DEAR DR. FOX: My vet did an extensive blood test on my 13-year-old Lhasa apso mix at our annual checkup. She said his liver count was 1,500, and he needed to take the supplement SAM-e. I don’t like giving him over-the-counter supplements, as they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. What else could be done for him instead of giving him this supplement? I expressed these concerns to my vet, and she could offer no other solution. -- L.H., Richmond Heights, Missouri

DEAR L.H.: I urge you to follow your veterinarian's advice and give your dog this supplement. Do not worry about the lack of FDA regulations with this and other non-prescription supplements sold over the counter.

Indeed, there are some drugs approved for animal use and regulated by the FDA that are banned in other countries. Several approved and regulated human drugs are prescribed by veterinarians for companion animals without actual FDA approval, such use being termed "off-label." To add to this confusion, we have periodic lobbying efforts by drug companies to get all vitamins and other OTC supplements off the shelves and available only with a prescription. This is clearly not to protect consumers. Just look at the criminal price hikes for many prescribed medications today, and the reported payments to other drug companies to keep generic drugs off the market to protect branded drug sales and monopolies.

For your dog, I would also discuss two other supplements with your veterinarian, namely milk thistle and vitamin B complex; also, a low-fat diet along with digestive enzymes and probiotics would be helpful.

DEAR DR. FOX: I wish to add my experience dealing with a pet loss and a fur-buddy's loss. I worked with someone whose brother took both his dogs to the veterinarian when it was time to say goodbye to one of them. Because of his experience, I took both my cats, Max and Jackson, together when the time had come to say goodbye to Max. They had been together from 3 months old to 11 years old.

Jackson was very quiet and started to groom Max after he was brought in after getting a sedative, so he, too, was quiet. Then the final injection. Once there wasn’t a heartbeat, Jackson laid down beside Max, as they always did. After a while, I took a very quiet Jackson home. He searched the house often for about two weeks and cried quietly for Max. Jackson was never a “talker.” He settled in with less searching, but would sometimes just sit and sort of cry for four years. I think he dealt with the loss just as any of us would. Luckily, he did not slip into dementia as one cat I had after he lost his dog.

I recommend taking your remaining pet(s) when it’s time to say goodbye to a furry friend. They deserve to be able to say their goodbye, too. For 30-plus years, I have had to deal with this situation, and this was the first time having a best buddy with us, and it certainly seemed to be a little easier for the remainder. -- B.C., Jupiter, Florida

DEAR B.C.: I appreciate your detailed observations and empathy. My book "Cat Body, Cat Mind" documents how some cats will grieve -- even to the point of dementia and self-mutilation. It is disturbing that so many people do not have their eyes open (or is it their hearts?) when observing how animals behave and considering their emotions and capacity to grieve.

I would urge all who can make the appropriate arrangements with a home-visiting veterinarian to have their beloved animal companions euthanized in the home. This can be the least stressful and least disturbing method for all involved.

(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 recently became aware of a situation that bothers me quite a bit. This time of year, the Maryland Department of Agriculture starts spraying for mosquitoes -- at least around where I live. This program is a few years old. The official reason is to protect us from horrible diseases. The suburbanites around here enjoy their mosquito-free backyards, though for as long as I’ve lived here, I have never heard of a case of malaria or Zika or whatever. Applying some DEET before spending the day in the backyard would probably inconvenience them.

The state uses a poison gas that is supposed to be safe, whatever that means; however, it tells people to lock their windows and keep their pets inside on the nights it gets sprayed. This raises the question of what this stuff does to the wildlife that lives, or used to live, around here? There are, or used to be, foxes, deer, turtles, snakes, birds (although diminished in numbers in recent years) and insects of all sorts.

The state allows homeowners to apply an exemption for their property so that it is not sprayed, but the lots are not that big, and I’m sure that the gas drifts. I sent in an exemption with a required copy to my homeowner's association. I’d suggest that if you have not before brought up the subject of mosquito spraying and wildlife in your column, you might consider doing so. -- G.F., Annapolis, Maryland

DEAR G.F.: As a frequently irrational species, we do many stupid things out of fear, compounded by our collective ignorance and adversarial attitude toward all that is natural and beyond our immediate control. Sound ecological management is part of preventive medicine. But preventive medicine has been corrupted by the overuse of pesticides, antibiotics, vaccines and other profit-driven interventions to control diseases. In the process, we have reduced health-promoting natural biodiversity and made the planet less habitable for healthy species and communities now under constant threat of human encroachment and annihilation.

Sound ecological management in the specific instance of controlling mosquitoes and other insects that might harbor and transmit diseases to humans (zoonoses) and domestic animals does not rely simply on insecticides. These will also kill the other beneficial creatures -- from bats to various fish, frogs, reptiles and birds that rely on insects as their only source of food and help prevent zoonoses by consuming mosquitoes. So the animals either starve to death or are poisoned by the insecticides while the targeted insects quickly evolve insecticide resistance and come back with a vengeance after their natural controls have been exterminated by public health authorities.

As for use around the home, pyrethroids are notably toxic for cats. In many areas, preventive medicine against heartworm disease is advisable for cats as well as dogs. A variety of insect-repellant sprays, candles, secure window and door screens, fans and netting can also protect us quite effectively, along with appropriate clothing and staying indoors when mosquitoes are most active. Essential oils such as vanilla, peppermint, lemon and eucalyptus are my first choice to keep the pesky bugs at bay.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 21-month-old female golden retriever. She is very thin, despite being fed twice a day -- same as my 11-year-old. She does not seem to be maturing internally, and she refuses to be housetrained. She defecates in quantity and still urinates indoors too often. She has been cleared of parasites. She has lots of energy, and is wired tighter than my previous goldens. I can’t afford more testing. What can we do? -- J.M., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR J.M.: What kind of dog food are you feeding your young pup? Since no internal parasites have been detected and she passes large amounts of fecal material, you may be feeding a poor-quality, high-grain, soy and fiber dog food that does not give her sufficient nourishment. So get a high-protein, high-fat dog food -- dry, canned, frozen and/or freeze-dried -- and give your dog three meals a day, weighing her every two weeks to make sure she is gaining weight.

Your dog may also have a digestive issue that can be helped with a couple teaspoons of chopped canned unsweetened pineapple in each meal as a source of digestive enzymes. Don't hesitate to add a tablespoon of cottage cheese or plain yogurt to her regular food as an occasional treat, along with meaty table scraps.

Once you get her food issue corrected, you can address her incontinence, which may be due to her being indoors too long and not being taken out on a set routine -- especially first thing in the morning, last thing at night and after she awakens from a nap during the day and for some quality time outdoors before meals.

(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 am an animal lover. I have two old dogs and I am, or was, a devout Christian. But my faith is being tested by all the cruelty toward animals and our own kind I hear about on a daily basis. The world is in chaos, and religious wars between fundamentalists of various faiths are escalating while the environment and wildlife are going to hell. I am depressed and in despair; perhaps you can help me find some hope and restore my faith. -- E.L., Silver Spring, Maryland

DEAR E.L.: You have my sympathy. Many feeling and thinking people like you are indeed experiencing hopelessness and despair.

As more than one philosopher and humanitarian has opined, the only true religion is in the spirituality of compassion-in-action and reverential respect for all living beings and the natural environment, which need no god but only our unconditional embrace and protection from inhumanity. This is ultimately enlightened self-interest.

The Buddha advised that the only true religion is in "maitri," loving kindness or compassionate friendship toward all beings, and in embracing that principle, I have my faith and hope that my species may yet evolve! I am heartened that several Christian denominations and other world religions are addressing environmental and animal welfare issues. For more details, see my book "The Boundless Circle: Caring for Creatures and Creation." For a lighter touch, enjoy the new book by Lutheran theology professor Andrew Root, Ph.D, "The Grace of Dogs: A Boy, a Black Lab, and a Father’s Search for the Canine Soul."

DEAR DR. FOX: I am viewing the video “Cat Behavior and Psychology” posted on your website from September 2015, and I just had to write to you regarding your comment about cats being sensitive to red and green; I was extremely glad to hear you say it, but it makes me wonder, why do animal experts say cats do not see or recognize the color red?

I can’t tell you how many articles I have read by animal "experts" who all say this, but I questioned it when I observed my cat playing with a toy that holds two plastic balls, one yellow, one red. I noticed that she paid no mind to the yellow one going round and round, but concentrated on the red one. The plastic balls are exact duplicates in size and consistency; the only difference is in their color. I wrote to these animal experts regarding this, but I never received responses. Surely they should know what they are talking about. But the behavior I see in my cat says otherwise. You are the only one who says that a cat recognizes red. -- C.H., Alexandria, Virginia

DEAR C.H.: All “experts” in virtually every discipline and specialty need to have some resources on hand for continued professional development -- and they must engage in routine fact-checking. According to the entry on this issue on that excellent resource Wikipedia, “Cats can see some colors, and can tell the difference between red, blue and yellow lights, as well as between red and green lights. Cats are able to distinguish between blues and violets better than between colors near the red end of the spectrum. A 2014 study found that, along with several other mammals, cats' lenses transmit significant amounts of ultraviolet light, which suggests that they possess sensitivity to this part of the spectrum.” (Sources include the Journal of Neuroscience; see Wikipedia entry "Cat Senses" for details.)

(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.)