DEAR DR. FOX: I was intrigued when I saw a question about separation anxiety in your column this morning.

Are you familiar with the work Malena DeMartini (malenademartini.com) is doing for dogs with separation anxiety? Almost two years ago, my husband and I adopted a frightened puppy mill-rescue beagle who suffers from separation anxiety. We worked with multiple vets, dog trainers, dog nutritionists and behavior consultants, and it wasn't until we began working with Malena last summer that Emma the anxious beagle finally started being able to cope with our absences.

Please inform readers about this effective training program to help dogs with separation anxiety. Malena DeMartini has devoted the last 15 years to working with separation-anxious dogs exclusively, and, along with more than 20 trainers certified in her treatment protocol, is helping clients across the globe. Her protocol is based on scientifically proven desensitization methods, by chipping away little by little at the dog's fear.

Each dog is paired with a trainer, who meets with clients via Skype or a similar app to watch the dog in his natural environment. Trainers assess how long each dog can cope with being alone (some are fine for five minutes, others can handle only five seconds), and then build a training plan from there.

Using shared spreadsheets, the trainers give clients a 20- to 30-minute "mission" to do five days a week, broken down into exercises, such as grabbing a briefcase and keys and leaving through the front door for different time intervals. The clients then type in how the dog behaved while they were gone and also how he recovered after they returned.

In order for the treatment to work, dogs cannot be left alone except during training missions. With the help of pet sitters, doggie daycare centers, friends, family and even businesses that allow employees to bring their dogs to work, clients are able to find creative ways to give Fido company. -- T.K., Ashburn, Virginia

DEAR T.K.: I am always open to encouraging people and their veterinarians and behavioral consultants to address the issue of separation anxiety in their canine companions through behavioral desensitization, and not just rely on psychotropic medications that can turn dogs into zombies. Associated confinement phobia and extreme boredom, compounded by escalating hypervigilance and self-mutilation, are on the rise with the dogs of those people who want a dog but don't have a lifestyle suitable for canine ownership. They would be better with two cats.

Keeping a dog in a crate all day is one of the worst mental cruelties for a pack animal. The book "Decoding Your Dog" by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists is a useful guide on this and some other dog behavior problems.

QUESTIONING THE WORLD WILDLIFE FUND'S PET FOOD INTELLIGENCE

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has a long history of turning half-truths into fact and missing the larger picture for reasons attributable to shortsightedness or vested interests. Their WWF magazine article "What's the environmental impact of pet food" is illustrative of the organization's limited perspective. Adhering to the nebulous dictum of sustainability, the article asserts that the increasing public demand for human-grade ingredients in pet foods is wrong-minded environmentally, and that cats and dogs should continue to be fed animal byproducts.

Millions of tons of diseased, dying and dead animals and condemned animal parts are recycled into pet foods and livestock and poultry feed, much of which is of questionable nutritive value and poses a significant health risk. High-temperature processing to destroy bacteria also destroys nutrients and creates carcinogens.

How much more progressive and visionary it would be for the WWF to address the rising human population and its insatiable demand for meat and other animal products and promote vegetarianism? Rather than making responsible and informed pet owners feel guilty, it should advise biologically appropriate, healthful whole food ingredients for companion animals.

(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 would love your input about a toy Australian sheepdog I purchased from a "breeder of merit" last September.

She was almost 4 months old when I brought her home. Four days later, my vet checked her and discovered she had giardia. It took four cycles of medications to treat over two months. After that cleared, my dog started hopping to avoid using her right rear leg; the diagnosis from the orthopedic vet was grade III-V lameness. After owning this dog for only three months, I am looking at $10,000 to treat both legs, including physical therapy and medication.

How is this breeder able to have a title with the American Kennel Club and sell puppies that do not have the health guarantee that she suggests? Many of my dog-owning friends have told me to turn in the breeder, but I don't know who to contact. I have had numerous dogs in my life -- my father-in-law was a vet -- but I have never had these issues or financial burden to deal with.

All ties with the breeder were broken after she reimbursed me for some of the giardia expenses; even then, I had to threaten her that I still had voicemail with her stating that she would pay for all of the expenses. How unfortunate that I waited more than a year to get one of these dogs for the timing to be right, and this is what I end up with. I love this dog, so I will plan on surgery next month. -- L.R., Washington, D.C.

DEAR L.R.: I appreciate your letter, which I hope will educate people to think twice before purchasing a pure-breed dog, especially of toy or miniature variety, because of the high incidence of costly inherited and genetic disorders.

As I stress in my article "Recovering Canine Health" on my website (DrFoxVet.net), buyer beware when dealing with a breeder. Consider buying a comprehensive pet health insurance policy if you get a pure breed. The best option is to adopt a small mixed-breed dog from your local shelter -- they generally have fewer health problems. For more information, visit hsvma.org/assets/pdfs/guide-to-congenital-and-heritable-disorders.pdf, by my friend Dr. W. Jean Dodds, and www.vet.cam.ac.uk/idid, "The Inherited Diseases in Dogs Database," compiled by Dr. David Sargan.

If you did not have some kind of sales agreement to the effect that your dog would be free of diseases of hereditary origin and developmental disorders, then neither you nor your dog have a leg to stand on. The AKC registration is no health guarantee -- the organization even registers pedigree pups from puppy mills. Inform the breeder, who should keep progeny records and stop breeding dogs who produce unhealthy offspring.

I understand your emotional commitment and financial burden, and I would like to hear from other readers in your predicament: What solutions did you find, and what restitution, if any, were you able to secure?

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 4-year-old Birman cat. Recently, he has started twirling in circles, always to the left. During these episodes, he becomes agitated and looks up as if he is hearing something or seeing something on the ceiling. When my husband or I pick him up, there is rapid eye movement.

We have taken him to the vet and he was thoroughly checked out, but the vet had no definite answers. Our cat is eating and drinking as usual. He uses his litter boxes, and there is no vomiting. The vet suggested some blood work might indicate something is wrong.

Can you give us any insight as to what might be the problem? -- G.N., Crosslake, Minnesota

DEAR G.N.: If your cat were very young, I would suspect a congenital condition called cerebellar hypoplasia, where the posterior part of the brain -- responsible for balance and coordination -- is malformed. Some cats learn to compensate for this remarkably well, but blindfold them as a test, and they fall over. With symptoms of weakness on one side or incoordination coupled with some circling, always on one side, plus the eye movements, called nystagmus, I would suspect a middle-ear issue. This could be due to penetrating ear mites and bacterial or fungal infection affecting the organ of balance deep inside the ear in the brain cavity. I trust the veterinarian did a thorough ear examination.

Other possibilities, more likely with an older cat, could be a brain tumor or a stroke. We lost our beloved Mark Twain to a massive stroke just a few weeks ago. Also a remote possibility, if the cat is fed the same tuna and other fish food daily, mercury poisoning or possible nutrient deficiency or imbalance should be considered.

So, aside from some detective work, I would lay off costly diagnostic tests other than some radiographs of the skull, and try a short course of anti-inflammatory prednisolone and an anti-nausea medication like Dramamine.

Keep me posted on your progress. In many instances, these conditions do resolve themselves.

(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'm responding to a query from one of your readers, asking for help with feline asthma. One of my cats, Tummy, had bouts of pretty bad asthma three to four times a year. After he was diagnosed, he had several cortisone shots before I moved on to trying some alternative therapies. I had already done those other things that you mentioned to your reader regarding food sensitivities and other possible triggers. Then I started Tummy on some acupuncture treatments with a local practitioner who made house calls. I used Greta McVey (marylandpetacupuncture.com), and her treatments seemed to help. -- P.L., Silver Spring, Maryland

DEAR P.L.: I appreciate your confirmation of the benefits of alternative and complementary veterinary medical treatments for your cat. I advise pet owners to be open to unconventional treatment protocols and seek out those veterinarians who offer what is generically termed a "holistic" approach to animal health and treatment, as I detail in my book "Healing Animals & the Vision of One Health."

The best medicine is prevention, and a holistic, integrative approach to companion animal health. We are in the 21st century. It is time for a revision of vaccination protocols, to quit feeding highly processed commercial pet foods and over-medicating pets, especially with so-called preventive medications like those sold to keep fleas and ticks at bay, when there are effective -- and much cheaper -- alternatives available that pose far less risk to animals' health.

For further information, contact a holistic veterinarian in your area. A searchable list can be found at holisticvetlist.com. Veterinarians wishing to learn more are encouraged to become members of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association at www.ahvma.org.

POPE FRANCIS SPEAKS FOR ANIMALS AND ALL LIFE

In his wide-ranging encyclical letter, "Laudato Si'," Pope Francis has incorporated much of the philosophy and terms of the animal liberation and "deep" ecology movements to which I contributed in some of my writings and in a DVD a quarter-century ago.

Some highlights:

-- "The misuse of creation begins when we no longer recognize any higher instance than ourselves, when we see nothing else but ourselves."

-- "Because all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another."

-- "The Bible has no place for a tyrannical anthropocentrism unconcerned for other creatures."

-- "... Our indifference or cruelty toward fellow creatures of this world sooner or later affects the treatment we mete out to other human beings."

-- "Once the human being declares independence from reality and behaves with absolute dominion, the very foundations of life begin to crumble."

-- "It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly."

I applaud and pray his letter will touch every nation and community worldwide and that its assertions and directives will be embraced by all religious and secular authorities for the good of all.

(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.)