DEAR DR. FOX: I have always loved animals, and for a while I did cat rescue. I am 70 years old, and my husband and I have a 16-year-old cat. We have not been replacing pets as they die because of concerns about them ending up in a facility, or burdening our daughter with a house full of animals that she would need to assimilate into her own household.

I was raised on a small dairy farm in rural Virginia, and when I retired two years ago, I enrolled in master naturalist training. I understand the need to connect to nature and our animals. You recommended adopting from a shelter, and I am in total agreement. It would be nice if you would have an article about how to be a pet owner for those of us who are not sure if we will outlive our pets -- our last dog was 15 when she died, and we have had cats who lived 18 and 20 years.

In December 2015, I started volunteering with the Humane Society of Fairfax County. I have found it immensely rewarding, and I get my dog fix. The Humane Society has staff to do the cleaning. What they desperately need are people to spend time with the cats and dogs, socializing them. If you want to bring a book and hold the book with one hand and pet a cat or dog with the other, the staff is quite happy.

I thought it might be difficult for me to see these abandoned animals, but I focus not on what I am seeing as the worst traits of our species, but on the everyday staff and people adopting these pets -- which is what is best about our species. I think of my work with the animals as a comfort station at a particular juncture in their lives. 

People of a certain age do not have to "own" a pet; nor do people who know they will be going overseas and unable to take a pet, or people whose lives are in transition. Please share the benefits of NOT owing a pet -- especially if a person is not settled enough to go the full 10 to 20 years of commitment. Another interesting benefit for me was that I had always had herding breeds or shepherds, and I didn't think I could consider anything else. A month of working at the kennels has shown me that what I got from my shepherds, I also get from a variety of other breeds and mixed breeds. I was able to hone in on why I love dogs -- they are companions, and they make me smile, even laugh. -- D.M., Vienna, Virginia

DEAR D.M.: Your beautiful letter will suffice to encourage older people to find satisfying alternatives to adopting a companion animal who may well outlive them. I appreciate the fact that you found the truth that all dogs are great and not just the particular breed with which you were familiar.

CANNED DOG FOOD RECALL

Fromm Pet Foods announced a canned dog food recall of all lots of the following three canned products: 12-ounce Gold Chicken Pate Dog can, 12-ounce Gold Chicken and Duck and 12-ounce Gold Salmon and Chicken Pate can.

Fromm has discovered through its own analysis that the dog foods do not contain recommended levels of vitamins and minerals. These products may contain elevated levels of vitamin D.

This recall is being implemented in an "abundance of caution," as symptoms would be noted in situations where dogs have eaten the affected products as their only meal for an extended period of time, which could lead to depression of appetite. While there have been no reports of any health problems, Fromm is recommending the affected products not be fed.

For more information, visit frommfamily.com/connect/annoucements.

(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 just lost my dear cat to cancer that started at the site of his last rabies injection.

I have had several friends who also have had cats who developed that kind of cancer, I believe called fibrosarcoma, at the rabies injection site. Veterinarians have always told me that the risks from the injection are very low, but now I don't believe them. I am incensed that an indoor cat is, by law I am told, expected to have an injection for a disease that he would have no way of catching.

What is your take on this? -- M.H., Bethesda, Maryland

DEAR M.H.: I am sorry to hear about the death of your cat due to fibrosarcoma at the injection site. I have discussed this and other adverse vaccination reactions, so called vaccinoses, in an article on my website, DrFoxVet.net.

I think the protocol of annual rabies and other vaccination to indoor cats needs revision; it is questionable to vaccinate against rabies in cats who never go outdoors and have no possibility of exposure to a rabid animal unless one gets into the house. But if you need to board your cat, all such vaccinations should be up to date and you should get blood tests confirming that the cat does not have feline leukemia or immunodeficiency virus infections.

Regrettably, we have uninformed and uncaring members of the cat-owning community who let their unvaccinated cats go outdoors whenever they like. There are not enough communities with statutes and ordinances prohibiting cats from being allowed to roam off their property, and the enforcement is a joke. All cats who are outdoors in an enclosed yard and who do not wander off their owner's property but could be exposed to rabid animals and to diseased cats do, of course, need to be vaccinated.

In my opinion, judging by the number of letters I receive concerning cats developing injection-site cancer, the incidence is higher than the estimates reported in the literature, and not all veterinarians are following the new protocol of no longer injecting the rabies vaccine in the neck or shoulder area but down one limb or tail. When the anti-rabies vaccine is injected at these sites, it makes surgery to remove any tumor -- usually total amputation -- more effective in preventing its spread.

DEAR DR. FOX: Do you have any suggested changes in your home-prepared dog food recipe for geriatric arthritic dogs? -- S.M., Washington, D.C.

DEAR S.M.: I have recently made a few general changes to my home-prepared dog food recipe, posted on my website.

I have included natural herbal supplements that help dogs in general and older dogs in particular. Ginger and turmeric are two examples of such herbs that have a diversity of beneficial pharmaceutical and therapeutic properties.

I would add a little cinnamon for dogs with diabetes and high blood pressure (often associated with kidney disease). Try oregano, thyme, sage, cumin or fenugreek for those with digestive issues. I would give a pinch in the food for habituation and acceptance, then increase to about 1/2 teaspoon daily of each for a 50-pound dog. Many people are surprised how many good medicines they have in their own kitchens; traditional wisdom -- like Hippocrates urging, "let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" -- is anathema and taboo to the pharmaceutical industry.

In addition to such supplements to help old dogs, I would add massage therapy that you can give yourself. Learn more in my book "The Healing Touch for Dogs."

(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: One of our standard poodles often throws up a small amount of yellow substance when it is close to mealtime. We are very punctual about meals and try to compensate, but it doesn't work. Can you help? -- M.F., Springfield, Missouri

DEAR M.F.: This is probably bile and gastric juices triggered by the anticipation of food and aggravated by acid reflux, so try giving your dog a human Tums (or similar antacid) 20 minutes before mealtime.

A surprising number of dogs have this problem, but I do not advise people making their own diagnosis since such vomiting before and after meals can mean other serious health issues. So if the antacid does not prove effective, a full veterinary checkup is called for.

DEAR DR. FOX: I am writing to see if you might have any answers as to what could be causing my dog to have red, irritated skin around his muzzle. His hair is patchy around his muzzle, and it seems to be itchy and bothersome to him. He constantly scratches and rubs his nose on the carpet to itch it. We mentioned this to his vet, who did a skin scraping; the test came back negative. The vet also did a fungal test, and the results were negative. He put our dog on an antibiotic in case it was a bacterial infection, and he also prescribed prednisone in case it was fungal.

The medications did not help to clear up the irritation. The vet suggested changing my dog's food bowls to stainless steel because some dogs have allergies to plastic food bowls. We would have, but our dog has always had stainless steel bowls. The vet recommended trying different dog foods because some dogs are allergic to a carbohydrate or a protein in their dog food, so we tried a couple of different dog foods over the course of several months. So far, none of these changes has made a difference.

There hasn't been anything else that we use differently or anything different that we give our dog that we can think of that could be causing this irritation. However, we did move into a new house relatively recently. It has been almost a year since he started having this irritation around his muzzle, and it doesn't seem to have gotten any better, although he doesn't seem to scratch at it as much.

The last time we took him to the vet, he didn't have any other suggestions except to try another skin scraping. We did not proceed with another skin scraping as our dog would not cooperate, and the vet would have to put him under anesthesia to be able to get the scraping. We didn't feel it would be good to put him under anesthesia, so nothing has gotten resolved.

Do you have any advice or ideas as to what could be causing the irritation or any remedies that we could try? -- E.L., Moorhead, Minnesota

DEAR E.L.: That the vet said he would have to anesthetize your dog to take a skin scraping is absurd and risky, but profit-making indeed.

I would advise you to seek a second opinion. Explore a possible autoimmune disease like lupus or mange, and avoid all further topical and oral anti-flea drugs. Avoid using floor and surface antibacterial cleaners containing quaternary ammonium compounds and volatile synthetic room "fresheners."

I wonder about the carpets in your new home. Have them checked for allergens. Chemicals in fitted carpets could be at the root of your dog's problem, so put down cotton sheets where he sleeps if you do not wish to remove them.

DEAR DR. FOX: We adopted a dog about a year ago. As he was a shelter rescue, we don't know much about him, but he seems to be a mix of Chihuahua and Pomeranian, and about 6 years old.

At first we had no trouble with him aside from the occasional accident in the living room, but lately he's started biting hard enough to draw blood. We don't know what provokes him. I'll be petting him when suddenly he snaps at me. He also snaps sometimes when I try to put on his leash.

Can you offer any thoughts on what's going on? We'd hate to give him up. -- F.S., Brookfield, Connecticut

DEAR F.S.: Any change in an animal's behavior, as you are experiencing, calls for a veterinary checkup to rule out a physical cause, such as a painful ear infection or neck injury.

After that, you can move ahead with considering psychological reasons, especially overindulgence, allowing the dog to have his own way, not being consistent in rewarding good behavior and inhibiting and redirecting bad behavior. This is where the veterinarian can give you a referral to a certified animal behavior therapist or experienced dog trainer so you can enjoy your dog's company and not have to think about giving him up.

(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.)