The U.S. Postal Service reports that the number of postal employees attacked by dogs nationwide was 6,244 in 2017 -- a reduction of over 500 from 2016.

If you have one or more dogs, follow these tips:

-- If a carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door. Some dogs burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to attack visitors. Dog owners should keep the family pet secured.

-- Parents should remind their children and other family members not to take mail directly from carriers in the presence of the family pet, as the dog may view the handing over of mail as a threatening gesture.

-- The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority. If a carrier feels threatened by a dog, or if a dog is loose or unleashed, the resident may be asked to pick up mail at a post office until the carrier is assured the pet has been restrained. If your dog is roaming the neighborhood, any nearby neighbors might also be asked to pick up their mail at the post office until the area is deemed safe.

I advised the USPS some years ago to use training videos to educate mail carriers on reading dogs’ behavior, and how best to behave around those that aren’t restrained. They should especially be taught never to stare at the dogs. Most dogs who bark don’t bite, unless threatened or afraid. Many dogs greet mail deliverers once they know and trust them.

DEAR DR. FOX: We have two wonderful 14-year-old cat brothers who have always gotten along well. Out of the blue, one day in January, Spunky attacked Gus. It was definitely not play, and was unprovoked.

They have occasionally turned on each other if they have seen a strange cat walk through the property, but it is over quickly and they are friends again. This time has been different. For weeks, we could not comfortably leave them alone if we had to go out for a while.

There has been some improvement, but this has been going on for almost three months. We can now leave them, but they are usually sleeping. They can be very loving -- bathing each other, sleeping in the same room and sometimes even sleeping on the bed together. But often when Gus walks away and Spunky follows him, Gus will look back, spit, growl and run, which causes Spunky to pursue him. If I don’t get there in time, there is a very vicious attack. This can also happen if Gus walks into a room where Spunky is and Spunky chases him out. It does not always happen, but we are on high alert in case it does.

They do have an enclosed yard with special fencing that prevents them from getting out. They are never out there without being observed, and when out there, they never fight. Gus has no problem if Spunky follows him outside, and vice versa.

I have used Feliway plug-ins and spray. Early on, I rubbed them with familiar scents, but nothing has changed the behavior. After an altercation, they are almost immediately loving and licking each other, so I don’t think this is triggered by scent.

It is as if Gus cannot forget the original attack, and when Spunky follows him, it brings back the memory and he cannot help himself. Then his growls and hisses get Spunky going. I use a spray water bottle to break them up, but it has been going on for so long I am afraid the behavior is just being reinforced.

I should also mention they are both in very good health. Gus has been on thyroid medication (methimazole) for the past year and is doing very well.

I would appreciate any suggestions you can give that could bring back our happy, peaceful household. -- J.M., Fairfield, Connecticut

DEAR J.M.: This problem is all too common, and you are correct in assuming that it was the stray cat outdoors (scent, sounds and sight) that made one of your cats redirect aggression toward the companion cat he lives with.

This traumatic event will not be forgotten by Gus for a long time, even though they may groom each other and sleep together. This is one of many reasons why cat owners should not allow their cats outdoors to roam free.

Gus will be especially on edge when walking past and away from Spunky. His thyroid condition is adding to his stress, along with any spray-bottle or other discipline/intervention you may instigate; such things will scare both cats and probably make matters worse.

Since you have tried what I would have suggested to help Gus get over the attack, I would try grooming each cat in turn, early in the evening, while they are both on the floor or sofa with you. Then try massage and any interactive games you can engage in to draw them both together, such as chasing a laser light or a lure on the end of a string. Find what treats they like, such as freeze-dried chicken or fish, and call them to you at random times so they both come and receive a treat at the same time. Try some catnip herb.

Repeated close proximity provided by these pleasurable activities may be the best hope of Gus overcoming this traumatic event.

REQUEST TO READERS

If you have ever had dogs who eat their own and other dogs’ stools, so-called coprophagia, please let me know the age and breed of your dog, what kind of dog food was being given at the time, and what you found to be the best remedy to prevent such behavior.

(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: Biomin, a company that provides products to support the animal-feed industry, has identified poisons called mycotoxins in moldy crops around the world, including corn, wheat, sorghum, barley, rye, peanuts, cotton seed, sugar beets and sugar cane. The U.S. stands out as a major source of these toxins, being found in livestock feed and pet foods.

Companion animals are in double jeopardy, being fed animal parts potentially contaminated by these cumulative toxins (along with glyphosate and other agrichemical residues). Some of these substances can cause cancer, liver damage and other serious health problems. Triple jeopardy arises for companion animals from bacterial endotoxins, especially from the remains of slaughtered animals condemned for human consumption. When both endotoxins and mycotoxins are found in an animal food, the synergy of the two increases the risk of each.

From a post on Biomin.net, mainly about the risk to livestock:

“Mycotoxins and endotoxins can also have an impact on the intestinal barrier function, and so increase the risk of endotoxin uptake into the bloodstream. ... Both mycotoxins and endotoxins can trigger inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects (through reducing response or directly affecting immune cells), and both toxin types can affect, and be exacerbated by, liver damage.”

So I advise cat and dog owners to read the labels on their animals’ manufactured foods and avoid those containing any of the above ingredients. Look for the Organic Certification label. And to find some of the safer pet foods -- if you do not make your own from quality, human-grade ingredients -- visit truthaboutpetfood.com and support their continued efforts to make pet food safe and wholesome.

DEAR DR. FOX: I enjoy reading your column every week. Can cats, as well as dogs, benefit from local honey for wounds and allergies? -- K.S., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR K.S.: Local honey, or better still, bee pollen, may help cats with certain allergies to local grasses and other plant pollens.

Put a pinch in the food daily and work up to a half-teaspoon for a 10-pound cat during the pollen season, which in some areas can be year-round. Caution is called for with diabetic animals. Also, ask your veterinarian to determine what kind of allergy the cat may be suffering from, since skin and respiratory problems alike are often caused by certain food ingredients such as fish and rice.

As for wounds: In an earlier column, a reader told of her veterinarian using honey to facilitate wound healing in a cat.

(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.)

The recently posted issue of dogs developing acute kidney disease (Fanconi syndrome) from meat jerky treats imported from China may be due to such products being subjected to irradiation. Meat-based treats imported from Canada and Germany are also subjected to irradiation. According to the Center for Food Safety:

“Food irradiation uses high-energy gamma rays, electron beams or X-rays (all of which are millions of times more powerful than standard medical X-rays) to break apart the bacteria and insects that can hide in meat, grains and other foods. Radiation can do strange things to food, by creating substances called ‘unique radiolytic products.’ These irradiation byproducts include a variety of mutagens (substances that can cause gene mutations), polyploidy (an abnormal condition in which cells contain more than two sets of chromosomes), chromosome aberrations (often associated with cancerous cells) and dominant lethal mutations (a change in a cell that prevents it from reproducing) in human cells. Making matters worse, many mutagens are also carcinogens.

“Research also shows that irradiation forms volatile toxic chemicals such as benzene and toluene -- chemicals known, or suspected, to cause cancer and birth defects. Irradiation also causes stunted growth in lab animals fed irradiated foods. An important 2001 study linked colon tumor promotion in lab rats to 2-alkylcyclobutanones (2-ACBs), a new chemical compound found only in irradiated foods. The FDA has never tested the safety of these byproducts. Irradiation has also been shown to cause the low-level production of furans (similar to cancer-causing dioxins) in fruit juice.”

Essentially, food irradiation creates “mummified” food, killing off bacteria that cause spoilage (a natural process) to prolong shelf-life. It’s done primarily for financial, rather than health, reasons. Endotoxins, which can cause illness and death, are produced by some bacteria prior to irradiation; they remain in the various animal parts recycled into pet foods, and are not destroyed by irradiation.

As I reported in 2009, cats in Australia developed neurological problems from being fed an irradiated brand of imported cat food. Consumers beware. As with the “GMO-free” label that manufacturers and allied government agencies have sought to prohibit, all foods, beverages and ingredients that have been subjected to irradiation should be labeled as such, and countries of origin should be indicated, as well. At this time, it is best to avoid all pet foods and treats not manufactured in the U.S. And avoid products with evasive phrases like “manufactured for” or “distributed by” on their labels.

DEAR DR. FOX: Last February, we had a fire in our home while we were at the store. (My landlord had replaced some outlets, and left some loose connections.) We found our 2-year-old dog, Sugar, on the kitchen floor, unresponsive. I gave her CPR until the firefighters got there and saved her. After the fire, we took her to the vet. He told us that she was fine health-wise, just a bit weak, and just needed to rest from the trauma she had suffered.

Two days after we took her to the vet, we noticed that Sugar was bumping into walls and furniture, startling easily and acting apprehensive. She had a sudden inability to find toys or her food and water bowls.

My poor Sugar went blind. Is there anything that can be done to help her get her vision back? -- National City, California

DEAR N.C.: I am so sorry to learn about the terrible ordeal you and your poor dog went through, for which there should be some financial remuneration under insurance liability with the property owner.

That your dog survived and you were there in time to save her life is remarkable. I regret that the brain damage -- caused by toxic fumes and lack of oxygen, which caused blindness and possibly other neurological and respiratory complications -- may be irreversible. But all may be not lost; the brain does have some recuperative abilities, which may be helped by various nutraceutical supplements. A few to try: coconut oil, brewer’s yeast, vitamin B complex or Nordic Naturals cod liver oil. Try my home-prepared dog food recipe (drfoxvet.net), and add some blended fruits and vegetables for antioxidants.

For the anxiety and PTSD, I would put drop or two of lavender essential oil on a bandanna around your dog’s neck three times a day. Keep her on a long leash connected to you much of the time, and get her to respond to sound commands since she can no longer read your body language and anticipate your actions. Walk her frequently around the house and along your usual walk routes, on a harness, which will be more comfortable, and talk to her about what you are seeing. Give her plenty of whole-body massages and 3 milligrams of melatonin at bedtime.

The California fires and mudslides this year have been a tragedy, with many pets lost and wildlife populations diminished. This is surely a lesson in better controlling our encroachment on vulnerable ecosystems prone to floods, fires and droughts, and a call to adopt “green” real estate principles with limited growth and population densities.

(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.)