Cats who are always kept indoors rarely, if ever, suffer physical injuries/wounds or get fleas and develop associated flea-bite allergies.

These health issues can be costly in terms of cats’ quality of life and cat owners’ time and money. In the U.K. -- where cats are commonly allowed outdoors, and sustain injuries from fights and vehicular traffic -- “wounds” are the most common cause for insurance claims for medical treatment of cats.

In the U.S., the most common allergy treated in cats is flea-bite allergy, with a 67-percent increase being reported over the past decade. Fleas are the most common external parasite seen on patients, according to the 2018 Banfield State of Pet Health report. Fleas can transmit zoonotic diseases such as plague, putting family members at risk; anti-flea drugs, meanwhile, put cats at risk, and possibly family members who come in contact with externally applied treatments.

In both countries, and most others, it is a culturally accepted tradition to allow cats to roam free, as many cat owners believe that an indoor-outdoor life is best for their cats’ satisfaction of behavioral needs and quality of life. Many such cats bring home dead and live prey, which is also accepted as natural predation, but in many communities has a negative impact on biodiversity and small mammal and songbird populations.

Surely it is time for the veterinary profession to move forward and support municipal ordinances prohibiting cat owners who live in high-density suburban communities -- and especially rural communities where wildlife is at risk -- from allowing their cats off their property. Similar ordinances are in place for responsible dog ownership. The Florida panther is at risk of extinction in part because of viral diseases from domestic cats, who can also infect lynx and bobcats.

Concerted efforts to provide cat owners with the information needed to help their cats adapt to, and enjoy, life as indoor-only animals is called for, regardless of the potential for alienating some clients. We must also advise against declawing (onychectomy), which is an all-too-common practice in North America.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have been heartbroken since the end of June, when I discovered large lumps on my cat’s neck. It seemed like they developed almost overnight, as I regularly snuggled with my darling cat, Julius.

I had taken him for his yearly checkup not long before this, and the vet gave him a perfect report, including bloodwork. About two weeks later, I found the lumps.

His previous appointment had been in November, when I had taken him to the same veterinarian facility. The vet I saw that day insisted I purchase the Seresta flea collar for him. The collar was put on, and we went home. After a few weeks, I noticed scablike places underneath the collar. I called the vet, and was advised to remove the collar, apply an over-the-counter antibiotic cream to the area, and bring the collar back for a refund, which I did.

When I found the lumps this summer, I asked if the collar may have caused them. Of course, I was told it was unlikely. After reading your blog, I found the story of the poor dog owners who lost two healthy dogs to lymphoma shortly after getting the collars for them -- lymphoma was what my cat had after using the collar.

If only I could go back and follow my instincts, and simply say NO! It makes me sick to think Julius would still be here if I had done that, but I trusted the vet. Last time for that!

Please spread the info and tell pet lovers not to use Seresta brand products! You have my permission to use my name concerning this. Maybe Julius can save other pets and their owners some of the grief and heartbreak I am still trying to get through. -- A.H., Pittsville, Maryland

DEAR A.H.: I am indeed so sorry about the demise of your beloved cat. You should feel no blame, and the veterinarian involved should inform the manufacturer and the government about the adverse reactions -- first the skin lesions and then the lymphoma.

While the chemicals in the collar may not have directly triggered the cancer, they could have impaired immune and other cell-regulation systems to precipitate the cancer.

I would like to hear from other readers whose dogs and cats have had adverse reactions to the various anti-flea and tick products provided by veterinarians and sold over the counter, and urge all readers to visit my website (drfoxvet.net) for my latest review article on this issue, entitled “Companion Animal Risks of Flea and Tick Insecticides.” I consider this one of the most serious companion animal health concerns not yet widely recognized by many veterinarians.

A BOOK FOR ALL WHO CARE

Book review: “Rescuing Ladybugs: Inspirational Encounters With Animals That Changed the World” by Jennifer Skiff. New World Library, 2018.

The rising public anguish over the state of the natural world, the suffering of our own kind and of other fellow creatures is informed and affirmed by the many voices in this exceptional book. “Rescuing Ladybugs” is a clarion call to awaken our empathy, ignite compassionate action and help recover our humanity in these dystopian times.

It should be required reading for all high school students, and will inspire all who care and have communion with other sentient beings. Do visit the author’s website: jenniferskiff.com

(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: As I see it, the mainstream pet food industry -- a multinational oligopoly tied in with organized veterinary medicine, veterinary education and conventional pet hospitals -- is an essential component of industrial, petrochemical-based agriculture. (This is distinct from organic, sustainable agriculture.)

The industry profits from recycling what is considered inedible for humans into animal feed. This feed includes so-called “4-D animal parts” (from those that are dead, dying, diseased or debilitated), and substances from the seafood industry, which itself is creating ecological and climate havoc, as well as much animal suffering.

This is a call for enlightened consumers, pet owners and veterinarians to support organic, humane, sustainable and alternative animal protein production. Cats may thrive on some insects and grubs in their diets, and dogs from grubs and earthworms (which red foxes relish). Algae cultures can provide omega-3 and other essential fatty acids; mushrooms and fermented foods make miracles of microbiome enhancement. There are solutions, and we must do better for our animal companions, our planet and ourselves.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 4-year-old longhair Pomeranian-Chihuahua that I rescued seven months ago.

She has swollen neck glands, and she is choking a little bit, like she has a hairball. She is still eating and running around, but I’m worried this could be serious.

I was going to take her to the emergency animal hospital last night, but I really don’t have the $109 visit fee, plus whatever other costs come up. But she needs to be seen. What should I do? Is this really serious? Can you help me save my Lulu? -- K.K., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR K.K.: It is good that you rescued this dog and gave her a forever home. But it is not good that you do not have sufficient funds to care for the dog’s medical needs.

This is a problem for many people, who do not realize that taking in an animal is a responsibility, and that money should be put aside to save for such needs. Set up a “doggy bank” with a goal of around $4,000. This can be difficult for young people with ghastly student loans, and for the retired on fixed incomes. But do we not owe our animal companions the best affordable care in return for all they give us? The alternative is to purchase pet health insurance, or to buy into something similar that many veterinary hospitals offer under the general umbrella of a “wellness program.”

My guess is that your little dog probably has some rotting teeth and a serious throat infection, maybe even tonsillitis and related pharyngitis. The swollen glands in the neck could mean infection, which the lymphatic system is trying to block and fight. But this immune-system defense may not be sufficient, and bacterial infection from the oral cavity could spread via the bloodstream and infect internal organs such as the heart and kidneys, which would probably be fatal. A worst-case possibility is that your dog has lymphoma, which the veterinarian can test for.

Emergency care can be costly, so try a regular vet appointment. In the interim, give your dog an easy-to-swallow liquid diet, adding water to canned dog food and offering cottage cheese and scrambled eggs. Discuss your financial concerns with the veterinarian. One way or another, get your dog seen to without further delay. Do let me know the outcome.

(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: After I posted warnings in this column about some pet foods being contaminated with Monsanto’s herbicide glyphosate (via the widely used Roundup), the company was quick to demand that I post a retraction. Not only will Monsanto not get a retraction, it now appears that the company may be starting to pay for producing and distributing glyphosate, which the World Health Organization has designated a probable carcinogen.

This August, a San Francisco jury awarded groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson -- who had used Roundup for years at his job, and developed what his doctors consider fatal non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma -- the sum of $250 million in punitive damages and $39 million in compensatory damages.

“The jury found Monsanto acted with malice and oppression because they knew what they were doing was wrong, and doing it with reckless disregard for human life,” said Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of Johnson’s attorneys, according to the Associated Press. This is the first of hundreds of cancer-patient cases against Monsanto, and could be a bellwether of what lies ahead for the company. Monsanto still claims this product is safe.

For decades, some government regulators and legislators have colluded to shield such companies from the mounting scientific evidence of the harmful public health and environmental consequences of pesticides. Company lawyers and paid scientists have sought to discredit studies that put their products in a bad light. One example: former Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt’s March 2017 denial of a petition by environmental groups to halt the use of chlorpyrifos on food crops.

Dow Chemical’s chlorpyrifos is a highly toxic organophosphate, a class of insecticides once approved to kill fleas on pets, but that also poisoned dogs and cats. Some 5 million pounds of chlorpyrifos are used annually in the U.S. on soybean, fruit and nut crops. It is implicated in causing neurological, cognitive and other health problems, especially in children -- not to mention its impact on biodiversity, as it eliminates nontarget beneficial insects and insectivorous birds and bats. Manatees, dolphins and other warm-blooded marine animals can’t break down organophosphates due to genetic mutations that occurred long ago, making them especially vulnerable.

Thankfully, Pruitt’s decision has now been overruled in a Seattle-based appeals court. Judge Jed Rakoff has directed the EPA to ban chlorpyrifos within 60 days, saying the agency failed to counteract “scientific evidence that its residue on food causes neurodevelopmental damage to children.”

DEAR DR. FOX: I have two cats and a dog. One of my cats lives to eat and is overweight. He knows when I am fixing food for them even when I am quiet as a mouse. There he comes, tail in the air and ready to eat. I swear he is psychic. He will come from another room where he was sleeping and I made no noise in the kitchen. I do feed on schedule generally, but even when I am off schedule, there he comes. What is your opinion? -- A.L., Fort Myers, Florida

DEAR A.L.: Cats have excellent hearing, and your cat may hear you from another room opening a can of cat food or opening the fridge door. They also have a sense of time/daily routines, and anyone who keeps animals should try to stick to a set routine. This can help you spot when an animal is feeling “off” when there is suddenly no interest in the regular meal or play session (ideally early evening for cats).

But the possible clincher for “psychic” behavior, or remote sensing, in your case, is when you are putting food out off-schedule. I am impressed by similar behavior from one of our cats, who also lives to eat. He can be seemingly asleep on his bed, but appears when I am fixing extra food for the new cat we have taken in. I may have been absolutely quiet, but there he comes regardless. Also, it seems more than mere coincidence when this cat, Pinto Bean, comes and flops over to be groomed when I am in another room, very quietly grooming our dog Kota.

I must add that the new cat has been challenged and bullied by Pinto Bean, who is 19 pounds heavier. When this happens, Kota steps in and makes the peace. The emotional intelligence and empathy of nonhuman species have been scientifically documented as non-anthropomorphic aspects of consciousness. For many instances of pets’ remote feeling and sensing, see my essay about “The Empathosphere” on my website.

CLASS-ACTION LAWSUITS AGAINST PET FOOD MANUFACTURERS

Rachael Ray Nutrish Pet Food is facing a $5 million class-action lawsuit for deceptive advertising. Solid Gold Pet Food is facing a class-action lawsuit regarding contamination of “heavy metals, chemicals, and/or toxins.”

For details about both, visit truthaboutpetfood.com.

(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.)