DEAR DR. FOX: Our home is surrounded by woods, so we are frequently visited by wild animals. Unfortunately, this includes skunks.

Our Lab has been sprayed three times. Of those three encounters, he has killed two of the skunks. Can you tell me if there is anything we can put around the yard to repel skunks? -- K.O., Suffolk, Va.

DEAR K.O: Depending on the size of your yard, the best solution would be to out-skunk the skunks with a 5-foot-high fence. Skunks are not climbers, but they are diggers, so have at least 1 foot of the wire barrier buried under the ground.

Alternatively, remove all brush and places where skunks might hide, including under your house or porch, where a decorative lattice fence may be needed. Before you let the dog out, turn on a hose and spray any areas where skunks might be hiding -- they do not like getting soaked. Or make a loud noise by banging kitchen utensils; such aversive auditory conditioning is a good wildlife repellant.

DEAR DR. FOX: I don't put anti-flea/tick medication on my Maltese, but I found a tick on her last week. That scared me, but I don't like to think of putting the medications on her.

I don't have Internet access, so I was wondering if you have any pamphlets or book concerning this? I would gladly purchase one. I am taking Buffy to get her yearly shots, and I will ask the vet about this.

Buffy had a serious skin problem 1 1/2 years ago. She is now on a grain-free diet that has definitely helped.

Any information you would share will be greatly appreciated. -- R.H., Pinckneyville, Ill.

A RELATED LETTER:

DEAR DR. FOX: I am writing to respond to your column where you expressed what I would describe as disdain for people who use "potentially hazardous insecticides ... to prevent flea infestation. That's like taking antibiotics to prevent infection."

I am appalled that you completely ignored the plague of disease-bearing ticks that many areas of the country are experiencing, not just seasonally, but year-round.

I live in Virginia, and my Shetland sheepdog has already contracted Lyme disease once. Fortunately, she was treated successfully with antibiotics. We now apply those spot-on anti-tick drugs 12 months of the year. It is not like taking antibiotics to prevent infection; it is using these products to prevent having to take antibiotics and possibly prevent chronic illness.

If you are aware of safer, less toxic products that will protect my dog from disease-bearing ticks as effectively as the product I am now using, I would like to know about them. -- A.C., Earlysville, Va.

DEAR R.H. and A.C.: Thanks in large part to climate change (milder winters and more rain), vegetative growth providing cover for ticks and lack of wildlife species that help control ticks, we have a nationwide public health problem.

Giving your pet a pill or spot-on chemical to kill ticks once they begin to feed is no guarantee that disease from the ticks will not get into the bloodstream. Harmful side effects for some dogs are well-documented.

Eucalyptus lemon oil in a water emulsion or PetzLife's Complete Coat Spray would be my safe alternative, coupled with a flea comb and thorough inspection of the dog after outdoor exposure. Also, keep yards clear of brush and debris where ticks can find cover -- they avoid open areas and direct sunlight.

LYME DISEASE EPIDEMIC

The Centers for Disease Control recently announced that there were many more Lyme disease infections in the U.S. than previously thought -- 300,000 reported cases -- and reminds people to protect themselves and their pets. Preventive measures include using insect repellant and protective clothing to deter ticks, which transmit Lyme disease via bites. Suspicious symptoms such as a rash near a tick bite, fever, chills and aches should be reported to a physician. For details about how wolves, foxes and other hunted wildlife help control this disease in the wild, and about how free-roaming guinea fowl and poultry (who are voracious tick eaters) can help on your property, visit DrFoxVet.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.)

DEAR DR. FOX: While reading one of your recent articles in which you stressed the importance of feeding our pets higher quality animal protein, I thought of the Law of Unintended Circumstances.

Consider if 10 million American dogs (only 14 percent of the global total) were switched to the diet you recommended. The increase in demand and consumption of quality meat would necessitate the slaughter of another million cattle or 500 million chickens every year. There is a price to pay for keeping carnivorous animals as companions.

I would appreciate your thoughts on this. -- L.B., Florissant, Mo.

DEAR L.B.: Your letter hits the nail on the head when it comes to addressing one of the many dilemmas of modern life, an aspect of what the Hopi Indians call koyaanisqatsi -- life out of balance.

While I advocate vegan and vegetarian diets for our own species for economic, environmental and health reasons, one fact remains: In optimal numbers, farmed animals play a vital role in organic, sustainable agriculture. This means that if we consume fewer of them, there will be adequate animal protein for our animal companions. Cats require more animal protein in their diets than most dogs, who can adapt to and thrive on properly formulated vegetarian diets.

As for seafood, wild stocks of fish are diminishing, and many aquaculture products -- shrimp in particular are red-flagged because of drug residues -- contain chemical pollutants and cause environmental harm.

DEAR DR. FOX: I am currently serving six months in jail. At home, I have a 4-year-old boxer mix. We got along really great, and he is my best friend.

My question is: Will he still remember me after being away for six months? -- J.W., Augusta, W.Va.

DEAR J.W.: Your boxer should remember you with no problem after six months of separation.

Can he not come visit you at the prison during family visits? Mail home a T-shirt you have slept in for a few nights every month if possible. This way he will remember your scent when he is allowed to sniff it. I'm glad you care.

More and more prisons are setting up dog socialization and training programs, employing selected inmates whose rehabilitation can be enhanced by the therapeutic value of such programs. Regrettably, a predominantly punitive approach in more than one such institution for male inmates prevails, and dog socialization and training programs are currently allowed only in women's prisons. After suitable training, inmates take great pride in rehabilitating shelter dogs from the community for adoption. Some programs include advanced training for dogs selected for search and rescue work.

Contaminated Dog Treats Infect People

Joey's Jerky brand chicken jerky is being voluntarily recalled due to a possible salmonella risk. According to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, 21 people in the state have been identified with the same strain of the illness, but no deaths have occurred. Joey's Jerky is produced in New Hampshire, and the manufacturer, Kritter's Kitchen Kreations, has voluntarily recalled all of the product and is asking people to discard the treats.

For the safest dog treats on the planet, prepare your own, such as my buckwheat Good Dog Treats posted on my website, DrFoxVet.com. While you're there, check out some of the brands of dog food that I endorse for reasons of better quality and safety.

(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'm worried about our 17-year-old orange female tabby cat, Gabrielle. She's always been in good health, but over the last few years she's lost 4 or 5 pounds, down from 13. And most worrisome, she's started throwing up just about every night. Her episodes are preceded by cries of pain -- little whimpers and, once in a while, a loud cry. Then her whole body will convulse and she'll throw up brown water.

During the day she seems to be fine, eating normally and relaxing out in the sun or resting. But these bouts of vomiting are very distressing, especially since she's started sleeping in my bedroom, waking me up with her cries.

Any suggestions? -- R.C., Annapolis, Minn.

DEAR R.C.: I appreciate your writing to me, but, like other readers who write about their animals who are clearly suffering and in declining health, your animal companion should be examined and treated by a veterinarian without further delay.

Your old cat could be diabetic or have deteriorating kidney function and thyroid disease; she could have a fur ball in her stomach, or even cancer. Diagnosis and appropriate treatment or palliative care is called for, and you know that you owe old Gabrielle no less. A vet who does home visits might be best for a start if she is not a good traveler.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a male cat who I picked up off the sidewalk with his sister three years ago when they were about 4 weeks old. I took them to the vet for exams and got rid of their fleas. They were healthy kittens.

When they were about 4 months old, I took them to a vet-recommended cat rescue organization that would spay/neuter them for less money. The organization seemed OK, so I left them there. Mistakenly thinking they were both females, I named them Sue and Ellen. When I picked them up that afternoon, they said they couldn't find Sue's ovaries, and to bring her back when she was in heat. I later took them to a vet at PetSmart for their shots. The vet said, "Why did you name him Sue?" Well, that explained the lack of ovaries. I had him neutered and renamed him Sueler.

Sueler is very fat, no matter what I feed him -- Natural Balance Fat Cats dry food or Fancy Feast that has fewer calories. I have tried other expensive food recommended by a vet, but the cats won't eat it. Sueler is not very active and keeps getting fatter. His idea of being outside is to be in the garage and watch whatever is happening outside. If a leaf blows his way, he is frightened. It is so different with Ellen -- she runs and plays and enjoys life.

What can I do for Sueler that doesn't involve an expensive vet visit? I took him to the vet services at PetSmart for an exam that cost more than $200, but I would have needed to spend a lot more for blood work to indicate why he is so overweight.

I feel the vet that searched for Sueler's "ovaries" might be the initial cause for his intestines not assimilating food correctly, but I am just assuming.

There is one more thing worth noting: Sueler keeps licking his fat belly to where it is raw and irritated. Anything I could use as a salve/ointment says, "Do not ingest," so I don't dare try them.

Can you help? -- A.W.J., Naples, Fla.

DEAR A.W.J.: A PetSmart-based veterinarian charging $200 just to examine your cat is exorbitant. You should file a complaint with your local Better Business Bureau.

As for a veterinarian taking the word of the cat owner that both young cats were female and not checking himself to be certain -- this is not an uncommon, one-time mistake. I doubt this has anything to do with Sueler's metabolic weight issue. Neutering a cat at an early age, along with a high-grain diet, could have derailed his metabolism. This might get back on track with a grain- and soy-free, high-protein diet with some fish oils or free-range beef to provide essential fatty acids.

Feeding him four to six very small meals a day may also help, as will getting him off a high-fiber, weight-loss diet food that can mean constant hunger and malnutrition.

(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.)