DEAR DR. FOX: A friend once told me that pet owners should never buy rawhide treats made in China for canine friends due to health concerns. Is this valid? I have similar concerns over rawhide treats in general, regardless of where they are made, but my dogs love them. My current rule is to give only one or two a month, and only a small bone or chew stick at that. Your opinion would be appreciated. -- D.S., Louisiana, Missouri

DEAR D.S.: After the massive poisoning of thousands of dogs and cats in 2007 from a pet food ingredient imported from China, documented in the book "Not Fit for a Dog," which I co-authored with two other veterinarians, and because the U.S. government has little if any effective oversight of Chinese manufacturers, I advise against purchasing any pet product -- including pet beds and chew toys -- that indicate they are made in China. If the label says the product is "distributed" by a company in the U.S. but gives no indication as to country of origin or manufacture, I advise against purchasing it.

More recently, thousands of companion animals have been sickened and have even died from various chews and treats manufactured in China, even bearing well-known multinational food company labels (as distributors). Some of these products have been subjected to irradiation to kill bacteria and essentially mummify them, an issue that I have previously addressed in my column. So let's not throw caution to the wind with attractive packaging and thinking that a little bit won't cause any harm.

Check petzlife.com for some safe dental chews and other natural products -- all manufactured in the U.S. -- and visit smaller pet stores in your area, where clerks can show you other products, including rawhide chews that are organic and come from the U.S.

Check my website, DrFoxVet.net, for my buckwheat-based dog cookie recipe. Avoid U.S.-produced smoked and dried pig ears and other body parts for dogs because of potential bacterial contamination.

I advise a weekly 10-minute chew time for dogs using safe products such as rawhide strips and raw, scalded beef marrow bones to help clean teeth, limiting the time to avoid possible injuries like cracking teeth.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 15-year-old female tuxedo cat who has been drinking excessive amounts of water for the past three or four months. She is urinating a lot, so I believe her kidneys are working. I haven't changed her diet. She's basically an inside cat -- she goes outside only in my backyard when I'm out there.

Any idea why she would be consuming so much water daily? -- P.P., Toms River, New Jersey

DEAR P.P.: I urge you to seek a veterinary appointment and have your cat given a full wellness examination.

You are making an assumption that your cat's kidneys are working fine because she is drinking and urinating more than usual. This could be a sign of chronic kidney failure or some other health issue, such as diabetes or hyperthyroidism.

Kidney problems in cats are often associated with chronic, neglected dental problems. Your cat's fluid balance and electrolytes may be way off, and the kidneys are being overworked; in the process, she may be passing too much protein and certain vital minerals that ultimately mean your cat wastes away, a condition called sarcopenia. Complications can arise, such as high blood pressure, stroke and blindness.

So please waste no time and have the cat seen by a veterinarian without delay. Some do in-home visits, which are less stressful for many cats.

(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 have two cats: Maggie, a mellow and sweet English shorthair (age 10), and Simon, a rambunctious part-Burmese (age 7).

I adopted Simon out of concern that Maggie was lonely. What was I thinking? Sadly, my ability to time travel is lacking.

Simon continually instigates conflict with Maggie to get my attention, whether it's because his food, water or litter box are not to his satisfaction, or just to be a pain. This has been going on since Simon joined us as a kitten. However, it's now causing such stress for Maggie that she has licked her belly almost bare of fur. She is always looking warily around for him.

I'm not willing to rehome either one, as they're both so dear to me. I visited the vet this weekend, who prescribed a light dose of Prozac for Maggie to "help take the edge off."

I have been separating them at night so Maggie (and I, for that matter) can get some sleep, and I play with Simon in the hope of wearing him out at bedtime. While I find that Simon is getting marginally better at my verbal commands to leave Maggie alone, I wonder if you have any other suggestions as to how to help calm things down -- to be honest, I'm not wild about medicating the "victim" here.

To the best of my knowledge, they seem to be fine during the day, but then again, I'm at work.

Perhaps I'm the problem? -- L.H., Auburn, California

DEAR L.H.: You wonder if you may be part of the problem, and that is a good question to ask.

Have you read anything about cat behavior and psychology? Check out my DVD and books, posted on my website, DrFoxVet.net, which may give you more insight. My books "Cat Body, Cat Mind" and "Supercat" have helped many cats and people get along better and enjoy life.

Do you spend time engaging in interactive games with the cats? Do you groom them in turn, during which time you can teach them that taking turns and enjoying and receiving equal and fair attention is the rule of the house?

Some cats can be pushy, even bullies, demanding all the attention and pushing the other cat or cats away to get the best spot -- examples of so called "situational dominance." This is when you may effectively intervene and discipline the domineering one with a loud "No" and a tap on the nose or rear end. Most cats are quite trainable; they know what's going on!

Consider the possibility that your older cat is arthritic; it may be painful for her to engage in this kind of rough play. Simon should chase a lure on a string that you can engage him with early in the evening, when cats are often most active. Try massaging Maggie as per my other cat book, "The Healing Touch for Cats." You can also add a few drops of fish oil in her food every day. She may enjoy a pinch of calming catnip or a small amount of melatonin before bedtime.

Her excessive grooming could be stress-related, or it could be a sign of hyperactive thyroid disease or food allergy, so keep the latter possibilities in mind when you see the veterinarian for her next wellness examination.

I know of several situations like yours where introducing a third, younger cat made all the difference, giving the older, stressed and harried cat a break while the more active cat of the pair has a third one to romp and play-fight with!

Keep me posted with your progress!

DEAR DR. FOX: We rescued a male cocker spaniel from our local animal shelter two and a half years ago. He will be 4 years old on March 31.

During his time with the family, he has begun having a series of spasms and seizures on a daily basis. He will sit looking upward and begin a low growl than go to a full bark. After approximately two or three minutes, he will begin to chase his tail area without touching any body parts. This will continue for about three to five minutes and may occur again during the day.

About a month ago, we started him on melatonin with our vet's approval, hoping it would calm him. However, the seizures continue. My wife and I are at our wits' end.

When we rescued him, we knew that he had been caged up to 11 hours per day at a very young age. In the beginning, we thought this was the problem, and it would go away over time.

Based upon what background we have provided, can you help with some relief? -- J.E.M., St. Louis

DEAR J.E.M.: Staring, snapping at nothing, tail-chasing and other obsessive behaviors in dogs can be indicative of epilepsy; many dogs do not actually go into a full grand mal seizure. Sometimes a change in diet can help. A gluten-free diet can stop the so-called epileptoid cramping syndrome in border terriers and probably other breeds and individuals with gluten intolerance.

Let me know if a dietary solution works out before the usual treatment with phenobarbital and other anti-seizure drugs. In my experience, it is regrettable that too many dogs are put on such drugs.

(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: My 9-year-old vaccinated cat died this morning from feline panleukopenia (FPV), also know as feline distemper.

Two weeks ago, he was around a 4-month-old kitten who also contracted this disease and passed away. This kitten, unknowingly to me, had not received the entire three-part vaccine series and had been exposed in a foster home.

My cat did not show any signs of illness until yesterday, when he started to vomit and became very lethargic. I took him to an emergency vet. He did not believe it was distemper due to the fact my cat has always been fully vaccinated, but he ran the test anyway. It came back positive. According to the vet, because my cat was older and was starting treatment right away, he had an excellent chance to recover. Instead, my cat continued to decline rapidly and died this morning.

What are the chances of a fully vaccinated cat acquiring feline panleukopenia? I also have a 7-month-old kitten in my home who has received the entire series of shots and shows no sign of illness. Is she also at risk? Can I have her tested to make sure she doesn't have it? Since this virus lingers for a long time, will it ever be safe to bring another cat into my home? I already bleached or destroyed everything that the other kitten had been in contact with -- even some of my clothes.

I am heartbroken at the loss of my precious Sylvester, who, up until this happened, had been a healthy, vibrant cat. -- D.C., St. Louis

DEAR D.C.: I am so sorry for you and your cat having to experience this tragedy.

First, it is essential that any new, adopted, fostered or shelter cat coming into a home where are other cats has full blood tests for contagious feline viral diseases and is vaccinated and quarantined for three to four weeks prior to being exposed to the other cats.

Your experience shows that vaccinations are not a 100 percent guarantee of protection because, for various reasons, not enough protective antibodies may be produced by the cat's immune system in response to the antigens in the vaccine.

The younger cat in your home was evidently protected, and the hygienic cleanup you have undertaken should make the environment safe for you to consider adopting another cat or kitten, ideally in one to two months as a precaution, and with the above provisos being followed.

DEAR DR. FOX: This is probably a ridiculous question, and I suspect my wife and I are guilty of anthropomorphizing a bit, but we go round and round about this question. We have a 20-month-old beautiful male tuxedo cat, Sparky. He couldn't be sweeter and more lovable; he seems very happy and is inquisitive and active. He's an indoor cat with plenty of toys. I'm retired, so he gets a lot of attention. But I'm usually gone for part of every day, and my wife and I are sometimes gone for a whole day on the weekends, doing whatever. Whenever we're gone, we always wonder if he's lonely, and have talked from time to time about getting a kitten "for Sparky." We live in a two-story house, so it's not like there's not enough room for two cats. But we wonder if he is, in fact, lonely; if another cat would be a good thing; if we're thinking about it for ourselves; etc. He's the king of the castle, of course, so we also wonder if he'd be jealous. Do they care? If we went ahead with it, would a male or female be better? -- V.W., Stevensville, Maryland

DEAR V.W.: It is good to anthropomorphize to some degree in our caring for animals because they share basic emotions with us that can often be satisfied in similar ways. My book "Cat Body, Cat Mind" should help you make up your mind to get another young cat -- healthy, quarantined prior to bringing home, and tested for feline immunodeficiency disease, feline distemper and internal and external parasites. Two cats living together are generally healthier and happier than those who live alone.

It is advisable to follow the steps posted on my website, DrFoxVet.net, on how to introduce a new cat successfully into your home.

(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.)