DEAR READERS: The coronavirus is capable of mutation to increase infectivity and multiplication -- currently in the human species, but I fear that other species exposed to infected humans may be next.

Giving the public hope in the animal-tested vaccinations now being developed around the world may be to little avail, considering how this virus can mutate into a new strain or variant, causing a different set of health problems. I am not opposed to the judicious and appropriate use of vaccines in humans and other animals, but vaccination limitations are a documented problem with the influenza virus, and some vaccine formulations will not provide adequate protection. Also, some vaccinations can cause increased susceptibility to other viral infections. More effective testing, quarantining (where indicated), social distancing and personal hygiene vigilance are the best preventives.

While the jury is still out as to the origin of SARS-CoV-2, other coronavirus infections in humans have been traced back to some wild animal species, along with other contagious viruses also originating from farmed animals (pigs and poultry). The obvious preventive steps include addressing the human-animal zoonotic interface, and drastically reducing wild and domestic animal exploitation and consumption, both at home and abroad.

DEAR DR. FOX: The One Health Initiative team has posted your commentary about the COVID-19 nightmare, and the urgent need to institute a One Health approach and principles -- to this current crisis, and to many other global public health, comparative medicine and environmental issues, now and in the future. We greatly appreciate your visionary support and advocacy for One Health!

The One Health Initiative autonomous pro bono team was originally established in 2006, and the group’s website (onehealthinitiative.com) has been called “the international clearinghouse for significant One Health information.” It is currently estimated to be accessed each month by thousands of individual visitors from about 150 countries.

Please keep up your longstanding, excellent humanitarian animal welfare efforts. -- Bruce Kaplan, DVM, Dipl. AVES (Hon.); Contents Manager/Editor, One Health Initiative Website; Co-Founder, One Health Initiative; Sarasota, Florida

DEAR DR. KAPLAN: Your words of support for my efforts to inform the public about the importance of a One Health approach are appreciated. The evident lack of any veterinary representation in an advisory capacity in the White House task force is regrettable. This pandemic is certainly a major global crisis, medically and economically, and as Winston Churchill is said to have quipped during the Second World War, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” An interdisciplinary, One Health approach is indeed called for to facilitate preventive measures for this and future epidemics and pandemics of animal origin, rather than relying on ever-more vaccinations and drugs to treat people, which are costly and not without risk.

I applaud the good work that you and your associates have been doing to expand the concept of health and preventive medicine, which has been too long limited by the anthropocentrism of conventional medicine. I am sending you my latest review of the coronavirus pandemic and my article on the limitations of conventional medicine.

(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: On April 27, it was reported that a pug dog belonging to a pediatrician participating in a COVID-19 study at Duke University in North Carolina tested positive for infection with SARS-CoV-2, and displayed mild signs of illness for several days. The pediatrician, her husband and their son also tested positive for coronavirus infection, while the couple’s daughter, their other dog and a pet cat did not.

It was not until April 29 that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called for social distancing to be applied to pets: dogs being kept on the leash when outdoors and not petted by people outside the family, and cats being kept indoors. For details about how one can help cats who are used to going outdoors adapt quickly and enjoy life indoors, go to the American Bird Conservancy’s page on the topic: abcbirds.org/program/cats-indoors.

I have always deplored the keeping of indoor-outdoor cats, knowing how many cats get killed and injured by traffic, fights and infections. In addition, cats are super-predators, decimating songbird and other wildlife populations. The notion of “working cats” around homes, barns and warehouses comes from previous eras that were more ignorant about zoonotic diseases and sanitation. Cats, especially indoor-outdoor cats with close contact with family members, can transmit more diseases to us than human-avoiding wild rodents.

In early April, both the American Veterinary Medical Association and the British Veterinary Association urged people who are self-isolating or have COVID-19 symptoms to keep their cats indoors because it is possible that outdoor cats may carry the virus on their fur, just as the virus can live on other surfaces.

DEAR DR. FOX: I read your comment about finding a reticulated python while walking in D.C., and wanted to mention an unlikely find of my own from some years back.

Living in Maryland in a neighborhood of large, one- to two-acre lots, I was surprised to catch sight of a gerbil near our front porch. I managed to catch the poor little guy, probably because it was cold and he was moving more slowly, and then found him an aquarium and shavings as a temporary home. A few days later, I mentioned the gerbil to my neighbor. She smiled and said she had gotten tired of taking care of it, and had put it outside. She wondered how on earth it ever found its way to my home. Talk about cold-hearted! I could never look at her the same after that.

The gerbil moved on to a good home. We have no pets, but I religiously read and enjoy your column. -- L.R., Bethany Beach, Delaware

DEAR L.R.: Your good Samaritan act -- saving this little creature from certain death from a predator, starvation or cold exposure -- puts you on the side of those who care for all creatures, great and small. It has disturbed me since early childhood that there are people on the other side who have such little regard for fellow creatures that they will simply abandon them when they lose interest in them or find them “too much trouble” to care for. Some will even kill them.

Releasing any creature to fend for itself is an inhumane and irresponsible act. In some instances, it can lead to such animals spreading disease to indigenous species.

FUNGAL DISEASE COULD ARRIVE IN U.S.

A newly described fungal disease is killing salamanders and newts in Europe, and could soon land on U.S. shores from pet-trade-imported amphibians. The disease, chytridiomycosis, invades the skin of salamanders and newts, and is related to another fungus that has been wiping out frog and other amphibian populations around the world. In sum, all international trade in exotic species should be prohibited in order to prevent so-called panzootic diseases from harming wildlife and biodiversity.

(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: We have noticed a change in our pets’ behavior during this “stay at home” period, and have talked to others who say the same. Our cat is more vocal and always wants to be near us, whereas prior to this time, he tended to be more independent.

Are there any studies being done, or explanations for this change in behavior? -- P.K., Danbury, Connecticut

DEAR P.K.: Yes indeed, some readers like you have noted changes in their cats’ and dogs’ behavior during the pandemic lockdown. I would like to hear from other readers about how their animal companions are responding to people being at home all day -- especially the children who would normally be at school. Some cats may miss their solitude and go find a quiet space in the home, while others, like yours, become more sociable. Many dogs are enjoying longer and more frequent walks and jogs.

But I have two fears: first, that pets are being given more treats during this time -- just as some people are eating more snacks and watching more TV. All things in moderation! My second concern is that when people get back to working out of the home, and children are back at school, many animals will miss the stimulation and may develop separation anxiety. Hiring a pet sitter or dog walker once people get out again may help animals adjust to being alone most of the day. Check out Pet Sitters International (petsit.com) to find such help in your area.

There are also many dogs and cats who were adopted from shelters at the beginning of the pandemic shutdown. Some of these new pet owners are well-intentioned but ill-prepared -- in terms of knowing how to care for their animals properly, and also in terms of finances -- so many animals may be returned to shelters or abandoned.

Dr. John Howe, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, has stated that pets might be overwhelmed by the extra attention as people stay home during the pandemic, and that they need a place where they can be left alone -- particularly in homes with small children. “It can be overwhelming for pets when kids are home all the time, especially infants and toddlers. Which is why they should never be left alone with the pet, not even for 30 seconds,” Dr. Howe said, adding that “even the nicest dog in the world can bite.”

And in some homes, the close proximity and confinement of family members can become emotionally stressful, leading to verbal abuse and physical violence -- which can make animals, as well as children, fearful and insecure.

Crises can bring out the best and the worst of human nature. Getting out and walking the dog or reading some good poetry aloud -- which my wife, Deanna, does every evening, and which our dog Kota seems to enjoy -- can be the best medicine for all concerned!

SARS-COV-2 DETECTED IN MINK ON DUTCH FARMS

Two farms in the Netherlands were quarantined in April after mink that were having trouble breathing tested positive for infection with the coronavirus. The animals were thought to have been infected by an employee who had COVID-19. Although experts said it was unlikely the animals themselves could spread the virus, movement of the animals and their manure has been halted, and people must stay away from the properties.

DEAR DR. FOX: I’m writing to you regarding the recent letter from B.T. in New Carlisle, Indiana, who outlined the symptoms their 19-year-old cat was experiencing: loss of vision and crying through the night. My cat had the same symptoms at age 15 (she has since passed at age 18). My vet suggested several Chinese herbal remedies, which had no effect.

A vet student interning in the office suggested taking the cat’s blood pressure, which they did in the tail, using a pediatric cuff. It turned out that my cat had extremely high blood pressure, for which they prescribed a medication. The nightly crying ceased, but she never regained her eyesight. She adapted to the loss of vision remarkably well. We bought a pet stair, which she learned to use, resuming her nightly snuggle on the bed with us. -- C.C., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR C.C.: Many thanks for sharing. This underscores the importance of annual wellness examinations, which some veterinarians will conduct in-home with an assistant. This costs more, but can be worth every penny. We owe our animal companions and family members no less!

As cats get older, they often have dental problems that can lead to damage to the kidneys, pancreas and other organs. Dental problems are very often due to the wrong kind of foods, notably a dry-kibble-only diet that leads to tartar buildup and subsequent infection and inflammation.

Blood pressure checks are becoming part of the wellness examination protocol, since this problem can lead to blindness and strokes in cats if not diagnosed and treated.

I was shocked to learn from one reader recently that an incomplete wellness exam was given to her dog, who had been taken in for loss of appetite and was treated for pancreatitis. The examination was incomplete because a routine fecal sample was not taken to check for internal parasites. This was later found to be the issue, when the dog did not respond to the prescribed treatment for misdiagnosed pancreatitis.

Mistakes become more frequent when basic clinical diagnostic protocols are not strictly adhered to.

(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.)