DEAR DR. FOX: I have two Cornish rex brothers who are 10 years old. After I returned from a 10-day vacation, I noticed that both cats started urinating on chairs, counters and tables, as well as using the litter box. I used my regular cat sitter while I was gone.

They don't have any physical problems. I tried different litters and use the Feliway pheromone dispensers. They are on antidepressants, and we're trying Royal Canin Calm food. I clean the boxes daily. I've brought litter boxes into the areas they are soiling -- they use them and then go to another part of the house and spray. There are three open boxes and one covered. The boys are very close and fight only now and then. They are extremely affectionate cats, and I love them dearly. Any suggestions would be appreciated. -- G.W., St. Louis

DEAR G.W.: I sympathize with your difficulties. Whatever made your cats feel insecure and needing to spray-mark around the house -- possibly the perfume or deodorant your cat sitter was wearing -- they have developed the equivalent of a habit fixation, continuing to house-soil after your return.

There is a remote chance that there is an outdoor cat prowling, spraying and yowling that set off your cats while you were away.

You need to confine the cats to one room to help break the cycle. Spend as much time as possible in there with them for two to three weeks. Get them back onto their regular cat food, off the antidepressant and offer a little dried catnip every other day. Clean all soiled areas with a liquid enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle. Do not put litter boxes out except in the place they were before the problem started. When you let the cats out after their deconditioning isolation, be very calm and go about your normal daily routine.

NATION'S LARGEST PET INSURER REVEALS TOP 10 OBESITY CONDITIONS

"Giving pets table scraps and treats may seem like a harmless reward for your cuddly canine or friendly feline, but it can lead to health problems down the road, including arthritis, diabetes and liver disease. Just like their human counterparts, excessive weight increases the risk of additional health problems and shortens the life expectancy of pets," according to the Veterinary Pet Insurance Co.

Obesity-related claims are steadily increasing; policyholders file more than $34 million in claims for conditions and diseases that can be caused or exacerbated by excess weight. The company recently sorted its database of more than 485,000 insured pets to determine the top 10 dog and cat health conditions associated with obesity.

In rank order for dogs, "the most common obesity-related conditions were arthritis, bladder/urinary tract disease, undiagnosed limp, low thyroid hormone, liver disease, torn knee ligaments, diseased disc in the spine, diabetes, heart failure and chronic kidney disease".

For cats: "Bladder/urinary tract disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, asthma, liver disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, undiagnosed limp, heart failure and gall bladder disorder".

The VPI data confirm the dietary link to a number of cat and dog health problems detailed in my book "Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Cat & Dog Foods," which I co-wrote with two other veterinarians. But the VPI report begins by blaming the feeding of table scraps and treats, plus lack of exercise, rather than taking a broader view of how commercial pet food diets, along with co-factors such as neutering, lack of social stimulation in live-alone animals and exposure to endocrine disrupting and "obesogenic" environmental contaminants contribute to this obesity epidemic. Manufactured pet foods are in large part the issue -- too many carbs and omega-3 deficiency/imbalance -- not simply too many table scraps and treats. But going light on critical analysis of manufactured pet foods is not surprising because of the VPI's close association with the pet food industry, its website stating:

"Scottsdale Insurance Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nationwide Insurance, the country's sixth largest insurance company, owns approximately 66 percent of VPI's stock. The Iams pet food company owns about 9 percent of our stock and the remaining 25 percent is owned by nearly 1,000 individuals, most of whom are veterinarians. Nationwide and Iams support VPI with strong financial backing and business expertise, and our veterinary owners keep us grounded in the profession."

(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: My 1 1/2-year-old female hound mix that I recently rescued from a local animal shelter has a recurring yeast infection in her right ear.

I took her to the vet twice for this, and he put her on medication. Ear drops are out of the question as she panics when I try to put the drops in. The vet told me the problem could be food allergies.

I can't afford these vet visits -- I am retired and on Social Security. Do you have any suggestions regarding curing this problem? -- J.M.P., Springfield, Mass.

DEAR J.M.P.: I am glad that the veterinarian has raised the possibility that your dog might have an underlying food allergy that could be related to your dog's inflamed ear. Such a condition can be extremely distressing for the dog -- scratching and head-shaking can result in additional traumatic injury, including cauliflower ear (hematoma).

Most likely, there is a mixed infection of bacteria and fungus in the ear canal that calls for appropriate medication. Ear mite infestation must also be addressed. You must get someone to help you restrain the dog for daily ear treatment and check the pet store for a basic rice and lamb hypoallergenic dog food.

Your veterinarian may not be familiar with Zymox, an enzymatic ear medication for dogs, which has helped many dogs with ear inflammation and infection.

DEAR DR. FOX: I recently got a 4-year-old bullmastiff mix from the Humane Society. It's taken him a long time to understand simple commands -- at least that's what I thought until I discovered that he understands Spanish and follows Spanish commands!

Should I continue with Spanish commands or stick with English (which he finally learned after 10 weeks)? I believe he is grieving his Latino family, and he was surprised when he heard me speak Spanish, which my husband does not know at all. -- J.S., Olney, Md.

DEAR J.S.: Dogs learn simple one- or two-word commands, ideally reinforced by hand or arm signals and body gestures. The latter are part of universal nonverbal communication, along with tone of voice.

By association, your dog will soon learn English words when coupled first with the Spanish word and signals that you can subsequently drop if you wish. There is one famous dog who has been trained to recognize more than 2,000 different words for different toys, demonstrating the remarkable word comprehension abilities of some good dogs!

DEAR DR. FOX: I read about the cat with a persistent cough. Our cat was diagnosed and treated for asthma. I then learned from a cat rescue group about a wonderful product, Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Litter. I switched our cat to it, and she was cured -- that was 10 years ago. Since then, I have told many people about this product. I wrote to Dr. Elsey, and he was kind enough to send many coupons for the product to the rescue group. We had a cough return just once, when I had to substitute another brand of litter when I couldn't get to the usual store for supply.

This litter made a wonderful difference in our cat's health. -- S.M., Arlington, Va.

DEAR S.M.: I always appreciate hearing from pet owners about the benefits of some products, but I am also wary that this can be a setup by some companies.

I do not believe that this is the case with Elsey's cat litter products, since one of the causes of cat asthma, cystitis and litter box avoidance can be due to the kind of litter in the box.

So keeping in mind that feline asthma can be due to other allergens and from intolerance of certain food ingredients, addressing the kind of litter as a possible cause is an essential part of holistic feline medicine. Many cats enjoy good health once the offending litter -- or box cover -- is removed.

(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: My 15-year-old terrier mix, Betsy, started throwing up and had diarrhea. Blood tests showed kidney and liver issues and her heart is weak.

The veterinarian wants to do a liver biopsy and endoscopy to check for inflammatory bowel disease. This will cost more than $1,000, and I cannot afford that, being on a fixed income and having no pet health insurance.

What do you advise? My old dog is very weak and I don't want her to suffer. -- W.S.P., Alexandria, Va.

DEAR W.S.P.: I have received several letters like yours recently and have discussed this trend in companion animal veterinary care in my recent book, "Healing Animals & the Vision of One Health." "Life-saving" interventions in the terminally ill that prolong suffering should be viewed as "death-delaying" interferences.

In my opinion, this is the stigma of the health care provided by some medical and veterinary professionals whose focus is more on the organs and systems of the body than on the whole patient and his or her quality of life. The life-saving quest becomes an intellectual challenge that is driven less by compassion than by the enchantment of biomedical technologies and a mechanistic attitude toward life and the living. Future generations will surely look back on these times in disbelief that death was delayed in the terminally ill and suffering was unnecessarily protracted.

But now, thanks to the human and veterinary hospice movement, the cultural attitude toward death (especially as a challenge and failure for the life-saving professional) is changing. Ask your veterinarian for a referral to a hospice care veterinarian who will provide your old dog with palliative care in your home. I have details about this new service on my website, DrFoxVet.com.

DEAR DR. FOX: A recent column dealt with a writer's fear that your condemnation of commercial food keeps people from adopting a rescued animal. Here's another reason:

We are bombarded with pleas to save animals, but if one is a renter, this is a big roadblock. Just read the ads: "no pets" is often included. I did find a rental complex that requires a $300 deposit for a pet, returned according to how the premises look upon moving out, plus $50 a month rent for said pet. This is a low-income complex, so these requirements are preposterous.

I know of a good tenant who had to euthanize his beloved 13-year-old cat but can't afford to replace her because of the expensive requirements to do so. It is heartbreaking. This tenant is an asset to our complex, but he will move out when his lease is up. -- CONCERNED (name and address withheld upon request)

DEAR CONCERNED: This issue cuts both ways. What is a landlord/rental property owner to do with irresponsible pet owners who do not clean up around the property, allow their dogs to bark constantly and leave stained carpets, chewed doors and scratched walls and floors?

The irresponsible have jeopardized the rights and needs of responsible dog and cat owners living in or seeking to move into rental properties.

I have sympathy for the uncounted numbers of elderly people and children and their families being denied the benefits of an animal companion. I appeal to all renters with animals to be responsible and to landlords to not engage in emotional and financial exploitation. One solution might be a rental agreement of immediate eviction if animal-caused damage is not quickly addressed. The same applies to legitimate claims from other residents.

FLORIDA TOAD WARNING

Readers in Florida and those vacationing there, especially the many "snowbirds" from Northern states who take their dogs with them for the winter, take note: Florida veterinarians are warning dog owners to be on the lookout for Bufo toads, an invasive species that secretes potentially deadly, hallucinogenic toxins from glands on its head when attacked. If owners suspect their pet has licked, bitten or otherwise come into oral contact with a Bufo toad, they should rinse their pet's mouth with water, preventing the water from entering the throat, and seek immediate veterinary care. People should also wash any toxin off the animal's paws or coat and should remove any toxin residue from their hands.

(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.)