The Animal Doctor

DEAR READERS: The medical and psychological benefits of animal companionship have been well documented: Children with pets often have fewer allergies and infections, and adults can relieve loneliness, depression, anxiety and high blood pressure just by walking outdoors with their dogs. And this fall, researchers at the University of Leeds in England reported that watching cute animal videos for a half-hour reduced blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety in medical school students studying for end-of-term exams.

“I was quite pleasantly surprised that during the session, every single measure for every single participant dropped some,” said study leader Andrea Utley. (Full story: CNN, Sept. 27)

The restorative power of spending time in some natural setting -- such as a wooded park, lake or prairie -- has been long recognized, as I detail in my book “Animals and Nature First.” New research has shown that “forest bathing,” another name for the Japanese practice of shinrin yoku that began in the 1980s, is highly therapeutic, helping alleviate depression and boost the immune system.

While spending time in wooded areas, we inhale compounds called phytoncides that are produced by various trees. Phytoncides have antibacterial and antifungal qualities that help plants fight disease. When people breathe in these chemicals, our bodies respond by increasing the number and activity of T-cells, a type of white blood cells that are the immune system’s first responders to any virus.

Of course, not everyone has access to a forest, prairie or even an urban arboretum, but Mother Nature can still provide some therapeutic support. Sound recordings of falling rain, ocean waves, birdsong and insect noises can put one in a meditative, relaxing state, as can essential oils derived from various trees and herbs. Essential oils of cypress or pine in a diffuser are potent sources of phytoncides. Such aromatherapy is also used widely for the medical and behavioral/emotional benefit of companion animals. Burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) or inhaling its essential oil can reduce chronic pain as an anti-inflammatory, and can also activate poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression. This suggests that an entirely new class of depression and anxiety drugs might be right under our noses!

Getting out of our usual home, office and urban environments -- and away from the related exposure to harmful nonionizing radiation, electromagnetic fields and “electro-smog” from computers, traffic-monitoring systems and smartphone telecommunications -- may prove very therapeutic indeed for our ailing population. Conserving, protecting and restoring green spaces in and around our communities is probably as important to our physical and mental health as it is to reducing the global climate and extinction crises.

DEAR DR. FOX: I need advice on my almost 10-year-old cat, who has recently started having seizures. Maybe her diet isn’t good. She eats Whiskas dry food, plus one pouch of wet food. As a vegetarian because of my love for animals, I don’t like cooking meat, but if it is better for her, I will.

After the seizures, she is very disoriented, which lasts quite some time. She walked up to my barking dogs, who are used to her but who are not friendly (and who were also agitated at the time after witnessing her seizure). Once, she tried putting her nose in the open gas flame of the stove.

I hope you can advise me. I am in India. My cat has had a blood test that showed slightly low levels of platelets, but nothing else wrong. She has been prescribed tonics and something to increase platelets. -- R.D., Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

DEAR R.D.: There are many causes for cats’ seizures that may not be revealed by routine blood tests, which typically only rule out acute infections, diabetes or other endocrine diseases. Among these other causes are trauma, migrated parasites, stroke and cancer.

Any application of (or exposure to) anti-flea insecticide could cause seizures in cats. A friend of mine told me her cat started to have seizures after being given a cat treat (Temptations); eventually, even the rustle of the package triggered a seizure. One of the ingredients listed on the treat package is “natural flavors,” which could mean monosodium glutamate -- a neuro-excitatory chemical! (So is aspartame, the artificial sweetener.)

I am sending you my home-prepared diet for your cat which may help improve her condition over the dry kibble and moist cat food you are feeding her, as well as instructions on safe flea control. Ideally, your cat should always be kept safely indoors.

(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: With regard to the possibility of cats from COVID-infected families infecting other cats and wildlife if allowed outdoors, I recently wrote a letter to the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (a highly respected organization, of which I am an Honor Roll member), calling for a lockdown on cats being allowed to roam free. This letter was met with the editor’s comment that “excessive speculation is not particularly helpful right now.”

With that in mind, it was good to see this Nov. 9 press release from the AVMA, which I have abbreviated below.

IF YOU GET COVID-19, WHAT’S YOUR PET CARE PLAN?

From the AVMA:

"During the pandemic, many Americans have become new pet owners, bringing home a dog or cat to keep them company and lift their spirits when stay-at-home orders were issued. With the country now in the midst of a mounting wave of infections, the American Veterinary Medical Association is reminding pet owners to have a plan in place for caring for their pets in the event they contract coronavirus.

“Dr. Douglas Kratt, president of the AVMA, recommends that, if pet owners become infected, they should identify another member of the household who will take care of feeding, walking, playing with and otherwise caring for the pet, and make sure they are willing and have everything they need to do so.

“COVID-positive pet owners who don’t have someone else available within the household to care for their pets should wear a cloth face covering; should not share food with, kiss, or hug their pets; and need to wash their hands before and after any contact.

“Pet owners should make sure they have identified a person or a facility that can care for their pets if they are hospitalized. If they are unsure of who can care for their pets in these circumstances, their veterinarian may have recommendations.

“’While this is primarily a human disease, we have seen a small number of cases in pets,’ said Dr. Kratt. ‘These cases in pets appear to be uncommon, and are mostly mild or asymptomatic, but they can still happen. To be safe, and until we know more about the virus, the AVMA recommends those ill with COVID-19 restrict contact with their pets, just as they would restrict contact with other people.’

“In general, it’s a good idea to not let your pets interact with people or other animals outside the household, especially in places with community spread of COVID-19. Cats should be kept indoors, when possible, to prevent them from interacting with other animals or people. ...

“Dr. Kratt stressed that pet owners shouldn’t panic or consider abandoning their pets during the pandemic. Instead, he hopes pet owners plan for emergencies, understand the actual scope of the problem and take simple steps to protect themselves and their pets.

“For more information on veterinary medicine and COVID-19, visit AVMA.org/Coronavirus.”

Dr. Fox here: I would stress that above all, cat owners should not panic and get rid of them. This would risk repeating the insanity of the Black Death plague of the Middle Ages, when cats were wrongly blamed and exterminated. Just like dogs, cats should not be allowed to roam free. See the article “Keeping Cats Healthy and Happy Indoors” on my website.

DEAR DR. FOX: I am writing to you because I have run out of options to help my cat with her stomatitis. I have had all of her teeth removed, and she has been on steroids for almost a year. My vet has told me that she will develop diabetes if she continues on the steroids. The steroids have helped her tremendously, but when we try to wean her off, the stomatitis flares up again. It seems to affect the back of her throat the most. My vet ordered Atopica to transition her off of the steroids.

I recently read your article on stomatitis because my vet wants her to go to a dental specialist to scrape her gums, but I’m not sure that is the path I want to take. I am open to an integrative approach, and would love to hear your opinion on using Atopica. -- D.P., Hanover, New Jersey

DEAR D.P.: Your cat is afflicted by a complex disease seen in many cats. You can make your own herbal salves to soothe and help heal the gums; rub them on with a finger wrapped in gauze. These natural remedies, human-tested and verified for decades as gingivitis treatments, include green tea and aloe vera. These are gifts from Mother Nature that Big Pharma wants us to forget!

Regarding Atopica, I have a posting about that on my website (DrFoxOneHealth.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 U.S. presidential election highlighted how divided states have become as they confront a global pandemic, along with an unsustainable global economy based on polluting, climate-changing fossil fuels and petrochemicals. These conflicts -- jobs versus closedowns, capitalism versus socialism, nationalism versus internationalism -- are microcosms of our collective harming of person and planet from greed, ignorance and science denial.

There can be no return to “business as usual.” The entire economic basis of our existence must be radically and quickly transformed. This must be incentivized by the climate, environmental and public health benefits of carbon-sequestering industries, especially in the energy, agricultural and transportation sectors. Collectively reducing pollution and restoring natural biodiversity are ethical imperatives for society since we, along with other endangered species and the planet, are in crisis.

As Robin Chazdon, professor of biology at the University of Connecticut, asserts, “The world is invested in destruction.” Chazdon is a contributor to the Campaign for Nature report, which calculates 55% of farmland, globally, could -- and should -- be returned to nature without reducing current food production levels. The report offers new evidence that nature conservation drives economic growth, delivers key non-monetary benefits and is a net contributor to a resilient global economy and the reduction of climate change.

Several other reports offering solutions for governments and the public to embrace revolve around food production methods, consumer choices, and the cessation of government subsidies to unsustainable farming practices and inhumane animal factories. Major changes in how food is produced are needed if we want to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

We do not all have to turn vegan overnight, but we can contribute to the greater good by consuming with conscience. We can choose certified organic and humanely produced foods, and support local farmers markets and community agriculture initiatives. Indeed, becoming “locavores” means less food transportation, which means less fuel use, pollution and waste.

But above all, we must redefine what it means to be human and accept our responsibilities for planet Earth and for all our relations, plant and animal, whose well-being is ultimately inseparable from our own. Healing this great divide must take precedence over the short-term interests of the global industrial biotechnocracy and its harmful consequences, as I documented in my book “Bringing Life to Ethics: Global Bioethics for a Humane Society.”

Science without ethics is potentially dangerous, and ethics without science is limited. Bioethics is the healing bridge, as first proposed by Dr. Van Rensselaer Potter in his seminal 1971 book, “Bioethics: Bridge to the Future.” It enables a cognitive shift from the egocentric to the ecocentric -- supported by the creation-centered spirituality and Golden Rule principles in the teachings of all the world’s major religions.

DEAR DR. FOX: Your recent column was spot-on: The causes of the crises we face today are spiritual in nature. The answer is love for the environment, wildlife and our fellow man. Only then will we attain progress. Keep up your good work. -- B.C., Nassau, Bahamas

DEAR B.C.: Thanks for emphasizing the spiritual nature of true love. N. Scott Momaday makes this very clear in his new book, “Earth Keeper,” stating, “We humans must revere the earth, for it is our well-being. ... If we treat the earth with kindness, it will treat us kindly.”

In our evolution, such love -- including familial bonds, philopatry (our native attachment to place) and biophilia (our tendency to connect with other living creatures) -- was essential to our survival. In realizing our biological and ecological affinities and relationships with other species, we discover the roots of our spiritual and ethical connections of interdependence. And in the universal links of empathy, we experience the power of love that some call God. Awe and wonder, joy and grief arise from that deep heart’s core of our humanity.

Nature heals. Researchers have recently reported the mental health benefits for the elderly of experiencing a sense of awe through focused attention in natural surroundings. For the young, brain development is harmed by frequent use of computers, smartphones and tablets. Rather than more time with electronics, I would advocate an hour a day at least in the great outdoors -- best of all with a rescued dog! More time on Zoom will spell our doom, as we substitute virtual reality from the existential “now.”

(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.)