DEAR DR. FOX: I find it curious that pet owners seem to fixate on proper diet, supplements and socialization for their pets, but rarely mention how much exercise they need. I believe the key to long-term health is EXERCISE!

Walking a dog on a leash is how most people exercise their dogs. But for how long? I'd say the majority of folks walk just long enough to get their dogs to defecate. Many dogs do not get the chance to sniff and mark, which is a natural habit, as is running free.

I am fortunate to live in a neighborhood where my dog can be off-leash (yet under control) for a while. She can run and explore and move freely. Eventually, I put on the leash. The point is, she seems a lot more vital at 12 1/2 years old than other dogs half her age. She maintains her weight and has a happy attitude.

While quality food is important, exercise is equally key to a healthy and happy life. Simply training a dog to retrieve a ball or play "chase" is a fun and easy way to provide the exercise they require and let them blow off a little steam.

My two cents! -- B.G., Hendersonville, North Carolina

DEAR B.G.: You are absolutely correct.

I have long advocated this in my column and posted recent clinical studies that indicate that physical activity helps maintain good bowel health, especially in small dogs who are confined much of the day. It may help protect them from inflammatory bowel disease and other issues such as impacted anal glands.

A sedentary existence is not good for anyone or any dog. One solution is to hire a dog walker for those who cannot get out regularly with their dogs. Another step is to push for local off-leash dog parks or large outdoor enclosures, at least. I see so much public space where I live dedicated to children exclusively, with all kinds of plastic structures, slides and swings. But these playgrounds are rarely used. Why not dedicate some of that space to dogs?

Several dog owners who are relatively confined with their dogs sing the praises of doggy treadmills, details of which I will be posting soon in my column.

The new book, "Unleashing Your Dog: A Field Guide to Giving Your Canine Companion the Best Life Possible," by my former student Dr. Marc Bekoff and bioethicist Jessica Pierce, is a good guide for all caring people who share their lives with dogs.

DEAR DR. FOX: My friend has a senior Cavalier King Charles dog that's overweight and is suffering from arthritis. Do you think laser would be beneficial to poor Oliver? -- K.S., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR K.S.: If your veterinarian can provide laser therapy for your friend's dog, I would certainly advocate such treatment.

In addition, I would give the dog anti-inflammatory supplements in his food every day – namely, one-quarter of a teaspoon each of powdered turmeric and ginger, and a few drops of fish oil. My home-prepared recipe, if your friend is up for home cooking, could help take care of the overweight issue, especially if the dog is eating high starch/grain kibble. The recipe is posted on my new website, www.DrFoxOneHealth.com

Horses Disguised as Zebras Baffle Flies

Fewer flies landed on horses after researchers put zebra-striped cloth coats on them, suggesting that zebras' stripes protect them from insects and insect-borne diseases.

Horse flies fail to decelerate properly when trying to land on zebras (or horses disguised as zebras) and fly past them or bounce off of them, according to a Feb. 20 article on DiscoverMagazine.com.

This is indeed a fascinating observation. Scientists also think the stripes help the zebras when they are moving quickly to avoid predators, who may have difficulty judging distance because the stripes on a moving body interfere with their depth perception.

(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 DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

On Jan. 9, a federal judge struck down an Iowa law that makes it illegal to work at a livestock farm or puppy mill in order to conduct an undercover animal cruelty investigation.

U.S. District Court Judge James Gritzner ruled against the so-called "ag-gag" law, which Iowa lawmakers approved in 2012 to stop organizations from doing animal abuse investigations. The law threatened up to a year in jail to those who conducted an undercover operation.

In his decision, Gritzner stated that the Iowa law violated the constitutional right to free speech. Iowa's attorney general has filed a motion opposing the federal ruling.

“Ag-gag laws are a pernicious attempt by animal exploitation industries to hide some of the worst forms of animal abuse in the United States,” Animal Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Stephen Wells said in a prepared statement.

Federal courts have struck down similar laws in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. Litigation is ongoing in North Carolina.

DEAR DR. FOX: My niece has an 8-year-old female cat named Cleo whom she adopted about six years ago from a shelter. Cleo was spayed but had a litter of kittens as a stray before she was brought to the shelter.

About two years ago at her annual checkup, the vet said Cleo had some lumps on her belly that were mammary cancer. She said that was common in female cats who have had a litter. It had not spread, so the vet did surgery, which I thought was pretty extensive. Anyway, we took Cleo for a follow-up X-ray six months after and she was clear. At her July 2018 annual exam, there were no bumps on her belly.

Last week, my niece felt a bump on Cleo and brought her in. They did an X-ray, and it's mammary cancer again but has not spread. Her blood work is OK. We have her scheduled for another surgery, but I worry about her age and anesthesia, and these two big surgeries in two years.

I wanted to know your feelings about it. It’s probably more torture for us after she has the surgery, seeing her like that and with a cone on her head. I worry that we are putting her through too much. I pay the vet bills, so hence I am writing to you. I talked to the vet myself, and she said this was the only option. The vet did say last time there was a 66 percent chance of the cancer returning, and it did. Cleo is a beloved family cat.

Thank you for any advice or thoughts. -- J.S., Naples, Florida

DEAR J.S.: I appreciate your concern and financial support for your niece’s cat. Both are fortunate.

Eight years is not very old for a cat, but some may be compromised as strays, along with all the trauma of survival and having a litter of kittens. With modern anesthetics and pre- and post-surgical care, competent veterinarians can perform small surgical miracles every day, so I would not delay a second surgery.

(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.)

The ever-increasing cost of pharmaceuticals in the United States for both humans and companion animals is a top political issue that has yet to be remedied.

Even worse is the reported flagrant disregard for public health by Zoetis Inc., the world's largest producer of medicine and vaccinations for pets and livestock. The company was once a subsidiary of Pfizer, the world's largest drug maker, but with Pfizer's spinoff of its stake in the firm, Zoetis is now an independent company. Zoetis sells products in more than 100 countries, and its operations outside the U.S. account for 50 percent of its total revenue.

Zoetis has agreed to stop promoting and selling antibiotics in animals’ feed in the U.S., but continues to promote and sell in India and other countries where this practice is not yet illegal. This non-medical use of antibiotics aims to help farmed animals grow faster, a practice now banned in the U.S. and European Union because of documented concerns over antibiotic resistance in bacteria that can harm people.

This puts the entire world community at risk at a time when life-saving antibiotics are becoming increasingly ineffective, due in large part to this profit-driven misuse by livestock and poultry producers, according to a Feb. 13 article in The Telegraph.

DEAR DR. FOX: I am writing about the piece you had in your paper on Nov. 18 by L.S. in Naples, Florida, regarding their dog, Jazzie. When I read this, I was brought to tears.

Remembering my own Chihuahua, Lexy, I think she understood every word that was ever said to her. She had a personality just like a person.

She understood when I didn’t feel well, and when I was ready to pitch a ball and have some fun. She brought so much joy to my life. I knew I would miss her when she was not around anymore, but I didn’t know it would be this hard.

She was my little angel and losing her is like losing a human family member. I will always remember my beautiful Lexy. -- D.T., Pilot Mountain, North Carolina

DEAR D.T.: I am publishing your tribute to your dog, Lexy -- who gave you the joy of unconditional love, the love of absolute trust and devotion -- in part because you are currently in Stokes County Jail in North Carolina. I wonder why you are incarcerated, but I never ask out of respect for your privacy, along with many others who write to me about animals and related issues from their jail cells and to whom I always reply.

Is there any community involvement available, such as fostering homeless dogs and cats and other often neglected animals? Some prisons have programs linked with a local animal shelter to foster and train dogs. Perhaps you have one you can join, or you can start one up in memory of Lexy, the dog who gave you the love you needed and who opened you to love.

I want to share with you this poem I wrote a few years ago:

DOGS TO ME

As an infant, I found every dog

a source of wonder and delight;

responsive presence, a joy

to touch and eye to eye engage.

As a boy, they were my best of friends,

more trustworthy than my peers,

incapable of betrayal:

more caring, playful and aware.

To this dog-grown man, every dog

is an open book to an open mind;

an open mind to an open heart;

a kindred spirit in canine form.

(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.)