DEAR DR. FOX: In October, we had our two beagles get their rabies shots from a veterinary house-call service. Two weeks later, neither could stand, and they dragged their rear ends on the floor. The vet said they probably had arthritis.

Is this just a coincidence, or could the shots have been tainted? The dogs are 12 years old. They have a hard time walking and both limp -- a back leg seems to be the problem for both of them. -- M.K., Clinton, Md.

DEAR M.K.: The answer that the veterinarian gave you is totally unacceptable. Both of your dogs becoming suddenly lame at the same time in one back leg can mean one of two things: The vaccine was improperly injected and caused damage to the sciatic nerve, or the vaccine caused a gradual-onset inflammatory reaction, causing your dogs pain.

Heat packs and massage applied to the afflicted limbs may help speed your dogs' recovery.

You should contact your state Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners if the veterinary house-call service does not make a free house call to check out your dogs and their conditions.

Adverse reactions to vaccinations are not uncommon in dogs and humans alike, and I am appalled by the cavalier attitude of many health care professionals on this issue of vaccinosis (vaccine-induced disease). I am an advocate for safe, effective, justified and closely monitored vaccinations. For details on this important subject, check out my article posted at DrFoxVet.com.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have two female mixed-breed dogs. Both have been spayed. Sadie is almost 13 years old, and Pudge is almost 11 years old.

I have washed them in flea shampoo and they both wear flea collars, but they scratch and lick their hindquarters incessantly. Sadie's back legs are now bare; Pudge's hair is thinning.

The licking and hair loss really alarm me. They will often lick until a small puddle forms on the floor. They have all their shots.

Any help for getting to a happier place for my girls would be truly appreciated. -- B.M., Hays, N.C.

DEAR B.M.: Your poor dogs must be suffering. Please understand that many -- probably millions -- of people believe that when a dog scratches a lot, it must have fleas. So they treat the dog with costly and hazardous chemicals in collars, dips, drops and pills. If there is only one flea, some dogs will scratch like mad because they are allergic to fleabites; others are less bothered by having fleas. But there are also other reasons why dogs scratch.

You should have a veterinarian examine your dogs to rule out fleas and consider other likely causes. At the top of my list is an allergy or hypersensitivity to some ingredient in their food. You should also consider something they may contact frequently, such as a chemically treated deck or lawn, new or recently cleaned carpet or floor, or possible inhalation of air freshener.

You must become a detective -- and buy a flea comb!

DEAR DR. FOX: We have had a cat for almost seven years now, and he is not declawed. When Jasper was a kitten, I went to the store and brought home an inexpensive ottoman for the living room. Jasper started to claw it immediately. I figured that if he was going to scratch at that and nothing else in the house, it was OK by me.

To this day, he still runs to that ottoman and nothing else. -- J.F., Kensington, Md.

DEAR J.F.: I wish that more cat owners (and pet owners in general) had your philosophical attitude of "live and let live."

Too many cat owners declaw their cats rather than giving them their own scratching posts, boards or selected furniture. Many pet owners do not accommodate their animals' behavioral needs sufficiently to optimize their pets' well-being. The end result can be frustration, stress, distress and the genesis of abnormal behaviors.

It is everyone's duty to learn about, appreciate and provide for their animals' basic needs. This is the right of all creatures great and small.

(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've owned five Pomeranians over the course of my lifetime. My latest pom is named Yancy. When Yancy was a puppy, he would run and scamper in the backyard freely, wanting me to chase after him. Yancy is now about a year old, and he refuses to step off the back porch without me accompanying him and staying with him. In the rare instances when Yancy does venture off the porch, he refuses to do his business in the backyard. He requires me to walk with him on-leash for five to 10 minutes before he decides to finally poop. I routinely walk him three times a day. Yancy gets excited when he sees me getting his leash. It's obvious that he enjoys our walks, but it's taxing me, not to mention my neighbors. My other poms enjoyed occasional walks on the leash, but they acknowledged the backyard as their sanctuaries and depositories.

Do you have any suggestions to get Yancy to bond with my backyard on a more personal level? -- C.G., Hyattsville, Md.

DEAR C.G.: A good friend of mine has a Labrador retriever who will urinate and defecate only when he is walked on his leash and is away from his yard. My friend is glad to have a dog like this.

Some dogs choose not to evacuate on their own property, and, when they have no choice, some clean up after themselves, engaging in coprophagia (poop eating). This behavior may be triggered when they see their owners picking up stools in the yard. Such behavior stopped in a few instances when the dogs were kept indoors and were not able to see the yard being cleaned up.

With your dog, I would stick a short post or tree stump in the yard and put some of his urine on it, which you can sponge up and put in a plastic bag (ditto with his poop) when out on your walks. Put the urine on what may hopefully become his marking post, and he'll deposit his stools in one corner that may become his regular latrine.

DEAR DR. FOX: I inherited a lovely cat who was given up by her owners because she eats plastic.

She particularly likes the thin plastic bags that newspapers come in. We keep all plastic bags away from her, but sometimes she'll eat the trash bags when she's hungry (we try to make sure that there are no edges she can grab onto).

We've found tiny plastic bag pieces in her feces once or twice, but we usually do everything we can so she can't find them.

Do you know how we can stop her from this awful habit? -- B.L.

DEAR B.L.: Many cats like to chew and even swallow pieces of plastic. Larger pieces can cause intestinal blockage, and some chemicals in plastic may cause cancer and disrupt the endocrine system.

Cats and other animals may be attracted to plastic because manufacturers often incorporate animal byproducts called stearates. Similar animal fat derivatives are used in the sizing of money, which may explain why some cats steal dollar bills!

Never let your cat near any plastic bags or other plastic materials. Stores should phase out non-biodegradable plastic bags -- they pollute the oceans and kill many marine creatures who eat the material they think is food. Plastic kills cattle, goats, horses and various wildlife species abroad who consume discarded bags, food wrappers and containers in streets and fields.

(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 have a mature 13-year-old poodle who has warts all over his back, and I don't know how to treat them.

My vet said he could freeze some -- three at a time for $500 each visit -- but they may grow back. If there is anything I can do to help dry them out, I will. I was going to get some medication from the drugstore, but I'm afraid it might hurt him. -- J.G., St. Charles, Mo.

DEAR J.G.: I wonder what is happening to the veterinary profession. To give you a price of $500 to remove these harmless growths, so common in older dogs and small breeds like yours, is outrageous.

One of my readers painted her dog's warts with organic cider vinegar, twice daily for several days, until they disappeared. Other readers have used over-the-counter human wart-removing ointments with good effect. Other herbal remedies include garlic juice, fresh nettle juice and thuja tincture.

You should, of course, keep any wart-removing application away from your dog's eyes. A veterinarian should be consulted concerning any growths that are especially irritating and have a reddened base -- they may have a bacterial or fungal infection. If this could be an issue with your dog, seek a second opinion from another animal doctor.

DEAR DR. FOX: We have a 15-year-old Maine coon cat. He takes an atenolol tablet for cardiomyopathy, which was diagnosed at an early age. He had a polyp removed from his ear in 2010 during a dental cleaning. In 2011, an MRI showed he had fluid in his ears (bilateral otitis media). He was given Simplicef and metronidazole for three months. He is now deaf.

He started limping on his back leg and is now on Dasuquin for his joints. In 2011, his physical showed that his liver enzymes were elevated and he was prescribed a liver protectant, Denamarin. After a month, I chose to discontinue it.

His 2012 physical results show his liver enzymes are lower. The pH in his urine is high -- 7.5. His urine concentration is good. Our veterinarian recommends Royal Canin diet food. He has been raised on PetGuard with a healthy addition of water since he does not drink from the bowl. I also mix in psyllium husks and fish oil. Lately, I've added Wellness and ProPlan food to his diet. He weighs 15 1/2 pounds, down from his top weight of 18 pounds two years ago.

Should I have continued him on Denamarin? What diet would you recommend to lower his urine pH level? I have saved your cat food recipe from an earlier article, but when I tried a homemade diet at a young age, he refused to eat it. -- J.M.S., Falls Church, Va.

DEAR J.M.S.: I think your cat is receiving appropriate veterinary care, and I would put him back on Denamarin. This may help offset any harmful side effects from the Dasuquin.

You may want to try substituting the Dasuquin with up to 1/2-teaspoon daily of fish oil. Begin with a few drops. Fish oil is anti-inflammatory, and it may help improve his kidney and heart functions.

While acupuncture treatments can be of benefit, I would advise only in-home therapy. Many cats love a regular massage. Read tips in my book "The Healing Touch for Cats."

DEAR DR. FOX: I unwittingly killed my 13-pound, 3 1/2–year-old female Pomeranian, Lexi, with a few dollops of liverwurst. I didn't know that liverwurst was pure fat with a little flavoring, which my Lexi's pancreas couldn't handle. It took 40 hours for her to die, and I sat there watching her without a clue because I didn't understand the significance of what I was seeing -- occasional vomiting and then seizures -- until it was too late. My ignorance killed her.

My vet performed a necropsy. Lexi's pancreas was black. The bowel around the pancreas was purple-going-on-black. It looked so bad that the ER vets thought I had poisoned her. It doesn't need to happen to another dog -- education is key. Watch out for pancreatitis. -- M.W.H., Hagerstown, Md.

DEAR M.W.H.: My sympathy goes out to you and to your poor dog. Acute pancreatitis is a painful condition, and without immediate emergency veterinary care, it's usually fatal. Small dogs seem especially susceptible because what we may think is a small treat is too much for them to handle.

Your letter is important for all readers who have dogs -- small and large, young and old -- to take note. Fatty treats and scraps can destroy the pancreas, often compounded by high protein content that can lead to uremia (protein poisoning) when there is concurrent kidney disease. Pancreatic disease is often associated with fatty liver disease, other liver problems and genetic- and diet-related diabetes.

Animal health checkups and discussion of diet with the veterinarian are the best preventives of these all-too-common maladies.

(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.)