DEAR DR. FOX: I have had lots of friends whose cats lived to be well into their 20s, but mine all die in their teens. And two of them barely made it that long.

For years, I used flea collars on my cats, then graduated to flea meds on the back of their necks. In 1999, my beloved 13-year-old Sureshot began showing symptoms from what turned out to be a tumor in her chest. She died shortly after diagnosis. Three years later, her brother Christopher, a most amazing, soulful, beloved cat, developed a tumor in his jaw. He died after about two months.

The really tragic thing was they were totally indoor cats who didn’t even need flea meds, but they were recommended by the vet. After Christopher died, my beautiful silver tabby Nikki liked to go in and out, so everyone got the back-of-the-neck treatment. Nikki died from multiple-organ failure. Baby (whom I still grieve deeply) died of a brain tumor. When I would go to put the flea treatment on Baby, he would act as if I were trying to kill him, which apparently I did.

After each death I questioned the use of these “medications,” but was assured they were safe. I should have stopped earlier and perhaps saved some precious lives in my family, because there is no doubt in my mind that treating these animals with substances designed to kill fleas also kills them.

Since Baby died, none of my cats have been treated. I use a flea comb on them regularly, and there seems to be no problem. -- L.S., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR L.S.: Thanks for sharing your concerns and sad experiences. Because there are so many potential carcinogens in our food, water and home environments, it is with rare exception that one can link a specific product or substance to a particular cancer.

So common sense calls for adoption of the precautionary principle: That means if you can avoid using any product that kills other living beings, be they fleas or weeds, and find safe alternatives, then do so.

Cynics might say, “What’s the difference, now that we have poisoned the entire planet?” But it is never too late for us to clean up our act, even though it may be against prevailing business interests, which continue to successfully lobby to keep hazardous pesticides on the open market.

The flea comb is the first, safest and most effective (but labor-intensive) method of flea control, and there are others, as I review in my article on preventing fleas and ticks on my website (drfoxvet.net). Many readers have written to me, detailing adverse reactions to various anti-flea chemicals; I will summarize them in a future column.

DEAR DR. FOX: Should vets and big box pet stores inform their customers of potential health hazards from the food they sell?

Recently, we lost our male cat, who was more like a dog than a cat. He was only 9 years old. He was not his usual self when we came home one day, so we took him to the vet. He said he had a urinary blockage, and found out he had 13 little stones in his bladder and needed an operation to remove them. He died three days later. The vet informed us that the Hill’s Science Diet hard food caused these stones to form in his bladder and that it was common in male cats. He said that Hill’s has a hard food for this problem, called Urinary Care. This information came a little late for us.

Shouldn’t this information be offered by vets and stores? The vet didn’t even say he was sorry. This is a long and painful story cut short. -- J.S., Lake Worth, Florida

DEAR J.S.: Your letter hits an ironic fact, which the pet food industry has continued to ignore for decades -- along with some veterinarians, because it is so profitable. The industry makes some animals ill on manufactured cat and dog foods, and then sells special prescription diets to correct the “nutrigenic” diseases caused by these basic diets in the first place.

For detailed documentation and sound science, see the book “Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Cat & Dog Food,” which I co-authored with two other veterinarians.

This has been a repeated issue in my column over the past several years. I offer home-prepared diets for dogs and cats on my site, and steer people to Susan Thixton’s website (truthaboutpetfood.com) to support her efforts at monitoring the industry. She provides a list of pet food manufacturers that we consider acceptable, for which there is a charge to support her independent and painstaking work.

DOG OWNERSHIP MAY BOOST LONGEVITY, CUT RISK OF HEART FAILURE

An analysis of more than 3.4 million individual health records in Sweden showed that adults who had a dog were less likely than their dogless peers to die during the 12-year study. And among people who lived alone, those who had a dog were less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease.

Researcher Tove Fall said that dog owners tend to be physically active, and that having a dog might increase well-being and social contacts, or introduce beneficial organisms to the owner’s microbiome. (Nature/Scientific Reports, November 2017)

(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 addition to pointing out the risks of giving dogs leftover bones from cooked meals, the government has posted a warning about the processed bones sold in pet supply stores. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it has received dozens of reports of dog illnesses related to processed “bone treats,” and that the risk of such treats goes beyond that of regular bones.

A wide range of bone treats were listed in the FDA statement, including items described as “ham bones,” “pork femur bones,” “rib bones” and “smokey knuckle bones.” According to Dr. Carmela Stamper, a veterinarian in the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the FDA, “Giving your dog a bone treat might lead to an unexpected trip to your veterinarian, a possible emergency surgery, or even death for your pet.”

Dog illnesses reported to the FDA by owners and veterinarians have included: gastrointestinal obstruction (blockage in the digestive tract), choking, cuts and wounds in the mouth or tonsils, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding from the rectum, and death. According to the FDA, approximately 15 dogs have reportedly died after eating a bone treat.

DEAR DR. FOX: I was upset when I read your recent column about the “Worst Mistakes Pet Owners Can Make.” You wrote (about dogs bred to look and act like perpetual puppies), “These dogs most likely have the canine equivalent of Williams syndrome, characterized by hyper-sociability and limited intellectual abilities.”

I found your attitude and words cavalier and insulting to people with Williams syndrome. As the grandmother of a child with Williams syndrome, I don’t want her diagnosis put in the same category as dogs that are commercially bred and/or genetically manipulated. Williams syndrome is a chromosome irregularity, occurring in approximately 1 in 10,000 births. These children are more than “hyper-sociable with limited intellectual ability.” They have great human value, and they contribute greatly to the lives of the people they come into contact with. -- E.F., Norman, Oklahoma

DEAR E.F.: I understand your sentiment, but wish you to understand that we humans are animals -- more similar to dogs, both genetically and emotionally, than we are different. That you found my short encapsulation of the behavioral signs of this condition “cavalier and insulting” is regrettable. But thanks for emphasizing that these children “have great human value” -- so do the dogs who share a similar genetic condition. My main concern for them is their evident ”perpetual puppy” over-dependence and vulnerability to separation anxiety.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have just joined the board of GREY2K USA Worldwide. As the founder of Birmingham Greyhound Protection and Candy Cane Rescue, I have been working to save greyhounds across the globe, particularly in the United Kingdom and China. Today, I am excited to announce the launch of a new resource for international greyhound advocacy! Our new website (grey2kUSA.org) contains updated information and photos, more volunteer opportunities, and creative ways for you to help the greyhounds every day. Also, we have just received more of our 2018 greyhound calendars from the printer, and urge you to buy one! -- Kerry Elliman, U.K. Director of GREY2K USA Worldwide

DEAR K.E.: I have a longstanding respect and admiration for these dogs, having rescued one when I was a little boy after she escaped from a racing dog kennel. I hope readers will help support your efforts for these beautiful and much-abused dogs.

COCKATOOS OUTWIT CHIMPS, BABIES ON INTELLIGENCE TEST

Goffin’s cockatoos performed better than monkeys, chimpanzees and 1-year-old humans on a shape-matching test, and a few even figured out a way to game the test, researchers reported in PLOS One.

However, the birds do not make good pets. Researcher Cornelia Habl described them as “escape artists” and said they are “very, very exhausting in a home environment.” (New York Times, Nov. 21)

(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 an indoor-outdoor cat, and I have noticed that he is overeating somewhere else while he is outside.

I put a tag on him that reads “Please don’t feed me” and includes my phone number. And, sure enough, a woman was soon calling me, saying that my cat is eating the food that she sets out for feral cats. This woman lives a half-mile away from me. I went to her house to pick up my cat, and learned that she puts out food for cats in the morning and at night -- about 5-6 pounds of the cheapest cat food. I now have to go there occasionally to pick up my cat.

I’ve seen some wild animals like squirrels there, and who knows what kind of animals come there at night? Definitely some raccoons and coyotes. We live by the lake in Washington state. I have treated my cat for many bite wounds, about four times now. Now I know where he is getting them from.

I have asked that woman not to put food out anymore. She got very upset with me, and said that I better keep my cat on the property or locked inside, because she is not going to stop what she is doing. I think she is not the owner of the house, but that she’s renting it.

Can you please help me with advice on what to do? I think she got so upset with me that she might hurt my cat. Are there any regulations about this? -- E.S., Lynwood, Washington

DEAR E.S.: Your cat has my sympathy, but I must say you have taken the wrong, albeit probably loving and best-intended, step in allowing your feline companion to become an indoor-outdoor animal.

Do read the article on my website about releasing cats to live outdoors and all the hazards this practice poses to the cats and to wildlife. I also address the issue of people feeding feral cats with the best intentions, which should only be done when these cats will be trapped, neutered and placed into good homes or in a safe and secure sanctuary/refuge.

In addition, I give some information about helping an indoor-outdoor cat adapt to living permanently indoors. Having windowsills with shelves, and cat condos by windows so cats can look out -- especially at bird feeders -- can help, as can building an indoor-outdoor deck. And try training your cat to enjoy outdoor walks in a harness on a leash, which can work wonders.

DEAR DR. FOX: At 64 years of age, I was a “cat lady” for several decades until my last kitty passed. Then I spent a few months deciding on my next pet. I knew I wanted a rescue, and decided on an older dog.

After visiting the Humane Society and looking at several, I decided on a 6-year-old, 60-pound female German shepherd mix. She is almost perfect for me, except for one thing: I believe the “mix” is a hunting hound (she looks like a black-and-tan coonhound) with a very strong prey drive. She is perfectly behaved indoors, but when I take her outside on her leash, she goes on high alert, scanning the neighborhood for other animals. If she sees one, she pulls like a freight train. In the three months I’ve had her, she has overpowered me six times, injuring me three times -- once quite badly.

The shelter I got her from had picked her up as a stray and only had her for a week, so I doubt they were aware of this behavior. I really don’t want to return her to the shelter, but I don’t want to be seriously injured, or to have her injured, either.

I have no fenced-in yard and live in a suburban neighborhood near a four-lane road. It is so scary to have a dog who can overpower you.

Is there any hope for me to get this problem under control so we can enjoy our walks? I love this dog, and at her age, I’m worried she won’t get another good home. She would be the perfect companion for a man who likes to hunt. -- S.S., St. Louis, Missouri

DEAR S.S.: I sympathize with your situation and determination not to give up this dog in spite of being pulled down and injured. In instances like this, it is essential that you contact your veterinarian for an immediate referral to a dog trainer/canine behavior therapist. Hire an experienced dog-walker in the interim. There are collars designed to go around the dog’s muzzle to give better control, but I would leave that decision to the behavioral therapist.

AVMA TIPS HELP KEEP PETS SAFE IN COLD WEATHER

You’re probably already aware of the risks posed by warm weather and leaving pets in hot cars, but did you know that cold weather also poses serious threats to your pets’ health?

The American Veterinary Medical Association has gathered tips to help you keep your pets safe during cold weather, and has developed a handout on the subject that veterinarians can share with their clients. To read their tips, visit AVMA.org and search for “Cold Weather Pet Safety.”

(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.)