a proposed $32 million settlement to cover out-of-pocket expenses and up to $900 each of undocumented costs. More readers, like you, are discovering that chronic ear and other health problems can be cured or significantly mollifi