DEAR READERS: Chinese scientists investigated the susceptibility of ferrets and other species that have close contact with humans to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. They found in laboratory exposure tests that SARS-CoV-2 replicates poorly in dogs, pigs, chickens and ducks, but ferrets and cats are susceptible to infection. Cats are susceptible to airborne infection and can infect each other, with extensive lung damage evident in young cats. Ferrets develop milder upper respiratory infections, from which they are likely to recover. (Jianzhong Shi et al, “Susceptibility of ferrets, cats, dogs and other domesticated animals to SARS-coronavirus-2,” Science, April 8, 2020)

These disturbing findings mean that domestic cats should be quarantined and tested if exposed to infected people. Precautions should be taken at this time, especially in animal shelters, when cats develop early signs of any sickness involving the upper respiratory system.

Such legitimate concerns about COVID-19 in domestic cats are yet another reason to keep cats indoors, and to prohibit them from going outdoors except into an enclosed, safe area such as a “catio.” This will help reduce the chances of this highly infectious virus from spreading in local, free-roaming domestic cat populations. Such populations could become a reservoir of infection, and cats could then bring the infection back into people’s homes. Wild felines (bobcat, lynx and panther/cougar), and possibly foxes, may also be at risk.

It has not yet been determined if cats can transmit COVID-19 to humans, but fearing that possibility, some people may start killing free-roaming cats -- like some people in Peru, who have been reported to be slaughtering bats.

The American Veterinary Medical Association’s standing policy is that pet cats be kept indoors. Their policy states that “keeping owned cats confined, such as housing them in an enriched indoor environment or in an outdoor enclosure, or exercising leash-acclimated cats, can minimize the risks to the cats, wildlife, humans and the environment.” On April 8, the British Veterinary Association urged people who are self-isolating or have COVID-19 symptoms to keep their cats indoors. According to the BVA, it is possible that outdoor cats may carry the virus on their fur, just as the virus can live on other surfaces. But in my opinion, people who are asymptomatic could infect their cats, so I urge all cat owners to keep their cats indoors during this global pandemic.

For people who want to transition their outdoor cats to indoors, the American Bird Conservancy offers a range of helpful solutions on its website (abcbirds.org) that were developed over years of work with veterinarians and pet owners.

Cats are sold and killed for food in Chinese markets, a practice that should be prohibited in view of these findings. The Chinese government’s statement in early April prohibiting the same fate for dogs, because they are “companion animals,” is a face-saving public relations action. A similar prohibition should be applied to cats, and to all live animals, wild and domesticated, in these widespread markets. Some cultural norms must change for the common good.

DEAR DR. FOX: I looked at your “Homemade Natural Food for Dogs” recipe, but was confused to find the ingredients of “whole-grain brown rice, barley, quinoa, rolled oats and rice pasta” included. I keep reading about how grains are bad for dogs.

I have been feeding our dogs -- a greyhound and a German shepherd -- non-grain foods from Open Farm (on Susan Thixton’s list of good dog food companies), along with some of their supplements such as bone broth and stews, but now the company has come out with a dry food containing “ancient grains.” They also came out with a “gently cooked” food that looks similar to your recipe that does not contain any grains. Please help explain this to me. -- J.M., Hobe Sound, Florida

DEAR J.M.: I am glad that you asked this question, which has come up in earlier columns but is worth repeating. Some grains in the canine diet are good for dogs, and their absence is linked with heart disease (dilated cardiomyopathy). For details, see the article on my website (drfoxonehealth.com) entitled “Pet Food and Feeding Issues: Soy Dogs and Corn Cats -- Myth and Reality.” A lot of poor-quality grains in dogs’ diets, typically in cheap kibble, can contribute to obesity, inflammatory diseases and pancreatic enzyme insufficiency.

Notice you will not find corn in my recipe. Corn in cat and dog food and can cause various health problems, from seizures to inflammatory bowel disease. Corn categorically has no place in a cat’s diet; its inclusion is unethical and grossly irresponsible. According to Susan Thixton, (TruthaboutPetFood.com), citing a recently released agricultural study: “Corn is the most commonly used pet food ingredient -- almost 1 million more tons of corn is included in cat and dog foods than ANY other ingredient. In July 2019, 98% of corn samples tested in the U.S. were ‘positive for at least one mycotoxin,’ and ‘74% of samples have more than one mycotoxin.’ Even low levels of mycotoxins in pet food can result in serious illness.“

(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 live alone with my beloved dog. Preparing for the worst in this virus pandemic, I am thinking ahead to the scenario in which I get so sick that I can’t take him out, or that I need to go to the hospital. In this case, I would ask a neighbor or friend to take care of my pooch. My question is whether my dog would need to be disinfected in some way before it would be safe for another person to take him. Could the virus be transmitted through his fur? If so, what procedures would you recommend? -- E.C., Ashland, Oregon

Dear E.C.: You ask an important question with regard to this new plague. I hope you will remain safe, and have all your basic needs secured by practicing social distancing and personal sanitization -- hand-wipes, latex gloves and masks. Leave nonperishable grocery supplies, including pet food, in a separate room for 48 hours after getting them home.

People who get this disease and have animals should stay in place and self-quarantine, and the companion animals living with those who must be hospitalized should be properly quarantined and tested -- not euthanized. Thousands of cats were killed during the Black Death plague across Europe in the 17th century, taking the blame for what had become a human-to-human transmitted disease by people’s infected body lice and fleas.

A dog in Hong Kong whose COVID-19 test result was weakly positive died two days after being released from quarantine, according to Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. The 17-year-old Pomeranian showed no signs of the disease, and a subsequent blood test for antibodies was negative. Though the owner, who recently recovered from COVID-19, declined to authorize a necropsy, experts say the dog’s age, underlying health conditions and the stress of quarantine were likely factors in the dog’s death.

In March 2020, the Hong Kong government urged people not to abandon their pets and to stop kissing them after a second dog tested positive for coronavirus, but stressed that the animal had not shown any symptoms of the disease. A German shepherd was sent for quarantine, along with another mixed-breed dog from the same residence, after their owner was confirmed as being infected, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said in a statement. Though the shepherd tested positive for the virus, no such result was obtained from the mixed-breed dog, and “neither dog has shown any signs of disease,” the AFCD said, adding it will continue to monitor both dogs and conduct repeated tests on the animals.

Cats can be infected with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and spread it to other cats, but dogs are not really susceptible to the infection, according to researchers in China. The team at Harbin Veterinary Research Institute in China also concludes that chickens, pigs and ducks are not likely to catch the virus. Seven tigers became ill in late March after interacting with an infected but asymptomatic employee at the Bronx Zoo in New York, but are expected to recover.

People who have been exposed to others infected, or who are themselves infected, should minimize physical in-home contact with companion animals. Wear a mask outdoors when you walk your dog, and avoid contact with other people’s dogs. For extra precaution after dog-play in a dog park, wipe them down well with a warm and soapy sponge.

The virus is very fragile; the only thing that protects it is a thin outer layer of fat. That is why any soap or detergent is the best remedy, because the foam cuts the fat. By dissolving the fat layer, the protein molecule disperses and breaks down on its own. Other tips:

-- Heat melts fat; this is why it is so good to use warm or hot water for washing hands and clothes (and everything else). In addition, hot water makes more foam.

-- Alcohol, or any mixture with alcohol over 65%, dissolves the external lipid layer of the virus.

-- Any mix with 1 part bleach and 5 parts water directly dissolves the protein, breaks it down from the inside and can be used to sterilize surfaces.

If you think your companion animals may have the infection, contact your veterinarian to get the test kit from Idexx Laboratories. The kit has tested thousands of samples from dogs and cats.

I hope this information is helpful. The more informed we are, the more our fears are tempered by responsible, preventive actions.

FLORIDA MAN ABANDONS DOG, FEARING COVID-19

A man in Cape Coral, Florida, admitted that he abandoned his dog because he was afraid he could catch COVID-19 from her, and he refused to take the dog back after being informed that his fear was misguided. “In the United States, there is no evidence to suggest that any animals, including pets, livestock or wildlife, might be a source of COVID-19 infection at this time,” the CDC says. (Newsweek, 3/30)

(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 CDC states: ”Zoonotic diseases are very common, both in the United States and around the world. Scientists estimate that more than 6 out of every 10 known infectious diseases in people can be spread from animals, and 3 out of every 4 new or emerging infectious diseases in people come from animals.”

COVID-19 is a wake-up call. After its first wave of global socioeconomic disruption, we must reassess how the consumption of wild and farmed animals can cause epidemics, pandemics and regional outbreaks of food poisoning, and begin to transition from meat-eating omnivores to vegetarians and vegans.

Humans should keep out of wildlife habitats where such diseases emerge, to which we have no immunity. Consumers in industrial countries must support producers of organically certified foods to sustain a healthful vegetarian/vegan diet with minimal or zero consumption of eggs, dairy and meat, including seafood. Overfishing for human consumption, and to feed farmed animals, is one factor in the demise of the oceans. Large fish like tuna are contaminated with mercury, and farmed salmon can be high in dioxins. One-third of all fish caught globally are fed to farmed fish, further depleting the oceans.

America’s great prairies and other grasslands around the world have been degraded by overgrazing livestock. Millions of acres have been plowed up, and wetlands drained, to produce GMO corn and soybeans to be fed to livestock and poultry -- and to export to other countries like China, all at the cost of topsoil, water quality and increased carbon emissions. This all aggravates climate change and furthers the loss of biodiversity.

So we are all to blame, as a species that continues to regard other animals as dietary staples, creating anthropogenic zoonotic diseases in the process -- notably antibiotic-resistant bacteria from factory-farmed animals and strains of influenza from pigs and chickens. It is “species-ist” to claim that animals were created for our own use, and that we can kill, consume and exploit them as our needs and wants dictate.

For more details about this emerging disease, see my article “What Coronavirus COVID-19 Is Telling Us: A Holistic Veterinary and One Health View,” posted on my website (drfoxonehealth.com).

DEAR DR. FOX: Your recent article was the best I have ever read on the problems with diseases such as COVID-19. Would you please do the country and the world a favor by submitting it to the New York Times as an op-ed piece, so it has the greatest distribution? -- Dr. James Powell, retired dean of Arts and Sciences, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, South Bend

DEAR DR. POWELL: I greatly appreciate your approval of my Animal Doctor newspaper column entries concerning this coronavirus pandemic. This is a complex issue that cannot be compressed into a short newspaper review.

At best, all the suffering, death, grieving and economic impact of this latest COVID-19 pandemic will change how we choose to live: most especially our collective exploitation and consumption of animals, wild and domesticated. This brings on such pandemics and other zoonotic diseases, along with accelerating climate change and loss of biodiversity.

LET YOUR CAT OUT AND FEED THE COYOTES

I have written repeatedly to advise cat owners not to let their cats roam free, especially because of their killing of wild birds and other creatures. Here is one more reason to keep cats indoors: California State University, Northridge, professor Tim Karels, et al., with the National Park Service, found that cat remains were found in 20% of the poop of urban coyotes in Southern California, compared to 4% in suburban coyotes.

(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.)