The Animal Doctor

DEAR READERS: Here is some important information about isoxazoline parasiticides (as in Bravecto, Simparica and Nexgard) that are commonly given to dogs. This is a synopsis of the report “Survey of canine use and safety of isoxazoline parasiticides” by Valerie Palmieri, W. Jean Dodds et al. from the journal Veterinary Medicine and Science:

“A veterinarian and pet owner survey (Project Jake) examined the use and safety of isoxazoline parasiticides given to dogs. Data were received during August 2018 from a total of 2,751 survey responses. Forty-two percent reported no flea treatment or adverse events, while 58% had been treated with some parasiticide for flea control. Of those that received a parasiticide, 83% received an isoxazoline. When any flea treatment was given, adverse events were reported for 66.6% of respondents. Adverse consequences included death, seizures, shaking/tremors, behavioral issues, neurological/cognitive issues, muscular/balance issues, skin problems/itching, internal bleeding, anemia, vomiting, diarrhea and not eating or drinking.

“The Project Jake findings were compared to a retrospective analysis of publicly available Food and Drug Administration-reported and European Medicines Agency-reported adverse events. The number of total adverse events reported to FDA and EMA were comparable, although a 7- to 10-times higher occurrence of death and seizures was reported from the EMA or from outside the United States. Serious adverse events (death, seizures and neurological effects) reported in our survey were higher than the FDA reports, but moderately lower than the EMA reports. These sizable global data sets combined with this pre- and post-parasiticide administration survey indicated that isoxazoline neurotoxicity was not flea- and tick-specific. Post-marketing serious adverse effects were much higher than in Investigational New Drug submissions.

“Although the labels have recently been updated, dogs, cats and their caregivers remain impacted by their use. These aggregate data support the need for continued cross-species studies and critical review of product labeling by regulatory agencies and manufacturers.”

DEAR DR. FOX: My male German shepherd’s urine is killing my grass. I’ve had four previous German shepherds, two male and two females, and none of them spotted the grass. Should I be concerned why this one does?

We try to water the area after he urinates, but that is not always possible as sometimes he has to go out in the middle of the night (and/or sometimes the hose will not reach; we live on an acre). This will probably be our last German shepherd, as we are in our 70s and have outlived the previous four. Our dog gobbles up Nutro Essentials, and we make sure that he always has plenty of water. -- S.M. and M.M., Loxahatchee, Florida

DEAR S.M. and M.M.: There are various quack remedies that will supposedly correct this problem. However, my remedy and advice for all dog owners is not to feed the dog only dry kibble. Feeding only dry kibble is not a biologically appropriate diet for dogs (or cats). Give him a small amount of kibble, along with a rotating variety of frozen, freeze-dried and canned dog foods. This will give your dog more moisture for digestion and metabolism, which in turn will change the acidity and concentration of the urine.

It is also possible that chemicals in the kibble passed in the urine act like an herbicide -- residues of which, especially glyphosate, are present in most all commercially produced grains (which we also consume) when not USDA Certified Organic and GMO-free.

Read on for another issue from a longtime German shepherd owner.

DEAR DR. FOX: We have an 8-year-old male German shepherd who is not fixed. He has a constant drip from his penis, which leaves greenish markings throughout the house (quite annoying). He has had this since we got him at 18 months old.

He is the love our life. Best dog we have ever had. This is our fourth German shepherd, and our other dogs never had this problem. -- R.B., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR R.B.: I am surprised this problem has been going on for so long. Surely your dog had regular veterinary wellness evaluations, as well as anti-rabies vaccinations, heartworm tests and preventive medications. There are various glands and tissues in the sheath around your dog’s penis that can become chronically infected and inflamed, and he cannot clean himself thoroughly in this area. Horse owners will know what I am talking about.

I would waste no time and get a veterinary appointment for this condition, which is probably no less distressing for your dog than it is for you.

(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: We are all witness to the tragic loss of lives, personal suffering, and social and economic chaos that have accompanied COVID-19, along with a lack of governmental and personal responsibility in stemming the pandemic. It is time to pause amid the rush to market new vaccines and drugs, and consider the origins of this virus. It is not so much “from China” as it is from our continued cultural acceptance of consuming other species for food, and of encroaching on the last of the wild lands.

If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is that becoming vegetarians -- and ideally, vegans -- is the best preventive for future pandemics. This is consonant with the ethical One Health imperative of seeking to restore and maintain a healthy environment, clean air and water, and safe, sustainably produced food.

Two independent scientific reports have determined that several species of mammals, some endangered wild species, and others raised for food or kept as pets could become infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus from people who have the COVID-19 disease. The animals could then become a source of infection to humans and other species. Every precaution must therefore be taken by all of us -- especially farmers, staff and visitors at ranches, horse stables, zoos, aquariums, safari parks and pet stores with live animals (especially ferrets).

THOUSANDS OF MINK DIE FROM COVID-19 INFECTED WORKERS

Two of the largest mink farms in Utah were put under quarantine in August after animals and employees tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (Salt Lake Tribune, 8/17). Subsequently, nine mink farms in three Utah counties were quarantined after thousands of mink died of SARS-CoV-2 infections, likely spread to the animals from workers at the farms, says Utah State Veterinarian Dean Taylor. Most of the deaths have occurred in older mink, and the farms have not resorted to euthanasia to stop the virus’s spread, Taylor said (Kaiser Health News, 10/20).

Internationally, SARS-CoV-2 infections were confirmed in mink at 41 farms in Denmark and suspected at 20 more. Around 1 million animals might be culled at the affected farms and at others nearby (Reuters, 10/2).

DEAR DR. FOX: You wrote in a recent column that “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.”

I really want to thank you for not polarizing your perspective -- to choose not to be antithetical to one narrative to facilitate your stance. I think it’s helpful to have individuals like yourself who are willing to admit that politics and science need to divorce from each other when it comes to health and profit margins.

Even in my field, I catch a lot of flak from my colleagues because I take a mix of science and personal experience to facilitate change. I can see the benefit of having more people who are willing to listen to experts, but also hope to have room to speak on “case dependent” situations. -- M.P., Aberdeen, Maryland

DEAR M.P.: I hope that other readers share your view of my position concerning the politicization of facts, evidence and science in these times of division, duplicity and disinformation. We must all examine the truths we live by, as well as our own motives, before we criticize others.

In my case, my motive is not to make money or sell anything, but to promote the concept of One Health and justice based on what I call trans-species democracy: respect for all life. Politics and economics that are contrary to these principles and cause harm to the environment -- and ultimately to ourselves and other living beings -- must be confronted and changed.

The cultural and socioeconomic crises in the U.S. and many other countries, catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic, are collisions of truths. Profits can no longer be put before public health, environmental justice and animal protection, nor can personal “freedom” (such as the right not to wear protective masks) take precedent over personal responsibility. (For details, see my book “Bringing Life to Ethics: Global Bioethics for a Humane Society.”)

(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: Halloween will soon be here, and every year around this time, I read about black cats being caught and tortured. I know it is irrational, and goes back to the fear of the bubonic plague across Europe in the Middle Ages, but some people still believe this nonsense. Please set the record straight. -- A.M., Trenton, New Jersey

DEAR A.M.: My immediate response is to advise all cat owners to keep their cats indoors during this time -- and all the time -- regardless of their color. Fear, ignorance and prejudice bring out the worst in humans, to which we are all witnesses. Black cats are considered the least adoptable by some rescue organizations because of superstitious beliefs that may, indeed, go back to Europe’s Black Death pandemic, when cats were blamed and destroyed in many communities. Even today, as you rightly point out, reports of black cats’ mistreatment are all too common. But in Japan and a few other countries, black cats are associated with good luck!

The irony in the case of the Black Death is that it was the fleas and lice on the people, and their unsanitary living conditions, that caused its rapid spread, killing up to one-third of the European population. The cats were not to blame!

The origin of the bubonic plague, pockets of which persist today in some countries, has been traced historically to fleas in imported textiles that came along the Silk Road during the first wave in global trade. A second wave was attributed to rats coming off boats from distant places where the plague was endemic, infecting Europeans with plague-carrying fleas.

Global trade and international travel remain major public health risks today, calling for much greater government surveillance and heightened vigilance.

HUGE DECLINE IN WILDLIFE ABUNDANCE WORLDWIDE

Wildlife populations plunged by 68% between 1970 and 2016, and only 25% of the planet can still be considered “wilderness.” The grim numbers come from a report by the World Wildlife Fund and the Zoological Society of London, based on global data on 20,811 populations of 4,392 vertebrate species. Worst hit are Latin America and the Caribbean, where the animal population dropped by an average of 94% during that period. Food production is the biggest driver of nature loss, says the report, with about half of the world’s habitable land area already used for agriculture. “We are wrecking our world -- the one place we call home -- risking our health, security and survival here on Earth,” says WWF chief executive Tanya Steele. (Reference: Living Planet Report, livingplanet.panda.org)

WORLD LEADERS PLEDGE TO SAVE LIFE ON EARTH

The leaders of 71 countries have pledged to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. The commitment comes ahead of a major U.N. biodiversity summit, to be hosted virtually from New York. “We commit ourselves not simply to words, but to meaningful action and mutual accountability to address the planetary emergency,” says the pledge, which is signed by Pakistan’s Imran Khan, Germany’s Angela Merkel, Canada’s Justin Trudeau and the United Kingdom’s Boris Johnson, among others. Leaders from the United States, Brazil, India, Russia and China are notably absent. (Reference: leaderspledgefornature.org)

CALIFORNIA MOST PROGRESSIVE IN ANIMAL PROTECTION

California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed two new bills to protect animal welfare -- including one, AB 2152 from assembly member Todd Gloria, that officially ends the retail sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in the state. This law does allow pet stores to partner with shelters and rescue organizations for animal adoption events.

(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.)