DEAR DR. FOX: We rescued our Labrador-mix, Mandy, about a year ago when she was about 5 years old. She was obviously beaten and abused for most of her life, and after a year, we are still unable to loosen her up.

We have never heard her bark, nor will she come or play ball -- ever. She doesn't hear well because she apparently had ear problems that went untreated for years. She will not drink water out of a bowl, but only out of large plastic cups. She stays in our bedroom all day and will come out for a walk only with a treat.

We would never return her and would welcome any thoughts on what we can do to bring her around. She is extremely sweet but backs away from any people and all dogs, no matter how friendly or nice they can be. She will not look anyone in the eye, either, and always looks away and backs off. -- R.K. and B.K., Wellington, Florida

DEAR R.K AND B.K.: Poor Mandy does seem to be a victim of post-traumatic stress disorder, and I applaud your devotion and patience with her. Professional help from a veterinarian specializing in behavioral problems or a referral to a certified animal behavior therapist would probably be your best option to help improve her quality of life.

If there is a safe place, such as a quiet backyard or enclosed area where she can be off-leash and not run away if frightened, I would start from there. Lie on the ground and have her come over to you for a treat with your partner releasing her off the leash some distance away. Repeat and repeat so she gains self-confidence being out in the open and has two people close by whom she trusts.

If possible, find another dog owner with a friendly, easygoing dog with whom Mandy can meet when out walking on the leash. Let them get to know each other and eventually have the "therapy" dog brought in to the enclosed area to meet and hopefully begin to play with Mandy.

Try an elevated water bowl on a stand, which many dogs prefer.

Essential oil of lavender can have a calming effect, so try 2 to 3 drops on a bandanna around her neck two to three times a day. Give her 3 mg of melatonin in the evening. Visit petzlife.com and learn about another supplement, @Eaze, which has natural ingredients that can increase brain serotonin and have a calming effect.

A short treatment trial with medication such as alprazolam prescribed by a veterinarian would be the next step to take if these treatments do not help.

Good luck and keep me posted.

DEAR DR. FOX: I will be on vacation for 18 days, and I want to know how I can make my cat most comfortable during my absence.

I have someone to care for him at least twice a day while I'm away. I worry that he will be lonely as there are no longer any other cats in the house. His littermate passed in June.

I did vacation for a week in February, and all went well. He has plenty of toys. He snuggles with me on the sofa and lies next to me in bed. What more can I do for him while I'm away? Should I worry? -- L.N., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR L.N.: Be sure the person coming in to care for your cat has your vacation contact information and will stay as long as possible to play, pet and groom your cat. Have the sitter make sure your cat is eating and drinking well and that the litter box is kept clean.

If there is a time in the evening when you normally have the TV or radio on, set up a timer so it goes off at your normal bedtime. Maintaining familiar sounds can help animals feel secure. If you pull the drapes in the evening -- or any other such routines -- be sure they are continued in your absence. Leave two or three T-shirts or other items of clothing that you have been wearing where your cat likes to nap so your scent will be there when you are away.

Have a good vacation!

(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 have a young dog with diagnosed gastritis. He is currently taking the following medications: Medrol, Spasmex, Efloran, Acipan, Ranital and omega-3 acid pill supplements. I feed him wet Hill's Prescription Diet i/D, but he rejects it; instead of the prescribed 2 1/2 cans per day, he eats only one can per day. No nematodes were found in his body.

At the moment, he has no diarrhea, but his stomach is still upset, and he munches a lot, especially during the nights. He also has swollen tonsils from the stomach acid.

His status is not improving. He's losing weight by the day, and I am wondering if you have any suggestions. -- M.S., Slovenia, Europe

DEAR M.S.: Many special prescription diets are unpalatable, may actually bring on other health problems and are often a profit-making scam, as documented by Meg Smart in her contribution to my book "Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Cat and Dog Foods."

First, your dog may have acid reflux aggravated by a high-cereal-content diet. Some dogs improve when given a human antacid tablet like Tums before each meal. Others do better when their food bowl is elevated so they do not have to reach down low to eat and swallow.

While there may be other health issues with your dog that have not yet been diagnosed, I would wean him off the prescription diet and all the various medications (other than giving an antacid for a few days) and feed him my home-prepared diet, as posted on my website (DrFoxVet.net). Give him no treats or snacks other than a tablespoon of live plain organic yogurt or kefir, half a canned-in-water sardine with a half-teaspoon of chia seeds and a half-teaspoon of unsweetened canned pineapple. Also try Dr. Fox's Good Dog Cookie Recipe, posted on my website.

DEAR DR. FOX: We have a 13-year-old male Maine coon cat, who is, of course, quite special.

Last week, he apparently had a blood clot. After some delay and an adamantly pessimistic ER vet, he finally got some heparin, fluids, etc. He is now home and much improved, though he has some significant compromised function in his back legs, one worse than the other.

I was wondering if there is some therapy that might help, or if time is our only option. -- J.B., Springfield, Missouri

DEAR J.B.: The pessimism of the emergency veterinarian is well founded. This is a common malady in cats, and the blood clots can result in a fatal stroke or partial paralysis wherever the clot or clots are blocking major blood vessels.

One reason why this condition may be so prevalent may well be diet-related -- blood cells are more likely to clot when there is a deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids, as in fish oil and vitamin E. Many of these essential nutrients are destroyed by the heat processing of manufactured cat foods. Before surgery, people are advised not to take such supplements because they may bleed more, since they are natural anti-coagulants, as is aspirin.

For your cat, I would advise a few drops of fish oil in his food daily and giving him half a sardine (canned, in water). As I say for cats, a sardine a day keeps the vet away -- though some cats are allergic to fish, so try a quarter teaspoon of spirulina as an alternative.

A daily full-body massage, as per my book "The Healing Touch for Cats," will also help the impaired circulation.

MORE REVELATIONS ABOUT PENTOBARBITOL-CONTAMINATED MEAT

Pet food watchdog group the Truth About Pet Food has posted: “Evanger's Pet Food Company files a $20 million lawsuit against its meat supplier that had supplied them with meat contaminated with pentobarbitol, but in the court documents, the pet food company discloses they directly lied to consumers. The meat used by Evanger’s was labeled 'inedible'; it was not ‘human grade’ as the company told consumers and retailers.”

See more at truthaboutpetfood.com/evangers-sues-meat-supplier-but-makes-a-big-disclosure/.

(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: 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.)