DEAR DR. FOX: I read with great interest your response to L.I. in St. Louis regarding her dog Louie and his allergies. I was glad that you pointed out the fact that this is terrible suffering for the dog, and that Benadryl and Apoquel are short-term solutions.

I really wish you would have mentioned the side effects for long-term use of Apoquel. I had a Yorkie-poo that suffered for years with itching, chewing his paws and constant ear infections. After going through all of the medicine and treatments recommended by several veterinarians, I discovered that there is an animal dermatologist located right here in the St. Louis area. I only wish that I had found her sooner.

My poor boy suffered for years and, by the time she saw him, he was diabetic; she was concerned that the medicine that she would’ve normally given him would do more harm than good, and the only solution for him was ear canal surgery. If any of the veterinarians I had taken Buddy to for the previous seven years had even mentioned food allergy testing, or referred me to an allergist, he would’ve been saved all of this misery.

While you touch on the fact that there could be several allergens adding to their discomfort, you don’t mention the absolute basic fact that most dogs are allergic to poultry. Although you say that you would do a weekly protein rotation, I believe you should find one and stay with it for a while. After Buddy’s dermatologist said he was allergic to poultry, I was amazed when I started to read the food labels. Even if they market the food as a select protein, the label will probably mention the fact that chicken by-products or broth were used. I should also mention at this point that eliminating allergens is not an overnight miracle, but takes time.

Thank you for all that you do for the animals and the people who love them! -- T.M., Godfrey, Illinois

DEAR T.M.: Your letter will be appreciated by many readers. I do regret that you and your poor dog went through such a long period of suffering and expense, which might have been avoided at the onset by considering your dog’s diet as the first possible cause.

Until relatively recently, veterinarians have been essentially brainwashed by the pet food industry into believing that cat and dog foods are safe, and certainly not the first thing to consider when presented with patients suffering from ear, skin, anal gland, bowel and other health problems. It has even reached the point of absurdity where special costly (and highly profitable) prescription diets are given to such patients, often leading to a round of other “nutrigenic” health problems. For documentation, see the book “Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Cat and Dog Food,” which I co-authored with two other veterinarians.

Food intolerance and allergies in dogs can involve dairy products, beef, eggs and soy; in cats, it can be fish and even rice. With discoveries about nutrition in relation to genetics, what the mother ate during pregnancy and the influence of the gut “microbiome” of good bacteria on health and behavior, the science of nutrition is advancing significantly from a decade or two ago. This is against the background of food and beverage industry byproducts and ingredients not considered fit for human consumption that have been recycled into “scientifically formulated and fortified” pet foods.

I was one of the first to advocate human-grade quality ingredients, and even making home-prepared, biologically appropriate diets for cats and dogs. I began this advocacy decades ago, in spite of opposition from the pet food industry and many veterinarians -- who are now fewer in number, since they have come to realize that good nutrition is the best and first medicine.

CLEANING UP: FOR PETS’ SAKES AND YOURS

We are the only animal, to my knowledge, that fouls its own nest, wittingly and unwittingly. While we may not be able to clean up the Earth significantly over the next few generations, we can at least start in our own homes and kitchens. Household dust contains allergenic, carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, especially from fire-retardant and stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, along with various household cleaners and other manufactured chemicals. So vacuum well weekly, and avoid using cleaning and disinfecting agents that are not organic/natural/herbal products. Vinegar, lemon juice and other citrus extracts and baking soda are safe and effective.

If you are using chlorinated and fluoridated municipal tap water, use a good-quality water filter (see zerowater.com) such as reverse ionization or other systems. And check out the report “Pure Water for Cats, Dogs and All” on my website (drfoxvet.net). Much public and well water sources, and even the rain, are contaminated with agrichemical and other industrial pollutants, and even hormones and other drugs discharged from our own bodies and from livestock, many of which can damage cellular DNA that may lead to cancer and other diseases.

(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: I just read about the grandfather whose husky rescue, in the family home, began to bark at him after being in the household three months. Although I suspect you are correct with a PTSD diagnosis, I wonder if something could have changed in the gentleman’s health. Our Labrador retriever became very worried just before my husband was diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Hank is an elderly dog now, but eight years ago, he was an exuberant, rowdy clown. For the period shortly before my husband’s diagnosis, however, Hank was subdued, depressed, restless and worried. He did not bark at my husband, as the dog in your column did. He seemed to be looking to us for assurance. Labradors can have an exceptional sense of smell, and I thought perhaps my husband just didn’t smell right to Hank.

My husband did survive, and is now eight years past cancer surgery and doing well. -- N.J.S., Applegate, Oregon

DEAR N.J.S.: Your letter is very much appreciated. In my opinion, any behavioral change in a dog toward one family member, whose attitude and relationship with the dog have not changed, calls for close attention.

A first step would be to have a veterinarian rule out any underlying medical problem in the dog. Then have the person the dog seems so concerned about consult with a physician. Dogs have a highly evolved sense of smell, and some can detect early changes in body chemistry and scent, which can be associated with a variety of health problems.

My wife and I recently joined the millions of others who have been infected with this year’s particularly debilitating influenza virus. Our part-Australian heeler rescue, Kota, stays close to us all the time in bed, keeping a watchful eye on us as we groan and cough, and herding us back to lie down after we’ve gotten up. The empathy of dogs is legendary indeed, and they are certainly blessings in our lives.

SAFER CHEWS FOR DOGS

News item: Hunters say dog chew trend invites antler thefts

The growing popularity of antlers as chew snacks for dogs has fueled a brisk market, but has also led to reported thievery. Police don’t have precise figures, but hunters in Anchorage, Alaska, say they suspect criminals are swiping souvenirs for resale to pet owners seeking the nutritious product. -- Alaska Public Media, Jan. 4

This news item reminds me to advise dog owners not to give such hard materials to their dogs to chew on, because the harder the material, the more likely a dog will crack or fracture a tooth. This is a painful and costly consequence. Avoid all the smoked and otherwise treated animal parts in pet stores that could be loaded with potentially harmful bacteria. Only buy dog chews that do not feel rock-hard and that are clearly manufactured in the U.S., such as rawhide strips, freeze-dried chicken strips for small dogs and PetzLife’s Complete Treats.

Dogs do love to chew bones, but monitor them closely. Try a raw beef shank bone, scalded or microwaved for two minutes to sanitize, and allow your dog to chew on it for only five to 10 minutes a day. Otherwise, there could be excessive tooth wear and damage. This is the only animal bone I recommend, since other kinds could splinter and cause internal damage -- even more so when cooked, poultry and pork ribs in particular.

Our dog enjoys chewing and stripping broken branches from our linden trees, but again, one must monitor such activities. I advise against dogs chasing and catching thrown sticks that could become impaled in their throats; rubber toys and Frisbees are safer.

(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: It’s common knowledge to anyone who has had a pet dog that they dream just like we humans do. They’ll be asleep on the floor, with their legs twitching and their mouths moving as if barking.

But I’ve never witnessed this in any pet cats that I’ve had. Do cats dream? I hope you can enlighten me. -- E.J.S., Dover Plains, New York

DEAR E.J.S.: Your question comes up on occasion in my column. Cats do indeed dream, entering the same rapid eye movement (REM) stage as humans and other animals. They exhibit the same low-amplitude, fast-frequency electrical brain activity seen in humans who, when awakened at that time, usually recall having been dreaming. Some people claim to never have dreams, good or bad, most probably because they never wake up in the middle of (or just after) a REM episode.

My wife, Deanna Krantz, and I can attest to the fact that cats and dogs do probably have the equivalent of nightmares. Regarding our recently rescued dogs, we would often hear them yelping and even howling terribly in their sleep, no doubt reliving past traumatic events. The same was true for one of our cats, whom we rescued as a survivor of several Minnesota winters. For his first two years with us, he would cry out in his sleep on many nights, and we would gently comfort him. This particular cat would “talk” for some time before going to sleep curled beside Deanna’s head and emit an extraordinary range of sounds, from coos and purrs to sighs and whispers.

One note: Always be cautious awakening any animal having a nightmare because the initial arousal reaction could be to bite or scratch out of terror.

Another rescued cat, who was semi-starved when we trapped him in midwinter, will do very tiny paw, ear and whisker twitches and flutters in his sleep, and sometimes make sucking sounds and knead with his paws as though nursing.

But cats generally show less physical activity than dogs when they are dreaming. They seem to have a different sleep pattern from dogs, enjoying frequent “cat naps,” from which they can awaken immediately, whereas awakening from a deeper dreaming state can be associated with an initial disorientation until full wakefulness is regained.

In general, let sleeping dogs and cats lie. And observe closely, especially when the old arthritic dog is woofing and wagging his tail and running like a puppy in his dreams, and the old cat is twitching his whiskers and flicking his tail at mice to catch.

DEAR DR. FOX: There is an internet controversy about whether or cats are allergic to essential oils diffused into the air. Can you please give me a factual answer? -- M.A.P., Washington, D.C.

DEAR M.A.P.: I have been a longtime user and advocate of essential oils for humans and other animals, with caution for cats because they lack an enzyme in the liver to detoxify some elements of the oils.

Generally, water-based extracts called hydrosols are considered safer than the concentrated oils for cats. But in small amounts and under veterinary supervision, oils are safe and effective for some oral diseases and for respiratory conditions, provided they are given via an aerosol evaporative diffuser. Allergic reactions to any biologically active substance is possible for any species, so the precautionary principle should be applied.

In the February/March 2018 edition of Animal Wellness Magazine, veterinarian Dr. Melissa Shelton helps dispel the widely held view that essential oils should never be used on cats in her article “Cats & Essential Oils: Unraveling the Controversy.” She asserts that the oils must be based on formulas created, tested and clinically evaluated by a veterinarian, because many on the market contain contaminants and adulterants that could be harmful to cats. She offers the website animalEO.info as one informative resource.

Hopefully, more studies will be conducted on these lifesaving and health-improving botanical products -- gifts indeed from the plant kingdom, which has yet to receive the respect and gratitude of our species.

ORANGUTAN OBSERVED SELF-MEDICATING

Researchers filmed an orangutan in Borneo’s Sabangau Forest chewing Dracaena cantleyi leaves, then rubbing the resulting lather on her body to ease joint and muscle inflammation. Indigenous people use the plant for the same purpose, and a chemical analysis showed that extracts from the leaves inhibit inflammatory cytokines. -- The Independent, Jan. 12

(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.)