DEAR DR. FOX: I am responding to your request for success stories of dietary changes.

We have a beautiful, loved black Labrador retriever, Buddy. We've had Buddy since he was seven weeks old. When my husband and I retired, we moved from California to 20 acres in the Oregon countryside. Buddy was about 4 years old. About two months after we moved, he had a seizure. It was frightening for us and for him. It lasted about 10 minutes, and then he was back to normal. We thought maybe something he ate on the property caused the seizure. We didn't take him to the vet. He wasn't allowed to run on the property without being on a leash so we could make sure he didn't eat anything he shouldn't.

About three months later, he had another seizure. At that time we took him to our vet. Our vet said that a number of things could cause seizures in dogs and that we needed to keep an eye on him. Over the next year, he had four seizures. He had them about every three months, and they lasted 10 to 15 minutes. The vet said if the seizures became lengthy, we would put him on medication.

The vet suggested changing his dry food and periodically giving him raw meat. We started that immediately. We changed his dry food to Blue Buffalo, and we give him 1 cup of raw beef stew meat three times a week. After six weeks on his new diet, he had a seizure. We were dismayed as we hoped the change in diet would do the trick. We decided to keep him on the new diet regardless.

I am delighted to say that after being on the new diet for over a year, he has not had another seizure. I think he had the last seizure because his new diet had not had time to have an impact on his system.

My husband and I are totally convinced that his change in food stopped his seizures. -- M.A., Jacksonville, Ore.

DEAR M.A.: I trust that all dog owners with epileptic/seizure-prone dogs will take note. Dietary change is no panacea because there are several causes, but diet should never be dismissed as a nonissue.

DEAR DR. FOX: In one of your recent columns, you said not to feed your cats food that has soy or corn products in it. I feed my cats Purina, and it has both corn and soy in it. Can you please explain why Purina puts those items in its food if they are not good for the animals? I have been a loyal Purina buyer for more than 40 years. Am I feeding my cats something that will hurt them? Can you suggest a better food? -- L.W., St. Louis

DEAR L.W.: I would never advise people to feed their cats food high in corn and soy. Check my website, DrFoxVet.com, for details and brands of cat food, such as Evo, Organix and Wellness, that I prefer.

Cats are carnivores. Many are allergic to corn, and they do not need cereals in their diets, which can contribute to obesity, diabetes, arthritis and other illnesses. Soy is a cheap vegetable protein that has little nutritional value for cats and can cause digestive and other health problems.

(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 10-year-old cat, Daddy's Little Boy, earlier this week, and it's taken until today for me to have the strength to write. I think there are lessons to be learned from his death at the vet's office for a relatively routine procedure -- radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism.

Daddy's Little Boy was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about a year ago, and he was prescribed methimazole. It stopped working, so I decided on the radioactive iodine treatment, even though it was $1,200. I took him in for the treatment last week. The day he died, I asked to see him, but they wouldn't let me because he was "hot" -- I think that means radioactive. That evening he had a stroke and was dehydrated and disoriented, and the vet's office told me I should get there. He was in an oxygen incubator. I made two visits that evening to comfort him while wearing protective gloves and vest. They called me on my way home to say that five minutes after I left, he stopped breathing and they had to put a tube in his lungs. By the time I turned around and got back, his heart had stopped.

The vet told me this had happened only once before in 10 years. I believe him, but that's of little consolation. Whenever an animal is left at a facility overnight, there must be a sense of abandonment and separation anxiety. If the pet cannot go home by the next day, arrangements should be made for visitation. Even if the pet is radioactive, precautions, like the vest and gloves I wore, should make that possible.

Though this facility holds the pet only 48 hours, I'm told there are others that hold them them for up to two weeks. It's not a coincidence that my cat's death happened at the facility. It wouldn't have happened at home. -- B.H., St. Louis

DEAR B.H.: My deepest condolences. What a sad ordeal you and your poor cat went through. Hyperthyroid disease is almost an epidemic in cats today. Fire-retardant chemicals in carpets, furniture upholstery/stuffing and possibly even in the food chain; fluoride in drinking water; toxic levels of iodine in some pet food ingredients; and endocrine-disrupting BPAs and phthalates in pet food containers are contributing factors.

For most cats and many dogs, being left in a veterinary hospital for even a few hours can be stressful enough to compromise treatment and recovery. Veterinarians aware of this problem encourage visiting/petting hours for animals in for long-term treatment, and others do house calls and provide in-home treatments.

But with your cat's diseased thyroid, after methimazole treatment failed, large doses of iodine might have proven effective. Surgical removal of the gland under general anesthetic was another option. Treatment with radioactive iodine 131 is not advisable if there are any signs of poor renal function. Beta-blockers are often prescribed to reduce elevated heart rates and blood pressure in cats with this thyroid disease while undergoing treatment, which may lead to renal failure.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a disgusting question about my 5-month-old female Lab-mix.

She was originally rescued from a barn as a tiny puppy. I had the privilege of adopting her at three months. I feed her and her 7-month-old male Lab-mix adoptive brother a broiled chicken breast for breakfast (split between the two of them), and a can each of puppy food for dinner. They get a rawhide each day and assorted puppy treats throughout the day, and I keep their bowl of dry food full.

She has access to a doggy door that opens to about a half acre of land. Although her adoptive brother is completely house-trained, she still, on occasion, goes in the house.

Now here is the disgusting part: I believe she might be eating feces. I have not seen her eat it, but I've noticed that occasionally her breath smells like poop. Fecal matter is missing from the lawn -- she has very solid feces that become like logs when dry, and when I return to pick them up, they are gone. I have joked that both dogs have pica because they are always eating things that are inedible (sticks, paper, feces).

Are they missing something from their diet? Is this typical puppy behavior? -- N.C.T., Mount Airy, N.C.

DEAR N.C.T.: This is the most unsavory of all dogs' behavior that is, to a degree, normal. Check the archives section on my website, DrFoxVet.com, for a host of letters addressing this issue.

"Cures" range from muzzling your dog when outdoors and feeding her digestive enzymes, probiotics and brewer's yeast to not letting the dogs see the poop being picked up. Cleaning up the den area and acquiring essential digestive bacteria and trace nutrients are some of the possible reasons for canine coprophagia. Unfortunately, there is no simple remedy.

As for the halitosis, PetzLife Oral Care for dogs will sweeten the breath and help keep teeth and gums clean and healthy.

(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 boyfriend and I adopted our 4-year-old male tabby cat from a rescue a little over a year ago. He is a sweet, personable and playful cat, and he seems well adjusted to us and to our apartment. Unfortunately, we have a couple of problems.

He has a chronic ear infection -- he had one when we adopted him -- which three different prescriptions have failed to clear. While the prescriptions seem to help during treatment, the brown gunk comes back as soon as the drops run out. The vet ruled out mites on the first visit.

He shakes his head and scratches at his ears constantly, and it's heartbreaking. Is surgery an option? What can we do?

Secondly, he keeps waking us up hours before his breakfast time. We feed him moist food twice a day -- at 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. This worked fine for a while, but he is now waking up at 6:30 a.m., and he misbehaves and makes noise until we get up to feed him. The sleep deprivation is taking a toll. Any advice? -- J.P.H., Brooklyn, N.Y.

DEAR J.P.H.: Your cat may have ear mites that might not have shown up on the initial examination. Thoroughly clean his ears, then use a cat-safe insecticide in the ear canal. Have your veterinarian prescribe Zymogen, which will help reduce inflammation and possible bacterial and/or fungal infection.

You are not feeding your cat frequently enough. Dogs do fine, as most humans do, on two meals per day, but many cat owners are unaware that it is better to give cats three to six small meals a day. Weigh your cat and keep a note on weight gain or loss, adjusting the amount of his meals.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 6 1/2-pound Yorkie. He's a sweetheart. About three years ago, I found out he has an enlarged heart and a closed trachea. He loves to play, but when he does, he gets out of breath and tries to suck in air with his tongue. When I see him do that, I get tears in my eyes.

He takes pills twice a day. I've asked our vet if there's anything else that can be done. He shrugs his shoulders and puts his hands in the air.

Is there anything I can do or should have done? I hope so. -- J.P.V., Naples, Fla.

DEAR J.P.V.: These sorts of developmental disorders are all too common in toy breeds. Such health problems, and a host of others, have a genetic basis. This places the burden of responsibility on the breeders to help eliminate these problems by not breeding dogs whose puppies inherit such disorders. This is called progeny testing. I would think twice about advising anyone to purchase a purebred dog without some form of health guarantee.

I regret that there are no cures for your dog. Monitor his weight, and keep him trim. Take him for slow walks so he gets some mental stimulation. He should wear only a harness and never a collar. Toy breeds prone to tracheal collapse should never be walked on a collar. Engage in short play bouts, followed by grooming or a calming massage.

(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.)