DEAR DR. FOX: Two years ago, my husband and I adopted a 5-year-old male neutered border collie mix from a well-known no-kill shelter in the St. Louis area.

When we asked about the dog’s history, we got two conflicting stories: One worker said that he had been part of an abuse case and removed from his home; the other worker said he had escaped from his fenced yard one too many times and that city animal control threatened to euthanize the dog if they caught him roaming again.

The day we got the dog home, I found that he growled and bared his teeth at me when I tried to examine his feet. A few days later, when I was doing clicker training with him to try to desensitize him to me touching his feet, he displayed “fly-snapping” syndrome. That particular episode of snapping lasted several hours. My husband and I saw him do fly-snapping a few more times after that, for shorter durations, and usually related to stress. He also chases bright lights when he sees a reflection move across the wall.

Another odd thing: He sometimes yelps as he jumps in or out of the car, and occasionally when going up or down stairs. I thought he must have pain in his hips or shoulders, so I started getting him in and out of the car using a ramp.

When I talked to a veterinary behaviorist about it, she suggested that the only way to know for sure if he’s experiencing pain is to get a full-body X-ray, which we did. The X-ray showed a dozen pellets in his chest and abdomen, and one at the base of his skull. The veterinarian believes that these pellets are overgrown with scar tissue and are no longer causing him pain. They didn’t find any evidence of arthritis in hips or shoulders.

I worked with the veterinary behaviorist, but felt incompetent and didn’t enjoy doing the regimented training program she advised. She had prescribed trazodone and gabapentin, but didn’t renew the trazodone prescription beyond six months because I didn’t schedule a follow-up evaluation with her. I worked with other trainers, as well, but didn’t enjoy the kind of close-up work it takes to desensitize him to grooming.

The dog is currently on 300 mg gabapentin twice daily, which our regular vet is providing. I have him muzzle-trained and can put the muzzle on him for his annual veterinary visit.

He craves being petted, but doesn’t hesitate to bare his teeth and growl if you touch him in the wrong place. Occasionally he will yelp in fear if he’s sleeping deeply when someone comes into the room and walks toward him. In truth, I’m scared of him. He usually acts depressed and rarely wags his tail. He’s happiest when he’s outside on a walk or retrieving a ball or Frisbee.

Sometimes I think I’d like to have this dog euthanized because I don’t like doing the training that might change his behavior. My husband and I both think that he suffered brain damage and shows signs of PTSD.

I doubt that any other person would want to do the work necessary to rehabilitate this dog. I feel that the shelter was dishonest regarding his history and mental problems. I wouldn’t want to return him to the shelter because I don’t think they’d find a home suitable for him, or be honest with future adopters.

What would you advise us to do? -- M.L., Kirkwood, Missouri

DEAR M.L.: This is a sad story of animal abuse, and you have done your best to help this poor dog enjoy some quality of life.

My first concern is about the shotgun pellets and the possibility of chronic lead poisoning from those, so a blood test is called for. Even if they are not lead, I would consider surgical removal under general anesthesia. The chronic inflammation and fibrosis could be causing pain, especially when the dog is being touched or groomed over these lesions.

The fly-snapping syndrome could be a sign of epilepsy or close-to-seizure brain activity triggered by fear. Has your veterinarian considered prescribing an anti-anxiety medication such as Valium or Prozac as an alternative to the trazodone?

Since your dog enjoys chasing a ball or Frisbee, focus on providing such activity regularly, especially since he is a very active working breed of dog.

Trying to train some dogs with a clicker can be a disaster when the sound of the device scares them. Clearly, this dog has complications from PTSD, and I would not force him to accept grooming so long as he reacts defensively.

I would also try herbal supplements such as PetzLife’s @-Eaze to increase his “feel-good” brain neurochemicals. Also add lightly cooked ground turkey to his regular diet, and 1 tablespoon per meal of coconut oil. A few drops of lavender oil on a bandanna around his neck twice daily and 6 mg melatonin at bedtime may also help. Keep me posted!

HAPPY CATS, HEALTHY BIRDS CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

I am pleased to announce a new initiative from the American Bird Conservancy. The “Happy Cats, Healthy Birds” campaign focuses on positive solutions and resources for keeping pet cats safely contained.

Cats make wonderful pets (and many American Bird Conservancy staff have cats), but free-roaming cats are responsible for approximately 2.4 billion bird deaths in the United States every year. Free-roaming cats experience harsher lives and reduced life expectancies, and may threaten communities with diseases such as rabies or toxoplasmosis.

By keeping pet cats safely contained, cat owners make an important choice to protect not only birds, but also cats and people.

Check out abcbirds.org for resources and solutions for responsible cat ownership, and join the American Bird Conservancy in supporting simple solutions to keep cats safely contained!

(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.)

The Interior and Commerce departments proposed changing rules under the Endangered Species Act in a way that administration officials say would strengthen the law, but that conservationists say would eviscerate it and accelerate extinctions.

The proposal would end the practice of granting automatic protection to threatened species and would instead extend protection on a case-by-case basis. It would also delete rules requiring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to ignore the economic effects of protective measures.

On top of that, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently confirmed that it will again try to develop a proposal to remove wolves from the Endangered Species Act protections in the Great Lakes region. Please consider calling your member of Congress and asking for their opposition to any changes that weaken the Endangered Species Act.

Like the proverbial juggernaut, the U.S. government is undermining proposed standards for organically certified food, essentially deregulating the nascent organic farming industry to open the doors for the dominant pesticide- and drug-dependent agribusiness industry, which will put smaller, more humane and environmentally conscientious producers out of business. Organic farmers have long been calling for strict standards, especially when it comes to the well-being of animals raised for meat, as well as eggs from hens and dairy produce from cows. Organic producers say strict guidelines are crucial to consumer confidence in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Certified Organic label.

So what are conscientious consumers to do, when our government is undermining both organic and humane farming practices and our ability to make informed choices in the grocery store? This is an outrage! For more details, contact the Organic Trade Association, and also express your concerns to your congressional representatives.

DEAR DR. FOX: I wanted to let you know that several years ago, our 3-year-old standard poodle started suffering from seizures. Based on an article you had written, I changed her diet to eliminate corn. She has never suffered another seizure. I attribute her long life (age 13) to a great diet and exercise. She is our longest-living standard poodle!

Also, I want to mention how beneficial we are finding acupuncture for Marni’s arthritis. We can’t believe the difference in her! -- K.R., Shrewsbury, New Jersey

DEAR K.R.: Thank you for sharing the benefits of my advice concerning your dog’s epilepsy. Corn and wheat in dogs’ diets have been implicated in many cases of seizures due to the high gluten content, as well as lentils, beans, soy (pulses), oats, wheat, barley and dairy products high in brain-exciting glutamate and aspartate.

More and more veterinarians are becoming aware of how these and other ingredients may cause or aggravate canine epilepsy (which can be caused by many other factors, as well), and are no longer simply prescribing barbiturates and other anti-seizure drugs. For details, see the excellent book by Dr. W. Jean Dodds and Diana R. Laverdure, “Canine Nutrigenomics.”

Many readers will appreciate your assertion that acupuncture treatments can be of benefit for our canine companions. Skeptics should note the following: Veterinarian Daniel Eckman of Texas A&M University says that when acupuncture is performed by trained veterinarians, pets may experience numerous benefits with a low risk of side effects. Acupuncture can play a role in pain management, anxiety relief and treatment of respiratory, gastrointestinal or other disorders, says Dr. Eckman. (The Bryan-College Station Eagle, 7/8/18)

(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 READERS: Nick Polizzi, in his book “The Sacred Science: An Ancient Healing Path for the Modern World,” writes: “On a warm summer night a few years ago, an Ojibwe elder in the backwoods of Wisconsin shared a tale to illustrate an important choice we all have to make as we walk through this world. His words have stuck with me ever since and are particularly handy in times of intensity. ... I hope this teaching serves you as well.”

“The Two Wolves”

One evening, an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.”

“One is Evil: It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.”

“The other is Good: It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

This story -- with no disrespect to the wolves, whom in many ways I regard as our superiors, contributing far more to environmental health than we do -- affirms our dualistic nature. It is evident in most children and adults, in every country, every day. It is a war, indeed, between our humanity and our inhumanity, which good parenting and education can help end.

DEAR DR. FOX: My 11-year-old Yorkie has Cushing’s disease. Sometimes at night, she pants and paces and throws herself down on the bed, rubs herself back and forth on my refrigerator and whines almost continuously.

Is she in pain when she does that? Right now, the pancreatitis is under control. -- V.R., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR V.R.: Cushing’s disease is an all-too-common disease affecting the adrenal glands in older dogs, often coupled with hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus.

Such endocrine gland dysfunctions may be caused by a variety of factors, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the environment and food, adverse vaccination reactions (vaccinosis), and complications from neutering. Typical Cushing’s disease can be associated with a tumor in the brain or in the adrenal glands, causing secretion of excessive amounts of one or more adrenal steroids such as cortisol, and in some instances, of adrenal sex hormones.

Most dogs with this disease develop a pot-bellied appearance and poor muscle tone, and have increased thirst, urination and appetite. These hormonal storms can also cause anxiety, panting, increased body heat and discomfort, and acid-base disorders.

So in addition to carefully titrated medication to stop the production of adrenal hormones, close monitoring of blood pressure (and lowering of same, as needed), I would advise 3-6 mg melatonin morning and evening. Also, talk to your veterinarian about putting your dog on a “cooling,” natural, whole-food diet, as per my dog food recipe, minus the grain ingredient. And also consider asking about a short course of treatment with an anxiety-relieving drug such as alprazolam; if it improves the quality of your dog’s life, continue as needed.

KILLING DOGS FOR MEAT RULED ILLEGAL BY SOUTH KOREAN COURT

A South Korean court has ruled that it is illegal to kill dogs for their meat. This is a landmark decision that animal rights activists say could pave the way for legislation outlawing the practice completely.

The ruling was made by Bucheon City court, in a case brought by the animal rights group CARE against a dog farm operator. The man was convicted and fined 3 million won (U.S. $2,700) for killing animals without proper reason and for violating building and hygiene regulations.

(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.)