DEAR READERS: I recently received an email of complaint from an official of Monsanto Co., which also communicated with the newspapers that printed my report concerning the discovery of their herbicide, glyphosate, in some cat and dog foods. The complaint alleged that my concerns were not based on "sound science." This seems to be the latest defense when companies face accountability for their various products and activities. The World Health Organization's cancer agency, IARC, which relies solely on sound science and reason, concludes that glyphosate is a "probable carcinogen" in its report on this herbicide (see monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol112/mono112-02.pdf). So I repeat: Users beware; consumers, support organic farming practices that do not use such chemicals on their crops; and governments, cease and desist from pandering to corporate interests at home and abroad that put the public, the environment and animals at risk.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have been following with great interest the discussions regarding people who love pets but cannot afford them or become ill and can't care for them. I began a free service that addresses this exact issue. I founded Caregiver Canines in 2009 to provide free weekly in-home therapy dog visits to the elderly and those with dementia. It is part of a larger nonprofit agency, Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey. The joy and companionship that these in-home visits bring is tremendous and reduces the temptation to get a dog a person cannot care for. We get many calls thanking us for these visits, telling us of the psychological boost and impact they make. Recently, we partnered with the National Volunteer Caregiving Network to expand Caregiver Canines nationwide, so there are programs beginning in many states.

I encourage you and your readers who are interested in learning more or beginning this program in their own towns to check us out on Facebook (facebook.com/caregivercanines) or at caregivercanines.org. Hopefully, this will reduce the number of dogs being brought back to shelters! -- L.W., Toms River, New Jersey

DEAR L.W.: This is good news, indeed, for the elderly in the communities that your volunteers and good dogs serve. I trust that many of your volunteers are senior citizens, and that your organization does background checks on all your volunteers because so many elderly and homebound are at risk from those who would exploit and even abuse them, as is the case in many nursing homes.

DEAR DR. FOX: I agree, a program like ours is part of the larger picture of giving pet lovers the benefits of interactions with dogs without the onus of caring for one in their home, similar to seniors volunteering at shelters. The people we serve are homebound and often disabled, therefore, not able to get out to a shelter and volunteer.

Especially with the holidays coming up, many well-meaning family members purchase a dog for their elderly parents in the hopes they will ease their loneliness. After about three to four months, these dogs are returned to shelters because they could not be cared for properly.

Our agency is based on "neighbors helping neighbors," and you're absolutely right -- most of our volunteers are in their 70s and 80s! We do criminal background checks on all our volunteers to address the important issues you bring up.

I hope that more programs like ours spring up around the country, and I'd be happy to get folks started. -- L.W.

DEAR DR. FOX: Our active 13-year-old Lab mix has been diagnosed with vestibular disease. It has really taken the wind out of her sails.

She is progressing with cortisone, meclizine and gabapentin. Also tramadol as needed.

Any recommendations? Will she fully recover? Relapse?

She eats a varied and decent diet, but we would really like to help her. She loves fruit and vegetables and picks fresh tomatoes for herself from the garden! She also gets milk thistle and Glyco Flex 3. -- C.M.

DEAR C.M.: Sorry to hear about your dog's issue. Sounds like a great canine companion.

Many old dogs recover gradually. In some instances, you can try a short course of fresh chopped ginger root mixed in with food -- up to a teaspoon for a dog of her size, daily for 10 to 14 days to alleviate the nausea and inflammation. Add a few drops of fish oil to her diet forever.

Powdered turmeric is another miracle, like a safe herbal steroid. Give her a teaspoon daily in her food. Begin both ginger and turmeric supplements with a small daily dose so your dog gets used to it. Mix with moist canned dog food if you feed dry dog food only. These two herbs also help old dogs and people, too, with arthritis and other chronic inflammatory conditions.

BLUE BUFFALO KITTY YUMS CHICKEN RECIPE CAT TREATS RECALL DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF PROPYLENE GLYCOL

Blue Buffalo is voluntarily recalling a limited production of Blue Kitty Yums Chicken Recipe Cat Treats that may contain low levels of propylene glycol, which is not permitted by the Food and Drug Administration for use in cat food. One feline illness associated with the treats has been reported. Propylene glycol toxicity causes depression, muscle twitching, loss of coordination and excessive urination and thirst in cats.

(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.net.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I would like some help. My vet is a very good vet, but not informed on my problem.

I have a small Yorkie. She was born with both male and female reproductive organs. Where they operated on her, some skin is coming out. It has a discharge and swells. The vet gave me EnteDerm ointment, which takes the swelling down. She is such a sweet, special dog -- healthy, active and spoiled -- and I wouldn't trade her for anything.

Is there anything else I can do? I have enclosed some photos. I just hope you don't think I'm crazy. -- V.W., Jackson, Missouri

DEAR V.W.: I do not think you are crazy. You are clearly a devoted caregiver of a beautiful little dog. From the photos that you sent, it does seem that your dog is a hermaphrodite (endowed with genitals of both sexes). If she is excessively licking the part where she urinates, this could be preventing proper healing. What appears to be a small cyst requires surgical correction by a veterinarian skilled in soft tissue and reconstructive surgery. I would seek a second opinion without delay.

DEAR DR. FOX: Please help me with a problem my husband and I are having with our male cat Sidney, who turned 2 years old in August.

We adopted him from the Human Society when he was 1 month old. He was cute, loving and full of energy. We treat him with loving care and kindness. We play with him, groom him and feed him well with Fancy Feast wet food. He also gets regular checkups with our vet.

Within the past six to eight months, however, he is becoming more and more aggressive in his behavior. He bites (drawing blood), his ears go up, he growls in a high-pitched voice and chases after you. He used to spend time with us, but now he seems to want to be alone.

What's happening to him? He's like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. My husband will hold him in his arms for a minute or so, then Sidney will stare at him and suddenly become aggressive.

I am seriously thinking about giving him back. My husband and I are in our 70s and have very thick skin, which happens when people get older. We have had cats all of our married lives and have never had a problem like this before. -- N.A.G., Naples, Florida

DEAR N.A.G.: Consult with your regular veterinarian and with the Humane Society. A full wellness exam is called for whenever there is this kind of change in behavior. The advice of an animal behaviorist might be helpful; you might also consult my book "Cat Body, Cat Mind."

Interactive games early in the evening and a calming grooming session on a regular basis may be the best therapy. I would also transition gradually onto a better, ideally raw or home-prepared cat food. Treats of freeze-dried turkey and PetzLife's calming supplement @-Eaze may also help. Visit petzlife.com for more details.

(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.net.)

DEAR DR. FOX: After reading your article on the poodle who swam in the river daily who had a dermatitis issue, I just had to write and tell you about a similar experience we had with our standard poodle about 25 years ago.

We lived in Lake Forest, Illinois, and my husband would walk our poodle with a friend and his golden retriever on the beach of Lake Michigan. They would throw sticks into the lake for the dogs to retrieve. Our dog began to itch and scratch and lose his hair like the dog in your article.

We took him to our vet, who said that he was reacting to the chemicals in the water from a processing plant in Waukegan, Illinois. This was just a few miles north of where we were. I asked why kids and the other dog didn't seem to be affected, and the vet wasn't sure about the golden, but said the kids always go home and bathe; we didn't bathe our poodle, just dried him off.

Long story short: We stopped letting him go in the water, and his skin condition disappeared. Maybe your reader could try this for his dog. It wouldn't hurt.

By the way, we appreciate you encouraging dog owners to feed their pets raw or frozen foods. We have been doing this for years, and our pets are quite healthy and living longer. We also have cut back on vaccinations. -- A.R., Bonita Springs, Florida

DEAR A.R.: Your letter concerning your dog's skin reaction to chemicals in the lake where he swam some 25 years ago is more relevant today than ever. It is astounding to me the degree of ignorance and callous indifference of not just polluting industries, but private individuals, too.

I live in Minnesota, "Land of 10,000 Lakes." Mining, timber pulp mills, industrial agriculture, community green-space management, golf courses and property owners with chemically treated lakes and riverside lawns pollute most of the natural lakes. Dogs have died very quickly from acute liver failure after swallowing "fresh" water contaminated with blue-green algae that flourish with all the nitrates and phosphates we release into the lakes and rivers across the United States.

For more details, see my article about pure water for animals at my website DrFoxVet.net.

The Bottom Line: Keep out of most water if there are no shower facilities with clean water close by. We should all support organizations like the Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth and the Earth Island Institute, who, among other nonprofit organizations, are working to clean up our messes and improve our health recovery.

DEAR DR. FOX: My dog, Sunny, is 15 years old. He is part yellow Lab and part beagle. He has always been a dirt eater. My vet says she doesn't quite know why. Sunny has slowed down because of his age, but he still gets around very well. He is a little hard of hearing, but otherwise the vet says he is in good shape for his age, with only a little muscle loss. I would appreciate your input on his eating dirt. -- B.H., St. Louis

DEAR B.H.: Many animal species eat dirt. Such behavior can be triggered by abdominal pain or discomfort and when dogs have anemia. More often, in my opinion, dogs eat dirt as a kind of self-medication, possibly to get certain nutrients lacking in their diets, or because of impaired digestive processes. These can decline with age, and many older dogs (people, too) benefit from being given probiotics, digestive enzymes and prebiotics. Discuss this option with your veterinarian, and keep me posted.

DEAR DR. FOX: This is a reply to the reader who asked why anyone would want a cat in his or her home:

My cat sleeps by my lower back. He knows when my bladder is going to go before I do. He meows to wake me, leads me to the bathroom, flushes my toilet and leads me back to bed. He wakes me at 6 a.m., leads me to my desk for my pills and then to the fridge for his food. When he finishes eating, he goes to the bedroom and whines until I make the bed.

When I leave my apartment, I keep the door open. He lies there by the open door and will not leave until he hears me coming. He meows and meows until he hears me coming, so I know where to go. I am in a power chair and could not get along without my cat.

That's why I want a cat -- he is excellent company. -- D.W., Perham, Minnesota

DEAR D.W.: Thanks for your account of how your cat cares for you. He should be an icon for his species, many of whom are neither understood nor appreciated by the less-informed of our own kind.

Indifference and prejudice toward other animals arise in part from the overarching chauvinism of society and deprivation of positive associations with them during formative childhood years.

CONCERNING PET FOOD AND TREAT RECALLS

Recalls of cat and dog foods and treats are announced frequently, reasons including contamination with mold and bacteria and, less frequently, ingredient deficiencies or excesses. Rather than take up limited column space with manufacturers' contact details, brand names, batch/lot numbers, etc., I will simply post product names and reasons for the recall and advise those who have purchased these products to return them to the place of purchase. Those who wish to keep informed in more detail should subscribe to Susan Thixton's pet food consumer alerts as detailed at truthaboutpetfood.com

-- Salix Animal Health, LLC of Deerfield, Florida, is voluntarily expanding its recall of Good 'n' Fun -- Beefhide Chicken Sticks because this product may be contaminated with salmonella.

-- Halo, Purely for Pets has initiated a limited, voluntary recall of its Spot's Stew Sensitive Cat Turkey kibble due to reports of mold. No other Halo products are affected.

(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.net.)