DEAR DR. FOX: Please help us figure out what is going on with our beloved dog Chief. We are baffled, and so is our vet.

Chief is a 4- or 5-year-old red coonhound mix we adopted from a shelter two years ago. He weighs about 55 pounds. We live on a 5-acre wooded property that is almost entirely enclosed in an invisible fence, and when we got him, Chief would race around the property at warp speed most of the time, to the point of creating his own well-worn paths throughout the area. And, true to his breed, he would go nuts barking at squirrels and raccoons in trees (although deer don't bother him in the least -- he has always just ignored them). Sometimes it was even difficult to get him to abandon making the world safe from squirrels and come into the house.

In February, Chief had a bad urinary tract infection and was on antibiotics and pain medication for several weeks. He has recovered from that, but in some ways he has changed radically: Now he will barely go into the yard and won't go into the wooded area at all, he hardly ever runs anymore and he mostly ignores squirrels. He likes to sit outside in our driveway or on the deck, but he won't venture much farther than that. He is still loving and playful, but he prefers now to be inside most of the time. His personality has not changed, but his behavior is so different that sometimes I wonder if he really is the same dog.

We will be grateful for any light you can shed on his transformation from dog dynamo to a "house cat," as my son now calls him. -- J.B., Fairfax, Virginia

DEAR J.B.: I have heard of dogs developing a phobia of going outdoors where there is an invisible fence set up. They may have received shocks and developed a conditioned emotional reaction. Disconnect it and take Chief on frequent walks in and out of your property. A light dose of alprazolam from the veterinarian may help. Later, reconnect the fence and be with him when he experiences the signal that it is on. I prefer a real fence to keep other dogs (or rabid wildlife) away.

It is also quite possible that his painful urinary tract infection, much like cats with cystitis avoiding the litter box, became associated with being in your outdoor area.

Alternatively, he may have some chronic pain issue and does not want to be very active -- possible vertebral or limb joint problems worth evaluating. Incidences of both acute and chronic pain in animals can set up aversive fear reactions, which persist long after the painful condition has been resolved, fear being part of the enduring conditioned emotional reaction.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 1-year-old cat I got from a shelter when he was 6 months old. He is a wonderful companion, sits on my lap and brings me toys when he wants to play.

Every so often, he frantically bites my arms. His teeth are very sharp, and he breaks the skin. He does it only when I am in my recliner or sitting on the edge of my bed, never when I am at my desk or table, even though my arms are accessible. He bites through clothing if I am wearing something with long sleeves.

Do you have any thoughts on why he does this? More importantly, what I can do to stop this behavior? -- J.R., Falls Church, Virginia

DEAR J.R.: Expectant parents usually get books and seek advice about infant care before their child is born, and I wish more people would do the same before they take a companion animal into their lives. Knowing something about their behavior and basic needs and modes of communication are essential for establishing a mutually enhancing relationship. Love without understanding will not get you very far!

Your cat is giving you "love bites," which I discuss in my books "Supercat" and "Cat Body, Cat Mind." A loud "No," followed by a light tap in the cat's nose, just as a mother cat will discipline a kitten, may suffice. Alternatively, pick up the cat and put him on the floor and redirect his behavior to a toy. Before one of our cats gets into this amorous mode (some cats will follow the bites with straddling and humping or regress and try to nurse and knead your arm or leg with their front paws), we either start brushing or massaging the cat. Ideally, consider adopting another cat so they can interact as cats do on their own terms and enrich each other's lives in ways we cannot.

You may also be unwittingly attracting your cat with some body lotion you have applied to yourself that may act like a pheromone and trigger this kind of behavior.

(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 have a mixed-breed pound dog who we adopted a couple of years ago. She's about 30 pounds and possibly a Sheltie. She's a good girl, and we truly love her. The weird thing is that she's an awful car traveler. She's fine at all other times, but I've never seen a dog behave like this.

She will eagerly jump into the car, but once it starts, it's a different story -- she cries constantly and hyperventilates. She will not sit still; we have to hold her the entire time. We have tried to get her accustomed to the car, but this seems to be a deep-seeded neurosis. We have tried kenneling her in the car and that doesn't help -- it seems worse than just holding her.

Is there anything we can give her to calm her down? -- H.L., Houston

DEAR H.L.: A study was recently published by an animal behaviorist in the U.K. that showed significant benefit from spraying the inside of the car with a mist of water mixed with a few drops of lavender oil prior to the ride. An occasional spritz on the dog may also help during a long journey.

Trying to desensitize your dog may be worth a try. This entails sitting in the car with the dog for increasing periods of time with the engine off, then the engine running, then going on longer and longer drives. The dog is given treats sporadically to associate being in the car with food rewards.

She may travel better and prefer the security of a dog crate or in a harness and tethered to a back seat. This is much safer anyway, and should be the law in every state.

Treatment with Valium (or its parent herb, valerian) 30 minutes before a ride may help. After a few treatments, many dogs settle down and can be weaned off the medication. For dogs who develop nausea and vomit, a small piece of ginger root in a ball of cream cheese can work wonders.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a cat similar to one I read about in your column. She always had poop stuck on her butt, and it would rub off on the furniture. Her fur was greasy, smelly and matted. I had a groomer bathe and shave her once, and the grease in her fur clogged the groomer's shaver.

That was when she weighed 18 pounds. She couldn't reach to do much grooming other than her front paws and a bit of her sides. She's since lost weight, and from the time she hit about 14 pounds, she started grooming herself again, and now is a very clean, not-smelly cat. -- J.A.W., Wilbraham, Massachusetts

DEAR J.A.W.: I am glad you wrote about what may seem amusing but is in fact a serous cat welfare issue. It is a potentially criminal offense under the U.K.'s Animal Welfare Act to allow a cat or dog to become obese -- and for good reason. Animals' lives can become utterly miserable, not only from being too fat to groom and clean themselves, but they also become depressed, arthritic, develop diabetes, weakened hearts and other serious health problems. The fatter they become -- most often because of being fed the wrong foods and being given too many high-calorie treats -- the more their quality of life deteriorates. For details, check with the Feline Nutrition Education Society at feline-nutrition.org.

PETSMART DOG CHEW TOY RECALL

From the PetSmart website:

"Himalayan Corporation has issued a voluntary recall of specific Ruff Roots All-Natural Dog Chew Toys due to potential metal contamination. While this recall affects all lots of the Ruff Roots Dog Chew Toys sold by PetSmart, no other Himalayan Corporation products are impacted by this issue. If you are concerned about your pet's health, please contact a veterinarian immediately.

"Please stop using any affected product immediately and bring it to your closest PetSmart store for a full refund. If you have any questions about this voluntary recall, please call the Himalayan Corporation at 425-322-4295 or email info@himalayandogchew.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: While visiting Houston, I adopted a Chihuahua mix, Paco, from a shelter. He was found wandering the streets, was close to starvation and had a severe case of heartworm.

When I brought him home to Massachusetts, he was a frightened, nervous dog. I worked with him diligently for a long time, but he suffered from colitis from the start. He was under the veterinarian's care from the beginning, and we could not get the colitis completely under control. I purchased a special Science Diet food from the doctor, along with pills and liquid medicine. Nothing worked well. He gained some weight, but seemed uncomfortable all the time.

One day, I came upon your column in our paper and read a letter from someone who had changed their dog's diet to your homemade food with good results. Immediately, I printed out your diet, went shopping and fed Paco the diet. It has been nine months now, and he has not had a single colitis episode.

My only problem is keeping the amount of food under control because he loves it so much. He hated the Science Diet, both dry and canned. He is now 16 pounds and looks great. He runs every day for over an hour (his energy is wonderful), he's happy and cheerful -- and I owe it all to you. Paco and I have made you famous among my dog-walking friends.

Everyone calls him "Paco the Wonder Dog" because he is so friendly and listens to every command cheerfully; I can tell it is because he feels so well. -- D.C., Northampton, Massachusetts

DEAR D.C.: I appreciate your letter confirming the benefits of home-prepared foods. I would like to hear from other readers whose dogs' and cats' health problems have been cured with my basic recipes. For more details, see my books "Dog Body, Dog Mind" and "Cat Body, Cat Mind."

More veterinarians are discovering that many chronic health problems are attributable to manufactured pet foods, and cannot be reliably rectified by special "prescription" and "premium" diets.

DEAR DR. FOX: We adopted a 5-year-old wire fox terrier six months ago. We don't have a lot of history on him except that he had at least two previous homes, was housed at the Humane Society at least once in between homes and was also foster-homed before coming to us. He is a real delight -- sweet, smart, playful and loads of fun. As long as he can see us or be with us, he is calm and under control. But when anyone (family, visitors or strangers) goes to leave the house or yard, he becomes extremely agitated -- barking, running wildly, snapping at the fence and grass and sometimes snapping at the person who is leaving. The same thing occurs when a motor vehicle comes in or leaves the driveway. The lawnmower, vacuum cleaner and other motor-related noises also seem to agitate him. Patient reassurance or humane corrections don't seem to help get him straightened away.

We would appreciate any advice, suggestions or tips that you can provide for this problem. -- M.W., Waldorf, Maryland

DEAR M.W.: Your dog has two conditions that call for different treatments.

His separation anxiety may wane over time and be, in part, attributable to his emotionally disruptive prior experiences. Leaving him briefly and repeatedly coming and going, gradually increasing time away (two, five, 10 minutes, etc.) is one behavior-modifying desensitization procedure that works for many dogs.

Becoming excited over loud noises like vacuum cleaners tends to go with the breed. You have to live with both.

Treatment with a low dose of Valium or Prozac for 10 to 14 days may help him learn to cope better with anxiety-triggering situations. You vet can also check out milder preparations include Tryptocalm LT from Meridian Animal Health and @-Eaze from PetzLife.

RACHAEL RAY NUTRISH WET CAT FOOD RECALL

Ainsworth Pet Nutrition of Meadville, Pennsylvania, is voluntarily recalling five varieties of Rachael Ray Nutrish wet cat food, including Ocean Fish-a-licious, Lip Smackin' Sardine & Mackerel, Ocean Fish & Chicken Catch-iatore, Tuna Purrfection and certain lot codes of Paw Lickin' Chicken & Liver, due to potentially elevated levels of vitamin D. Symptoms of excessive vitamin D consumption usually develop within 12 to 36 hours after ingestion and may include vomiting or diarrhea, increased thirst and urination, and muscle tremors or seizures. Any cat experiencing these symptoms should be taken to a veterinarian immediately.

The recalled products were distributed nationwide. No other Rachael Ray Nutrish products are affected by this recall.

To date, there have been 11 reports of illness associated with these products.

After conducting a number of product tests, Ainsworth confirmed that the affected products have elevated levels of vitamin D. The high levels result from the natural levels of vitamin D that are found in some of the fish ingredients that were used in these specific formulas.

Ainsworth is working to ensure the removal of all affected products from store shelves. Retailers with affected products are asked to contact 888-943-4218 for additional information.

Consumers with questions about the recall are encouraged to contact Ainsworth's Consumer Care Team at 877-650-3486, or visit nutrishforpets.com/news.

(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.)