DEAR DR. FOX: I have a great, healthy cat, Monty, who is more than 12 years old. I adopted him from the Humane Society 10 years ago. He was there for more than a year.

He has always used the litter box, but the problem is that he never covers his urine or feces. He turns around to leave the box and scratches as if he is covering, but nothing's covered. I have tried for years to teach him, with no success.

And there is, of course, the smell. Do you have any suggestions? -- J.A., Naples, Fla.

DEAR J.A.: Since your cat is probably set in his toilet behavior, I would accept this as a blessing insofar as he does at least evacuate only in the box. Besides, from the odor you know when his litter box needs cleaning.

I do worry about cats having to evacuate in covered boxes, even the costly ones fitted with an automatic cleaning system, because of the odor of urine and feces being trapped inside. Ironically, in a recent edition of the Humane Society of the United States' All Animals magazine, there is an article advising cat owners to not use covered or hooded boxes because they may develop an aversion because of the odor; on the next page is an advertisement for a hooded, self-cleaning litter box.

For your Monty, the issue could be an aversion to scented litter or clay or other clumping litter that sticks to his paws. He may like one of Purina's better products, Yesterday's News, consisting of recycled newspaper as pelleted cat litter, which neither clumps nor sticks easily to cats' paws.

SOME NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS TO CONSIDER

-- Support your local animal shelter/humane organization. Adopt an animal or do volunteer work.

-- Give your animal companion an annual veterinary checkup. If you need a veterinarian, look for a holistic one in your area. A searchable list can be found at holisticvetlist.com.

-- Become a "kitchen anarchist" and cook more meals at home, including for your animals. Look for the USDA Organically Certified food label, shop for GMO-free produce and support your local farmers markets.

-- For your health's sake and for the Earth's sake, go vegetarian. But remember: Cats are carnivores, so no corn or soy for them.

-- If you are not a vegan, for farm animals' sakes, buy only free-range produce, not from factory farms.

-- For wildlife's sake, find safer alternatives to using Roundup and other herbicides and petrochemical insecticides around and in your home.

CLAUDIA'S CANINE CUISINE DOG TREAT RECALL

Claudia's Canine Cuisine issued a voluntary product recall for its Dog Candy Fruit Hound Cake and Dog Candy Blueberry Hound Cake due to the potential for mold. Claudia's Canine Cuisine has not received any reports of illness associated with the affected products. If you suspect that your Claudia's Canine Cuisine product may have mold growth, return it to your closest PetSmart store for a full refund. If you have any questions about this voluntary withdrawal, call the company's customer service at 501-851-0002 or email Irma@claudiascaninecuisine.com.

(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 bought a Maltese puppy for my great-granddaughter. The dog is about 3 years old.

He was very difficult to train, as I've heard this breed is. He has now started to pee and poop in the house.

We take him out, but he still pees in the house. We keep him confined to the kitchen now because he has peed on the TV stand, recliner, coffee table, etc. I can't get rid of him because my great-granddaughter is so attached.

Any advice you can give us will be appreciated. -- P.S., Chesapeake, Va.

DEAR P.S.: Maltese terriers and other small breeds do seem to have a higher incidence of cognitive impairment when it comes to toilet training, especially compared to other breeds.

This urination activity in your home calls for some analysis. If he is straining and having difficulty or pain while urinating, your dog may have a urinary tract or bladder infection or stones. A veterinary checkup is then urgently needed.

If he is raising his leg and marking, this could be hormone-related territorial behavior. There's also the probability that it could be anxiety-driven if there is some cause for emotional stress in his environment. Ask yourself if he is anxious for some reason, and address that problem. Is he taken out frequently enough? Does he need more attention and physical activities?

It could also be a habit triggered by the residual scent where he has urinated before. Use an enzyme cleaner on all soiled areas. Let him out of his kitchen confinement on a long leash and harness for control. Pull him up short as soon as he sniffs and readies to urinate. Carry him outside and put him on a pee-pee pad already marked with his urine (or placed in the kitchen). Be sure to give lots of praise and a treat after he urinates.

Many small breeds are amenable to pee-pee pad training (which is a blessing for apartment living). Check out thepetloo.com for an indoor toilet system for small dogs.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 5-year-old domestic shorthair spayed female cat who started to compulsively lick her stomach and the backs of her legs. It got to the point where she had licked off most of her hair.

The vet said there was no way to figure out why she was doing this and wanted to put her on a behavioral medication. Before going this route, I tried changing her food from one with chicken as the main ingredient to one with no chicken at all. Within a week of the diet change, my cat had stopped the obsessive licking.

It has been about six months since the diet change. I have been observing her closely and have not seen any obsessive licking, but her fur is still very thin. It grew back a little, but not much.

Do you have any suggestions for anything I might add to her diet to help with fur growth, or is this how she is going to look from now on? -- J.K., Mount Rainier, Md.

DEAR J.K: I applaud your initiative and regret the limited scope of possible causes and treatments your veterinarian offered.

Hypersensitivity or allergic reaction to certain ingredients in the cat's diet and hyperthyroidism are two considerations to be ruled out before making a behavioral, anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder treatment decision.

It is quite possible that there is some ingredient other than chicken underlying your cat's malady. It could also be compounded by the beginnings of thyroid disease -- hyperthyroidism is very prevalent in cats who groom themselves excessively.

Fish oil, wild salmon and mackerel, or sardines rich in omega-3 fatty acids can do wonders for cats' dermal health, helping make for thick, lustrous coats. Always introduce any new supplement or food ingredient gradually, beginning with a minute amount mixed in with regular food. Also note that some cats are allergic to fish, so organic, free-range, grass-fed beef and butter can be good omega-3 sources.

(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 lost my German shepherd/chow mix and my Great Dane/Lab mix to cancer within months of each other last year. I immediately adopted Buddy, a 4-month-old golden retriever/Lab mix, from a no-kill shelter because I love big black dogs, and I know they have a horrible time finding homes.

I took him to the vet because he had a sore on his back leg and one on his penis. I wanted to make sure that he did not have ringworm. (He didn't.) The vet looked at some skin scrapings under a microscope and told me that he had a bacterial infection. She prescribed cephalexin. Buddy got diarrhea almost immediately after taking the medicine. His stool wavered between soft and loose. I stopped the cephalexin and called the vet. The vet put him on PVD FortiFlora Canine. The next day, his vet was off duty, but another vet put him on metronidazole. The stools were firmer after five days, so I stopped the pills.

After 24 hours, the soft/loose stools returned. I put him back on the metronidazole for several days. I called the vet to renew the prescription, and this vet informed me that the normal dosage should have been four times the amount I had been prescribed, so she changed that for him.

He was perfectly fine until the cephalexin. One of the vets suggested he be examined again, but I am not sure what good this would do. I seem to get different answers depending on which vet I speak to that day. I gave Buddy probiotics all of this time. Can you help? -- K.W., Imperial, Mo.

DEAR K.W.: I am shocked that the veterinarian prescribed such a powerful oral drug as cephalexin rather than treating the skin infection with a topical ointment.

Clearly, the cephalexin wiped out some of the beneficial bacteria in your dog's digestive tract, causing dysbiosis or bacterial population imbalance. The corrective treatments prescribed were appropriate.

I would give your dog a good-quality probiotic twice daily, along with a prebiotic such as inulin (not insulin) and digestive enzymes. Herbal preparation of marshmallow root, chamomile, aloe vera and cramp bark may help alleviate the diarrhea. Glutamine, N-acetyl glucosamine, lecithin and montmorillonite clay or calcium aluminosilicate are all potential remedies for this kind of diarrhea.

Avoid food with soy or grain. For more details, including my home-prepared dog food and treat recipes and a dog food quality scoring system, check my website, DrFoxVet.com.

DEAR DR. FOX: I am writing for your advice on food for my 16-year-old male cat, Chester. He's feeling the effects of his age with constipation and less-than-ideal kidney function (but not in the danger range yet).

The vet wants to put him on prescription low-protein dry food, either Iams or Science Diet. I'm not a fan of dry food or of those brands. Based on your column's pet food suggestions, Chester has been happily eating Evo moist food with pumpkin and fish oil added for several years.

Do you have any suggestions for alternatives to prescription low-protein food? Anything homemade? What is your opinion of giving constipated cats a laxative? -- M.S., McLean, Va.

DEAR M.S.: I would think twice about forcing an old cat onto a new, unpalatable diet he may loathe, which can make him suffer hunger pangs and a lowered quality of life.

While some of these prescription-only special diets can be beneficial, they are highly profitable and tend to be relied upon too much as the best remedy for various pet ailments.

I would never put a cat with kidney disease who likes moist, canned foods onto an all-dry diet. Low-protein diets are not advisable when the kidney disease causes more protein to be passed in the urine. Supplements such as fish oil (which your cat enjoys), potassium, vitamin D3 and a phosphate binder such as Renagel (under veterinary supervision) should help. The tasty product Laxatone and abdominal massage should help alleviate your cat's constipation.

UNIQUE VETERINARY CALENDAR

The 2013 Dr. ShowMore calendar is a "Calendar Girls"-style calendar featuring 17 holistic veterinarians from all over the world in tasteful, artistic, au naturel photographs with their beloved animals. The Dr. ShowMore project is part of the Center for Integrative Veterinary Care Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and outreach. One hundred percent of all proceeds will be donated toward veterinary student scholarships. The price, $15, includes shipping and handling. Visit DrShowMore.org to place an order.

(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.)