DEAR DR. FOX: I have used Frontline Plus on our two Shih Tzus for 10 years with no problems.

Because, apparently, many ticks and fleas have become resistant to the original Frontline Plus, our vet has begun using the new Frontline Tritak. I used the new Frontline Tritak for the first time three weeks ago on our dogs. One experienced mild itching that began about two hours after the application and lasted for two days. However, our second Shih Tzu experienced a horrible reaction.

About two hours after the application, she began itching and scratching herself. Shortly thereafter, she started going after her tail. I thought she may be experiencing some anal gland issues, which she occasionally has. I called the vet and scheduled an appointment for the next morning. As evening approached, she became very hyperactive -- running up and down the stairs, jumping on and off the furniture, digging on the furniture -- and she never settled down. She did not sleep one minute that day or night. I stayed up with her most of the night because I was so worried about her. I took her to our vet first thing the next morning. On the way to the vet, I felt small spasms on her back and knew this was more than an anal glad issue.

Our vet gave her a thorough exam and checked her anal glands, which were empty. He could find nothing wrong with her and believed it was a reaction to the Frontline Tritak. He also noticed the spasms she was having, which were mild at the time. He prescribed tramadol, but asked us to hold off giving it to her until he was able to reach the company that makes Frontline Tritak (Merial) to confer with their veterinarian.

When we got home, I did some online research that suggested bathing our dog to remove any of the oily medication. I did this with Dawn liquid dish detergent, and it seemed to calm her down a little. At this point, she was still hyperactive, and the spasms in her body were getting worse. We knew this had to be extremely uncomfortable for her. I called our vet, and he said to start the Tramadol; he was still waiting for a return call from the veterinarian at Merial. Once the Tramadol started working, she calmed down. Our vet called again to tell us he had reported all of this to the veterinarian at Merial, who confirmed that our dog was having a reaction to the application. He suggested bathing her and applying a vitamin E capsule to the Frontline Tritak application spot.

Our sweet Shih Tzu was able to sleep that night. We had to keep her on the Tramadol for five days because of the spasms. The spasms gradually lessened each day; however, it took exactly one week before they were totally gone.

Given the experience with Frontline Tritak and where we live, I would appreciate any comments you have on what we should do in the future. One thing is for sure: We will never use Frontline Tritak again. -- K.W., Round Hill, Virginia

DEAR K.W.: Climate change, habitat change and lack of natural tick predators (quail and other insectivorous birds and reptiles, millions eliminated by pesticides) have created the perfect conditions for the spread of Lyme and other insect-borne diseases that are in large part anthropogenic (caused by human activities). Insects rapidly evolve resistance to insecticides, just as bacteria do to antibiotics. So we need stronger drugs to combat them, and in the process, harm our animal companions and ourselves. These and other similar drugs are used by the food industry on crops and livestock and finish up in our food. Both are "regulated" by the publicly funded Food and Drug Administration, which is hard torn between two evils making product approvals and market recalls.

I regret your poor dog's adverse reaction and applaud the follow-up to the manufacturer that your attending veterinarian made. This should also be reported to the FDA to add to the thousands of other adverse reactions reported with spot-on anti-flea and tick products.

Property owners can reduce such potentially harmful insects by clearing brush and raising guinea fowl, which are tick-eradicators. Dog owners should put light coats on their dogs going into infested areas coupled with natural essential oil repellents on the dogs and themselves.

DR. FOX'S WEBSITE

I apologize to readers for my website not being available for some time. It has now been rebuilt at DrFoxVet.net in a simple format to enable access to basic information about cat and dog care. It also provides review articles on such issues as vaccinations, pet foods and GMOs; what we can all do to help protect wildlife; biodiversity and the natural environment for our own good and for the good of all -- or as I like to call it, One Earth, One Health!

(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.net.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I am concerned about my longhaired cat, Isabella: She gets matted areas in her fur, which I imagine are uncomfortable for her. In the past, I have taken her to be groomed several times a year, where she was shaved or given a "lion cut." We had a wonderful groomer who let me hold Isabella while she was being shaved. Isabella tolerated it very well. However, this groomer is no longer available. Other groomers want me to drop off my cat and let her wait for hours until it is her turn. They also want to put a collar on her. This is stressful for Isabella, and she often salivates a lot under these circumstances.

I brush Isabella two times a day, in the morning after breakfast and at night before bedtime.

Apparently, though, I've fallen down on the job, as she has a nasty matted area on her thigh. She protests if I approach her with scissors to cut off the affected area. Your advice would be welcome. -- P.D.O., Vienna, Virginia

DEAR P.D.O., Don't give up on your local groomers! They can't all be that insensitive. I have heard some bad accounts about pet groomers who treat animals like commodities and think nothing of keeping them caged and terrified until it is their turn to be groomed. Keeping cats in the same room as yapping and barking dogs is malpractice, in my opinion. Crazy, indeed, and potentially fatal for some cats with heart disease, high blood pressure and other stress-sensitive ailments. I see no logical reason why a groomer should not set an appointment for you to come in and help hold your cat while her coat is untangled and the mats removed safely. Do not try to do it yourself.

When was her last veterinary checkup? Cats who are not well, notably those with dental problems, groom themselves less and less to the point that they give up when the coat becomes badly matted, which pulls on the skin and can be very painful and lead to infection. So a veterinary appointment may be called for, hopefully with someone who will see your cat and not insist on giving a carpet-bombing with booster vaccinations. You may do best with a vet who does house calls or a holistic veterinary practitioner. To locate a holistic veterinarian in your area, a searchable list can be found at holisticvetlist.com.

DEAR DR. FOX: My 14-year-old Siamese cat, Pearl, was a biter when she was young, but she outgrew it with my disapproval and redirection. I understand that biting can be an atavistic play behavior for felines.

Flash forward to last week: While sitting next to me on a sofa, Pearl leapt up, wrapped herself around my left arm and began to bite ferociously from my hand to my elbow, breaking skin as she went. Using my right hand, I grabbed her jaw to stop the biting but had difficulty unwrapping her from my arm. I finally shook her off, and she appeared ready to pounce again.

I was frightened and very annoyed by the fresh wounds and left the room. She has not repeated this behavior, but I am wary and concerned she might hurt visitors or me again. -- L.C., Chevy Chase, Maryland

DEAR L.C.: You have a potentially serious issue because as you no doubt know, cat bites can be dangerous and introduce bacterial infection into the bloodstream. Always squeeze the area to let blood flow, wash thoroughly and apply an antibiotic cream, hydrogen peroxide or iodine; if in doubt, go to the emergency room for professional care, especially if you develop a red flare where you were bitten.

Bizarre behavior like this could be triggered by you wearing a new perfume or skin cream, or by a neurological/cognitive change in your cat that a veterinarian could evaluate. One consideration is early dementia or hyperactive thyroid gland disease, which can trigger sudden aggression in rare instances. The calming cat pheromone Feliway may help, and some cats do become calmer when they eat a little catnip herb, which is akin to Valium.

If the attack was in the early evening, there may be a "sundowner" arousal component, which you may help allay in the future by engaging the cat in some interactive games such as chasing a laser light or a feather on the end of a string tied to a cane. Good luck, and keep me posted!

(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: Cats are carnivores, but for decades now the pet food industry and organized veterinary medicine have done nothing of significance to stop marketing biologically inappropriate diets for cats, high in non-animal (soy) protein, cereal starches and fiber (notably GMO beet pulp). The nascent soy- and starch-free raw pet food market is being closely monitored by the Food and Drug Administration concerning bacterial contamination -- and one sector of this market is pushing for pasteurization, which is a backward step, though not as far back as irradiation treatment. But in terms of volume and frequency, more dry foods than raw foods have been recalled because of bacterial contamination.

I have been editing my files as I slowly rebuild my website, drfoxvet.net -- I apologize to readers for it being down until now -- and I found the following report concerning an all-too-common health crisis in cats. I feel I must share it because, even though it was published more than 10 years ago, the pet food industry's major companies still market cat foods that contain biologically inappropriate ingredients that cause illness, and they derive additional profits from special "prescription" diets, available only through veterinarians, to treat the disease they created (genetics and other factors notwithstanding).

From the American Journal of Veterinary Research, February 2004:

"Evaluation of effects of dietary carbohydrate on formation of struvite crystals in urine and macromineral balance in clinically normal cats ... Conclusions and clinical relevance: Starch and fiber in diets potentially stimulate formation of struvite crystals. Hence, reducing dietary carbohydrate is desirable to prevent struvite urolith formation. In addition, a net loss of body calcium, phosphorus and magnesium during feeding of the fiber diet suggests that dietary inclusion of insoluble fiber could increase macromineral requirements of cats."

For more details on proper cat nutrition, visit feline-nutrition.org.

COMPANION ANIMAL EXPENDITURES IN 2014

Spending on pets increased 4.2 percent in the United States, from $55.72 billion in 2013 to $58.04 billion in 2014, according to an annual report from the American Pet Products Association. The report evaluates five areas of pet spending: food, veterinary care, supplies, the animals themselves and other services. Veterinary care utilization was stable or trending down, while per-visit spending was up as people spent more on life-extending care.

The greatest spending growth was in the services category, which includes grooming, training, boarding and spa treatments. Spending on specialty foods also featured prominently.

(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 was wondering if there are intestinal or stomach diseases that animals can transmit to humans. My two grandchildren have been having problems for the past 10 years. They have been diagnosed with gluten problems, have lactose intolerance, had their gallbladders removed and various other diagnoses, but the pain in their gut is still there. They eat antacids like candy. The gluten and lactose problems have been addressed, but the stomach pains are still there. They are eating less and look horrible because of the weight loss.

Is there a possibility of a disease transmitted by their cats or horses? We are at our wits' end, and at this point are grasping at straws. -- M.M., Whiting, New Jersey

DEAR M.M.: You are wise to raise the question of possible zoonotic disease -- an infection transmitted from one animal species to the human species. Doctors may overlook such possibilities when they do not consider the patient's environment and contacts with other species. I was shocked a few years ago when some at a large teaching hospital in Washington, D.C., were baffled by the skin condition I developed from dogs during my work in India and that I diagnosed correctly as scabies (mange), telling them what prescription to give me.

Certainly zoonotic agents (pathogens) such as toxoplasma, giardia, salmonella and E.coli need to be considered by attending physicians and internal medicine specialists. But, and that is the big BUT, human and animal doctors are learning not to blame such potential pathogens alone for various diseases, but also to look at the patients' environment and diet.

Diet can make for strong or weak immune and digestive systems because some food ingredients -- especially sugars, white flour and other refined carbohydrates -- can lead to the proliferation of some kinds of bacteria in the digestive system that disrupt the health-promoting "microbiome," or what I call the bacterial garden of the gut. Both human and animal patients are now being given fecal transplants from healthy donors to restore their microbiomes.

This may be the more holistic approach needed for your grandchildren. I must add that studies have shown that children born into homes where there are dogs and cats do indeed have fewer allergies and infections calling for antibiotic treatments, a finding attributed to their microbiome being enriched or fortified by bacterial varieties acquired from contact with these animal companions.