DEAR DR. FOX: A few years ago, we got two Pomeranians. In May, seeing a proliferation of fleas and ticks, I let my guard down and went with my vet's recommendation of Vectra. We applied it to our small Pom in the recommended dose and forgot about it. Within three weeks, my healthy 3-year-old dog was dying; her immune system shut down, and she was no longer producing red blood cells or platelets. Our vet asked if she had access to rat poison.

More than $10,000 later, after transfusions, bone marrow and other tests, two weeks in the veterinary hospital and many drugs, she survived and came home. She has sort of recovered, but is now sentenced to a lifetime of cyclosporine -- her immune system is shot, and she'll never be the same.

I welcome your thoughts and sincerely hope you don't condone putting what is well understood to be horrible poisons onto an animal's skin. -- B.G., Toms River, N.J.

DEAR B.G.: I trust that you and the attending veterinarian have sent in a report to the company and also to the Food and Drug Administration. You can also report it at this website: dogsadversereactions.com/fdareporting.html.

As you may know from my newspaper column, I am fundamentally opposed to the use of these kinds of anti-flea and tick drugs. I receive many letters concerning adverse reactions in dogs and cats. Even though Vectra is supposedly one of the safer of these insecticidal drugs, I advise against their use except as a last resort when all nondrug flea control and eradication steps fail. For details on such procedures, see my article on my website.

Check any of the topical flea-killing products on the Internet for adverse reactions in dogs and cats. They can range from scratching, panting and vomiting to seizures and death. If your dog was also vaccinated around the time she was treated with Vectra, an adverse reaction to the vaccination (called vaccinosis) cannot be ruled out.

DEAR DR. FOX: I know you enjoy hearing stories about humans and beloved pets in the afterlife, so I wanted to share a story about my husband and his beloved cat, Rita.

A few months ago, Rita was nearly 20 years old, and my husband took her in to be put to sleep due to her ailing health. My husband and Rita were great buddies and always hung out together around the house -- watching TV together, watching birds, etc.

My husband recently went to the hospital for what was supposed to be a simple procedure, but he had complications and ended up staying for weeks. His doctor decided to perform a relatively simple procedure to determine what was causing all the complications.

A couple of days before surgery, my husband said that he didn't want me to think he was crazy, but in the evening, Rita had come by to see him. He was not on any pain medication that would have caused hallucinations. He said that she had strolled close by his chair so he could pet her on the way and that she sat up in the hospital window and they'd watched for birds. Then Rita curled up on his bed. I told him that I totally believed in animals reaching us from beyond and that Rita was just trying to lift his spirits. My husband, however, was worried that her appearance was an omen and that he wouldn't make it through the procedure. If that were the case, he was thankful that he'd had such a wonderful life.

Much to our surprise and sadness, my husband did not survive the "simple" procedure. Evidently Rita was the omen he thought she was. As much as I miss my husband, I am comforted knowing that Rita escorted him to the other side and they're both up there in a better place and out of their physical pain. -- C.D., North Beach, Md.

DEAR C.D.: I am sure that many readers will appreciate your extraordinary account of a beloved, deceased cat manifesting as an omen, yet giving some sense of an afterlife to your hospitalized husband.

Hospital psychosis is a not-uncommon hallucinatory malady, especially in elderly patients. But it seems as though your husband was in no way psychotically disoriented.

Some readers may complain that this is not the domain of "Animal Doctor" issues and that I should focus solely on animal health and behavioral topics. But spiritual and metaphysical realms are part of the human/nonhuman bond, and it is love, empathy and compassion (as between Rita and your husband) that cement the cornerstone of animal and human health and well-being.

(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 am writing regarding our 7-year-old neutered tuxedo shorthair cat. We wonder why he will occasionally walk up and down the hallway between our bedroom and living room, meowing loudly early in the morning. That's after he has been sleeping in bed with us. After the meowing, he will come back to bed with us until it's time to get up.

We think he is calling for his mother, who was killed and eaten by a coyote before he was weaned. He had to be bottle-fed.

Any information you can give will be greatly appreciated. -- M.L.S., Arlington, Va.

DEAR M.L.S.: I appreciate your interpretation of the genesis of your cat's early morning vocalizations. While cats, dogs and other animals can suffer separation anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), your cat was too young to have been harmed by the early separation from his mother. Being bottle-fed, he imprinted onto you; if he has no contact with other cats he may well wonder what or who he is.

His vocalizations are typical cat yowlings, to make contact with other cats. It's an instinctual behavior studied in detail by German ethologist Dr. Paul Leyhausen. He interpreted this behavior as a "calling to" and a "calling out," inviting other cats to come and socialize.

Older cats suffering from dementia or arthritic pain often yowl, especially in the evening and early morning. I advise a full physical for your cat. If he is otherwise healthy, consider adopting an easygoing adult cat. For steps to follow regarding introducing a new cat, check my website, DrFoxVet.com.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have an 11-year-old pit bull named Liz-ee. She had parvo as a puppy. The vet gave her no chance to live, but I nursed her back to health with antibiotics, colloidal silver, Pepto Bismol and Pedialyte.

For a few years, she was very healthy. But about five years ago, she developed a rash on her neck, face, tail and toes. It was a red, swollen, weepy rash. My vet gave me various creams to treat it topically, to no avail. He then gave her antibiotics, prednisone and shots of cortisone. She cleared up for a few weeks, only to have the rash return. She was treated for fleas and worms (no previous evidence of either), and I was referred to a local veterinary hospital with a dermatologist. After three surgical biopsies over the course of 12 months and many blood tests (all costing thousands of dollars), I was told that nothing was medically wrong with my dog. The dermatologist treated her with the same meds as my vet, only to have her clear up for a few short weeks. I am now told she should not continue to take all of these meds as it could hurt her kidney and liver function.

I came across one of your columns talking about how bad it is to give dogs canned food, so I took her off of all commercially prepared dog food about two months ago. I cook her a stew of chicken, beef, squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, parsley, green beans, olive oil and eggs. But her skin is still breaking out in these rashes.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I want my Liz-ee to live out her last years in comfort. -- C.W., Long Branch, N.J.

DEAR C.W.: I know how distressing atopic dermatitis can be for both your dog and you. It can be frustrating for veterinarians who need to explore every possible avenue of cause and possible cure, rather than relying on steroids.

I don't know where you read that canned foods can be bad for dogs -- I prefer most canned foods rather than most dry dog foods.

Go to my website to read my responses to many different skin-related conditions. Then give her fish oil or a teaspoon of organic butter plus probiotics (for omega-3 fatty acids). Use only one kind of animal protein in her diet for three to four weeks, then switch to another. Many dogs are allergic to chicken; some are allergic to other animal proteins, which a single-protein diet can help pinpoint.

I presume the veterinarians have ruled out mange. Your dog should be checked for hypothyroidism. A weekly rubdown with liquid aloe vera followed by a chamomile and oatmeal shampoo or similar soothing herbal blend may also help. Use cotton sheets for your dog to reduce any contact allergy with synthetic fibers in carpets and upholstery.

(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 am writing to you, as I am concerned about how we feed cats.

I have a friend who had to have her female cat put down in December. The cat was 12 years old. My friend fed the cat dry food only. The vet said the cat had kidney failure. She had stopped eating and drinking.

Now my friend has another cat she adopted from the SPCA, Annie. Annie is 6 years old, and she spent two years at the shelter. My friend was told to feed the cat both wet and dry food. She gave Annie both foods for a couple of weeks, but now she gives only the dry food.

Is it true that a cat should have both wet and dry food? Is it safe to feed a cat only dry food? I have a neighbor with a cat, and he told me the cat should have wet and dry food.

I don't want this cat to end up like my friend's last cat. I just want to know what's best for the cat. My friend doesn't believe me when I say she needs to feed both kinds. -- P.E.S., West Long Beach, N.J.

DEAR P.E.S.: I appreciate your letter and you have every reason to be concerned about your friend's cat being fed just dry cat food.

Many cats become addicted to a dry food diet, and it is highly advisable to feed a corn-free, grain-free dry food (you can soak it if the cat does not drink much water). For details, check my website, DrFoxVet.com, and visit feline-nutrition.org for excellent information.

Ideally, cats should be fed a cereal- and soy-free diet -- canned and dry -- or raw-frozen or rehydrated freeze-dried, nutritionally balanced formulations. This will help prevent a host of all-too-common diet-related diseases in middle and old age. Cats fed standard dry food continue to suffer in spite of the medical evidence of the harm of poor-quality protein and high fat content of so many manufactured dry cat foods.

DEAR DR. FOX: I agree with you 100 percent on using gloves while handling birds.

Years ago, I was trying to catch one of my finches with my bare hands. The bird bit my finger, but I didn't give it a second thought. Within 24 hours, a red streak was going up my arm. After going to an urgent care facility, it was determined that the finch bit me on a paper cut on that finger, and it became infected.

To this day, I wear heavy gloves when handling my birds -- they bite really hard and can break the skin. -- L.S., St. Louis

DEAR L.S.: Your letter is a welcome addition to the debate raised by one bird "expert" (J.M. from Naples, Fla.) who castigated me for advising people to wear gloves when handling birds who are not fully socialized or who are fearful or aggressive.

This should be standard practice for those with little expertise in handling birds, reptiles and small mammals. Bites and scratches can result in serious infections, and, as I stress repeatedly, the pain could make the handler drop the animal with potentially fatal consequences.

DOGS AND HUMANS WITH OCD SHARE BRAIN CHARACTERISTICS

Canine compulsive disorder is similar to human obsessive-compulsive disorder in practice and physiology, according to recent research. MRI images of 16 Doberman pinschers showed that those with canine compulsive disorder had structural brain characteristics similar to those of human patients with OCD. Veterinarians from Tufts and Purdue universities collaborated with McLean Hospital in Massachusetts for the study. The findings may help develop treatments for canines and humans with compulsive disorders.

(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.)