DEAR DR. FOX: Why would my cat eat dirt from a potted plant? I moved the plant, put rocks in it, and the cat still goes to where the plant was (in front of fireplace) and licks the bricks. -- J.K., Virginia Beach, Virginia

DEAR J.K.: Your cat’s behavior -- called "pica" -- is not necessarily abnormal; cats, dogs and other animals (including humans) often crave dirt. This geophagia (eating of earthy matter), which can include licking rocks and bricks, may be an instinctual desire to compensate for a dietary deficiency. Pets suffering from anemia, for example, often eat dirt; they may do the same when they have an internal aliment or other discomfort that could mean lymphatic cancer. A full veterinary checkup is advisable, since cats with certain chronic diseases and inflammatory conditions will engage in this kind of behavior.

If your cat is otherwise healthy, I would give him one-quarter of a daily dose of a human multivitamin or multimineral capsule or tablet crushed in his food every other day. For good measure, supplement his diet to include one probiotic tablet or capsule and some chopped wheat grass and parsley (totaling 1 teaspoon), plus gradually working up to 1/2 teaspoon daily of brewer’s yeast and fish oil in his food.

DEAR DR. FOX: I just read your column in The Washington Post, and I went to your website to read the review on animal grieving you mentioned, but can't find it. Can you refer me to it? -- D.Z.R., Falls Church, Virginia

DEAR D.Z.R.: Please accept my apologies to you and other readers who went to my website to read my article on how animals grieve and how to help them through the mourning process after I mentioned it in my column. I had forgotten that article was removed from my old website and incorporated into two of my books, "Cat Body, Cat Mind" and "Dog Body, Dog Mind." You will find some reference to how animals grieve, elephants in particular, on my new website, DrFoxVet.net in two articles, "Animal Altruism and Ability to Empathize" and "The Empathosphere: Animal Prescience, Remote Sensing & Life After Life."

There are two books addressing this issue that are worth reading for the perspectives they offer from scientific objectification to empathic subjective impression: "How Animals Grieve" by anthropology professor Barbara J. King (The University of Chicago Press, 2013), and less academic and visually graphic "Animal Grief: How Animals Mourn" by David Alderton (Hubble & Hattie, 2009).

PRE- AND POSTNATAL PET EXPOSURE MIGHT BOOST BABIES' GUT FLORA

Babies exposed to furry pets prenatally and up to three months after birth had twice the levels of ruminococcus and oscillospira gut bacteria as babies not exposed to pets, according to a study published in the journal Microbiome. The bacteria are associated with reduced risks of allergies and obesity.

AMERICA AND ENGLAND’S MOST POPULAR DOG BREEDS

The American Kennel Club's most popular dog breed rankings have been released, and Labradors snagged the top spot again, thanks to their friendly nature and trainability. After Labs, the rankings include: German shepherds, golden retrievers, bulldogs, beagles, French bulldogs, poodles, Rottweilers, Yorkshire terriers and boxers.

The British Kennel Club reports that the French bulldog is set to overtake the Labrador, still the most popular of registered breeds, with the cocker spaniel in second place and French bulldog in third.

There may be many more French bulldogs that are owned but not registered. Both the British Veterinary Association and one U.K. Kennel Club spokesperson have expressed concerns that such rising popularity of this breed could create a welfare crisis already afflicting other breeds such as pugs and bulldogs, who can suffer from extreme facial compression (brachycephaly), which will mean a reduced quality of life from being barely able to breathe when physically active and result in other related health problems.

Labradors, whom I call "Labradorables," are energetic dogs for active people and young families, who should get the all-clear on the hip dysplasia problem common in this breed, and monitor diet with the veterinarian because they are prone to obesity. Some poor German shepherds have been bred to have such sloping hindquarters that they can hardly walk.

All breeds can now be DNA tested for potential inherited diseases, and I would never buy a pure breed from untested, unhealthy parent stock.

(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: Our 8-month-old, 50-pound springer spaniel pup had severe reactions to both Frontline Plus and Frontline Gold (for puppies). He got diarrhea and looked like he was nearing a seizure, with a quivering jaw, all within 24 hours of application. I even gave him a low dose -- one for dogs weighing 25 to 44 pounds.

What do you recommend? Ticks are fierce here, and we walk every day. I have Cedar Spray from Dogs Natually, but I think I will need a variety of products for full coverage.

Our older springer rescue doesn't seem to suffer adverse effects from Fipronil. -- S.B., Branson, Missouri

DEAR S.B.: I am so sorry to hear about the adverse reaction of your young dog to the Frontline products. These, along with other similar products, are widely advertised this time of year, and I receive many reports of dogs becoming suddenly ill -- and in some instances dying -- after application. Year after year I advise against the use of most of these products except as a last resort.

But that is how the manufacturers and suppliers make their money; they essentially either deny receiving adverse reaction reports, or claim they are rare and that the benefits outweigh the risks of an occasional dog or cat getting ill and possibly being killed. Your veterinarian should report this adverse reaction to the manufacturers and to the government regulators.

Visit my website, DrFoxVet.net, for my flea and tick prevention and treatment advice, under the title "Preventing Fleas." Also visit petzlife.com to learn about herbal products that have proven safe and effective in dealing with these noxious ectoparasites.

But as I emphasize in my review article, no single product can give 100 percent protection without the animal also having good nutrition and daily monitoring of body surfaces to check for fleas and ticks -- especially after a run with the dog in the woods. And of course all cats should be indoor cats, otherwise they could infest the home with fleas and ticks and even infect family members with the plague and other flea- and tick-borne diseases if they are allowed to come and go as they please.

DEAR DR. FOX: After having my old dog Sam euthanized in our home, I wonder why authorities are using some weird drug combinations to kill death-row convicts instead of what my vet used: Acepromazine sedative and then pentobarbital into a vein.

Sam passed away in my arms with no fear -- his eyes told me. He gave a big sigh, and he was gone. It was so humane; death with dignity. -- M.S., Washington, D.C.

DEAR M.S.: Our justice system has yet to learn and practice compassion and mercy, and the legal system and government to embrace science-based reason and bioethics. The recovery of our humanity from the insanity of our inhumanity is a societal and evolutionary challenge. Veterinarians are at the forefront of this evolution; our relationships with and treatment of animals telling us much about our states of mind and the realities we create therewith.

EUTHANASIA DRUG IN DOG FOOD: ANOTHER PET FOOD RECALL

Party Animal, Inc. of West Hollywood, California, has announced that it is voluntarily recalling specific lots of its canned dog foods because they tested positive for the euthanasia drug pentobarbital. To learn which products are affected, visit dogfoodadvisor.com.

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating this issue, and in my opinion it may be because the meat processors and suppliers have been lax in insuring that euthanized cats and dogs, as well as horses, ponies, pot-bellied pigs and other companion animals who have been humanely euthanized with pentobarbital, are separated from processing into meat meal and other ingredients that end up in pet food.

Concentrations of this euthanasia drug have been so high in some dog foods that dogs have developed acute neurological problems, including seizures and death.

(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: My vet, who I like overall, has my 13-year-old cat, Pixel, on two prescription diets: one with lots of fiber and the other because it is easily digestible (my kitty has had hairball, constipation and vomiting issues). The hairballs and vomiting have disappeared thanks to natural hairball paste.

Pixel, who weighs 9 pounds, lost a couple of pounds in the last year, but she has gained 1/2 pound back in the last month because I added more of the digestible food to the fiber food.

Pixel had a serious bout of constipation more than year ago. We had to take her to the vet, where she received multiple enemas. There were no obstructions, and the vet put her on lactulose for a couple of months. It resolved the issue, and she started eating the fibrous food. After a year on the food, she has lost too much weight. She poops a lot, but she seems malnourished.

My vet has recommended Cisapride because she says Pixel has irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease. Kidney disease, pancreatic issues, diabetes and thyroid disease have all been ruled out. I would rather add some nutritious food that won’t constipate her. -- P.W., Ashburn, Virginia

DEAR P.W.: Your cat is getting on in years and has been through the mill diet- and health-wise.

Crohn's disease or inflammatory bowel conditions are all too common; in some instances, there is an underlying gut cancer (lymphoma) issue. High-fiber prescription diets can interfere with food digestion and absorption, so the animal loses weight and overall health.

Chronic constipation and fur balls are also common feline maladies. Both conditions are helped with regular grooming and deep abdominal massage, as per my book "The Healing Touch for Cats." Add a few drops of fish oil and a teaspoon of light olive or coconut oil to the cat's regular diet, then transition to a grain-free, raw, frozen or good-quality canned cat food -- or try my recipe, posted on my website (DrFoxVet.net).

Chronic constipation and so-called megacolon can often be alleviated by giving a daily teaspoon of a mixture of canned sardines and psyllium husks (not seeds) or chia seeds. Allow soaking well before serving. My old cats love this and have no bowel issues.

DEAR DR. FOX: Can you recommend a sonic collar to use at night only? Our 8-pound cavapom likes to bark during the night while in her sleep room, which makes it difficult for us to sleep in our room.

She does not bark during the day except when she sees a cat nearby. -- K.W., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR K.W.: You might try what one reader found works to stop neighbors' dogs from barking:

P.W.F. from Fredericksburg, Virginia, just wrote to me: "For five or more years, I have used Bark Stopper to combat neighbors' barking dogs. It uses batteries.

"Once dogs become accustomed to it, they stop barking within 20 seconds. The first few uses may take longer, until they learn that barking triggers an uncomfortable high-pitched sound. I use it only when I am on the porch and the dogs become a real nuisance.

"Bark Stopper can be found most easily in catalogs and I assume through Internet, though that's not my preferred way of shopping."

There are also anti-bark collars that make a buzzing sound or other stimulus when the dog barks to startle and condition the dog not to bark. Not one brand fits all. I advise against purchasing electronic remote shock collars, which should be used only by sensitive and qualified canine behavior therapists and dog trainers.

STUDY: HOW CATS HARBOR FLAME RETARDANTS IN BLOODSTREAM

Swedish researcher Jana Weiss published data in the journal Environmental Science and Technology documenting high-brominated flame retardant levels in feline blood samples. BFRs, used in clothing, electronics and furniture, have been linked to endocrine disruptions and are implicated as a significant contributing factor in the widespread incidence of hyperthyroidism in cats. Weiss found cats are exposed to BFRs in dust, something that could also be happening to small children.

(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.)