DEAR DR. FOX: I am writing in regards to the article about the owner who doesn't regret his dog's surgeries.

I have three cats. Bosoco is 16 years old. When I adopted him, he had a broken jaw and some broken teeth. He also had a problem with his eyelids that was "taken care of" by the shelter, but we never knew what happened. The injury to his jaw was too old to fix, but you would never know anything was wrong. He also has high blood pressure and a thyroid issue, which he is on medication for.

Last year, Bosoco came down with a very bad upper respiratory infection that landed him at the vet for a week. He came home with a feeding tube. It took him a while, but he got better and has done very well. The cost was $2,000.

My other cat, Gabby, was adopted from a local veterinary hospital. Her owner was moving and wanted to put the cat down, but the doctor refused, so I took her and gave her a home. She had many health problems, including cat-scratch fever and gingivitis. The hospital cleaned her teeth, pulled some and treated her with antibiotics at no cost. When she came home, I noticed that when she ate, she would run off and cry in pain. She was diagnosed with stomatitis. She was given steroids for quite a while until I read about the disease and found out by pulling molars and pre-molars, cats do well. In November, the vet pulled her teeth, and today Gabby is free from cat-scratch fever and stomatitis and is thriving. The shots and surgery cost around $2,000, which I am paying off each month.

I have no regrets; it was worth every penny, and I would do it again. The cats are our family. I've had five cats and was down to two when I took in Gabby. We've had people tell us we are crazy, spending that kind of money on animals; but again, it was worth it. -- L.Z., Washington, D.C.

DEAR L.Z.: Thank you for sharing your experiences and costs for providing quality of life for two of your rescued cats.

I know that you know that their lives are worth every penny you spent, and I wish that more people understood that responsible care could be costly for a dog or cat -- regardless of age and source -- so be prepared! You, and others like you, may be ridiculed for such extravagant indulgence. Most such critics put people first and look down on other species, an attitude that is laying waste to the natural world and harming us all in the process.

I appreciate that you are paying off your veterinary bill in installments, and I wish that more veterinarians would be so accommodating, rather than demanding full payment before an animal is released from their care.

FEDERAL PROTECTION FOR GREAT LAKES GRAY WOLVES

On Aug. 1, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia decided the gray wolf in the Great Lakes should remain on the federal endangered species list. This means protection from hunters and trappers for the wolves of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

This is a ruling against the Interior Department’s 2011 decision to delist the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act. The court said, “Because the government failed to reasonably analyze or consider two significant aspects of the rule -- the impacts of partial delisting and of historical range loss on the already-listed species -- we affirm the judgment of the district court vacating the 2011 Rule.”

This decision re-affirms what we already know: Wolves need protection and respect as essential wildlife managers of healthy ecosystems for us to work with and not exterminate. Ranchers must use non-lethal deterrents and adopt protective animal husbandry practices to prevent wolves from utilizing their livestock as a food source. Such predation by wolves is understandable when there is human encroachment into the wolf’s habitat, which becomes degraded by the livestock that supplant the wolf’s natural prey. Deer are their primary food, but in these and other states, they must compete with millions of “recreational” deer hunters.

(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 READERS: In a recent article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune about Somali-Americans establishing a community in Shakopee, Minnesota, reporter Liz Sawyer notes the need for “halal meats such as chicken legs, diced beef, goat and camel -- a Middle Eastern delicacy.”

Now progressive Muslim communities, with the help of some imams, animal protection organizations and veterinary experts, are seeking to ensure that the slaughtering of animals for consumption is in accord with Muslim beliefs. This movement, begun by my late friend, the internationally renowned Imam Al-Hafiz B.A. Masri, promotes the adoption of pre-slaughter stunning to render the animals totally unconscious before the blood vessels in their throats are severed with just one stroke. This is because of the relatively recent scientific discovery of other blood vessels -- especially in young kids and lambs -- that are not severed because they course through the neck vertebrae and are protected by the bone. This means that unconsciousness and death are protracted because there is still some circulation to the brain. Total decapitation, as I have witnessed with goats being ritually slaughtered by Sikhs, is more humane than traditional halal (dhabihah) and kosher (shechita) slaughter. But decapitating larger animals such as cattle and camels is more problematic.

According to Gail Eisnitz with the Humane Farming Association, "Rendering farm animals unconscious prior to bleeding and butchering them is far less inhumane than allowing them to slowly and consciously bleed to death. Stunning also reduces the possibility that the animals have sensibility during the butchering process. We encourage the Muslim community to institute stunning as a routine practice if slaughter is being conducted."

Slaughtering without stunning first is no longer done in many countries, such as Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

DEAR DR. FOX: We have been told here in Florida that canine flu is a danger to our dogs, and we should get our pups vaccinated.

My girl, a 7-year-old cairn terrier mix, does not go to dog parks and just takes walks in the neighborhood. However, we do travel occasionally, usually once every month or so, and board her. Having someone watch her in our home is not an option.

What is your advice on getting the vaccine? -- P.R., Wellington, Florida

DEAR P.R.: In principle, I am not opposed to the appropriate and judicious use of vaccinations in disease prevention in humans and other animals. But as I document in my article on vaccination risks and benefits on my website, DrFoxVet.net, the precautionary principle should be applied to minimize potential adverse reactions and diseases in the category of vaccinosis.

The dog boarding facility may insist on certain vaccines being up to date, but it should accept blood titers showing good levels of protection even if some duration of vaccination dates have expired.

Very often, these are not needed, but some vaccines are short-lived, and taking blood titers for them is a waste of money. Kennel cough is one, and canine influenza vaccine may also only give short-term protection -- in part because new strains tend to evolve. I would give your dog the flu vaccine only if your veterinarian says that this is a problem in your community at this time. If the boarding facility insists regardless, you may want to find a kennel for your dog that is more reasonable and informed about vaccinations. If one or more vaccines are called for, always separate the mandatory rabies vaccination from other vaccinations by two to three weeks, never vaccinate a sick animal and, because of the added stress of boarding, get all shots done two to three weeks before the drop-off date.

There are currently two canine influenza strains -- neither of which, to date, can infect humans. The signs of this illness in dogs are cough, runny nose, fever, lethargy, eye discharge and reduced appetite. The severity of illness associated with canine flu in dogs can range from no signs to severe illness resulting in pneumonia and sometimes death.

Canine influenza H3N8 virus originated in horses, spread to dogs and can now spread between dogs. The H3N8 equine influenza (horse flu) virus has been known to exist in horses for more than 40 years. In 2004, however, cases were reported in the United States in greyhounds. The H3N2 canine influenza virus, diagnosed in dogs in 10 central and southern states in May 2017, is an avian flu virus that mutated to infect dogs. H3N2 viruses have also been reported to infect cats. Canine influenza, a H3N2 virus, was first detected in dogs in South Korea in 2007 and has since been reported in China and Thailand. It was first detected in the United States in April 2015.

(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 find myself in need of advice concerning our 11-year-old shorthair domestic tuxedo cat. At her last physical a few months ago, the vet said everything was fine except for thinning hair on her shoulders, where there's just a kind of downy fuzz instead of her black fur. The previous year, her thyroid test was normal.

The vet ran two tests on our cat's fur: One was checking for mites or similar, and I can't remember the other one. I recall she used a special light and magnifier, and she took a few hairs to check under the microscope. She said everything looked normal, and she couldn't give any explanation for why our cat's fur was not growing. She recommended Nupro supplements, which apparently had given good results for other patients. But after a few months, we still don't see any improvement.

We have never seen our cat over-grooming or licking in those particular areas. She's an indoor cat and is not exposed to anything outdoors. The thinning is on her shoulders only, though her front legs are showing a very little thinning. She eats Wellness CORE for indoor adult cats, and we give her the occasional Greenies treats for dental health as well as Greenies Bites for Skin and Fur. Her litter box production seems normal.

Because she's somewhat overweight, we take her to be groomed two or three times a year because she has difficulty reaching her rear end to clean it, so it gets shaved. She also gets her nails clipped.

Since her last rear-end shave in November, the fur there has not grown back. So it's not just her shoulders, but presumably anywhere fur is removed somehow that there's no regrowth.

What can be causing this? Do you have any suggestions as to how to encourage fur growth again? She does suffer from dandruff -- always has, and nothing's helped. -- K.H., Washington, D.C.

DEAR K.H.: Since your veterinarian has wisely tested for thyroid disease and possible ringworm, I would consider the possibility of a chronic nutritional deficiency in omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Many dogs and cats show significant improvement in coat density and luster and reduction of dandruff after two to three months of appropriate dietary supplementation with fish oil. Provided your cat is not allergic to fish, one canned sardine a day may suffice. I would avoid all dry cat foods and canned foods that have rice and barley. There are freeze-dried and frozen cat foods in some stores now that provide good nutrition, and my cat food recipe (posted on my website, DrFoxVet.net) may offer a long-term solution.

ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND FILES NATIONWIDE RACKETEERING CLASS-ACTION SUIT AGAINST PETLAND

A newly filed lawsuit alleges that a national pet store chain engaged in a fraudulent scheme to sell sick puppy mill dogs to consumers at premium prices based on fraudulent health guarantees.

From the Animal Legal Defense Fund: "The Animal Legal Defense Fund, the nation’s preeminent legal advocacy organization for animals, announced the filing of a nationwide consumer class action lawsuit against Petland, a national pet store chain, and the chain’s Kennesaw, Georgia, location. The Animal Legal Defense Fund filed in United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, alleging Petland violated the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act and Georgia RICO Act."

From the ALDF's Executive Director Stephen Wells: “Puppy mills put the bottom line ahead of the health and well-being of the animals, while Petland profits at the expense of its consumers and the sick puppies it peddles to them.”

For more details, visit aldf.org.

(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.)