PETCO announced on Nov. 13 that it is making a commitment not to sell dog and cat food and treats with artificial colors, flavors or preservatives -- making it the first and only major retailer of pet food to take a stand against such ingredients. The company will start removing products that don’t meet its new standards in January, and complete the process by May. Learn more at petco.com/betternutrition.

I agree with Susan Thixton, pet food industry monitor and advocate of good nutrition for companion animals, who says: “This is a long-overdue small step in the right direction. Hopefully it will encourage the pet food industry to take the next big step with manufactured cat and dog foods and treats, and use more human food-grade ingredients rather than those condemned for human consumption.”

DEAR DR. FOX: There is a subject that I would like to see you address: the declawing of cats.

I am a dog person who has been “adopted” by several cats through the years, and I’ve learned to live with my cat allergies. When they show up, I take them to the veterinarian to get them shots and neutered, then they return to my home. Some are inside, some are outside, etc.

I have a friend who wants a cat (for indoors) and I offered a sweet, young cat; but when she said she was going to have it declawed, I declined to offer it to her. I don’t think any piece of furniture is worth putting a little animal through that. I find it very inhumane. Am I wrong?

Scratching posts and the like, treated with spray catnip occasionally, work for me. -- V.N., Saluda, North Carolina

DEAR V.N.: Some readers think I do not love or respect cats because I am vehemently opposed to the widespread practice of trapping, neutering, vaccinating against rabies and releasing them (TNVR) to fend for themselves. But I have great affection and respect for cats, and that includes rescuing strays and opposing declawing at every opportunity. I am no less opposed to the routine declawing of cats by veterinarians who are pandering to clients, and who do not first insist on trying the kinds of alternatives that you suggest.

Many cats suffer their entire lives from various adverse consequences of this mutilation. People who truly love and respect their cats, and who understand their needs, would never dream of having their claws removed. Some indoor cats, like mine, do need to have their claws trimmed routinely if they overgrow, and it is a good practice when petting cats to get them used to having their paws massaged. They come to enjoy this, and in my experience, it makes nail-trimming a breeze. Fractious cats can simply be restrained on one’s lap wrapped in a towel.

(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.)

On Nov. 16, members of the House of Representatives, including Minnesota’s soon-to-be governor Tim Walz, passed bill HR 6784, the “Manage Our Wolves Act.” If passed in the Senate, the bill will allow states to return to wolf trophy hunting and trapping, and remove any opportunity for judicial review, which is a dangerous precedent.

Ceding federal protection under the Endangered Species Act to state wildlife management has long been opposed by scientists, conservationists and a large public constituency of wildlife protectors. The livestock sector that supports wolf eradication is now recognized as one of the world’s major contributors to climate change and loss of biodiversity.

Wolves need to be protected, and their numbers increased, so that the whitetail deer overpopulation and related health problems can be rectified. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in whitetail deer and other ungulates is spreading across the United States. Not yet known to be transmitted to livestock and people (but being similar to the mad cow disease that decimated the U.K. cattle industry and infected many people with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease), CWD is a problem that will persist, since vegetation becomes contaminated with infective pathogenic agents in the soil from infected deer.

While deer ranches can be one source of infection, seeking to manage a large deer population for recreational hunting (essentially wildlife farming) -- coupled with predator control, especially of wolves -- creates the perfect storm for the spread of CWD. Tuberculosis in deer, transmissible to cattle, follows a similar pattern.

As Michigan State University veterinary epidemiology professor Paul Bartlett opines, “My conclusion a long time ago was that if you raise deer like feedlot cattle, they’re going to get a feedlot cattle disease.”

Surely it is time for state and federal wildlife agencies to implement ecologically sound wildlife management practices that improve deer health by maximizing natural biodiversity. This must include protection of wolves and other predators, and not rely on human predation for a few weeks of hunting every year during the breeding season to limit deer population densities. Allowing the hunting and trapping of wolves will only make matters worse.

DEAR DR. FOX: We have a 14-year-old male neutered shorthair cat.

He vomits, usually in the morning after feeding (he eats Friskies Indoor Pate/Salmon or White Fish, plus IAMS Protective Health Indoor Chicken Dry). We feed him small amounts, but he still vomits two to three times per week, ever since we adopted him four years ago. We don’t know if he had this problem before we got him.

We use well water, if that’s relevant. Our vet did all the usual tests to discover his problem, to no avail. -- B.F., Washington, D.C.

DEAR B.F.: This is a common problem in cats, and has various causes, the three most prevalent ones being: eating too fast, fur-balls in the stomach and food ingredient intolerance/allergy.

Some detective work is necessary. Also, in older cats who suddenly start vomiting on a regular basis, a full wellness exam is called for to assess possible intestinal cancer (lymphoma), chronic kidney disease or dental problems.

There are frozen and freeze-dried cat foods now on the market that contain no synthetic additives. These may be worth trying out on your cat, as well as my home-prepared recipe (posted on my website).

DEAR DR. FOX: My 7-year-old Yorkie is basically potty-trained, but she frequently “marks” against the cat.

Can you tell me how to break her of this annoying habit? The dog urinates or has bowel movements at various spots on floors or carpets. She knows very well where she is supposed to go, because all I have to say is “go to your potty pad” and she hightails it to the correct spot. A friend tells me that she is “marking her territory.”

She and the cat do not fight, but the dog is obviously jealous of the time and attention I give to the cat. -- J.S., Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

DEAR J.S.: I do not interpret this as “territorial” behavior, but rather attention-seeking. That’s assuming your dog checks out physically healthy: no constipation, inflammatory bowel syndrome or cystitis.

She is rather young to develop dementia, so I think you are right that there is jealousy going on. Ignore any and all protest/attention-seeking evacuations, and give equal time to both cat and dog as best you can.

Whenever I start grooming our cat, our dog comes between me and the cat, demanding to be groomed. And on more than one occasion, while grooming the dog, the cat has appeared from another room and flopped over to be groomed, giving me the impression not of jealousy but of psychic remote-sensing.

CRUELTY AT ANIMAL SHELTERS RAMPANT

Several animal shelters all over the country are hoarding rescued and relinquished cats and dogs under the most atrocious conditions without proper care or veterinary treatment.

All animal shelters should be registered, licensed and regularly inspected, without notice, by responsible municipal authorities, beginning with trained police officers and animal care veterinary technicians. For more details, visit peta.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.)

DEAR DR. FOX: Please assist me in informing folks about a horrible danger to animals in most backyards that few have probably ever considered.

One morning, with seemingly no explanation, our beautiful Belgian Malinois began losing chunks of fur and skin from her back, just behind her shoulders. I thoroughly examined and cleaned the area, but could not determine what caused the nasty wound.

In spite of my best efforts, two days later, she developed an awful infection. Our vet was also at a loss as to the cause of the wound, but identified it as a burn from an unknown source. Determined to find and eliminate the cause, I meticulously searched our home and yard.

It turns out our barbecue grill was the culprit! Hanging underneath the grill is a suspended container, similar in shape and size to a tuna can, to collect fat and juices from the food cooking above. I suspect our dog was lured by the wonderful scent, and while sniffing under the grill, spilled the can of hot juices onto her back.

I felt horrible. I’d never before considered that as a potential hazard. My husband immediately installed a wire mesh guard around the base of the grill to avoid future injuries.

Recovery was slow and painful, but with excellent veterinary care, our dog healed very well. Surprisingly, her fur grew back thick and soft.

Please warn your readers of this serious potential danger. -- L.C., Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

DEAR L.C.: Your warning to all barbecue owners and operators may help prevent such an accident. Both dogs and cats are also at risk from jumping up on a hot grill, lured by the smell of cooking meat.

The backyard barbecue, in my vegetarian-veterinarian opinion, should become a thing of the past. The cooking process creates carcinogens in the burning flesh, and cancers of the colon and prostate have been linked with high beef consumption. Undercooked and/or contaminated meat can also present a risk of Toxoplasmosis (which can cause birth defects, including blindness), Trichinosis, respiratory paralysis, salmonella, food poisoning, E. coli and other harmful bacteria, as well as inflammation-promoting fat.

Barbecues pollute the evening air with carbon micro-particles that can make asthmatics suffer and cause lung disease. They are at the end-point of consumer- and culture-driven appetites responsible for climate change.

Pass me the roasted organic corn, anti-cancer mushrooms and colored vegetables from a clean hibachi grill! With my late father’s elderberry flower wine or rough cider on a hot summer evening, that would be a feast!

While I harp on, let’s also get rid of the LED lights that attract insects, unplug the UV electric bug-zappers and use citronella candles if you have any biting, flying insects, and turn our “perfect” lawns into more natural, chemical-free habitats.

DEAR DR. FOX: Our dog Trixie shakes her head so hard when we are ready to go out for a walk that she makes a clapping sound. Why does she do this? It always makes us laugh, like she’s clapping her hands in delight. -- G.F., Toledo, Ohio

DEAR G.F.: In my opinion, this is indeed the canine equivalent of hand-clapping with excited anticipation. Some dogs laugh, most smile, and some pant with playful expectation or share other signals we understand and express ourselves. Dogs’ reactions to human hiccups and sneezing are often bizarre. Readers may have other aspects of canine communication they may wish to share that they have learned from their dogs.

FDA SAYS COMPANY’S FLEA, WORM PRODUCTS VIOLATE THE LAW

In November, the FDA warned North Carolina-based No More Fleas Please that the company’s Queen City Animals parasiticides had not been approved and were being sold in direct violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. The products, now pulled from the market, included oral de-wormers and flea treatments. (American Veterinarian, Nov. 6)

(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.)