DEAR DR. FOX: We have a 3-year-old female German shepherd/whippet mix who rushes to my husband’s side every time he sneezes! She appears to be concerned about him when he sneezes. -- M.S., South Bend, Indiana

DEAR M.S.: Thanks for sharing how your dog responds to a sneeze. She may interpret the sound as a sign of distress -- many dogs are highly empathic.

Animals can get confused around humans making different sounds, some of which mimic the “paralanguage” of animal sounds indicating various emotional states and intentions. I know of dogs who bark when their human companion coughs or sneezes, possibly thinking the human is barking at something and giving a warning.

Many dogs give a deep sigh or two when they lie down to rest, much like we do; when I lie down and sigh next to our dog, she will often sigh in response. A baby crying in the crib often upsets dogs and cats living in the same home.

One sound in particular that can upset animals is the screaming of excited children, which I never allowed my children to engage in, especially around animals. Such high-pitched sounds can upset animals, since they are analogous to primal alarm signals. These sounds could make them more defensive and likely to snap, scratch or flee if the screamers get close.

There are reports of cats and dogs who have been stressed during this pandemic with children being at home all day. Many animals seek refuge away from these insensitive noisemakers, whose parents are either oblivious or think loud children are cute and spirited.

On a more humorous note, I am allergic to our local newspaper, and have several sneezes soon after I open the pages. The only one to complain is my wife. Our cat and dog ignore me!

WHY MANY DOGS ARE FEARFUL

A recent essay was published in Scientific Reports by University of Helsinki researcher Dr. Jenni Puurunen and her colleagues, entitled “Inadequate socialization, inactivity and urban living environment are associated with social fearfulness in pet dogs.”

Data were collected on almost 6000 companion dogs, varying in age from 2 months to 17 years, using a behavioral survey completed by their humans to assess how they responded to unfamiliar dogs and humans. It was found that fearful dogs had been socialized less during puppyhood, were small in body size, tended to be female and/or neutered, and participated less frequently in training and other activities. They also found a novel association between the living environment of the dog and social fearfulness: Dogs living in a more urban environment were more likely afraid of dogs and strangers. There also were differences among breeds.

ANOTHER ZOONOTIC DISEASE TO WATCH FOR

Vesicular stomatitis virus primarily affects horses, donkeys and mules, but cattle, hogs and people are also susceptible. The disease can spread like wildfire if flies that spread it aren’t controlled, and animals that have it aren’t isolated.

An outbreak of vesicular stomatitis virus that reached Kansas in mid-June has now spread to 10 counties, according to the Kansas Department of Agriculture, and Missouri recorded its first case of the year this week. Cases have also been documented in Arizona, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Kansas Animal Health Commissioner Justin Smith urged horse owners to prioritize insect control to limit the further spread of disease. (Full story at agriculture.ks.gov)

CAT IN U.K. RECOVERS FROM CORONAVIRUS INFECTION

The U.K.’s Animal and Plant Health Agency confirmed a SARS-CoV-2 infection in a cat believed to have contracted the infection from its owners, who had confirmed cases of COVID-19, and both the cat and its owners have recovered. The cat’s preliminary diagnosis was feline herpes virus, but the cat was tested for infection with the novel coronavirus as part of a study. “The data overall continue to suggest that cats may become infected by their owners if their owners have COVID-19, but there is no suggestion that they may transmit it to owners,” said veterinarian James Wood, head of the University of Cambridge’s veterinary medicine department. (Full story at CNN.com)

DOGS TRAINED TO SNIFF CORONAVIRUS HIT 94% SUCCESS RATE

It took about a week to train eight scent-detection dogs to differentiate saliva and mucus samples from people with and without COVID-19, say scientists at Germany’s University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover. The dogs achieved about a 94% success rate when both types of samples were used in the pilot study. (Full story at dw.com)

(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: The front-page article in July 30’s Minnesota Star Tribune, “Routine vaccines may cut virus risk,” cites a report from the Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic that was not peer-reviewed. It stated that “vaccines for everything from influenza to measles may provide partial protection against COVID-19.” I was relieved to read the precautionary note that “people who seek up-to-date vaccinations are simply healthier or more likely to follow public health guidelines that reduce their risks.”

I was relieved because it has been found that some vaccinations may actually increase risk of coronavirus infection. A study by Dr. Greg Wolff published in January in the peer-reviewed journal Vaccine, entitled “Influenza vaccination and respiratory virus interference among Department of Defense personnel during the 2017-2018 influenza season,” reveals that influenza vaccination may increase the risk of infection from other respiratory viruses -- a phenomenon known as virus interference. While influenza vaccination offers protection against influenza, natural influenza infection may reduce the risk of noninfluenza respiratory viruses by providing temporary, nonspecific immunity against these viruses.

Dr. Wolff asserts, “On the other hand, recently published studies have described the phenomenon of vaccine-associated virus interference; that is, vaccinated individuals may be at increased risk for other respiratory viruses because they do not receive the nonspecific immunity associated with natural infection. Examining noninfluenza viruses specifically, the odds of both coronavirus and human metapneumovirus in vaccinated individuals were significantly higher when compared to unvaccinated individuals.”

As a veterinarian with a doctoral degree in medical science, I am not an anti-vaccine proponent, but rather advocate that the precautionary principle be applied. We must recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic is anthropogenic, and calls for greater disease surveillance and prevention of diseases transmitted from animals.

Coincidentally, Rochester, Minnesota, is home to both the Mayo Clinic and the University of Rochester, where I gave a lecture several years ago on the public and environmental health consequences and inherent animal cruelty of agribusiness’s animal farm factories. Prior to my lecture, the university’s main bookstore had been told by “the powers that be,” according to my apologetic graduate student host, not to carry any of my books.

Science loses its credibility when it serves vested interests, and the current anti-science political ethos in the U.S. seeks to silence the informed who speak truth to power.

DEAR DR. FOX: My dog likes to eat grass, and sometimes she doesn’t chew the grass very well. Long grass blades how up in her stool, and sometimes she throws it up. Is the reason for the grass-eating a vitamin deficiency? I feed her white rice, boneless chicken and various veggies (sweet potatoes, green beans, zucchini, yellow squash and carrots), plus a little cottage cheese or yogurt. When I got her, she had been eating grain-free Purina, but she also ate a lot of grass back then, and threw it up. Her stool test came back negative for worms. -- S.G., Osceola, Indiana

DEAR S.G.: It is natural for dogs, and cats, to eat grass. For cats, I advise sprouting wheatgrass. Dogs should be allowed to eat a few blades of couch grass, also known as dog’s grass. In traditional herbal medicine, people take couch grass root by mouth for constipation, cough, bladder inflammation, fever, high blood pressure and kidney stones. It is also used as a diuretic for water retention.

I have observed dogs and wolves eating couch grass leaves, which stimulate peristalsis -- evacuation -- and can also induce vomiting, often with the release of yellow bile. This may be natural gut-function, health-maintenance cleansing, and may or may not indicate some digestive or internal parasite problem.

Our dog especially likes to eat goldenrod leaves on our walks. This herb is used to reduce pain and swelling (inflammation), as a diuretic to increase urine flow, and to stop muscle spasms. It is also used for gout, joint pain, arthritis, eczema and allergies. We may never know what heightened sensory awareness enables animals to select certain plants and soils to eat to make themselves feel better.

You were wise to have your dog checked for internal parasites, since they and other irritable-gut and digestive issues could be a trigger to eat grass. In an otherwise healthy dog, I would put regular grass-eating down to health-maintenance behavior. But as a precaution, be sure there are some whole grains in the diet -- switch from white rice to whole-grain rice, for instance -- along with some digestive enzymes, such as 1 teaspoon of canned, crushed, no-sugar-added pineapple for a 30-lb dog.

(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: 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.)