DEAR READERS: I am disturbed by the frequent appearance on various TV advertisements of flat-faced breeds like the bulldog, French bulldog and pug. They suffer from a human-wrought deformity called brachycephaly, which can mean a lifetime of great difficulty breathing, coupled with eye and respiratory tract infections, digestive and dental problems and great susceptibility to heat stroke (most airlines will not fly them). Many require corrective surgery to relieve partial asphyxiation. Because of their relatively large, domed skulls, pups cannot be birthed normally and must be delivered by C-section.

They may seem adorable with their appealing, big-grin faces, but they are actually panting in effort-demanding breathing. Many snore, some sleeping with a ball or toy in their mouths so they can get some oxygen. Having no muzzle and a soft palate that is pushed back over their windpipe, normal breathing is impossible.

I was shocked the other day to see a young woman in jogging attire pulling on a leash, forcing her gasping pug to run with her. At least the dog wore a harness and not a neck collar, which can lead to collapse of the trachea or windpipe.

So please do not be taken in by whatever you find appealing about these poor dogs, which were created by generations of selective breeding for this abnormality. They are also expensive to purchase and to care for. Consumer beware!

A MAJOR OMISSION IN PANDEMIC PREVENTION

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and posted a public guide, “How to Protect Yourself & Others,” at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html.

It is evident from this CDC publication that this infection is believed to be only a respiratory virus, spread mainly from droplets in the exhaled air of infected individuals. But this coronavirus can also infect other organs and result in the virus being shed in people’s feces.

Cases in which the COVID-19 disease involved the intestines rather than the lungs were being discussed in the Journal of the American Medical Association and other medical publications expressing concerns over fecal-oral transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in March. Several diseases often regarded as “food-borne,” notably norovirus, come from human fecal contamination.

From my perspective as a veterinarian with some familiarity with other coronavirus infections (notably feline coronavirus, which has not been known to infect people), it is well known that these viruses can be passed through the feces, or from saliva and respiratory tract secretions, and infect other animals. So I find this serious omission in the CDC’s advice to the public inexcusable, and I trust that this egregious error will be quickly rectified.

Part of preventing the spread of COVID-19 must include extra precautions in food-handling, slaughterhouses, nursing and any situations involving exposure to human fecal material, such as public toilets, showers and swimming pools. This is another reason for meticulous hand-sanitizing, keeping fingernails short and wearing protective gloves.

DEAR DR. FOX: In a recent column about a dog with itching problems, but no fleas, you did not mention what you’d advised another reader a few years ago. I read that column, which was about the same thing my German shepherd had, and you recommended local honey in the dog’s diet. It totally took care of the problem -- no more itching. So I wanted to mention that again, as it really works. -- S.B. Trenton, New Jersey

DEAR S.B.: Thanks for this timely reminder. Local bee pollen or honey -- one teaspoon per 40 pounds of body weight daily -- in the food can help many dogs with seasonal allergies.

SOME INSPIRING READING IN THESE CHALLENGING TIMES

My book of prose and poetry, “The New Eden: For People, Animals and Nature,” with illustrations by Susan Seddon Boulet, may give readers some spiritual insight and comfort during these challenging and tragic times, as well as direction and purpose to make this ravaged planet a better place for all creatures. The health and well-being of future generations of humans and non-humans alike depend upon how we choose to live and find the way of compassion and ahimsa: avoiding harming others.

ACID-REFLUX MEDICATION OFF THE MARKET

If you have any medication like Zantac to treat acid-reflux in you or your dog, stop using it immediately. This medication has been taken off the market by the FDA because the longer it is kept, the more a “probable” cancer-causing chemical (N-Nitrosodimethylamine) forms. Consult with your physician or veterinarian to find a safer alternative.

(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: My memory of seeing cattle handlers restrain young bulls for branding and castration was triggered when I saw the footage of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. He nonchalantly kept one hand in his pocket while his knee and body weight were on the neck and throat of the handcuffed and prone George Floyd, with other officers alongside. As a veterinarian with a doctoral degree in ethology (animal behavior), I have a trained eye for interpreting the behavior of humans and other animals, and I was immediately struck by the similarity of the two situations. A man was treated like some beast, without any compassion or respect -- only power and control, which proved fatal.

Racism and speciesism are coins of the same inhumane currency, as are hate crimes and crimes of indifference and neglect. Jewish author Isaac Bashevis Singer, who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978, made the comparison in several of his stories, including “The Penitent” and “The Letter Writer.” In the former, the protagonist says, “When it comes to animals, every man is a Nazi.”

This endemic virus of inhumanity, cruelty and injustice makes the COVID-19 pandemic pale in comparison. There is no vaccine to make us humane and responsible citizens and planetary stewards -- only the examples of good parents, teachers and leaders. As I have urged in my book “The Boundless Circle: Caring for Creatures and Creation,” respect for all life is a boundless ethic, and is the essential cornerstone of any viable society. The essence of democracy in spirit and politics is egalitarianism: equal and fair consideration and justice for all sentient beings.

DEAR DR. FOX: We began feeding a stray female cat years ago. She has had several litters, and the local SPCA took in many of them. I have tried to catch her with a Havahart trap without success.

Is there anything available that could be put in a cat’s food to sterilize them? I believe I saw a news program about a town in New York where they had a deer population problem, and they put something in baited food that sterilized them. -- J.O., Staatsburg, New York

DEAR J.O.: Here is a recent posting that answers your question. The Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs (acc-d.org) is a nonprofit whose mission is to advance nonsurgical sterilants and contraceptives for cats and dogs and to promote their global accessibility. I took the following information from their website on May 29:

“In light of the need to provide healthcare workers with protective gear, conserve resources and to maintain social distancing, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an order to limit both human and veterinary ‘non-essential’ or ‘elective’ surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Surgical sterilization (spay/neuter surgeries) are being defined by some organizations/local or state governments as non-essential. Animal welfare organizations and veterinarians are concerned about how this policy will impact their work. Several influential entities in veterinary medicine have advised animal shelters, spay/neuter clinics and veterinarians to comply with this order by deferring sterilization surgeries for dogs and cats and continuing to manage adoptions. Organizations and professionals are understandably worried that pregnancies will result in unwanted litters that will further stress shelter intake and the community when shelter resources will be low and community need high, especially during high seasonal reproduction for cats.”

The organization then provides the following statement from veterinarian Julie Levy:

”COVID-19 brought a sudden need to evacuate animal shelters across the country, and communities responded by taking thousands of pets into their homes. There wasn’t even time to spay and neuter before they were placed. I support ACC&D’s recommendation that the field deploy megestrol acetate as a stop-gap contraceptive for female cats to prevent heat cycling and pregnancy until surgery comes back online.” -- Dr. Julie Levy, DVM, Ph.D.

A local veterinarian or the SPCA should be able to help you get the hormone to put in the cat’s food to stop her from having even more kittens.

(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: Thank you for correcting some of the misinformation about feral cats out there. I would like to see more information about the diseases that cats pass along to people, especially toxoplasmosis and rabies.

For those people who don’t care about our dwindling numbers of songbirds and other native wildlife, maybe the threat to pregnant women and children will force new laws to be written that carry stiff fines for allowing your cat to roam outside and for feeding feral cats.

I think the book “Cat Wars” by Peter Marra and Chris Santella should be required reading for the irresponsible people feeding feral cat populations. -- P.O.G., Lake Worth Beach, Florida

DEAR P.O.G.: Thanks for your comments. Yes, indeed, this indoor-outdoor and free-roaming cat issue needs the full attention of all municipalities to protect public health.

Public health authorities in most states, and at the federal level, need to step up to the plate and involve the veterinary profession. More and more diseases are coming from animals -- as with the coronavirus pandemic, the containment of which has been pathetic, along with preparedness.

Here are just some of the diseases and infections cats can pass on to people: chlamydiosis, leptospirosis, MRSA, tuberculosis, plague, Salmonellosis, cat flea typhus, sporotrichosis, cat scratch fever, ringworm, Malassezia dermatitis, Chaga’s disease, Giardiasis, mange and rabies. (Ref: The Merck Veterinary Manual, 2010)

The fact that cats can be infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus by infected humans, and (in laboratory tests) pass this disease to other cats, is surely a wake-up call for the need to keep cats indoors. Fifteen of 102 cats in Wuhan, China, tested positive for the coronavirus, with three cats getting the infection from their owners. Of the others, six were stray cats and six were from pet hospitals, according to a report by Q. Zhang et al. in BioReview.

DEAR DR. FOX: A while ago, my cat started chewing, and possibly eating, our carpet. She had also been drooling for several months. We took her to the vet for her annual teeth cleaning, and they removed two teeth. She stopped chewing for a while, but soon returned to it.

We took her back to the vet, and ultimately they removed four more teeth. (I expected one or two, since we were told that they were questionable after the first surgery.) We received three days of anti-inflammatory medication, and she didn’t chew until two days after taking that. Then it started up again, along with the drooling.

She is 10 and doesn’t have many teeth left, plus I can’t imagine it is her teeth at this point. Is there anything else I should be looking at? I’m at a loss. -- K.F., North Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR K.F.: Dental problems are so common in cats. Many cases relate back to poor nutrition, and to foods high in cereal byproduct glutens. These cling to the teeth and gumline, altering the acidity and bacterial population in the oral cavity. Then inflammation and infection set in, sometimes followed by periodontal disease and other complications, which can be costly to correct -- and are sometimes fatal. For details, check my website (drfoxonehealth.com) for the article “Feline Stomatitis Complex.”

Preventive measures should start early in life. That includes getting kittens and puppies used to having their teeth brushed at the end of the day, and being weaned onto a wholesome and healthful diet -- not just dry kibble with high cereal/starch and gluten content.

Your poor cat presumably had dental radiographs taken to assess the degree of bone erosion in the tooth sockets; more extractions may be needed to reduce infection and inflammation.

Her chewing on carpet material is a common response to discomfort (excessive self-grooming can also serve this purpose). It is called pica, and it may give a temporary feeing of relief. But there can be complications, such as intestinal blockage of swallowed material.

My concern is possible secondary kidney damage from the dental disease, which could be making your cat experience nausea and engage in pica. Is she losing weight? Did the veterinarian evaluate kidney function and take your cat’s blood pressure? A follow-up appointment seems appropriate.

I would give your cat easy-to-eat canned cat food, or my home-prepared diet (posted on my website). Include one sardine a day for the anti-inflammatory benefits of fish oil, plus 500 IUs of vitamin D3 -- break the capsule and put the contents in her food.

(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.)