The Animal Doctor

DEAR DR. FOX: We adopted a solid white, blue-eyed, 7-month-old Turkish angora cat from the local shelter. Although the vet had examined Mr. Pink, there was no indication on his record that he was deaf.

Mr. Pink is now 1 1/2 years old and has begun jumping on kitchen counters and other high surfaces. He has even knocked pottery off bookshelves.

The challenge is that we can't use auditory cues to modify his behavior. We try hand signals, but he stays in place until we walk directly over to him, at which point he scampers away. Goodness knows what he does when we are not home.

Someone is home with him all but about three hours a day. We groom him nightly, he has lots of toys and he has his own perch on which he sleeps periodically. How do we break this awful habit, absent our ability to use auditory cues? -- V.T.P., Ashland, Oregon

DEAR V.T.P.: Try a couple more high perches or cushioned shelves by windows with bird feeders outside -- or get another easygoing cat. Your cat is probably bored to death. Engage in interactive games with a laser light, wand or fishing-pole lure. As he gets older, he will be less curious and exploratory, so do not despair!

Some more insights about animals' perception and cognition come from two readers:

DEAR DR. FOX: Our daughter's dog, a pit bull-boxer mix, has never paid any attention to photographs, images on television or even in the mirror. However, when he was much younger, he would stare at, stalk and bark at two of our neighbors' lawn ornaments -- one a black cat and the other a ceramic gnome. Neither is more than about 8 inches high. -- E.J., Silver Spring, Maryland

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 2-year-old Sheltie who is interested in the TV when certain images appear or she hears a dog bark. Not remarkable, as I have in the past had other Shelties who noticed animals on TV -- even if they were animals the dog would never encounter in real life, such as alligators or monkeys. And they loved looking at the Westminster dog show.

Recently, Lexie (our current dog) stared at a nearby bookcase and started a low growl while sitting on the couch next to me. A picture of two of my long-gone Shelties had captured her attention. She moved closer to get a better look and stayed there for a couple of minutes.

She is the first dog I have ever had who showed any interest in still pictures. -- C.C., Alexandria, Virginia

OUR ANIMAL RELATIONSHIPS: THE MOMENTS OF TRUTH PROJECT

What right do humans have to exploit other animals? Where does that right come from, and what are the limits, if any? What duties or obligations do we have in our relationships with our dogs, cats and other animals, domesticated and wild?

Follow and support Caroline Kraus and her Moments of Truth Project (momentsoftruthproject.com) documentary film as she travels across the United States, asking these and other relevant questions of people who live, work with and care for animals.

Is there an overriding consensus, and what are the reasons why people respond very differently to these questions, which in part examine our character, culture and future?

The viewing and discussion of this kind of documentary should be part of every school curriculum and will be of interest to all who work with, profit from and care for animals. To see the interview with me, visit momentsoftruthproject.com/dr-michael-fox/

(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 READERS: Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, which contains the active ingredient glyphosate, recently designated a possible carcinogen, is absorbed by genetically modified crops that have been engineered to be resistant to the weed killer. Most corn, soy, sugar beet, cotton and canola produced in the United States are genetically modified, as is much imported rice. My concerns about this herbicide getting into the food chain for both humans and animals have been recently confirmed.

Research scientist Dr. Anthony Samsel of Deerfield, New Hampshire, has shared some of his findings prior to his scientific report being published. Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), the Environmental Protection Agency-accepted method of analysis, he found levels of glyphosate ranging from 0.022 to 0.30 milligrams per kilogram in cat and dog foods. Brands evaluated include Purina, Friskies, Iams, 9 Lives, Kibbles 'n Bits and Rachael Ray.

According to Dr. Samsel, the pet food industry "adds NaNO2 (sodium nitrite) to some pet foods as a preservative. This is very common, and, in the presence of glyphosate, is deadly. Glyphosate reacts continuously over time with NO2 and produces N-Nitrosoglyphosate, which is a nasty carcinogen, along with phosphonic acids AMPA and MAMPA. Another scary scenario is nitrite (NO2) formation from nitric oxide (NO), which reacts with glyphosate, resulting in N-Nitrosoglyphosate. This is another reason why this stuff needs to be immediately pulled from the market."

The peer-reviewed research article by Drs. Samsel and Seneff, "Glyphosate, Pathways to Modern Diseases IV: Cancer and Related Pathologies," which includes these findings, will be published this month in a special issue of The Journal of Biological Physics and Chemistry. Samsel launched a GoFundMe site with the GMO Free News to help raise money for research: gofundme.com/xrp4h9g.

As per my review of GMOs in pet foods posted on my website, DrFoxVet.net, several health conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, allergies and skin and organ problems, may arise as a consequence of GMOs being included in the animals' food.

DEAR DR. FOX: My friend has multiple cats and, therefore, lots of cat toys. We were at her house, and my daughter picked up a wand with a long cord and a squeaky mouse on the end. I guess it is a common cat toy, but not having cats, we've never seen one before. She started playing with it, and our 7-year-old Yorkie, Cooper, went crazy! We bought one for our house immediately, and he plays with it several times a day. We chide ourselves for not realizing sooner that we were going against his natural instincts in trying to get him to play with us in "normal" ways. We'd always had Labradors before our Yorkie, so we bought him tiny tennis balls and tried to get him to fetch. No deal. He'd chase it, but never bring it back.

Once we introduced the cat toy, we quickly realized that his instinct is to chase rodents, and a toy that promotes that is going to be the trick. We run around the house trailing this "rat" on a string, and he chases us with passion bordering on obsession. It is some serious exercise for us all. We fling the squeaky toy under the furniture so he can burrow for it, and eventually we let him pounce on the rat and chew it for a minute or two so he feels successful.

This toy has been so much fun for us and our little dog; we can't believe we didn't discover it sooner. We've always wanted to engage with him on a physical level but didn't know how. Cooper is a great lap dog, but we all wanted to play with him. My daughter says he looks happier and healthier ever since we got his toy.

I hope this inspires other terrier owners to explore different types of toys; we wasted seven years by skipping the cat aisle at the pet store. -- R.C., Washington, D.C.

DEAR R.C.: Thanks for reminding all dog caregivers that different dogs need different toys, and as a result, so many poor dogs are bored and lack playful stimulation for their minds and bodies. Be sure the toys are nontoxic and not likely to break and be swallowed, causing internal injury. Yorkies are little hunters indeed, and a mouselike squeaky toy could be a trigger for great fun for them.

DEAR DR. FOX: We have three dogs and one cat. The dogs sleep as long as we do, but the cat used to wake up at about 6 a.m., walk on my body and lay on my chest, purring. If I closed the bedroom door, he scratched the door and meowed until I let him in. We had an old kennel from the dogs, and I recently put the cat's tepee-type bed in it with an old blanket he likes, along with some food and water. I put him in there, and he sleeps all night. He likes it so much he goes in his "house" way before we go to bed. We now have a happy cat and happy owners. -- T.T., Silver Spring, Maryland

DEAR T.T.: Thanks for sharing your solution! This may not work for all cats, but many readers with early-rising cats may find your solution an effective remedy. Be sure to play with your cat before bed.

(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: My almost-12-year-old Labrador retriever has recently exhibited signs of severe anxiety.

He's panting and pacing a lot, and recently started waking in the middle of the night to pant and pace. He's been increasingly barking at passersby and seems more anxious than usual at being left home alone -- with the run of the house -- during the day, although he's not damaging anything. While he's always been a little anxious at thunderstorms, that anxious behavior is now happening with greater frequency, more severity and absent thunderstorms.

He seems in otherwise decent shape. He has some fatty tumors, which the vet has said are not particularly problematic; he eats well, drinks well and eliminates with no problems. He has slowed down, sleeps a little more and can no longer jump into the car, although he manages stairs with no trouble.

What do you think is the problem, and is there something we can do to relieve his anxiety? -- A.F., Rockville, Maryland

DEAR A.F.: Many animals, including the human species, show signs of anxiety associated with age-related impairment of sight, hearing and cognition, and chronic debilitating conditions, such as painful arthritis. The latter can be ameliorated with various supplements, which you should discuss with your veterinarian. Add to his regular diet small portions of high-quality protein, such as egg, turkey and cottage cheese -- especially if he is losing weight or muscle mass, a condition called sarcopenia, common in the elderly. Give him a tablespoon or two of coconut oil daily, which has been shown to help improve brain function in old dogs. Above all, keep him off slippery floor surfaces and provide him with a soft bed and nonslip carpet so he does not tear ligaments and damage joints sliding all over. Also discuss with your veterinarian giving your dog a light dose of Valium in the morning and melatonin in the evening.

DEAR DR. FOX: Thank you! We are doing a few of these things anyway, particularly the anti-skid mats, although he's smart enough to bounce around on the carpet and calm down a bit on the tile. My vet has recommended carprofen twice a day. We've tried this for five days, and it's like he's a new dog. However, I have read a lot of the information on the Senior Dogs Project website about Rimadyl, and now I'm concerned that this treatment may cause more problems than it's worth. -- A.F.

DEAR A.F.: Carprofen, marketed as Rimadyl, can give short-term relief for dogs with arthritis. In my opinion, it should only be used for up to three days because of the risk of harmful side effects, notably nausea, gastrointestinal inflammation and bleeding, and liver and kidney damage. This is the problem with this class of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Excellent results have been seen in arthritic dogs given supplements such as fish oil, ginger and turmeric, and in preparations like Cosequin, which contains glucosamine, chondroitin and methylsulfonylmethane. Discuss these safer alternatives with your veterinarian.

PET FOOD TROUBLES

Thanks to Susan Thixton at Truth About Pet Food for these postings on her website:

-- A nationwide class-action lawsuit has been filed against Nestle Purina Fancy Feast pet food alleging, "the pet food manufacturer knowingly supports a system of slave labor and human trafficking (on fishing boats) to produce its Fancy Feast cat food, while hiding its involvement with human rights violations from the public." (See: truthaboutpetfood.com/pet-food-consumers-sue-fancy-feast-for-using-slave-labor-ingredients/.)

-- Orijen/Champion Pet Food confirms counterfeit Orijen cat and dog food is being sold in China. (See: truthaboutpetfood.com/counterfeit-orijen-pet-food-found-in-china/.)

(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.)