DEAR DR. FOX: My 11-year-old male cat will eat only dry Kitten Chow. He will sometimes eat cantaloupe when we have it in the summer.

He is a house cat who scratches up furniture and is timid. He has never been ill until lately, and he now has a sore left eye. Forget about changing food -- he tries to bury anything besides Kitten Chow. Is it OK if he continues eating this? I have plenty of fresh water around.

What can I do for the eye? The last cat I took to the vet was so afraid, he died of a heart attack. -- V.T., Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

DEAR V.T.: Considering your cat's age and evident addiction to dry food, try transitioning him onto a dry food that has no corn or soy ingredients. There are several improved brands on the market -- just read the labels. Visit my website, DrFoxVet.com, for names of brands that I recommend.

His eye condition does concern me. He may have an infection or a turned-in eyelash, which could lead to ulceration of the cornea or blindness.

There are veterinarians who make house calls, so check your local Yellow Pages to find one who will come to your home to examine your cat and provide appropriate treatment. Going to the veterinary hospital can be extremely stressful for some cats, and I sympathize with the loss of your other cat. Putting cats in a boarding facility can also be stressful and result in post-traumatic stress disorder. This is why I advise either an early-in-life boarding experience or in-home care for people going away on vacation without their cats.

DEAR DR. FOX: We are concerned about our 2-year-old female Maltese's diet. Last January, she started to vomit and have bloody diarrhea every day.

Our vet put her on Hill's Prescription Diet z/d Allergen Free dog food, and the problem stopped. I am a believer in holistic, healthy food for my Maltese and would like to get her off the Hill's and start a healthy diet for her, but every time I try to change her diet, she has the same problem. When I try to change her diet, it takes about 10 days before she starts the vomiting.

We adopted a Shih Tzu when she was 1 1/2 years old. She will be 3 years old in December, and she cannot digest grains. We think that is why people had to give her up. I have her on z/d as well. -- J.S., Bonita Springs, Fla.

DEAR J.S.: There are several dog food manufacturers such as Wellness, Merrick and Organix marketing grain-free dog foods, and you can try variations of my home-prepared diet posted on my website.

I agree with you that many prescription diets are far removed from organic, whole food dietary formulations, but some are better than others and have a place in holistic veterinary medicine. For special veterinary-formulated recipes for a variety of dog and cat health problems that you can prepare at home from known ingredients, visit balanceit.com.

Remember, when trying any dietary transition with your dog, take about 10 days, removing 10 percent of his regular food and replacing it with the same amount of the new food. Increase in 10 percent increments until it's all the new food. Give him digestive enzymes and probiotics with the food.

(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 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.

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 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.