Advice for Pet Owners
Ask the Animal Doctor

Michael W. Fox
Veterinarian and Syndicated Columnist
Wednesday, November 26, 2008 11:00 AM

Do you have a problem pooch or crazy cat? Are you trying to pick the best pet for your family? Are you alarmed by news reports about tainted pet food and looking for better options?

Michael W. Fox can offer advice on these quandaries, and other issues related to the care and feeding of our furry friends (as well as those with feathers or scales). He is a veterinarian and author of the syndicated column "Animal Doctor," which appears in the Post's community news Extras each Thursday. He has written over 40 books, most recently "Not Fit for a Dog! The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food" and "Dog Body, Dog Mind," which takes a holistic approach to pet care and communication. Get information on his other publications, pet food recipes, animal rights and more at his Web site. He was online Wednesday, November 26, at 11 a.m. ET to answer questions.

Submit your questions and comments before or during the live discussion.

Please join us again for another discussion on pet care Nov. 26 at 1 p.m. ET with Victoria Stilwell from the Animal Planet show "It's Me or the Dog". And check out washingtonpost.com's Pets section anytime!

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Germantown, Md.: Hi. My dogs have started to show bad plaque on their teeth. They won't let me brush their teeth. I try to give them biscuits as often as I can but I feel this is not really helping. Do I really need to take to a pro grooming place to get their teeth brushed or checked? I'm afraid it's expensive. If I leave it alone and just continue giving them biscuits and chewing bones, will they turn out ok? Thank you.

Dr. Michael W. Fox: Dental problems in dogs and cats are not to be neglected. A thorough cleaning by a veterinarian may be called for, and at least a good oral exam. Neglected, dental diseases can cause serious damage to the heart, pancreas, liver---

Give a safe chew material like a raw beef marrow soup bone. The oral gel or spray that helps keep teeth clean and actually removes plaque is called Petzlife Oral Care. Visit www.petzlife.com or Tel: 1-888-463-4682 good for cats as well as dogs

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Washington, D.C.: My husband and I have a 20-pound blue heeler mix we rescued two years ago. He is the most friendly dog to all people and other dogs -- except small children. They totally freak him out. He barks loudly and aggressively when they are near. We do not have children, and we live in the city where not many kids are around. I am nervous to practice breaking his fear on other people's children and not sure how to proceed. It is so strange how he flips a light switch from a sweet happy dog to a scared one when a three-year-old is around.

Dr. Michael W. Fox: This is a common problem with dogs not socialized/habitutated to children during puppyhood. Kids can be scary -- noisy, unpredictable, and many are not trained by their parents how to be quiet and mindful around other animals.

Your best first step is to see how well your dog responds to desensitization, having him visit a children's playground or outside a school yard repeatedly -- and always at a safe distance, to help him learn that there is nothing to fear. Have some older children walk with you and take his leash once he settles.

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Dela-where?: I have two six-month-old kittens, a brother and sister. I give them wet food in the mornings, a half bowl each of dry to hold them over until I get home and then some wet food at night. The boy is growing incredibly fast compared to his sister (he's 9lbs and she's 5.5lbs). Our vet told us that he'll probably be around 15lbs when he's full grown but that we need to start worrying about obesity now. I was told to mix their dry kitten food with low-calorie dry food but that doesn't sound right to me because I know kittens need a lot more nutrients than adult cats. Do you have advice or recommendations on what should be done or is the vet right in giving them low-cal food?

Dr. Michael W. Fox: The only dry cat food that I recommend is Natura's Evo that contains no grains. The high cereal content of dry cat food is a main cause of obesity and a host of health problems in cats.

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St. Louis: Something a little lighthearted for the holiday. Why do dogs hump each other? My female four-year-old likes to sneak attack my male eight-year-old while he is trying to take a nap. He usually just lies there and takes it, but its obvious he's not happy. I figure she is bored and is trying to rile him. What are your thoughts?

Dr. Michael W. Fox: This is sex-play, more an assertion of dominance than actual sex-motivated behavior in most instances. Some dogs go along with the ride but many will protest, twist around and face up to the mounter and growl or snap. Usually they work things out but some mounters are bullies with strange dogs and get into fights when mounting is their obsessive reaction to other dogs -- so restraint is called for!

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Grand Island, N.Y.: This is really gross but my dog (a three-year-old Yorkie) insists on getting into the cat's litter box and eating the feces if I don't clean it out fast enough. He also prefers the cat food so I've had to move it to a place that he can't reach. Is this harmful to him? And do you have any suggestions of how I can stop this behavior?

Thanks for your time.

Dr. Michael W. Fox: Many dogs love cat 'Tootsie rolls' fresh from the litter box. But with clumping-type litter sticking to the poop could cause serious problems like intestinal blockage. So set up a partition or barrier that the cat can jump over but the dog cannot reach the litter box. Use an alternative to clumping litter just in case.

Giving your dog daily probiotics or raw, plain live yoghurt may help reduce his coprophagia which may be an instinctual desire for natural bacterial resourcing for the dog's digestive sysyem.

Cat food is not for dogs -- too high in protein many experts say.

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Arlington, Va.: Our two-year-old lab/dachshund mix has started urinating in the house. He was housebroken when we got him (as a rescue) a year ago. He just had his annual checkup and seems fine health-wise. He only seems to do it when we are out, and was previously only doing it in a small area of our upstairs rug. However, this morning I found a spot on the kitchen floor where he has never gone before. I am using Nature's Miracle on the spots, but it doesn't seem to stop him-he just goes in another area nearby. Any tips on how to rectify this? There have been no other changes lately; my guess is that it is due to separation anxiety.

Dr. Michael W. Fox: This problem goes with the breed! Separation anxiety may be at the root of his incontinence. Walk him before you leave, and ignore any mess when you come home. Leave a radio or TV on while you are gone: Restrict him to a small area with peepee pads like Simple Solution's bio-degradable training pads on the floor. Give him a hollow rubber toy like a Kong stuffed with peanut butter to occupy him and help him feel there is a treat/reward when he is left alone.

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Detroit: Hi Dr. Fox,

I am wondering if you have any tips on getting rid of cat waste in a environmentally friendly way. Currently, we clean out the litter box and put it in old plastic grocery bags for the trash, but we would prefer to no longer use plastic bags (and no longer do so for our shopping). We live in an apartment so cannot do a compost pile. Any suggestions?

Dr. Michael W. Fox: In coastal areas like California, cat waste is blamed for transmitting infectious Toxoplasmosis to marine mammals, so flushing cat poop down the toilet is prohibited.

Use biodegradable bags to put the cat litter into your garbage so that it will recycle at the garbage dump/landfill. Such bags are on sale in most pet stores.

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dog bones!: Can you recommend a good dog bone for a two-year-old lab that loves to chew? I was going to buy him a nylabone, but the package says that the material in not digestable (but a rice grain shaving will past through without a problem.)

I am a loss as to what to give him. He is not big on rubber chew toys.

Dr. Michael W. Fox: I do not like any dog chews that are not 100% organic, or natural, like dried bull's pizzles -- U.S. processed and NOT imported, and beef soup/marrow/shank bones, RAW. Cooked bones splinter.

Give your dog 10-15 min only chew-time twice a day to avoid tooth wear and damage. this way he will have some pleasure and keep his teeth clener. Look also at safe rubber chew toys like the Kong line, made in the US, and Canine Genius Toys.

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Fairfax, Va.: I've been noticed that my 14-year-old dhs is wearier, perhaps startles easier recently. Could this be generic aging, eye/ear problems?

Dr. Michael W. Fox: Yes, animals do enter a 'geriatric' phase, and a vet check-up is called for. Many age-related problems can be helped with close attention to diet and the use of various supplements/nutraceuticals to help improve heart, brain, digestive and joint functions, and meake life easier for all concerned. Fish oil and L-cartitine and alpha lipoic acid can really benefit older animals with inflammatory conditions and cognitive impairment resepctively.

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Olney, Md.: My young Lab has an ear infection- looks like yeast. Any good approaches for home management? I suspect this will be a recurring thing.

Dr. Michael W. Fox: Very often a change in diet to a whole food, good quality product makes a big difference. Dry dog kibble and ear and skin problems go hand-in-hand.

Otomax,an ear ointment from the vet, will help. Flushing with equal parts warm water and organic apple cider vinegar twice a day for 4-7 days, drying off well between treatments, may give much relief, along with 1 teaspoon daily of good quality fish oil in the food.

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Herndon, Va.: Hi Dr. Fox, I have a question about a strange behavior that my 17-year-old Cocker Spaniel has been exhibiting for about a year now. When he was younger, he preferred sleeping on the floor rather than on a dog bed. In recent years, he's taken to his bed. Every single time, before he lies on it, he walks around on it in circles, pawing at it as if he is fluffing up the bed! (Bizarre, I know.). He also whines -- sometimes loudly -- while doing this, and he could go on for up to 10 minutes, until I stop him and coax him to sit down. Do you have any idea what he's doing? Thank you.

Dr. Michael W. Fox: He's making his bed! This is normal circling and treading and pawing behavior that dogs -- and wolves -- do prior to lying down.

He may be agitated because of painful arthritis, and anxious because of cognitive impairment, so a vet check-up is called for. There are supplements and maasage therapy that may really help the old dog.

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Washington, D.C.: My cat has long claws that she catches on all sorts of things around the house, i.e. the couch, my new sweater, her bed, the curtains. Sometimes she gets them so stuck it hurts her. She just can't seem to work her own claws! Some people have suggested I try trimming her claws myself, but aren't cats supposed to do that instinctively? (Besides the fact that she won't let me near her with a trimmer.) She has all kinds of scratching posts and pads around the house that she uses pretty often, but they're still no help. What do you recommend?

Dr. Michael W. Fox: I am so glad you have not had your cat de-clawed! A terrible mutilation that is, and done so routinely.

Some cats do grow long claws just like dogs and a snipping of the tips is needed because they can get snagged.Cats get used to this painless procedure. Have someone show you and help you. Sometimes all that is needed is a cat-wrap---bundle the cat up in a towel so she cannot escape or claw you. The 'bundling' can have a calming effect and make claw trimming a breeze.

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Sterling, Va.: Our three-year-old, female Lab has been getting us up to go outside during the night, usually around midnight, then again at 3 a.m. We aren't sure why this is -- she never has accidents during the day while we're at work and her food/water consumption seem to be normal. Should we pick her food and water up at night?

Dr. Michael W. Fox: Take your dog to the vets with a urine sample in a clean container and have your dog checked for cystitis. This is the most common and overlooked cause of frequent urination and house-soiling in dogs.There could be other reasons that need to be checked for and nipped in the bud.

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Dunbar, W.Va.: Why does my pug stand at the fence and bark at the neighbors non-stop? Why do dogs lick their paws obsessively?

Dr. Michael W. Fox: 1. Territoriality, and sometimes attention-seeking.

2. Boredom, fastidiousness, food allergy.

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Philadelphia: Hi, sorry this is going to be a long one. A few weeks ago my 2 1/2-year-old Akita had what looked like growths on his left hind leg. Kinda what I call the "elbow" of his leg. I noticed it because when he sat it started bleeding. I cleaned it up and treated it with some topical antibiotic but it seemed like it grew. It almost looked like a yeast infection of sorts. I was worried about tumors. We took him to the vet and she took a small sample of the area and put it under a microscope she said she could see nothing but blood and skin cells. She suggested biopsy after she contacted a canine dermatologist who said he could see nothing. Neither had seen anything like this.

She didnt prescribe any antibiotic or anything for it. He was in obvious discomfort because it was difficult for him to sit and when he did it would bleed. I finally treated the area with some peroxide (we were told to use this before for a minor cut he had) to clean it once every couple days and the 'growths' disappeared. It now is going away completely and looks like dry skin. He has no lingering effects and even through the whole thing there were no behavioral changes.

Any idea of what this could have been? I know that I should have gotten the biopsy but I didn't want to put him or my wallet through any undue stress. I know I should monitor it to make sure it doesnt come back but since the vet didnt seem concerned about cancerous tumors, should I be worried?

Dr. Michael W. Fox: Big dogs especially get elbow sores and callouses and should be given soft mats to lie on in order to avoid such trauma from lying on hard and rough surfaces. Infections can set in when the skin gets cracked.

Keep the skin around the elbow area soft with a good hand cream or body lotion with shea butter or coconut oil.Inflammation can be alleviated with a little frankinsense and myrrh in almond oil.

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Petrolia, Pa.: We have six cats. Five are of normal weight and healthy. The sixth is overweight, exceedingly lazy, and often anti-social with the other cats. The only successful weigh reduction measure has been to move their food to the basement to force the fatty little girl to exercise. However, one of the other cats is getting quite old and the trek downstairs is getting harder on her. What now?

Dr. Michael W. Fox: Transition the old cat onto a raw food diet if possible -- some good suppliers are Darwins, Raw Advantage, and Peppercatz.They deliver on dry ice!

Many cats do fine of 'junk' manufactured dry cat food for a while, but others soon develop what I call the carnivore metabolic syndrome, becoming overweight because they cannot handle the high carbs and sugars in their sickeniong diets.

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Washington, D.C.: Dr. Fox, I remember reading one of your posts a while back in which you recommended local honey for a dog with allergies. Can you please remind me? I have a 13-year-old, 16-lb. Jack Russell with grass allergies. How much/often should I give her?

Thanks for your great advice!

Dr. Michael W. Fox: Honey is incredible medicine, but caution if the patient is diabetic. An alternative, if available, is locla bee pollen. Up to a teaspoon of either in the food may help during allergy season.

Giving probiotics to boost the intestional bacterial flora may also help since a healthy gut can mean a healthy immune system and fewer allergies.

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Evo: I have to back you up on Evo. I feed three of my four cats Evo Dry for Cats and they have done very very well on it. Their weight is stable, their coats are beautiful and they have tons of energy. It is more expensive than supermarket or PetSmart foods, but the servings are smaller because it is a rich food. If you switch to dry Evo, be sure to switch slowly because to fast a switch may cause diarrhea.

Dr. Michael W. Fox: This is good to hear! The day is coming very soon when no junk pet foods will be on the shelves or sold by veterinarians who are told by the manufactureres that they are good because they have been 'scientifically formulated'.. Check the book that I co-authored with two other veterinarians, "Not Fit For a Dog; The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food.

The cat is out of the bag -- cats are carnivores and cereal-based dry cat foods can make them chronically ill.

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Dr. Michael W. Fox: Good morning to all, and a happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates this day. If your celebration includes eating a turkey---whom I hope was free range and organically raised!!!----do not overfeed your cat or dog on left-overs because the protein rush could cause serious problems like acute pancreatitis. All things in moderation! And keep the bones out of pet's way since cooked turkey bones can splinter and cause serious internal damage.Time to sign off -- sorry I could not respond to all your queries. Until next time.

Michael W. Fox

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