The Animal Doctor

DEAR DR. FOX: I thought I'd ask you what you think about the Bureau of Land Management's roundups of wild horses. While I've always adored all animals (even worms as a young child), I never had a "thing" for horses, but recently started following Skydog Sanctuary on Instagram. It's a rescue group that works tirelessly to reunite mustang families after their brutal captures, and they post amazing stories, pleas and videos. I would like to know your thoughts about these brutal and tragic roundups. -- G.C., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR G.C.: Roundups and horse auctions have resulted in thousands of these beautiful animals being transported to Mexico for slaughter, after slaughtering in the U.S. was prohibited following petitions by horse-protection associations. This is an instance of good intentions having worse consequences.

This entire issue is a mess and has been mishandled by state and federal agencies for decades. These groups put the interests of cattle ranchers before the humane treatment of equines and the sound management of ranges -- including the provision of feed and water, especially during periods of extended drought.

Horses, sheep and cattle all graze differently; with good rangeland management, overgrazing and habitat degradation can be prevented and all three species can sustainably coexist. But democracy is dead in these cattle baron-ravaged wildlands, as most cattle ranchers see sheep, and now mustangs, as competitors to be exterminated. Ranchers' war on wolves and other predators is another contributing factor to the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem health.

It is the cattle, and not the wild horses, that are a blight on rangelands. Humans have taken over the role of predator and, therefore, some reduction of horse numbers may be indicated. But many captured horses can be adopted out to responsible owners. Stallions can be vasectomized, and mares given long-acting hormone implants to inhibit ovulation, before being released back into the wild to help with population control.

There are a few nonprofit organizations doing good work to provide sanctuary for wild horses/mustangs. For example, my wife and I donate to Equine Voices Rescue and Sanctuary in Arizona.

DEAR DR. FOX: What is your opinion of dog parks: Do the benefits of leash-free exercise and social interaction outweigh the drawbacks? Also, we were always told to keep puppies away from other animals until they were fully vaccinated, but now we're hearing that it's more important to socialize them, even before that fully vaccinated date. The thinking is that there is less risk of illness than of problems from not being socialized, which could set them up for behavioral issues throughout their lives. What are your thoughts? -- G.F., San Diego

DEAR G.F.: I am all in favor of off-leash dog parks and large community enclosures for dogs to interact. But there must be rules for all entrants to follow. No "bully" dogs should be allowed, for instance, nor any unspayed females in heat.

All dogs must be under close monitoring by owners/handlers at all times. Only too often I have seen a circle of people gabbing together, with no one watching the dogs to intervene if a fight begins (or even if one or more dogs have pooped). Owners should always clean up after their dogs, who should have annual fecal tests to rule out internal parasites. Dog parks can easily become contaminated with such parasites and spread infections to other dogs.

All dogs should also be up-to-date on their core vaccinations, and should wear collars with ID and anti-rabies tags. Ideally, they would all be microchipped, just in case one or more get out of the enclosure (such as when someone leaves a gate open, or when a dog rushes past a person entering or leaving).

Regarding puppies: They can be allowed to mingle, ideally with small and/or gentle dogs, after 16 weeks of age if the basic vaccination protocol -- as practiced by most veterinarians -- has been followed.

DEAR DR. FOX: My 3-year-old rescue dog just had bladder stone surgery and had struvite stones removed. She had a UTI, also. She was placed on Hill's Prescription Diet c/d, but she hates this food.

The vet said she's to stay on a prescription diet for life. I would like your opinion on what else I can feed her. -- L.M., Tulsa, Oklahoma

DEAR L.M.: Many of these costly (and profitable) "prescription" diets are very unpalatable for dogs and cats. A good source for more palatable, veterinary-formulated special diets is a company called Balance IT (balanceit.com).

Cats and dogs seem more prone to develop urinary crystals (also called calculi or stones) when fed only dry kibble. Moist canned, freeze-dried or frozen food formulations often produce less concentrated urine, less bladder inflammation and fewer bacterial infections. The likelihood of struvite or calcium oxalate crystals forming in the urine also declines.

For details about your dog's problem, which is partly genetic and partly induced by diet (and possibly by bladder infections), see the article "Urinary Tract Stones and Cystitis in Cats and Dogs" on 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 DR. FOX: The letter from "D.H., Ph.D., Tulsa," which you published and commented on approvingly, contains counterfactual statements that falsify its premise. The most egregious is the assertion that "We are currently experiencing a sixth major mass extinction." D.H. attributes this to the human injection of CO2 into the atmosphere. Can we agree that we are not in the midst of a "sixth major mass extinction"? To say otherwise is either a delusion or a deception.

My quarrel with the whole concept of CO2 causing climate change is that it has sucked all the air out of the room regarding environmental issues. Everything is being sacrificed on the altar of CO2 emissions reduction. Real problems, which could be addressed intelligently, scientifically and economically, are being brushed aside on the totally false assumption that everything will be just fine if CO2 emissions drop to "net zero."

Consider the wildfires in California. Some local politicians insist that they are due to climate change. However, blaming climate change for their wildfires only gives them an excuse to neglect effective short-term actions that could reduce the risk by around 80%. Forest management, and a rational program to cut branches away from power lines and generally maintain the 100-year-old grid, would effectively reduce wildfires to a fraction of their present danger.

Overfishing is another excellent example. Overfishing is quite serious, as anyone who has studied the question will admit. But the problem has nothing to do with CO2 emissions or climate change. The problem is very firmly rooted in the widespread government subsidies that keep otherwise uneconomical fishing fleets at sea chasing ever-dwindling stocks of fish with ever-finer mesh nets. Spain is one of the worst offenders. -- D.R.M., Ph.D., Bartlesville, Oklahoma

DEAR D.R.M.: I am getting rather overloaded regarding the climate crisis discussion in my column, and had to shorten your communication. I agree totally with your concerns that the focus on greenhouse gas emissions is distracting policymakers, and the public, from addressing other critical issues.

However, I disagree radically with you concerning the sixth mass extinction: This is happening now. Also, overfishing has been documented as a major contributing factor to climate change. For documentation, see the new article "A Reflection on Animals, Nature and the Human Condition" on my website (drfoxonehealth.com), also cited in my response to M.S. below.

DEAR DR. FOX: I'm a 67-year-old center-right lifelong outdoorsman who -- surprise! -- believes that the climate is changing pretty fast. But I think that too much emphasis is being placed on the global warming/fossil fuel connection, as though that's all there is to it. I believe that completely out-of-control overpopulation is the real problem.

Yes, I do know the numbers about fossil fuels, and they're staggering, but it seems that no one talks about population! Nigeria has 200 million people, with 20 million in Lagos alone! Can you imagine the quality of wastewater treatment there? Ditto for Indonesia (270 million), the Philippines (110 million) and Mexico (125 million). Places like Haiti are nearly completely out of control, rapidly approaching failed-state status.

I feel for these guys, but I didn't do it! When we talk about a cessation of fossil fuel utilization, we also need to address this issue. These places are making bad choices that affect us all, just as much as Big Oil does. -- M.S., Fairview, Pennsylvania

DEAR M.S.: Thanks for contributing to the ongoing discussion about the climate crisis. You raise an issue that is central to addressing the fate of the Earth and the future security and quality of life of humankind. I have addressed overpopulation, overconsumption and related concerns in my new article "A Reflection on Animals, Nature and the Human Condition," which can be read at drfoxonehealth.com.

We are indeed on the brink of a sixth major extinction, not so much of individual species but of their habitats, both aquatic and terrestrial. Ecosystem collapse is predictable where there is evidence of dysbiosis and when human "civilization" becomes dystopian. Focusing exclusively on reducing carbon emissions will not be enough.

Already, we have millions of economic, environmental and political refugees; millions of acres of misused, nonproductive agricultural lands; and devastating consequences from climate change-driven droughts, floods and fires -- all getting worse.

(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: Several years ago, my sister suffered a cat bite and the cat was never caught. As a precaution, she went to the hospital for rabies shots.

She has terrible plaque psoriasis. Strangely, the rabies shots completely cleared up her psoriasis -- but after several weeks, it came back. Do you have any explanation for this? -- C.M.C., Cumberland, Maryland

DEAR C.M.C.: It is my educated guess that cellular elements of your sister's immune system, which was over-reactive to her own skin and causing the autoimmune disease of plaque psoriasis, were temporarily "distracted" and redirected to respond to the rabies vaccine. This could open up a new approach to autoimmune diseases, rather than prescribing often-risky drugs to suppress the immune system. It may also have some resonance with homeopathy (treating like with like) and possibly acupuncture -- both therapeutic fields beyond my scope.

Our collective knowledge of immune system functions is still relatively rudimentary, as demonstrated by recent discoveries about how the gut microbiome and genetics influence immunity and susceptibility to autoimmune and degenerative diseases.

DEAR DR. FOX: Our pup, a 3- or 4-year-old rescued shepherd, developed a tumor the size of a small walnut near her left shoulder. Our vet aspirated it, said mast cells were present and suggested removal of the tumor. We did have it removed, and have also started a regimen of Benadryl.

Is there a pro-immune-system additive or supplement that you recommend? We feed her Blue Seal kibble and canned meat. -- T.D., Poughkeepsie, New York

DEAR T.D.: Sorry to hear that a dog so young as yours has developed cancer. Mast cell tumors seem to be on the rise, and I wonder what is going on to trigger this kind of multifactor disease in our animal companions.

Not so long ago, chatting with friends while walking our dogs, they had me feel a lump on their dog Gunnar's hip. Their vet had just diagnosed is as a fatty tumor and said not to worry. I palpated it and urged an immediate second opinion, fearing it was a mast cell tumor. A biopsy confirmed my suspicions.

When caught early, before it can spread to internal organs, dogs can recover from such tumors, but the surgical removal must be very thorough. Antihistamines can help subdue the histamine release from these tumors. I strongly advise diets that are low in carbohydrates and high in protein and fat for dogs with any cancer. Add a few drops of fish oil to their food daily, plus antioxidants like grated raw carrots and scalded blueberries (1 tablespoon of each per 40 pounds of body weight), mixed with cottage cheese for enhanced palatability. Also, try melatonin (3 mg per 40 pounds body weight) at bedtime and one daily (human) dose of a supplement with chelated magnesium, zinc, selenium, B complex and vitamins A, D and E. Do this for five to seven days, then stop for about three days, then repeat. Nordic Naturals cod liver oil (just a few drops) is also a good supplement for vitamins A and D and omega-3 fatty acids.

All these supplements are good for aging dogs and may help prevent cognitive decline -- same for us!

Your dog may develop more mast cell tumors and, after correct diagnosis, there is an alternative to surgery worth your veterinarian considering. A new treatment for mast cell tumors that are less than 8 cubic centimeters in size is to inject them with an extract from the seeds of the Australian blushwood tree. The company behind the treatment is Virbac; ask your veterinarian to look into it if this issue does recur.

DEAR DR. FOX: My dog is 12 years old, and she has been coughing for the past eight months. We took her to vet and they ran lots of tests, including radiographs, to see if it could be her heart. They said it wasn't kennel cough. They gave us cough tabs, which didn't help. We took her to another veterinarian and they told us the same thing -- that they don't know what it could be.

She has a lump in her neck area, which they looked at but said it wouldn't have anything to do with the cough. Could you please help? -- J.S., via email

DEAR J.S.: I am sorry to hear that your dog's condition has neither been diagnosed nor effectively treated. There are many reasons why old dogs cough, ranging from chronic heart failure with congestion in the lungs to lung cancer, bronchitis (either bacterial or parasitic), and even a foreign body such as an inhaled grass awn in the upper respiratory area.

I always request people writing to me to give their city of residence, which can help me in many ways: Some health issues are geographic, and some readers may be close to a state veterinary college to which I would refer cases like yours. See below for one such localized disease outbreak.

INFECTIOUS CANINE RESPIRATORY DISEASE WARNING

An infectious canine respiratory disease caused by mycoplasma bacteria appears to be spreading in places where dogs congregate. Veterinarian Angela Lusty says she and her colleagues in central and southeastern Michigan have seen a rising number of cases over the past two to three weeks. The disease is neither kennel cough nor COVID-19. It can progress to severe disease if untreated, but usually resolves quickly with veterinary care. (Full story: MLive.com, 9/29)

(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.)