DEAR DR. FOX: I have a mature 13-year-old poodle who has warts all over his back, and I don't know how to treat them.

My vet said he could freeze some -- three at a time for $500 each visit -- but they may grow back. If there is anything I can do to help dry them out, I will. I was going to get some medication from the drugstore, but I'm afraid it might hurt him. -- J.G., St. Charles, Mo.

DEAR J.G.: I wonder what is happening to the veterinary profession. To give you a price of $500 to remove these harmless growths, so common in older dogs and small breeds like yours, is outrageous.

One of my readers painted her dog's warts with organic cider vinegar, twice daily for several days, until they disappeared. Other readers have used over-the-counter human wart-removing ointments with good effect. Other herbal remedies include garlic juice, fresh nettle juice and thuja tincture.

You should, of course, keep any wart-removing application away from your dog's eyes. A veterinarian should be consulted concerning any growths that are especially irritating and have a reddened base -- they may have a bacterial or fungal infection. If this could be an issue with your dog, seek a second opinion from another animal doctor.

DEAR DR. FOX: We have a 15-year-old Maine coon cat. He takes an atenolol tablet for cardiomyopathy, which was diagnosed at an early age. He had a polyp removed from his ear in 2010 during a dental cleaning. In 2011, an MRI showed he had fluid in his ears (bilateral otitis media). He was given Simplicef and metronidazole for three months. He is now deaf.

He started limping on his back leg and is now on Dasuquin for his joints. In 2011, his physical showed that his liver enzymes were elevated and he was prescribed a liver protectant, Denamarin. After a month, I chose to discontinue it.

His 2012 physical results show his liver enzymes are lower. The pH in his urine is high -- 7.5. His urine concentration is good. Our veterinarian recommends Royal Canin diet food. He has been raised on PetGuard with a healthy addition of water since he does not drink from the bowl. I also mix in psyllium husks and fish oil. Lately, I've added Wellness and ProPlan food to his diet. He weighs 15 1/2 pounds, down from his top weight of 18 pounds two years ago.

Should I have continued him on Denamarin? What diet would you recommend to lower his urine pH level? I have saved your cat food recipe from an earlier article, but when I tried a homemade diet at a young age, he refused to eat it. -- J.M.S., Falls Church, Va.

DEAR J.M.S.: I think your cat is receiving appropriate veterinary care, and I would put him back on Denamarin. This may help offset any harmful side effects from the Dasuquin.

You may want to try substituting the Dasuquin with up to 1/2-teaspoon daily of fish oil. Begin with a few drops. Fish oil is anti-inflammatory, and it may help improve his kidney and heart functions.

While acupuncture treatments can be of benefit, I would advise only in-home therapy. Many cats love a regular massage. Read tips in my book "The Healing Touch for Cats."

DEAR DR. FOX: I unwittingly killed my 13-pound, 3 1/2–year-old female Pomeranian, Lexi, with a few dollops of liverwurst. I didn't know that liverwurst was pure fat with a little flavoring, which my Lexi's pancreas couldn't handle. It took 40 hours for her to die, and I sat there watching her without a clue because I didn't understand the significance of what I was seeing -- occasional vomiting and then seizures -- until it was too late. My ignorance killed her.

My vet performed a necropsy. Lexi's pancreas was black. The bowel around the pancreas was purple-going-on-black. It looked so bad that the ER vets thought I had poisoned her. It doesn't need to happen to another dog -- education is key. Watch out for pancreatitis. -- M.W.H., Hagerstown, Md.

DEAR M.W.H.: My sympathy goes out to you and to your poor dog. Acute pancreatitis is a painful condition, and without immediate emergency veterinary care, it's usually fatal. Small dogs seem especially susceptible because what we may think is a small treat is too much for them to handle.

Your letter is important for all readers who have dogs -- small and large, young and old -- to take note. Fatty treats and scraps can destroy the pancreas, often compounded by high protein content that can lead to uremia (protein poisoning) when there is concurrent kidney disease. Pancreatic disease is often associated with fatty liver disease, other liver problems and genetic- and diet-related diabetes.

Animal health checkups and discussion of diet with the veterinarian are the best preventives of these all-too-common maladies.

(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: Thank you very much for your sensitive and helpful response to our July 2012 letter regarding Loki, our 13-year-old mixed-breed dog. We deeply appreciate your empathy for animals and those who care for them.

The following is an excerpt from our 2012 Christmas letter to our friends and family:

"Loki, poor Loki. In addition to having Cushing's syndrome and being blind, he was diagnosed this summer with vestibular disease -- that means he is dizzy (and he's not even a blond). He has, however, developed a certain sense of decorum.

"One night while being walked by Jon (dog-sitting while we were away), Loki picked up something from the street. Jon didn't notice it until walking up our driveway. He saw that it was a sandwich, probably discarded by construction workers next door. He tried to pry it out of Loki's mouth, but the dog would not give it up. Into the house Loki marched, went to his dog dish, deposited the sandwich and then ate it. I guess that legitimized the food. Not bad for a former street dog from Brooklyn."

Thank you again for being there for our pets. -- J. and M.H., Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

DEAR J. and M.H.: I have taken the liberty of sharing your intimate account of your beloved former street dog from Brooklyn.

In spite of his infirmities, he displayed better manners than many of our own species. Thanks to your devoted care of this old dog, he was not only able to enjoy some quality of life, but also to demonstrate a degree of sensibility that helps us deepen our appreciation for other creatures who enrich our lives in countless ways.

I like to think that we are beginning to settle the score of our indebtedness after centuries of exploitation and abuse of creatures -- wild and tame -- as more people support their local animal shelters, advocate animals' rights, oppose cruel factory farms and support wildlife and habitat protection and restoration at home and abroad.

Your story of Loki reminds me of a captive kit fox who deposited morsels of food around his cage mate who had died suddenly. As with humans, saving food can be a token of affection. For Loki, perhaps not gobbling the food he found in the street but bringing it home to eat in a civilized manner was a tribute to his preferred existence under your roof.

DEAR DR. FOX: I just lost my third dog to cancer. They were all about 10 years old. They all had a sudden onset of acute symptoms, followed closely with euthanasia after finding metastatic disease.

By the time the symptoms appear, it is usually too late for treatment. My heart is breaking for this most recent loss.

Is there any clinical way to prevent this? -- K.W., Tacoma Park, Md.

DEAR K.W.: My sympathies go out to you and all those people in your situation, where cancer is discovered in a beloved animal and it has spread so much that nothing can be done.

Part of the problem is that it is not always easy to know when an animal is in pain or not felling well. Whenever in doubt, go to the veterinarian. Also go to the veterinarian every six to nine months for a checkup when you have an animal in the "old age" category, and annually up to the end of middle age, which can be around 6 or 7 for some breeds and 9 or 10 for others.

Going in on this schedule, and not just when the animal needs shots or seems ill, can lead to early detection of cancer, which means that effective treatment would be better assured.

(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: A recent front-page article in the Washington Post, "Wolf-to-dog evolution went with the grain," states, "In particular, dogs show changes in genes governing three key steps in the digestion of starch ... it makes us convinced that being able to digest starch efficiently was crucial to dogs."

The article suggests that once dogs began living close to humans, they found a new feeding "niche" by scavenging human garbage. The implication is that grains are not harmful to dogs because their digestive systems have adapted to diets other than meat. In light of this, have you changed your recommendations about feeding dogs mostly grain-free foods? -- M.C.M., Silver Spring, Md.

DEAR M.C.M.: I appreciate your writing to me about this article on a finding that has been widely publicized.

This is an important issue because while dogs -- some breeds better than others -- have evolved the enzymes needed to process carbohydrates and starches from grains and potatoes, this adaptation does not mean that a high or even moderate carbohydrate content in dogs' diets is optimal for their health.

For most dogs, I advocate low levels of grain, but not for cats. A minute amount as a binder for dry foods is acceptable for cats, many of whom continue to suffer a variety of health problems because their diets contain more starches than an obligate carnivore like a cat can handle. Dogs are more omnivorous than cats, just as foxes and coyotes are more omnivorous than wolves and cougars.

For a more detailed response, see my article "Domestication and Diet: Dog Genes and Cat Gut Bacteria," posted on my website, DrFoxVet.com.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have two Shetland sheepdogs. Both are 7 years old, but they are not related.

When we were in Florida last March, one of my dogs developed a rash under his nose. It was red and he was rubbing his face on furniture and licking his feet. It looked like he lost some hair on his face since you could see the pink skin beneath.

I took him to the vet, and he said that there are a lot of molds and spores on the ground in Florida. He put my dog on prednisone, as he said the rash was inflamed. This did calm down the redness. However, when we returned to Michigan, my vet there also put him on prednisone, but after repeated use, the area looks pretty much the same. I noticed that the dog was beginning to get a white patch on his face that hadn't been there before. It's gotten larger, and other patches are beginning to appear.

I have taken him to a vet who specializes in dermatology problems in dogs. She said that it was just his hair. I don't think that's the case due to the fact that he is getting more white patches. She did a blood test that indicated he was allergic to dust mites. She also suggested that a punch test would show more. However, we don't want to put our dog through that unless it's absolutely necessary.

I have done some research online and found that there is such a thing as vitiligo, a condition that causes depigmentation of skin in dogs. The pictures looked similar to what is happening on my dog's face.

What would you suggest at this point? If it is vitiligo, is there anything that can be done?

Years ago when I bought my first dog, I read your book "Understanding Your Dog." This was one of the most insightful books I've read on dog behavior. -- G.J.D., Naples, Fla.

DEAR G.J.D.: I am impressed by the number of readers who are going online in search of diagnoses for their pets' conditions when prescribed treatments fail or when veterinarians fail to communicate clearly or offer opinions that don't seem to make sense.

I find it disturbing that a veterinary dermatology specialist -- and I would ask if she is board certified -- did not raise the possibility of your dog having discoid lupus erythematosus, a chronic skin condition with inflammation and scarring of the face, ears and scalp, which is common in your breed. This condition fits the symptoms you describe. Other autoimmune disorders to which Shetland sheepdogs are susceptible include pemphigus foliaceus and pemphigus erythematosus -- these should also be considered.

Carefully monitored, long-term treatment with prednisone can help, especially in combination with tetracycline, niacinamide or gold therapy (aurothioglucose), fish oil and topical vitamin E.

MORE PET FOODS AND TREATS RECALLED

Steve's Real Food announced a voluntary recall of its 5-pound bags of Turducken Patties due to potential contamination of salmonella. Consumers with questions should call 888-526-1900 or email help@stevesrealfood.com

Diggin' Your Dog announced that they are voluntarily withdrawing one lot of its Strippin' Chicks Pet Treats due to a potential contamination of salmonella. Consumers with questions should call 775-742-7295 or email info@dydusa.com.

Diamond Pet Foods is issuing a voluntary recall to Premium Edge, Diamond Naturals and 4health Dry Cat Food Formulas due to the possibility of low levels of thiamine (vitamin B1). Consumers with questions should call 888-965-6131 or visit petfoodinformationcenter.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.)