Q: My cat has gas. I've never heard of this before. What's the deal? A: Even cats can suffer flatulence, to the chagrin of cat lovers everywhere who swear that dogs are disgusting primarily because they pass gas indiscriminately.
DR. DOLITTLER
Q: My dog Shep is a baby at home but a fearful biter at the vet's! What do I do? A: Lots of pets that would otherwise never so much as curl their lip in a human's direction suffer the embarrassment of having their veterinary files adorned with cautionary stars, dots and ''Will Bite!'' invectives.
DR. DOLITTLER
Q: There was a story in The Miami Herald regarding neighboring dogs who got into a fight. The owners of the two dogs did everything wrong in trying to end the fight. Finally, the attacking dog was shot by the owner of the other dog. Perhaps you could inform readers of the proper way to break up a dog fight.
Move that Snapple. The To Go Bowl is a travel water bowl that fits into your car's console cup holder. It's made to fit cup holders up to 3 ½ inches in diameter, and comes with a removable splash guard and lid to keep sloshing to a minimum. In pearl, silver, metallic blue, red, yellow and cream. Available for $19.95 from www.FurryTravelers.com, or call 866-553-7779.
DR. DOLITTLER
Q: My backyard lizards are wreaking havoc with my indoor cats. Whenever one makes it in through the screen, Mama Cat pounces on it and Fraidy Cat eats the tail before I can do anything to stop him. Are lizards bad for cats? If so, could you help me cure my cats' lizard addiction?
DR. DOLITTLER
Q: Last week our pets surprised us during the Fourth of July fireworks in our neighborhood. It was louder than usual, so our pets, three dogs and one cat, all found places to hide. What can we do in the future to make them comfortable during this time of the year? Should we use sedatives?
DR. DOLITTLER
Q: I just moved to Miami and I need to get acquainted with all the health hazards my 6-month-old mutt Fuzz and my 8-year-old cat Zoolander might encounter. I've been told to be careful about taking Fuzz out since he looks a little like a pit bull, and I hear that lizards are a big deal for cats who eat them. And what is this I hear about poison frogs?
TELEVISION
Without the help of choreographers or voice coaches, Leroy, Andrew and 10 other contestants have been preparing for stardom on a new reality show. They're intensely training by running, jumping, fetching and just looking adorable.
DR. DOLITTLER
Q. Our dog Blackie is a 125-pound Rottweiler. He was recently diagnosed with a malignant bone cancer called osteosarcoma. The specialist says he's in a lot of pain, even though he never cries. He does limp on that leg, which is why we brought him to our vet in the first place. The surgeon says if we remove the leg he might live another year without pain. He's only 7 and we can't bear the thought of what he might go through if he loses a leg. What would you do?
DR. DOLITTLER
Q: My dog Butch, a beagle, loves to roam whenever he can manage it. Last month he was lost for two weeks. We finally found him when a child was seen walking him in a nearby neighborhood. He had a microchip but the family that found him hadn't taken him to a vet or shelter. Instead, they had placed ads in the paper and signs in their neighborhood but I didn't know where to look. Could you please inform your readers about reuniting lost pets with their owners?
DR. DOLITTLER
Q: Is it OK for me to let my kitties sleep in bed with me? I've heard conflicting reports on this (mostly from my family) and would like to hear an expert's opinion.
DR. DOLITTLER
Q. My cat Princess recently spent a week at the vet hospital after she ate a couple of Tylenol caplets that had fallen on the floor. I knew they could be toxic to cats but I had no idea that even two small pills could kill her, otherwise I would have been more careful. Could you please inform your readers of how deadly this drug can be?
BOOKS
Confession: ``Relaxing foot massage . . . I let my dog lick my feet.'' Confession: ``I think I kiss my dogs more than I kiss my husband.''
DR. DOLITTLER
Q: About a year ago I started keeping guinea pigs as pets. They get along great with my cats and they've got more personality than anyone seems to give them credit for. The problem is that I can't seem to find a vet who really knows how to take care of them. Can you help?
DR. DOLITTLER
My most knowledgeable clients often ask the best questions. Within the past few years, they have tended more toward the issue of vitamins and nutritional supplements than ever before.
DR. DOLITTLER
I haven't seen a flea season like this since I was 12 and our three black labs were infested so badly that every member of my family sported a multitude of bright pink splotches about their ankles.
DR. DOLITTLER
It's Mother's Day, and it's an excellent opportunity to discuss the maternity of our pets. Dogs and cats are often pressed into maternal service by their owners, either by neglect of their alteration (spaying) or because of the express intent to see these pets procreate.
DR. DOLITTLER
Does your pet ever stray from home? If you answered yes and you live in hurricane-prone South Florida, you're in need of a microchip to keep your pet safe. Hurricane Katrina's many thousands of missing pets proved that even those who never leave home are at risk of homelessness after a natural disaster.
DR. DOLITTLER
With Earth Day fresh in our minds it's a great time to consider the impact of our household pets on the planet and ways to reduce their ``carbon paw prints.''
DR. DOLITTLER
Q: My vet is great and I'm very happy with her services but when it came time to euthanize my cat Morris, the death-related options overwhelmed me. I wished someone had prepared me.
Frank Sullivan watches his dog search through a swampy stretch of grass for a crow that just landed. A canal is behind them, then the six lanes leading to Interstate 75 and the tower for WTVJ-NBC 6.
DR. DOLITTLER
Q: Help! I can't get my cat T.C. to the vet. Every time I try to take her she hides in hard-to-find spots. Getting her out of these is virtually impossible, not to mention getting her into the carrier. So far she has been healthy but it's been years since she has seen a doctor.
DR. DOLITTLER
Q: We have a new puppy and we think he's the sweetest, smartest Border collie that ever lived. The problem is that he's only 6 months old and he has already chewed through every chair leg in our house. He has even made dents in the aluminum ones outside. We've tried everything from ''bitter apple'' sprays to cayenne pepper and he still chews them up. My husband is about ready to send Chip away. What do I do?
DR. DOLITTLER
Q: My vet just told me my cat Doris might have heartworms. She came up positive on a blood test he runs every year on cats over 7. We're now waiting to see whether she really has worms in her heart or if the test just shows she was exposed to a mosquito carrying them. I thought only dogs could get them. Should I be giving her the same heartworm pill my dog gets once a month?
DR. DOLITTLER
Tethering pets has long been a hot-button issue for animal welfare advocates. Several states and myriad municipalities have outlawed this practice in which dogs are chained to stakes or otherwise tethered to a fixed location out of doors.
