DEAR DR. FOX: This summer, my two dogs are having a bad time with flies. They aren't out in the yard for long before a fly lands on their backs and bites. Horseflies, I guess. There are others that draw blood by biting the tips of my dogs' ears.

I've sprayed them with bug sprays from the drug store, but nothing seems to work. Your advice would be appreciated. -- F.K., St Louis

DEAR F.K.: I know just what your poor dogs are going through. One of my dogs, Batman, a rescue from India who was no doubt terrorized by flies as a puppy, would pull me home or try to hide under the car when horseflies pestered him.

I have received letters from dog owners in different states telling me that this summer has been a tough one on dogs with the heat, humidity, biting flies and mosquitoes.

Most over-the-counter human bug repellants are not very effective. A drop of eucalyptus essential oil rubbed into the tips of the ears works to keep flies off dogs for two to three hours. Peppermint and lemon oils are also effective, but keep them clear from dogs' eyes.

Simmer a sliced lemon in 2 cups of water for five minutes, strain and store in the fridge in a glass jar. Rub some of the extract into your dog's fur before going out. This is an excellent and safe insect repellant for dogs, though it's not safe for cats who may groom it off themselves.

The organic product Orange TKO, an excellent, safe concentrated cleaner, can be diluted (1 teaspoon to a pint of water) and spritzed or sponged on the dog's coat to serve as a bug repellant. For details, call 800-995-2463 or visit www.tkoorange.com.

DEAR DR. FOX: My son filled our freezer with fish he caught this summer, and I am wondering if it is OK for me to feed some to our six cats. They love fish, and I would put just a bit in with their regular food every day or so. I'll cook the fish, of course -- some boiled or broiled and some fried in a little canola oil. Do you have any problem with this? -- M.E.G., Fargo, N.D.

Dear M.E.G.: Yes, I have problems with this and with feeding cats canned tuna. Lager, older ocean fish like tuna, swordfish, halibut, tilefish, orange roughy and king mackerel are some of the more contaminated fish that children and pregnant women should avoid. Some state health authorities have printed advisories for consumers of fish bought in the market or a restaurant or freshwater fish like those your son caught. Of particular concern with these freshwater fish are contaminants like mercury, which can cause neurological problems and kidney damage in cats and humans; dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyl, which may cause cancer and developmental defects; and perfluorooctane sulfonate, which can alter thyroid hormone levels and lower HDL ("good") cholesterol.

Freshwater fish should have all fat removed, since that's where some of these toxins accumulate. Cooking will not destroy any of the toxins. The basic rule for feeding yourself and your cats is to eat smaller, younger fish no more than once per week. Be sure to eat panfish -- a fish that doesn't outgrow the size of a frying pan -- like sunfish, crappie or yellow perch, rather than predator fish like walleyes, northern pike, bass and lake trout. Avoid consuming farmed salmon, which is especially noted for high levels of chemical contamination.

Many cats are allergic to fish. They can develop miliary dermatitis or itchy eczema or will vomit immediately after eating.

Tragically, many of our natural waterways are contaminated by industrial chemicals. This leads to contamination of the food chain and concentration of chemicals in apex predators at the top of the chain -- from humans to our carnivorous cousins, wild and domesticated, terrestrial and aquatic.

AVOID STAIRS FOR LARGE BREED PUPS

Norwegian veterinary researcher Dr. Randi I. Krontveit and her associates have published a study of housing and exercise-related health risks associated with the development of hip dysplasia in Labrador retrievers, Newfoundlands, Leonbergers and Irish wolfhounds in the American Journal of Veterinary Research. The most important risk factor for these breeds is climbing stairs; puppies under 3 months old should not be allowed access to stairs. Access to outdoor exercise on soft ground in moderately rough terrain decreased the risk for developing radiographic signs of hip dysplasia.

(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 DrFoxVet.com.)

DEAR DR. FOX: Thank you for your column regarding the crating of dogs. I am a supporter of the wonderful organization Dogs Deserve Better (www.dogsdeservebetter.org). DDB is a voice for chained and penned dogs. It started in Pennsylvania and has moved to Virginia, and it now occupies the former home of dog abuser Michael Vick.

I am not a religious person; I even call myself an atheist. But you know what? Almost every day I say a quick prayer to "whomever" to please relieve, release and rescue tethered dogs. With the rare exception, it is my only deliberate prayer. I don't even own a dog!

I am also sending you a big thank you for your piece about the breeding of cats. My husband and I do a small bit of private cat rescue. Once we learned about the pitiful situation for homeless cats, we, too, made it known that we deplore purchased cats, much less cats of recognized breeds. Your paragraph about no longer going to cat shows because you become too upset resonated very much with us. We are now the owners of eight cats, all rescued.

Thank you for being the voice for animals that you are. -- N.A., Stroudsburg, Pa.

DEAR N.A.: I always appreciate words of thanks and encouragement from readers of my newspaper column. I know that I offend some readers because of my concerns over how animals are treated more like commodities in these ethically and empathically challenged times.

So many animals become throwaway pets that wind up in shelters. Be they animals bred for the highly commercialized pet trade, the billions of animals crowded in factory farms being raised for human consumption or those who are wild and are shot for trophies -- to voice opposition to such exploitation is to be ridiculed by vested interests. So long as money rules over our own humanity and over those qualities of compassion and respect for life that make us human, the spiritual decline of our species will continue.

I believe that this decline is largely responsible for the grave global economic, climatic and population crises we face today, as I documented in my book "Inhumane Society: the American Way of Exploiting Animals." This "American Way" has regrettably become the way of the world, and the more we harm animals and the environment, the more we harm ourselves.

DEAR DR. FOX: I want to express my appreciation for your work. Thank you for relaying the importance of giving filtered water to dogs and, especially, cats. My two cats, 8-year-old littermates, seemed to be declining. They had frequent bouts of vomiting, refused to eat and seemed depressed. After changing their diets and many costly veterinary tests, they did not improve. They ate plenty of dry food and drank plenty of water. When I stopped giving them water from the tap, they seemed better. Now I give them pure bottled water, and, thanks to your advice, they are full of life and are more playful and active. -- W.Q., Winston-Salem, N.C.

DEAR W.Q.: Water quality is a major health concern for humans and other animals. It is one component of health care that is easily overlooked. But according to the evidence that I have compiled, it is a major public health issue that cannot be ignored. Visit my website, www.DrFoxVet.com, for more information.

CHILDREN WHO LIVE WITH DOGS MAY HAVE FEWER COLDS

Living with dogs decreases the susceptibility to respiratory syncytial virus, which causes the common cold and bronchiolitis. It appears that being around dogs trains children's immune systems to resist asthma, according to research from the University of California, San Francisco. Doctors have long recognized the decreased incidence of asthma and allergies in children sharing the same home environment with other animal species, especially with 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 DrFoxVet.com.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I want to thank you for helping me cure my dog's seizures. She was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy and was put on phenobarbital, which made her groggy but helped a bit. Then I checked the archives on your website -- bingo! I put her on a cereal-free diet, and within a few days she seemed more relaxed. She is now off the phenobarbital and doing great!

Why don't more vets know about this? Sure, there are many other causes of epilepsy/seizures in dogs, but this one is so easy to fix! -- G.L., Norman, Okla.

DEAR G.L: Your letter is very telling -- many veterinarians do not consider the role of dietary ingredients in canine epilepsy and a host of other health problems. Swedish veterinary researchers showed a connection between wheat in dogs' diets and epilepsy 20 years ago.

Corn can also be a problem, as Julie Messenger details in her article "No More Seizures" in Animal Wellness magazine. Her terrier-mix, Leo, started having seizures at six months old. He was prescribed phenobarbital and diazepam for almost six years. Then Leo developed diabetes mellitus and was put on a special diet to lower his blood sugar. The frequency of his seizures increased dramatically, so his medication was increased -- to no avail. Leo's seizures were so severe that Messenger considered euthanasia. Fortunately, she learned from the owner of a natural dog food company that the corn in her dog's prescription diet could be the cause of the seizures. Leo had corn in his diet before, but this prescribed diet contained considerably more. Messenger took appropriate action, transitioning Leo onto a diet of quality meat, brown rice and vegetables. Leo is now seizure free, off his meds and happy and enjoying life to the fullest.

Most corn and soy in pet foods is genetically engineered, and brands containing such ingredients should be avoided. The research literature on the effects of such food ingredients in laboratory animal tests, which I review on my website (www.DrFoxVet.com), show a host of serious health consequences.

DEAR DR. FOX: My husband and I are having an ongoing argument that I hope you can resolve.

He cleans out the cats' litter box, which I appreciate. But he says once a day is sufficient. I say it's not. We use a scent-free clumping litter, and our two cats drink plenty water so you can imagine there's lots of clumps by end of day, plus poop. They eat a lot, but they are young and active and not overweight.

I say he should clean it out twice a day. What do you think? I am concerned -- not so much about the smell as for the poor cats who have to step around the stuff already in the box. -- Y.T., Fargo, N.D.

DEAR Y.T.: I appreciate and share you concern for your two cats, and wish that more people did. Try not flushing your toilet for a day -- that will get your husband to empathize with the cats!

Cats hate to get their paws wet and dirty, and a common reaction to dirty litter boxes is to become unhousebroken. They develop an aversion to the dirty, stinky litter box and evacuate elsewhere. The problem often goes unnoticed for a while since the cat evacuates in some concealed spot.

For our two cats, we use unscented World's Best, corn-based clumping cat litter, and I clean the boxes out four times a day -- just before each small meal I feed them. Some days I am amazed at how much they can deposit!

Your husband may be lazy or have his own aversion to the litter box, but out of concern for the cats and respect for you, he should be cleaning it out at least three times a day.

PEDIGREE DOG FOOD RECALLED OVER CHOKING CONCERNS

Mars Petcare U.S. has voluntarily recalled three Pedigree weight management canned dog food products due to possible contamination with blue plastic fragments that inadvertently entered the food during production.

Visit www.pedigree.com/update or call 877-720-3335 for more information about the specific lots affected.

No other Pedigree products are affected, including any other variety of wet food, dry dog food or dog treats. The company will refund all purchases of these contaminated products.

(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 DrFoxVet.com.)