DEAR DR. FOX: I had a Lhasa-mix dog named Buster for 17 years. He was the child of a rescue dog I had adopted earlier, who I believe made me a puppy to replace himself right before he died.

Buster was a 16-pound ball of gray fluff, and I took him with me everywhere -- on vacation, to work, out to eat. He was always at my side, and never even let out a whimper when I took him to the vet for shots. He trusted that whatever I did for him was for the best.

You can imagine how my life was shattered the day I had to have him euthanized. He’d stopped eating and drinking, could no longer make it up the steps, and had lost complete control of his bowels, to his obvious embarrassment. When the vet said his kidneys were failing and the end was near, I decided to let him go peacefully with me at his side, anticipating a smooth transition. I had been told by others who’d been through this that they would give him a sedative, he would go to sleep, and then be euthanized.

It wasn’t like that at all. As I rested my hand on his back and talked to him, the vet forced an IV in his leg and Buster began screaming bloody murder and wouldn’t stop. He looked over his shoulder at me as if to say, “Mommy, make them stop,” and I could see the whites of his eyes. He was terrified and in pain. He did that until he collapsed in my arms.

What a horrific last memory I have of him. To this day, I wish I had just let him die peacefully in his doggy bed under the desk at my office, where he loved to stay. I would never advise anyone to take their dog to a vet to be euthanized. Never. Ever. -- C.W. Tulsa, Oklahoma

DEAR C.W.: I am so saddened and infuriated that your poor dog was euthanized in this way without a prior sedative injection to make the intravenous injection of the euthanasia agent more fear- and pain-free. That memory will be with you forever, and I appreciate you sharing this to remind all veterinarians that this kind of human error and lapse in humane protocol is ethically unacceptable. It undermines the good name and dedication of what I consider one of the noblest of professions.

SHELTER-CAT CARE: FORGETTING THE OBVIOUS

A recent study by Dutch researchers posted in the British Veterinary Association journal, the Veterinary Record, showed that cats in shelters adapt faster to being caged, and show a significantly faster decrease in signs of stress, if provided with cardboard boxes with a small opening to hide in. While both groups lost equal amounts of weight under the stress of being caged in a shelter, the authors concluded that since hiding boxes reduce behavioral stress, they should be provided for all cats. (W. van der Leij and associates, “Hiding boxes reduce behavioral stress in shelter-housed cats,” PLoSONE 2019)

In my opinion, this would also help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, since stress can impair the immune system and make cats more susceptible to such infections, which are all too common in animal shelters.

(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: The American Veterinary Medical Association is actively monitoring developments related to animals and COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

On Feb. 27, a dog in Hong Kong tested “weak positive” for coronavirus (the owner tested positive). The precise meaning of “weak positive” remains unclear, and evaluation is ongoing. The dog has since received a second positive result, which has been sent to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), which is working with Hong Kong health officials on this case. Hong Kong authorities have said the dog shows no clinical signs of illness, but remains quarantined. They contend that cats and dogs cannot pass the virus to humans, but they can test positive for low levels of the pathogen if they catch it from their owners.

At this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization say there is no evidence that companion animals can spread COVID-19. However, as with any disease, it’s always a good idea to wash your hands after being around animals.

According to the CDC, people who are sick with COVID-19 should limit contact with pets and other animals just as they would limit contact with other people. When possible, a healthy member of the household should take over caring for any animals. If an ill individual must be around pets or other animals while sick, he or she should wear an appropriate facemask and wash hands thoroughly before and after.

A Facebook post implying that a cattle vaccine can prevent infection with the novel coronavirus spreading among humans has been widely shared, but that vaccine prevents diarrhea in calves caused by bovine coronavirus -- an entirely different pathogen from the one that causes COVID-19. Under no circumstances should people ever use any animal vaccine on themselves.

For more details about this emerging disease, see the relevant article on my website (drfoxonehealth.com). Essentially, this emerging disease and others will continue to be threats, calling for ever-more vaccines and medications, so long as preventive medicine remains human-centered and reactive rather than proactive. Governments must address wildlife poaching, trafficking, habitat encroachment, our ever-increasing human numbers and the killing of animals, wild and domesticated, for food.

DEAR DR. FOX: A recent column of yours about race horses really spoke to me. I am on the board of directors of the Equamore Foundation, a horse rescue sanctuary in Ashland, Oregon. We have lived the terrible story of thoroughbred horses thrown in the trash, and we fight against it every day.

Currently, we have 59 rescued equines on our property; the number fluctuates as we lose horses to illness and injury and, sadly, as more animals are identified who need our help. We only take in horses that have no other options. Once they enter our barn, they only leave to cross the rainbow bridge. Many of these horses come from the racing industry, and we have seen the abuse of these magnificent animals -- including starvation, cruelty and abandonment -- up close.

We have been a rescue facility since 1991. Our horses live as horses should: They have a beautiful, cozy barn; daily turnout in the pasture with their herds; good food; vet and farrier care; and the love of the humans who tend to their needs. I would invite you to peruse our website (equamore.org) to read some of the inspiring stories of rehabilitation and redemption of our residents.

To highlight the problems with horse racing, we hold an annual event on the first Saturday in May, coinciding with the Kentucky Derby. We do our best to teach our supporters about the cruelty built into the horse racing industry. And it is an industry -- a business -- where each year’s batch of colts is called a “crop,” like corn or soybeans. I’m sure that this desensitization makes it easier for trainers to shove a less-than-successful and terrified horse into a trailer for the trip to Canada or Mexico for slaughter.

Thank you for all that you do for animals, and the awareness that you bring to the world to make us better stewards of our furry friends. -- Nancy Shulenberger, Ashland, Oregon

DEAR N.S.: I commend you on your active involvement in helping these magnificent, long-abused animals, who are treated by so many as mere commodities. I hope some readers will be moved to support your good work.

I have also written an article, which has been accepted for publication in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, in which I set out the scientific and medical reasons that thoroughbred horses should not be raced competitively until they are 3 1/2 to 4 years of age. Before that age, their skeletal and joint structures are too immature to take the physical stress, making them prone to injury and all too often having to be killed on the racetrack. Such a sad reflection of human ignorance, indifference and greed.

(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: My old cat is suffering from hyperesthesia syndrome. Are there any home remedies that I can try for him? -- M.K., St. Louis

DEAR M.K.: Hyperesthesia syndrome is as yet a condition of unknown cause, and is not uncommon in cats. It is associated with agitation and anxiety, with the skin rippling and the cat becoming hypersensitive to touch during an episode.

In all cases, I would advise the veterinarian to check first for hyperactive thyroid, which can bring on somewhat similar symptoms -- especially when the cat pulls on its fur and engages in self-mutilation.

Wrapping the cat in a towel while comforting and cradling it can help during an episode. Some people have found that giving the cat dried catnip herb can also have a calming effect. An approximate dose of 1/4 teaspoon of dried catnip in the morning and early evening may help, although some cats don't respond to catnip.

At bedtime, I would also give 1 to 3 mg of melatonin. If you have difficulty pilling your cat, crush the tablet in a little canned sardine.

Your veterinarian may wish to prescribe Prozac, which can help alleviate anxiety, or low-dose gabapentin. Also discuss a nutraceutical supplement to increase brain serotonin, such as tryptophan or L-theanine.

I would also strongly advise feeding your cat a good-quality canned, frozen or freeze-dried cat food that's free of corn and other cereals and of additives, especially coloring agents and preservatives. Or try my home-prepared cat food recipe, found on my website (DrFoxOneHealth.com), which has helped improve the health of countless cats over the years.

CHINA’S WILDLIFE MEAT TRADE BAN LIKELY UNENFORCEABLE

China is reportedly banning the trade and consumption of wildlife, on the speculation that the new coronavirus probably came from bats, then spread to an intermediary species, then to people at a meat market featuring many animals, wild and domestic. China’s wildlife-farming industry is estimated at $74 billion, and the wild-meat industry value is $7.1 billion. Wildlife policy researcher Zhao-Min Zhou, in considering the scope of these industries’ profitability and political influence, says that government enforcement of any such ban is “untenable.” (Business Insider, Feb. 25)

(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.)