DEAR READERS: We may have learned something about karma and the laws of consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic. We should not forget that the virus responsible for this global calamity came from anim... more
DEAR READERS: When animals greet us, play with us and care for us -- especially children -- with patient understanding, we are witness to a spiritual connection between one species and another. Our re... more
DEAR DR. FOX: Now more than ever, our children are overwhelmed with the challenges of an often unkind and troubled world. From our politicians down to our social media interactions, people are bickeri... more
DEAR READERS: Efforts to protect the wolf in North America have now been thwarted yet again by the Trump administration, as the Department of the Interior decided to remove the gray wolf from protecti... more
DEAR DR. FOX: Thank you for your reference and support of indigenous and alternative treatments in a recent column. Since you mentioned you’ve received criticism for this, I felt I should write and ex... more
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,... more
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 Veteri... more
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-chang... more
DEAR DR. FOX: You asked for input from your readers about pets having adverse reactions to insecticides. I used Bravecto on my Lab mix, Chance, several years ago. He began having seizures and would co... more
DEAR DR. FOX: I saw an article about flea treatments causing drastic behavior changes in dogs, and wrote a detailed letter to my dog’s vet about my experience. I would like to hear what you think, as ... more
DEAR READERS: After evaluating veterinary practices in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, the nonprofit Twin Cities Consumers’ Checkbook published some of its findings in the Star Tribune (“Finding the be... more
DEAR READERS: Several mammalian species, including cats, are susceptible to infection by people with COVID-19. A feline lockdown is called for, keeping all cats indoors (except for safe enclosures, ak... more
DEAR DR. FOX: We spend the winter in southern Texas and need something for fleas. Our dog had been taking Simparica, but the last time, he had an adverse reaction: He got kind of catatonic and it took... more
DEAR READERS: A team of Indigenous scientists from the Yukon have published a letter in the prestigious academic journal Science, “arguing that Indigenous principles and knowledge should inform a glob... more
DEAR READERS: Here is some important information about isoxazoline parasiticides (as in Bravecto, Simparica and Nexgard) that are commonly given to dogs. This is a synopsis of the report “Survey of ca... more
DEAR READERS: We are all witness to the tragic loss of lives, personal suffering, and social and economic chaos that have accompanied COVID-19, along with a lack of governmental and personal responsib... more
DEAR DR. FOX: Halloween will soon be here, and every year around this time, I read about black cats being caught and tortured. I know it is irrational, and goes back to the fear of the bubonic plague ... more
DEAR DR. FOX: I have an 18-month-old mini-labradoodle. He was bred for good temperament, and in fact, many dogs from his breeder work as therapy dogs.... more
DEAR READERS: Climate fires are ravaging the drought-afflicted states of Oregon, Washington and California -- like the recent devastating conflagrations in Australia, Siberia, the Amazon and Brazil’s ... more
DEAR READERS: My concern that the coronavirus could be present in the feces of infected humans after they test negative for the virus in respiratory samples has been recently confirmed in the gastroin... more
DEAR DR. FOX: Here in New Jersey, almost everything that had shut down due to the pandemic has been reopened, wholly or in part. But not animal shelters. At the shelters near me, anyone interested in ... more
DEAR DR. FOX: Many thanks for your recent column addressing how cruel TNR is, and offering alternative solutions, which city councilors are always wanting to hear. I forwarded the article to the Anima... more
DEAR DR. FOX: I have a friend who has many feral cats in his backyard. A previous neighbor (who has since moved away) used to feed these cats, leaving a problem for my friend. Being a good Christian, ... more
DEAR READERS: Humans and other animals would very quickly die if all the viruses, bacteria and other microbial organisms were removed from our bodies’ surfaces, mouths and digestive systems. These com... more
DEAR DR. FOX: I would like to thank you for your reply to my questions about our cat, Dusty, crying to go outside all the time. I followed your advice to get another cat. I tried to adopt a young adul... more
DEAR READERS: Analysis of 410 species of birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals found that about 40% of those that are thought to be highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 are considered threatened o... more