DEAR READERS: I want to thank the many readers of this syndicated column, which I have been writing every week for almost 40 years, for their many letters. These have provided a forum for addressing companion animal health and welfare problems as well as giving me words of encouragement and affirmation of the benefits of advice offered. As I emphasize in my book "Healing Animals & the Vision of One Health," our health and well-being are connected to the health and well-being of animals, wild and domestic, to how well they are treated and to the environment we all share.

We need to strive to close the gap between this vision and the reality of animal suffering, disease, neglect and abuse. Companion animals need to be liberated from the afflictions of genetic disorders and lack of proper understanding and good nutrition, all essential elements of preventive health care.

Significant advances in public and animal health cannot continue to be divorced from the harmful pesticides used in food production and from the antibiotics and other drugs used to make factory-farmed animals productive. Putting these animals' meat and genetically modified produce on our tables and in manufactured pet foods is a profitable enterprise at the expense of consumers and the environment.

DEAR DR. FOX: Ten months ago, my wife adopted a tiny 8-week-old kitten whom everyone had given up on, even the vet. He weighed only 10 ounces, had a wet face and was just plain miserable. But through vitamins, fortified food and love, Jack has surpassed his bad start in life.

Through my research online, we have determined that Jack is a Maine coon, as he possesses all the behavioral and physical characteristics of the breed. He's big -- 26 inches in length (excluding his tail) and about 16 pounds. When he's gentle, he's very sweet; however, he loves to bite, and with his size and strength, he can draw blood. He's extremely smart and will only nibble me, as he knows I don't tolerate it, but he still bites my wife. He also can become arrogant and defiant, sitting upright on his haunches and spreading his paws. His vet says that he could put him on Prozac, but we'd hate to resort to that.

Jack is getting bigger every day and is not expected to be fully grown for three to five years. Do we have a monster here, and what can we do? -- T. & L.R., Manasquan, N.J.

DEAR T. & L.R.: Please do not accept the Prozac or other psychotropic drug treatment for your cat's particular condition. I think of all the poor children on these various drugs for behavioral, emotional and cognitive or attentiveness "disorders" in this insane society that manufactures new diseases by creating new names -- all very profitable indeed. No, I am not wholly opposed to the appropriate use of such pharmaceutical products in humans and other animals, but the now wholesale prescribing does need to be questioned.

First, do not get in to situations with your big cat where these potentially injurious love-bites and play-bites may be evoked. You should be able to tell from his body language when this is about to occur. Stop petting or grooming just before it happens. Try remotivating and redirecting his attention with a fluffy lure on a fishing pole or putting him up against a scratch post or high upon a cat condo ledge.

Visit feline-nutrition.org and learn how a raw food diet could improve your cat's health and temperament. Consider adopting another big, easygoing cat so he has company and will learn to play gently with his own kind. Part of the problem could be overattachment to you and your wife because he is lacking in the full stimulation and social enrichment that contact with his own kind can provide.

As I say in my book "Supercat: How to Raise the Perfect Feline Companion," two cats living together are generally healthier and happier than one living alone. Check my website, DrFoxVet.com, for the essential steps to follow when introducing a second cat. Good luck!

SAY NO TO EASTER PETS

Many pet stores sell baby animals for children to enjoy as part of the Christian Easter celebration. For many families, this ancient, pre-Christian celebration of the return of spring and the renewal of life can end in tragedy. Baby chicks and ducklings often die from hypothermia and can infect entire families with sometimes-fatal salmonella and other bacterial infections. Young rabbits need special care, housing, nutrition and understanding and should never be bought on impulse.

If you are an Easter celebrant, consider adopting a dog or cat from your local shelter, or plant a tree to engage your children in the spirit of the occasion rather than yet another consumptive act of purchasing an Easter chick, duckling or bunny, unless it is a small chocolate facsimile. Also, think of the eggs you may buy to decorate and be sure they came from un-caged hens.

(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 2-year-old cat, Purrlie, who, along with her brother was orphaned at five days old and raised by a foster mom, decides every once in a while to stand up in the cat box and pee over the edge in a spraying position.

Lately, she has been doing this more often, and I'm worried about the area around the box becoming permanently "perfumed." I can't figure out what might be triggering this behavior. How clean I keep the box seems to have no impact. There doesn't seem to be an obvious motivating factor. She does not regularly go out, but was outside a little in good weather last summer. I never saw her spray on those outings. -- M.T., Lexington Park, Md.

DEAR M.T.: Spraying, a deliberate territorial marking behavior, is unusual in neutered cats. They do, however, quite often start to spray as a territorial marker when upset by the presence of a prowling cat around the house or having met or scented one while outdoors. But she may actually be having difficulty in urinating or be in pain, indicative of bladder inflammation or cystitis and possibly urinary calculi. Corn in the diet can be a contributing factor. A veterinary checkup may be useful to rule out a physical or medical cause. Older cats sometimes miss the box because they are in pain from arthritis and cannot assume the normal posture to evacuate.

In the interim, get a second, larger tray with high sides to help contain her sprayed urine. Feliway is an effective cat pheromone product (available in spray or plug-in dispenser) that may have a calming effect on your cat's psyche when used in the area you have the litter box. A couple of drops of essential oil of lavender on the edge of the box may also help.

DEAR DR. FOX: Your recent column about weighing a dog on the bathroom scale will only work if you can lift the dog. The 2-year-old chocolate Lab is most likely way too heavy for 99 percent of people to lift. Most people would find it impossible once a dog weighs 25 to 30 pounds or more. Do you think your regular vet would let you weigh the dog for free? Since an office visit could cost $50 or more, most people will wait until their dog's next visit. Also, most dogs are never enthusiastic about a vet visit. Given the probable cost and the dog's lack of enthusiasm, most of us would decide not to make a monthly weigh-in visit. -- C.R.M., Washington, D.C.

DEAR C.R.M.: I appreciate your point of correction! Yes, indeed -- dogs over 40 pounds would be a challenge for many people to lift and stay still on the scales. However, I cannot imagine any veterinarian or animal clinic staff not allowing a regular client to stop by for a free weigh-in. But I would advise telephoning first to set the day and time, because just dropping by anytime could be problematic when they are very busy or have an emergency. Any "regular vet" who doesn't let a client weigh his animals at no charge and any that does demand a fee, I would happily tar and feather and deliver to the Better Business Bureau.

As for putting any dog on a diet, that should begin only after a veterinary appointment and appropriate evaluation and guidance.

HEADS UP FOR UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA'S COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

Staff at the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine have started VETouch -- Veterinary Treatment Outreach for Urban Community Health -- in response to the current economic crisis affecting many pet owners who have been surrendering their animals to animal shelters because they could no longer afford their care. Free clinics are held monthly at a city church, where veterinary students provide vaccinations, routine care, referrals for more advanced treatment and pet food. I hope that other veterinary colleges have similar outreach services for those in need in their communities, and are collaborating with local animal shelters and protection organizations.

DOG BRAINS ARE SIMILAR TO HUMAN BRAINS

Neural responses to certain social stimuli are similar in dogs and humans, according to research conducted involving dogs in Hungary. The animals, who were trained to remain still during MRI, were exposed to sounds associated with emotion, such as crying, laughing and playful barking. The dogs' brain scans were compared to MRI brain scans of people exposed to the same sounds.

"It establishes a foundation of a new branch of comparative neuroscience, because until now, it was not possible to measure the brain activities of a non-primate and the primate brain in a single experiment," said researcher Dr. Attila Andics.

(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 just adopted a 6-month-old female Australian shepherd mix from an adoption network. A friend warned me that this breed can get ill and die from heartworm prevention medication. I respect his advice -- he is a dog trainer and seems to know a lot. What is your opinion? -- K.P., Silver Spring, Md.

DEAR K.P.: First, let me say that I now endorse year-round heartworm preventive medication for most dogs. Your dog should also get periodic blood tests to check for heartworms because of climate change, traveling and the fact that more than 70 species of mosquitoes can transmit this disease. Your veterinarian can determine if it is safe to temporarily stop the monthly medication during the winter season.

You raise an important issue, which needs to be addressed. I hope all readers with dogs will take note because dogs do have adverse drug reactions, and many drugs are now being prescribed for the dogs' entire lives. Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine advises, "Many herding breed dogs have a genetic predisposition to adverse drug reactions involving over a dozen different drugs. The most serious adverse drug reactions involve several antiparasitic agents (ivermectin, milbemycin and related drugs), the antidiarrheal agent loperamide (Imodium), and several anticancer drugs (vincristine, doxorubicin, others). These drug sensitivities result from a mutation in the multi-drug resistance (MDR1) gene. At Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine you can test your dog for multi-drug sensitivity and prevent serious adverse drug reactions. We can work with your dog's veterinarian to find appropriate drug doses or alternative drugs for your dog based on results of MDR1 testing."

Consult with your veterinarian about this genetic blood test, also available from other laboratories.

The university also posted the following breed prevalence as an approximate percentage frequency of the genetic mutation causing multidrug sensitivity: Australian shepherd, 50 percent; mini Australian shepherd, 50 percent; border collie, 5 percent; Collie, 70 percent; English shepherd, 15 percent; German shepherd, 10 percent; herding breed cross 10 percent; long-haired whippet, 65 percent; McNab, 30 percent; mixed breed, 5 percent; old English sheepdog, 5 percent; Shetland sheepdog, 15 percent; silken windhound, 30 percent.

As advances are made in canine genetics and related nutrigenomics -- specific dietary requirements related to genetic background -- the burden of disorders and suffering related to our selective breeding of various kinds of dogs may be alleviated, and our canine companions can enjoy a better quality of life in future generations. Overall, mongrels -- mixed breeds, not the new "designer" breeds -- have the best prognosis.

DEAR DR. FOX: I would like to hear your rationale as to the difference between horse slaughter for human consumption, which you discussed in a recent column, and that of cattle, hogs, poultry and fish? -- B.W., St Louis

DEAR B.W: My "rationale" is quite simple: While killing is killing regardless of the species, there is a difference in slaughtering animals raised or caught specifically for human consumption and those such as horses and dogs, who have enjoyed a close human bond.

This difference is cultural and, some would argue, also ethical. It is a kind of emotional betrayal of the animals' devotion and service. There is also a biological difference -- horses have not been selectively bred to be less reactive to being herded and transported, unlike cattle and pigs. I have visited livestock slaughtering facilities across the United States as well as in India and Africa and documented my concerns several years ago.

For an in-depth and in-field account of the continuing horrors in the meat industry, which would mean an intensification of this holocaust of the animals if horse slaughter were to become legal in the U.S., read the book by my friend and former co-worker Gail A. Eisnitz, "Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect and Inhumane Treatment Inside the U.S. Meat Industry."

PRO-PET FOOD RECALL

Pro-Pet LLC of St. Mary's, Ohio, has initiated a voluntary recall of a limited number of its dry dog and cat foods for possible salmonella contamination. Affected foods include Hubbard Life Happy Hound Dog Food, QC Plus Adult Dog Food and Joy Combo Cat Food.

For more information on the recall, including batch numbers, visit DrFoxVet.com and contact Pro-Pet's customer service line at 888-765-4190.

(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.)