DEAR DR. FOX: I have followed your column in the local newspaper for years. Your response to J.G. of Palm Beach on Feb. 17 prompted me to write, as your answer did not go far enough to defend pit bulls.

I spend 25 to 30 hours a week as a dog adoption counselor and dog walker. I assist with dog-meets and playgroups, and also work with an outside trainer to help the long-term residents get adopted.

I also have a pit-mix as my second dog, and I cannot say enough about the beauty of these dogs. People need to understand that “pit bull” is not a breed, but a mixture of Staffordshire terriers and something else.

My shelter receives all the cruelty/abuse cases in the county and also receives nearly daily surrenders and stray pit-mixes. The vast majority of these dogs are sweet, loving dogs that are highly adoptable. Many have been treated poorly and neglected, and come in undernourished and with unaddressed medical issues. While we are unable to do home checks, we offer follow-up and other continued support for all adopters.

I cannot tell you how many of these dogs have been adopted by people with children and other dogs, and go on to be beloved family pets. I am often appalled at how these dogs are unfairly treated by the media -- they are just dogs, and are among the most resilient and people-pleasing.

J.G. said pit bulls “frequently kill their owners for little or no reason.” I would like to know where they get their information.

While I agree with everything you said in your reply, I do not understand why you didn’t go further to promote what wonderful pets these mixes can be, and often are. -- C.L., Tinton Falls, Connecticut

DEAR C.L.: Some readers will appreciate your letter. Others will not. Perhaps there is some similarity between certain irresponsible people owning any kind of dog powerful enough to kill a human being, and owning a lethal weapon. But why single out just pit bulls, I ask?

To reduce the incidence of dog bites nationwide, regardless of breed, calls for better supervision -- especially of children -- around dogs, according to a recent review of reported dog bites in the U.S.

Thirty-four percent of children with dog bites were ages 6 to 12; 30 percent were ages 2 or younger, who had more severe injuries than older youths, reported researchers in the journal Injury Prevention. The findings, based on data analysis for 7,900 patients ages 17 and younger, collected for the National Trauma Data Bank between 2007 and 2014, also showed that bites were more likely among girls, but boys had more severe injuries.

An article published in the Journal of Wilderness and Environmental Medicine reported some 272 people were killed by dogs over a seven-year period from 2008-15, according to an analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

My own wonderful, gentle family dog, part Australian heeler and part boxer, was rescued from an animal shelter in a state where she would have been killed because she looks like a pit bull and regulations prohibit their adoption. Animal shelters and rescue organizations need to stop unfounded breed discrimination and summarily executing good dogs, and should instead use temperament tests and prospective owner/home evaluations.

DEAR DR. FOX: My friend has a very good-natured, but big, Labrador retriever. He got her when she was a puppy, but failed to properly train her. She is now 6 years old.

The problem is, whenever you try and pet her, she goes bananas. She jumps on you, playfully opens her large mouth to grab your hand, jerks her head and runs around the room. She is hyperactive and can be so annoying to those who wish to interact with her.

Is this something that can be reversed so that I, and others, can enjoy her companionship? -- V.M.N., Medford, Oregon

DEAR V.M.N.: Some people think it cute to let their puppies (and toddlers) run riot with no boundaries or self-discipline. Young human and canine delinquents are comparable in this regard, both enjoying being the center of attention, respecting no boundaries and always insisting on their own way.

Some freedom during early development is essential to allow self-expression, especially during interactive games and outdoor activities. But just as children go to school, so should our canine companions, to avoid delinquency and to facilitate the development of social behavior and self-control. It is never too late to begin educating a canine delinquent, essentially one raised to act like a perpetual puppy. It’s time to grow up and go to obedience school.

Clearly our dogs are telling us there is a serious problem -- not primarily with them, since it is not in any good dog’s nature to bite the hand that feeds it -- but in our relationships with and treatment of them. They are perhaps one of our best indicators of dystopia!

(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.)

Outdoors reporter Dennis Anderson made an appeal in the March 9 (Minneapolis) Star-Tribune to the Minnesota legislature to limit the scourge of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the state’s deer herd -- ideally by getting rid of deer and elk farms, or at least making them secure with double fencing and regular inspections. His appeal should not fall on deaf ears in Minnesota, or in other CWD-afflicted states.

CWD is caused by diseased prions, which are single proteins that cannot be destroyed by typical “kill strategies” like extreme heat or ultraviolet light. A variant of the prions that cause CWD in deer, moose and elk across many states caused mad cow disease in the U.K., decimating the beef industry and resulting in brain disease in humans and some companion animals. Plants can bind and transport infectious prions.

In April 2017, Canada’s Bureau of Microbial Hazards posted an advisory entitled, “Potential Human Health Risks from Chronic Wasting Disease.” The reason: CWD has been transmitted in the laboratory to cynomolgus macaque monkeys. Both infected brain and muscle tissues were found to transmit disease. The probability of transmission to cattle, sheep, goats and humans consuming infected meats -- and crops, from corn to cabbages, contaminated by infected deer feces and urine -- is considerable. Concerted action is called for at this time to prevent such a potentially catastrophic eventuality.

The leading wildlife biologists cited by Todd Wilkinson in his Dec. 11, 2017, Mountain Journal article on the topic are unanimous in recognizing the role of predators in controlling CWD. Predators’ systematic extermination over the past two centuries, especially by the livestock industry, has facilitated the spread of this disease across the U.S. and Canada. In the article, Kevin Van Tighem, a hunter and former superintendent in Banff National Park in Alberta’s Canadian Rockies, opines: “I don’t know of a single credible biologist who would argue that wolves, along with other predators and scavengers, aren’t important tools in devising sound strategies for dealing with CWD.” Van Tighem says it can be rationally argued that wolves provide the best line of defense, since they are confronting infected animals.

So those states blessed with viable wolf and cougar populations need to recognize the role of these predators in ecosystem management. They should protect such large carnivores from human predation, and maintain maximal numbers to optimize deer and elk herd health -- rather than removing the wolf from federal protection as an endangered species to allow trophy hunting, trapping and snaring.

DEAR DR. FOX: I was wondering if you have any info on how to deal with or treat our large Chihuahua that had a seizure for the first time last Sunday.

He is about 3 years old, a little on the heavy side. Our veterinarian asked us to record any seizures, time and length, but did not prescribe any medication. The dog seemed to have no side effects, and he seems pretty much his normal self.

Any suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. -- K.K., Collins, Missouri

DEAR K.K.: You have a good veterinarian, not jumping the gun on anti-seizure medication, which can have harmful long-term side effects.

There are many reasons why dogs suddenly start having seizures. In some instances, it is an isolated event. Over-excitement, intestinal parasites, adverse reaction to vaccination or anti-flea medication are all known causes, but many instances are idiopathic, meaning “of unknown origin.”

In a Chihuahua, I would suspect a possible cranial abnormality, even low-grade hydrocephalus, as another possible cause for which there is no easy remedy. Many holistic veterinarians are concerned about synthetic chemical food additives and various ingredients that may trigger seizures, and join me in advocating an organic, whole-food diet that specifically avoids wheat and chemical dyes and preservatives. Try my dog food recipe, posted on my website (drfoxvet.net).

STATES CONSIDER CREATING ANIMAL-ABUSE REGISTRIES

Abuse of animals can be a sign a perpetrator will go on to harm humans, and that’s one reason New York and a number of other states are looking at laws that would create animal-abuse registries. The databases would be used to prevent those with an animal-abuse conviction from adopting or purchasing animals in the future. (WIBW-TV, Topeka, Kansas/Associated Press, Feb. 26)

(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 beautiful, healthy 14-year-old wheaten. She recently had an ear infection, and I cleaned her ears and then used MalOtic medicine to treat the infection. I noticed a few hours later that she was deaf.

When I contacted my vet, I discovered that this is a possible side effect from the gentamicin in the medicine. While they said it could be reversible, sometimes, especially in geriatric dogs, it is permanent.

It has been a week now, and I believe her personality has changed. She sleeps a lot, pants and has been having accidents in the house, which is not her normal behavior. Is there anything I can do to restore her hearing? Can you tell me more about this side effect and why these medicines are still on the market? -- J.R.C., Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey

DEAR J.R.C.: I am sorry to hear about your dog’s adverse reaction to the medication, from which a recovery may or may not be in the offing. There is no remedy to reverse the damage to the inner ear.

Of potential concern in veterinary practice are the antibiotics known as antibacterial aminoglycosides -- gentamicin and amikacin -- as well as “loop diuretics,” like furosemide. Some ototoxic (hearing- and balance-damaging) potential might also be associated with the antibiotic erythromycin. Some of these substances also exhibit renal toxicity, as has been documented for aminoglycosides as well as some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents.

Ear inflammation and infection should not be neglected. Seek immediate veterinary examination and treatment when a dog is showing signs of ear trouble: head-shaking and scratching one or both ears. Some may not show significant discomfort, even when the infection (caused by bacteria, often combined with a fungus) has become well-established.

Many factors can lead to external and deeper ear infection and inflammation, with loss of hearing and/or balance. Acute episodes may call for opiate analgesia, anti-anxiety medication and anti-inflammatory prednisolone treatment. The selection of antibiotic may be refined by taking a sample of the ear exudate and testing for bacterial antibiotic sensitivity. Less toxic polymyxin B and silver sulfadiazine, after a thorough cleaning of the ear, can help many patients.

Underlying factors -- from ear mites and genetic anomalies (as with pendulous ears and hairy ear canals), to food allergy, nutritional deficiency and complications associated with hypothyroidism and Cushing’s disease -- all play a role in ear conditions affecting dogs and cats.

Old remedies such as diluted, organic apple-cider vinegar, organic cold-pressed olive oil, various essential oils and dietary omega-3 fatty acids can provide considerable relief and healing in many instances.

Your dog may benefit from a few drops daily of Nordic Naturals cod liver oil or fish oil for dogs. For older dogs, I also recommend a daily tablespoon (1 tablespoon per 50 pounds body weight) of coconut oil mixed in with the regular food, plus a half-teaspoon each of powdered ginger, brewer’s yeast and turmeric.

It is some consolation that dogs do generally adapt quickly to losing their hearing, and learn to attend and depend more on our hand signals and body language to communicate.

DEAR DR. FOX: My “baby” dog (a spitz) is now 13 years old. She’s very active; at 6, we got her spayed.

Now she has developed two lumps in her breasts. One was very fast developing, so on advice, we got her operated on in September. The biopsy report said cancer. The wound healed up, but in December, it again started growing and leaking pus. Now it looks like a volcano, and the outer rim started bleeding. On the vet’s advice, I clean it with betadine on cotton, then sprinkle with Cipladine powder. In the X-ray, there is one small patch in her lungs.

She’s still very active, looks good and has lovely fur; still no problems with passing stool and urine. Please advise any treatments or natural remedies. I will be very grateful. I can’t imagine my life without her. -- S.D., Faridabad, India

DEAR S.D.: Your dog should see a veterinarian about the infected lesion. Breast cancer often spreads to the lungs, as well as sometimes the spleen and other organs.

I recommend you do not opt for any major surgery. Your beloved dog is old, and her quality of life is not likely to be improved. Just make your dog comfortable; feed her a grain-free, good-quality protein diet, as per my recipe on my website, drfoxvet.net (delete the grain ingredient).

S.D. REPLIES: Yes, I am trying to switch her food to an only-protein diet. Yesterday again, we had taken her to the vet, and also got an X-ray done. Latest developments: many small tumors under her armpit, and a patch in the lungs has grown bigger. Thank you for responding to my concerns. -- S.D., Faridabad, India

(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.)