DEAR DR. FOX: We have two Labs. One of them is 12 1/2 and has recently developed laryngeal paralysis. Both dogs wear shock collars for an invisible fence system. I wondered if anyone else has had the same issue.

Your findings on electropollution (which I read on your website) were very interesting. -- L.K., Nova Scotia

DEAR L.K.: It is surely no coincidence that your dog has developed laryngeal paralysis. I would like to hear from other readers who use, or have used, an “invisible” electric fence system to keep their dogs within their property with the use of sensors around their necks.

I have written earlier about the potential risks of electric fence containment. Some dogs become fearful of going outside; others, when highly motivated, will simply run off the property. Free-roaming and off-leash dogs will not be stopped by this barrier if they want to interact with, or even attack, resident dogs on the other side of these invisible systems.

In my neighborhood, I see such invisible-fence-confined dogs left alone outside for long periods of time, and their general demeanor gives me the impression that they are depressed. Some friends of mine have an invisible fence for their cockapoo, Charlie, and on more than one occasion he has rushed at leashed dogs walking by with their owners. My friends now fear Charlie may get injured if a fight erupts.

Veterinarians are looking more closely at electronic containment systems and their effects on dogs’ health and behavior. It is notable that as of Feb. 1, the use of electronic training collars on dogs has been prohibited in England.

For more details, see my review of the hazards of exposure to electromagnetic fields and nonionizing radiation here: drfoxonehealth.com/post/electropollution-existential-threat-to-public-health-and-life-on-earth.

A veterinarian friend who is electrosensitive sent me this response to your issue:

“This is terrible to read, and certainly no coincidence. I would bet the electric field levels are quite high. If L.K. is unwilling to refrain from using the invisible fence, I would suggest they purchase a Cornet ED88T meter from Safe Living Technologies and ask that it be calibrated to the standards on the Building Biology Institute's website (buildingbiologyinstitute.org). This meter will measure electrical, magnetic and radio frequencies accurately. Measure the electrical levels on the necks of the dogs and compare it to BBI's guidelines for safety. L.K. can use the meter for their own safety in their house, as well.”

See below for another item about electropollution.

TELECOM ELECTROPOLLUTION HARMING WILDLIFE

Wireless radiation is contributing greatly to the loss of our pollinators and bird populations. For disturbing details and scientific evidence, visit Environmental Health Trust’s new website for wildlife: wildlifeandwireless.org.

CHICK-HATCHING PROJECTS IN SCHOOLS NEED TO STOP

In her poignant May 11 article in the Star Tribune, former teacher Julie Knopp of Compassionate Action for Animals detailed the widespread, yet highly questionable, practice of letting young students hatch chicks in the classroom. Many chicks are deformed from defective incubation, and many hatchlings are injured by improper handling. Those who do survive eventually need to be placed in animal sanctuaries.

There are risks to the children, as well: Chicks can carry salmonella, E. coli and now possibly the H5N1 avian influenza virus. Putting schoolchildren in contact with them poses unnecessary risks to all.

In my opinion, no live animals should be in classrooms. There is now a rich variety of alternative educational materials available to teach children about animal behavior, intelligence and sentience -- none of which will potentially traumatize them like the death or injury of a classroom animal can. Keeping animals in classrooms can even desensitize children by treating animals as objects and learning tools, rather than fellow creatures worthy of compassion.

MICROCHIPS HELP OWNERS FIND LOST CATS

A cat that was adopted as a kitten from an Arizona shelter 12 years ago and went missing from his Nevada home five years ago has been found in Arkansas. Two women who found the Russian blue at a gas station took him to a veterinary clinic, where the cat’s microchip revealed the owner’s contact information. (Full story: KARK-TV, Little Rock, Arkansas, April 19)

Cats love hiding in boxes, but a cat whose owners accidentally shipped her to Amazon along with some boots they were returning might be staying out of boxes for a while. A warehouse worker in Los Angeles took the cat to a veterinarian, who tracked the owners in Utah through a microchip and arranged the reunion. (Full story: KSL-TV, Salt Lake City, April 24)

All cat owners should microchip their cats!

(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: A study in Portugal analyzed 14 raw meat-based pet foods and 41 processed pet foods. Researchers found multidrug-resistant E. coli in 10 of the raw diets and multidrug-resistant salmonella in one raw diet; neither pathogen was found in the processed foods.

In another European study, pet owners in Slovenia were surveyed about the health risks posed by raw diets. Only one-third of respondents knew that food poisoning can have fatal consequences.

The findings from these studies “strongly suggest that conventionally processed pet food is a safer option ... (and) indicate a need for proactive actions involving the pet industry, food safety agencies, and pet owners to mitigate risks for public health,” researchers wrote in the journal Eurosurveillance. (Full story: Food Safety News, May 7)

DEAR DR. FOX: My 5-year-old pug, Betty Sue, is a lemon. We love her, but we have spent about $18,000 on her health care.

She's had a cyst on her neck removed, she's had bladder stones removed (twice) and she's had an eye removed. It was pierced by something and did not heal, even though we took her to vet immediately and put medication on it. Now, we have been told she has pancreatitis.

We purchased special food, but she misses her treats. What can I feed a dog who has pancreatitis and a propensity for bladder stones? I would not mind making her homemade food and treats, I just don’t know what would work with both of these problems. -- R.D., address withheld

DEAR R.D.: Regrettably, pugs -- like French bulldogs and other brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds -- generally have short lives and multiple health problems. These are not only costly but can mean a life of chronic suffering. These kinds of dogs are extremely popular, but I advise against purchasing such pups regardless of their appeal to uninformed would-be owners.

Poor Betty Sue. She needs to be on a fat-free diet, and could benefit from substitute pancreatic enzymes to help with digestion. Did the veterinarian discuss this dual approach? Most just opt for a special prescription diet, which dogs often find unpalatable. Substitute pancreatic enzymes come from papaya and unsweetened canned pineapple. A teaspoon twice daily, plus a good-quality probiotic, should help your dog.

For treats, you could try my dog cookie recipe, posted here: drfoxonehealth.com/post/dr-foxs-good-dog-cookie-recipe. Do not include the olive oil or sardines indicated in this recipe.

Obesity, which is common in older pugs, can be a contributing factor in chronic pancreatitis. It can also play a role in Cushing’s disease, hypothyroidism and osteoarthritis, the latter of which reduces physical activity. A basic diet of cheap dog kibble, high in carbohydrates and fats, makes dogs -- regardless of breed -- likely to develop various health issues. These can include bladder stones, although some breeds may have a genetic susceptibility to certain types of them.

If you wish to make your own special diet for your beloved canine companion, go online to find a variety of good recipes prepared by veterinarians and other informed contributors to canine health.

SUPPORT BAN ON PRIMATE TRAFFICKING

From the Animal Legal Defense Fund:

"The Captive Primate Safety Act (H.R. 8164/S. 4206) intends to crack down on the private possession of nonhuman primates, such as apes and chimpanzees, by prohibiting the private ownership and interstate or foreign commerce of nonhuman primates for the cruel 'pet' trade." (Read more at ALDF.org.)

I am in shock that the trafficking and sale of primates has not yet been outlawed. Primates are highly intelligent and have complex psychological and physical needs. It is not possible to keep nonhuman primates humanely, or safely, as companion animals.

Yet it is estimated that thousands of primates are kept in cages and backyards across the United States due to a patchwork of inadequate state laws and regulations. Therefore, readers are encouraged to contact their representatives at the federal level and urge them to support this important legislation.

(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: Ten days ago, I got a call from someone in the area where I TNVR and feed feral cats. A very friendly un-neutered male cat had a severe wound on his leg.

The (supposedly) low-cost clinic where I took him gave me an estimate for a dozen things. I saw the FeLV/FIV (feline leukemia/feline immunodeficiency virus) combo test listed as an option, but not recommended, and I said, “Shouldn’t we do that before you neuter him and treat and wrap the wound?” The vet answered that FIV isn’t that bad, and he said nothing at all about leukemia. But then, after $513 of blood work, the test comes out positive for BOTH! I was furious. The vet also wanted me to come in every day for a $35 bandage change. I’ve gone four times every other day, and will try it myself tomorrow, though it really looks like a two-person job.

So do I put this cat down immediately, or try my best to find the needle-in-the-haystack home that will take him? He’s a lovely boy. It’s tragic, and I’m so angry at the clinic for grabbing money instead of doing the smart thing and testing first.

Does the cat deserve a chance, or is all my bandage-changing a waste as he should be euthanized? It’s very stressful and upsetting. -- G.B.C., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR G.B.C.: While I am, in principle, opposed to TNVR (trap-neuter-vaccinate-release) of unadopted cats, they do need volunteers feeding them and providing veterinary care as needed. But too often, they cannot be caught again to receive needed professional attention.

This injured but friendly cat, who had not been neutered, is clear evidence of the failure of TNVR “community cat colonies.” Cats like this one will often join these colonies; an un-spayed female could be next, and bingo, more kittens are born.

The protocol that my late wife and I always followed, with the dozen cats we rescued after they strayed onto our property here in Minnesota, was to first and foremost have the veterinary clinic test for FeLV and FIV. If either came back positive, we had the cat euthanized. There are no cures for these contagious feline diseases, which can spread in TNVR cat colonies and cause much suffering.

The alternative is to have a foster home or sheltering situation specifically designated for such cats. When this alternative is not available, and an infected cat is taken into a home with other cats, they are at risk of infection.

I share your fury at the veterinarian you encountered, and I would write off this experience as your compassionate heart being taken for a ride. It would be in the best interests of this poor cat to be euthanized, since the healing process and repeated bandaging could be delayed because of his viral infections.

H5N1 AVIAN FLU FOUND IN FOUR MORE CATS AT DAIRIES

From BNONews.com:

"Four more cats have tested positive for H5N1 bird flu in connection with a growing outbreak in dairy cows in the United States, according to state and federal officials, raising the number of cases in cats in the current outbreak to seven.

"Sonja Olsen, the Associate Director of Preparedness and Response at CDC’s Influenza Division, reported three new cases in cats on Thursday and a fourth case was reported on Friday. 'The reports we heard were of cats having neurologic symptoms, rapid decline, and death,' Olsen told BNO News.

"Three of the new cases were found at two dairy farms in Curry County, New Mexico, and all of them died, according to the state’s agriculture department. The fourth case was found at a dairy farm in Wood County, Ohio."

This strain of avian influenza, which is killing many mammalian and avian species around the world, and which may eventually infect people if the virus mutates, is yet another public health reason for all cats to be kept indoors. Controlling this virus calls for improved biosecurity on farms -- and that includes no cats.

In April, federal officials announced that 1 in 5 commercial milk samples tested contain fragments of the bird flu virus. While officials say pasteurized milk should be safe to drink, raw milk is definitely a risk. Farm cats drinking raw, infected milk have become severely ill, and many have died.

Various mammal species have been infected recently with this highly transmissible virus, and although infections in pets have been rare, cases have been documented in cats in four countries, including the U.S. Possible sources of avian influenza in pets include contact with droppings from infected birds, eating or playing with infected bird carcasses, and eating infected raw meat. Meat and poultry should be cooked before it is fed to pets, and pets that show signs of illness should be seen by a veterinarian.

ANIMAL WISDOM

A Sumatran orangutan was seen chewing leaves and stems to extract the sap of a plant with healing properties, which he then applied to some wounds he had sustained, probably in a fight with another male ape. Who taught him? (Full study: "Active self-treatment of a facial wound with a biologically active plant by a male Sumatran orangutan," Isabelle Laumer, et al., Scientific Reports, May 2)

(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.)