DEAR DR. FOX: I have a neutered 10-year-old orange tabby who is an indoor cat. He is overweight. I have tried so many things over the years to help him.

He has an aggressive personality and can be very defensive. He does not do well at the vet, and he has to be sedated before his checkup. It is difficult and traumatic to take him to the vet for anything at all.

I am concerned about his weight. He was put on Hill's Prescription Diet r/d years ago. I don't think this is the best thing for him, but I don't know where to turn for help. He seems to be hungry all the time and constantly cries to be fed. Sometimes I give in. It's the only way I can get sleep. I don't give him more than the amount he's supposed to have, but I don't see any results. Even though the bag of food says not to use the product long term, his vet still has him on it. I want to switch, but I don't feel like I'm educated in the best possible source of food for him.

I want to help him feel better and lose weight. I feel like I have failed him. I love him and want to do what's right. I've checked into Wellness CORE Grain-Free Indoor Formula and thought of trying it. Can you please advise me on what you think is best for my furry friend? -- D.W., Wilmington, Del.

DEAR D.W.: The main ingredients in the diet food you are feeding your cat are brewers' rice, chicken byproduct meal, corn gluten meal, powdered cellulose, chicken liver flavor and soybean oil. Carnitine is added to "help burn body fat." Your poor cat may develop the feline equivalent of a metabolic syndrome on this kind of diet -- diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney, urinary tract and liver problems.

Your cat needs good-quality animal protein and fats of animal origin to stay full. Visit feline-nutrition.org for more insights, and check out my website, DrFoxVet.com, for a home-prepared diet you may wish to try.

The Wellness brand is good. Feed your cat six to eight small meals daily, weigh him weekly and adjust his diet accordingly. Whatever exercise you can get him to enjoy, such as chasing a lure on the end of a string, will help.

DEAR DR. FOX: I agree with your position against pickup trucks hauling loose dogs (and kids), although the prevalence of this practice in rural areas makes me wonder how dangerous it really is. If hauling a dog in a crate inside a car is all right, why is hauling a dog in a crate atop your car not all right? -- B.W.P.

DEAR B.W.P.: Thanks for asking! I wonder if other readers do not understand the difference between transporting a dog in a crate inside a vehicle or in the rear of a pickup versus on top of the car like a piece of secured luggage.

A dog in a crate on top of a car has no protection from high-velocity wind, which can carry injurious flying particles that could cause blindness. The animal is also exposed to cold and rain that bring discomfort and stress and can potentially lead to hypothermia and pneumonia. The experience could be so terrifying to any animal as to cause a heart attack or self-injury in an attempt to break free. Similarly, chickens and turkeys are transported in crates in open trucks, and those at the front get the brunt of transit stress.

The lack of empathy in transporting any animal in that way is also of concern because it means more than a mere lack of common sense. It could be an indicator of a serious character disorder or defect in an individual's capacity to care responsibly for another living being.

KRILL OIL SUPPLEMENTS

One aspect of veterinary bioethics is the source of various therapeutic products and nutrient supplements and their environmental impact, which must be weighed against their effectiveness and the availability of alternatives. One point in question is the mass marketing of krill oil as a superior nutrient supplement to health-conscious consumers and pet owners.

Krill is the food staple for several whale species and other marine creatures. The justification for krill harvesting is based primarily on profits and is a tie-in with the factory farming of corn-fed livestock and poultry notoriously deficient in omega-3 fatty acid and with excess omega-6 fatty acid. There is hope on the omega-3 supplement horizon with confirmation that cultures of algae could lead to the wholesale production of omega-3 fatty acids, some of which are already being marketed and embraced by vegans and other conscientious consumers. For more details on why I am opposed to krill being taken from the oceans, see my entry at DrFoxVet.com.

FREE-ROAMING CATS DECIMATE WILDLIFE

It is estimated that domestic cats in the U.S. -- including house cats who spend part of the day outdoors, strays and feral cats -- kill a median 2.4 billion birds and 12.3 billion mammals a year, according to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the Fish and Wildlife Service. An estimated 80 million stray and feral cats do most of the killing.

All cat owners should never allow their cats to roam free, and all municipalities should address stray and feral cat issues.

(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 have a little shih tzu/Lhasa-mix. She is 4 years old. She's had an endoscopy of her stomach, an ultrasound and a check for colic disease performed.

She eats only every other day, and she spits up large amounts of yellow foam. She is very picky about eating. She won't eat dry food at all, and she doesn't drink much water. Sometimes she acts like she is choking and gags a lot. The woman I bought her from mated her mother every time she came into heat. I didn't know this at the time I bought her. She was very hard to train, but she is a good dog now -- except for the eating.

I give her pills to coat the stomach, but she spits them up as soon as they go down. I don't know what to do. Please help us. -- J.S., Virginia Beach, Va.

DEAR J.S.: You and your poor dog have been subjected to several costly diagnostic procedures. The cost may be justified if symptomatic treatments failed, such as giving the dog antacid tablets to correct gastroesophageal reflux disease or trying a single protein, grain-free diet.

If neither of these possible treatments were considered prior to subjecting your dog to these diagnostic procedures, you should seek a second opinion, ideally from a member of American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association.

I receive far too many letters like yours that indicate some veterinarians do not seem to appreciate that these are economically hard times for millions of Americans. Many pet owners cannot take their animals in for regular checkups because they are afraid of the possible costs that may be incurred.

Try my suggestions, and let me know how your poor dog does.

DEAR DR. FOX: I recently adopted a wonderful cat from animal control. I am 77 years old, and this is my first cat. The cat, Molly, is 8 years old and was in a home before being put up for adoption. She is obedient, eats well, uses the litter box and stays indoors.

She doesn't seem to know what a scratching post is. She has learned to keep her claws in; however, she scratches the furniture. She doesn't like catnip. The first scratching post was half rug, half sisal. She just sniffs at it. The second one is all rug with two round treelike supports and a platform on top. She loves to sit on the platform, but she won't use the post for scratching. I have pretended to scratch it myself, but she just watches. I sprayed it with Febreze to neutralize any scent. All she does is paw at it with claws withdrawn.

The vet says she is healthy. He says she will use the posts eventually, but she hasn't in the two months I've had her. -- S.W., Odenton, Md.

DEAR S.W.: I applaud you for adopting an older cat! It concerns me that elderly people so often get a kitten or puppy who will probably outlive them and can be more demanding.

Get some Velcro strips and stick some plastic sheets or strips of duct tape and cover those areas on your furniture where she scratches.

One very good sisal scratch post that is tall and sturdy is the PurrFect Post. Call 800-989-2542 or visit PurrFectPost.com for details. Some cats like horizontal scratchboards, some like scratching posts made of corrugated cardboard -- check these out at your local pet store.

Continue clawing the post with your fingernails while your cat watches, and then hold her up against it as far as she will reach upward. Push her front paws into the post, then stroke and massage up and down her back. My two cats love this. Get rid of the Febreze.

Your cat may also enjoy chasing a bunch of feathers or strip of fur tied to a long string on the end of a cane. I call it "going fishing for cats," and my cats love it, especially at night.

(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 have no pets, but I really, really, really love animals, particularly kitties!

You've made mention of using fish oils rich in the omega compounds. However, some media and concerned environmental groups talk of the depletion and pollution of global fisheries. Flaxseed and hempseed are processed to provide omega oil compounds 3, 6 and 9. Is there any harm in using a plant-based source instead of a fish or krill oil as you recommend?

My other question is about toxoplasmosis, which can be found in pet cats, rats and ferrets. It is harmful to humans. An infection of toxoplasmosis can result in compromised cognitive function and other health problems. How can current and future pet owners reduce the risk of acquiring a toxoplasmosis infection? How can they check for it? -- J.R.M., St. Louis

DEAR J.R.M.: Nutritional science has shown that some people, like most cats and probably many dogs, are unable to process or convert omega-3 fatty acids of plant origin into DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). These acids are essential for brain development, vision, immune system function and a host of other body functions. They also help balance inflammation-causing omega-6 fatty acids, which tend to be in excess in the human diet. For details, see my article about krill oil on my website, DrFoxVet.com.

American consumers and their pets are facing a major nutritional deficiency and imbalance when it comes to these essential fatty acids. As a vegetarian, I rely on flax and several supplements, including DHA Algal-900 from Finest Nutrition and Nordic Naturals Algae Omega. For dogs and cats, I recommend Nordic Naturals fish oil or free-range, grass-fed beef, dairy or poultry, which is higher in omega-3s than products from conventionally raised and fed animals. A small amount of canned sardine or mackerel can also provide some of these essential nutrients.

Toxoplasmosis is diagnosable by alert epidemiologists and parasitologists, and it is treatable in patients not too damaged by these organisms. To best prevent toxoplasmosis, be careful when handling raw meat (or go vegetarian/vegan); wear gardening gloves when working in soil; outlaw people allowing their cats to roam free, becoming infected from killing and eating rodents; and avoid contact with feces when cleaning out the litter box.

DEAR DR. FOX: As a horse owner, I am bugged by all the vaccines being given to them. I agree with you that they can harm the horses' immune systems. Now we have eastern equine encephalitis, which can infect humans, and West Nile virus, which can kill horses and people. What's next? We never had these diseases when I was younger. What is going on? -- A.R., East Lansing, Mich.

DEAR A.R: Your question is timely because health experts and a few political leaders are waking up to the consequences of climate change/global warming, which facilitates the spread of some insect-borne diseases like the two that you mention.

Wind currents and warmer temperatures help spread viruses across continents, as can infected migratory birds. We need to acknowledge the role of humans in helping spread these so-called emerging diseases like West Nile virus and the increasingly frequent influenza epidemics.

Insect-borne diseases such as eastern equine encephalitis, West Nile virus, epizootic hemorrhagic disease, the Schmallenberg virus, and a host of tick-borne diseases from Lyme disease to Rocky Mountain spotted fever might be reduced if we stopped using pesticides. This may seem counterintuitive, but biting insects quickly develop resistance to the pesticides while the bats, birds and other creatures that consume them and help control their numbers get poisoned. The white nose syndrome fungal disease currently decimating bats may be a consequence of immune system impairment by pesticides. Ditto the fate of the honeybee and other beneficial insects.

But the agrichemical industry does not want to hear any of this, and the drug and vaccine industries continue to profit from anthropogenic, man-made diseases. The solutions are seen as an economic threat to this establishment, but they should be regarded as an opportunity to serve the greater good and profit ethically.

(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.)