DEAR DR. FOX: I recently inherited a 15-year-old active and healthy Himalayan cat. She has always had a thin area of fur on the base of her tail, under her belly and between her legs.

After we got her, it got worse. She is never allowed outside and neither she nor my other cat have fleas. I took her to an allergy vet, who suggested I put her on Atopica. I don't know if I could administer the kind made for cats without her choking, so she gets a very small amount of the kind for dogs, since she's only 7 1/2 pounds.

Without expensive testing, we have concluded it is environmental. My husband is in the nursery business, and our yard is full of blooming trees and plants, which he brings into the house on his person. Atopica has worked well except for about a month in the summer when she gets a little breakout on the base of her tail.

Do you have any suggestions as an alternative? I am concerned about long-term side effects. I've been told if I take her off of Atopica, her condition could become much worse than it was before. I'd hate to have a Himalayan cat with no fur. -- D.E., Lake Worth, Florida

DEAR D.E.: The active ingredient in Atopica is an immune system-modulating drug, cyclosporine, which has proven beneficial for cats and dogs suffering from dermatitis or skin problems that are termed "atopic" because the exact cause has not been identified and corrected -- such as a flea-bite hypersensitivity or food allergy.

I believe that many cases of atopic dermatitis have a food ingredient genesis, and as I have posted in my columns and on my website, many pet food manufacturers continue to be negligent in providing accurate ingredient labeling. Pork or chicken, for example, could be in a cat food that indicates on the label that rabbit is the sole animal protein ingredient. Other ingredients such as rice (especially from brewer's grains), soy and corn, all of which have no place in cat foods, could be the dermatitis or inflammatory bowel disease trigger.

Many veterinarians are finding that animals with skin problems get rapid relief and recovery when provided omega-3 fatty acid supplements, such as in canned sardines in water, wild salmon and fish oil for cats. Add the supplement to the cat's food, beginning with just a drop. For cats allergic to fish (which can also cause dermatitis), there is a source of omega-3 fatty acids in capsule form from algae.

Try out this kind of supplement and also my home-prepared cat food recipe (DrFoxVet.com). After four to six weeks, see how your old cat responds when the dose of Atopica is reduced, ideally under the eye of your cat's veterinarian.

MORE PET FOOD AND TREAT RECALLS

-- BRAVO RAW FOOD RECALLS: On Sept. 26, 2014, Bravo of Manchester, Connecticut, announced that it is recalling select lots of Bravo Turkey and Chicken pet foods for dogs and cats because they have the potential to be contaminated with salmonella.

The recalled product was distributed nationwide beginning on Nov. 14, 2013. More information on the Bravo recall can be found at bravopetfoods.com or by calling 866-922-9222.

-- JAKKS PACIFIC KONG AUSSIE STICKS RECALL: On Sept. 25, 2014, JAKKS Pacific of Walnut, California, announced a recall of its Kong Aussie Sticks dog treats due to possible contamination with mold.

The recalled product was sold only at PetSmart. You may contact JAKKS Pacific at 877-875-2557. Kong can be reached at 303-216-2626.

(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: You recently answered a question from someone whose rescued beagle mix was chewing his tail and knick-knacks when the owner left the house; the vet suggested he crate the dog when he left, but he couldn't do that to the dog since he spent "all that time in one" at the shelter from which he was rescued.

Perhaps the owner could get a crate and leave the door open so the dog can go in and out on his own when the owner's home to see if the dog likes the crate. It's possible that some of the anxiety the dog is having is because he was crated for a while, and he feels as though the crate was his "safe space."

I didn't believe in crating until I had a Brittany spaniel several years ago who chewed up everything he could get ahold of when I was gone. I bought a crate when he was 6 months old and crated him when we were gone, which broke the cycle of him being a "bad" dog -- we didn't have to scold him when we got home, and we weren't unhappy with him about the destruction for the rest of the evening.

He loved his crate after about one week! After all, dogs are den animals, and a crate is actually a "den" to a lot of dogs. He went in it every night on his own to go to bed, as well as whenever anyone's voice got louder than normal, because it was his "safe space." For that reason, I never closed the door to the crate when we were home.

I finally took it away when he was 2 years old and bought him a bed because he was matured and trouble-free by that age. Just some thoughts about the beagle's anxiety issues. Hope it helps! -- T.D., St. Louis

DEAR T.D.: Thank you for confirming, with your personal experience with your own dog, how a crate can become a secure safe-haven for a dog.

I have long advocated the use of dog crates for such purposes, and prefer the term "den provisioning" to the accepted "crate training," especially since far too many dogs are left locked in crates all day rather than having the crate door open so they can come and go as they please and really use the enclosure as a den.

Covering a wire crate with a large towel or blanket to make it more of a shelter adds to the "den" effect. What is especially important is the initial introduction to the crate. Coaxing the dog inside with tossed treats and getting him to go in and retrieve a favorite toy greatly eases the process of den provisioning and acceptance, rather than forcing the dog inside and closing the door. This could trigger an immediate phobia of being crated.

DEAR DR. FOX: We rescued our littermate male Russian blues 10 years ago. In the past two years, one of them has had sneezing fits every two to three months. We bring him to the vet, and he gets a shot of Convenia. Within two to three days, he is fine again for another few months.

Now his brother has started to do the same thing. Our vet wants to anesthetize the cats and scope their noses and lungs. Both cats usually produce thick, greenish-colored mucus from the nose when they sneeze.

Should we put the cats through this, or can we just continue to give him the antibiotic injection when needed? If it is an allergy, would they respond to the antibiotic injection?

Thank you for any advice you can give us. -- J.D., Arlington, Virginia

DEAR J.D.: Your cats' condition can be distressing for all concerned when it becomes chronic. I would shy away from the invasive tests being proposed, which would be extremely stressful for your cats, costly for you and would not guarantee any definitive answers.

There are chemicals and allergens in every home environment that can irritate the nasal, sinus and bronchial mucosal lining and invite in some infection, which is most likely pasteurella bacteria. A culture and antibiotic-sensitivity test of the discharge sneezed or coughed up by the cat can be helpful.

I would continue with the periodic injection under the skin of the Convenia, which is very effective against pasteurella bacteria. Treated cats should be given probiotics to help restore any possible bacterial imbalance caused by this medication. I would also consider better ventilation and air filter system in the rooms the cats occupy, and vacuuming the floor, carpet and upholstery every five to seven days.

(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: Could purring in adult domesticated cats be a neurotic behavior just like barking in adult dogs?

Do adult felines in the wild purr at all outside of the birth and raising of a litter, or do they purr as frequently and intensively as domesticated and pampered cats?

I had a very dependent cat who would drool and purr constantly while I was in the room. I don't think this is normal behavior.

This would have incredible implications, as purring is currently interpreted as true happiness and well-being. It is commonly used to condone the keeping of cats as pets. -- C.D., Montreal, Quebec

DEAR C.D.: I would say about cats' purring that yes, it could become a neurotic obsessive-compulsive disorder, just like other behaviors.

The motivation behind purring is complex -- cats purr when contented, when approaching each other, when curled up together and when engaging in reciprocal grooming. They will also purr when stressed. Some cats in families, even though friendly, never purr, while others never give any other kinds of vocal sounds. It may be a behavior like human chanting or yoga pranic breathing, serving primarily to relax and to signal a relaxed state to others and to solicit attention, such as being groomed, massaged or fed.

It has been theorized that purring, which is at the same Hertz audio-frequency that facilitates bone healing, may have some bone-body restorative function for cats who, as a species, tend to lie low, sleep much of the day and not get the kind of physical activity seen in other species.

Some cats drool a lot as they purr and often knead with their front paws, all associated with nursing behavior in kittens. Such behavior, in my opinion, is a possible indication of some degree of neoteny, of remaining kittenish through adulthood, in part as a consequence of early human bonding and the human taking on the role of parent figure as well as companion in the cats' psyches. But I would never generalize and infer that since some overdependent cats are borderline obsessive purrers, that means purring is an unreliable indicator of feline happiness. It is but one potential indicator of well-being, and in some situations could be a reaction to stress.

I have no in-field knowledge of wild cat purring behavior, but have heard orphaned wild cat kittens purring while nursing. This may help induce mother cats to let down their milk. The loudest purring I have ever heard was by two baby brown bears nursing from their mother at the St. Louis Zoo!

DEAR DR. FOX: I volunteer to walk dogs at our animal shelter and also foster dogs for adoption. Some people say that we "animal lovers are suffering from misguided love and should care more for people, especially children and the handicapped."

What is your opinion? Perhaps this is why municipalities generally give little funding for local shelters. It also makes me sick when I see some animal trainer of killer whales or elephants on TV insisting that they love the animals they work with. What kind of love is that? -- G.B., St. Louis

DEAR G.B.: You raise an important question about our relationships with animals and the meaning of love.

In my opinion, our love ability can be measured by our capacity to suffer for and with others and our commitment to alleviating and preventing their suffering. Otherwise, love is just another four letter-word and worse -- a word that masks selfishness, a kind of self-delusion that helps one feel good about controlling and exploiting others.

Without respect, empathy and compassionate action, the proclamation of love is just another lie or self-delusion. Where is the respect, empathy and compassion for performing captive wild animals such as tigers, elephants, orcas and dolphins when they are deprived of any semblance of a biologically and psychologically appropriate natural environment? They suffer the consequences, like the millions of monkeys and apes in most laboratory research facilities and exotic species kept as pets. All such forms of animal exploitation would be anathema to any truly civilized society.

(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.)