DEAR DR. FOX: I cannot get to the bottom of my 13- year-old female formerly diabetic tuxedo kitty's problem with head scratching and shaking.

For the past two months, we've fed her canned wet food instead of kibble; her last glucose test was normal. This head and face issue has been a long-standing one. When we've taken her in to see various vets, they all prescribe Tresaderm, but the scratching always comes back. She also overgrooms, and then vomits hairballs from licking so much. I believe she does this because of stress from her head and face condition. There are no visible sores on her head or face.

I thought the dry food was the issue, but changing to wet only cured her diabetes. Even on wet canned food, she still has the shaking and scratching on her face, head, neck and ears. What should we do? -- L., New Jersey

DEAR L.: This could be a variant of feline hyperesthesia syndrome. Keeping my cat off fish helped; catnip seems to calm him down, and evening games are a must.

Your cat may get some comfort from having a light blanket placed over her, since this may have a calming effect. Our other cat often goes to sleep when I put a newspaper over him or when he crawls into a rolled-up piece of carpeting.

I would not rule out a vitamin or other dietary deficiency or neurotoxin contaminant. And of course we have the established link between feline hyperthyroidism and flame-retardant chemicals, stain-repellent chemicals, formaldehyde and quaternary ammonium compound "sanitizers" for counter and floor -- all of which you can find in your home.

Hyperthyroidism, a symptom of which may include excessive grooming, affects more than 1 in 10 older cats. and might be due to exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are commonly used in plastics and furniture, according to a study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Researchers at Stockholm University found high levels of the chemicals in blood samples from cats with hyperthyroidism. PBDEs can get into dust that sticks to cats' fur and is then ingested when cats groom themselves.

Be sure her veterinarians checked her ears and teeth for issues. The cat pheromone product Feliway may help calm your cat, as may a drop of lavender essential oil where she sleeps, but be sure there are no synthetic fragrances in the cat litter or laundry.

DEAR DR. FOX: After our 16-year-old dog passed away late last year, we finally decided it was time to look for a new family member.

We came across a 3-year-old miniature American Eskimo mix at a local shelter, went through the process and brought her home. She's absolutely wonderful with us -- silly, playful, mostly well-behaved -- and we're very happy to have found her.

Our only problem is that when we have visitors, she barks nonstop for the longest time. Her tail is wagging, but she won't let the visitor pet her. When we go for a walk, she barks at anything close to us -- people, cars, other dogs. We know she lived with a senior couple previously, so we don't know how much training she got.

I've started to get her to sit and heel as a car or other "threat" approaches, but I wanted to get your opinion on what else we can do. We've only had her for 10 weeks, so we know it will take time. Thanks for any help. -- S.R., Beachwood, New Jersey

DEAR S.R.: An educated guess is that your dog was not taken out and about very much with her former caregivers, and she is showing the typical adjustment issues of a dog who has been raised in a relatively deprived environment, though clearly not unloved.

So take her exposure to the big world slowly, and help her learn self-control by teaching her to sit and stay. This exercise helps develop internal inhibition. She may handle better with a gentle leader or a harness around her chest. Three to four drops of lavender oil on a bandana around her neck before going out may help calm her down, as would PetzLife @-Eaze.

FROZEN DOG FOOD RECALL

OC Raw Dog voluntarily recalled 2,055 pounds of Turkey & Produce Raw Frozen Canine Formulation because it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. The products were distributed in Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Colorado and sold to consumers through independent pet specialty retailers.

This recall is a result of a routine sampling program by the Nebraska Department of Food and Agriculture, which revealed a presumptive positive to salmonella. Consumers with questions may call 1-844-215-DOGS (3647).

(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 four cats who go outside in a small wooded area that is surrounded by townhouses in my community. I know that they shouldn't be wandering and it's not fair to the neighbors.

I got a cat fence for my tiny backyard space so they can go out on the grass. I'm so stressed that they will become depressed and unhappy staying in, and I worry about it constantly.

I know I'm doing the right thing, but I want them happy, and they really want to go out! -- B.L., Edgewater, Maryland

DEAR B.L.: I am so glad for your cats that you have taken the responsible, "tough love" step of not allowing them to roam off your property.

My book "Supercat: How to Raise the Perfect Feline Companion" will give you lots of insights and practical tips to help make your cats happy and active indoor animals and relieve you of any guilt and concerns that they are missing their walks on the wild side. Be sure to engage in plenty of enrichment activities with your cats, including interactive play. The book also advocates outdoor enclosures for cats, some designed with an escapeproof walkway from the house to the outside enclosure. You are doing the right thing.

DEAR DR. FOX: We had a cat, Anja, who had diabetes and colon problems. For some reason, she was eating things she shouldn't and had to be "cleaned out" on a couple of occasions. The doctor found chicken bones, rubber bands and clumping litter in her colon.

Because she was diabetic, even though she was getting insulin injections twice a day, she was urinating more than normal, and the clumping litter wasn't really up to the task. It would get stuck in her paws, and she would ingest it while cleaning. We finally switched to a pine pellet litter and have NEVER looked back. She passed away in 2007, and we still use the pine pellet litter for our other cats, with no problems whatsoever. -- D.S., St. Louis

DEAR D.S.: Thank you for providing documentation on the potential risks to some cats of the clumping types of cat litter, clay types possibly being more risky (especially if they contain small particles that can be inhaled) than wheat- and corn-based clumping varieties.

The potential health risks of volatile organic compounds in scented litters should also be considered, and I advise fragrance-free cat litter.

HUMAN PAIN OINTMENT FATAL FOR CATS

Five cats became seriously ill and three of them died after being exposed to their owners' pain relief cream. Two developed kidney failure and recovered after receiving veterinary treatment, but the cats who died had high levels of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug flurbiprofen in their systems, according to necropsy results.

The owners reported using the cream to treat themselves for arthritis pain; they never directly administered the medication to the cats. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, ibuprofen is the human drug pets most commonly ingest.

JERKY DOG TREATS "MADE IN THE UNITED STATES" SICKEN DOGS

Pet food industry monitor Susan Thixton from truthaboutpetfood.com released a statement reading, "The madness continues -- some U.S.-manufactured jerky treats are now being linked to acquired Fanconi (syndrome) in dogs -- the same kidney disease linked to Chinese manufactured jerky treats."

Veterinary Information Network (VIN) released a story stating that the Food and Drug Administration has confirmed the agency "is aware of complaints related to USA-made products." The FDA said some of the reported U.S.-manufactured jerky treats contain ingredients "from outside of the U.S."

So much for business ethics and truth in labeling.

CORRECTION

In a recent column, I reported that half the U.S. population of preschoolers is on medicine for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Rather, it is half of those diagnosed with this condition who are put on medication. Sugar-free breakfasts may be a better remedy.

(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: We have a pair of sister cats who we rescued four years ago. Up until the last month, they exhibited normal indoor cat behaviors, such as eating and sleeping together in peaceful harmony. One accidentally got outside for about two hours; upon being let back inside, she became cattus non grata to the other cat, who started hissing, spitting, etc. The one who had been indoors even bit the escapee on the tail and drew blood.

They are now being very hostile toward each other, with both going back and forth being the aggressor. We keep them in separate rooms in the house as any contact results in hissing, spitting and even growling and screeching. I have bought Feliway and put them in a room with it for a couple of hours at a time, but upon exit of the room, there does not seem to be any change in mood. This has been going on for a month, and I have been playing referee to a game of musical cats. I would appreciate any help or suggestions, as I want my happy home returned. -- E.T., Vienna, Virginia

DEAR E.T.: You are going through what my wife and I did after one of our cats got outdoors for a while and was attacked by our other cat, who was formerly his playmate and sleeping companion.

This "cognitive dissonance," or whatever is going on in the cat's psyche, is triggered by a change in pheromones in the cat who went outdoors, possibly set off by fear or by becoming hyper-alert and engaging in scent-marking and picking up the scents of other cats.

You will have to go through the steps of reintroduction. This includes rubbing both cats with the same moist cloth every day so they become accustomed to each other's odors and having them in separate rooms but able see each other through a screen door. Feeding them at the same time is also part of the resocialization process. The synthetic pheromone product you used is sometimes, but not always, effective.

STOPPING THE WORST TORMENT OF ANIMALS IS ENLIGHTENED SELF-INTEREST

As an evolving species, humans are living in the Anthropocene age, the apocalyptic consequences of which we are witness to today. These include climate change, ocean acidification, deforestation and loss of biodiversity with accelerating extinction of wild plant and animal species. Awakening to these anthropogenic (human-caused) concerns, which affect our health, security and quality of life, is giving birth to what my friend, the late Father Thomas Berry, called the Ecozoic era of ecological and environmental awareness and responsibility. This transcends the prior human-centered worldview with active planetary CPR -- urgently needed conservation, preservation and restoration.

The heart of this redeeming era, which some see as vital to our species' future well-being, if not also survival, is in bioethics. Bioethics essentially expands the empathic and egalitarian principle of the Golden Rule to embrace all sentient beings, plant and animal, wild and domestic. It is enlightened self-interest to do so, as the One Health movement, which connects animal and environmental health with human health and well-being, is advocating.

From a One Health perspective, no sane society can continue to justify violating this Golden Rule in its treatment of animals raised for human consumption in cruel factory farms across the Americas and most of the "civilized" world. These concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) cause serious groundwater and air pollution and are a major contributor to climate change and loss of biodiversity. Wildlife and their habitats and precious fresh water are sacrificed to produce the feed for these poor farm-raised animals, who are fed increasingly from impoverished, plant nutrient-deficient and petrochemical-saturated soils and genetically engineered, insecticide-producing, herbicide-contaminated crops.

The animals are stressed by extreme confinement in overcrowded conditions that cause suffering and disease. Some of their diseases, many brought on by stress, affect consumers who are also put at risk by the antibiotics and other drugs used to prevent and treat animal diseases and boost productivity.

Millions of animals live under the constant torment of having no relief, escape or diversion from the stress of being overcrowded and deprived of being able to execute normal behaviors. Then they fall victim to live transportation to mass-slaughter processing plants. Their cries of pain and terror are natural signals of distress that have evolved because they are socially and emotionally conscious beings. To treat them without regard for this high degree of sentient awareness is the industrial norm. Farmed animals, like animals exploited in other contexts, are seen as property, objects of possession, mere commodities. Such objectification is the product of anthropocentrism and is its nemesis.

The net result of this abuse and waste of natural resources and inhumane exploitation of other sentient beings is dysbiosis, or ecological dysfunction, which includes the microbiome of our own digestive systems. The health of this internal bacterial garden that nourishes our bodies and protects us from disease depends in large measure on what we consume and feed to the animals under our care. This recognition is a first significant leap of science and medicine toward bioethically directed and inspired behavior. The links between the One Health movement, humane and organic farmers and informed and concerned consumers give me some hope.

Opposition to the enactment and enforcement of farmed animal welfare and environmental protection laws calls for public boycott in the marketplace, where concerned consumers vote with their dollars.

(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.)