Question:

I enjoyed your article about the cost of wart removal. My yorkiepoo had one under his jaw by his neck. The vet charged me $1,000 to remove it. I was upset, but the doctor said I should have it removed. My dog got another one by his eye, and I put Polysporin on top of it, and within two days it was gone. Some vets know how much you love your pets and will take advantage if you are a sucker.

P.H., Brick, NJ May 13, 2013

Answer:

I share your incredulity that some members of the veterinary profession have evolved in parallel with some human doctors who put profits before ethics. Some even put their patients at risk by doing unwarranted -- but profitable -- diagnostic tests and "supportive" and "preventive" procedures.

A thousand dollars to remove a wart -- that''s a record breaker! Can any reader top that?

Question:

We have had two cats, brother and sister, for six years. Recently, the male had to visit the vet for a urinary tract infection. We were gone for less than an hour, but when we returned, the female acted as if he were a stranger.

This behavior has gone on now for more than three weeks, and the male has stationed himself behind our sofa and only comes out to eat. We have a pheromone diffuser and squirt the female when she attacks him. No one, not even our vet, can tell us what to do.

Any suggestions? Will this behavior end at some point?

W.D.L., Scranton, NJ Oct 16, 2012

Answer:

What you are witnessing is one of the irrational aspects of feline behavior: The strange scent your cat picked up at the veterinary hospital makes your other cat terrified and act as though she no longer recognizes her brother.

Olfaction plays a major role in feline gestalt perception and cognition. This is a fairly common occurrence and is seen notably when one cat comes in from roaming outdoors bearing the scent of another cat after a fight or other physical contact.

I advise rubbing a little bit of the same perfume or aftershave used by one of the caregivers on both cats for several days, around the cheeks and back of the neck. Offer them dried catnip. If these steps fail, visit my website, DrFoxVet.com, and look up my review of the procedures established to introduce a new cat into the home where there is already one cat. Good luck!

Question:

Do you think rabies vaccinations are necessary? I have always given my dog the shots every three years, but since the last one, I have been avoiding all immunizations. I am trying to be more holistic with her.

My boyfriend said he never gave his dog any shots, and he fed her only the cheapest dog food. She lived to be 18 years old. My town is having a free rabies clinic in a few weeks, so I need to know before then.

M.B., Scranton, NJ Jul 09, 2012

Answer:

The law is the law, and if your dog is ever lost and has no rabies tag or accidentally bites someone, you could be in deep trouble. Rabies vaccinations are mandatory in many communities across the U.S.

I, too, am concerned about adverse vaccination reactions. The American Veterinary Medical Association is working on a protocol for veterinarians to provide certificates for animals who are at risk of developing adverse reactions to the anti-rabies vaccination, and, therefore, should not be vaccinated.

At this time, you can have your veterinarian do a blood titer reading to determine if the three-year vaccine is still providing a high enough level of rabies protection to prove revaccination is not needed for your dog. A statement to that effect written by your veterinarian should satisfy public health authorities if the vaccination status of your dog is questioned.

Question:

Murphy is a 10-month-old kitten that I rescued from a shelter. I took him to my vet's office as soon as I got him. He was checked out and everything seemed fine. At 6 months, he was altered. He eats and plays fine, but I noticed that he had rapid breathing.

I took him back to the vet to have it checked out. She took an X-ray of his chest and found that his heart is enlarged. She recommended that I take him to a cardiologist, which I did. The cardiologist did an echocardiogram. The vet diagnosed Murphy with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. He says Murphy will live only six months to a year. He put him on furosemide (12.5 mg daily).

Is there anything I can do for him? If you looked at him, you would say he is a very healthy kitten. His gray fur is so shiny. Is there any special food or vitamin that I can give him that will help? I want to keep him healthy as long as possible.

M.F., Monroe Township, NJ May 15, 2012

Answer:

This heart disease is rare in a cat so young, and I would suggest a congenital disorder possibly aggravated by poor nutrition early in life caused it.

Benazepril is one prescription drug that may be of benefit. Discuss this with your veterinarian, along with consideration of potentially beneficial supplements such as the amino acid taurine, coenzyme Q10, fish oil and magnesium. With good nutrition and a stress-free environment -- which would preclude boarding your cat if you go on vacation -- he should enjoy a relatively normal life. His heart may even compensate to some degree and his life expectancy be extended considerably. Above all, keep him on a grain-free diet, eating raw or lightly cooked, home-prepared food. For details and links, visit my cat food recipe on my site DrFoxVet.com. The leaner he stays, the better!

Question:

Last year was the worst for fleas for our cats. Frontline has always controlled fleas in the past, but not last summer. We used Frontline as directed, plus flea powder (which we also applied to our rugs), but we still got fleas.

A friend recommended Natural Defense, but is it safe for cats? It contains peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, lemongrass oil, clove oil, thyme and vanilla. If Natural Defense is not safe for cats, what do you recommend? Can you suggest something else?

My cats do go outdoors a little, and we have wild raccoons, opossums and squirrels outside.

P.C.L., Matawan, NJ Apr 30, 2012

Answer:

By all accounts, fleas were a major problem last summer. I am not alone in contending that this epidemic is one of the many consequences of climate change.

One major concern with increasing populations of noxious, biting insects is that the bugs can develop resistance to insecticides. Ticks spreading Lyme disease to humans, dogs, cats and other animals is just the tip of this iceberg.

The best medicine is prevention rather than reliance on insecticides that can have adverse health and environmental consequences. One integrative approach to flea and tick control is available on my website. It is especially important to not allow cats to roam freely outdoors, where they will be magnets for fleas. Getting them used to 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of brewer's yeast in their food every day, along with a daily flea-combing inspection, can help. Safe insecticides for in-home use include Perma-Guard and Fleabusters.

I do not advise using insect repellant products that contain essential oils such as peppermint and lemongrass on cats, but they are generally safe and effective on dogs.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox's website at www.DrFoxVet.com/info.)

Question:

I have two small dogs. I feed them dry food (Solid Gold Just a Wee Bit) in the morning and canned food (Blue Buffalo) in the evening. I would rather make their food for the evening feeding.

Can you please provide a recipe and advise me of any supplements they should be getting. They are my babies, and I want to do good for them. They love carrots and apples, so I try to provide these often.

A.L., Brick, NJ Apr 29, 2012

Answer:

I receive many requests for my basic dog and cat food recipes. Many of my readers do not have access to a computer and my website, so I have published the recipes in my book, "Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Cat and Dog Food." The book has details about supplements and the ingredients in many prepared pet foods owners should avoid.

As a treat, here is my basic dog food recipe:

• 1 pound lean hamburger, ground lamb or mutton; one whole chicken; or half a small turkey (all raw)
• 2 cups uncooked whole-grain rice (or barley, rolled oats or pasta noodles)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or flaxseed oil* or safflower oil)
• 1 tablespoon organic butter
• 1 tablespoon wheat germ
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon brewer's yeast
• 1 tablespoon calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, lactate or human-grade bone meal
• * If you're using flaxseed oil, add it after the cooked food has cooled to room temperature.

Combine all the above ingredients. Add enough water to cover ingredients. Simmer, stir and add more water as needed until cooked. Debone the chicken parts, but do not feed your dog the cooked bones since they can splinter and cause internal injury. While the stew is still very hot, mix in a cup of raw, grated carrots, sweet potatoes or yams. The recipe should be thick enough to be molded into patties -- you can add oat bran, rice or buckwheat flour to help thicken.

For a 30-pound dog, serve 1 cup of this recipe twice daily. Freeze the rest. You can even serve the patties frozen so your dog can gnaw on them in hot weather.

For dogs less than 30 pounds and for overweight and less-active dogs, use only 1 cup of uncooked rice in the recipe.

Transition your dog onto this new diet gradually. Mix increasing amounts of your dog's new food with decreasing amounts of the old food over a seven-day period to enable adaptation and avoid possible digestive upset. For variation, you can use cottage cheese, well-cooked lentils, garbanzo beans, lima beans or a dozen organic eggs as meat alternatives. (Note: Some dogs are allergic or hypersensitive to some foods, especially soy, beef, eggs, wheat and dairy products.)

Don't forget: Lightly cooked calf and beef liver, heart and kidneys are good sources of animal protein and other essential nutrients. All pet food ingredients, ideally, should be organically certified.

Give your dog a daily multivitamin and mutimineral supplement like Pfizer's Pet Tabs. You can also give your dog half of a human one-a-day supplement equivalent crushed up in the food.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox's website at www.DrFoxVet.com/info.)

Question:

We are desperate for help. We had a cat named Tiny who was wonderful and very affectionate. About five years ago, we saw a 3-year-old cat's photo on a rescue group's website. She had the same name as my husband's deceased sister, Lily, so we had to adopt her. Lily is declawed, very shy and timid. She never got along with Tiny, but they coexisted and were able to eat near each other. They maintained no contact.

Unfortunately, we lost Tiny last year at the age of 18. In the middle of August, we adopted Petunia, a 1-year-old female, from the local shelter. We followed the advice of keeping the two cats separate for two weeks and then gradually introducing them. We have been receiving ongoing support from a shelter volunteer.

Petunia wanted to play, but after aggressive noises from Lily, she started chasing her. They fight frequently -- there's clawing and scary noises, but no bloodshed. My cat sitter advised that we leave them together whenever we are home, and let them work it out. After repeated fighting, Lily became terrified of Petunia. She has started hiding and defecating and urinating on the porch (her favorite place) or outside of the litter box. She has stopped eating.

We are at our wits' end. It's OK if they don't become friends as long as they both can live with us safely. We have tried giving them treats if they are in the same room without fighting. The shelter volunteer suggested that we start over and separate them for at least a week.

We really love Petunia and would love to keep her, but don't want Lily to suffer. We would appreciate any help and advice you can give us.

C.A., Manchester, NJ Apr 16, 2012

Answer:

I agree with the advice given by the animal shelter volunteer to keep the cats separate for a week and then go through the reintroduction procedure. These slow steps (there are no quick shortcuts) are spelled out on my website.

If this fails, you may try an option that often works like a miracle: Adopt a healthy young adult cat who can form a peaceful triangle, keeping the other cats away from each other most of the time by bonding with playful and active Petunia. I can vouch for this miracle third cat phenomenon from personal experience, and it is well worth consideration.

Question:

I have a 10-year-old yellow Labrador who recently had several warts develop on her head and leg. The one on her face became infected and, consequently, was removed surgically. It looks like a few more are starting to show.

The vet told me not to worry about them. I heard that a virus causes these types of warts. Is there anything I can do to prevent more of them from breaking out on her body? I felt disappointed with the vet's diagnosis and would appreciate your comments regarding this matter.

A.K., Colts Neck, NJ Jan 02, 2012

Answer:

There are two types of warts usually seen in dogs. Young dogs often develop warts caused by canine papilloma virus, which is not transmissible to humans. Older dogs are prone to developing warts because of a compromised immune system; the skin-invading virus makes the cells in the skin proliferate. Some breeds, such as toy poodles, are especially prone. Older dogs can also develop wart-like growths that are not triggered by a skin virus, but may be related to other skin conditions such as greasy seborrhea or hormonal dysfunction, especially of the thyroid gland.

If the attending veterinarian suspected possible skin cancer, a biopsy would have been taken. Large benign warts that become infected are best removed surgically. Smaller warts can be painted with cider vinegar three to four times a day or with over-the-counter wart removal ointment for humans. The dog, of course, should not be able to lick this medication or rub it and get it in the eyes. However, when folk remedies fail, periodic surgical removal is the only option.

Question:

My 9-year-old border collie had a beautiful coat and skin until two years ago. He started scratching and biting himself raw, and his hair fell out every summer into fall. I had a feeling it was due to an allergy, maybe to something in the backyard.

I have taken him to two vets, and neither was certain what was causing this condition. He was on steroids, antibiotics and special shampoos. His skin would clear up for awhile but get bad again soon after finishing the medications.

Needless to say, it was very expensive, so I decided to switch dog foods and try other remedies, such as probiotics. The dog food now is Nutro Natural Choice, grain-free natural lamb and potato formula.

His skin and coat have only gotten worse. His skin produces a lot of oil, so the hair closest to the skin is very greasy. The skin turned black after the wet spots dried out.

His ears also bother him periodically -- itchy and smelly. We put ear cleaner drops in both ears, and this seems to help temporarily. We are at our wits' end and are considering euthanizing him because he seems miserable and smells horrible. Our grandkids can't even pet him anymore. Thank you for any advice you may have.

P.M., Long Beach, NJ Oct 22, 2011

Answer:

I sympathize with you and your poor dog. This is a not uncommon and distressing condition called canine atopy, affecting dogs who become allergic or hypersensitive to insect bites, pollens, ingredients in their diet and so forth. Dogs often develop multiple hypersensitivities. Much detective work is called for, and various treatment regimens have to be tried after ruling out mange, the parasitic skin-mite disease that is the bane of dogdom.

Also rule out flea-bite hypersensitivity. Bathe the dog in Selsun Blue (human) medicated shampoo and cover areas where he lies down with cotton sheets. (Use a fragrance-free laundry soap.) A week later, bathe the dog with a soothing oatmeal or chamomile shampoo.

Do not have the dog vaccinated until he recovers. Do not use any anti-flea or anti-tick drugs on his skin, and have him checked for underlying hypothyroid and possible Cushing's disease complications.

Talk with your veterinarian about starting your dog on a so-called elimination diet to help identify which ingredients in his diet (home-prepared) are OK. He may benefit from antihistamines and such dietary supplements as fish oil, selenium and zinc. Some dogs with seasonal allergies benefit from a daily teaspoon of local honey or bee pollen in their food; others benefit from having their skin periodically soaked in aloe vera gel (available in health stores).

Question:

I need your advice regarding rabies shots. We recently lost a pet cat to cancer from rabies shots to the back of her neck. Now I ask that the vaccines be administered to a back leg, but it seems cancer can happen at this site, too.

Is there any way cats can get rabies protection other than by a needle shot? A pill? Anything?

P.L., Matawan, NJ Oct 17, 2011

Answer:

Fortunately, the incidence of cancer (a fibrosarcoma at the site of injection) is rare. Most veterinarians no longer inject in the neck or shoulders, where surgical removal of the cancer, if it were to develop, is more difficult than in a leg that is most often amputated.

I find this vaccination risk unwarranted for cats who never go outdoors, and the mandatory rabies vaccination is draconian when no exceptions are given. But it is also true that far too many owners allow their cats to roam free, exposing them to possible infection from a rabid cat or wild animal.

It is hoped that nasal spray vaccinations as an alternative to injections will soon be available, though research and development of these safer alternatives is slow. Oral anti-rabies vaccines are used in bait to help control this disease in wild animals such as foxes. I would think manufacturers might profitably focus on developing a safe and effective oral anti-rabies vaccine for cats and dogs.

For a detailed review of vaccination risks -- a controversial issue in both human and veterinary medicine, especially when it comes to mandatory vaccinations -- check my new book "Healing Animals & the Vision of One Health," available on Amazon.com.