DEAR DR. FOX: I’m working with a former USDA veterinarian, who oversaw USDA inspection operations at one of the biggest hog slaughterhouses in the country, to document the fact that hogs are arriving at the slaughterhouse frozen solid. These animals are being transported in trucks moving at 70 mph at minus 40-degree temperatures.

I obtained a lot of documents from the USDA on numbers of antemortem-condemned hogs at numerous Midwestern plants -- but, not surprisingly, the agency doesn’t keep a record of those that were condemned because they froze to death. If you have any ideas, please let me know. We have to stop this. -- Gail Eisnitz, Humane Farming Association, San Rafael, California

DEAR G.E.: How terrible for the poor pigs. This is a chronic issue, as is the heat-stress/hyperthermia issue of our ever-hotter summers.

Decentralization of pig processing facilities was urged decades ago when there was vertical, corporate integration in the industry, so that the animals would be subjected to less travel (and associated stress) to the slaughterhouses. But that initiative went nowhere. Pigs dying en route are now written off -- recycled into pet foods and farm animal feed, as the industry’s economy of scale allows for such abuse and loss of life. Beef cattle, spent dairy cows and poultry fare little better in how they are handled and the distances and weather conditions they are often transported in.

It is surely up to the government to initiate retrofitting of livestock and poultry trucks to provide supplemental heat or cooling, as needed seasonally, and to ensure the animals -- already stressed by being packed tight and sometimes crushed and suffocated -- do not have the added stressors of cold exposure or high heat and humidity.

I applaud all the work you have done in this area, and urge all to read your well-documented book, “Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect and Inhumane Treatment Inside the U.S. Meat Industry.”

DEAR DR. FOX: My 11-month-old female Rottweiler puppy was diagnosed as being incontinent. She has no infection, and has been peeing in her sleep on and off. She was put on Proin, but it is upsetting her stomach, so I don’t want to continue.

I feed her your dog food recipe, and was wondering if there was anything I could add to her food to help control the incontinence. I really do not want her to be on meds her entire life. Looking for a holistic approach if possible! -- L.B., Tulsa, Oklahoma

DEAR L.B.: The problem of incontinence in young dogs like yours is all too common, and is most likely due to the hormonal deficiency caused by having her ovaries removed, which weakens the urinary bladder sphincter control.

Many dogs do not do well on the usual prescription of Proin offered by most veterinarians. All too often, it is of no benefit. There is no food additive that may help, to my knowledge.

One of our dogs, Tanza, developed this post-spay incontinence. The obvious solution was hormone-replacement medication, and a local compounding pharmacist provided what we needed (DES, short for diethylstilbestrol). Some veterinarians may throw up their hands and say this will cause cancer, but the dose is very low. We dosed her once weekly for four weeks, then once monthly for four months before tapering off to zero. Her incontinence never returned.

Check ahvma.org, the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, for a list of practitioners in your area who may be able to help you and your dog.

LOOK OUT FOR PET-SALE SCAMMERS

Scammers are using photos and testimonials from legitimate websites to create phony sites “selling” fictitious pets. The number of pet scams reported to the Better Business Bureau has risen from 884 in 2017 to an estimated 4,300 last year. Many of the scam sites collect payments using Western Union or money transfer apps. Unfortunately, says Jack Whittaker, co-administrator of Petscams.com, authorities don’t have much motivation to track down the scammers. (Full story: WCBD-TV, Charleston, South Carolina, Feb. 5)

(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 coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic is notable in that infected people can infect other animals -- mink, in particular. And infected mink can infect people with new strains, which can evolve and become more contagious and lethal.

Pet ferrets are mustelids, related to mink, and there is concern about cross-species infection after a family infected their pet ferret with COVID-19. This concern led British health authorities to advise any ferret owners isolating for COVID-19 to keep their ferrets away from direct human contact for 21 days.

Those who care for ferrets, whether in their homes or in breeding facilities or pet stores, need to take every precaution: wearing masks, washing hands and maintaining good ventilation and air exchange. They must also monitor the animals closely for signs of breathing difficulties or diarrhea.

SUPPLEMENTS CAN SUPPORT IMMUNE SYSTEM

For my own additional protection from contagions, and to boost my immune system, I take the following nutraceuticals daily (in addition to a high-fiber, organic vegetarian diet): vitamins D3, C, A, E and B complex; magnesium; selenium; zinc; coconut oil, meal and/or shreds; and algae omega-3 supplements (non-vegans can take fish oil).

Another reason to consider taking such supplements is the fact that agricultural soils around the world are seriously depleted of minerals and other nutrients essential for our health and for the nutritional value of the crops we eat and feed to our companion and farmed animals. Without healthy soils, we will never have healthy gut microbiomes, which contribute to our immune systems and our serotonin-linked emotional and cognitive brain functions. Nutritional supplements help make up the difference until agricultural practices earn the distinction “Certified Organic” at all levels of food production, and we eat more selectively and responsibly. We cannot afford not to, and giving junk food to people and animals alike is no solution.

DEAR DR. FOX: My dog is 5 years old. He’s a mini Australian Labradoodle (a mix of Labrador retriever, poodle, Australian water spaniel and cocker spaniel) and weighs about 21 pounds. He’s at about the expected size for his breed, and he has a visible waist, so he isn’t overweight.

If I don’t watch him, my mostly sensible dog will occasionally eat grass and then throw it up later (in the house, of course). Could he be purging fur balls like cats do? My dog’s hair is fluffy and needs cutting when it grows too long. We get him groomed about every four weeks.

I feed him raw, frozen-until-thawed sliders from Smallbatch, a couple of small cubes of Northwest Naturals Fruit and Veggie Nuggets, and some mashed pumpkin. I sprinkle a bit of ground supplements on most of his meals -- parsley, turmeric and some folic acid stuff. I often put a small dollop of coconut oil in his food.

He scratches a lot, wheezes occasionally in his sleep, and licks one paw a lot. That paw is discolored, but no broken skin. He sneezes, too, mostly in the early morning. So he has allergies, probably, or dry skin. Any advice? -- M.W., Ashland, Oregon

DEAR M.W.: It is normal for healthy dogs to eat some grass, and often throw it up soon after. As I have detailed in earlier columns, grass eating is one example of animals’ instinctual self-medicating. Couch grass (Elymus repens) is most dogs’ preference. For an interesting overview on its use in humans (mainly in extracts from the roots, which dogs do not normally consume), visit indigo-herbs.co.uk/natural-health-guide/benefits/couch-grass.

That said, compulsive eating of grass and other materials could indicate an underlying health issue such as inflammatory bowel disease, transient indigestion/food intolerance -- especially to soy and gluten -- or internal parasites. Worms in puppies can even trigger gastro-encephalitic seizures.

My dog often eats a few blades of couch grass and Goldenrod leaves. I like giving her 1 teaspoon (per 40 pounds body weight) of shredded, unsweetened, organic coconut in her food daily. This contains inulin, as does couch grass, which is soothing to the gut and may help promote healthy gut flora. I also give her 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt or kefir as a source of probiotics. I would advise the same for your dog.

Self-grooming cats do indeed accumulate trichobezoars (hairballs) in their digestive tracts, and must regurgitate them if not passed in their stools, but this is not the issue with your dog. A half-teaspoon of local bee pollen might reduce the paw-licking if it is allergy-related. Such bee pollen (or raw honey, for non-diabetic dogs) helps many canines with seasonal, non-food-related allergies.

(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 posting in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (Jan. 15, 2021, vol. 258, pp. 104-105, "Regulatory standards on pet health insurance being developed") affirmed my concerns over this chaotically inconsistent industry, which could help decrease euthanasia for economic reasons but has fuzzy language as per “preexisting conditions.”

Apparently, there are some 20 companies across Canada and the United States involved in pet health insurance, and some 1.7% of owned dogs and cats are insured in the U.S. Now the National Association of Insurance Commissioners has established a Pet Insurance Working Group to develop a model law. This group’s meetings are public, and interested persons can go to jav.ma/workinggroup for details. For my own analysis of pet health insurance, see my review posted at drfoxonehealth.com.

DEAR DR. FOX: My 12-year-old Morkie tore his ACL in his left rear knee in a freak accident. I had a consultation with a surgeon. The cost of the surgery doesn’t bother me as much as the prospect of the post-op period (for both my dog and me). Since my consultation, my beloved dog has started to put minimal weight on the affected leg. Not all the time, but most of the time. He doesn’t appear to be in any pain, even when I touch and extend his leg.

Am I wrong to think that it would be best for him to live his life out in this condition without the surgery? -- J.S., Santa Fe, New Mexico

DEAR J.S.: I have followed the pros and cons of corrective surgery for this condition in dogs for several decades. Some veterinarians feel it is always indicated, while I join those who are more conservative with smaller dogs. They often heal and gain normal locomotion without surgery, provided they are not overweight and their physical activity is restricted for four to six weeks -- no running or jumping up and down off sofas, etc. Physical therapy in a warm swimming pool can help. I also advise general body massage as per my book "The Healing Touch for Dogs," and a daily supplement in the dog’s food of powdered turmeric and ginger, one-quarter of a teaspoon of each for a dog the size of yours. Also Cosequin, a glucosamine, chondroitin plus MSM supplement, may provide additional support.

Pet health insurance might have covered the cost of anesthesia and surgery, which is in the thousands of dollars for this all-too-prevalent malady, but could have been denied if your dog has some “preexisting condition” such as misaligned and bent legs, common in many breeds. Best prevention is keeping the dog lean with a no-all-kibble diet and regular physical activity, and minimizing vaccinations, especially canine distemper, which may be associated with collagen/tendon deterioration. Keep me posted.

DEAR DR. FOX: If it is helpful, I wanted to share a solution for my cat that was going outside of the litter box. A while back one of your readers wrote how the cat was using the newspapers on the floor instead of the litter box. Well, my stray-turned-indoor cat was constantly doing this, too. Finally, I decided to get her her own litter box with just newspaper. And it works!! She always goes into the newspaper-laden litter box and has never gone outside the box again.

Then I noticed cat litter at the store made of newspaper and was tempted to try, but thought why pay for that when I have my daily newspaper at home. Just wanted to share and pass this on. I am so glad it worked for my cat. Roll it up and dispose, very easy cleanup.

Thank you for all your good help for the animals! -- L.G., New Carlisle, Indiana

DEAR L.G.: Thanks for your good advice, which is an addition to the list of things to consider when cats poop outside of the box.

Shredded newspaper makes good cat litter box material, and I wish more people would subscribe to their newspapers to keep honest journalism alive. Our rescued TNR cat Fanny loves to play and hide under an opened-up newspaper and pounce on it! One of our evening rituals.

DOGS’ WORD COMPREHENSION LIKE A 2- OR 3-YEAR-OLD CHILD

Formally trained or especially gifted dogs can learn a new word for an object after hearing it only four times, suggesting that some dogs learn language similarly to a 2- or 3-year-old, says Adam Miklosi, co-author of a study in Scientific Reports. A border collie and a Yorkshire terrier demonstrated the skill in an exclusion-based task and a playful scenario, but the dogs were not able to tell the difference between two newly named toys. (Full story: CNN, Jan. 26)

(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.)