DEAR READERS: Please take note of these words from the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association, of which I am an Honor Roll member):

“Many people are aware that turtles and other reptiles can carry salmonella bacteria, but not many know that amphibians can carry it, too. This doesn’t mean amphibian and reptile owners should get rid of their pets. What it does mean is that amphibian and reptile handlers and owners should take precautions to protect themselves and their families.”

You can read the AVMA’s tips on preventing salmonella infections from these animals by visiting AVMA.org and searching for “salmonella.”

This post is so needed because many captive-bred and indigenously -- and often illegally -- collected amphibians and reptiles are ill at the point of purchase. It is extremely difficult to recognize when they are sick because they have a way of masking illness. Many go untreated and slowly die, often from combined malnutrition and chronic stress. In their natural environments, reptiles and amphibians help control many insect-borne diseases that can infect humans with far worse consequences than salmonella.

While the tips and awareness are necessary, I wish that the AVMA would go further and practice some veterinary bioethics, and urge people to stop purchasing these animals and all non-domesticated species. This is because the worldwide wildlife market, coupled with human encroachment and pesticide poisoning, means much-documented animal suffering, countless deaths and the plunder, pollution and destruction of natural habitats and healthy ecosystems. This correlates with the rising incidence of zoonotic diseases, with drug-resistant malaria being a very serious public health concern.

My book “Animals and Nature First” is a call to accept this ecological perspective and its application. It is a way of seeing that begins with greater respect for, and less exploitation of, all life. As the Elder Brothers of the Kogi people of Colombia warn, this path of exploitation and destruction, rather than of exultation and empathy with all life, is collective suicide.

It is good that there are veterinarians, biologists and others who are dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and to the treatment and prevention of diseases and suffering of those in captivity. But their commercial breeding and extraction from the wild for sale as “pets,” which drives the market of exploitation and destruction, must end. PetSmart and Petco know what to do.

DEAR DR. FOX: Out of five cats that I have had, two had to be on prescription Hill’s Science Diet: Max for pancreatitis and Audrey for cystitis.

Max developed thyroid cancer, requiring a very expensive treatment, and now Audrey has developed diabetes. This was after a few years of eating the Hill’s. They did not like the food and ate very little. Audrey has now lost weight and nearly stopped eating. The vet suggested changing from chicken to fish Hill’s, which worked for about three weeks. My husband and I were reading the labels and we were appalled. The only meat was pork, and the only other thing close to meat was “fish FLAVOR.”

I started to research food when we found out that she had diabetes. I told the vet that Hill’s had cornstarch, corn gluten, soy and wood (cellulose), and many other unrecognizable ingredients. Audrey is now on insulin and a different diet, which she likes.

I am wondering if anyone else has had this experience with the Hill’s company. Not sure if it is the Hill’s, but my other three cats ate anything I gave them, and they never had serious issues. Makes me wonder. -- S.M., Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey

DEAR S.M.: You should not be reading the ingredient labels on manufactured pet foods, especially the expensive special prescription diet ones! Just trust your veterinarian, who in turn trusts the science and medical claims of the manufacturers!

Not really, of course. That trust is wearing so thin that there is now considerable transparency -- to the degree that my and other veterinarians’ advocacy of home-prepared diets is making a difference. I recommend whole-food, organic, biologically appropriate diets for dogs and cats, as per the recipes posted on my website.

It does not take a doctoral degree to realize that since cats are obligate carnivores relying on animal fat and protein for their nutritional requirements, corn gluten, cornstarch and soy vegetable protein have no place in the feline diet. For more insights, visit feline-nutrition.org.

The big pet food manufacturers offering higher-quality pet foods are hedging their bets as ingredient costs spiral up and quality and availability spiral down; many people either cannot afford good quality dog and cat food, or they expect to pay little for it and balk at the higher prices. “The same kibble every day is fine,” they think, and so our pets have widespread obesity, diabetes and other “nutrigenic” diseases, that in turn create a profitable market for special prescription diets.

Special diets are of benefit to both cats and dogs. Some veterinarians are now preparing their own or providing recipes, and many are using the resources of veterinarian-directed Balance IT in Davis, California. Visit secure.balanceit.com for a cornucopia of good nutrition and therapeutic diets.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 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: Responding to your request for ‘pet’ peeves -- or should I say ‘guardian’ peeves? Mine are:

-- Feeding an animal too much so she/he becomes obese.

-- Buying cheap grocery-store pet “food.”

-- Not providing dental care. -- D.A., Falls Church, Virginia

DEAR DR. FOX: Thank you for providing helpful information in your newspaper column. In a past column, a reader asked what the worst mistakes are in pet care. You provided some helpful ideas. May I suggest you add another to the list?

Please stress that pet owners should NOT drive their car with their pet roaming freely in the front seat or sitting in the driver’s lap. It is a danger to the pet, who may be thrown through a windshield in the event of a sudden stop. It is also very distracting to the driver, who may cause an accident that would endanger the lives of the owner, the pet and other drivers/pedestrians.

I have witnessed an accident and have, several times, been nearly hit by drivers who had pets sitting in their laps. I even urge people to write to their congressional representatives to sponsor state laws that pets not be allowed in the front seat unrestrained. It is currently a law in only a few states but, for everyone’s safety, it needs to be a law in every state.

Let’s keep pets and their owners all safe. -- S.B., Burke, Virginia

DEAR D.A. & S.B.: Your “pet peeves” are spot-on, and I need add no more except to endorse your concerns and urge all readers to take your good words to heart.

DEAR DR. FOX: Two weeks ago, I adopted a cat from the Humane Society, and yesterday I had to take him back. I hated to do that, because he was basically a good cat. But MY cat nearly had a heart attack when I brought the new one home. I found that I had to keep New Cat in the basement, and Old Cat upstairs. With bathroom facilities accordingly. Can’t live like that. The few times I tried to get them together required several Band-Aids. For me.

But now that New Cat is gone, how do I convince Old Cat of that without buying another box of Band-Aids? The cat bathroom is in the basement and I’d like to retire the temporary one upstairs. I thought I was doing a good deed, but all I did was upset an already neurotic cat. -- E.J., St. Louis, Missouri

DEAR E.J.: It is foolhardy to simply let a new cat into the home and expect the resident cat or cats to accept the interloper like a long-lost friend. The Humane Society is very much at fault for letting you take the cat without any advice about introduction and preparing your home before you took the cat with you. The steps that should be followed when adding a new cat into a home are available in the article “Introducing a New Cat” on my website, drfoxvet.net. These kinds of materials should be provided by all cat adoption agencies.

It may take several weeks for your resident cat to recover and accept going down into the basement to use the litter box. You may want to place the litter box at the top of the basement stairs or at least close to them, with the basement door open, for a few days. Of course, clean the box used by the new cat with water and vinegar before putting in fresh litter, and clean around the floor surfaces in the basement to at least dilute the scent of the new cat. A plug-in dispenser of Feliway, the cat bonding pheromone, in the basement may also help.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 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 have a lap kitty. To be more specific, this approximately 7-year-old rescue cat (mine for four years) is not content to just curl up on my legs when I sit. Rather, she senses when I sit in my easy chair from wherever she is napping elsewhere in the house -- how she knows this is beyond me. She comes running and jumping into my lap, worming and inching her way up to my torso until ensconced like a nursing baby, inches from my chin. There, she will stretch out her forelegs, placing each one as far as she can reach around my neck in a seeming kitty hug. I know she would even try kissing me if she could. Of course, I am moved by this act of kitty love.

The problem: A few months ago, she started jumping up on the toilet seat, probably thinking, “Wow, a huge water bowl!” After that started, my husband now scolds me for allowing the snuggling, pointing out that nasty germs on her paws could move to my neck and face. I said, what’s the difference between that and kitty litter on her paws, then on me? Or a pet puppy who licks his genitals, then someone’s face?

I am not exactly fond of this either, but germs are everywhere. I am told that even my washing-machine tub is filled with germs! Pets are doing the only thing they know to show their love for their owners.

What should I do? Bar her from her habits, or enjoy this act of love? -- B.S., Springfield, Missouri

DEAR B.S.: Your vivid prose will get some readers thinking about this important issue and, hopefully, find the middle way.

Without good bacteria from our animal companions and other natural sources, we and our children would probably have even more allergies, depression, obesity, infections and other health issues. These ailments are high enough as it is, because of our collective ignorance and paranoia over potentially infectious and contagious bacteria, and the misuse of antibiotics and other antibacterial -- anti-life -- chemicals.

Infectious disease experts advise to keep your hands away from your mouth and face when in public places to limit the hand-transfer of potentially harmful bacteria, including the infamous norovirus, and to wash hands thoroughly when you come home and before you prepare food and before you eat. Wash hands after putting out pet food, dry kibble being a potential source of salmonella and other bacterial infections.

DEAR DR. FOX: I always read your articles in the Palm Beach Post and find them informative. I am addressing a matter dear to my heart, and I hope you will agree with me.

When a dog or cat is hopelessly ill and suffering and there is no hope, a decision is usually made to euthanize the animal. I would like to propose the following, from my personal experience.

Our old cat, Tomy, after having kidney problems for a long time, eventually had acute kidney failure. He retreated into his “igloo” bed, refusing to drink or eat for days. We decided to end his suffering.

We called the veterinarian and asked her to come to our house, instead of dragging a very sick cat to unfamiliar surroundings and causing additional trauma. The doctor came and my family (including our grown daughter) all gathered around Tomy to say goodbye. I held him in my arms when he got the injection to sedate him, and then the lethal injection. We could see there was no pain; he just fell asleep. We buried Tomy in the backyard. It was a family affair with all of us crying, but it was comforting knowing we were with him to the end in his familiar surroundings.

On the practical side: The costs for the house call were reasonable, and it was cheaper to bury him than to have him cremated. Most people don’t know about the option for in-home euthanasia and are surprised when I bring it up. Please help make home euthanasia wider known. It makes such a positive difference in the final hours of a pet.

Now, I have two questions (unrelated to Tomy). We have a 2-year-old spayed female cat, a rescue. She is happy, healthy and very active. But when she sleeps, she often snores. I have had many cats over the years and never encountered a snoring cat. Have you?

I am involved in TNR (trap/neuter/release) and we have about six feral cats in our community who are well taken care of. What can we do about flea prevention, since we cannot touch the cats? Is there anything we can put in their food? -- F.W., Delray Beach, Florida

DEAR F.W.: Yes, I frequently advocate in-home euthanasia in my syndicated newspaper column. I am happy to say that more and more veterinarians are providing this service in many communities, along with palliative in-home hospice care for terminally ill cats and dogs who are still enjoying some quality of life.

Many cats snore -- Persians in particular, because of their deformed, pushed-in faces. When it is severe, one must look into possible sleep apnea and increased risk of respiratory infection.

I have written extensively about the pros and cons of TNR (as per the article “Releasing Cats to Live Outdoors” on my website, drfoxvet.net), which I oppose with very rare exception. You hit the nail on the head with one contradiction: claiming the cats in your area are “well taken care of” while admitting you cannot do anything about flea control. This is one of my concerns, especially for ill and injured cats. My other concern is that no matter how well fed they are, they will kill wildlife, and they do not belong outdoors where indigenous wildlife species need protection.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 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.)