DEAR DR. FOX: We have a 13-year-old paralyzed female cat. She has been unable to walk or use the litter box for about 10 months.

She spends all her time lying on a pad. She eats and drinks on the pad. Her appetite appears normal. She urinates and defecates lying down -- we put papers down to clean up the mess. She appears to be in pain only when she is touched or picked up to be bathed (which we do a few times per week). She is alert, and her eyes are clear. Her stool and urination appear normal.

We have taken her to two different vets; one thought she might have a tumor near her spine, and the other could not diagnose her without a CAT scan. The X-rays have not revealed anything. We give her two prednisone tablets a day for pain.

We need to make a decision about euthanizing her or waiting for her to pass from old age. Would you say that we are being kind to this poor animal, or are we torturing her? -- F.S., Newark, New Jersey

DEAR F.S.: I commend your commitment to caring for your poor cat. Partial or total paralysis can be caused by a blood clot, such as thrombosis interfering with the circulation to the hind legs, which can be diagnosed by determining if there is any pulse in the femoral arteries in each inner thigh.

I have drafted a basic Quality of Life assessment for animals under our care, which may help you make a more objective decision regarding if your cat has a life worth living and if euthanasia is preferable to keeping her alive. I hope this will help with your decision-making:

QUALITY OF LIFE: VETERINARY CRITERIA AND ASSESSMENT

In considering the quality of animals' care and welfare, be they domesticated or captive wild, healthy, ill or injured, the following criteria are critical in assessing their well-being and having a life worth living:

-- Provision of physical safety, hygiene and comfort.

-- Satisfaction of basic physical and social needs.

-- Freedom from fear.

-- Provision of emotional security.

-- Relief from pain and suffering.

-- Control over immediate environment, especially for self-care and protection.

-- Freedom to express natural behaviors.

-- Opportunity to experience various sensory stimuli, which many species seek and enjoy.

HOUSE SOILING PROBLEMS IN DECLAWED CATS

In an excellent review of the risks and benefits of declawing cats, which included the results of a telephone survey of cat owners, veterinarian Dr. Amanda F. Gerard and co-authors presented some significant findings in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Cats who had undergone this surgery and who lived in a multi-cat (three- to five-cat) household were more than three times as likely to have house soiled as were single-housed cats with intact claws. The less traumatic surgical technique of carbon dioxide laser resulted in a lower incidence of house soiling, but this was still an issue in all cats subjected to declawing, regardless of the technique employed. The authors cite references indicating a 4.4 percent increase in the number of cats being declawed since 2001 to almost 25 percent of the owned cats in the United States today.

For more details, see "Say No! To Declawing Cats" posted on my website, DrFoxVet.net.

(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: In a few months, we will be moving with our two indoor-only cats, Dudley, age 15, and Bunny, age 11.

Dudley has a heart condition, a murmur and enlarged chamber, for which he takes daily Plavix and enalapril.

Bunny was diagnosed with impaired kidney function in May 2015. We started her on subcutaneous fluids at that time, tapering off the frequency (because she hated it) until we were doing it once a week. Her results from a blood test last week show that her values have held steady over the last six months.

Because stress is bad for any cat and because these two are high-risk given their history, I have two questions for you:

1. They will be subjected to an 8-hour car ride, in separate cars, to the new house. I had planned to sedate them with a low dose of Valium. Do you have any concerns over this approach, or would you recommend an alternative?

2. What can I do to make the cats feel safe and comfortable in the new house? It is a big house, so I will keep them in one room for a while so they don't get overwhelmed. We will be bringing familiar pieces of furniture, blankets, scratching posts, toys, etc. to place around the house. Any other suggestions?

No other cats have lived in this house, although dogs visited occasionally -- it doesn't smell doggy. -- D.P., Fairfax Station, Virginia

DEAR D.P.: I am sure your cats appreciate your concerned attention with regard to moving them to a new home.

I would not give Valium or any other sedative to the cats because they can become disoriented and more fearful in response to the medication. A pinch or two of catnip just before the road trip may give them some mild relaxation if they enjoy this herb on a regular basis.

I would get the cats used to being in whatever crate or container they will be in during the car ride, and also get them used to short rides in the car. This will help them adapt to the journey and to what would otherwise be the unexpected.

In the new home, make sure all outside-leading doors and windows are secure. Let the cats out to explore the house under your watchful eye once everything is moved in and furniture is put in place, keeping them together in one quiet room with food, water and litter boxes until then. Familiar music or TV voices may help your cats feel less dissonance in the new environment, along with regular routine attention, feeding times and familiar-smelling furniture and rugs.

I hope your new home does not have new fitted carpets. I don't want to alarm you, but to alert you on this issue: The chemicals in most such carpets are toxic and good for no one, especially cats, who have constant contact and exposure. More than 90 percent of dust samples taken from homes in 14 states contained potentially toxic substances, including phenols, phthalates, flame retardants and more, according to a report by Dr. Ami Zota and associates at George Washington University, published in Environmental Science and Technology. Furthermore, synthetic petrochemical materials used in the manufacture of carpets, upholstery, clothing, plastic bags and bottles are not biodegradable, but break down into micro-plastic particles. These are a serious contaminant of waterways, rivers and oceans, absorbing toxic chemicals such as PCBs that sicken aquatic life and those who consume them.

DEAR DR. FOX: My 2-year-old goldendoodle was fine walking on a leash until about two months ago, when she started barking and lunging at dogs we pass. Usually, it is unprovoked, like the other dog walks past oblivious or sometimes briefly glances at her. She is fierce with her barking when she gets started.

She is friendly with other dogs off her leash, and she plays with all sizes and ages of dogs at the dog park just fine. We can also pass dogs she knows well, and she is comfortable, wagging her tail and play bowing. If I make her sit and I stand between her and the other dog with a treat before she starts barking, I can keep her focus on me and she might look at them but not bark. But if I don't head her off in advance, it is difficult to stop her once she starts.

If I drop the leash, she will sometimes switch into play mode and stop barking, but not always. However, dropping the leash is bad dog-owner manners where I live, so I don't do that unless I know the other owner well. My dad suggested spritzing her face with water, which I am willing to try, but would rather come up with a solution that doesn't involve me carrying extra equipment on all our walks.

Do you have some advice for stopping her barking on the leash? -- L.M., Reston, Virginia

DEAR L.M.: You have one of the more common and frustrating dog behaviors to deal with that comes with age -- some dogs become more assertive around full maturity, and being on a leash can make them feel more vulnerable or motivate them to be defensive of you, especially if you are pulling on the leash and expressing some fear, anxiety or annoyance, which your dog will sense.

Play it cool. Do not ever let go of the leash. Stop walking, and put your dog in the sit-on-command position; speak in a low, reassuring voice and reward with verbal praise and a freeze-dried treat for being still while the other dog walks by. Alternatively, put your dog into the heel position on a short leash with you between your dog and the other dog (a Gentle Leader over the muzzle may give you better control), and walk quickly past the other dog and walker saying "Hi" as you pass. Spritzing her face is not advisable, since it could make her more aggressive.

Continue to enjoy the dog park -- it's important to have a safe off-leash area where your dog can run and play with other 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: Although I love the outdoors and I am sympathetic to wildlife and the environment, I disagree with your recent statements regarding "re-wilding" public lands. The reason for my objection is not made to support trappers, hunters or mining concerns, but to maintain some of these areas so that my grandkids and I can hike or camp without fear of attack or death from one of a few deadly predators that are being reintroduced. My thoughts on a couple of the issues usually mentioned:

1. Putting things back as they were: This can be completed with or without adding deadly predators in the mix. The environment must be fixed in a variety of ways -- regardless of if the predators are there.

2. No need to worry because bears, wolves and cougars are afraid of people, and if we don't bother them, we'll be safe: blatantly false. Cougars and bears already kill a few people each year, and any fear they have will rapidly vanish, as bears in state parks prove over and over again. -- J.P., St. Charles, Missouri

DEAR J.P.: Many people share your fear and concerns over human safety in those parts of our National Park System of public lands designated as national parks and wildlife refuges. Remember that state and federal agencies have waged war on natural predators for decades, their extermination causing great harm to these ecosystems. Their natural recovery or carefully conducted reintroduction is much needed. These lands are not our lands, but theirs; they are only "ours" in sacred trust as good stewards.

Already, our national parks are suffering from the impact of too many tourists. More people are injured and killed by falling trees, snakes, lightning and climbing accidents as well as by their own dogs, cattle and horses on home-base than ever by wolves, lions and bears.

Despite the general impressions that human deaths are regular and imminent, this is not true. I recently corresponded with Will Stolzenburg, author of "Heart of a Lion." He said:

"The last person killed by a mountain lion was in 2008. And in fact, a recent study showed that people's lives are actually being saved by mountain lions, by preventing fatal vehicle collisions with deer (which now kill about 200 people each year). The study further estimates that if mountain lions were allowed to return to the eastern forests, they could save upwards of 155 people over the next 30 years.

"Another point: Many of the aggressive encounters between people and bears or lions stem from our hunting of the animals, by wounding and incapacitating otherwise healthy, well-behaved animals, and by orphaning cubs and kittens who grow desperate. Or, in the particular case of bears, our ill-advised feeding of them primes the possibility for bad encounters. Again, our fault."

So hikers and campers beware; take along a can of pepper spray, keep dogs on the leash -- children, too; and let's give equal consideration to the endangered children of other species who have no less a right to be than we, as I emphasize in my book "Animals and Nature First."

STATE OF COMPANION ANIMAL HEALTH IN THE U.S.

Two reports provide some insight into cat and dog health, and alert owners to discuss preventive measures with their veterinarians.

There were 67.6 cases of diabetes mellitus per 10,000 cats and 23.6 cases per 10,000 dogs. Dental disease continues to be the most common disorder among cats and dogs, affecting 68 percent of cats and 76 percent of dogs in 2015. For more details, see stateofpethealth.com.

In another report, 58 percent of cats and 54 percent of dogs were reported as being overweight or obese. See more at PetObesityPrevention.org.

(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.)