DEAR READERS: Our rescued cattle dog, Kota, like millions of other dogs, is given regular anti-heartworm medication. But for her own health reasons, she is given no other insecticidal and anti-parasitic drugs, only an as-needed spritz with an herbal insect repellant such as PetzLife’s Herbal Defense.

Many drugs are widely prescribed by veterinarians and sold over the counter to treat and prevent internal and external parasites, from hookworms to fleas and ticks -- which we should rightly fear and seek to prevent, with the rise of tick- and flea-borne diseases accelerating with climate change. But in the process, there are inevitable harmful side effects from such drugs on our pets, as well as environmental contamination and the possibility of drug-resistance evolving rapidly in target species.

These drugs are even more widely used by the livestock and poultry industries, along with antibiotics and other production-enhancing drugs and hormones. These substances are then found in the animals’ excrement, contaminating the environment and killing scatophagous (waste-removing) insects. This disrupts the ecosystem’s various cycles. All such excrement from treated animals should be collected for biodegradation in manure containment or non-leaching landfill facilities.

As for dog poop, it is best disposed of in garden compost pits, where the heat generated kills off harmful organisms, or with household garbage in contained landfills. Many different chemicals and pharmaceutical products are in our dogs’ feces and urine, as well as in our own -- from prescription drugs to food additives to contaminants. These substances render such excretions harmful to the bacteria and other microorganisms that make for healthful soils, and inevitably affect our water quality.

We must all pick up our dogs’ poop for reasons of environmental and public health, and to protect other dogs from parasites they could pick up. When we adopted Kota from the Minnesota Animal Humane Society, she was released to us as a “healthy dog,” but actually had hookworm, whipworm and giardia. So it is advisable to have dogs’ stools checked for parasites on a regular basis to help stop possible transmission to other dogs in the community -- and people, too.

DEAR DR. FOX: Since you recently shared your views about there being a Heaven, and us being with our loved ones, including our pets, in the afterlife, what is your take on the notion of reincarnation? Some religions, including Buddhism, I think, say it is a fact of life. -- R.K., Washington, D.C.

DEAR R.K.: I embrace the core of Buddhism with the belief that the highest and only religion is loving-kindness toward all sentient beings. I devoutly pray for this for my kind, and strive to follow that ideal myself in these challenging times.

Buddhism recognizes our kinship with all life, over which we have no kingship. It embraces the concept of the transmigration of the soul, or spark of consciousness, from one life to the next -- and also from one species to the next. For instance: Be kind to the street dog, because she could have been your mother in a past life, and is a mother in this life to other souls who may become human in the future.

Hinduism also accepts reincarnation as a fact of life, although some believers have used it for sociopolitical purposes to preserve caste systems. Fatalism and predeterminism promote acceptance of one’s position in life, saying that with good conduct, one will reincarnate at a higher level. (This is not to imply that other religious traditions do not also have pernicious and sophisticated ways of maintaining social control.)

URGENT APPEAL FROM THE NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL

A petition from the Nation Resources Defense Council (NRDC) urges readers to call on Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to protect Alaska’s bears, wolves, coyotes and other native predators from being brutally hunted and killed on our public lands. According to the NRDC, the administration is “considering rolling back critical protections that prohibit cruel and aggressive hunting practices in Alaska’s National Preserves.”

If these regulations are repealed, the group says, “it will become legal to:

-- lure grizzly bears and black bears with bait so they can be shot point-blank;

-- use dogs to hunt black bears;

-- kill hibernating black bear mothers and cubs;

-- slaughter wolves and coyotes and their pups during denning season, when the young animals are still dependent on their parents.”

Why? So that the state of Alaska can conduct “predator control” -- a scientifically indefensible method of population control that involves killing off native carnivores to artificially boost populations of deer, moose and other prey animals for hunters to shoot. Predator control is cruel and unethical, and it threatens the natural diversity of Alaska’s fragile ecosystems and wildlife.

Tell Secretary Zinke to reject this misguided plan and uphold protections for Alaska’s iconic wildlife. For more, and to sign the petition, visit nrdc.org.

(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.)

Thanks to the Institute for Responsible Technology, my earlier published concerns over the inclusion of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and pesticides in pet foods have galvanized a very informative short documentary film. In it, several veterinarians express their concerns and evidence-based clinical findings on the subject. Visit petsandgmos.com and click “Videos.”

More than 50 percent of our beloved, loyal and trusting canine companions are likely to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes. A host of their other health problems have been effectively remedied simply by providing them with more healthful foods. As human ailments often mirror pet ailments, they have become our sentinels, like the canaries down in the coal mines -- alerting us to dangers in the environment, especially in the food sources we share.

Genetic susceptibility to cancer and other diseases aside (notably in “purebred” dogs), we humans are primarily responsible. Medical research focuses on early diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other “anthropogenic” diseases, which coincidentally promise great profits for the manufacturers of “cures” -- even involving gene-editing and genetically engineered, cloned farmed animals to produce biopharmaceuticals. But there will be no end to disease until significant efforts are taken by governments and consumers to essentially detoxify our poisoned planet.

We owe no less to other species -- aquatic and terrestrial, plant, animal, insect and microorganism -- as members of the life community who help keep ecosystems and even our own digestive and immune systems healthy. Otherwise, future generations will continue to suffer under increasingly pathogenic conditions that could and should have been prevented by all of us, their predecessors.

One significant step is to be vegan or vegetarian, and eating Certified Organic vegetables, fruits, nuts and cereal rather than continuing as serial killers of predators, “pests” and of billions of animals raised for our consumption.

DEAR DR. FOX: I just read your column about giving melatonin for separation and confinement anxiety issues. We have a 15-pound rat terrier with both these problems. Would melatonin be of any benefit? If so, what would be the correct dosage? -- J.M., Glade Valley, North Carolina

DEAR J.M.: I would give your dog 3 mg of melatonin, both in the morning and before bedtime. A few drops of essential oil of lavender on his bed and on a bandanna around his neck may also help. In addition, while you are away, leave on a radio or TV channel with lots of human talk at a fairly low volume. Give your dog a rubber Kong with some peanut butter or cream cheese inside it, so he will have some enjoyment and distraction when he is alone.

You can also try desensitization by going out for a few minutes and coming back in, repeatedly, at intervals of every hour or so over a weekend. Ignore the dog when you come in, and don’t make your returning a big deal. But give the dog a tiny treat, say freeze-dried chicken, every time you leave, so he associates your leaving with a reward.

ASSESSMENT OF PAIN IN HORSES WITH AND WITHOUT A BIT

I recently posted my concern over the evident suffering of the horses in the royal wedding of Prince Harry, pointing out the metal bits in their mouths. My concerns appeared in the veterinary and public press in the U.K. (as well as stateside). Soon after, veterinarians Drs. W.R. Cook and M. Kibbler published in the journal Equine Veterinary Education an assessment of the effects of having bits in horses’ mouths.

It was found that an average of 23 pain signals were evident from bit-related pain, which negatively affected balance, posture, coordination and movement, as well as inducing “bit lameness.” When bit-free, risk for the riders was minimized by preventing avoidable suffering on the part of the horses.

(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: Thank you sincerely for your column on the disappearance of frogs.

Having lived in South Florida all of my 56 years, I have noticed a developing deficit in the frog and lizard populations -- a fairly recent phenomenon and rapidly accelerating. Growing up in a relatively undeveloped area of West Palm Beach, we had bufos, tree frogs and tadpoles galore, to the degree that we came home from vacation one year to find our pool black with baby frogs.

I remember the mosquito trucks with their flashing yellow lights driving through the streets at dusk, fogging the neighborhood with pesticide, while we kids ran behind them and played in the mist with glee. Nobody stopped us.

The flies disappeared. Wonderful! The fireflies were gone. Who noticed but us kids?

Then the huge bufos who amused us by eating the dog food thinned out. Nobody was paying attention.

Ten years ago, I fashioned a small frog pond in my yard, and I would wake each morning to find two or three fairly large toads lounging in it, or a new crop of tadpoles. Haven’t seen one in almost five years now.

I check my pool for “swimmers” every morning. I used to find at least one every day. Not anymore.

We used to have resident tree frogs growing large around the outer walls and leaving tracks on our windows. (One actually jumped onto my face when I was watering a hanging plant one day. I miss that guy.)

The small lizards have been displaced by a larger species with curly tails that I do not recognize.

My point is that something has gone seriously wrong with our ecological management. I am not a scientist, just an observer of nature. What I am seeing is truly disturbing. -- D.K.C., Tequesta, Florida

DEAR D.K.C.: Yes, all of this is very disturbing and is a consequence of a combination of fear, ignorance and vested interests.

I hammer away as best I can to bring sound science and reason to bear on our relationships with and treatment of all our relations, human and nonhuman. Our disregard for the insect kingdom in particular is part of our undoing, our fall from grace. The domino effect means insectivorous birds, bats, reptiles and other creatures starve to death, and so may we soon, as we lose essential insect pollinators of our food crops while poisoning ourselves with pesticides in the process.

DEAR DR. FOX: My 7-year-old dog has to have her anal glands cleaned out quite often.

She had them done recently and is already sliding across the floor as though she is hurting. Could there be something wrong? -- M.K., St. Louis, Missouri

DEAR M.K.: This common condition in dogs can be aggravated by regular manual squeezing to empty the anal gland sacks. Possible infection, inflammation and even food allergies all need to be considered, as well as cancer developing in one of the glands.

Talk to the attending veterinarian or seek a second opinion, ideally with a holistic veterinary practitioner. To locate one in your area, go to ahvma.org.

U.K. KENNEL CLUB DISCOURAGES BREEDING FOR EXAGGERATED FEATURES

The Crufts Kennel Club warned judges not to award prizes to severely brachycephalic dogs at the club’s March show. Judges have been criticized in the past for awarding prizes to dogs with exaggerated features, including a German shepherd with an abnormally sloped hind end. Let’s hope other countries, including the United States, address this serious ethical and animal rights issue. (The Telegraph, March 7)

ACCEPTING SNUB-NOSED BREEDS FOR TRANSPORT PUT UNITED IN THE HOT SEAT

Eighteen of the 24 animal deaths that occurred on U.S. airlines last year happened on United Airlines flights. While the number seems disproportionate, United not only carried significantly more animals than any other airline, but also accepted flat-nosed, or brachycephalic, breeds that others refuse to transport due to the inherent risk. United has since changed its policies, implementing breed and size restrictions.

TRICLOSAN: A UBIQUITOUS ANTIBACTERIAL HEALTH THREAT

Triclosan (TCS) is a high-volume chemical used as an antimicrobial ingredient in more than 2,000 consumer products, such as toothpaste, cosmetics, kitchenware and children’s toys, as well as dogs’ toys, beds and shampoos. It is also incorporated into plastic pet food bag liners, and in plastic wrapping for meat and poultry, which can finish up in pet foods.

Scientists recently reported that brief exposure to TCS, at relatively low doses, causes low-grade colonic inflammation, increases colitis, and exacerbates colitis-associated colon cancer in mice. (H. Yang and associates, Science Translational Medicine, May 30, 2018) These research findings add yet another concern to what may cause dysbiosis and inflammatory bowel disease in dogs and cats.

This is an accountability call to pet food manufacturers to stipulate to their ingredient providers that all plastic wrappings on discarded meat and poultry parts be removed before processing, and plastic liners of dry pet foods and wrapping of frozen pet foods are TCS-free. Chronic exposure and ingestion of TCS may also contribute to skin and thyroid problems and food allergies.

For more information on this antibiotic, see Pat Thomas’ “The Dawn of the Domestic Superbug” at theecologist.org/2005/jul/01/dawn-domestic-superbug.

(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.)