DEAR DR. FOX: I recently decided to try your food recipe for our 15-year-old female beagle mix, and I have seen positive results.

Back in June, she had her annual shots and checkup on a Monday, and on Friday night she tried to stand up and lost her balance. It seemed like her back legs were giving out on her. When she tried to walk, she went in circles. We took her to the vet the next morning, who diagnosed her with vestibular syndrome and prescribed prednisone for five days. She seemed to be somewhat better the next day, but far from 100 percent. She was able to get around OK, even venturing up and down two flights of stairs several times a day. But her head was constantly tilted to the left.

One day, I had this light bulb go off in my head about your homemade dog food recipe and decided to try it. I used ground deer meat from my freezer for the first few batches, along with whole-grain rice and shredded carrot. She has been eating this recipe for just over a month, and not only does she absolutely love this food, I have noticed an overall improvement in her well-being. She is able to hold her head up straight, and she's got her spunk back. I looked outside and saw her trotting along in the grass in the yard. She seems so much more alert and doesn't sleep as much as she used to. She always knows when it's mealtime and is the first to remind me when it's time to eat. -- K.J., O'Fallon, Missouri

DEAR K.J., Thanks for your information about the diet-related transformation in your dog.

The revolution in what dogs and cats are being fed is now well underway for more nutrition-conscious caregivers and veterinarians. Good nutrition is the best preventive medicine.

DEAR DR. FOX: I just read your column asking readers to let you know when pets have shown improvement through diet changes.

I have a 5-year-old great Pyrenees-Catahoula leopard mix. He is by far the best family dog I have ever had, but he has suffered with terrible, constant ear infections his whole life. Every day on his walk, he would start by lying down in the grass and rolling and rubbing his ears on the ground. We started him on Hill's Science Diet when we got him as a puppy and switched him to Ideal Balance chicken and brown rice formula as an adult dog. I had read that a grain-free diet might help with skin and ear issues. Our dog had no skin issues, but did shed tremendously, which we chalked up to him being part Pyrenees. I switched him to Hill's Ideal Balance grain-free chicken and potato, and by the time I had his feed down to a 75 percent old food and 25 percent new food, his ears were 100 percent better!

He has not had a recurrence, and it has been about a month. His ears are clean and healthy looking, and I haven't had to do anything to them. This is a first. Before, even when he didn't have an active infection, they never looked clean and healthy. Another big bonus is he is not shedding as much. I know he is currently building his winter coat, but compared to other years at the same time, I do notice less hair.

It is awesome to see his increased energy and playfulness. I'm confident this is due to him feeling so much more comfortable! I wish I had switched him long ago! -- J.K., Chesterfield, Missouri

DEAR J.K.: In my opinion, most of the common chronic illnesses in dogs and cats being treated by veterinarians could have been prevented by feeding a biologically appropriate diet with selected supplements and alternative proteins tailored to the individual's condition, response and breed.

This means that part of the diagnostic and treatment protocols followed by veterinarians should include consideration of food ingredients and their "nutrigenomics" -- how they can influence gene activity and trigger inflammations. But regrettably, according to many of the letters that I receive from readers, this is not done with any degree of consistency or thoroughness beyond prescribing a special and costly manufactured prescription diet, the limitations of which have been discussed in my book "Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Dog & Cat Food."

DEAR DR. FOX: My 9-year-old cat, Mitzi, began to have recurring urinary tract infections. She is an outdoor cat who comes in to visit in the mornings. In winter, she sleeps crated indoors at night.

Mitzi would urinate in a particular place in my kitchen to let me know of her infection -- very bloody urine. The routine was meds for two weeks with improvement but continued infection followed by 30 more days of meds. Mitzi is not a drinker and was on dry food, a bad combination.

Since cooking for her with your recipe, she has not has a UTI in a year. Between the broth from cooking the chicken and water I add for warmth and consistency, she is well hydrated and even looks healthier. Mitzi loves her food. My sister started cooking for her UTI-prone cat with the same results. -- T.H., Carrsville, Virginia

DEAR T.H.: Many thanks for your affirmation of the benefits of good and biologically appropriate nutrition for cats.

Millions of cats have suffered over the years from the wrong diets sold by pet food companies and veterinarians who believed the manufacturers' claims of their products being "scientifically formulated, complete and balanced." But the pet health revolution is now in full swing, and I feel vindicated for my advocacy, which caused me problems in the past both financially and professionally.

(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: One of my mini dachshunds (who just turned 4) has had two seizures eight weeks apart.

Our vet is thinking it was the Comfortis flea medicine, or maybe Heartgard, as the second seizure took place one hour after giving him these two meds.

Is there anything out there that is natural and less harmful for heartworm and fleas, or is there anything you would suggest for the heartworm prevention? My vet is saying Revolution all-in-one treatment. Ours are indoor dogs who get one morning walk on no grass and who are never in kennels. -- D.D., Naples, Florida

DEAR D.D.: This is some of what the manufacturers state on their Comfortis website:

"For dogs: The most common adverse reaction reported is vomiting. Other adverse reactions reported in decreasing order of frequency are: depression/lethargy, decreased appetite, incoordination, diarrhea, itching, trembling, excessive salivation and seizures. ... Following concomitant extra-label use of Ivermectin with Comfortis, some dogs have experienced the following clinical signs: trembling/twitching, salivation/ drooling, seizures, incoordination, excessive dilation of pupils, blindness and disorientation. ... Use with caution in breeding females and dogs with pre-existing epilepsy".

Clearly, your dog had an adverse reaction to these drugs. Check my website for my review of safe methods of dealing with fleas. Low-dose Heartgard (ivermectin) to prevent heartworms should be given only after a blood test has determined that the dog is not already infected. In states where there are winters too cold for mosquitoes that transmit heartworm, the preventive drug need not be given year-round.

I know of no other safe preventive. This drug is not safe for some breeds, such as collies, when given at a high dose, as for treatment for mange.

DEAR DR. FOX: I read your column today about dog owners letting their pets urinate in public. How does this apply to service dogs? This is a rare occurrence with my husband's dog, but it recently happened after he was leaving the hospital after five or six hours of being there. The dog was allowed no water after his dinnertime, and he did his business at home before they left. Is a blind person expected to clean up after the dog?

My second question involves the same dog. He is 4 years old and is a great service dog. We recently got a mini pig, and the German shepherd is scared to death of it! We have had the pig four months. Any advice you can give would be appreciated. -- R.S., Asheville, North Carolina

DEAR R.S.: I am very much aware of the stress often imposed on guide dogs, especially when they are older and develop kidney problems and need more water, because my wife and I took in Quincy, her brother's guide dog, when he was retired from devoted service. They are indeed trained not to evacuate until given vocal command, and the situation that you describe calls for an understanding public. Of course your husband cannot be expected to clean up after his dog.

Some dogs are spooked by pigs, not being used to their behavior, scent and ways they communicate. Give the dog time, and get a harness for the pig and take them both for walks together. Let the dog see the pig play with toys and then try to engage the dog.

Good luck!

(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 cat had vomiting and diarrhea and received extensive and expensive testing and medication with no permanent cure in spite of also being fed only prescription canned food.

I finally realized that the problem was the excessive liquid content of the canned cat food. After opening the cans, pouring out the excess liquid and allowing the contents to dry out by leaving the opened can in the refrigerator for a day before using it, I greatly reduced the liquid content of the food. The result was a permanent cure of my cat's vomiting and diarrhea problem -- without further use of medications.

I recently found out that a friend had the same problems with his cat as a result of excess liquid in prescription canned cat food, and she cured him in the same way. -- R.P., Matawan, New Jersey

DEAR R.P.: Your diligence on behalf of your cat should benefit many other cats and their owners.

It is time for a big wake-up call and a demand for pet food industry accountability. The suffering of uncounted cats and the anguish and financial and emotional costs to their human caregivers associated with various ingredients and deficiencies is criminal.

Clearly, your poor cat was either allergic or hypersensitive to and intolerant of one or more ingredients in the "gravy" -- not simply, as you contend, to the "excessive liquid content." All cats need liquid!

Check my website (DrFoxVet.com) for information on one "gravy-making" additive, carrageenan, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea and trigger symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. This disease leads many veterinarians to prescribe risky corticosteroids and even anesthetize sick cats to do intestinal biopsies to make a diagnosis and rule out cancer.

There may also be Red No. 3 dye (erythrosine), which is still used in some canned cat and dog foods. It may cause cancer and can disrupt normal thyroid gland function.

DEAR DR. FOX: In your column, I recently read about a cat not drinking water and thought I would offer a suggestion: My cat won't drink water from a dish placed next to his food bowl.

My cat growing up would drink the water left in the bottom of the bathtub, so we started putting her water bowl on the side of the tub. My current cat started drinking water from a short glass I had for myself on my nightstand. So that is where her water bowl is now.

Some cats are just picky about where their food and water are located. I discovered my cat does not like deep bowls for her food and water. She would take her wet food out of the bowl and put it on the floor to eat it, making a mess. I don't think she likes her whiskers touching the sides of the bowl. I now put her food on plates or wide, low-sided dishes. Her water bowl is deep and wide, so her whiskers don't touch the sides. It must be filled to the top, and she lets me know when it isn't!

Sometimes, feeding and drinking issues are as simple as location and container type. -- D.F., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR D.F.: Your observations may help many readers who have cats who do not like to drink by their food bowls and who prefer to avoid contact with the sides of their drinking bowls with their whiskers (vibrissae).

Wide glasses or ceramic bowls are best, in my opinion. Metal bowls can trigger a static electrical discharge, especially indoors in winter with synthetic carpeting, which can go through the vibrissa on the lips and under the chin and shock the cat. Plastic food and water bowls may be safer in this regard, but they can be toxic. Some cats with skin lesions on their lips and chins have improved when their plastic food and water containers are replaced with glass or ceramic.

DOG BOOK REVIEW

"The Life and Love of Dogs" by Lewis Blackwell. The enormous book (almost 5 pounds) is published by Abrams, and printed in China. The odor (from chemicals used to show selected fine photos of dogs by various photographers) is nauseating, and it's possibly toxic and environmentally harmful.

This book is a sophomoric rehash of what others have written about dogs and their origins, behavior, human bond and future (with varying degrees of scientific credibility), infused with a "feel-good" sentimentalism about dogs. This does not translate into eloquent prose from one who has reflected deeply on the nature of dogs and their relationships with us over the millennia, nor does it inspire to help improve the care and well-being of dogs world-wide, especially the abused, neglected, homeless, abandoned and feral. The dichotomy in the title between the "Love of Dogs" (presumably for us) and of our purported love for them, which can lead to an almost fetish obsession to breed dogs with genetic deformities and to keep old dogs alive at all costs, regardless of their suffering, is swept away by this shallow sentimentalism and is not addressed in this book.

I, therefore, do not recommend this book as an authoritative and inspiring book for people to purchase and, in the process, support a side of the publishing industry that must become extinct. Its evident ecological impact, sacrificing trees and other raw materials as well as fossil fuels in the manufacture and shipping of these kinds of books that do not use recycled materials, is not worth the content. The book uses potentially harmful chemicals rather than certified nontoxic inks for reasons of questionable value beyond profit margins.

(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.)