DEAR READERS: Please read the following from veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker on an important issue:

“A lawsuit was recently filed against Nestle Purina for labeling cat food ‘natural’ that contained potentially toxic ingredients, including the synthetic preservative ethoxyquin. Ethoxyquin is linked to cancer, liver damage and kidney damage, and is banned for use in human foods, but is still allowed in processed pet foods, particularly those containing fish meal.

“In addition to scientific studies of toxicity, there are countless anecdotal reports -- including my own -- of pets becoming severely ill as a result of eating diets containing ethoxyquin.

“Pet parents concerned about ethoxyquin in their dog’s or cat’s food may find it challenging to get a straight answer from pet food manufacturers. The lawsuit against Nestle Purina is for deceptive marketing and sale of cat foods labeled ‘natural’ and ‘with no artificial preservatives.’ The plaintiffs, GMO Free USA (doing business as Toxin Free USA) and Clean Label Project charge that lab tests reveal that certain Purina cat foods contain both glyphosate and ethoxyquin.

“For more details, and excellent advice on many companion animal health issues, visit healthypets.mercola.com.”

DEAR DR. FOX: I just read in one of your recent columns that giving dogs some honey can stop their itching (if no fleas are present). Is this something that could be given to cats as well, and if so, how much? -- D.S., Lake Worth Beach, Florida

DEAR D.S.: While I have heard of positive results in many dogs being given a little local honey or bee pollen in their food for seasonal allergies, I have no documentation for cats -- but it would be worth trying. Dogs have a sweet tooth and cats do not, so bee pollen may be more acceptable to them.

Since cats can be finicky about any change in their food, I would begin with a few grains of local bee pollen and increase gradually to about one half-teaspoon daily. Do let me know if this helps your cat.

Please note that it probably will not help if your cat is having an allergic reaction or intolerance to some ingredient in whatever she is being fed, or has thyroid gland hyperactivity or another health issue associated with excessive grooming and scratching. In some cases, the trigger is a wool blanket, new carpeting, an air freshener or floor cleaner. Cats are very sensitive to such volatile chemicals, which we would all be better off avoiding.

There are instances of dogs becoming allergic to humans and scratching themselves more, and I sometimes wonder if some cats become allergic to the people with whom they live. So less stroking and petting by hand, and instead grooming your cat with a brush, may help.

If you find the cure, let me know!

ANOTHER REMARKABLE DOG JOURNEY TO FORMER HOME

After Cleo the 4-year-old Labrador went missing, her owners found her somewhere they didn’t expect: at home. Except that it was the family’s previous home in Lawson, Missouri -- 57 miles from their current home in Olathe, Kansas.

The family hadn’t lived in their Missouri home for nearly two years, but Cleo made her way back to its porch, where the new homeowner found her, according to ABC affiliate KMBC. Neither family knows how she made the trip, considering the fact that she would have had to cross a river, using a bridge with heavy traffic, to get to the house.

See below for more on dogs’ navigational skills.

DOGS’ INTERNAL COMPASS HELPS THEM FIND THEIR WAY

Dogs appear to perceive Earth’s magnetic fields and use them to navigate unfamiliar terrain, according to a study published in eLife. Dogs fitted with GPS trackers found their way back to their owners along a route they had previously taken, presumably using scent; along a new route, taking short north-south jogs along the way; or with a combination of the two. The north-south jogs are thought to have allowed the dogs to reorient themselves to find their way back. Full story at sciencemag.org.

(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 read your recent article concerning the Dutch government’s ban on future breeding of brachycephalic dogs, and wondered about your opinion of breeding dachshunds. Their original purpose as badger hunters necessitated their long, low shape, but I doubt they are utilized for this purpose anymore. Their conformation is subject to many painful physical ailments and injuries. Should we stop breeding dachshunds? I happen to love them, but I do worry about their spinal issues. -- N.W., Hyde Park, New York

DEAR N.W.: You and I will be shunned at dog shows where these over-long and leg-deformed dogs of human creation are paraded. With their sprightly spirits, courageous natures and playful, devoted ways, many overlook these dogs’ vulnerability to spinal injuries.

Within every dog that has been genetically deformed through selective breeding, there is a captive dog-soul. They need to be liberated: There should be no more breeding of any kind of dog with extreme physical traits that can compromise health and well-being.

In the old days, hardworking dachshunds who injured themselves and whose backs gave out were simply shot, as were other breeds of hunting and working dogs. But when these breeds are bred for show purposes rather than competitions in-field -- especially for tracking and rescue work -- many attributes of canine intelligence and trainability may be lost, along with overall physical strength and resilience.

You happen to love dachshunds, and so do I! But love calls for responsibility, and in the name of loving such dogs, we should not perpetuate their suffering by continuing to condone their propagation. Breeders can select stockier, more compact animals and keep records as to the long-term health of any and all offspring from the dogs they breed -- if they must.

AVERTING ANOTHER CAT AND DOG HEALTH INSURANCE SCAM

The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association reports that U.S.-based drugmaker Zoetis entered the pet insurance market this spring in about half of the U.S with Pumpkin Insurance Services. Zoetis is the world’s largest producer of medicine and vaccinations for pets and livestock.

To date, only about 2% of cat and dog owners over the past few years have bought pet health insurance, and Zoetis is hoping to enter this market to expand its own drug and vaccine sales. But veterinarians protested, noting Pumpkin Insurance Services did not cover preexisting conditions and prevented veterinarians from choosing the right products for each patient.

Thanks to the AVMA and others, Zoetis “established an advisory board of veterinarians to ensure Pumpkin’s insurance schemes best serve patients, clients and veterinary teams.” The AVMA lists standards that each policy should meet at avma.org/policies/pet-health-insurance.

I have been highly critical in the past about such pet health insurance schemes, and urge clients to consult with their animals’ veterinarians. I have also questioned Zoetis’ marketing ethics and the undermining of public health by selling antibiotics banned for use on farmed animals in the U.S. to producers in other countries such as India. This adds to the now-global problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which make treatment of infections in humans and animals alike more challenging.

(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: I have received a couple of letters from readers demanding that I keep to the subject of pet care in my Animal Doctor column. The evident reason is that they do not like my “politics.”

As an advocate of One Health (meaning the collective, connected health of humans, nonhumans and the environment), I raise issues concerning financially and ideologically driven political decisions that could harm the environment, animal health and public health. I regard this as my responsibility as a holistic veterinarian, just as it is the responsibility of all citizens to be involved in politics that serve the common good. I consider it ethically imperative to speak truth to power and examine the truths we live by, since a life unexamined is a life unlived. For further details and discussion, see my book “Animals and Nature First.”

Scientific evidence -- essential for our decision-making when it comes to diagnosing, preventing and treating disease -- should inform politics, rather than be discounted, as by some U.S. politicians in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For more, see my article “What SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Disease Are Telling Us: A Holistic Veterinary and One Health View,” posted on my website (drfoxonehealth.com).

DEAR DR. FOX: I recently took Harley, my 3 1/2-year-old Labradoodle, for his wellness exam, rabies vaccination and heartworm test. I was told his teeth needed to be checked out and cleaned. They gave me an estimate of $800, which includes a pre-surgery blood workup, general anesthetic and X-rays. We just cannot afford this.

I had a neighbor who is a retired veterinarian look at Harley’s teeth, which Harley did not mind at all. He only saw a bit of scale or tartar on his big upper teeth toward the back, and a little bit on the upper canine teeth. He advised daily brushing and a rawhide dog chew -- a roll or tube, not one with a knot on each end, which some dogs will swallow and choke on. My husband also used a sharpened spoon to easily scrape off the tartar and get under the gumline, which did bleed a bit.

After a few days, Harley’s teeth looked much better. I think it is terrible we have to do our own veterinary care, since vets are charging so much we can’t afford it, or buy into some pet health insurance scheme. -- J.L., Minneapolis, Minnesota

DEAR J.L.: You have raised an important issue. The neglect of oral health results in many serious health problems in dogs -- especially small breeds and dogs with tooth misalignment -- and in cats, who can suffer terribly from a variety of dental problems. In many cases of long-term neglect -- especially in animals fed dry kibble with high cereal-gluten content that literally glues itself between the teeth and triggers gingivitis and other problems -- proper dental care involving general anesthesia is warranted. General anesthesia can put orally compromised animal patients at risk without prior blood work and antibiotic prophylaxis.

I fully endorse veterinarians’ endeavors to educate owners about companion animal oral health maintenance, and to provide the best dental care as needed, but in your case, I see something rotten in the heart of the profession that is money-driven and ethically questionable. The costs of running a veterinary hospital, including the rent, insurance and expensive diagnostic equipment, not to mention the student-loan debt that recent graduates must pay off, can mean that any way to reduce the income deficit is a priority to stay in business.

This economic crisis, aggravated now by the financial and socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, is affecting caring veterinarians both here and abroad. One solution is for veterinary clinics to provide basic care while practicing a kind of economic triage for their human clients and animal patients: sending those who can afford the anticipated costs of diagnosis and treatment, or who have a viable pet health insurance policy, to specialists who have invested in various costly diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. In the U.K., there is the longstanding PDSA -- People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals -- which is charity-supported. Clients must show their tax returns to qualify for discounted or free treatments.

(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.)