DEAR DR. FOX: My sister recently passed away, leaving behind a 12-year-old, all-white cat. He is great, but we are having trouble introducing him to our two dogs. I have a hound mix that seems to be afraid of the cat, so he's not a problem. But our golden-husky mix is.
The cat is really afraid of this dog, but had been brought up with a smaller dog at my sister's place. He has been living down the basement and is pretty lonely all by himself.
Any advice you can provide so we can keep this cat would be appreciated. -- V.P., via e-mail
DEAR V.P.: You have a challenging situation. The old white cat could be severely stressed by the new environment with the dogs.
So, if you cannot find a good, dog-free home for the cat, you must be on the alert for stress-related diseases, most especially cystitis and possible urinary-tract blockage. Both are results of refusing to use the litter box. Valium can help, but you must not let your cat hide away.
Put the cat in a cage in the living room for a few minutes, several times a day, so the dogs can habituate safely and vice versa. Reassure the dogs and have the golden-husky mix sit and stay. When the dogs calm down, it is time to hold the cat in your arms and let them get used to each other. Wear thick gloves and clothing. Do not let the cat run off, since running away will trigger the dogs' chase reaction.
A harness and leash on the cat may help when you put the cat on the ground, but get the cat used to it during time out in the basement or your bedroom. Have someone keep the dogs quietly restrained on leashes and reassure them constantly with praise while you are holding the cat and later when he's on the ground. Good luck!
DEAR DR. FOX: I have an 8-year-old male Shetland sheepdog. He appears to be in good health; however, he's had blood in his stool for the past five years.
It began when I started giving him dry food for weight control. I took him off that, but the problem continued. I tried every kind of food you can think of. Recently, I've come to believe that commercial dog food is horrible, so I make his food.
His diet consists of fruit, veggies and meat. I have taken him to several veterinarians who all seem to recommend fiber, especially pumpkin. I've done this, and it does not help.
What should I do now? Most recently, it was suggested that he have a colonoscopy. I am wondering whether he has a food allergy. Truthfully, I am tired of cleaning up every time he comes into the house. -- S.G., Washington, D.C.
DEAR S.G.: Your dog needs to see a veterinary internal medicine specialist who can evaluate your dog for colitis and inflammatory bowel disease. This kind of problem is not uncommon in the breed you have.
If the blood is fresh and in very small amounts, the prognosis is good. Small rectal tears that never fully heal can cause blood in the stool. Constipation and associated straining can aggravate this kind of problem.
Give your dog a teaspoon of psyllium husks mixed in the regular food every day to soften and bulk up the stool.
Your home-prepared recipe may not be complete and balanced. Check out mine at my Web site, www.doctormwfox.org, to see what you might be missing out of your recipe. You should also give your dog one-third of a crushed-up, human multimineral/multivitamin tablet mixed in the food daily.
DEAR DR. FOX: Do you have any ideas as to why my cat sneezes so much? Could he be allergic to something in the home? How can I find out? I welcome your comments. -- D.L., via e-mail
DEAR D.L.: Some people think it's cute or funny when a cat or kitten sneezes a lot, "acting just like a person." But be on the alert for potentially serious problems.
In kittens and young cats, it could be the first signs of an upper-respiratory-system virus. Such an infection -- often aggravated by an already compromised immune system -- can further weaken the cat's immune system, leading to chronic bacterial infection. This can mean chronic sinusitis and living with a cat sneezing nasty, greenish snot everywhere. In some cases, pneumonia or chronic asthma/bronchitis develops. In others, an allergy is the cause -- notable where people smoke or where rooms are not thoroughly vacuumed every few days. Waste no time and get your pet to the vet.
SHOW DOGS KEEP THEIR TAILS
Fewer and fewer dog breeds that have their tails routinely docked as a breed will appear at the world's most prestigious dog show, Crufts, in Birmingham, England. No dogs born after April 6, 2007, will be allowed into the ring if their tails have been docked, because the practice of tail docking -- except as a medical procedure and for licensed working dogs -- is now prohibited by law. "Why don't Americans do that for their show dogs, too? It's disgusting!" my 97-year-old English mother exclaimed over the phone recently. I could not agree with her more.
To order Dr. Michael W. Fox's newsletter, Animal Doctor, on providing the best care for your animal companion, send a check or money order for $2 and a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092.
Copyright 2008, United Feature Syndicate, Inc.
