DEAR READERS: The recent article by R. Scott Nolen in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association concerning the multi-state legislation prohibiting people keeping certain kinds of dogs... more
DEAR DR. FOX: I have had lots of friends whose cats lived to be well into their 20s, but mine all die in their teens. And two of them barely made it that long.... more
DEAR READERS: In addition to pointing out the risks of giving dogs leftover bones from cooked meals, the government has posted a warning about the processed bones sold in pet supply stores. The U.S. F... more
DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 17-year-old Chihuahua that has CCD (Canine Cognitive Dysfunction), congestive heart failure, liver disease and kidney disease. His congestive heart failure is managed with with ... more
DEAR DR. FOX: Some animal organizations have jumped on the bandwagon and are promoting free adoptions, just to empty out the kennels and to keep the killing (euthanasia) rate to a minimum. This will l... more
DEAR DR. FOX: I want to encourage you to write a column about snakes. All they want is to be left alone! Also, while I completely agree with your statement that ownership of non-domesticated animals s... more
DEAR DR. FOX: We just adopted another kitty from a nearby humane society. She is 8 years old and had been at the shelter for four months after being turned in with another 11 cats.... more
DEAR DR. FOX: I have a female domestic shorthair cat who will barely eat. I have had her for 8 years, and she will be 12 in February. She was a rescue. I did not know she had seizures when I adopted h... more
DEAR DR. FOX: I’m on my sixth and seventh rescued German Shepherd dogs (GSD). It is clear they are highly intelligent and can be trained to a point that they respond to actual conversational instructi... more
DEAR DR. FOX: We have a 5-month-old miniature poodle puppy, and we walk her on a leash in the backyard to urinate and defecate. There are wild rabbits in the area, and they often leave their pellet dr... more
DEAR READERS: By the end of every summer, I have received several accounts from dog and cat “parents” whose animal companions have suffered physically after the use of common anti-flea products: shaki... more
DEAR DR. FOX: A recent letter in your column about the cat who started spraying about two years ago reminded me of our Mischief. Mischief wasn’t actually spraying; he just preferred to urinate standin... more
DEAR DR. FOX: I want to share an interesting story with you regarding our 10-year-old rescued husky, Blaney. Three years ago, we invited a couple from the neighborhood to join us for Thanksgiving. Two... more
DEAR DR. FOX: I recently started using essential oils. When I happened to mention it to my vet in an email, she told me many essential oils are toxic to cats, as there is a liver enzyme necessary to p... more
DEAR DR. FOX: I have a lap kitty. To be more specific, this approximately 7-year-old rescue cat (mine for four years) is not content to just curl up on my legs when I sit. Rather, she senses when I si... more
DEAR DR. FOX: In response to the letter about the cat spraying: I, too, had a sudden problem with my cats spraying. A friend suggested putting a bowl of food wherever the cats were spraying. I did thi... more
Dogs and cats “are responsible for 25 percent to 30 percent of the environmental impact of meat consumption in the United States,” according to new research from the University of California at Los An... more
DEAR READERS: As noted in an earlier column, the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a class-action lawsuit this past July against Petland, claiming that it defrauded customers by “guaranteeing” the healt... more
DEAR READERS: We are all moved by the rescue efforts on behalf of people’s dogs and cats when natural disasters like hurricanes and forest fires strike their communities. But what of farm animals out ... more
DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 4-year-old standard poodle. At 5 months old, she had her first seizure. This happened in the middle of the night while she was sleeping in her crate. The day prior to that, I ha... more
Empathy, derived from the Greek word “empatheia,” meaning “affection," bonds with our conscience to act as compassion’s compass in our relationships. It is the foundation for ethical behavior. Without... more
DEAR DR. FOX: Here on the East Coast, we have been suffering through excessively high temps and stifling humidity for the last two weeks or so. Due to these weather conditions, my two 5-year-old Havan... more
DEAR DR. FOX: We purchased Seresto collars for our wirehaired pointing griffons, who were approximately 7 and 8 years old at the initial exposure. We found the collars to be effective against fleas an... more
DEAR DR. FOX: My 11-year-old snowshoe Siamese is a real love-bug, except when she suddenly reverts to a feral animal, stalking and leaping on prey: me!... more