DEAR DR. FOX: I adopted three kittens that were roaming outside my unit, probably under my deck, in 1997. They were part of a litter of six.

There were three orange tabbies, two mixed colors and one white cat. I caught the white one in October. I wanted another for a playmate, so my neighbor caught the tamest one. I thought he was dumb to let us pick him up, but I was the dumb one and he turned out to be the smart one. He adjusted almost immediately to his new home.

One orange tabby showed up on the far corner of my balcony about a week later -- he probably knew two of his littermates were inside. I went out on the balcony thinking he would see me, but he didn't. He just kept looking out, and he didn't even hear me coming. I bent down and grabbed him. He got mad, but I just put him in my living room, where he acted like he didn't like me. He changed his mind pretty soon.

The smart one pushed a small screen out in the basement in 1998 and went outside, and the others followed. They all just wanted to go outside, not run away. I knew I could get the orange ones back in, but the white one was a different story. It took me about 11 days to get him. The smart one pushed the screen out again about a year later. I don't know how he did it, since he didn't tear the screen at all, just pushed it out. It was very secure in the slot. He did it upstairs in the bedroom also. Anyway, they liked going outside, especially the smart one, but I wouldn't let the white one out.

The smart one disappeared in December 1999; I think a coyote got him. I don't think he ran away, and I looked all over for him for several days. The other orange one was in a hurry to come in when I got home, which was unusual. The white one would go to the screen door the next few days and yell out.

After that, I didn't let them out except for when they go out with me in the morning for five or 10 minutes. Don't let your cats roam! Not only will you prevent them from killing wildlife, you'll also stop something from happening to your pet. -- D.L., Maryland Heights, Md.

DEAR D.L.: Readers will appreciate your feline saga, and hopefully adopt your protocol of allowing them outdoors if they wish, but only under strict supervision. I wish you had caught and found good homes for all the kittens. Many cats are taken by coyotes who are in many communities across the U.S. Eagles and other large birds of prey take some cats. Several cat owners tell me that they now walk their cats wearing a harness around the body, and they love it!

SAY NO TO DECLAWING CATS

Many veterinarians routinely declaw young cats. It's often part of the package when pets come in to be spayed/neutered. Many cats suffer as a consequence. The operation, called an onychectomy, entails more than simply removing the claws under general anesthesia. It entails removal of the first digit (digitectomy, or deknuckling). It's like you having your toes and fingers removed at the first joint.

Cats are very dexterous, and this operation essentially eliminates their dexterity, greatly reducing their behavioral repertoire when it comes to grasping and holding. It also hampers their ability to groom and scratch themselves normally. Their ability and self-confidence when it comes to climbing and agility are similarly crippled. Their first line of defense -- their retractable claws -- is eliminated, which could make some cats more anxious and defensive.

Declawed cats tend to walk abnormally back on their heels rather than on their entire pads because of the chronic pain at the end of their severed fingers and toes. They often develop arthritis, and as the front toe pads shrink, chronic bone infections are not uncommon.

Many declawed cats find it painful to use the litter box, develop a conditioned aversion to using the box and stop using it. This is why many declawed cats are put up for adoption or are euthanized. They may also bite more and become defensive when handled because their paws are hurting and infected.

I strongly advise all prospective cat owners and those cat owners who are contemplating having the entire first digit, not simply the claw, removed surgically from their cats' paws to never have this operation performed.

Cats need their claws to be cats, and the routine surgical amputation of all their first digits is considered unthinkable in the U.K. and many other countries. They know that properly handled and socialized cats quickly learn not to scratch people and will learn to enjoy using a scratch post and not destroy upholstered furniture.

For more details, visit the Paw Project at pawproject.org.

(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: We have a 10-year-old dachshund named Abigail. She had what appeared to be a rash with dried, scaly scabs for more than two years. She licked herself constantly.

We tried different foods, narrowing it down to individual proteins rather than food with several meat products. Our vet suggested we try making her homemade food and treats for dogs with allergies. We eliminated beef and chicken and replaced them with fish and veal. We started trying different high-quality pet foods, mixing dry with moist food. The vet ordered several tests, including thyroid activity. Nothing showed up in the test results.

She was put on multiple rounds of antibiotics, anti-fungal medications and prednisone. We shampooed her two or three times a week using prescription shampoo, and we also tried medicated oatmeal shampoo, Selsun Blue medicated shampoo and Head & Shoulders shampoo, all to no avail.

Finally, we decided to have her tested for the type of allergies she may have. The test cost about $300, but it was worth it. Abigail is allergic to several things. However, the test that shot through the roof was food mites. The vet explained that some stores keep dog food on the shelf until it sells, rather than until its expiration date. Abigail is also allergic to dust mites.

We moved all the old rugs and even had hardwood floors put down in the den and hallway (something we were planning anyway, but this result expedited the change). The few rooms with carpet, which she does not go into often, were shampooed and sprayed for allergens. We threw away her old bedding, and all bedding and blankets are now washed weekly with hot water.

Abigail was placed on another round of antibiotics, anti-fungal medication and prednisone. We switched her food to a Blue Health Holistic Fish and Sweet Potato (dry and wet). Abigail had no signs of rash or scaly scabs within three months. It has been more than year and a half without any signs of a breakout.

It has been a long and trying road to get her relieved of her condition, but we consider our pets as part of our family, and we would do anything to relieve her discomfort. I hope this information will help others. -- E.R.P., Kernersville, N.C.

DEAR E.R.P.: I have noted several instances of food mite contamination of dry pet foods over the years. The bugs multiply inside the sealed, contaminated bags, so the older the bag, the greater the number of mites. Always check the expiration date on the bag, and think twice about buying discounted dog and cat foods past their expiration dates. Also, the older the food, the more nutrients are lost through oxidation.

Dust mites in the home are a significant allergen for dogs and cats. These mites eat the dead skin cells humans shed and the dander that dogs and cats shed.

Thorough vacuuming every five to seven days is a routine hygienic practice for all homes. You should also launder any animal bedding at the same intervals.

DOGS' SUPER SENSES

Dogs are acute observers of human behavior, so much so that they are trained to warn when a person with epilepsy is going to have a seizure. They also have an incredible sense of smell, which enables them to detect bladder cancer from urine, lung cancer from breath and diabetic ketosis from body odor. This reflects dogs' ability to detect differences between what is normal and abnormal, and to be trained to respond accordingly. Since our body chemistry changes under stress and distress, we should wonder how that impacts our canine companions and the "good" and "bad" scents they pick up from strangers.

Dogs can also detect deadly bacterial infections. Cliff, a 2-year-old beagle, is trained to detect the bacterium Clostridium difficile, which is responsible for 14,000 human deaths annually in the U.S. Cliff correctly identified the infection in 25 of 30 people and determined that 265 of 270 uninfected people didn't have the bacteria. Researchers say dogs could be trained to detect the infection more quickly than conventional tests.

Even the presence of a dog has its own magic. Dogs can often encourage children to read, and one autistic child recently spoke for the very first time in an outpouring of coherent sentences about his dog!

(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: Our beagle/basset-mix has had a persistent itching/scratching/biting problem for the past two years.

We have tried many medications. They all bring temporary relief, but none cures the itching. We have tried many types of food, from grain-free to all-natural to homemade. Again, there is no consistent relief. We have spent a lot of money at different veterinarians, trying to pinpoint the problem -- to no avail. Prior to the itching, which started in August 2010, our dog had been on the same high-quality food for three years. We've added no new pets, changed his beds and given him baths with prescription shampoo and conditioner/lotion. There is no consistency as far as time of year.

We got him as a rescue, so we are unsure of his age, but we believe him to be 8 to 10 years old. We have grown weary of opening our wallet time and again to try and fix a problem that is frustrating for him and us. -- J.P., Washington, D.C.

DEAR J.P.: It seems you and your poor dog have been through the ringer. He may have multiple allergies and a dysfunctional immune system. More costly tests and trial-and-error treatments may -- or may not -- put an end to his problem.

Here are a few suggestions: Have his thyroid function evaluated. Try short-term oral antihistamines. Discuss starting an elimination diet with your veterinarian. Give your dog cotton towels or bedsheets to sleep on, and never use scented laundry detergents. Don't use any anti-flea or -tick products. Give him up to 1 teaspoon brewer's yeast and fish oil. Give him a spritz of a mixture of aloe vera juice, calendula and witch hazel. (For more suggestions, check the archives on my website, DrFoxVet.com.)

DEAR DR. FOX: Our 18-year-old cat, Carmen, was just diagnosed with diabetes -- again.

Carmen had a scary start in life: She was an injured, lost kitten we rescued. She has always been timid and more fearful of things than the average cat. She was diagnosed with diabetes when she was about 15 years old. We used Lantus insulin for a year or so, and the diabetes, according to the vet, was "cured." Then a few months ago, she started losing weight and peeing outside the litter box, so back to the vet we went, where the return to diabetes was confirmed.

The vet wanted to bring her in for a daylong glucose curve test, which we did, although we were concerned about the stress on Carmen. The testing cost $200, and the vet said she wanted to do it again in two weeks. We complied, paid $200 and were told to bring her back in another two weeks for yet another test.

When Carmen had diabetes the first time, we would test her at home, and if the levels were within normal range, we would continue with her food (Wellness Turkey and Salmon canned food) and testing program. When I asked the vet why we couldn't do that this time around, she said that our testing was just a moment in time, and it takes the whole day to get an accurate reading. Our concern is that these daylong tests at the vet are extremely stressful to Carmen and so the glucose level readings are probably not going to be as accurate as they should be.

Our other concern is that dear little Carmen is close to 100 years old in people years, and we want this time to be calm and relaxing for her. And, needless to say, the $200 a pop ,in addition to the cost of the insulin, syringes, etc., is beginning to add up.

What are your thoughts? -- F.D., North Beach, Md.

DEAR F.D.: Subjecting a cat as old as yours to such stress, especially considering her timid disposition, is borderline malpractice. Saying that her diabetes was "cured" and taking her off the insulin makes me wonder. I would never subject my cats to such stressful tests, the costs notwithstanding. They may be scientifically valid, but are they medically relevant and of any real value? For your cat in particular, I think not. Why could you not be instructed to do the blood tests at home?

Diabetes mellitus may not be your cat's only problem. Her weight loss may be associated with thyroid disease, and she may have some loss of kidney function. Considering her age, quality of life is paramount. Check feline-nutrition.org for alternative diets, including raw foods that have cured many cats of diabetes, and seek a second opinion with a feline specialist.

(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.)