DEAR DR. FOX: We put a new flea collar on our 13-month-old mixed-breed dog last week. This dog has never chewed anything in our house. He is crated during the day while we are at work, and at night he sleeps on his bed (not crated); he has never chewed a shoe, slipper or anything.

Two days after putting on the collar, he destroyed an overnight bag sitting on the couch; he ate the bag, my husband's sweater, his dog bed and other reachable items. When we arrived home, he was panting from aggressively tearing apart a pillow. Could the flea collar have changed his personality to make him aggressive? -- A.R., Damariscotta, Maine

DEAR A.R.: Animals sometimes have unexpected and paradoxical reactions to certain medications and other products, like the terrier who was terrified after a few drops of calming essential oil of lavender was put on a bandana around the dog's neck.

While I have written repeatedly over these many years advising cat and dog owners not to use such chemical-releasing anti-flea collars and similar spot-on products and offered safer alternatives (which you can find on my website, DrFoxVet.net), your experience is notable. It means that one should not simply leave an animal alone after applying any such product, just in case the animal has an adverse behavioral or neurological reaction. I would like to hear from other readers with similar experience.

DEAR DR. FOX: My son adopted several cats who were homeless. He and my husband are currently not busy, so they think it is good parenting to feed them four times a day! As a result, more than one of them are now fat.

They give the cats wet canned food, and they leave out dry food continually. I do not want to see one or more of them get sick. How do I get two adults to use common sense and stop overfeeding these poor cats? They are all indoor cats, have been spayed or neutered and had their shots. I want to see these sweet cats live normal, healthy lives and grow old, not die young of obesity. What recourse do I have? -- T.J., Newark, New Jersey

DEAR T.J.: There are too many fat cats in America, and other countries, for multiple reasons. The main thing is feeding them the wrong kind of high-carbohydrate diet -- about 5 percent should be the max for these carnivores. Most dry foods have far too much, and I would not let them eat dry food from a dispenser whenever they want. Some cats do self-regulate, but others become addicted and pig out constantly.

The cats you are caring for should be fed four small meals a day. Cats prefer and are probably better at digesting small meals, rather than being fed twice a day, as is often the case.

We should also consider food addiction, which can lead to overeating and metabolic syndrome. Certain flavors or additives in pet foods may trigger hunger with a sudden insulin drop and even cause proliferation of dependent and demanding gut bacteria that influence dietary choices.

It would be good to weigh the cats before you start transitioning to the new feeding regimen. Give them a tablespoon of grain- and soy-free cat food (such as Orijen) and a tablespoon of good-quality grain-free canned or raw cat food. They may enjoy my home-prepared cat food recipe on my website.

The cats may initially protest and solicit their old food, so put some time in distracting them with interactive games, grooming and places -- such as a cat condo and padded window ledges -- to look out and entertain themselves.

Let me know your progress.

(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: The American Kennel Club is not, as you stated, "simply a registry issuing pedigree papers, essentially without policing the sources the dogs come from -- notably puppy mills."

The AKC registers dogs. We do not register kennels or breeders. We are not a government organization. We can address only situations surrounding dogs that are registered with us. The AKC is dedicated to the well-being of all dogs; it in no way condones or supports substandard care or "puppy mills." If we find anyone engaging in behavior detrimental to the health of any dog, we report them to the local authorities.

AKC's compliance department conducts thousands of inspections every year of breeders who register their litters and dogs with us. We have strict policies. Breeders must adhere (to them) for proper care and conditions of the dogs.

The AKC has several options for breeder education and health testing, which include our Bred with H.E.A.R.T (health, education, accountability, responsibility and tradition) program and various breeder education courses (akc.org/dog-breeders/bred-with-heart/). These courses are free and consistently occuring to provide breeders with the most up-to-date knowledge possible. -- Brandi Hunter, vice president of public relations and communications for The American Kennel Club, New York City

DEAR B.H: Thank you for clarifying the scope of the AKC's involvement in purebred dogs. When an AKC-registered puppy develops health issues that veterinarians have confirmed and consider to be of hereditary origin, who should the dog owner contact? Are these concerns thereafter passed to the breeder? What corrective measures are initiated? Is this data stored and available to the public, including scientists, veterinarians and prospective purchasers?

DEAR DR. FOX: To answer your question, if a person purchases a puppy and the dog has health issues, there are state laws that protect the consumer. They can report an improper practice that way. The AKC is not a government agency, and we cannot shut down a breeder, nor can we take dogs off property. We do, however, in any case where a dog(s) is in any danger or being treated improperly, report the breeder to local authorities and sanction them where necessary. We do our best to inspect breeders who register with us. Ethical breeding is our ultimate goal; however, breeders and their breeding practices are the responsibility of the breeder. -- Brandi Hunter

DEAR DR. FOX: After a horrible crisis in December with my Saint Bernard, "Mary," I found myself advocating alongside 22 victim families who purchased dogs from one woman in upstate New York.

Our case has snowballed, uncovering 38 disturbing issues with a breeder who had assumed 20 business names. Seventy-six percent of our issues are genetic abnormalities traced to one specific bloodline, which registered through the AKC. The issues include renal disease, congenital kidney abnormality, ciliary dyskinesia, fibrosarcoma, urinary incontinence, chronic urinary infections, vision loss, multiple Addison disease cases, aggression and double hip, elbow and knee dysplasia diagnosed at six months.

I phoned the AKC and spoke with someone in case management. I relayed, as a genealogist, the findings. We were greatly concerned of the troubled outcome with our dogs, and we felt a pattern was emerging on the family tree, but we needed help. I offered the registry numbers for parent dogs, as many of their pups were ill or had died. I inquired if the AKC offered medical testing on behalf of the breeder. The representative said, "The AKC does not maintain health records for registered dogs."

I wanted data on litters registered to one sire in particular. He was a prime suspect carrier for renal disease and potentially had fathered 200-plus dogs. The representative could not help, but she suggested forwarding a complaint. She was very clear that the AKC investigation department could review, but at best, only be able to inspect premises and note care of current breeding stock.

She didn't offer a database for owners to check breeder ratings, nor did she share the ability to reference credentials of the breeders who participated in programs such as Bred with H.E.A.R.T. There was no way she could provide assurance for me that our breeder was "in good standing," without complaint or had been scrutinized for state licensing.

Later, we found that this breeder had been unlicensed by all authorities for 11 years. All the while, she registered many litters with the AKC.

To whose benefit are programs such as Bred with H.E.A.R.T. if members are not vetted prior to accreditation? These programs mean nothing to the families who seek guidance with a breeder prior to purchasing or thereafter if we cannot source pertinent data. After our ordeal, we set up an unethical breeder awareness website for advocacy purposes at unethicalbreederawareness.com. Our story is displayed there. -- T.V., Howell, New Jersey

DEAR T.V.: You have my sympathy and support, as do all the people with dogs who have serious and costly hereditary diseases that might have been avoided by breeders following up on the health of the puppies they produce (called progeny testing). I urge all concerned readers with any purebred dog with health issues diagnosed by a veterinarian as probably hereditary in origin to contact your newly formed group, Unethical Breeder Awareness.

(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 7-year-old Australian shepherd just had surgery to remove kidney stones, and the vet says he now has to go on a low-protein diet. Can you make some suggestions? I've been researching the special diet foods, and I'm not impressed. Sugar was the fourth ingredient in one of them. I'd be fine making his food myself. -- R.B.

DEAR R.B.: Your dog should not be on a low-protein diet for urinary calculi and bladder stones. Double-check and be sure that this is what the veterinarian actually advised. If so, I would go to another animal doctor.

There are various kinds of stones that call for different dietary preventives, and this is what the veterinarian should have focused on. In many instances, short-term antibiotic treatment for chronic bladder infection is also called for.

The most common lower urinary tract stones in dogs and cats are of a chemical composition called struvite. These begin to form when there is bladder inflammation or infection coupled with low urine acidity, caused by high cereal content kibble and by animals not drinking sufficient water.

Keep me posted as to your progress.

DEAR DR. FOX: I read with interest about a reader's 10-year-old gray tabby who was licking away its fur. We also have a cat who did the same thing and had sores on his furless tummy. After many attempts to remedy this, we eventually changed Tom Tom's food to grain-free. His fur grew back thick -- with an added bonus.

Before, his fur was a dull, coarse gray, and he had dandruff. Now it is deep gray, thick and smooth with no dandruff. If there is gluten in his food, we know shortly thereafter by the sores that reappear.

Your reader may want to go that route before contacting a vet. -- C.B., Vienna, Virginia

DEAR C.B.: Thanks for the reminder, which I so often put in my column: First, be sure to feed your pet a biologically appropriate diet. Veterinarians must ask about what the cat is fed when it is brought in with health issues.

While some cats can tolerate grains in their diet, many do not, and the problem is compounded by lack of omega-3 fatty acids, essential for a healthy coat and skin. For more details, see the book "Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Cat and Dog Food," which I co-authored with two other veterinarians.

It is a disgrace to the profession that biologically inappropriate high-cereal cat foods are still being manufactured and even sold by some veterinarians.

Canadian Pet Food Salmonella Lawsuit Settled

Costco and Diamond Pet Foods are reimbursing customers for veterinary care costs and other related expenses after feeding their pets food that was possibly contaminated with salmonella. The companies did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to settle the class-action lawsuit affecting 115,000 pet owners in Canada. Read more at FoodSafetyNews.com.

(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.)