DEAR DR. FOX: I appreciated what you wrote about big-game trophy hunters and other killers of wild animals. I want to encourage readers to remember the billions of animals suffering in factory farms before we eat them or gather their eggs and milk products.

I live in California, where there is trapping, poisoning and shooting of coyotes and mountain lions to "protect" sheep and cattle ranches. Eagles and bobcats get caught, as do peoples' dogs.

Can't this cruelty and extermination of beautiful and rare species be stopped? -- F.M., Ojai, California

DEAR F.M.: Many dogs die when they eat poisoned bait or are caught in traps, especially the Conibear trap, which is difficult to pry open by hand to stop the dog from being strangled to death. There are many people, including myself, who embrace your concerns.

Sport hunters, trappers and professional exterminators -- such as state and federal wildlife "management" predator control agents -- know that there is always a time to justify killing, and a time to rise up against injustice, ignorance and cruelty. The latter's time, for Earth's sake and the good of all, is NOW! As the plants need the deer, the deer need the wolves and the rivers need the trees: "When the trees are gone, the sky will fall," a Hopi prophecy declares. We are seeing torrential rains falling like rivers from the sky, and the land is being washed into the sea.

For details about predator control issues in your state and what you can do to make change, contact projectcoyote.org. This organization, founded and directed by my daughter Camilla Fox, has links with nationwide and international efforts to save predator species who are the indicators and managers of healthy ecosystems.

DEAR DR. FOX: My cat's bowel movements smell extremely foul. This is nothing new. If he goes in the middle of the night, the smell can actually wake us up. We feed him two cans of Fancy Feast a day and maybe a handful of Purina Kitten Chow. He is 11 years old. Any suggestions on how we can curb that smell? -- B.R., Boyds, Maryland

DEAR B.R.: In our house, cat poop odor can be an issue, too -- especially to my wife's nose. Sometimes one of our cats forgets to bury his poop and comes racing out of the open litter box and goes crazy, cavorting around for a couple minutes. Such sweet release!

Be sure his feces can be buried in easy-to-push-around cat litter. Try feeding him a diet like we feed our cats, such as Orijen grain-free dry food or Stella & Chewy's freeze-dried food, or you can make my home-prepared cat food recipe. The recipe is posted to DrFoxVet.net

Veterinarians are trained to use their noses in the process of animal health evaluation, and smelly, soft cat poop can mean dysbiosis and the beginning of inflammatory bowel disease. Discuss these possibilities with your veterinarian.

DEAR DR. FOX: Last week, my daughters found a small female dog running along the road. They brought her home, and though she's extremely skinny, she isn't lost. I think she was dumped. We named her Leila, and she follows me everywhere! I can't go anywhere in our house without her under my feet. She has almost caused me to fall several times. She won't even go to the bathroom outside unless I'm the one to take her out.

Please tell me what to do. I'm going crazy here. -- D.M., Uniontown, Pennsylvania

DEAR D.M.: Many dogs who have suffered the terror of being abandoned or lost and put into a noisy animal shelter suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. You are seeing one manifestation: separation anxiety and the terror of being left alone. With time and a little valerian herb or veterinary-prescribed Valium or Xanax, she should improve.

She may be shy by nature, but spend time taking her out for short periods, working up to longer times, to see the world where you live and any nearby park or dog play area. Be patient -- she is in recovery, so walk carefully around her. Get her a full wellness examination, and have her checked for a microchip ID, since she could still be someone's beloved lost dog.

(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 READERS: Some readers have asked my opinion about the recent slaughter of popular wildlife park lion Cecil in Zimbabwe. The lion was first shot with an arrow, but he was not killed until much later, when Minnesota dentist Walter J. Palmer shot him with a rifle. Beyond despair and disgust for my own kind, which seems incapable of evolving into a more humane species, I can only say that the worldview and mindset of big-game trophy hunters confirms what biologist Charles Darwin termed, "The Descent of Man."

Many scions of industry and princes of oil, some being members of the Safari Club International, have rationalized that big-game hunting -- where they kill various species as trophies, legally and illegally, for pleasure -- helps the local economy and conservation efforts. Well-armed poachers are pushing elephants, rhinoceroses and other species into extinction. They treat animals as objects, exploitable commodities, like whale-harpooners of Norway and Japan and trappers and fur-ranchers of North America.

The worldwide outrage over this selfish killing is perhaps a sign of change, but without the equivalent of a well-trained, well-equipped internationally funded United Nations environmental and animal protection military force, wildlife will have no future outside of zoos and small reserves. As Albert Schweitzer advised, "Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace."

BRAVO & NATURE'S VARIETY FROZEN PET FOOD RECALLS

Several varieties of Bravo Pet Foods are being recalled after salmonella contamination was discovered during routine testing. Affected brands include frozen chubs and patties of Bravo Blend Chicken diet for dogs and cats and Bravo Blend Chicken Dinner for dogs. If you have questions about the recall, you can call the company at 1-866-922-9222 or visit bravopetfoods.com/consumerrecall.html.

Possible salmonella contamination prompted Nature's Variety to recall its Instinct Raw Chicken Formula for dogs. Affected products bear a best-buy date of April 27, 2016, and include Instinct Raw Chicken Formula Bites for Dogs in 4- and 7-pound sizes, as well as Instinct Raw Chicken Formula Patties for Dogs in 6-pound packages. Consumers with additional questions can call their Consumer Relations team at 888-519-7387 or visit naturesvariety.com/news/70.

(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: We have another dilemma with our 3-year-old Shih Tzu. The weather here in the Northeast has been exceptionally stormy this summer. She refuses to pee when I take her out first thing in the morning after it's rained. She has gone 18 hours without urinating when it's rainy.

Our 6-year-old rescue Shih Tzu doesn't share that problem, thank goodness. Should I be concerned? I've checked all over the house to see if she had broken training, but haven't found any puddles. -- J.P., Fort Myers, Florida

DEAR J.P.: Urine retention is not good for any animal. Your dog's genetics could be linked to the development of urinary calculi or stones, which can make urination painful and actually lead to urine retention, with or without bladder inflammation and infection.

This may call for a veterinary examination. Additionally, be sure your dog is well-hydrated. Give her plenty of water, and do not hover over her while she's on the leash, encouraging her to urinate. She will pick up on your tension, which could only make matters worse. Time out to run, play and be active off-leash will help restore normal functions if there is no medical reason behind her urine retention.

DEAR DR. FOX: I read your recent column about how to deal with cat issues. I was amused while reading, because people are so stupid -- why would anyone want a cat in his home? I'm in the opposite camp: My problem is how to totally clear my yard of live cats.

I spent more than 15 minutes cleaning poop out of my lawnmower wheel last time I mowed. I live in a city that will not allow me to terminate these feral cats -- permanent elimination would be great! I tried trapping with no success. I just want a clean place to walk with no odor. -- A., Norman, Oklahoma

DEAR A.: Thanks for raising this issue. It is a complex one with no easy solutions.

My wife and I caught a free-roaming cat on our property in July. We learned when we surrendered the cat to the Humane Society that he would be assessed to determine if he was adoptable. After the stress of capture and being in a shelter, many cats will hiss and spit defensively, since they are in terror. Our kitty was deemed an unadoptable wild or feral cat. We could pick him up as a "working cat" -- he would be released where he was caught on our property! Otherwise, he would be given to anyone who wanted a cat around their barn or garage to keep rodents down. Putting him back on our property under their trap-neuter-release (TNR) "Community Cat Initiative," where we had seen him kill chipmunks and songbirds, is absurd. It's crazy to me that just a day after the poor cat was given a general anesthetic and surgically castrated, and after a week in the noisy shelter in a small cage with nowhere to hide, he would be released. He'd been given only a rabies vaccination, and no vaccines to protect against contagious cat diseases, and no prior test for feline viral leukemia and immunodeficiency disease. I hope that no so-called humane society has this kind of TNR policy for stray, rescued cats where you live.

Clearly, this is a big issue, which I will address again. Cats can transmit a score of diseases to humans, so this is a significant public health problem, which may carry some weight in your municipality if you file a complaint. Bottom line: Legislation is called for to outlaw people allowing their cats to roam free.

Maybe you should get a dog to keep the cats out of your yard!

POPULAR PLANT POISONOUS TO PETS

The seeds of the sago palm are especially poisonous when eaten by dogs, causing acute liver damage. The survival rate for sago palm poisoning is between 30 percent and 50 percent, according to Lynn Hovda, director of the Minneapolis-based Pet Poison Helpline, available for veterinary professionals or pet owners at 800-213-6680. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals also has a helpline, at 888-426-4435. Other popular indoor and outdoor plants that can harm companion animals include azalea, autumn crocus, cyclamen, daffodil, dieffenbachia, kalanchoe, lilies, oleander, tulips and hyacinths.

(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: This morning I read your column and I have to comment on the recent recommendation that you made to a reader. You mentioned that your neighbor puts her cat outside on a long leash with a collar harness. I used to do this with my cats and found out the hard way that cats are very curious and can and will do things you never dreamed of. Both cats decided to jump over the fence (one that they had never climbed or jumped before). The lines were long enough for them to jump over, but one decided to come back, and the line wasn't long enough. My cat hanged itself -- the harness slipped up around it neck and choked it to death. I was in the house cooking and was unaware of the situation until it was too late.

I would make sure your readers know to never leave a cat unattended in a harness, leash or rope situation around fences or on decks. They can get themselves in trouble, and if a dog or wild animal enters the yard, they will be unable to escape and possibly be unable to defend themselves.

I hope you remind your readers that tethered cats must always be under observation; it takes only a minute for them to get into trouble. If you can't watch them, don't tether them -- they are safer on their own. I used the tether to protect my cat and ended up killing it. I now go by a strict indoor-only rule for all my cats. -- S., St. Peters, Missouri

DEAR S.: Thanks for emphasizing the risks of putting a cat out on a long line in the yard.

Many cats have been strangled as you sadly experienced. Others, kept as indoor-outdoor cats -- which should be made illegal -- have caught their collars and have been strangled or starved.

Breakaway cat collars (bearing ID and rabies vaccination tags) are safer for all cats, since indoor cats could also slip outdoors and get caught wearing a regular collar. Cats on outdoor lines should best wear a harness, and the yard should be fully enclosed to keep out other cats and coyotes, who will make a meal out of them. And, as you write, they should never be left unattended.