DEAR DR. FOX: I want to thank you for writing about electropollution.

I wrote to you a few years back about my distress from hearing a humming noise all the time. It drove me crazy and sometimes seemed to upset my dog. I called the power company, thinking it must have been something in the wiring. They checked my home, and reported finding nothing unusual.

Then I went on the internet and found other people complaining about the hum, and feeling more tense and experiencing prickling sensations all over. So I felt less crazy, but still had no answer until reading your column about electropollution. -- J.P., Miami, Florida

DEAR J.P.: I am sorry that I was not able to help you until now with finding a reason for your auditory distress, most likely from cellphone towers near you.

Many people who are electrosensitive suffer from tinnitus, headaches, loss of concentration and even loss of memory. Wireless technology may connect us in one way, but it is disconnecting and harming us -- and other life on this planet -- in many other detrimental ways, about which we are just beginning to learn. We are learning from electrosensitive individuals like you, as well as from insect species (especially bees) and birds, which are disappearing from one community to the next as wireless technology spreads into our homes, hospitals, schools and workplaces.

I may sound like an alarmist, but I am only sounding this alarm after having read many scientific studies of the harmful consequences of nonionizing radiation and electromagnetic fields generated by wireless technologies. I will post more factual information in a future column, and have posted a provisional review about electropollution on my website (drfoxonehealth.com).

DEAR DR. FOX: I read your article all the time for some great suggestions for my rescues.

My 12-year-old, 25-pound, part-Chinese-crested rescue was diagnosed with pancreatitis. The ultrasound shows that he has had this for a while, and just recently had an acute attack. He was on fluids for three days. My dog has always had a very sensitive stomach and takes famotidine twice a day. He also has had anxiety issues. At one time, we were going to a specialist.

I have cooked for him for 11 years, and he also eats about 5 ounces of Hill’s Prescription i/d Low Fat dry food daily. His blood work has always come out looking good. He is in very good shape.

They now want me to feed him Hill’s Prescription i/d Low Fat canned food, in addition to the dry. His prior diet consisted of chicken (which I now boil), sweet potatoes (mashed without skin) and crushed peas. The specialist said I could give him some low-fat cottage cheese and sprinkle just a bit of no-salt-added chicken broth.

I am not introducing rice, oatmeal or turkey yet. I’m trying to limit his food types. I was told to almost eliminate fat and sugar from his diet. My question to you is: Can I continue with the cooked food, and secondly give him canned and dry food? I have never been a believer in dog food.

Also, before his attack, he ate bully sticks. In time, do you think he could have those again? He had surgery three years ago for dry eye, and besides loving the bully sticks, they really help wet his eyes. We also give him omega-3 supplements for his joints, a probiotic and a chewable B vitamin for anxiety. I was told that we can resume these in a few weeks. -- J.Q., Lake Worth, Florida

DEAR J.Q.: Bully sticks always have some risk of salmonella, and the risk is worse with pigs’ ears. Chicken can be very fatty, even when boiled, and tends to be inflammatory; ditto dry dog kibble.

I would transition to boiled turkey meat, which can have a calming effect from the tryptophan. I would add some fiber -- such as organic oatmeal, amaranth or quinoa -- about a tablespoon per serving, plus a teaspoon of grated carrots or blueberries. Give him three or four small meals daily. Good-quality probiotics, which should be found in refrigerated storage in the store, can also help with digestive and pancreatic problems, so double-check the probiotics you are giving to your dog. (Incidentally, those containing Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001 can help reduce anxiety in humans.)

Before bedtime, give your dog 3 to 6 milligrams of melatonin and 50 milligrams L-theanine. The latter has a calming effect, and melatonin also acts as a beneficial antioxidant.

Check out my review “Dog Food and Feeding Issues” on my website, droxonehealth.com. This is relevant to feeding some complex carbohydrates to dogs.

(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 DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 10-year-old Yorkie who scratches and acts like she’s being bit, but no fleas are on her that I can see. She chews her feet constantly, too.

In a recent column, you said this could be allergies. How do I know what she’s allergic to? The vet put her on Apoquel, but it doesn’t seem to help a lot. The vet did no tests, just put her on the medicine. It’s not helping; maybe takes the edge off a bit.

She also gets crusty little sores on her back (they gave me Douxo shampoo for that). This is all new within the last three years. Help! -- B.O., Sand Springs, Oklahoma

DEAR B.O.: I am afraid your little dog is probably a victim of substandard veterinary services, though she’s not alone: Many veterinarians here and in Europe are prescribing Apoquel and Cytopoint for dogs with symptoms like yours.

Regrettably, these two drugs that suppress the immune system -- sometimes catastrophically -- are the new steroid quick-fix that many veterinarians, including dermatology specialists, prescribe widely.

A quick online search reveals the potential danger. One piece of evidence is a letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to the manufacturer, Zoetis, essentially confronting the inadequate labeling of this immune system-suppressing drug and its potentially harmful, even fatal, consequences. (See the letter at fda.gov/media/113909/download.)

I have also received several letters from other readers whose dogs have developed adverse reactions to this drug. The crusty sores that developed on your dog’s back are probably due to this medicine.

I am disgusted that the veterinarian attending to your dog did not address diet and possible food intolerances or allergies, or potential allergens in the dog’s environment. I highly recommend you take your dog off this medication and try my home-prepared dog food diet, posted on my website, with half the grain content for small dogs like yours. And go to ahvma.org to find your nearest holistic veterinary practitioner.

Dietary supplements are very helpful for dogs with so-called atopic dermatitis (the dermatological problem your dog has been diagnosed with and improperly treated for), notably good-quality fish oil (not krill) and vitamin D3.

DEAR DR. FOX: Our PTSD service dog was exposed to a barrage of extremely loud fireworks right outside our back door on Christmas night while we were out. Video shows that he was terrified -- running through the house, trying to escape. He has not recovered. We have taken him to quiet places in the woods, and given him lots of quiet, gentle attention and assurance. Even when we walk in the daytime, he is hyper -- not having fun, but running from one spot to another in a frantic movement. What else can we do? -- N.L., Lake Worth Beach, Florida

DEAR N.L.: As you said, your service dog has a case of PTSD. I prefer to call this PTSS: post-traumatic stress syndrome. Consult with your veterinarian and get a prescription of Prozac or similar medication to help. Also, a bandanna around the neck with two or three drops of essential oil of lavender four times a day can have a calming effect. Give him 3 to 6 milligrams of melatonin at bedtime.

Loud fireworks need to be prohibited since they also harm people with some forms of PTSD, and trigger fright/panic reactions in animals wild and domestic, often with injurious and even fatal consequences. Not to mention the risks to children being burned and losing eyes and fingers, and the sparking of community and forest fires. Large firework displays may seem acceptable on occasion if all safety precautions are in place, but many animals will still be terrified. And why make air pollution worse? Time for people to grow up!

(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 DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: In these times of increasing economic disparity, regional unemployment and homelessness in America, a Fort Collins, Colorado, veterinarian has set up a coalition to provide veterinary care for companion animals of the homeless.

These animals provide significant comfort and emotional well-being for the poor and homeless, and would benefit from donations from all who care, and from the engagement of veterinarians not yet involved. For details, visit thestreetdogcoalition.org.

DEAR DR. FOX: I am reaching out today to discuss the wolves of America.

It appears to me the federal government is heading toward removing wolves from the “threatened” or “endangered” species list. It looks to be led by Trump’s appointed Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt.

Reading your article “Betrayal of Wolves,” it sure seems like that would be a disaster to the wolf population. It’s sad to think of all the reintroduction efforts for this animal, only to see them killed off again. I truly don’t understand who could get any pleasure from shooting such a magnificent animal.

In Michigan, like Minnesota, it seems so divided, although I think most people are in favor of the wolves. The scary part is I don’t think a lot of people know the wolf is being removed from the protection of the act. I imagine that’s part of the feds’ idea: not to publicize it very much.

I think not only the wolf is in danger from people like Bernhardt, but many other animals. These are sad times we’re living in, when with all the strength and might of our nation, we cannot protect our oldest friends. -- R.C., Canton, Michigan

DEAR R.C.: You and I are not alone in feeling despair over what I have previously called bio-fascism. The gutting of the Environmental Protection Agency and essentially wiping out species once protected under the Endangered Species Act is NOT in the public interest. It may boost the “economy,” but such initiatives mainly serve the private interests of ranchers, land developers and destroyers -- especially the mining, oil, gas and timber industries.

When species and biodiversity are sacrificed along with air and water quality for short-term profit, the public interest is not served. Under the principle of One Health, our own health and economic security depend upon a healthy environment, which is in part maintained by indigenous species, plant and animal -- all of whom should be protected, if not in their own right, then for the well-being of future generations.

My article “Wolves and Human Well-Being” (drfoxonehealth.com) documents how species such as the wolf contribute ultimately to our own health. But it is evident that the current administration, running America into ecological and moral bankruptcy, is anti-science and cannot be reasoned with. Their primary concern is the almighty dollar.

I think and hope that Americans can do better, and can vote with their hearts and heads in the right place and restore democracy, which should include equal and fair consideration for all species, great and small. Otherwise, our children will suffer a lower quality of life and health, along with economic insecurity from the consequences of ecological mismanagement, environmental degradation and related climate change.

GOOD NEWS IN MARYLAND FOR PUPPES AND KITTENS

A federal judge has upheld Maryland’s ban on pet stores selling puppies and kittens, which went into effect Jan. 1, and which was protested by store owners and commercial breeders. This is a victory for these animals and for animal rights advocates.

California had been the first state to ban such sales. Several municipalities across the country are initiating similar prohibitions. Opposition also comes from the agricultural sector, which fears such bans make them vulnerable to legislation that could outlaw cruel and polluting factory farms and feedlots.

(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 DrFoxOneHealth.com.)