DEAR DR. FOX: How dare you bring religion into how we treat animals? Last paragraph from a recent column: “For atheists and agnostics, there can be no denying that other animals possess intelligence ...” You added the comma, making this sentence represent the calling out of atheists and agnostics as people who do NOT see animals as worthy. I am agnostic, and I believe all creatures deserve life and freedom. I believe animals possess intelligence. You corralled me into a group yet you know nothing about me.

That is how I read your article. Guaranteed, I am not the only one. If you did not mean it that way, then apologize to your readers. Whether we “agnostics and atheists” deny your god has nothing to do with how we perceive and treat our pets and family members. I have been agnostic for a lifetime and I spoil my pets like angels, and yet I see “God-fearing Christians” beat their pets.

I hope you print this, as you are showing your white privilege and your white ignorance. Religion ONLY belongs in a church. -- K.P., Naples, Florida

DEAR K.P.: I am responding to your letter, firstly because you imply that I am displaying “white privilege” and “white ignorance” in my newspaper column by bringing religion into how we treat animals. That is a curious criticism, but understandable, as the “virus” of racism infects and clouds our thinking. For any misunderstanding in my communications, I apologize.

The core teachings of all the world’s major religions, as I document in my book “The Boundless Circle: Caring for Creatures and Creation,” is obeying the Golden Rule: treating others, including fellow creatures, as we would have them treat us. That has nothing to do with the color of my skin, but with the light of compassion and maitri -- loving-kindness toward all beings, which Gautama Buddha proclaimed is the only true religion. I would think atheists and agnostics would embrace this, since Buddhism is atheistic. Secular humanists may be as limited by anthropocentrism as monotheists are in their belief in a male god figure who only created man in his own image.

By all accounts, spirituality needs to be rescued from religions that have, arguably, done more harm than good to man and beast alike for millennia.

Theists, atheists and agnostics alike can surely agree that all lives matter, and that it is time to recover our humanity for the sake of the environment and all life on this beautiful planet.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but when we let what is natural around us touch our spirits, we awaken to the Spirit of Life and feel and breathe the light of creation. Birdwatchers and nature photographers and artists know all about that. But when we awaken to the unnatural around us -- the electrified cities, polluting industries, cruel animal factory farms, impoverished communities and malnourished millions -- we may begin to feel and breathe the truth of why we are such a sickened and sickening species. And with the spirituality of religious teachings -- or the nonreligious bioethics of justice and respect for all life -- begins the great healing that is long overdue.

DEAR DR. FOX: Our dog has a lump on her neck after wearing a Seresto collar for quite a while. We are afraid it may be cancerous. Please advise. -- R.H., Chincoteague, Virginia

DEAR R.H.: I am sorry to hear about your dog’s swelling on the neck, which calls for an immediate veterinary examination. Many veterinary hospitals are open for business, but you may not be allowed into the facility during this pandemic. A staffer will come and take your dog from your vehicle for examination. Be sure to wear a mask, and bring your cellphone to communicate with the veterinarian while remaining in your vehicle.

My fear is that your dog has a form of cancer called lymphoma, but there is the off-chance that this is a nonmalignant lipoma -- a fatty tumor -- or chronic inflammation from a bite or thorn. Do let me know the veterinarian’s diagnosis and treatment.

I wish everyone, including veterinarians, would think twice about putting an insecticide-releasing collar around dogs’ and cats’ necks. We would never do it to our children. For details about the harmful consequences of this incredible stupidity, read my critical analysis “Companion Animal Risks of Flea and Tick Insecticides” on my website (drfoxonehealth.com). I also have a step-by-step approach to preventing fleas and ticks in companion animals posted there.

(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: In a report in the May 13 New England Journal of Medicine, on the topic of the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic cats, Peter J. Halfmann, Ph.D. et al. state:

“With reports of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to domestic cats and to tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo, coupled with our data showing the ease of transmission between domestic cats, there is a public health need to recognize and further investigate the potential chain of human–cat–human transmission. This is of particular importance given the potential for SARS-CoV-2 transmission between family members in households with cats while living under shelter-in-place orders. In 2016, an H7N2 influenza outbreak in New York City cat shelters highlighted the public health implications of cat-to-human transmission to workers in animal shelters. Moreover, cats may be a silent intermediate host of SARS-CoV-2 because infected cats may not show any appreciable symptoms that might be recognized by their owners. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidelines for pet owners regarding SARS-CoV-2 (www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/animals.html). Given the need to stop the coronavirus pandemic through various mechanisms, including breaking transmission chains, a better understanding of the role cats may play in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to humans is needed.”

As we fight COVID-19, the Animal Legal Defense Fund published a white paper with law and policy recommendations to prepare for and prevent the next pandemic. See also a Cambridge University report by William Sutherland and associates (https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/study-identifies-275-ways-to-reduce-spread-of-coronavirus-following-lockdown), stated that shutting down China’s live animal markets was not enough. The study also highlights how pandemic diseases can jump from animals to humans, and offers 275 ways to mitigate future crises -- from going vegan to limiting livestock production and consumption.

DEAR DR. FOX: Our 6-year-old shorthaired cat stopped eating two weeks ago. She became very lethargic, and she has started hiding and stopped grooming. She is urinating fine, but producing very little poop. She is drinking water.

We took her to the emergency room for cats. Her heart, lungs and eyes were all good and clear. They gave her mirtazapine and Cerenia. She did have a spike in her food intake for about a day and a half, and also ate a few pebbles of Iams dry food here and there.

But as of today, she ate about two bites yesterday and nothing today. We have tried many different flavors and brands, both wet and dry, plus real tuna and salmon. I grated Parmesan cheese on her food, used chicken broth, warmed her food, etc. She goes to the food immediately, smells it, then walks away, meowing.

As seniors, money is an issue and we just can’t afford unlimited medical care. We are wondering what advice you have for our precious baby. -- V.T & J.T., Brick, New Jersey

DEAR V.T. & J.T.: I understand your predicament, since more tests are likely in order -- at least abdominal palpation, as well as an X-ray or sonogram to see if there is a fur-ball filling the stomach, or a lymphoma tumor. She could have one or more tooth abscesses or another oral health problem that makes eating very painful. Such abscesses would also make her body toxic with infection and inflammation -- what I call the oral plague of cats.

Perhaps you can discuss a payment plan with the veterinary hospital. A cat who is not eating can get serious health complications within just a few days. It is good that she is drinking. Try adding some mushed-up canned sardines, or offering her some meaty or fishy Gerber baby food.

Keep me posted, and good luck!

TICK CONTROL, SURVEILLANCE LACKING IN U.S.

The number of tick-borne illnesses reported in the U.S. more than doubled from 2004 to 2018, according to the CDC, but fewer than half of the nation’s public health and vector-control agencies have active tick surveillance programs. Just 12% conduct or fund tick-control programs, researchers reported in the Journal of Medical Entomology. “Pathogen testing is an essential component of surveillance, and is needed in order to understand tick-borne disease risk to communities,” said lead author Emily Mader, who manages the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases at Cornell University.

Our state and federal government agencies need better funding for these programs -- now more than ever, with climate change-related increases in insect-borne diseases.

KANSAS CONFIRMS VSV IN HORSES AT PRIVATE PROPERTIES

Kansas became the fourth state this year with confirmed vesicular stomatitis virus cases when the virus was found in horses at several private properties in the south-central part of the state. VSV is transmitted primarily by black flies, sand flies and midges. Owners of horses, cattle, goats, sheep, llamas and other susceptible animals should be diligent about preventing flies and other insects from thriving where animals are housed. (Hutchinson News, Kansas, June 17)

(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.)

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.)