DEAR DR. FOX: I, too, detest it when I see a person walking their dog, only to drag the poor thing along as it tries to do its business or just sniff at stuff. That’s what they do! It’s supposed to be their special time. If you’re not planning on letting your pet enjoy their walk, take your own quick walk and then give the poor pooches an enjoyable walk later!

I agree that the current popularity of creating smaller, “munchkin” breeds is so very detrimental. I say no to docking, ear trimming and nail removal. Leave them the way God intended and just love them the way they are! -- G.M.E., West Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR G.M.E.: Your observations and opinions are unequivocally correct, but many people find reasons and excuses for doing what they do to the dogs (and other animals) they “own.” Indeed, animals are just a heartbeat away from being objects of property -- mere commodities in the eyes of many, including the law.

It is notable that in the U.K., there was much hoopla recently over animals being recognized, under the animal welfare/protection regulations, as “sentient beings.” Until the continuing discord and pervasive disconnectedness between most humans and other animals -- and between “civilization” and the natural world -- are supplanted by justice and respect for all life, this dark age of inhumanity will persist.

Those who contend that God created animals for man’s use surely made God in their own image. St. Francis of Assisi was one who saw animals as manifestations of divinity, of God’s creation for us to cherish and hallow.

DEAR DR. FOX: I am a huge fan and enjoy reading your syndicated column. In January 2015, I adopted a 7-year-old cat with a host of problems, including inflammatory bowel syndrome. I read your columns and concluded that the best thing for me would be to gradually wean her off the junk food she had been fed, and make my own food for her.

So, now I make and feed her a soup with organic, non-GMO ground turkey, turmeric powder and coconut oil. I also give her a powder of ground flaxseed, psyllium seed, slippery elm and marshmallow root and that is very effective in controlling the smelly, soft stools that she was plagued with.

What should I add to her food to keep her in good health for many years to come? Her energy levels are much lower than a 9-year-old cat should have. -- V.A., Alexandria, Virginia

DEAR V.A.: Stop the turmeric and coconut oil. The turmeric may aggravate the inflammation and coconut oil makes for loose stools.

Your cat needs good-quality probiotics (human-grade, over the counter) and a few drops of anti-inflammatory fish oil in each meal. A canned sardine (in water) per day can be highly beneficial. The flaxseed meal is of little nutritional value to cats and, along with psyllium husks, may cause further inflammation. Try my home-prepared cat food recipe or one of Honest Kitchen’s grain-free, freeze-dried cat foods.

Also, put a few drops of aloe vera liquid (oral, human preparation) in each of your cat’s meals, and increase that up to a half-teaspoon for five to seven days to help soothe and heal the intestinal wall and provide a prebiotic support for probiotic bacteria.

DEAR DR. FOX: I read your column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch regularly. We are concerned about our 6-year-old rescue cat, Mia. She has sneezing episodes from time to time that worry us. Most times, the thick mucus she expels is light yellowish to brownish, but at times, it is bloody. A couple days ago it was bloody, and about half the size of my pinkie finger. Sometimes she just has a clear, drippy nose, and at other times, it’s normal.

There doesn’t seem to be anything noticeable that triggers the episodes. I wonder if they are due to her exposure to smoke from the house fire we had almost five years ago; the episodes started a couple of years after we moved back home after the rebuild.

Is there anything we can do, or should do, for her? She is a very loving girl ... we want her to be well, and she appears to be in every other way. -- K.H., St. Louis, Missouri

DEAR K.H.: I doubt that the smoke from the house fire was the cause of this condition. Respiratory virus infections, common in kittenhood and especially in shelter situations, can lead to chronic secondary bacterial infections, especially in the sinuses. When the cat is stressed, or even just during changes in seasons, there can be a flare-up of sinusitis. But a chronic, persistent herpes or feline immunodeficiency virus infection could be involved, along with secondary bacterial infection -- meaning lots of pus and mucus. And in some cases of sinusitis, there are dental problems, where an infected tooth root and bone erosion can actually track infection into one of the sinuses.

So I advise a full veterinary wellness examination. This is a drain on your cat’s immune system and overall health and resilience.

(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 14-year-old toy poodle, Charlie, was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease and a gallbladder mucocele (cyst).

The doctor prescribed Vetoryl and Denamarin. Within a few months, the poor boy was listless, he resisted holding and petting, and he looked at us with vacant eyes. It was pitiful!

My personal physician suggested treating him with hemp oil for canines. We started him on the recommended dosage, and within a week, he was a changed pup. He began to interact again, enjoy his walks and his eyes were sharp.

He was fine for more than four months, after which his gall bladder gave out. I am by no means suggesting this is a cure, but it certainly did make him more comfortable during those last months. -- P.P., Naples, Florida

DEAR P.P.: More veterinarians are using medicinal components of cannabis/marijuana to help alleviate chronic, painful conditions in companion animals. I am glad that your human doctor urged you to try this on your dog -- not as a cure, but to improve his quality of life.

Another natural herbal product, kratom, is gaining recognition as providing similar benefits for animals, especially those suffering from painful arthritic and spinal conditions, and other debilitating conditions like cancer. I would like to hear from readers who have had personal experience with some of the available strains of this herb, on themselves and on their animals, and especially from veterinarians. Kratom seems to be a safer alternative to conventional analgesics for humans and nonhumans alike. For details, visit speciosa.org and read Paul Kemp’s article, “Kratom Use by Pets: Anecdotal Reports by Pet Lovers.”

Clinical trials by veterinarians and veterinary college hospitals on this particular herb are called for, even though the federal government sought to take it off the market recently -- probably under pressure from the big drug companies now under investigation for flooding the country with highly addictive synthetic opiates.

DEAR DR. FOX: I’m wondering what you would substitute for grains in your home-prepared food, since my dogs are grain-free. -- L.S., Silver Spring, Maryland

DEAR L.S.: A “grain-free” diet is not mandatory for all dogs. Specifically, it is for certain breeds and individual dogs who may get inflammatory and other bowel problems, allergies, pancreatic enzyme deficiency and even epilepsy, and whose maladies improve on grain-free (and GMO-free) diets.

A small amount of grains are good for most dogs, but all things in moderation. It is the excess in cheap dog (and cat) foods that have made many animals ill over the years. The pet food industry, which has always flatly denied any connection with its products and pet illnesses, is now widely touting grain-free dog foods.

Such grains as amaranth, quinoa and chia, ideally organically certified, are good for most dogs, especially those with possible gluten-related digestive and other health problems.

For details, see my book “Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Cat & Dog Foods” that I co-authored with two other experienced veterinarians.

(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 read the letter in your column from the older couple who wanted to adopt an older dog. There are some local organizations that specialize in adopting out older dogs.

For instance, the St. Louis Senior Dog Project is a nonprofit that places older dogs. Your readers could see if there’s a local organization in their area, perhaps by Googling “senior dogs for adoption.”

Senior dogs for seniors is a win-win! The senior dogs get a stable and usually more quiet home, and the senior citizens get companionship. Plus, they stay in better shape physically and mentally, due to walking the dog every day, often getting more social interaction in the process.

I agree with you that a good pet adoption agency should request an in-home follow-up visit after the adoption. -- T.S., St. Louis, Missouri

DEAR T.S.: Thanks for the information about a senior dog adoption project in your community. I hope that more communities will pick up on this initiative for many reasons, including the fact that dogs are living longer with better care these days. As their caregivers age and go into no-pet retirement centers and nursing homes, these animals need to find new homes if younger family members cannot take them.

Older dogs are generally quick to adapt to a new home environment, and form devoted bonds with family members without the time and effort having to house-train and educate a younger dog or puppy. They are probably the best choice for relatively active seniors who do not wish to have their animal companions outlive them. And many less active seniors have had their lives and hearts enriched by adopting easy-to-care-for senior cats.

Making resolutions for 2018? Don’t forget to include your pets! Dr. Mike Topper, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), offers these suggestions (paraphrased from a recent AVMA news release).

-- Exercise more. Planning on hitting the gym more regularly? Follow suit with your pets, keeping them healthy with regular exercise and activity. Take your dogs for more frequent and longer walks, visit a dog park for more active play and socialization, or sign up for agility training. Get your cat moving with new toys and games that will encourage her to run and jump. Before starting, however, talk with your vet about healthy and appropriate activity levels for your individual animals.

-- Eat healthier. If you’re committing to eating healthier in 2018, consider whether your pets would benefit from a similar change. Watching what our pets eat can help them maintain a healthy weight and add years to their lives. There are a number of steps you can take: eliminate table scraps and fattening, high-calorie treats; keep food treats to a minimum; don’t give in to those sad, begging eyes. Talk with your vet about a nutrition plan.

-- Schedule a visit to the veterinarian. Visiting your doctor regularly for checkups is an important way to stay healthy and catch illnesses and injuries early before they become a bigger problem. Since our pets can’t schedule their own checkups, resolve to take your pets in for wellness exams.

DEAR DR. FOX: We found a young kitten and are now having trouble teaching it to go in the litter box. Wondering what we can do. -- B.H., St Louis, Missouri

DEAR B.H.: Good for you for rescuing the kitten. Do have him/her checked by a veterinarian, since many are born with intestinal worms that can give them a bad start in life.

A very young kitten may not yet be able to climb easily into a regular-sized litter box, so get a cardboard box and cut it down to have about a one-inch lip all around. Put some cat litter in this cardboard “tray,” set the kitten in it and gently massage his/her abdomen.

Very young kittens need to have their rear ends wiped with a moist tissue, like their mothers lick them, to stimulate urination and defecation. Transfer any excrement gathered in this way to the litter in the temporary cardboard container. This will give a scent signal to the kitten and attract it to the litter.

DEAR DR. FOX: My beautiful 11-year-old mini schnauzer, Kokonut, has had lipomas for a quite some time. Aspiration has indicated they are benign and do not impede activity.

I have read that lipomas can be reduced in size and/or eliminated by removing all toxins. Kokonut is on Sentinel, and I would like to prevent heartworm via a more natural method. She wears an amber collar to deter fleas and ticks. We do not frequent dog parks and she is never boarded or in doggy day care.

What do you recommend to help get rid of the lipomas while providing protection from heartworm? -- J.P., Naples, Florida

DEAR J.P.: There is no conclusive evidence that anti-tick and -flea products play any role in dogs developing fatty tumors. Genetics and a diet high in starches seem to be the main triggers.

I would like to hear, from readers who have put their dogs on grain-free and raw-food diets, if they found any differences in lipoma development compared to prior dogs who did develop these growths and were fed conventional kibble.

Don’t believe what you may find on the internet concerning ways to reduce these growths with various supplements. In my experience, once they develop, one must simply wait, deal with any concurrent obesity and arthritis, and have the benign tumors surgically removed when they cause discomfort and interfere with physical activity.

There is no “natural” method to prevent heartworm infestations transmitted by infected mosquitoes. I would take the pesticide collar off your dog and check out my article on preventing fleas on my website, DrFoxVet.net.

(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.)