DEAR DR. FOX: I would like to know the easiest and fastest way to get rid of fleas on my three dogs.

They haven't had fleas in several years; they're inside dogs who are walked in the morning and evening, but evidently this is a bad year for fleas as my dogs have them.

You've mentioned diatomaceous earth and borate powder but fail to mention where to get these items. -- G R., Arlington, Va.

DEAR G.R.: Please read my special report on controlling fleas and ticks that is posted on my website DrFoxVet.com.

It is a detailed report on an integrated approach to keeping these noxious insects at bay. Essential tools include weekly vacuuming of the house, especially where pets sleep. Whole Foods market and some pet stores may carry diatomaceous earth, or go to perma-guard.com. For borate powder, go to fleabusters.com. The former you rub into your pets' fur; the latter you sprinkle in cracks and crevices around the house. I also endorse the new quassia-based, safe and effective herbal spray from PetzLife called Complete Coat. This product kills fleas and ticks and is harmless if the pet accidentally swallows a small quantity.

In addition, buy a flea comb to do daily coat checks. Give your dogs a daily dose of brewer's yeast in their food (1 teaspoon per 50 pounds of dog). Brewer's yeast is also good for cats at about 1/2 teaspoon daily for an average-sized cat.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a question for you about giardia. If a dog is a carrier, will that preclude the dog from being put up for adoption? That is the rumor going around at one of the shelters in St. Louis. I would like to know the facts, which is why I am asking you. -- H.S., St Louis

DEAR H.S: Giardia can be a problem in animal shelters. The first step to containing it is steam cleaning and the use of diluted bleach (one part bleach in 32 parts water) on kennel floor surfaces. Shelters should quarantine all incoming dogs and examine three fecal samples over a six-day period. If the dog tests positive, it should be treated with Fenbendzadole. All dogs should be bathed to remove any fecal residues that may contain this parasite.

Outdoor exercise areas should be considered infective if an afflicted dog -- even one who could be a carrier yet shows no symptoms -- has been out there. Such contaminated areas should be off-limits for four to six weeks.

Since this intestinal parasite can infect many different species (deer, cattle and other domestic livestock), I would act on the assumption that all dogs coming especially into rural shelters could be carriers, and, under the stress of being caught and held at the shelter, will likely develop symptoms. Strict hygiene, quarantine and testing are the best steps to prevent the spread of this infestation to other animals in the shelter and community.

(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 friend's dog came from a shelter and must have had some terrible experiences. At times, and for no reason that I can understand, when I am around the dog he will charge me. I do not understand what I am doing.

It seems to happen when I am close to my friend. At other times, he will come to me for petting, wagging his tail. He has some other issues -- flashing lights, thunder, charging when someone is picking up something off the floor, when I get close to his food bowl, mail trucks, mail carriers and other odd things.

Can you explain why he is acting strangely toward me at certain times? He has me baffled. -- N.L., Washington, D.C.

DEAR N.L.: You have every reason to be baffled by this "bipolar" dog. He is showing classic signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). You must learn to initiate interactions around such an animal only after you have made eye contact with him and when he signals he wants interaction. Put away all expectations you've learned from your prior experiences with friendly dogs.

You need to empathize with his need for space and control -- fear and aggression are triggered when he feels threatened or blocked. Try motivating him with toys that may appeal to him, like a ball, squeaky toy or rope. Initiate the interactions by letting him have his way at all times. Such engagements may lead to play therapy, enabling him to gain trust and self-confidence.

Get him used to enjoying being groomed, and eventually massaged, which can result in miraculous transformations in dogs like him. Let me know how things turn out.

DEAR DR FOX: My 16-year-old pug has anal gland and ear problems. She's had her anal glands drained twice in the last six months, but she still scoots when I take her outside and scratches her ears.

She eats Rachael Ray's Nutrish (beef) mixed with cooked carrots or green beans. I give her Special K cereal for a snack. Can either of these products be causing her discomfort? -- L.W., Chapel Hill, N.C.

DEAR L.W.: I checked on the basic ingredients of your old dog's food: beef, chicken meal, ground rice, brown rice, soybean meal, whole grain corn, corn gluten meal, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols) and dried plain beet pulp.

The brand claims, "No beef byproduct meal, fillers, wheat or wheat gluten," but what is beet pulp if it is not filler?

Stating that there is no wheat or wheat gluten but including lots of other gluten from corn, plus whole-grain corn and soybean meal, is disingenuous at best. I would not recommend this food when there are better formulas on the market. You may wish to try my recipe for home-prepared dog food and treats, purchasing known ingredients for human consumption in your grocery store.

Anal gland and chronic ear and skin problems are often associated with food allergy/hypersensitivity, which is what I suspect for your poor dog.

UPDATE FROM THE ORIGINAL LETTER WRITER:

DEAR DR. FOX: Thank you for the information on this dog food. After only one week off this food, all scratching of ears and scooting has stopped. She even seems livelier -- hopefully she will soon reach her 17th birthday.

I can't seem to find your recipe for homemade dog food on the website. Can you please give me the ingredients or where I can find it? I can't thank you enough for your advice. -- L.W.

DEAR L.W.: I appreciate your quick feedback about your dog's speedy recovery! Look on my website, DrFoxVet.com and click on "Dr. Fox's Library" for my home-prepared dog food recipe.

EUKANUBA DOG AND IAMS DOG AND CAT FOOD RECALLS

On Aug. 14, Procter & Gamble voluntarily recalled specific lots of dry pet food due to the potential for salmonella contamination. These lots were distributed in the United States. No salmonella-related illnesses have been reported to date in association with these product lots.

Consumers who purchased Eukanuba dry dog food or Iams dry dog or cat food products should stop using the product if the code on the bag matches one of the recalls, and discard it. Contact P&G toll-free at 800-208-0172 or via the brands' websites at iams.com or eukanuba.com. The products are also listed on my website.

The number of pet food recalls are commendable in terms of state and federal monitoring, but the high frequency and wide scope of many of these recalls is cause for concern over the safety of food ingredients and manufacturing and storage facilities.

(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 Animal Doctor column addressed carsickness in dogs. Our poodle has no problems with cars -- he rides many miles with us every summer. But then we took him boating, and he got seasick.

Still, he loved going to the beach and frolicking with our kids, until the authorities posted a "No Dogs on the Beach" ordinance, and we couldn't include him on our excursions. He's a smart dog and could tell when we were going (we'd be putting our bathing suits on). He would sit by the front door, panting and whimpering to go. We tried not saying the words, but spelling them out -- "b-e-a-c-h" and "b-o-a-t" -- he still knew what we were up to.

It's heart-wrenching leaving him behind watching us drive away. Do you have any suggestions? -- M.K., Naples, Fla.

DEAR M.K.: Try my remedy for your dog's motion/seasickness: 1/2-teaspoon freshly chopped ginger root in a small ball of cottage cheese or peanut butter given 30 minutes before the boat ride. Put a bandana with a few drops of lavender oil around his neck. This will help calm him. The ginger will settle his stomach and is a potent anti-nausea herb that is used to alleviate morning sickness in pregnant women. If your dog is not a standard poodle, reduce the amount of ginger accordingly. The only harm of an overdose could be that he might throw it up.

As for beaches closed to dogs, there should be a "dog time" allotment, and an inspector posted who levies a massive fine on anyone who does not poop-scoop at once.

DEAR DR. FOX: Jake is an 8-year-old neutered male cat who came to me as a young stray. He has a very shaggy coat, and it turns out he's a Maine coon, although he must have been the runt of the litter since he never got larger than 10 to 11 pounds.

During a routine examination, my veterinarian found a mass in Jake's abdomen that he decided, after various tests, was probably a tumor of the spleen. That wasn't the case -- it turned out to be an enormous hair ball in Jake's stomach. The vet said he'd never seen anything like it before. He kept it to show me after the surgery, and it was the size of my fist.

Needless to say, the cat feels much better and eats better with this thing gone, but what can I do to keep this from happening again? Jake is a meticulous groomer, and he spits up hair balls like any normal cat, though that obviously wasn't bringing up most of what he's swallowed. -- C.H., Bowie, Md.

DEAR C.H.: I hope that people with cats will take note of Jake's massive fur ball. This is a not-uncommon issue with cats, and if not treated, it can be fatal.

Daily brushing is part of the solution, but not for too long, because it may stimulate more fur growth and shedding. Just brush your cat briefly to remove already-shed fur trapped in the coat.

A few drops of fish oil or 1/2 teaspoon of organic butter in your cat's food daily may help improve coat health. Adding a teaspoon of soaked psyllium husks or cooked mashed green or butter beans to the food can provide some fiber in the diet that can stimulate digestion and the passage of small accumulations of fur in the stomach. Some people find a teaspoon of olive oil helps prevent fur balls and periodic retching of fur from the stomach.

For one of our cats, providing a few leaves of crushed catnip triggers almost immediate vomiting and is done once a month or so. This results in a small "sausage" of fur being expelled from the body. My theory is that swallowed fur is biologically adaptive in the wild, binding up small chewed bones and insect parts to reduce internal injury.

(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.)