The Animal Doctor

DEAR DR. FOX: I have four dogs who are all seniors. On the advice of my vet, I started using Seresto flea collars about 1 1/2 months ago. My smallest dog, a 5-pound Chihuahua, started having strange seizures out of the blue. What I mean by strange is he'd come out of them immediately, not at all groggy, with a ready-to-play attitude.

After the second one, I rushed him to the emergency vet -- he had a physical and blood work done; all came out well. The vet said his blood work was better than most dogs his age (he's now 11). The only thing new is the flea collar. He had another seizure this morning. This time he peed, and he's appearing tired and not walking great. I looked into the side effects of this collar and was shocked to see that seizures have been reported.

My other dogs are well, with no problems at all. But Pancho is so small it may be a factor. I have taken that collar off him and will watch him closely the rest of the day. I washed his neck and head with mild dish soap, as I did for his brothers and sisters.

Have seizures been reported often with this flea collar? -- C.W., Houston

DEAR C.W.: I am glad your dog is recovering. Thank him for being a warning sentinel.

Check my website, DrFoxVet.com, for my documented concerns about the product that you used on your dogs. The drug companies selling these flea collars and others selling spot-on chemicals to kill fleas are an abomination. Many environmental health experts link these kinds of pesticidal products to cancer, and a host of other products from the big pharma multinationals cause more harm than the fleas themselves.

DEAR DR. FOX: About three months ago, as a favor to my daughter, I let her bring one of her cats to our house, but I didn't realize it was infested with fleas. I soon found out -- my cat, who didn't have fleas previously, started scratching constantly.

I finally got rid of that cat and then tried to get rid of the fleas; it was almost impossible. I tried every suggestion before finally resorting to two local pest exterminators. The first one didn't succeed and returned my money; the second one is still trying bombs and spraying. The upstairs is now flea-free, but the basement remains contaminated.

Before calling in the professionals, one of my friends said he had luck with eliminating fleas by sprinkling salt on the carpets. We tried that one day, and it didn't work, so we vacuumed it up the next day. Shortly after that, our cat refused to walk on the carpet anymore and got around by jumping from one piece of furniture to another. I had to bring its litter box, food, water, etc. into the living room where has stayed since. Just now, six weeks later, it will occasionally walk quickly across the carpet.

Did the salt on the carpet cause this behavior in our poor cat? -- C.V., Granite City, Ill.

DEAR C.V.: I am sorry to hear about your flea plague. My article on an integrative program of effective flea control, posted on my website under "Dr. Fox's Library," could have made life easier for you. Check it out to help rid your home of fleas forever.

The salt on the carpet, which is useless in flea control, would have gotten on your cat's paws even after you vacuumed. The taste of the salt on her paws and possible irritation if she has been declawed and has some chronic sores would quickly trigger aversive behavior.

SOME GOOD BOOKS AND GIFT IDEAS

With the holiday season upon us, there are some good animal books you may wish to check out that would make excellent gifts and you might enjoy yourself. Here's a list: "Beautiful Old Dogs," edited by David Tabatsky, St. Martin's Press; "Devoted: 38 Extraordinary Tales of Love, Loyalty And Life With Dogs," edited by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh, National Geographic press; "A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life," by James Bowen, St. Martin's Press. Some of my own books may also appeal to you. Another gift idea is a subscription to a good pet care journal, such as Animal Wellness. Finally, consider a donation to your local animal shelter or wildlife rehabilitation center.

(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.)

Fear and hatred of wolves goes back in European history for centuries. Such lupophobia is still evident today in purportedly advanced civilizations like the United States. Websites posted by "Sportsmen Against Wolves" are especially revealing, combining graphic photographs of slaughtered wolves with supportive comments by hunters. They see wolf protectors and wildlife conservationists as representing the kind of society they abhor: one of tree-hugging Bambi-lovers that threaten their way of life and right to shoot wolves.

But this phobia is certainly not shared by indigenous Native Americans or by a growing majority of non-Native American citizens who oppose wolf hunting and trapping. The wolf is a species symbolic of a bipolar society that has yet to find unity of vision and values, ethics and spirit.

Wolf hunting advocates disclose a disturbing degree of ignorance about the balance of nature, wolf-deer and predator-prey relationships. They perpetuate the erroneous belief that exterminating competing hunters such as the wolf is an act of conservation, a "management tool" to help preserve the balance of nature. They also view it as a sporting challenge to kill a "worthy adversary" as a trophy, a testament to one's own hunting skills. The notion of co-existence -- involving conciliation within and between cultures and with other species -- is anathema to this community.

Wolf hunters, feeling threatened by wolf protectors and conservationists, are now joining across wolf-inhabiting states to justify and protect their rights. But if they were to connect their imagined fate with the fate of the wolf and every tree in the forest, hen in the prairie and frog in the swamp, they might realize, as Henry David Thoreau advised over a century ago, "in wildness is the preservation of the world." That does not mean the preservation of their way of life, but their evolution into an effective, nongovernmental community of wildlife monitors and conservators.

Many deer hunters, for instance, having discovered the wisdom of biophilia, see themselves and wolves and other predators as essential components of healthy ecosystems. With such an ecological perspective, they can begin to articulate a hunting ethic, which begins by separating any desire to kill from morally justified need. It also involves acknowledging the vital importance of wolves, humans and other predators in helping prevent deer overpopulation and loss of biodiversity, and joining with other voices for habitat conservation and restoration.

This is especially germane considering that across much of the U.S., the white-tailed deer population has risen over the past century from some 300,000 to an estimated 25 to 30 million. Animal protectors must also evolve and not reflexively condemn all deer hunters as Bambi eaters. However, one Minnesota deer hunter and landowner told me that he used every part of the deer he shot, and that he and his neighbors plant corn and soybeans just for "their" deer. Not making any connection with his deer feeding, he went on to say he had "shot two wolves on (his) property this season because there are too many."

So long as lupophobia and the trophy mentality persist, wolves and other essential predators will continue to be killed by some hunters as well as by cattle and sheep ranchers whose subsidized grazing rights on public lands should come with a caveat prohibiting lethal methods of predator control. Without a unified sensibility, like those deer hunters who also abhor the killing of wolves as sporting trophies along with the majority of nonhunters, we will surely continue to fall short of becoming a truly civilized society.

Within every culture there are subcultures and cults defined by demographics, economics, religious beliefs, education and values. Good governance accommodates such diversity to maximize the good of the nation-state, including proper management of natural resources and public lands. But the record of the U.S. federal and most state governments is lamentable, pandering to vested minority interests. These include sanctioning and funding ranchers' war on wolves and other predators, and permitting hunters and trappers to kill wolves for sport and fur pelts. This amounts to a violation of public trust and calls for full accountability and a return to good governance.

The public conflict over the fate of the gray wolf has made this species an icon of opposing values and cultural discord. Resolution is called for through conciliation, legal protection of wolves and effective enforcement, as well as through education of the sanctity, rights and inherent value of all indigenous species. The fate of the wolf in North America will be a measure of the success or failure of civil society to put compassion, reason, justice and respect to bear on all our relationships.

(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 www.twobitdog.com/DrFox.)

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DEAR DR. FOX: We have two wonderful, loving little silky terriers. They are exactly one year apart -- ages 2 and 3 this week. We purchased them from the same breeder, but they do no share the same parents. The 3-year-old is very laid-back, shy around people and is generally the perfect pet. The younger dog is an acquired taste: She is very hyper and recently has become aggressive to anyone coming too close to my husband or me. She is a major jumper as well; from a standing position on the floor, she can jump bar height! She is also a chewer.

Because of all of this, we have put an Invisible Fence both inside and out. We now have her confined to one room while inside. She is the alpha dog of the two and can be a bully to our other dog. We love her very much despite all this, and she is very affectionate to both of us.

The major problem is submissive urinating. We thought she would outgrow this like our older dog, but this is not the case, even two years later. She is perfectly housebroken and was very easy to train. This is not just occasional, but happens several times a day.

Any suggestions you could offer would be greatly appreciated. -- E.B., Naples, Fla.

DEAR E.B.: Your younger terrier is acting like a terrier and should not be confined to one room.

You should consult with a behavior therapist to enable you to better communicate and control this dog who must learn self-control. Another term is "internal inhibition." Check my website, DrFoxVet.com, and my book, "Dog Body, Dog Mind," for details about the procedure called "cradling" --gentle restraint that can help dogs develop internal inhibition. This can be challenging, and consultation with an animal behavior therapist may be your best solution.

As for the submissive urination, you may be confusing this (since it is a frequent event) with urinary incontinence. This often develops in dogs after spaying, and periodic hormone replacement medication with DES (diethylstilbestrol) can often solve the problem.

DEAR DR. FOX: My cat, Andy, who I got in April, has AIDS. He has vomited a few times. He eats well, both canned and dry food. I feed him four or five times a day. The problem is that he won't drink water, so I mix his canned food with water.

I worry about him not drinking water or milk. There is always a cup of water by his food bowls. I'm afraid he will develop a kidney problem. We have had cats for more than 40 years. My last one had kidney failure, but he always drank a lot of water. Please help me find a way to get Andy to drink.

I don't know what kind of life he had before I got him. Once, he tried to drink from the bathroom sink. The next time, he fell off and never tried again. -- B.L.N., West Springfield, Mass.

DEAR B.L.N.: Some cats are not good drinkers of water, and this can create problems, especially when they eat little or no canned, raw or home-prepared moist food.

Mash up and stew some canned clams or cooked chicken wings for a few minutes. Cool, strain and offer this flavored, watery gravy for your cat to drink. Offer a few tablespoons daily, and store the rest in the fridge. You may also want to soak some of the dry food in this gravy to increase your cat's water intake.

(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.)