DEAR READERS: The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19 was a ritual of colorful, traditional pageantry -- but marred for me because of the use of bits in the horses’ mouths. Several were tossing their heads, mouthing and chomping and drooling in obvious oral discomfort. While traditions die hard, especially in equine circles, let’s hope that this couple will extend their compassion to break the circle of anthropocentrism and help ensure the humane treatment of all creatures great and small.

A British veterinary colleague has long established the inhumanity of the snaffle-bit, and has developed a widely used bitless bridle for horses. For details, see W.R. Cook’s “Pathophysiology of Bit Control in the Horse” in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science: bitlessbridle.com/pathophysiology.

Time for the royal horse brigade to get with the times and put animal welfare before blind tradition.

DEAR DR. FOX: I read your call for information from dog owners whose dogs have had coprophagia.

Our now 11-year-old female Yorkie, Amy, exhibited this behavior from day one, when we brought her home at 7 months old. She consistently ate her own and other dogs’ feces. The supplements we fed to help prevent it did not work.

It only stopped when I started feeding her a variation of your homemade dog food recipe, using only organic ingredients and mixing with organic, grain-free kibble. Until then, she was fed various combinations of Science Diet (cans and kibble) and canned organic food. The dietary change was implemented about 1 1/2 years ago, when she started to refuse all her previous foods and then became deathly ill (the vet could never pinpoint the cause of the illness).

As a side benefit, it seems the new diet has eliminated the need to dose Amy with estrogen to prevent urinary incontinence, a lifelong problem, as well. Another seeming benefit: She is ill less often, and, when she is off (usually diarrhea), we are able treat her at home. -- M.W., Naples, Florida

DEAR M.W.: Many readers will appreciate what you have written about your dog’s issue with coprophagia, which does fit into the category of possible nutritional deficiency or digestive issues with the manufactured foods you were providing to your dog.

I have had countless letters confirming the multiple health benefits (and veterinary-care savings) of providing dogs with wholesome nutrition, as per the recipe posted on my website and others in the book I co-authored with two other veterinarians, “Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Cat & Dog Food.”

What Hippocrates said about the benefits of good nutrition -- namely, “Let food be thy medicine” -- can be applied to dogs, cats and other animals as well, not just humans. Certainly this is our best preventive medicine. And with the rising cost of prescription drugs under the corrupted economy of America’s health care system, consumers are waking up to the dystopian reality of obesogenic diets and manufactured junk foods and sodas. Indeed, we are what we eat, and many of our diet-related health problems are being seen in our dogs and cats.

AVMA OFFERS GUIDANCE ON DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Does your family’s emergency plan include your animals? Planning and preparation are critical when it comes to protecting the health of your family, pets and livestock. The “Saving the Whole Family” booklet from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) includes detailed information on assembling emergency kits and plans for a wide variety of animal species. The booklet can be ordered in packets of 25 or downloaded for free as a PDF from the AVMA’s website.

Being disaster-prepared is wise in these times of what many experts consider irreversible climate change.

WOLF-DOG HYBRIDS ARE NOT FOR YOU OR ANYONE

I have urged people for decades now to stop breeding and purchasing wolf-dog hybrids. Now the issue is in the news again.

Colorado Public Radio recently covered the Mission: Wolf sanctuary in Colorado, which has been taking in abandoned wolf-dog hybrids since 1986 and serves as a public education resource. Most wolf-dogs are euthanized before they turn 3 years old as they grow from playful puppies to adults with a wild side, says sanctuary co-founder Kent Weber, and animal shelters cannot take in and rehome half-wild animals. (Colorado Public Radio, May 1)

(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 would like to talk about my dog Riley, and the fatty tumor on her back leg. She is old and fat, and has many fatty tumors on her.

One tumor was hanging from her back leg and looked like it was going to come off. She had been licking it like it was bothering her, then she bit it and it won’t stop bleeding. We put a cone on her so she won’t bite it or lick it anymore, and we put some stuff on it so if she does bite it, she will get a bitter taste.

She is 15 years old and if she goes into surgery, she won’t make it. It’s just hard because we don’t know what to do, and she is losing so much blood. The vet can’t do anything, either, without her dying. I really need your help. -- E.M., Chicago

DEAR E.M.: This is an emergency, and you need to take the risk with a competent veterinary anesthesiologist and soft-tissue surgeon to get this tumor removed. Along with the cone around her neck, this tumor is diminishing her quality of life with chronic discomfort.

I will not berate you for waiting too long to have this and other growths removed when your dog was younger and less of a surgical/anesthetic risk. Close relatives of ours kept putting it off with their dog, whose fatty tumor on the flank reached 6 pounds (the dog weighed 35 pounds). The dog was 12 years old, and considered by one veterinarian to be too old for surgery. But after a second opinion and a good surgical team, the growth was removed and the dog enjoyed a full recovery and freedom of movement for another five good years!

E.M. REPLIES: We just took her to the vet and they said that the tumor is cancerous. If she can’t walk anymore, then we have to put her down. Today she could barely get up, and her tumor won’t stop bleeding. We are taking her to the vet again today, but I think it’s time.

DEAR E.M.: My sympathies go out to you and all. This is always a difficult decision, which might have been made earlier if a biopsy on this apparently malignant growth had been conducted.

Recent surveys indicate than 50 percent of dogs aged 10 and over will develop cancer sometime in their lives. This is a sad reflection of what we have done, and continue to do, to ourselves and our loved ones, human and nonhuman, as we poison the planet more and more.

FRENCH BULLDOGS PRONE TO MULTIPLE DISEASES, VETERINARIANS SAY

French bulldogs are especially prone to skin-fold dermatitis, brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, ear infections, diarrhea and conjunctivitis, according to a study published in Canine Genetics and Epidemiology.

The breed is rapidly becoming one of the most popular in the U.K., giving rise to irresponsible breeding and smuggling, as well as high veterinary costs to treat the issues associated with the breed’s characteristic morphology, said lead author and veterinary epidemiologist Dan O’Neill. (The Telegraph, London, May 3)

They are also rocketing in popularity in the U.S. and other consumer-driven countries, where people’s disposable incomes continue to be misspent and contribute to animal suffering. For dog’s sake, go out and adopt one from your local shelter.

(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: We have a 2-year-old male cat. This past winter, he had a severe reaction to his rabies vaccine.

Within a few hours of receiving the vaccine, he became lethargic and began vomiting blood. We took him to an emergency vet clinic, where he was given IV antibiotics and antihistamine overnight. As you can imagine, this was a scary and expensive event. We asked what could be done to prevent such a reoccurrence, and we were told to give him Benadryl the next time he gets his rabies vaccine.

Considering the severity of the reaction, we are concerned that just a dose of Benadryl will not be sufficient. He is an indoor-only cat who never even steps foot outside. While the possibility of contracting rabies seems to be nearly zero, the risk of serious consequences from the vaccine are already known to be 100 percent.

We know that the rabies vaccine is required, but can an exception be made in this case? If not, is there an alternative vaccine? We cannot go through the heartache or the expense again. -- K.C., O’Fallon, Missouri

DEAR K.C.: How very distressing for your poor cat, and for you.

I cannot advise you not to follow the law regarding regular anti-rabies vaccinations, but you need to find out what kind of vaccine was given. There are different kinds, some possibly safer than others. I do know that many people with always-indoor cats avoid giving them certain vaccinations, but this could be a problem if the cat needs to be boarded or taken to the vet for some health issue or regular check-up.

I have contacted Dr. W. Jean Dodds, a veterinarian who is an expert in this (and other) fields, who may have some insights to help you and your cat through this problem. She wrote:

“Sorry that this happened to your cat, but he should NOT receive any more rabies vaccines for his own safety -- which, in our view, with our Hippocratic Oath as veterinarians, supersedes local and state regulations where there is literally zero risk.

“Giving an antihistamine, like Benadryl, will not ameliorate this type of hypersensitivity reaction. The veterinarian who witnessed the reaction and/or the ER that treated him could give you a written exemption from future rabies boosters. As an indoor cat, he will not be exposed to rabies. So, you can just keep him indoors and don’t license him with your community.” -- W.J.D., DVM, Hemopet, Santa Monica, California

DEAR DR. FOX: Our 8-month-old shiba inu female occasionally trembles.

The first time she did this, at 6 months, we thought she might have eaten a plant leaf, so we rushed her to the vet. She was put on meds, as well as a controlled diet. The trembling stopped after 12 hours. In three days, it appeared the meds were a problem, so the vet ended them.

Since that time, she seems to have fits of trembling lasting from 15 minutes to an hour, occurring at random times of the day, about twice a month for the past two months. During that time, she pants and seeks comfort; particularly afterward, she wants to be held.

Checking online, we see that this is a common ailment for shiba inus and wonder if a cause and possible cure have been established. Our vet has not been able to uncover any relevant information. We have never owned this breed before and have no point of reference.

It is hard to watch her tremble without being able to help. I do give her yogurt following an episode. Although we monitor her diet with a grain she likes, yogurt seemed to be the only thing that was useful when we thought the reason for the trembling might be plant poisoning.

Do you know what causes this, and do you have any recommendations as to how we can control it? -- L.H., Belmar, New Jersey

DEAR L.H.: I am sorry to hear about your dog’s distressing neurological condition, but there is a possible treatment -- even though the exact cause (and therefore prevention) have not yet been determined.

Your dog probably fits the condition of full-body tremors called “shaker dog syndrome,” also known as “white dog shaker syndrome” and “idiopathic steroid responsive shaker syndrome.”

This is most often seen in small dog breeds and is also seen in cats. It is most common in West Highland white terriers, Maltese, Bichons and poodles. The disease has a sudden onset at 1 to 2 years of age, and is worsened by stress. Symptoms can include nystagmus (eyes moving rapidly from side to side), difficulty walking and seizures. It must be distinguished from other conditions that can cause neurological problems, especially low blood sugar in small breeds.

The cause is unknown, but it may be immune system-related. Treatment with corticosteroids (prednisolone) may help, and a low dose of Valium may help alleviate anxiety and associated neuromuscular tension. Also ask your vet about trying a prescription for gabapentin.

With treatment, symptoms usually resolve within a week, although lifelong treatment may be necessary. Avoid getting your dog into over-stimulating situations until the medication improves things.

AIRLINE UPDATES PET TRANSPORT POLICY

United Airlines will resume accepting dogs and cats for transport as cargo, but will not accept some snub-nosed and strong-jawed breeds and will not transport any animals through airports in Las Vegas; Palm Springs, California; Phoenix; or Tucson, Arizona, from May to September. (Chicago Tribune, May 1)

In my opinion, all airlines should adopt these policies, especially with “snub-nosed” (brachycephalic) dogs and cats who are very much at risk -- especially when transit-associated fear triggers hyperventilation. This could cause swelling of the tissues in the throat and death by suffocation.

(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.)