DEAR DR. FOX: I have appreciated your advice about animals in our newspaper for many years. Now I seek your insights.

My 15-year old cat, Greyboy, passed away from chronic kidney disease, and it has shattered my life. I know that with time, my grief will pass. Sure, I've lost some relatives and buried my parents, but I never expected to grieve so much with the passing of Greyboy.

How do you account for that? My close friends give me words of sympathy, but they do not understand. -- V.C., Arlington, Va.

DEAR V.C.: You have my deepest sympathy and understanding. I have received many letters over the years from readers grieving the loss of their animal companions. Worst of all is the uncertainty of not knowing the animals' fate, as when cats slip outdoors and never come home. Many, like you, are surprised by the intensity of their grief, often far more emotionally devastating than the death of one of their own relatives.

In my opinion, such intense grief is an indicator of our capacity to deeply love other beings whose souls have touched ours more profoundly than most other people. I see no reason to question the intensity of your grief, which few of even your most supportive friends may fully comprehend. Simply mourn the loss of the blessing your beloved cat bestowed upon you, carry that memory with you as you get back to your familiar routines, recover your appetite for food and life -- and perhaps consider adopting a rescued animal from your community in the future.

DEAR DR FOX: Our 8-year-old, spayed, 20-pound female tabby has urinary tract infections every month or so.

We feed her wet food during the day and a small amount of dry food at night. Our vet has her on ClinDrops, which work after a week. The vet says that she has sludge in the bladder and a very small opening to let the urine through. He has suggested keeping her on a low dosage of ClinDrops forever.

Any suggestions would certainly help. Thank you. -- W.C., St. Louis

DEAR W.C.: I would advise transitioning your cat to a raw food diet (visit feline-nutrition.org for details) or a canned cat food that has no corn or other cereals.

A natural meat diet keeps the urine acidified and can help prevent and cure UTIs. Corn, still widely included in cat foods, is, I believe, a major contributing factor, and soy may be an issue. Giving your cat good-quality probiotics in her food and a few drops of fish oil, which has potent anti-inflammatory properties, may also be of benefit.

DEAR DR. FOX: In a recent column, a reader had tried everything to stop her pup from severe scratching. My Yorkie had a similar issue many years ago, and the issue turned out to be mites left by the deer that traipse through my yard. The mites were visible only under a microscope, but a topical spray of Frontline got rid of them. The mites also migrated to me and my husband, which the vet techs said happens. It was pretty bad. I hope you can pass this along. Thank you. -- E.U., Annapolis, Md.

DEAR E.U.: Many thanks for your warning about mites from deer. Also, indoor house mites are a common cause of skin allergies in dogs. One dog even got mites from infested dog food. This is why a thorough veterinary examination is needed when a dog or cat develops some skin issue that could be caused by a number of factors. Local veterinarians know best what the most prevalent local pet issues are and can often make a cost- and time-saving rapid diagnose of the most probable cause.

(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: Thank you for your column -- we all enjoy it and have found many helpful suggestions from it! A recent column was about introducing potentially hostile cats and dogs into a shared household. I would like to add another suggestion:

We went through this procedure when our son's girlfriend was forced to give up her lovely husky, Crash. Rather than see him go into a shelter, we took him in. At the time, we had a fairly bossy, mature female cat, Liza, who made it a habit to chase neighbor dogs out of our yard. We eased the getting-acquainted process by establishing a dog-free zone in our upstairs; we fed Liza in the upstairs landing and didn't allow Crash to ever go upstairs. Liza had the run of the two bedrooms and could come down and visit the rest of the house whenever she liked, but didn't have to look over her shoulder when eating or sleeping. In time, the two animals shared couch space and became, if not best friends, at least cordial.

Same house, several years later, different cat and dog: The upstairs is now off-limits to Jeanie. Mellow can eat in peace and then join us in the main part of the house. They behave like siblings, sometimes vying for attention, sometimes sleeping together.

It seems to me that this would work even in smaller spaces: Supply a gated-off room for the cat, or perhaps a kitchen counter -- any space where the cat's food is undisturbed by dogs. -- J.S., Washington, D.C.

DEAR J.S.: Your advice will be helpful for many people having or wanting to keep cats and dogs under the same roof. Cats also like to get away from each other at times, and enjoy having their own cubbyholes and hide-away lairs. With a little forethought, it is surprising how we can enrich our animal companions' living spaces and create these kinds of zones and out-of-bounds areas, as you have discovered.

DEAR DR. FOX: In your answer to the owner of the 8- or 9-year-old cocker spaniel with ear issues, there are a couple of important, yet simple, things for this person to do:

First, either have a groomer or her vet remove the excess hair from inside the ear canal -- with tweezers or by hand -- so the canal itself is open and visible, which makes it much easier to keep it clean and dry.

Second, have the groomer use clippers to remove the excess hair from the underside as well as the outside of the ear flap. Cockers have far more fur on their ears than is necessary, and clipping that off will do away with the heaviness of the flap and allow airflow, which will also help keep them dry. Just make sure that a professional does this, since trying to cut the fur away from the ears with scissors can result in cutting the skin of the ear flap.

As a certified vet tech and former groomer myself, I've seen cockers with the issues this person spoke of, and the above two steps can go a long way with helping to clear up those issues. -- D.R., Martinsburg, Mo.

DEAR D.R.: Your concern is duly noted. Many letters that I receive must be abbreviated to fit the column and allow for more questions and answers. In the case of this dog, veterinary care had already been started, but the ear problem was persisting.

Plucking out the fur inside the external ear canals of dogs having this issue -- such as cocker spaniels and poodles -- to stop moistness and infection is one of the basics of canine preventive health care.

Dog caregivers should know about this and about other preventive routines, such as dental care, the first time they take their dog or puppy to the veterinarian for a full health checkup.

CAT HARNESS CONCERNS

I want to alert all cat caregivers that their pets may be at grave risk when, as I often advocate, they are trained to enjoy slow strolls outdoors wearing a harness attached to a leash.

Begin the training indoors, with an additional leash and snug-fitting neck collar so they become accustomed to the tensions around their bodies. This is because, unlike dogs, cats may suddenly spook outdoors and get out of their harnesses in seconds and run off in terror. Many people have lost their cats -- some temporarily, some forever -- after such tragic events. This recently happened to my wife, Deanna Krantz, and me with our beloved cat, Mr. Mark Twain, whom she rescued from the Minnesota winter a few years ago. We socialized this traumatized, feral soul to the point that we could kiss his tummy. After he squirmed out of his harness and ran away, it took us 12 nights and days of constant vigil before we could get him close enough for me to get ahold of him and bring him indoors after he had a panic attack outdoors.

Cats like Twain, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, are especially prone to panic attacks, and he will never again wear a harness and collar.

(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 read your column for years and find it a wonderful resource for animal lovers and pet owners.

Recently, your column has featured numerous articles denouncing the trap-neuter-return method of feral cat population control. As a lifetime resident of Washington, D.C., I have seen the positive impact that TNR has had on our community and I am very surprised at your position. I would be eager to learn more about what you have personally observed and experienced, and what has led you to believe that TNR is not a humane population-control method.

In my experience, TNR has been an effective and humane approach to the abandoned pet crisis in my area. In my opinion, your columns have not explained the method adequately. I would appreciate it if you could clarify what approach you think might be best, and address the systems for population control that were in place before TNR. -- H. H-D., Washington D.C.

DEAR H. H-D.: I would say that I have yet to see one scientific study confirming that a well-maintained group of feral cats had no adverse impact on indigenous wildlife, that no cat needing veterinary care was ever left untreated, and that the presence of the feral cat colony reduced the number of stray cats in the contiguous community/ecozone, which is a common claim.

I did include a letter in my column advocating horse-barn and hobby-farm placements of feral cats, which I see as a possibility, but not without disease risks to humans, as well as to cats and other animals. Feeding colonies of outdoor cats also feeds competing wildlife such as raccoons, rats and opossums, and sets up a feeding station for wild carnivores -- notably coyotes, who are cat eaters.

I appreciate your care and concerns.

DEAR DR. FOX: We have a 7-year-old yellow Labrador retriever who was diagnosed with diabetes last July.

Although caught early, the vet prescribed too low a dose of Humulin N insulin, causing the dog to lose his appetite and 20 lbs. He also developed neuropathy in his rear hindquarters, causing him not to be able to walk. For two weeks, the vet couldn't get it under control, so we took him to another vet, who increased his dosage and he started responding. He began to eat, and after two weeks was able to get up and walk again.

It seems to have aged him, but he still wants to go for walks -- although shorter than normal for a 7-year-old Lab. He's been on Hills W/D prescription food and his weight has been pretty stable at 73 lbs. I monitor his glucose, but it seems to fluctuate, and every couple of weeks the vet has me increase the insulin. He's now at 30 units twice a day. I also feel he is still drinking more water than normal. The costs, between the prescription food and insulin, are getting ridiculous.

Do you have any suggestions on why his glucose isn't leveling off, and maybe alternative treatments? -- M.W.F., Interlaken, N.J.

DEAR M.W.F.: You and your poor dog have my sympathy. There is a strong genetic basis for the development of this pancreatic hormonal deficiency disease, possibly triggered in susceptible dogs by what their mothers were fed, and what they themselves eat -- namely, a high-carbohydrate diet with high glycemic-index ingredients such as corn.

As with diabetic people, dogs may also benefit from a daily supplement of powdered cinnamon (1 teaspoon per 50 lbs. of body weight, mixed in with food).

I, and others, have written critically about these manufactured prescription foods (see my book "Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Cat & Dog Food"). Your dog may well fare better on a home-prepared diet like those developed by veterinarians and available for sale in recipe format from Balance IT: phone number 888-346-6362, website Secure.balanceit.com. Also check veterinarian D.R. Strombeck's website: dogcathomeprepareddiet.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.)