DEAR DR. FOX: My dog wakes up early with what appears to be panic attacks. This has happened once a month for the past three months.

She walks in circles, pants hard and clings to me. She won't leave my side. Our vet ran tests and didn't find anything, but she suggested Benadryl to calm her down.

Any suggestions? We are sleeping when this occurs, but it lasts for days. She never does this at the vet's office. These problems also end all of a sudden, without warning. -- J.P., Hamptonville, North Carolina

DEAR J.P.: It is difficult for me to answer your letter and to offer possible diagnoses and treatments without knowing the age and breed of your dog. Readers, please note: When writing to me, I need such basic information about your animal companions.

Older dogs can have these kinds of panic attacks for various reasons. One often neglected one is that they are drinking more water because of kidney issues and they desperately want to go outside to urinate.

Giving your dog the antihistamine Benadryl is a shot in the dark. She may have episodes of restlessness due to discomfort because of some medical condition -- middle ear disease, cancer -- that has yet to fully surface. If your dog is old, she could have dementia, for which there are many treatments. I would try giving her melatonin before bedtime; if that does not help, ask the veterinarian for a prescription of alprazolam. Keep me posted.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 7-year-old female pug. Recently, my grandson visited here with his 9-month-old male bulldog.

They seemed to get along OK until the male sat on my dog while she was lying down. She was not about to tolerate that, so she nipped at him. He got off and it ended there. However, he continued to do this from time to time, with the same results.

Why would he continue to do this? Telling him "no" doesn't seem to be enough. -- S.M., Freehold, New Jersey

DEAR S.M.: I think your grandson's young bulldog's "disrespectful" behavior is more upsetting for you than for your pug. She is teaching him "manners" -- what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

He may be sitting on her to get attention, or he may be something of a slow learner. This can be a problem for many pure breeds, and poor bulldogs have the added burden of extremely deformed faces that can make breathing difficult. I can imagine that after a brief bout of play, he accidentally sits on your dog as he gasps to catch his breath.

I recall several years ago when I was on Oprah Winfrey's show talking about dogs, and a guest came on with her 6-month-old bulldog pup who was having such difficulty breathing, the poor dog could hardly make it up the two steps onto the platform stage to sit with us. I asked the elderly lady, who bred bulldogs for show, how she could deliberately propagate such handicapped, genetically deformed animals. Sometimes their windpipes collapse. She was taken aback by my on-camera confrontation, retorting, "Well, I love them." There is research evidence of a Munchausen-by-proxy syndrome in people who deliberately chose various breeds that require a lot of extra attention, replacing their animals when they die with others with similar afflictions.

THYROID DISEASE

Hyperthyroidism has been linked to pet foods that include the thyroid glands of slaughtered animals. Because pet food consumers are not informed of what portions of slaughtered animals are used in pet food, knowing the symptoms of hyperthyroidism could be important to protect your pet's health.

Read more at truthaboutpetfood.com/diet-related-hyperthyroidism/.

(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 had Miss Kitty for 10 years, with no problems until now. She has defecated twice on our living room rug. Can you help us? -- M.R., Florissant, Missouri

DEAR M.R.: Unfortunately and inexcusably, many dogs and cats are punished and often abandoned to an uncertain fate in animal shelters for house soiling. Yet most instances of urinating or defecating outside the litter box -- or in the house with dogs -- can be effectively remedied by veterinarians. Regrettably, too few cat and dog owners recognize that house soiling can mean the animal is not simply being disobedient or stupid, but has a diagnosable physical or psychological problem.

Find a local veterinarian who does house calls, which are less stressful for most cats, for a full wellness exam. Put consideration of diet and constipation at the top of the list.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 12-year-old female dachshund.

For about the last year, she has been licking everything -- her blanket, my clothes, any cloth she is near.

Could you explain what drives her to this maddening obsession? She is otherwise healthy. I have had her on Blue Buffalo, and more recently Taste of the Wild. Is it something she is lacking in her diet? -- D.A.R., Moro, Illinois

DEAR D.A.R.: Your old dog's compulsive licking behavior is a signal of some discomfort. This calls for a thorough wellness examination by your veterinarian. Reasons could range from food ingredients that are harming your dog to arthritis, oral or anal gland disease, anxiety and pre-epileptic/seizure-associated behavior. Some veterinary detective work is called for. I'd also suggest switching her to my home-prepared diet, which you can find at DrFoxVet.net.

DEAR DR. FOX: I enjoy your column, but I missed the article in which you expressed disapproval of the catch-and-release programs for feral cats in the United States.

Could you please provide your views about this again, and suggest what else people should do about the problem of feral cats? -- S.C., Hollow Rock, Tennessee

DEAR S.C.: The feral cat problem is nationwide, and, as I point out in my website article, "Releasing Cats to Live Outdoors," there are many solutions. But there is one partial solution being improperly applied in many states that calls for closer scrutiny: trap-neuter-release (TNR).

Where I live in Minneapolis, the Animal Humane Society's Community Cats Program involving TNR releases cats where they were trapped. That includes my own property, where it stresses our indoor cats, who have attacked each other after seeing a cat outdoors, and decimates the wildlife at our feeders. A version of this review article, co-authored by my wife and co-worker Deanna Krantz, will appear shortly in Animal Wellness magazine.

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF TNR BENEFITS EXTREMELY LIMITED

Scientific studies of the effects of TNR on targeted cats and the local cat population demonstrate essentially what one would expect following neutering, namely, better physical condition and longevity, in part determined by the quality of human oversight and supplemental feeding. Neutered males are less aggressive, and females do not have to raise kittens. With fewer screaming catfights, there were fewer public complaints. But none of the reports mention any significant decrease in killing of wildlife where wildlife are present in the TNR cat colony environment. With a greater longevity, such cats clearly could be a problem -- except in confined or isolated locations and where they are provided adequate food and shelter as needed. Nor did any of these studies have a contiguous and encircling study area where cats were trapped, given anti-rabies vaccination, opposite-ear-cut for identification, ideally microchipped and released un-neutered. Without such a control group, the claim that TNR helps reduce the overall cat population cannot be confirmed. Yet advocates of TNR state this as fact.

The only obvious positive result in terms of the virtual plague of free-roaming cats in the U.S. and other countries is that TNR takes cats out of the breeding cycle. But in most situations, the cats should be taken out of the environments they invade, harm and suffer, be they breeding or not.

Read more at alleycat.org/document.doc?id=385.

BOOK REVIEW: "Men With Cats: Intimate Portraits of Feline Friendship" by David Williams

This book is a charmer, with photo-profiles of over 75 men in their home environments, along with apt quotes about their feline companions. It breaks many stereotypes and affirms the mythology of feline powers domesticating man.

(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: As a feral cat rescuer for more than 20 years in Washington, D.C., and with parents who did this in Washington state, I can tell B.W. in Naples, Florida, that old, feral, outdoor cats do love to "retire" from the outside and live the indoor life when they get old. There is nothing more rewarding than waking up to a formerly feral cat sleeping beside you in bed!

Boo sounds like she would do very well as an inside-only cat. I have brought many, many colony cats inside when they get old, and they adapt well. I do this not only for my cats, but I have helped many people bring their old feral cats inside, too. There are some tricks that make it easier:

-- First, I recommend taking the cat to the vet for a full checkup, including vaccination updates, de-flea, deworm, ear treatments if necessary, etc.

-- Use two litter boxes at first; feral cats seem to prefer to go pee and poop in different boxes, I think because they are used to the clean soil. Scoop right away when the box is used, and use unscented, scoopable sand to approximate what they know outside.

-- Install window perches, as you suggest, but do not let the cat have access to screens for the first few weeks. Instinct could cause the cat to try to get out, and they can go through screens easily.

-- Use interactive toys to keep Boo active, so she's not bored. Turn on a radio to get her accustomed to human voices.

I hope this is helpful. -- S.W., Washington, D.C.

DEAR S.W.: I will pass this on. Good advice indeed. In my estimation, formerly feral cats -- like many stray and previously abused or neglected dogs -- once they come to trust and feel secure, make the best companions. Too many in shelters are killed for lack of space and funds to re-socialize these animals, though some never come around because of severe trauma or possible genetic drift to "wild" (fearful and hyper-alert) temperaments, especially those birthed in the outdoors by stray and feral generations of cats.

My wife and co-worker Deanna Krantz and I have a feral cat in our home who we are hoping to rehabilitate for adoption or integration into our two-cat (formerly feral) family. What is quite nonsensical in our location is that if we were to have taken this cat to our local animal shelter, he would have been declared unadoptable and been released back on our property after being neutered and given rabies vaccination when the windchill was negative 20! Animal control and the local police contend that feral cats are wild animals and belong outdoors. In suburbia? The domestic cat, Felis domestica, belongs only indoors, never being part of the wildlife ecology of North America, especially since it is a descendant of the Middle East desert cat Felis sylvestris lybica. Nuts!

DEAR DR. FOX: I am a 92-year-old lady. I have three kitties (I don't have "cats" -- I have "kitties"). I love them dearly. They are 15, 11 and 4 years old. They get along quite well. I always want to learn more ways to care for them better.

When I leave my mortal coil, my sons (who also love kitties) have promised to care for them, and I know they will. So I would love to buy copies of the two books you recently wrote about that you have written, "Supercat: Raising the Perfect Feline Companion" and "Cat Body, Cat Mind." Where can I find them? -- M.C., Falls Church, Virginia

DEAR M.C.: I always appreciate receiving a letter such as yours that demonstrates how elderly people can be eager to learn more about their animal companions. Having an active mind and learning new things is best antidote to mental deterioration -- along with good nutrition! My cat books are easily available to order online at Amazon.com. You can also check my website for more cat-related information at DrFoxVet.net. I am sure there are some articles there that you would enjoy reading. I also have a DVD movie on my website you can watch about cat behavior and psychology, as well as one on dog behavior and psychology.

It is a sad reality that the corner bookstores in most communities are now gone. Now every corner seems to have a bank, drug store, liquor store or bakery, a reflection indeed of the health of the nation! Poor nutrition and no food for thought seems to be the fate of many consumers whose maladies are mirrored in their companion animals, who are fed biologically inappropriate diets and live impoverished lives alone most of the day.

Cats, like yours, do so much better when they have the companionship and reciprocal need-satisfaction of one or more other sociable cats. When I wrote my now-out-of-print best-selling book "Understanding Your Cat," I made it very clear that it is an arrogant presumption to claim to "understand your cat." Like good hunters, they are unpredictable and full of surprises. We learn something new about them all the time, and I am glad to be able to convey the insights of behavioral and animal health and welfare research findings to my Animal Doctor columns that I have been writing for over 40 years. I continue to learn much from the animals and those who care for them and who develop a strong, sympathetic relationship of mutual trust and affection. Kinship indeed!

(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.)