DEAR READERS: The British Veterinary Association, British Veterinary Zoological Society and British Small Animal Veterinary Association are campaigning to educate rabbit owners on the proper care of these animals. Rabbits are the third most popular pets in the U.K., and they are also rising in popularity in the U.S.

According to a 2019 report from British veterinary charity PDSA, 49% of rabbits in the U.K. live alone with no companionship. Since rabbits are highly social animals, these experts advise keeping at least two together -- either of the same sex, or neutered if of different sexes -- in large enclosures, and also including quality hay in their diets.

Companionship is extremely important for the health and welfare of pet rabbits. Traditionally, rabbits are prey animals that live in colonies in the wild for “safety in numbers.” This social instinct is still present in pet rabbits today. Evidence shows that pet rabbits greatly benefit from living with other pet rabbits, with companionship having a positive effect on their health, behavior, emotional well-being and regulation of body temperature.

I have long considered keeping lone rabbits in cages or hutches a hidden cruelty -- one that veterinary associations around the world, along with people who keep rabbits as pets, need to address. For more details, visit www.bva.co.uk/rabbit-housing.

DEAR DR. FOX: I respectfully disagree with your opinion that all coyote hunts are problematic and cruel, and should be banned.

When I was growing up on our farm in central Illinois, we did not have a problem with coyotes. However, the coyote population throughout Illinois has exploded. We used to have a fairly large outdoor cat population on the farm, but the coyotes have killed them all. They have also killed all the rabbits.

When I visit the farm now, I hear coyotes howling right outside the front of the house. When I walk my small dog at night, I keep her on a short leash and use a flashlight.

The problem is that there are no predators for the coyotes, so the population keeps expanding. My sister lives in a large suburb of Chicago called Arlington Heights, and she sees coyotes in broad daylight in her backyard and on the street. Hers is a highly populated residential area. Small dogs confined to backyards have been killed by coyotes.

Coyote pelts are worthless, so there is no incentive for hunters to kill them. I am an animal lover, but we have too many coyotes (and deer), so I am totally in favor of them being hunted to control further population growth. I care more about the safety of people’s pets than I do about coyotes. -- D.R., Lincoln, Nebraska

DEAR D.R.: I sympathize with your concerns, but do not agree with the killing of coyotes, since this does not help regulate their numbers.

Ironically, killing in one area will mean more coyote cubs being born in nearby areas, since there is then more food available for their mothers. They then subsequently recolonize those areas of temporary extermination.

State and federal agents have used traps, snares, denning, fishhooks, dogs, cyanide guns and poison bait for decades, but the coyotes have continued to colonize region after region, state after state.

You are witnessing evolution: These predators are adapting to conditions we humans have made favorable for them and their prey, including free-roaming cats (who should be indoors) and unattended dogs. Coyotes will also kill white-tailed deer fawns, the overabundance of which we humans have created for the hunting industry and by the virtual extermination of the wolf. Through competitive exclusion, wolf packs once limited the spread of coyotes.

For more details, read Dan Flores’ book, “Coyote America.” And for ways to avoid coyote conflicts and establish a more harmonious coexistence -- which will benefit us, since coyotes also consume small rodents that harbor Lyme and other tick-borne diseases -- visit projectcoyote.org.

DEFORESTATION SETS STAGE FOR ZOONOSES, PANDEMICS

Deforestation, whether deliberate or accidental, brings wild animals into closer contact with humans, where the animals can transmit zoonotic diseases (infectious diseases that spread from animals to humans), potentially setting the stage for a pandemic.

“The more we degrade and clear forest habitats, the more likely it is that we’re going to find ourselves in these situations where epidemics of infectious diseases occur,” said disease ecologist Andy MacDonald. (National Geographic, Nov. 22, 2019)

AVMA CONDEMNS DONKEY TRADE

The AVMA and the World Veterinary Association have condemned the global donkey trade, in which the animals are sold and slaughtered, sometimes cruelly, for hides or to make donkey-hide gelatin for ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicine.

A recent report by the Donkey Sanctuary linked the trade to criminal networks, abuse, biosecurity threats and economic burdens on families whose donkeys are stolen.

Read the full story at scientificamerican.com.

(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 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.)