DEAR DR. FOX: My 6 1/2-pound Chihuahua had a urinary tract infection (UTI) three years ago, and we did not realize it until she was bleeding. The emergency room veterinarian said there was no way to keep her from getting another one. Her regular vet told me that the only water she gives her dogs and cats is purified water, and she does not have this problem. I bought bottled water and a special pitcher that purifies water. She has never had another UTI. -- L.W., Naples, Fla.

DEAR L.W.: Some dogs, and especially cats, have chronic or recurrent bouts of lower urinary tract inflammation, often coupled with bacterial infection, which may lead to the development of calculi, cystitis, painful inflammation of the bladder and the formation of mucus plugs in the lower urinary tract.

Feeding your pet high cereal content pet foods that have been artificially acidified by the manufacturers can also contribute to urinary tract problems.

I would like to know what brand of water purifier you discovered that helped your dog. The ZeroWater purification system seems to do a good job. For more details about water quality and treated municipal tap water, check my review on DrFoxVet.com.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have read several of your books, and I especially like "The Boundless Circle: Caring for Creatures and Creation" and "Healing Animals and the Vision of One Health."

Can you describe for us laypersons not well versed in science and philosophy what we can do to keep our pets healthy and help the animal kingdom? -- R.K., St. Louis

DEAR R.K.: In a nutshell, we must be OPEN. Some doctors can actually feel their patients' suffering, physically and psychologically.

Openness of heart and mind means being open to the beauty and mystery of life, as well as to suffering and injustice. There must be openness to new ideas, to examining the truths we live by and being accountable for the consequences of one's actions and beliefs.

As the French philosopher Blaise Pascal observed, "The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of." Through empathy we feel for others, we acquire emotional intelligence, and compassion, not objective reason, becomes our compass for appropriate action.

In my writings, I have coined the term "panempathy," which means having feelings for other animals, trees, living things and the natural world. The empathy-derived ethic of the golden rule -- treating all living beings as we would have them treat us -- provides the moral and legal framework for a sane, humane society and a more viable, sustainable global economy. As I emphasize in my book "Bringing Life to Ethics: Global Bioethics for a Humane Society," the golden rule is at the philosophical core of holistic, integrative veterinary and human medicine.

DEAR DR. FOX: I believe my cat, Kali, has remote sensing abilities. Her eyes twitch and perk up whenever my husband is coming home, even at different times and in different vehicles. She knows when I am ill, and she will not leave my side for a minute. She can negotiate from any part of our two-story home, her favorite being the screened-in porch, where she can sense birds nearby and will sit chittering away.

Kali is blind from an eye infection as a kitten. If you move the furniture or put something foreign on the floor, she will bump into it. But she knows where the clear paths are to run and play with toys that she finds thanks to the catnip smell. She will tap me on the face when she wants a treat and reminds us when her pill is due. She is showered with treats and attention. She was on phenobarbital for seizures for eight years and now is on thyroid medication. The people at the vet's office love her for her gentleness and trust. She truly has a unique personality.

We also had a cat named Weird Kitty who accidentally got into our car and went to work with my husband 10 miles away on busy roads. We were unable to find her on our own, but within two weeks she showed up at our door, hungry and happy to see us.

At one point, our mean landlord gathered all the cats in our complex and dumped them miles away in a wooded area. I searched desperately for weeks. I couldn't find any of the cats until one day, walking on the dirt road, my cat walked out of the woods and came to me. I never let a cat outside again. -- D.R.G., Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

DEAR D.R.G.: Many readers will join me in expressing appreciation for your sharing of experiences with Kali.

Had I received your letter earlier, I would have mentioned Kali's remote sensing abilities during my interview on ABC's news program "20/20," which aired Oct. 26. I discussed cats and dogs being the first to know when a loved one has died in the hospital, and their ability to find a loved one, buried or alive, in locales where they have never been before. Watch the episode at abc.go.com.

I welcome receiving letters from readers wishing to share such experiences, in part because they demonstrate the power of love, and in part because they are a challenge for science and reason to explain.

Perhaps if we were as open to the universe as our animal kin, we would neither doubt nor deny the reality of this dimension of consciousness that I call the "empathosphere."

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 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.com.)

DEAR DR. FOX: Yesterday we adopted a kitten from the Humane Society. We couldn't take her home right away because she had to get spayed first.

Stupidly, because we didn't know any better, our two previous cats were declawed. We now know how horrible this procedure is, and this is not a fate that our new little girl is going to suffer.

One of my friends puts covers over her cat's front claws that last from four weeks up to several months.

Is this a good practice? If yes, can you recommend a place where these can be obtained? If not, how do we teach her not to claw our furniture? Even if she does claw the furniture, we will still love her, but we'd really rather that she doesn't get into that habit. -- R.S., Minneapolis

DEAR R.S.: I appreciate your concerns, and I am glad that the veterinarian doing the spay surgery on your cat did not push you to have her declawed at the same time. Check my website, DrFoxVet.com, for a review on this procedure, which can permanently disable cats.

The adhesive balls you're talking about come off too easily, and some cats pull them off quickly in the process of nibble-cleaning their claws. While you can snip the sharp points off the front claws, just like trimming your own nails (and most cats get used to this), I find the best approach is to train them to use a vertical scratch post and a horizontal scratch board.

The post must not wobble and should be taller than the cat's full, stretched-out length. Let the kitten see you raking the post with your fingernails, and then put her up against the post to show her what to do. They're called copycats for a reason!

Tack old carpet or thick towels behind sofas and other furniture you do not want scratched and also use thick plastic sheets for temporary protection.

YOGURT DOG TREAT RECALL

The Barking Dog Brands has issued a voluntary recall of its Yoghund Organic Banana and Peanut Butter frozen yogurt dog treats. This is a cautionary action because the product contains organic peanut butter linked to recent recalls due to possible salmonella contamination.

Although there have been no reported incidents of human or animal illnesses in connection with the product, the company has elected to issue a recall. Return the items to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Visit yoghund.com or call 603-775-7772, ext. 1007, for more information.

CHARLEE BEAR DOG TREAT RECALL

Charlee Bear Dog Products of Madison, Wis., is recalling some of its Protein Crunch Bars due to possible salmonella health risks. The recalled products were distributed nationwide in September and October.

Consumers who purchased the products can return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, call 800-396-8893 or visit charleebear.com/protein-crunchy-bars-recall-info.php.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 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.com.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I recently purchased a KONG Wubba toy from Petco. It was covered in nylon and made in China. After a few minutes of play, my Weimaraner dropped the toy and started licking the air, his legs, the blanket, floor, cabinets, me, etc. He hadn't been outside or had any other new items. I phoned my veterinarian, and he said to watch him and give him a Benadryl. I took him in later that day, and the vet could not find anything wrong with him -- he guessed the toy might have had a substance on it that got on my dog's tongue. He suggested washing the toy to see if it was still a problem. I did that, and when I gave it to him a week later, he started licking again.

Have you had any complaints about dog toys made in China? I'm wondering if the toy had a chemical on it? I would like to find out if the U.S. government has any restrictions on imported dog toys, but I don't know where to start. In the meantime, I will not be purchasing any more toys made in China. -- D.S., St. Louis

DEAR D.S.: I hope many readers and the Food and Drug Administration will take note of your dog's reaction. Contact KONG at kongcompany.com, and have your veterinarian report your dog's adverse reaction to the U.S. Bureau of Veterinary Medicine.

Simply washing this toy will not remove chemicals impregnated in the synthetic material. Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA), endocrine disruptors, and possible carcinogens and obesogens are all too common in plastic and synthetic food and water containers, children's toys and pet toys, and our government has been slow to regulate manufacturers and importers.

My advice is to never buy pet products, including pet beds, manufactured in China, or even in the U.S. if you are not sure they are pet-safe and there is no clear ingredient labeling. The foam filling of furniture and pet beds can contain endocrine-disrupting, thyroid-harming, fire retardant bromide compounds (PBDEs -- polybrominated diphenyl ethers). Check planetdogfoundation.org and ruffwear.com for safer pet products.

DEAR DR. FOX: My 21-month-old male wheaten terrier seems healthy and is very active.

He was born with a hernia, which was repaired by the breeder's vet at seven weeks of age -- he was neutered at the same time. Everything seemed to heal well, and he is a very active dog who eats and poops well. At his one-year checkup, he had a small, soft lump in the area of the hernia; the vet said it was probably just residual inflammation and was not concerned.

Now I am concerned because the lump has changed -- it is larger and harder. Can I wait until his two-year checkup, or should I take him to the vet now? He does not seem ill, but I am worried. I have three dogs, and the other two have scheduled vet appointments soon. -- K.J.M., Stroudsburg, Pa.

DEAR K.J.M.: Any time a dog develops a lump, one should be concerned, especially when it is increasing in size. In older dogs this is especially critical because it could be cancer, and the longer the veterinarian is delayed in taking a needle biopsy to determine if the growth is cancerous, the smaller the chances of the dog making a full recovery.

But do not panic with your young dog. I agree with your veterinarian, and I do not believe that there is any emergency at this time. If the navel/umbilical area was hot and inflamed or very soft and easily pushed into the abdominal cavity, then there is an issue. The veterinarian is correct that this is fibrous, healing tissue that helps close up the operated umbilical hernia area. Rub it with aloe vera gel or other herbal creams or ointments that help skin and tissue healing, such as calendula, frankincense and myrrh. Stop the dog from licking the area for at least 30 minutes after applying the creams twice daily. Measure how wide the swelling is, and make records every week for a month.

If there is any further growth, a veterinary appointment with the original surgeon is called for. There could be an embedded suture causing excessive inflammation and fibrosis, which would call for surgical correction -- at a discount price!

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 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.com.)