Pedigree dog critic and welfare advocate Jemima Harrison (pedigreedogsexposed.blogspot.com/2020/05/dutch-ban-short-nosed-dogs-prompts.html) posted on May 30, 2020, that the Netherlands had banned the breeding of bulldogs and other short-faced breeds (and crossbreeds), prompting outrage from some dog-lovers -- and a standing ovation from others.

Faced with continuing high-profile media attention on the plight of brachycephalics, the Dutch government commissioned a report from the University of Utrecht entitled "Breeding Short-Muzzled Dogs" which was published in January 2019. It provided the basis for six new breeding criteria that Carola Schouten, minister for agriculture, introduced in March 2019. These cover eye conformation, nostril stenosis, abnormal breathing, excess skin folds and -- most controversially -- that all dogs bred in the Netherlands (crossbreeds as well as purebred) must have muzzles at least one-third the length of their head (and, in time, half the length of their head). The Dutch Kennel Club announced that it will no longer issue full pedigree certificates to specific "extreme" brachycephalic (short-faced) breeds -- unless the parents have passed an independent vet check confirming that at least one of them has a muzzle the required length.

Breeds of concern include the Affenpinscher, Boston terrier, bulldog, French bulldog, Griffon Belge, Griffon Bruxellois, Japanese Chin, King Charles spaniel, pekingese, Petit Brabancon, Pu and the Shih Tzu.

Other abnormalities in these and other breeds, such as tightly curled tails, abnormal limb structure and over-long backs, also need to be rectified by changing breed standards and breeding practices.

DEAR DR. FOX: Thank you for your column that ran in the June 25 Tulsa World regarding breathing problems in flat-faced dogs. Fortunately, our local paper does not run ads for "Munchkin cats." I remember being horrified when I saw one of these kittens in an online video. I don't run across them anymore, so either the media is aware, or people have quit breeding them, or both. Someone on Facebook recently posted a picture of his hairless cat. Her face was grotesque. Her name was "Dermis."

I understand that some people take these poor animals in as rescues. I am not talking about them. I am talking about people who deliberately breed animals selected for deformities, and the people who pay money specifically to own a deformed animal. Please keep up the good work. -- G.B., Tulsa, Oklahoma

DEAR G.B.: Many people are waking up to some of the horrors caused by the selective breeding of dogs, cats, rabbits and some other domestic animals for novel, abnormal traits, often linked with multiple health and behavioral problems. I see this as a perversion of whatever love or affection people may have for such creations, on the one hand, and on the other, a selfish indulgence for ego-gratification and in some instances, making money.

These and other human activities that harm other creatures and the natural environment have become socially accepted cultural norms. Like a life unexamined is a life unlived, the same can be said about cultural values, which today must be examined for the common good and the good of the commons.

CERTAIN DOG BREEDS AT HIGH RISK OF HEAT-LINKED ILLNESS

Dogs that weigh more than 110 pounds or that have flat faces are more prone to heat-related illness than other dogs, but any dog can develop heat stroke in hot, humid weather, particularly if they are overweight or elderly, according to a study in Scientific Reports. Chow chows, bulldogs, French bulldogs, Dogue de Bordeaux and greyhounds were found to be the least heat-tolerant breeds. Full Story: HealthDay News (6/18)

DEAR DR. FOX: We had a Maine coon cat who lived for 22 years and loved my wife but never bonded with me. I had to be careful around him because any time I sneezed, he would attack me, teeth and claws. Even if he was in another room and heard me, he would rush in and go after me. How do you interpret this reaction? -- R.N.H, Derby, Connecticut

DEAR R.N.H.: I am a very loud sneezer and cannot stop it when I know a sneeze is on the way, so you have my sympathy. Possibly the first time you sneezed this cat was startled and took it as a threat. From then on he was conditioned to respond aggressively to the challenge your sneeze represented to his psyche.

The human sneeze can vary greatly from person to person, with some intense sounds and occasional release of oral and nasal mucus possibly mimicking one cat yowling/growling and hissing/spitting with that hack-cough sound when challenging and readying to fight another cat.

I would like to hear from other readers who have such curious responses from their dogs and cats when they sneeze, cough or have the hiccups. I know of one dog who would always bark anytime his human companion coughed. My interpretation was that the dog probably thought the human was barking at something, so he gave vocal support. Another dog barked every time her caregiver sneezed, and that was often during the spring pollen season!

(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.)

Before being purchased by the German pharmaceutical company Bayer, Monsanto Corp. demanded that I retract my comments about the many health and environmental risks of their herbicide Roundup, which I refused to do, and they sent a letter discrediting my science-based concerns to all newspapers that published my article. Now, in one of the largest civil settlements in U.S. history, Bayer has agreed to allocate close to $10 billion to resolve around 125,000 filed and unfiled cases claiming its glyphosate-based weed-killer Roundup causes cancer. The deal will still allow Bayer to sell Roundup without adding any warnings, The New York Times reported. It comes after three juries in early, high-profile trials awarded more than $2.4 billion to plaintiffs who developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after long-term Roundup use.

This herbicide, still widely used in agriculture and around private property by homeowners and public places by municipalities is often combined with the herbicide 2,4-D, which is also used separately to kill “weeds” invading lawns. 2,4-D is an endocrine disruptor that can damage thyroid gland function and is a potential carcinogen. A 2004 study by Purdue University scientists showed that Scottish terriers exposed to lawns treated with herbicides such as 2,4-D had greater risk of bladder cancer than other terriers. A 1991 National Cancer Institute study concluded that dogs exposed to just four lawn treatments a year significantly increased their risk of malignant lymphoma. (For details visit ewg.org/research/24D/pets-wildlife-24D.)

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer declared 2,4-D a possible human carcinogen, based on evidence that it damages human cells and, in a number of studies, caused cancer in laboratory animals. More conclusive is the proof that 2,4-D falls into a class of compounds called endocrine-disrupting chemicals, compounds that mimic or inhibit the body's hormones. Laboratory studies suggest that 2,4-D can impede the normal action of estrogen, androgen and most conclusively, thyroid hormones. Dozens of epidemiological, animal and laboratory studies have shown a link between 2,4-D and thyroid disorders. (nrdc.org/stories/24-d-most-dangerous-pesticide-youve-never-heard).

Homeowners, community leaders, municipal authorities, and state and federal agencies involved in regulating the use of these and other chemicals in agriculture need to stop this insanity. Organic farmers are leading the way, along with books for homeowners like Doug Tallamy’s "Nature’s Best Hope," to get rid of their perfect lawns and landscape with indigenous plants for the benefit of insects, birds, other wildlife -- and our own health as well as our animal companions.

DEAR DR. FOX: Is there a supplement that is safe to give my two dogs in order to stop yellowing of my grass when they urinate? I looked into gypsum for the lawn, but it seems to do more harm to the grass than good. They currently eat a little kibble mixed with your dog food twice a day and added vegetables (Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots) and fruits (blueberries or apples) once a day. -- T.G., Tulsa, Oklahoma

DEAR T.G.: I am frequently asked this question and my response has usually ruffled some feathers. There are fraudsters out there selling various products to give to dogs with the claim that their urine will be changed so the lawn grass will not be harmed. These products are not FDA-approved and need not be if they are marketed not as drugs but as food supplements.

Any compound that changes the acidity/alkalinity of a dog's urine is altering complex biochemical processes and could cause harm, including disrupting the normal bacterial flora in the urinary tract that prevents cystitis and infections.

The three solutions that I offer are: 1. Adding a little milk or low- or zero-salt chicken bouillon (you can make your own) to your dogs' drinking water so they drink more and have less concentrated urine. 2. Soak the grass sod where your dogs have urinated with a liberal dousing of water at the end of the day to dilute their urine. 3. Put down sand and a layer of pea-gravel in one area where the dogs can evacuate in your yard, and let the rest return to the wild by seeding various indigenous perennial grasses, flowers and shrubs.

(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: As summers get hotter and longer with climate change, additional precautions are called for to prevent the horrific, fatal consequences of heat stroke and heat exhaustion. First, of course: Never leave a dog or infant unattended in a vehicle. In hot weather, any dog who suddenly becomes dazed, disoriented and uncoordinated should be immediately iced or soaked in cold water, and if collapsed, rushed to the nearest veterinary clinic.

There are cooling vests for dogs to wear when out in hot weather to help avert such calamities. Dogs regulate their body temperature not by sweating, but by panting, which cools the blood with the evaporative cooling of saliva. This can lead to rapid dehydration, so take water for your dog on walks. Oral evaporative cooling by panting is less effective when the humidity is high, so dogs are at risk when high temperatures and high humidity combine. Avoid strenuous physical activity -- running, chasing and retrieving -- under such conditions.

Furthermore, it might to best to go out when pavements and sidewalks are coolest; During the heat of the day, they can make walking very painful, since the heat rapidly penetrates dogs’ paws. All flat-faced (brachycephalic) dogs are extremely prone to heat stress and heat stroke, along with all dogs who are old, have heart issues, are excitable by nature or are fearful when confined, as during air transportation.

Hot and humid weather brings out various biting insects that can transmit diseases to dogs -- and us. A good repellant is a spray bottle of water with a few drops of lemon eucalyptus essential oil. This can be wiped over ears, face, body and limbs. An alternative is cold lemon tea: Boil a sliced lemon (with peel) in 2 cups of water, strain, and store in the fridge.

DEAR DR. FOX: My 13-year-old golden doodle’s back legs seem to be weakening. She in on Dasuquin with MSM, Temaril-P, Benadryl, L-carnitine and taurine supplements. Recently, the veterinarian started her on Novox caplets daily and gabapentin twice daily.

She weighs just under 60 pounds. Are all of these medications necessary? I worry she is overmedicated. -- S.M., Medford, Connecticut

DEAR S.M.: This does seem like a lot of medication. Is your dog improving?

I firmly believe in keeping drugs to a minimum, but in some instances, a “cocktail” is called for. There are alternative therapies for spinal deterioration and associated arthritis, including acupuncture, laser therapy, magnetic pulse therapy and sound waves. Try the website ahvma.org to find your nearest holistic veterinarian.

In the interim, I would suggest massage therapy (as per my book “The Healing Touch for Dogs”), and be sure to keep your dog’s weight under control. One teaspoon of ground ginger and another of turmeric and fish oil in the food daily might be very beneficial. Begin with a pinch to get the dog used to the flavor.

MOSQUITOES IN CALIF. CARRYING ENCEPHALITIS VIRUSES

Mosquitoes collected from traps in Los Angeles County were found to be carrying West Nile virus, while those trapped in Palm Desert were carrying WNV and the virus that causes St. Louis encephalitis, reported the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District. To prevent mosquitoes, water should not be allowed to stand for more than a week in outdoor containers, including pet bowls and birdbaths. Other sources of standing water should be eliminated, and people should wear an effective repellent when outdoors, officials said. (KNBC-TV Los Angeles, City News Service, June 3)

(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.)