DEAR DR. FOX: We have a cocker spaniel who is quite active. When he was 3 years old, he tore the ACL in his right leg. We opted for surgery, although I was a pastor and money was tight.

We paid on the installment plan, and, yes, it was about $3,500 total. He wasn't overweight, but our surgeon insisted he still lose weight and take a short course of meds. Of course, he tore the ACL in his other leg a year later. Same price. We followed the surgeon's orders regarding running and jumping, and he wore an Elizabethan collar to keep him from going after the sutures.

He is now 9 years old. The only medication he takes is Dasuquin, which we get by mail order. He's kept the weight off and has had no further problems, happily.

I love to watch him run. He is walked daily, except when it's icy. He is pain free. He can jump up without any problems.

Many people felt we should have had him put down. I'm so happy we didn't. When I lived in Washington, D.C., we went to a great clinic that was willing to accept payments on the installment plan. It was worth every penny. -- S.M., Crownsville, Maryland

DEAR S.M.: Thanks for confirming the benefits of corrective surgery for this common canine problem, along with documentation of the expense and the accommodating payment plan your veterinarian set up with you.

Your dog was young and not a heavy-bodied breed; older dogs are poor candidates for this kind of surgery. Still, losing some weight was important. This is one factor that makes dogs prone to tearing their cruciate ligaments, as is lack of regular exercise and sudden activity after a long winter indoors. I advise people to keep their dogs from being too active when they get outdoors and are still in poor physical condition.

DEAR DR. FOX: My elderly father lives in a two-story house. He has recently become disabled, and he may have to live in the downstairs area only. There is one small bathroom on that floor.

The problem is that we currently use that bathroom as the location for his cat's litter box. Further, this 14-year-old cat uses the entire bathroom to eliminate, frequently going on the floor and foregoing the litter box, even when it's clean. The cat has been doing this for years, and we cannot seem to break him of his most undesirable toilet habits.

Since this is the only bathroom that my father will have access to, we have to find a new location for the cat's litter box. My father and his nursing aides will not possibly be able to share this bathroom with a cat who makes a daily disaster out of it. What's the best way to acclimate a cat to a new litter box location, and how do we get him to use it 100 percent of the time? Otherwise, we're going to have to find a new home for this cat; I am unable to take him. -- R.A., Newark, New Jersey

DEAR R.A.: This is a challenge for an older cat! Your best hope is to buy a large wire dog crate, 4-by-5-feet or larger, and put the cat inside in the new "room," along with a bed, food, water and litter box. Clean up the bathroom with Nature's Miracle enzyme cleaner. Let the cat out, supervised, as often as possible for play and grooming, but never allow him back into the bathroom. The cat should adapt quickly to using the litter box in the confines of the cage, which can eventually be left open so the cat can come and go freely or be kept most of the time in the closed room with as much human company as possible, and being let out and closely monitored at other times.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 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 believe that most neutered cats belong in pairs. I have had nine Siamese cats, mostly in pairs. The surviving member of my penultimate pair grieved deeply and hid from me for about five months. When she came out, she was a changed kitty. When she passed, I acquired a pair of littermates who never spent a night apart and were my best friends for 20 years. I did not want the surviving partner to go through what the last one had and spent many hours thinking about their eventual demise.

At 19 years, I knew statistically it would be soon. One evening we returned home from dinner to find our beloved male, Oedipus, could not move his back legs. He had jumped from a chair excited to eat three hours prior. I knew time was short, so I made an appointment for euthanasia the next day. I took both cats to the vet.

In the vet’s office, I placed Oedipus on the table and let his sister, Phaedra, out of the cage to join him. She jumped up with him and inspected him thoroughly. When she lost interest, I placed her back in her cage.

After the vet euthanized Oedipus and we were sure he was gone, I let Phaedra out of the cage to be with him again. She checked him out thoroughly and eventually lost interest again; I put her back in her cage, and we departed.

Her grieving process was very short. She looked everywhere in the house, then adopted his position as primary lap cat. The difference in the grieving process with Phaedra seeing that Oedipus was gone was remarkable. I know in my heart that her being able to know he was dead and not suddenly just gone helped her.

I recommend allowing surviving pets to see the deceased, acknowledge the change in being and grieve gently, instead of fretting about the disappearance and fearing the same unknown will happen to them.

I hope this information helps some people with the future loss of their pets. -- A.A.R., Naples, Florida

DEAR A.A.R.: Your observations and suggestions are important for all cat owners to consider, beginning with adding another cat to the home if you have only one! The essential steps to take to introduce a new cat are posted on my website, DrFoxVet.net.

I have also posted a long review on how animals grieve the loss of a loved one, human or non-human. As you note, some show little grief but may well benefit from having the opportunity to examine the deceased. Some cats will yowl loudly day and night after experiencing such loss, but others, like many people, seem to take it in stride. In my experience, cats will search the house more frequently when the companion animal is missing (for instance, at the vet's office or escaped outdoors for a while) than after they have been able to see the body of the deceased before removal from the home.

DEAR DR. FOX: It became apparent that it was time to put my 17-year-old cat down on New Year’s Eve. Not able to stand “Kitten’s” pain, I called around and found a vet who was willing to come to my home on New Year’s Day. He claimed a shot right into Kitten’s stomach was the best thing to do, and after the injection my family and I petted him for several minutes as he died. During this time, Kitten opened his eyes fearfully and gasped for air -- then was gone. It didn’t seem like a particularly painless way to go.

I would like your opinion on the least painful method of putting a cat or dog to sleep, as I have several other animals who will one day need to be put down. -- S.S., Herndon, Virginia

DEAR S.S.: I regret that you and your cat went through this experience, because this is not the best or usual way to euthanize a cat or dog.

Injecting the euthanasia solution into the abdominal cavity should be done only when a vein cannot be successfully injected, which usually ensures a smooth and quick unconsciousness and death from cardiac arrest. The abdominal injection process is slower, and the animal may struggle and gasp for air repeatedly.

In such instances where a limb or neck vein cannot be successfully injected, the best euthanasia protocol is to give an injection first into the thigh muscle of a strong sedative. This two-step procedure is the best way to help ensure a humane death. The next time around, request that the veterinarian who comes to your home follows this protocol.

CORRECTION

In an earlier column concerning a dog’s fear of being in a car, I suggested a veterinary prescription of Xanax (alprazolam). However, I included an incorrect dosage: Rather than giving the dog 0.5 grams, I recommend giving 0.5 milligrams. In addition, I want to add that you should never treat a companion animal with any of your own medications.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 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: Last month, I adopted a 7-year-old beagle mix. He gets along with the other two beagle mixes I have, but while he's asleep at night, he occasionally starts a fight with the other male dog.

Can this be a night tremor? Or some repeated dream stemming from, perhaps, previous abuse? -- L.H., Cleveland

DEAR L.H.: I commend you for adopting an older dog. When I had three dogs, I had a pack, and that was both entertaining and excellent social stimulation for them.

Our recently adopted 3-year-old dog who came up to the shelter here in Minnesota from an overcrowded shelter in Alabama showed clear signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. These included sleeping most of the time for the first three to four weeks we had her, and awakening with a startle and seeming disoriented. She made running movements and whined or growled in her sleep, and on three occasions, she gave the most heart-wrenching long, deep howl that I have ever heard -- all during her dream-state. On many occasions we would gently awaken her and give her reassurance.

In my opinion, your dog most probably suffers from PTSD, and his behavior and emotional state while in a semi-awakened state could upset one or both of the other two dogs and trigger aggressive interaction.

I would give him 3 to 6 milligrams of melatonin before the long night sleep, this being effective for many older, anxious dogs in helping them get a more restful sleep. If that does not prove effective, discuss with your veterinarian a prescription of trazodone (not tramadol) for a few days, which can help dogs with separation anxiety and acts as a mild sedative.

FDA INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS RELATED TO THYROID HORMONE LEVELS IN DOG FOOD

The Food and Drug Administration has investigated four cases of canine illness that were found to be related to ingesting high levels of beef thyroid hormone, which can cause increased thirst and urination, weight loss and elevated heart rate, among other issues. Three cases occurred after the dogs ate a canned variety of food made by Wellness, and one case involved a canned food manufactured by Blue Buffalo; certain lots under both brands have been recalled. Subsequently the FDA issued a warning/alert to consumers, vets and the pet food industry regarding the risk to pets of food and treats made with “livestock gullets,” which can contain thyroid gland tissue.

This is one of the continuing hazards of recycling animal parts that are considered unfit for human consumption into pet food, as well as slaughter processing plants that supply pet food being lax in exercising due vigilance.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 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.)