DEAR DR. FOX: My 24-year-old grandson got his first adopted dog, a 1-year-old black Lab-mix. He is very protective of her and really takes good care of her.

She had a hot spot and licked it until it bled. He took her to the vet, who shaved the spot and put some kind of cream on it. The vet said he had to anesthetize the dog because he was afraid she would bite him.

Why would he do that? It is a very small spot, and he charged more than $350. I am upset that they took advantage of my grandson and that the dog was anesthetized unnecessarily. Am I wrong? -- N.W., St. Louis

DEAR N.W.: I am receiving too many letters like yours that disturb me deeply.

Your grandson owes it to his dog and to all other animals who may be seen by this veterinarian to file a formal complaint with the Board of Veterinary Examiners. This animal doctor is putting an animal patient at risk and overcharging his client by adding an unnecessary procedure: He used anesthetization rather than simply muzzling or giving a sedative/tranquilizer injection and then physically restraining the dog as needed.

I also question the treatment -- the dog would lick off any ointment put on the hot spot without some protective covering or neck restrainer. If no possible cause of the hot spot was considered (such as flea bite hypersensitivity) and no steps taken to stop the dog from reaching and licking the lesion, I think a full inquiry is called for.

DEAR DR. FOX: Our 6-year-old male seal point Himalayan cat, Jojo, started limping about six months ago. We recently took him to the vet, as the limp seemed to become worse. The physical exam was unable to provoke any pain response, and no swelling was noted. X-rays of the right and left shoulders showed a growth on both approximate to the humerus/shoulder. The growth is considerably larger on the right, and his limp appears to involve the right front side. Unfortunately, I do not have a specific name for this condition and cannot research the diagnosis to obtain alternative care other than a humeral head osteotomy, which has been mentioned by a consulting surgeon as a future possibility, but is not recommended at this time due to a questionable outcome.

Jojo has one capsule of Dasuquin per day. For pain, he can receive a small amount of aspirin every 72 hours. I have not started the aspirin due to potential liver and kidney issues.

We purchased Jojo and his brother, Mokie (who died of fibrocystic kidney disease at age 3), from a private breeder, and we are not aware of any injury or trauma. -- P.V., Kansas City, Mo.

DEAR P.V.: I suspect that your poor cat has a congenital deformity in both shoulder joints, the instability caused by dysplasia of the joints leading to the abnormal bone and connective tissue proliferation. This is how the cat's body is reacting in an attempt to stabilize the joints. The inflammatory reaction may be temporarily alleviated by short-term treatment with steroids.

Long-term benefit may come from anti-inflammatory turmeric and omega-3 fatty acid supplements as provided in fish oils. Discuss sources and dosage with your veterinarian. Organically certified free-range poultry and other meats and dairy products contain more omega-3 fatty acids than conventionally corn-fed and factory farm animals.

Be sure your cat is on a corn- and grain-free diet. I would advise against invasive surgery. My massage therapy book, "The Healing Touch for Cats," may help you make life more comfortable for Jojo with a daily massage. Any discomfort in one part of the body will throw the rest of the body out of balance and possibly lead to secondary injuries. Inform the breeder of Jojo's condition and Mokie's demise.

DEAR DR. FOX: My question concerns the relatively recent advice on cleaning the teeth of cats -- a process requiring anesthesia. If you recommend this for a healthy animal, how often should he or she be subjected to it?

In my childhood, we had many pets over the years, and they all lived long lives. Our cats lived to be 18 to 20 years old, and their teeth were never cleaned. -- M.C., Washington, D.C.

DEAR M.C.: Some will argue that cats in years past did not receive adequate veterinary preventive care. But in years past, many cats were allowed to roam free, killing mice and other small prey that naturally helped keep their teeth clean. Nor were they fed high-fiber, processed ingredients in their diet, like the microparticulate, glutinous materials in many canned and dry (soak them and see!) cat foods.

Regrettably, periodontal and other gum and tooth diseases are all too common in cats and dogs, especially toy and brachiocephalic (pushed-in face) breeds with crammed and misaligned teeth. Neglected, these oral diseases cause animals pain, misery and secondary infections spreading to the heart, liver and kidneys. Inflammatory substances (cytokines) injure the heart, kidneys, pancreas and possibly the joints.

Daily brushing (with equal parts salt and baking soda), safe chew toys, and periodic treatments with specific oral care products -- like those from PetzLife -- will help reduce the need for annual dental cleaning under a general anesthetic. This is a high-risk procedure for many animals and could be avoided by owners taking better care of their animals' mouths.

(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: 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.)