DEAR DR. FOX: I enjoy your articles in my local newspaper, and one in particular caught my attention.

I will try to make this as brief as possible:

I owned two cats, both indoor-only. One cat was domesticated when I got her; the other was a feral kitten someone found and gave to me. She was still young enough to tame, but even after age 4, she was still not very trusting.

Both cats got their yearly exam and shots, including one for feline leukemia. A few months after Lovely got her annual shots, I noticed that she was limping. I examined her right leg and found a large mass on her upper shoulder -- she has long fur, so it wasn't noticeable except by feeling. I took her to my vet, who did a needle biopsy and gave me some pain meds for her. The next day, after giving her the meds, her whole personality changed -- she hid all day and came out only at night.

The lump was cancerous, and her leg would have to be amputated. Trying to get her to the surgeon that morning was terrible -- she fought and tried to bite me. Finally, we were able to get her there. The surgeon told us that her personality change may be permanent and the stress of losing the leg would possibly make it worse. He also mentioned that the leukemia shot may have caused the cancer and that it may have spread to other organs. We made the painful decision to put her down.

After asking another vet and my own vet, they admitted that the leukemia shot would, in some cases, cause cancer at the site of the injection in the upper shoulder.

Please advise other owners of indoor cats that this shot is not necessary. When my other cat, Lady, was due for her shots, my vet, after all we went through, was still going to give her that shot; I said, "No!" -- A.M., Naples, Fla.

DEAR A.M.: According to veterinary literature, cancer (specifically fibrosarcoma) developing at the vaccination site is extremely rare, but it does occur. As a precaution, until nasal or oral vaccines are developed, the proper vaccination protocol for cats is to inject the vaccine as low down as possible on a hind leg. Amputation is then more feasible and less crippling than having to remove the cat's entire shoulder area and foreleg, as was the case with your poor cat.

I am surprised that your cat was vaccinated in the shoulder region. Certainly, the pain would have changed her personality. Also, the pain medication could have made her more fearful, as could the traumatic trip to see the veterinarian.

Send this reply to the veterinarian to change the vaccination protocol: inject a lower hind leg; do not prescribe feline leukemia vaccinations for indoor cats; separate giving rabies vaccinations from other vaccines for which blood titers can be conducted to determine if they are really needed.

A new protocol, which was suggested several years ago, of vaccinating in the tip of the cat's tail has been confirmed as being effective and safe by Dr. Julie Levy and her team at the University of Florida School of Veterinary Medicine.

DEAR DR. FOX: Amos is the sweetest, most loving cat we have ever had. He is intuitive and answers us when we talk to him, and he stays with us constantly. We adopted him in 2007, and he's now about 10 or 11 years old. He is a real joy, the center of our family and is admittedly spoiled rotten. He has had no real physical issues except with some of his teeth that had to be pulled about two years ago.

We were wondering: Why does he get up every morning at exactly 4:20 a.m. without fail? Daylight saving time does not seem to throw him off. He starts to meow up and down the hallway, then jumps on our bed to complete his mission. My husband, like any dedicated pet owner would do, gets up and plays with him, feeds him and then he promptly takes a good old-fashioned "cat nap." We have tried everything, such as closing the bedroom door, playing with him late at night, making sure he has kibble and water, but he is relentless until we get up.

We read in your column that some cats are calling for companionship from other cats when they cry out. Could this be the case, and is there anything we can do? He is such a joy and we get a kick out of his habits, but we could use a little more sleep. -- F. & P.S., Winchester, Va.

DEAR F. & P.S.: There's a time clock in your cat's brain that you clearly cannot reset. You may have found the only solution other than trying to ignore him.

When his brain says it's early to rise, it is telling him to go out to hunt and interact with other cats on their predawn roaming in the wild.

Adopting a younger cat may be the best solution. Providing your cat with a substitute for your husband to play with and race through the house while you both enjoy a less interrupted sleep could help all parites. Check my website, DrFoxVet.com, for the important steps you are advised to take when introducing a new cat into your home.

(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 need some advice about our aging cat's health care: We adopted her when she was 4 years old, and she had dental problems. She had three teeth extracted, and the vet suggested Hill's Prescription t/d Feline Dental Health to prevent further tooth loss. She has always had a nasal wheeze but has not seemed bothered by it. In the last two or three years, she has developed more heavy breathing, particularly when she sleeps -- in other words, she snores. Sometimes she sits just staring into space like she is in a trance.

The vet has not found lung or cardiac problems. She has some arthritis, and the vet suggested glucosamine injections instead of steroids/cortisone. We have not proceeded with the injections.

Can I change her diet to help with the breathing/snoring problem and the arthritis? I have read a little about raw diets, but I've not attempted one. Would it be a good idea to get some raw meat from the grocery store?

We would welcome any advice you may have, despite the fact that we can't bring her to see you. -- F. & R.G., Leesburg, Va.

DEAR F. & R.G.: The tooth loss problem, so prevalent in cats, may be due to excessive amounts of vitamin D3, added by pet food manufacturers to cat foods. I will be writing more about this in a future column.

Your cat's breathing problems could be caused by several factors, considering her age. Her trancelike staring could be associated with age-related dementia and Alzheimer's disease. What may really help her, even at this late stage in life, is a grain- and soy-free diet, especially avoiding corn meal, corn gluten and other corn ingredients. Good-quality fish oil, canned sardines and organic butter are sources of omega-3 fatty acids that should benefit your cat significantly. Give her just a drop or two of fish oil initially, working up to 1/2 teaspoon daily, along with the same amount of either sardines or butter.

DEAR DR. FOX: This is an update to a question I sent you about my "granddog." She was about to have a biopsy because she was thought to have osteosarcoma in one of her hind legs. As it turned out, her biopsy showed that she has chondrosarcoma rather than osteosarcoma. Apparently, there was no evidence of metastasis. Her amputation is scheduled for tomorrow.

My question remains the same, but I wanted you to be able to take the new diagnosis into account: Are there supplements or treatments to suppress any possible metastatic tumors if there are undetected ones and increase her chances of survival? I guess I should also ask if you have any special dietary recommendations for a cancer patient. I know you recommend home-cooked food in general. My son and his wife have two children and very demanding jobs, so I don't see this happening, but maybe you could still make some suggestions. -- J.S., Rockville, Md.

DEAR J.S.: With no evident spread of the cancer to other parts of the body, the dog's cancer prognosis is not without some degree of hope. But there could still be one or more undetected metastases, so I share your concerns.

There are some special diets (including grain-free, raw food and fruit and vegetable formulations) that do seem to make a difference and which I have detailed in earlier columns. These are archived on my website, DrFoxVet.com, and can be accessed by entering appropriate words like "dog, cancer, diet" in the Question Box.

I am impressed by some reports about the cancer-fighting benefits of various mushrooms and herbs, such as turmeric. One of our beloved dogs had the same hind leg amputation for chondrosarcoma. She was only 6 years old and with our post-surgical assistance and devotion, coupled with daily massage therapy, quickly adapted to enjoying life on three legs.

(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 have four dogs who are all seniors. On the advice of my vet, I started using Seresto flea collars about 1 1/2 months ago. My smallest dog, a 5-pound Chihuahua, started having strange seizures out of the blue. What I mean by strange is he'd come out of them immediately, not at all groggy, with a ready-to-play attitude.

After the second one, I rushed him to the emergency vet -- he had a physical and blood work done; all came out well. The vet said his blood work was better than most dogs his age (he's now 11). The only thing new is the flea collar. He had another seizure this morning. This time he peed, and he's appearing tired and not walking great. I looked into the side effects of this collar and was shocked to see that seizures have been reported.

My other dogs are well, with no problems at all. But Pancho is so small it may be a factor. I have taken that collar off him and will watch him closely the rest of the day. I washed his neck and head with mild dish soap, as I did for his brothers and sisters.

Have seizures been reported often with this flea collar? -- C.W., Houston

DEAR C.W.: I am glad your dog is recovering. Thank him for being a warning sentinel.

Check my website, DrFoxVet.com, for my documented concerns about the product that you used on your dogs. The drug companies selling these flea collars and others selling spot-on chemicals to kill fleas are an abomination. Many environmental health experts link these kinds of pesticidal products to cancer, and a host of other products from the big pharma multinationals cause more harm than the fleas themselves.

DEAR DR. FOX: About three months ago, as a favor to my daughter, I let her bring one of her cats to our house, but I didn't realize it was infested with fleas. I soon found out -- my cat, who didn't have fleas previously, started scratching constantly.

I finally got rid of that cat and then tried to get rid of the fleas; it was almost impossible. I tried every suggestion before finally resorting to two local pest exterminators. The first one didn't succeed and returned my money; the second one is still trying bombs and spraying. The upstairs is now flea-free, but the basement remains contaminated.

Before calling in the professionals, one of my friends said he had luck with eliminating fleas by sprinkling salt on the carpets. We tried that one day, and it didn't work, so we vacuumed it up the next day. Shortly after that, our cat refused to walk on the carpet anymore and got around by jumping from one piece of furniture to another. I had to bring its litter box, food, water, etc. into the living room where has stayed since. Just now, six weeks later, it will occasionally walk quickly across the carpet.

Did the salt on the carpet cause this behavior in our poor cat? -- C.V., Granite City, Ill.

DEAR C.V.: I am sorry to hear about your flea plague. My article on an integrative program of effective flea control, posted on my website under "Dr. Fox's Library," could have made life easier for you. Check it out to help rid your home of fleas forever.

The salt on the carpet, which is useless in flea control, would have gotten on your cat's paws even after you vacuumed. The taste of the salt on her paws and possible irritation if she has been declawed and has some chronic sores would quickly trigger aversive behavior.

SOME GOOD BOOKS AND GIFT IDEAS

With the holiday season upon us, there are some good animal books you may wish to check out that would make excellent gifts and you might enjoy yourself. Here's a list: "Beautiful Old Dogs," edited by David Tabatsky, St. Martin's Press; "Devoted: 38 Extraordinary Tales of Love, Loyalty And Life With Dogs," edited by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh, National Geographic press; "A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life," by James Bowen, St. Martin's Press. Some of my own books may also appeal to you. Another gift idea is a subscription to a good pet care journal, such as Animal Wellness. Finally, consider a donation to your local animal shelter or wildlife rehabilitation center.

(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.)