DEAR DR.FOX: I’ve got an odd question for you. As I was talking to my housemate, we got into the subject of schizophrenia and dementia. I wondered if all mammals can have such problems. And what about reptiles or birds? -- M.W.F., San Francisco

DEAR M.W.F.: Behavioral changes in animals caused by various factors can produce symptoms that resemble conditions seen in humans. In 1968, I brought together experts from around the world to contribute to the first textbook on the topic, entitled “Abnormal Behavior in Animals.” It served as a catalyst for more research and clinical studies of behavioral problems in animals captive and wild, including any and all mammalian and avian species. Reptiles and amphibians are more difficult to “read,” behaviorally. A more recent text on this topic was edited by veterinarian Franklyn D. McMillan in 2005 -- “Mental Health & Well-Being in Animals” -- again including chapters by experts from around the world.

In summary, many abnormal behaviors seen in humans are virtually identical to those seen in other animals, such as obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCDs, including self-mutilation and repetitive movements like crib-biting in horses), anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, catatonia or seizures -- even with hallucinations. The latter may be interpreted as a form of dementia triggered by some intense, often fear-evoking stimulus, especially when there is no escape. Many dogs developed “air-snapping” behaviors (also called “fly-snapping”) after air raids in England during World War II, and dogs in Pavlov’s Leningrad laboratory, terror-stricken during a flood, remained traumatized long after. These reactions can be interpreted as a form of dementia, mania or OCD, and are often triggered by fear and the inability to escape or hide.

Certainly, many captive species become demented as a consequence of extreme confinement, separation anxiety and boredom, a problem in dogs caged or crated all day in so many homes, as well as in sows on factory farms. Degenerative changes in the brain related to aging, and possibly genetics and nutritional deficiencies, can lead to dementia in humans and other animals; one form of dementia in cats shows virtually identical changes in the brain to those seen in Alzheimer’s disease in humans. Changes in brain function and behavior in humans and other animals have an organic, rather than a psychological/emotional, origin. They can be attributed to various external environmental factors such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, viral and parasitic infections, adverse vaccine reactions and poisoning from mercury and lead.

An organic, biochemical basis for abnormal behavior which may be interpreted as schizoid is seen in some dog breeds with sudden, unpredictable, impulsive aggression, which may be improved by medications and nutraceuticals that increase serotonin levels in the brain.

As more studies are done on abnormal behaviors in animals, I predict there will be a significant change in how non-humans are regarded and treated. For centuries, animals have been treated as though they had neither emotions like ours, nor ways of suffering analogous to our own; we are beginning to learn how wrong those ideas are.

DEAR DR. FOX: Help! Our 20-month-old cockapoo has terrible separation anxiety. We put her in her crate at night downstairs, but when she wakes up (sometimes as early as 3 a.m.), she barks continuously until we let her out. We’ve tried letting her “bark it out,” but that isn’t working. Perhaps we are too impatient.

Obviously, we’ve not taught her well. Any ideas on how to change this behavior? -- J.H., Oak Hill, Virginia

DEAR J.H.: The problem is not that you are being impatient or that you’ve failed to train her properly. The issue is that dogs are pack animals. This means that your dog needs to be with the family and not put in a crate for the night.

Proper crate-training is a gradual process of helping the pup adapt to being in a confined space for a short period, gradually increasing in duration. Treats and toys in the crate often help. The goal is to help the young animal feel that the crate is a rewarding place of security, her den, and not some kind of punishment and deprivation of being with the family.

Try moving the crate into your bedroom, making it like a cozy den, with the crate door open so she can enter and leave as she chooses. She may prefer to sleep on the bed with you, or on your floor in a soft dog bed, if not in the open crate. This is normal behavior for a pack animal. I hope these are feasible options for you and your family.

SAY NO TO TRENDY ‘MUNCHKIN’ CATS

Veterinarians and animal welfare advocates in the U.K. and U.S. are alarmed by the deliberate breeding of cats with unnaturally short legs. So-called “munchkin” cats have a genetic mutation that predisposes the animals to painful osteoarthritis, and some also have spinal malformations and rib abnormalities, says veterinarian Carol Margolis of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.

(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 DrFoxVet.net.)

DEAR DR. FOX: My 5-year-old cat has been diagnosed with stomatitis, and the veterinarian says that he will probably have to have all his teeth taken out. His gums are sore and some of his teeth are getting loose, and the doctor says it is a kind of autoimmune disease where his body is reacting in a way that leads to this condition.

Is there anything I can try to stop it? -- R.K., Washington, D.C.

DEAR R.K.: This degenerative dental disease, called feline caries or feline odontoclastic resorption lesions, is not uncommon in cats and is often coupled with kidney problems in older cats.

The condition may be triggered by periodontal disease, herpes or other chronic viral infection and excess vitamin D in the diet. It causes discomfort, making eating difficult unless a mushy food is provided, and the associated bacterial infection can spread to internal organs.

My advice would be to have your veterinarian try VetzLife’s Feline Oral Care gel for stomatitis, which may help improve your cat’s condition -- and for many cats showing early signs of this condition, actually stop it in its tracks. For more details, visit vetzlife.com.

You can also read my review on this common feline malady, "Feline Stomatitis Complex: Preventing and Treating the Oral Plague of Cats," posted on my website, DrFoxVet.net.

DEAR DR. FOX: A few months ago, a young male cat was in the neighborhood. I would see him at various times for a week or two, and then he would leave. After another few weeks, he would be back.

I have three cats, but this other one seemed to need a home. No one else would take him for various reasons. He is used to being inside, and he is litter box trained.

The only problem is he eats like he is starved. He gobbles his food and, if I let him, everyone else's food before they are finished. He even jumped on the kitchen counter and stole a bite of my breakfast sandwich.

I've had cats before whose previous owners have put them out to fend for themselves. I got one of my older cats this way about 10 years ago, but none of them had this food obsession.

I spend 30 minutes or more making sure he doesn't eat everyone's food before they finish. This is a big problem. Is there any way to change this? -- M.M., Kansas City, Missouri

DEAR M.M.: I appreciate your predicament, which your feeding of this semi-feral cat who roams your neighborhood has created.

His hunger seems to indicate he has no home where he would be fed, and you are the sole source of his sustenance.

If he is not neutered, you are fostering a prime multiplier of ever-more cats in your community. He could also have a communicable disease that could infect your cats and even you.

So call your local animal control agency or animal shelter and ask then to help you get the cat to a veterinarian for blood tests and neutering, since he seems like a very adoptable cat who would adjust well to an indoor life.

The cat's ravenous appetite could be because he is actually starving outdoors, but he could also have tapeworms or other internal parasites that need to be checked for and eliminated with appropriate medication.

MUSIC MIGHT HELP SHELTER DOGS RELAX

A study at a shelter in Scotland found that dogs spend more time lying down and relaxing when music is played, and heart rate measurements suggest dogs' stress levels were lowest when listening to reggae or soft rock. Scottish SPCA officials plan to buy sound systems for shelters that lack them.

(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 DrFoxVet.net.)

DEAR READERS: On Feb. 3, The New York Times reported, the “Agriculture Department has removed animal welfare inspection reports, enforcement records and other information about the treatment of animals from its website, citing privacy and other laws. ... A spokeswoman for USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service would not say if the removal was temporary or permanent in the new Trump administration. The information is used by advocacy groups and other members of the public to look up information on commercial dog and horse breeders, some of whom have had a history of abuse. The reports included lists of animal welfare violations at those facilities and also at animal testing labs, and whether those violations have been corrected.”

This unconscionable action by the Trump administration to protect vested interests, regardless of animal suffering, which parallels the dismembering of the Environmental Protection Agency, is an assault on civil society. It is yet another regrettable affirmation of my book "Inhumane Society: The American Way of Exploiting Animals."

I just signed the petition, “Tell the USDA to stop hiding animal cruelty from American taxpayers.” I think this is important. Will you sign it, too?

Here’s the link: https://goo.gl/F2jhNK.

DEAR DR. FOX: I just got an 8-week-old golden retriever, and I have a couple of questions. I would really like to make his food but am not sure of the following:

-- Should the recipe be changed at all for puppies? I thought large-breed puppies should maybe have a different formula.

-- How often and how much should I feed my puppy?

My sister makes your dog food recipe for her senior lab, and it works great. -- M.B., Miami

DEAR M.B.: After a puppy has been weaned and is eating solid food, I advise giving the pup a variety of different kinds of food with different ingredients. Every three to four days, offer him a different main protein such as eggs, then chicken, then cottage cheese, along with various fruits, vegetables and a small quantity of whole grains such as brown rice, amaranth and quinoa. My home-prepared diet includes this consideration. It is not so much that variety is the spice of life as food variety early in life can help reduce the chances of food allergies and intolerance later in life, possibly by increasing the diversity of beneficial bacteria in the digestive system -- the "microbiome."

I would also advise feeding your dog various manufactured dog foods high in protein that are either frozen or freeze-dried. Your pup should be fed four times daily, essentially giving him as much as he will eat to the point of satiation, then measuring out the approximate amount for each serving, increasing the amount as the pup grows. Weigh the pup every week to be sure there is weight gain. It is important for some breeds such as Labrador pups to eat a lower-calorie diet because of the breed's genetic propensity for obesity and subsequent joint and other related health problems later in life.

After 4 months of age, feed your dog three meals a day, and between 6 months and 1 year -- or when the dog is fully grown, based on his breed -- lower it to two meals daily. Large dogs and those with deep chests should be fed three smaller meals daily and never exercised after eating. Older dogs with poorer digestion do better on three small meals a day or 2 1/2 plus digestive enzymes.

DEAR DR. FOX: I just read the letter about the poodle who sneaks into the carpeted bedroom to urinate.

My rescued border collie mix has had this problem in two different homes. Each time, I solved the issue by feeding her next several meals in the area where she had urinated. Feeding her in that part of the house helped her understand that it was part of her living space and not an area where she could relieve herself.

I highly recommend giving this a try. -- B.K., Takoma Park, Maryland

DEAR B.K.: Your suggestion makes eminent sense to me. Getting into a dog's mind calls for close observation before trying some behavior modification strategy.

Many dogs have the cognitive abilities of a relatively mature human but the emotional intelligence of a 3- to 5-year-old child (with some exceptions with highly attentive and empathetic dogs that surpass many adult humans), and a much more variable verbal comprehension. Also, their motivation and attentiveness can vary greatly. So what may work in modifying the behavior of one dog may not succeed with another.

Especially important is remembering that what we say when we talk to our dogs is not always as important as how we say it -- I call this the emotional tone. Yet it is amazing how dogs do keep attuned to our conversations and can pick up specific words and short sentences. Example: If I use the words “go out” or “ready” in general conversation with other people, our attentive, newly adopted dog Kota jumps up, ready to go for a walk; she has learned that it is walk time when I say, “Kota, are you ready to go out?”

(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 DrFoxVet.net.)