The Animal Doctor

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 4-year-old terrier mix. There are two situations I am concerned about.

1. He eats irregularly. He'll eat in the morning but not in the evening, or vice versa on other days. He hasn't lost weight, though. I feed him Science Diet food. I have no other problems with him; he is energetic and very loving.

2. I am stressed out because I am going on a cruise soon, and I need to board him for four nights at a dog facility. I have heard many good things about this facility and the care given there, so I booked a small room for him, equipped with a TV. My great concern is that he will not adjust or eat while I am gone.

I am planning on taking him to the facility for dog-sitting for a few afternoons, and possibly a few full days, to become acquainted with the facility and staff. Am I being too obsessed with leaving him? What are your thoughts? -- K.U., via email

DEAR K.U.: As to your first concern: Some (adult) dogs do like a one-per-day meal schedule. Be sure he is getting adequate nutrition, since many manufactured dog foods are inadequate and full of additives and preservatives. You might want to consider transitioning your dog to Earth Animal's Wisdom food, chicken or turkey flavor, which is a slow-cooked, nutrient-retaining kibble. I add a little hot water and let it soak for a while, and my dog relishes it. I add a little grated carrot or crushed blueberries mixed in cottage cheese and a few drops of Nordic Naturals cod liver oil, or on alternate days, a couple of canned sardines.

Sticking to the same feeding routine is important for both dogs and cats. Checking body weight every few weeks is important to gauge if you need to feed more or less.

As for your vacation concerns, some dogs do unfortunately suffer from separation anxiety and refuse to eat. If you cannot get an in-home dog-sitter, try this measure: Have your dog spend two nights at the boarding facility, making sure he gets his usual food, then pick him up and bring him home. This way, he may learn that next time he is left there, it will not be forever. While he is at the facility, leave him a T-shirt you have worn for a couple of days so that the scent can comfort him.

Alternatively, follow the plan you have suggested and then do an overnight stay. I recall, in my veterinary student days, seeing a black Labrador who refused to eat when his owners left him at the vet's boarding facility in a small kennel. He went into rapid decline after a couple of days, but picked up and regained his appetite when I took him for walks and napped with him every afternoon! That was my first lesson in recognizing emotional distress and separation anxiety, and the benefits of understanding animal behavior. Tender, loving attention is an integral aspect of good veterinary care.

DOGS' SOCIAL LIVES AND DISEASE RISKS

Whether it's the dog park, doggie day care, boarding, competitions or training classes, mingling dogs with varied or unknown health histories can present health problems for dogs as well as for their owners. The AVMA has gathered resources on disease risks and safety tips for pets and people during these important social interactions. View AVMA's resources on dogs' social lives and disease risks at: avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/dogs-social-lives-and-disease-risks.

(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: I am very concerned about how animals are raised for consumption. I understand most are raised in confined animal feeding operations. These factories are not only inhumane, but can also lead to water depletion and contamination.

I read that the FDA has approved certain lab-grown meats. Although it sounds strange, this could be a win-win: It could supply cheap meat for carnivores and prevent animals from enduring the terrible treatment in factories and feedlots. What is your opinion? -- L.H., Cleveland Heights, Ohio

DEAR L.H.: There are some legitimate questions concerning consumer safety and environmental risk with genetically engineered foods, which I raised in my 2004 book "Killer Foods: When Scientists Manipulate Genes, Better is Not Always Best."

As Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D., writes at The Defender (ChildrensHealthDefense.org): "Describing the development as 'a food revolution,' the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has declared lab-grown chicken meat developed by Berkeley, California-based food-tech firm Upside Foods to be safe for human consumption."

But there are still questions to be answered. Another company in this industry, Reboot Food, released a "manifesto" in November. Per its website, Reboot Food is "a campaign of the citizen-led green group RePlanet to phase out animal agriculture for new sustainable alternatives," and in the process, see the farming of plants revolutionized to use less land and fewer chemicals and see our planet rewilded. The pitch continues (as posted on TheAlternative.org): "Thanks to breakthroughs in the tried-and-tested technique of precision fermentation used to brew yeasts and bacteria into plant-based and animal-free proteins (already used widely to produce animal-free rennet and insulin), food innovators have now unlocked the keys to make animal-free proteins and fats that are biologically identical (and just as delicious) as those we currently get from cows and other livestock."

This appropriate use of biotechnology needs government and private investor support, and the urgency of its adoption cannot be overstated as a major remedy for climate change and loss of biodiversity. It would also hasten the end of the suffering and slaughter of billions of animals, dramatically reducing diseases that can spread to humans and wildlife. For more details, go to RebootFood.org.

Philip Steir, head of Alternative Proteins at Earth Animal, writes to me that the Better Meat Company and many others are now creating meat from fermentation and mycelium. Wild Type (wildtypefoods.com) is growing real salmon meat from cells, and has already partnered with famous sushi chefs and dozens of restaurants. They are awaiting FDA approval. The Good Meat Company (goodmeat.co) is building huge cultivated meat facilities in California, Singapore and Qatar. Good Meat is currently approved to sell in Singapore, and is in talks with U.S. federal agencies. Also see Mission Barns (missionbarns.com), which is producing a mix of cultivated pork fat and plant-based proteins -- while the pig their bacon comes from is alive and well on an animal sanctuary in Sonoma! And Clara Foods, now changed and rebranded as The Every Company (theeverycompany.com), is working towards creating the world's first animal-free egg white and a slew of other performance protein products for sports nutrition, baking, and industrial uses.

Steir tells me most of the companies he knows, including Upside Foods, are not using fetal bovine serum, which is one concern some critics have raised.

For details go to: upsidefoods.com/animal-component-free-upsides-cell-feed-breakthrough-levels-up-the-future-of-cultivated-meat.

He states unequivocally, "The positive scope of cultivated meat, to me, is extensive ... and has the ability to address environmental concerns that come with conventional meat. The promising future will be that cultivated meat consumes far less energy, land, and water. It is cruelty- and slaughter-free, and environmentally so much better.

"Additionally, this cultured cell-based meat is produced in a highly controlled environment, which can protect the meat from microbes and contamination. E. coli, Salmonella, Lysteria, Campylobacter are intestinal pathogens that cause illnesses every year ... (but) there are no intestinal organs in lab-grown meat, so there cannot be contamination during slaughter. It's also meat free from the growth hormones and vaccines that are often injected into farm animals."

I agree with Steir's assertions and excellent synopsis, and see this alternative food biotechnology as a significant step to ending farm animal factories and helping reduce our carbon footprint and slow climate change and the loss of biodiversity.

PART 2 of this response will be posted in next week's column.

(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: I am reading your excellent book "Dog Body, Dog Mind," and loving it. I wondered if you could please recommend a book to help my husband and me train our adorable, lovable Lab mix, Susie, whom we adopted a few months ago. She is about a year-and-a-half old, eager to learn and eager to please.

We had another Lab mix, Jetta, who died at age 16 about a month before we got Susie. Jetta's back hips gave out on her. She was a gem. She taught me so much, and she was quite well-behaved. Susie could benefit from more direct, focused work on our part to get to that same level. -- N.I., Washington, D.C.

DEAR N.I.: I am glad you enjoyed "Dog Body, Dog Mind." You and your dog will also enjoy my book "The Healing Touch for Dogs," which will help strengthen the emotional bond and establish trust and beneficial relaxation.

Your dog is still young and will not mature until around 2 to 3 years of age, developing what I call "internal inhibition" or self-control. Daily massage therapy will help in this regard, along with basic training to sit and stay, taught with food rewards rather than any form of dominance training.

I advise in-home education rather than going to a dog-training school at this time because of the risks of canine influenza in many states, along with the continuing human risk of exposure to the coronavirus responsible for the current COVID-19 pandemic.

I am also not much in favor of "training by a book." Rather, I advocate hiring a canine behaviorist to come to your home and teach you the basics on educating your dog to respond to specific commands -- not jumping up to greet people, for instance, which could possibly knock a child over. Some commands could even be lifesaving, such as "stop and stay" if the dog somehow gets off-leash near vehicular traffic.

The average dog can learn several words, often reinforced by hand signals. Common words/commands include "up," "down," "come," "sit," "stay," "go," "fetch," "no" and "drop it." My wife and I now have to spell some words when talking together -- for instance, if we say the word "out," our ever-attentive dog Kota thinks it is time for her to go out! She knows "go see," which I say when the opossums and raccoons have come to our lower deck looking for evening treats. (She wags her tail when she sees these creatures, but always growls when there is yet another stray cat outside!)

Some organizations that I recommend looking into are: the American Veterinary Society for Animal Behavior (avsab.org), the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (dacvb.org) and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (m.iaabc.org). Through these connections, you should be able to find a qualified person to educate your dog to become a PCC: perfect canine companion!

In my view, all animal shelters should have a certified animal behaviorist or veterinary behavioral specialist on staff -- in residence, for shelters with large intakes, and on-call for those with smaller intakes. These experts can help incoming animals who may be suffering from PTSD and separation anxiety, and also help adopted and foster-care animals who may develop behavioral or emotional problems. If neglected, such problems can lead to abandonment or returning the animal to the shelter.

THE CORONAVIRUS THAT KEEPS COMING AROUND

The SARS-CoV-2 infection keeps circulating as it continues to mutate in the human population. It spreads to other species, notably mink and cats infected by their human handlers, and then infects other humans in turn. Now, the virus has been found to infect horses.

Six percent of 587 healthy young thoroughbred racehorses tested positive for the virus after a COVID-19 outbreak among jockeys and other personnel in the summer of 2020 at Del Mar Racetrack in California. Moreover, 3.5% of horses that had been hospitalized at a university clinic between February 2020 and March 2022 were seropositive for the virus. Study leader Nicola Pusterla, DVM, says currently circulating variants may be more contagious to animals than previous variants. (Full story: TheHorse.com, Jan. 4)

(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.)