DEAR DR. FOX: Recently, our 8-year-old miniature schnauzer was diagnosed with pancreatitis. She is now on a diet of Hill's Prescription i/d low-fat and high-fiber dry food, alternating with w/d. She has about 1 teaspoon cooked sweet potato and 1 teaspoon pumpkin per day. I was giving her two to three drops of fish and flaxseed oil, but I have been told to stop all oils. She can have pain medication twice daily as needed.

Is there a better diet that you would suggest? I understand that schnauzers are prone to get this condition. My daughter has a healthy 3-year-old schnauzer, and she wonders if she should change her diet to the above even though she seems healthy and active. -- V.B., McLean, Va.

DEAR V.B.: Pancreatitis is an acute inflammatory condition that may be triggered when dogs are fed fatty table scraps or are on a diet high in fats. Concurrent liver dysfunction may also be evident, as bile from the liver backs up into the pancreas.

Milk thistle and dandelion root herbal products can help improve liver function, and probiotics (always given on an empty stomach) along with a low-fat diet can help improve pancreatic function. Digestive enzymes like those from papaya and pineapple extracts can help compensate for any pancreatic insufficiencies in production of digestive enzymes.

There are home-prepared diets for your dog's condition available on balanceit.com. Your daughter should steer clear of fatty foods and treats for her dog and consider a raw food diet and probiotic supplements.

DEAR DR. FOX: My soon-to-be 11-year-old cocker spaniel, Chance, was diagnosed with congenital heart disease in June. He is on several heart medications and seems to be tolerating them well.

We have blood work taken every three months for kidney valuations. So far, so good -- even though his heart specialist told me his life expectancy would be only 1 1/2 more years.

Chance is due for his annual well puppy visit in November -- he is then due for a number of injections and lab tests, specifically DHLPP, fecal, HW/lyme/ehrlichia/ana and lyme. He is on rabies medication until July 2015. He has been on heartworm medication all his life. We live on a small piece of property with many deer, but we've never had an issue with ticks. We do Frontline monthly.

Does he really need all of this protection? What would be most important? I have never had a dog on so much medication, and I worry about it being too much, especially considering his health conditions. -- S.E., Woodbine, Md.

DEAR S.E.: Dogs with various heart diseases can do remarkably well when given the appropriate medications -- especially those that are tried and true for human cardiac patients.

Since you do not specify what kind of congenital heart disease your dog has, I cannot offer any specific advice. Your Chance should be on a low-salt diet. Supplements such as CoQ10, fish oil (for omega-3 fatty acids), potassium and magnesium should be discussed with your veterinarian.

Your dog's blood pressure needs careful monitoring -- it is significantly affected by the health of his kidneys; signs of fluid retention, called edema, causing swelling in the abdomen or limbs; and a non-productive cough. Keep him on the lean side. He should not need any DHLPP booster combo-vaccination.

WELLNESS DRY DOG FOOD RECALL

WellPet LLC has voluntarily recalled 12-pound bags of its Wellness Small Breed Adult Health dry dog food with a best-by date of Aug. 18, 2013, due to concern that high moisture levels can create the potential for mold. Return to store of purchase for full compensation. For more details, visit wellpet.com or call 800-225-0904.

(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: My 6 1/2-pound Chihuahua had a urinary tract infection (UTI) three years ago, and we did not realize it until she was bleeding. The emergency room veterinarian said there was no way to keep her from getting another one. Her regular vet told me that the only water she gives her dogs and cats is purified water, and she does not have this problem. I bought bottled water and a special pitcher that purifies water. She has never had another UTI. -- L.W., Naples, Fla.

DEAR L.W.: Some dogs, and especially cats, have chronic or recurrent bouts of lower urinary tract inflammation, often coupled with bacterial infection, which may lead to the development of calculi, cystitis, painful inflammation of the bladder and the formation of mucus plugs in the lower urinary tract.

Feeding your pet high cereal content pet foods that have been artificially acidified by the manufacturers can also contribute to urinary tract problems.

I would like to know what brand of water purifier you discovered that helped your dog. The ZeroWater purification system seems to do a good job. For more details about water quality and treated municipal tap water, check my review on DrFoxVet.com.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have read several of your books, and I especially like "The Boundless Circle: Caring for Creatures and Creation" and "Healing Animals and the Vision of One Health."

Can you describe for us laypersons not well versed in science and philosophy what we can do to keep our pets healthy and help the animal kingdom? -- R.K., St. Louis

DEAR R.K.: In a nutshell, we must be OPEN. Some doctors can actually feel their patients' suffering, physically and psychologically.

Openness of heart and mind means being open to the beauty and mystery of life, as well as to suffering and injustice. There must be openness to new ideas, to examining the truths we live by and being accountable for the consequences of one's actions and beliefs.

As the French philosopher Blaise Pascal observed, "The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of." Through empathy we feel for others, we acquire emotional intelligence, and compassion, not objective reason, becomes our compass for appropriate action.

In my writings, I have coined the term "panempathy," which means having feelings for other animals, trees, living things and the natural world. The empathy-derived ethic of the golden rule -- treating all living beings as we would have them treat us -- provides the moral and legal framework for a sane, humane society and a more viable, sustainable global economy. As I emphasize in my book "Bringing Life to Ethics: Global Bioethics for a Humane Society," the golden rule is at the philosophical core of holistic, integrative veterinary and human medicine.

DEAR DR. FOX: I believe my cat, Kali, has remote sensing abilities. Her eyes twitch and perk up whenever my husband is coming home, even at different times and in different vehicles. She knows when I am ill, and she will not leave my side for a minute. She can negotiate from any part of our two-story home, her favorite being the screened-in porch, where she can sense birds nearby and will sit chittering away.

Kali is blind from an eye infection as a kitten. If you move the furniture or put something foreign on the floor, she will bump into it. But she knows where the clear paths are to run and play with toys that she finds thanks to the catnip smell. She will tap me on the face when she wants a treat and reminds us when her pill is due. She is showered with treats and attention. She was on phenobarbital for seizures for eight years and now is on thyroid medication. The people at the vet's office love her for her gentleness and trust. She truly has a unique personality.

We also had a cat named Weird Kitty who accidentally got into our car and went to work with my husband 10 miles away on busy roads. We were unable to find her on our own, but within two weeks she showed up at our door, hungry and happy to see us.

At one point, our mean landlord gathered all the cats in our complex and dumped them miles away in a wooded area. I searched desperately for weeks. I couldn't find any of the cats until one day, walking on the dirt road, my cat walked out of the woods and came to me. I never let a cat outside again. -- D.R.G., Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

DEAR D.R.G.: Many readers will join me in expressing appreciation for your sharing of experiences with Kali.

Had I received your letter earlier, I would have mentioned Kali's remote sensing abilities during my interview on ABC's news program "20/20," which aired Oct. 26. I discussed cats and dogs being the first to know when a loved one has died in the hospital, and their ability to find a loved one, buried or alive, in locales where they have never been before. Watch the episode at abc.go.com.

I welcome receiving letters from readers wishing to share such experiences, in part because they demonstrate the power of love, and in part because they are a challenge for science and reason to explain.

Perhaps if we were as open to the universe as our animal kin, we would neither doubt nor deny the reality of this dimension of consciousness that I call the "empathosphere."

(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: Yesterday we adopted a kitten from the Humane Society. We couldn't take her home right away because she had to get spayed first.

Stupidly, because we didn't know any better, our two previous cats were declawed. We now know how horrible this procedure is, and this is not a fate that our new little girl is going to suffer.

One of my friends puts covers over her cat's front claws that last from four weeks up to several months.

Is this a good practice? If yes, can you recommend a place where these can be obtained? If not, how do we teach her not to claw our furniture? Even if she does claw the furniture, we will still love her, but we'd really rather that she doesn't get into that habit. -- R.S., Minneapolis

DEAR R.S.: I appreciate your concerns, and I am glad that the veterinarian doing the spay surgery on your cat did not push you to have her declawed at the same time. Check my website, DrFoxVet.com, for a review on this procedure, which can permanently disable cats.

The adhesive balls you're talking about come off too easily, and some cats pull them off quickly in the process of nibble-cleaning their claws. While you can snip the sharp points off the front claws, just like trimming your own nails (and most cats get used to this), I find the best approach is to train them to use a vertical scratch post and a horizontal scratch board.

The post must not wobble and should be taller than the cat's full, stretched-out length. Let the kitten see you raking the post with your fingernails, and then put her up against the post to show her what to do. They're called copycats for a reason!

Tack old carpet or thick towels behind sofas and other furniture you do not want scratched and also use thick plastic sheets for temporary protection.

YOGURT DOG TREAT RECALL

The Barking Dog Brands has issued a voluntary recall of its Yoghund Organic Banana and Peanut Butter frozen yogurt dog treats. This is a cautionary action because the product contains organic peanut butter linked to recent recalls due to possible salmonella contamination.

Although there have been no reported incidents of human or animal illnesses in connection with the product, the company has elected to issue a recall. Return the items to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Visit yoghund.com or call 603-775-7772, ext. 1007, for more information.

CHARLEE BEAR DOG TREAT RECALL

Charlee Bear Dog Products of Madison, Wis., is recalling some of its Protein Crunch Bars due to possible salmonella health risks. The recalled products were distributed nationwide in September and October.

Consumers who purchased the products can return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, call 800-396-8893 or visit charleebear.com/protein-crunchy-bars-recall-info.php.

(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.)