DEAR DR. FOX: Shortly after I adopted a stray female Pomeranian who had been running loose in the country, I read your recommendation for a bad breath problem. It worked very well.

In recent weeks, my Pomeranian took a bite of a philodendron plant. It had been five years since I last had a pet in the house, and I forgot about the plant. I rushed her to my vet, where she received an IV. I was sent home with an antibiotic that tore through her with amazing speed. This drug was considered the best. An examination of her stool found that bad bacteria had taken over in her intestines. She was changed to another antibiotic that the vet hoped would be better tolerated -- Endosorb tabs and an over-the-counter stomach medicine.

All in all, there were at least three to four trips to the vet, and the dog was declining very quickly, with vomiting and diarrhea. Then we had a weekend visit to the emergency clinic for fluids and a stomach-settling injection. I had used my vet for years, but this time there was a new crew, and I never saw the same one twice. In desperation, I called the spay/neuter clinic that had treated my dog previously and asked it for a recommendation. We went to the new vet, and he took her off all meds except Endosorb and added FortiFlora, a probiotic.

She has been on this regimen for about three weeks. I have about two weeks of the probiotics to go, but see no improvement in her stool. I had to add a teaspoon of baby food chicken to each serving to get her to eat it. Her general health has improved, and she's still perky, though she needs shorter walks.

My mother died from the Clostridium difficile (C-diff) bacteria. I have been reading about a new successful treatment of this with fecal implants. Do you think that would work for a dog who has lost all her good bacteria? -- J.M.M., Glen Allen, Virginia

DEAR J.M.M.: The philodendron plant can cause acute gut pain, swelling of the tongue and throat, kidney failure and, in cats, convulsions.

I sympathize with the difficulties that you and your poor dog went through as a consequence of the antibiotic medication that depopulated the beneficial and essential bacteria in her intestinal tract. I don't understand why such treatment was prescribed for what was presented as an emergency case of philodendron poisoning.

A bacterium called Clostridium perfringens can proliferate in dogs' intestines and cause havoc. Amoxocillin, metronidazole or tylosin are effective remedies, followed by probiotics to repopulate/recolonize the intestinal flora.

Yes, fecal transplants, delivered by a rectal enema of a suspension of fecal material from a healthy donor containing these beneficial bacteria, have been given to dogs in crisis like yours with spectacular results.

Recently, capsules containing stored frozen bacteria-rich fecal material from healthy donors have benefited human patients suffering from C-diff and related intestinal dysbiosis. This malady regrettably costs $3.2 billion annually and is associated with 14,000 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

PET FOOD RECALL

Natura Pet Products has initiated a limited, voluntary recall of certain EVO dry cat and dry ferret food lots produced in its Fremont, Nebraska, facility. Due to a formulation error, these products contain insufficient levels of vitamins and excess minerals. The problem was discovered during the investigation of an ingredient inventory discrepancy. No other Natura products are affected.

Consumers who purchased the product should discontinue feeding the product immediately and discard as normal household waste. For more information concerning lot numbers, consumers can reach Natura Consumer Relations at 1-855-206-8297 or visit evopet.com/evo-recall/. Lot numbers are also posted on my website, DrFoxVet.com.

(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 an emergency with my cat: She has diarrhea. What do you advise I do? -- E.M., Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Don't try home remedies such as over-the-counter human anti-diarrhea medications that can be fatal for cats. A short fast followed by a fresh batch of the usual food may help (buy a new batch of the same brand), since the batch you were using could be bad. Or your cat may have an infection or parasite, or has developed food intolerance or an associated endocrine disorder.

If your cat is old and could have fatty liver disease, not eating for more than a day could cause serious complications, so do not hesitate: If she does not quickly recover and appetite and strength return after the diarrhea, get to the vet without further delay.

DEAR DR. FOX: I feed my dogs around 5 p.m. Many times, they don't consume the food until much later in the evening. On these occasions, the dogs sometimes defecate in their room. The room has a doggy door that is closed at night so they do not go outside and bark at all hours. The dogs are otherwise very well trained. We have two 8-year-olds and a 13-year-old. Do you have any suggestions? -- M.S., St. Louis

DEAR M.S.: I have found that the best feeding and toilet pattern for dogs is going out for a morning walk or yard run and eating a light breakfast, then taking a walk around noon to 2 p.m.; before an evening meal (between 5 and 6 p.m.), go on a long walk or run. Then, before you go to bed, give your dogs another walk or more time in the yard.

This routine fits in with dogs' behavioral cycle of eating and being active, and their need to go out to empty their bladders and bowels.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have always had pets, but never cats because of a severe allergy. My sister came to live with me for a few months several years ago, bringing her young cat. The cat got along well with my dogs (bonding completely with my dog of the same age), but I started to notice some strange things.

First, the yellow heads from my son's Lego figures would disappear. Then, I couldn't find the yellow spring eggs I decorated for the season. My set of paints was missing the tube of yellow that I knew should be there. When I couldn't find my favorite shopping bag (yellow), I began to suspect the cat.

I spread out some multicolored pompons on the table where we kept his food and counted how many of each color there were; sure enough, by morning there were no yellow pompons, but none of the other colors had been touched. The same was repeated with multicolored feathers. When we checked the cushion of the cat's preferred nap spot, we found a stash of yellow bits of paper, plastic and fabric; this cat had a favorite color!

We set out a small yellow blanket in the house, and he moved it to his nap spot. When he wasn't drinking enough water, we started putting the water in a yellow bowl, and he stayed well hydrated.

I knew that animals could see colors (contrary to popular myth), but this was the only animal I have ever known to have a favorite color. Until the day he died, he kept his own little spot happily decorated in sunshine yellow. -- R.C., Atlanta

DEAR R.C.: This is an interesting account of a cat's color fixation, for reasons best known to the cat -- feline aesthetics, perhaps!

Cats can see some colors and can tell the difference between red, blue and yellow lights. Also, they are able to distinguish between blues and violets better than between colors near the red end of the spectrum. Recent research has also revealed that they can detect ultraviolet light.

When we match what we know of cats' multisensory abilities and recent comparative genetic research showing that domestication has done little to temper their wild heritage, we can embrace them knowing that they are, with some breed and individual exceptions, still more wild than domesticated.

Your sister's cat may have found a way to create, through this game of color-selection, a degree of environmental stimulation for a complex little brain and spirit living in a relatively unstimulating home environment -- the social enrichment of friendly dogs notwithstanding.

(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: We recently adopted a rescued female beagle who is about 8 or 9 years old. Shortly after we adopted her, she started to develop a slight limp in her front right leg for no apparent reason. It was very minor for a couple of weeks, but we monitored it and scheduled an appointment with our veterinarian. Before we could get her to the appointment, she awoke one night in an obvious state of extreme pain. Because we have other beagles who have neck and back problems, we suspected a disc problem might be the cause.

We took her to our vet, who prescribed tramadol and Rimadyl, but when that didn't help control the pain, we took her to a neurologist. She performed an MRI, and we all expected to see a disc herniation; instead, the MRI showed inflammation of a nerve root (there was some very minor disc degeneration in another area, but she felt that would not cause the problem).

Our dog was prescribed prednisone and other painkillers to address the immediate pain and control inflammation. The limp lessened, but it was still apparent. Otherwise, she showed no signs of pain or discomfort, so we reduced the painkillers to only gabapentin, and we have maintained the dosage of prednisone twice a day. When we tried to reduce the prednisone to once a day, the limp became more evident, so we increased the dose again to twice daily. The neurologist also prescribed cyclosporine to see if it would help and maybe replace the prednisone eventually. Our dog seems to be tolerating that drug, and we will have her rechecked again this week.

Have you seen this type of condition in other dogs? Do you have any insights for us to explore that we and our excellent vet may not have considered? For example, have you seen other treatments such as acupuncture help with what appears to be some sort of pain syndrome? The limp is confounding because it came on so gradually that it almost seems to me like it may be a separate issue altogether, but I'd appreciate your thoughts. -- R.M., Alexandria, Virginia

DEAR R.M.: You certainly have received the best of veterinary diagnosis and medical care for your poor dog.

She may have a condition similar to chronic regional pain syndrome in humans, which can follow trauma. In addition to the medications prescribed, I would add a daily dose of anti-inflammatory fish oil or half a can of sardines in water, plus a tablespoon of brewer's yeast mixed in with her food. Add these supplements gradually, first in small amounts so she gets used to them.

A skilled veterinary acupuncture therapist may be able to provide some relief. You can also try electrical stimulation using the Alpha-Stim system, which effectively alleviates various painful syndromes in humans; some veterinarians have found it to be effective in various cases of chronic pain and lameness in animals. Lameness throws the whole body off-kilter so whole-body massage, as in my book "The Healing Touch for Dogs," could be beneficial.

DEAR DR. FOX: Many months ago, you wrote an excellent article directed to people who leave their dogs locked up all day while they're at work.

You mentioned how this could cause cancer of the bladder, and you stated that dogs should be taken out every two hours. I know a few dogs who got this terrible treatment, and I want to send the owners copies of your articles. Where can I find the column? -- J.R.W., Norfolk, Virginia

DEAR J.R.W.: I appreciate your concern. However, I do not recall ever stating that keeping dogs locked up all day can cause them to develop bladder cancer.

Pups and old dogs with kidney problems and other health issues that make them drink more water need to be taken out to urinate every three or four hours. Mature dogs should be walked and given a chance to urinate before being left in the home, and they should have time outdoors after four to five hours of confinement. Six to eight hours alone during the weekday is pushing it.

Stress, extreme discomfort from retaining urine and possible bladder inflammation and infection are to be avoided. Some dogs can be trained to use a pee pad -- small dogs in high-rise apartments most notably. But spending long hours all alone is no life for any dog, and a dog-walker should be hired.

(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.)