DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 3 1/2-year-old Akita mix who has been with us for the last two years. At first he was very aggressive with other dogs. It's getting better, but he has a way to go. Any suggestions?

Also, he has a strange habit: My daughter has a pair of plush leopard-print slippers that drive him crazy. He will drag my daughter around trying to remove them and starts to bite until we take them away. What do you think? -- B.H., Bethesda, Maryland

DEAR B.H.: I would get your daughter a plain pair of slippers and let your dog have the old pair for himself to fetch and "kill" while you engage in interactive play with him; otherwise, he may not respect physical boundaries. He could play too roughly and injure your daughter.

This breed can be assertive toward other dogs, which can become a problem when they are in their young adult stage (1 1/2-2 years old), and neutering is no guarantee of subduing dominance aggression. So your dog needs to be educated to develop self-control and internal inhibition, beginning with basic sit and stay training.

Spending time with a dog he likes in an off-leash enclosed park would be a big step toward dog-dog socialization.

DEAR DR. FOX: When my daughter moved into her ground-floor apartment, she discovered her cat, Reese. According to the custodian, Reese had been abandoned by her owners and for about three years had been living with a cat colony that took shelter in a nearby sewer. My daughter was able to gain her trust and take care of her with plenty of patience. They are both living with us for a while, and Reese has warmed up to all of us, even Lucy, our labradoodle.

However, Reese's rhinitis was out of control. Our vet assured us that she was contagious only to other felines. After a round of antibiotics, our vet suggested we try lysine drops in her food, as the condition is most likely herpes based. It has worked beautifully. She still sneezes and wakes up with drainage from her nose, but her breathing has improved and the condition lessened. My daughter also uses a steam humidifier on the occasion of a more intense flare-up.

Reese is a contented indoor cat who is still wary of strangers and refuses to be picked up. However, she cuddles with my daughter and looks to be petted by the rest of the family. -- J.M., Brick, New Jersey

DEAR J.M.: Thanks for confirming the evident benefits of giving lysine supplements to cats with compromised immune systems due to chronic herpes virus. A few drops of fish oil in the food can also help because of the oil's anti-inflammatory properties. And never discount the benefit of a biologically appropriate diet.

Chronic nasal discharge in cats is a common malady, and in some cases, the underlying issue is gingivitis, stomatitis or other dental problems, which can lead to sinus infection, tooth root and surrounding bone infection and erosion.

PET FOOD INGREDIENT MISLABELING INVESTIGATION

Pet food testing in Europe has found that 14 of 17 pet foods included meats not identified on product labels. Lack of pet food transparency is a worldwide concern.

Susan Thixton at truthaboutpetfood.com reports:

"In this study, researchers tested 17 popular brands of pet food sold in Europe. The study looked for animal protein sourced from cow, horse, pig and chicken. Of significant concern, 'there was detection at substantial levels of unspecified animal species in most products tested.'

"Unspecified animal species could be any animal other than cow, horse, pig and chicken."

Let us hope these researchers will do further DNA analysis to determine the exact animal that was dubbed "unspecified."

This problem has been noted in pet foods in the United States, too, and it is a grave issue in feeding dogs who are allergic to or intolerant of certain animal proteins, such as beef or chicken. It is also an ethical issue for purchasers who may wish to avoid feeding their dogs pig or horse meat. The questions of where the pet foods were manufactured and country of origin of ingredients include ethical and health concerns that have yet to be answered.

(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 READERS: Since the publication of the book "Sugar Blues" by William Duffy in 1975, there has been rising consumer awareness over the healthfulness of sugars in the human diet. Much research has been conducted, yet ever more sugar is consumed worldwide as food manufacturers deny the risks. It is not mere coincidence that a cluster of serious diet-related diseases in humans are also seen in cats and dogs, and these can be prevented and often reversed with sugar-free, biologically appropriate diets.

Many diseases that affect us and other animals, wild and tame, are anthropogenic -- brought on by ourselves -- through our collective misuse of chemicals, drugs, natural resources and ecosystems. Some of these causes of the "diseases of civilization" will not be rectified for generations, if ever. But others can be addressed, notably what we choose to eat and what we feed our companion animals, beginning with cereal-derived carbohydrates and sugars.

Dogs are more carnivorous than omnivorous humans, while cats are absolute ("obligate") carnivores. All of these species, cats in particular, are harmed by refined sugars and those derived from high glycemic index carbohydrates, which the bodies of cats, dogs and humans convert into sugars, triggering insulin release and storage of the calories from sugars as fat. Cereal glutens, phytases, genetically modified organisms, herbicide residues and various chemical and pharmaceutical "obesogens" (foreign chemical compounds that disrupt normal development) may be co-factors in diet-related health problems.

The health issues our cats and dogs now suffer from are telling us that what most of us are eating and feeding to them is wrong -- biologically inappropriate diets high in sugars for humans and high in starches for all three species. These health issues include: dental problems; oral and intestinal dysbiosis (disruption of health-promoting populations of bacteria leading to hyper-reactive immune systems triggering allergies and autoimmune diseases); fatty liver disease; obesity; metabolic syndrome and inflammatory diseases arising therefrom, including arthritis and some cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure, eye disease, diabetes, pancreatitis, chronic pancreatic enzyme insufficiency, inflammatory bowel conditions, kidney disease and urological problems, especially in cats.

For humans, I recommend eating less sugar and only a modicum of functional complex carbohydrates in their diets (i.e. cruciferous vegetables; fresh, whole fruits -- but not grapes; gluten-free grains; green, leafy vegetables; and legumes rich in phytonutrients and prebiotics). For most dogs, add only some complex carbohydrates to their diets; for all cats, a minimal amount (approximately 5 percent of the diet) of carbohydrates is called for. For more details, see "Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Cat & Dog Food" and "Smart and Canine Nutrigenomics."

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 12-year-old cat named Gabby. I have been taking her to the vet for regular checkups, and he says she is in perfect health for her age and is very active and alert. She loves to play, and she sleeps well. But sometimes she has this deep cough that almost sounds like kennel cough, and sometimes it's almost like she is having a hard time swallowing.

This only happens once in a blue moon. Most of the time she is in great health. I've told the vet about this, and he says it might be an allergy or something like this.

We also have a dog named Max. He is a beagle, and he is 13 years old. He has a partially collapsed trachea and is prone to bronchitis and pneumonia, and he has chronic cough.

What suggestions do you have for my dog and cat? Thank you for your time. -- J.B., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR J.B.: These two issues are not uncommon in canine and feline companions.

The first possibility to consider for your cat is that the sound may be from gagging up hair balls. Cats do not always vomit these; instead, the gagged-up fur is swallowed and eventually evacuated. In some instances, it can accumulate as a mass in the stomach and must be surgically removed. Adding a little olive oil to the cat's food and giving her some high-fiber treats can help, as can daily grooming.

Dogs pulling too hard on the leash and wearing collars can damage their tracheas, as do those idiot people who discipline their dogs by jerking and snapping sharply on the leash. A Gentle Leader or harness is safer and less injurious for dogs who pull hard on the leash.

(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 am a regular reader of your column and a couple of dog magazines, and I've noticed that over the past few years, more veterinarians are prescribing drugs to treat anxiety and other behavioral problems in dogs.

With my own dogs, I always asked for a dog trainer or behaviorist when I had issues, and never needed to resort to these mind-altering drugs, which can have some side effects. When my sister's dog was put on medication for separation anxiety, she turned into a zombie.

What is your opinion? -- J.V., Alexandria, Virginia

DEAR J.V.: First, let me say that some psychopharmaceuticals can help dogs and other animals when used with caution when the cause of the problem cannot be eliminated from the animal's environment or identified, and when behavior-modification attempts have failed. Behavior modification is often applied in conjunction with prescribed medications. Their effectiveness is due in part to the fact that animals' emotions are neurochemically analogous to our own -- yes, the inner emotional life of other animals is more similar to our own than different!

I have questioned the overreliance on psychopharmaceuticals to help animals adapt to situations where they do not belong, like a dog being left at home in a crate all day, in my recent book "Healing Animals & the Vision of One Health." This trend of applying mind-altering drugs to help animals cope in stimulation-lacking and socially deprived domestic environments is an ethical concern that all responsible parties need to address. It parallels the stunning findings in a recent national survey by Dr. Steven Cuffe and associates from the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville department of psychiatry: Nearly half of preschoolers are on medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, often not coupled with behavioral therapy.

NEW CANINE INFLUENZA CONCERNS

First seen in the Chicago area, a new strain of Asiatic canine influenza (H3N2) has been identified and may soon spread across the United States. The available vaccine against the H3N8 strain may not provide protection. This new strain causes sneezing, fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, pneumonia and in some instances, death. Cats may also be infected. Consult with your veterinarian about the situation where you live, and you may be well advised to avoid going to the dog park, doggy daycare or groomer's until the epidemic subsides. Special quarantine measures and sanitation/basic hygiene are called for in shelters. The virus is transmissible on clothing, hands and equipment as well as from infected dogs to others. As yet, this viral strain has not infected humans.

NYLABONE DOG CHEWS RECALL

Nylabone Products of Neptune, New Jersey, is recalling one lot of its Puppy Starter Kit dog chews because they have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. The recalled Puppy Starter Kit consists of one lot of dog chews that were distributed nationwide, to Canada and through one domestic online mail order facility.

Consumers who have purchased the affected product should discontinue use of the chews and may return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund. Those with questions may contact the company at 877-273-7527.

(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.)