DEAR DR. FOX: I have a young 19-pound cavapoo. The dog had an adverse reaction to Vectra -- agitation, rapid heartbeat, bulging eyes, snapping, etc. We took him to the vet immediately, and the vet indicated that it might have had a reaction or a seizure. I asked the vet for a suggestion of a less-toxic brand, and tried Advantix. The dog had a rapid heartbeat and was agitated, rolling on his back to get it off. I immediately bathed him, and he slowly calmed down.

What natural options are there for pest control, as it is clear he has adverse reactions to the chemicals? He had a tick recently, and with his shaggy hair, I'm concerned he'll pick up fleas. -- M.T., Sea Girt, New Jersey

DEAR M.T.: I appreciate you contacting me since your experience with your dog helps reinforce my concerns about these anti-flea and tick products and supports my advocacy of safer alternatives. Pet owners: beware! I am sorry that you and your dog went through such terrifying ordeals with these products. A dog in a borderline seizure state or experiencing rapid heartbeat and having a panic attack are not the kinds of reactions the manufacturers like to know about or make public.

I have written about these biocidal products that you used on your dog that are being widely marketed by veterinarians and via other outlets across the country, even though they are systemic poisons and can have harmful side effects, even causing death.

On my website, DrFoxVet.com, you will find a full review of steps to take in an integrated way to keep ticks and fleas at bay. I also discuss Bayer's Advantix line of products, which I do not consider any safer than Vectra. An Environmental Protection Agency report warns that propoxur, a flea-killing chemical in flea collars marketed by Sergeant's Pet Care Products and Wellmark International, is unsafe for children. However, the products can be distributed until two years from now, and retailers can continue to sell them after that until the stock is gone!

A daily flea combing during the season is a first step. Some people have found that coconut oil -- 1 teaspoon per 30 pounds of body weight -- in the food daily, plus 1/2 teaspoon of brewer's yeast helps significantly. Rubbing diatomaceous earth into the animal's coat every three to four days, and brushing it out well before reapplication will desicate fleas. I have had some good reports about PetzLife's Complete Coat, a quassia-based botanical product that repels and may kill fleas and ticks. I am less familiar with the product Mercola Natural Flea and Tick Defense, available online and containing oils of lemon grass, cinnamon, sesame and castor in purified water and which, according to veterinarians who have used this formula, is safe and effective for cats and dogs.

DOG IN HOT CAR WARNING

In Belmont, California, a German shepherd left in a car in warm weather died, and her owner faces animal cruelty charges as a result. This case is a somber warning to owners to not leave pets in the car. Temperatures inside a car on a 75-degree day can reach 100 in 10 minutes, and 120 after 30 minutes. "Even with cooling down and ice packs and emergency fluids and all these things, you might not be able to save a pet in that situation," said East Bay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals chief veterinarian Michael Sozanski.

BOOK REVIEW

"Animal Madness: How Anxious Dogs, Compulsive Parrots, and Elephants in Recovery Help Us Understand Ourselves," written by Dr. Laurel Braitman. This book should be required reading for veterinary and animal science students and for all who have any professional dealings with animals, wild and domesticated. Anyone concerned about animal rights and well-being and about animal consciousness will gain some insights from this book. Regardless of some serious omissions in her literature research citations and rather limited consultations with veterinarians, Braitman accomplishes her mission of demonstrating that abnormal behavior and emotional distress in animals manifested in various forms of "madness" are a mirror and a consequence of our own madness when it comes to our relationships with and treatment of animals. She analyzes the anthropogenic complex of human-caused animal suffering, even from those who claim to love animals. Having faced the ire, ridicule and denial of many, but not all of those involved in various industries, organizations and professions engaged in domestic and wild animal use -- including some involved in animal welfare and conservation -- this book echoes my long-standing concerns with documented evidence. I think it is tragic that before humans sought to civilize animals and nature, they did not first civilize themselves. Now, as Carl Jung advised, "civilized man must heal the animal in himself and make it his friend."

(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: Our 2-year-old boxer spent a year in agony while vets tested for allergies, changed foods and prescribed all kinds of medications. We spent a couple thousand dollars at a "specialist" who said we might have to put him down. Then the vet did a biopsy and found that our dog had mites at the base of his hair follicles. We treated him, and he's been fine ever since. Don't give up; second (and third) opinions sometimes help. -- C.J., St. Louis

DEAR C.J.: Your letter is appreciated. I receive far too many like yours, where it seems that some veterinarians have a scotoma (blind spot) when it comes to considering mange mites when they are presented with dogs suffering from a dermatological condition.

That a specialist veterinary dermatologist missed this condition is inexcusable but not uncommon, in part because I believe they associate these mange diseases with low-income owners and pound dogs. But middle- and high-income owners can have dogs with mange, in part because they can get these parasites from their mothers (a real problem with puppy-mill pups sold online and in pet stores) and not show signs of infection until later in life. Demodectic mange can initially look like small, moth-eaten areas around the eyes, ears and muzzle and not cause any itching, but when the dog is stressed and the immune system becomes compromised, the mange mites can spread to other parts of the body, possibly from infested bedding and from the animals' paws and claws scratching and wiping infected areas.

Treatment with a drug like ivermectin in low doses and skin-benefiting supplements such as fish oil and coconut oil are effective and not costly.

GOOD NEWS FOR ANIMALS

-- The Beagle Freedom Law has been signed by Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, marking the first known legislation paving the way for the adoption of dogs and cats used in laboratory research. Similar measures are being considered in New York and California.

-- South Dakota has at last designated animal cruelty as a felony, being the last state to have felony penalties for animal cruelty. State exemptions from the statute include medical treatment under direct and proper care of a veterinarian, standard and accepted agricultural pursuits and animal husbandry practices. The American Veterinary Medical Association considers it a duty for veterinarians to report cases of animal abuse and neglect and gives information about state reporting requirements at avma.org/animalwelfare/abuse.

(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 would like to know if you can help me with my cat problem. My cat is an indoor cat; she uses the litter box to urinate, but she will not use it to poop -- she will do it on my rug. I have changed the kitty litter brand three times. The litter is always clean, but she will not use it to poop. I have to cover my area rugs daily so she won't make a mess on them. Can you please help me with this problem? -- F.M. Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR F.M.: When cats stop using the litter box to deposit and bury their feces, it is a signal for a veterinary appointment because it can signal one of several serious conditions. In most instances, the cat has developed an aversion to using the litter box because it causes pain; the animal then associates being in the box with pain. These conditions include chronic constipation, impacted or infected anal glands, fecal retention associated with megacolon and spastic colitis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Laxatone, a mild laxative for cats, plus a few drops of fish oil and mashed lima or green beans in the cat's food, and daily abdominal massage can help those with fecal retention and chronic constipation. These are all-too-common syndromes that I associate with too much cereal in the diet; lack of natural, whole foods; and a lack of physical activity and socio-environmental stimulation.

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: 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.