DEAR DR. FOX: I want to share with you a story about how your book has changed the lives of my dogs and friends as well.

A few years ago, I became certified in animal massage. I wanted to help people. What I found was that vets considered me a last option. My first patient was a German shepherd, Jake, who was hit by a car. He had surgery to repair a broken hip and leg, but after he healed, he would not walk on his front legs, so his poor owner carried this very large dog in a sling to go potty. The vet gave up on Jake, so he gave his owner my number. I brought the dog into my home, and with the knowledge from my training and your book "The Healing Touch for Dogs," after three days, Jake walked to his owner, and now they are hiking again. Jake is doing great.

I never thought that I would need this information for my own dog, a Chihuahua-mix named Nitro. He has luxating patella in both knees, and he was clocked at 35 miles an hour at a full run. (That was before I found out he had the trick knees.) I stopped his running and worked on his knees, popping them in when they went out. It's been quite some time since I have had to put his knee back in.

I just want to thank you for your book -- I have read it so many times now that the spine of the book is broken and I have to super glue it together. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for the work you do. -- E., Bend, Oregon

DEAR E.: Many thanks for your communications and for confirming the remarkable benefits of massage therapy for dogs. My two books, "The Healing Touch for Dogs" and "The Healing Touch for Cats," have helped many animals in many countries -- they have even been translated into other languages. I wrote the books some years ago after training in human massage therapy, receiving certification and then applying various principles and techniques to animals. Updated versions are available from Harper Collins.

DEAR DR. FOX: A few years ago, we adopted a German shorthair-Weimaraner mix from the local Animal Protective Association. He seemed a bit sickly and very wild when I drove him home. I attributed both to his former owners.

We have a wonderful vet who helped us restore our little guy's health, but our pup is still a wild thing in the car. He loves to get in the car, but the whining, pacing and eventual barking happens each time the car moves. I tried sprinkling lavender in the car and having a person sit in the back with him to try to calm him. We've used the Thundershirt and the Calming Cap. He will wear both in the house without complaint or impulse to remove them, but he'll thrash around in them in the car. We bought a crate and put it on the floor of our minivan so that he could not see out the window. (He had separation anxiety when we first got him, so he is crate-trained.) Since he's a sight hound, we figured fast-moving scenery might be overwhelming him. He thrashes around in the crate, too. It seems the only way we can get a peaceful ride in the car with him is to make him run around until he is nearly exhausted. The older he gets, the harder that becomes.

We've never had a dog like him. Do you have any suggestions? He's a sweet dog who gets plenty of exercise. We'd love to take him with us outside our neighborhood, but he drives us crazy in the car. -- L.C., Pasadena Hills, Missouri

DEAR L.C.: This can be a difficult issue to deal with in older dogs.

Basically, you must sit in the car for 10 to 15 minutes for several days with the dog, giving him occasional treats, to desensitize him. Then switch on the engine and continue just sitting with him and giving him occasional treats. You can also give him some ginger candy or a half-teaspoon of freshly chopped ginger in a ball of peanut butter 20 minutes or so before getting into the car. This will calm his stomach, which could be the underlying trigger -- unless it is the way you drive! Apprehension and tension can be contagious.

Check the archives of my website, drfoxvet.com, by entering appropriate terms in the question box, for more suggestions. The search engine tool should pull up several answers that I have given to help dogs like yours.

(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 daughter has two yellow Labs -- 5-year-old littermates Abigail and Finbar. Both dogs have been wonderful pets.

Finbar, the male, has always been fine with other dogs, though lately he has acted aggressively toward some small dogs on leashes. If they're not leashed, he is OK. Unfortunately, he slipped out of the house and attacked a small dog on a leash. Fortunately, my son-in-law got Finbar off the little dog and it was able to walk away.

My daughter is distressed for the little dog Finbar attacked. What would make him change his gentle ways so much toward small, leashed dogs? What does she do now? She does not want to put him down if at all possible. Is there a home for a dog like this, and how can she find it? -- E.C., Fort Monmouth, New Jersey

DEAR E.C.: First, do not consider finding another home or having a dog killed after he attacked another dog. When a dog suddenly begins to behave aggressively, you must first rule out some physical cause that may be making the dog feel insecure, such as arthritis and metabolic changes associated with endocrine gland disease, which can bring about changes in temperament and possibly cognition.

Ruling out a physical or medical cause after a full veterinary checkup, you can then consider some psychological issue, which could have been brought on by stress in the home, some change in relationships or a traumatic experience. Some dogs, after a negative experience with a particular breed or type of dog, often generalize and show aversion or aggression toward similar dogs. There are qualified behavioral consultants who can be of considerable help in resolving this kind of canine-to-canine aggression. In the interim, a secure collar and leash are called for, as is great vigilance.

When smaller dogs who are likely to be threatened or attacked by a disturbed dog walk by, the larger dog's handler must remain calm and simply walk away, speaking in a reassuring tone of voice and giving gentle strokes to calm down the would-be attacker. Dogs on a leash may feel more vulnerable, and the dog in question may also feel that these other dogs are invading his territory. My books "Dog Body, Dog Mind" (The Lyons Press) and "Understanding Your Dog" (available on my website as an e-book) will provide additional insights.

DEAR DR. FOX: After visiting your website and reading some of your reports from my perspective as a health care professional, I am sympathetic with your concerns and approach to improving animals' health and well-being. But do you think there is any real hope, considering the rising cost of human and veterinary care, and the fact that the decades-long "war on cancer" seems like a losing battle? -- A.M., Silver Spring, Maryland

DEAR A.M.: Both the human and veterinary medical professions have won several "battles" in disease diagnostics, treatment and control in recent years. But, as I stress in my book "Healing Animals and the Vision of One Health," a much broader holistic and interdisciplinary approach is called for in these times to address and rectify the environmental contamination of our air, food and water by conventional agriculture and other industries. This will help reduce the damage not only to our DNA and immune systems, but also to those of our animal companions and wildlife, both aquatic and terrestrial.

We will continue to lose the war, not only against cancer but also against birth defects and chronic degenerative diseases, until we put an end to what I call "harmageddon." This means prohibiting all human activities and industries that harm ecosystems and poison the planet, because we harm ourselves and other living beings in the process, and we doom future generations to ever more disease and suffering.

(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: Your comments about cat litter and trying newspaper brought me back to Japan, where I lived in 1961 and 1962.

While I was there, a pack of homeless dogs and a Siamese cat "adopted" me. I shredded newspaper for the cat, and while he would come and go, he preferred this "litter box."

I'm nearly 78 now and have severe arthritis, but I do miss having pets. If I provide walkways in my condo, do you think a cat would be happy? Should I get two cats or a dog and a cat? Any suggestions would be appreciated. -- J.D., Washington, D.C.

DEAR J.D.: I, too, have good memories of Japan, where I gave several lectures on animal behavior, protection and rights; I was also an honored guest of one of their veterinary associations for animal behavior and ethology.

Clearly, you are an animal person and would both enjoy and benefit from having an animal companion. You must first check to see if there are any restrictions relating to the condo where you live, then consider your age -- a young animal might outlive you. You must also consider your physical limitations.

Two indoor, older cats might be your best choice. The adoption advisor at your local animal shelter may be the ideal professional to help you evaluate the possibility of fulfilling your heart's desire.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have had my Chihuahua-rat terrier mix on the quinoa and lamb recipe I got from you several months ago. The lamb I've been buying lately is from another company. My dog will not always eat it when I give it to him, and when he does, he throws up some later in the day. I am concerned because he has lost some weight and looks thin. Is there another recipe you could suggest? -- J.F., Winston-Salem, North Carolina

DEAR J.F.: Is this lamb graded for human consumption? If it is lamb byproduct, it could contain sulfate preservatives, which are not good for dogs or cats.

I advise rotating the kind of primary protein in your dog's diet every five to seven days and see how the dog does appetite- and weight-wise, as well as in terms of preference or having digestive problems. These alternatives include organic, free-range turkey, chicken, duck, lamb, pork and beef; eggs, cottage cheese, peas and lentils; and white fish and wild salmon.

Be sure to feed your dog three small meals a day after some exercise and outdoor activity. If his appetite remains poor and he continues to throw up, waste no time and consult with a veterinarian because he could have a health issue such as kidney or pancreatic disease.

FLEA AND TICK DISEASE LOOKOUT

Three dogs and one cat have tested positive for plague in New Mexico, according to state health officials. Humans generally contract plague from infected fleas, but direct transmission from pets can occur. Last year, four people in New Mexico were diagnosed with plague, and one died from the infection.

Five people of the 50 diagnosed with Powassan virus infection have died. Deer ticks transmit this disease; unlike Lyme disease, which takes several hours to infect the body after the tick becomes attached and starts feeding, the virus transmission is immediate.

For safe and effective methods of tick and flea control, check my special reports at 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.)