Dear Dr. Fox • In response to a question from M.C. in Staten Island, N.Y., regarding the cause of her late cat's neurological problems following dental surgery and application of flea preventives, you stated that spot-on flea products should never be given to even healthy cats and dogs, except as a last resort when safer methods of flea control prove ineffectual.

Can you please detail these 'safer methods"? I give my cat Frontline or Revolution about every two to three months and usually once a month in summer. He hates getting it, blinks and runs away, but he has also had terrible flea problems in the past, and once in the house, they're difficult to get rid of. — K.G., Arlington, Va.

Dear K.G. • Safer methods of flea prevention, as described at my website and in my books "Dog Body, Dog Mind" and "Cat Body, Cat Mind," are combined to make an integrative approach to flea control. Regrettably, there isn't sufficient space in this column to cover these steps, which begin with good nutrition, daily brewer's yeast and weekly vacuuming after sprinkling various safe products where fleas and flea larvae develop. Every day or so, check your cat with a flea comb. Regular, year-round use of oral and spot-on anti-flea drugs is to be avoided in states like yours, where cold winters de-bug the environment.

Dear Dr. Fox • We have a 14-year-old female basset hound that no longer has the flexibility to lick (clean) herself. After she relieves herself, we gently clean her with baby wipes. Is there any way we can rid her of the odor she has developed in her anal region since she stopped cleaning herself? Is there a deodorizing agent in her saliva that has been replicated in the market for this challenge? — M.K., Chesapeake, Va.

Dear M.K. • Old dogs and cats, especially when they are overweight, need daily posterior cleaning. Those with long fur need to be clipped around their hindquarters to facilitate cleaning. Placing washable towels where the animal regularly rests also helps control the old dog odor.

Wipes containing witch hazel (a soothing herb) or calendula are preferable to those with synthetic scents. Very diluted Orange TKO cleaner would also work well every few days.

Animals generally like to feel clean, enjoy being odor-free, and many have an aversion to their own malodorous secretions and may become depressed when not given the loving attention you are providing.

www.twobitdog.com/DrFox Dr. Fox, c/o "Animal Doctor," United Features Syndicate, 200 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016