Thursday, November 13, 2008
Dear Dr. Fox:
I have a soon-to-be 12-year-old female golden retriever. In these last few years, she has been experiencing ear infections, sometimes every few months. Prior to this, she never had a single one. Is this something related to age? She has been on the same food, Iams.
The vet usually gives her Otomax, which does clear it up; and twice she has had Animax. She had both for the current infection, and it still looks red. This is the first time it seems not to have worked. To keep taking her back for the same thing every other month does not seem logical. She just had full blood work done, and everything seems normal.
What else can I do for her? I hate to see her constantly uncomfortable.
A.M.
Staten Island, N.Y.
I receive many letters like yours and scores of letters affirming how a change in diet is all that was needed to make the pet well.
Don't ever believe that being "on the same food" means that diet has nothing to do with an animal's health problem. The notion that, since the diet has always been the same brand and type (dry/kibble or moist/canned), there's nothing to worry about needs to be dispelled. Ear problems and food allergies are closely linked in many instances.
Each batch of pet food under the same label is different because ingredients are never identical in quality and even in kind. The safety and nutritional values of each batch of manufactured food are never fully determined.
The change in diet I recommend for your dog is on my Web site, http://www.doctormwfox.org. Giving your dog one teaspoon of cod-liver oil in her food every day might also help. Several readers have told me that they use Wally's Ear Oil on themselves and that it has helped their pets' ear problems, too. Essential oils such as tea tree are in this as well as other good eardrop formulations, a selection of which you can find at the Only Natural Pet Store Web site, http://www.onlynaturalpet.com.
Dear Dr. Fox:
As a faithful reader of your column, I am writing in hopes you will be able to explain the strange behavior of one of my cats.
Malachy is a 9-year-old neutered tabby. About a year ago, he began picking up pens and bringing them into the kitchen. After a few months, he graduated to my husband's socks. He would drag them near the kitchen door to the garage. In the past several months, he has been dragging my husband's polo and T-shirts. Sometimes he pulls them off hangers or from the bed or chair. He seems to prefer the brightly colored shirts. Sometimes he will drag three to four shirts, a pair of underpants, swim trunks and even a cotton hat. He does this mostly when we are out during the day, but sometimes when he wants attention in the evening when we are watching TV.
After he has created a pile of clothing, he might sit on or near it, or retire to his box and sleep. When dragging these things in his mouth, he cries the most pitiful, half-muffled meows. Our other cat just watches him and does not participate in his strange behavior. What is this all about?
S.L.
Naples, Fla.
Dear Dr. Fox:
Our cat Roxy has taken an extreme liking to a small ball of yarn that was tossed on the floor a few years ago. She carries it around in her mouth and, mostly at night, howls over it as if she's in some type of reverie. She leaves it around the house but often brings it into our bedroom at night. We have taken to calling it her "yarn baby" or "love child." My husband uses earplugs at night because of her incessant howling.
What is going on? Is it really a substitute baby? Is she just going through a phase? Why doesn't my other cat even look at the yarn ball? Should I just use earplugs and not worry?
S.F.
Silver Spring
Many readers have cats just like yours. Such feline behavior is indicative of cats' imaginative and creative abilities. Cats devise ways to satisfy basic instinctual drives and desires that have no easy outlet in their home environments, even when they have the company of one or more other cats (which is a good thing -- too many cats are deprived of even that).
What your cats are displaying are elements of kitten-carrying, nurturing behavior and of prey-catching or coveting behavior. This is why it's a good idea to provide cats with a variety of toys and cardboard boxes to hide in. Scratch posts and climbing cat condos also help enrich their environment.
Older cats that become agitated and vocal at night might be in pain from arthritis or suffering from hyperthyroidism or Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, so a vet checkup might be in order.
Dear Dr. Fox:
We live in North Carolina and have a 10-year-old cat that spends part of every day outdoors. Our veterinarian recommends Revolution for fleas and heartworm. When I asked whether there might be an alternative treatment, he said holistic treatments do not work and this was the most effective treatment to protect our cat, especially from heartworm.
I thought I had read in your column that there were other, less-invasive ways to control fleas and heartworm. Do you have suggestions?
L.G.
Raleigh, N.C.
I know of no safe preventive drug for heartworm infestation that is now evident in cats as well as dogs.
Cats who go outdoors are likely to be bitten by infective mosquitoes. Letting your cat out when the mosquitoes are less active (especially around noon or on dry, windy days) is low-risk exposure.
A dab of essential oil of lemon on the nape of the cat's neck might help repel biting insects and prevent nasty skin reactions to bites (called eosinophilic granulomatosis). Alternatively, rub equal parts of apple-cider vinegar and water along your cat's back with a sponge just to moisten the fur and the tips of her ears before allowing her out.
To keep fleas away from your cat indoors, vacuum the home thoroughly every week, give your cat a daily flea combing and catch and drown fleas in a dish of sudsy water. Also, give your cat a half-teaspoon of brewer's yeast in the cat food daily. These might also help repel mosquitoes.
Dear Dr. Fox:
I have a question concerning our dear 15-year-old dog. She has always had her distemper/hepatitis/parvo five-way and heartworm tests and pills every year. Is it necessary to continue these shots?
T.E.
Apple Valley, Minn.
Your veterinarian needs to either retire or go back to school. No dog as old as yours needs such a vaccine cocktail. It's a waste of money and an unwarranted health risk bordering on malpractice.
Heartworm preventive pills are called for after a blood test has been done to be sure your dog is not infested.
Dear Dr. Fox:
Reading about the shepherd mix that chewed on everything reminded me of our first dog that had the same problem. I bought one of your books. In it, you mentioned a problem with a dog that killed chickens. You suggested attaching the damaged goods to the dog's collar to make the point that the chewing is offensive.
Our dog had damaged a third shoe, and we attached it to her collar while we were home and made her carry it around for a few days. Every time we thought of it, we pointed out the chewed part and how it offended us. She never chewed on anything again.
I have also used a cowbell on her collar to discourage her from digging. She hated the noise it made when she dug, so she stopped digging.
My friends and I also like your idea of "shake cans" -- cans with coins inside. The dogs hate the noise of the can and generally stop the offending deed.
T.G.
Naples, Fla.
That old-school method of conditioning a dog not to kill barnyard chickens by tying a chicken the dog had killed around the dog's neck is indeed a tried-and-true remedy.
Some dog owners and trainers might find your training methods inhumane. But a little discomfort can go a long way and be justified when applied consistently. The dog's behavior can be modified quickly. This is far better than yelling and hitting, common human reactions to undesirable canine behavior. These serve only to confuse and frighten the dog and can lead to more behavioral problems.
Michael W. Fox, author of a newsletter and books on animal care, welfare and rights, is a veterinarian with doctoral degrees in medicine and animal behavior. More pet care information is available at Dr. Fox's Web site, www.doctormwfox.org. Write to Dr. Fox at United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016.
Copyright 2008 United Feature Syndicate Inc.
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