DEAR DR. FOX: Our cat, Squeak, was diagnosed with lung cancer over three months ago. Currently she seems to be resting well, but her breathing has accelerated to over 40 breaths per minute. She still spends most of her day on our bed and roams at night, albeit at a slower pace than she used to. She still gets up and down the stairs for the litter box. Recently, she has started making wheezing noises while breathing and she has coughing fits a few times a day. She does not vomit. We are giving her CBD drops three times a day and she also gets 10 mg Palladia two to three times a week. At this time, she has lived past the expectation of two veterinarians.

Our concern, as we watch her each day, is how will we know when life for her becomes uncomfortable and how can we tell if she is in pain? We want to have her in our lives as long as possible, but we do not want her to suffer just because we are selfish in our needs. -- J. & S.D., Mantoloking, New Jersey

DEAR J. & S.D.: I am saddened to hear about your poor cat's fatal cancer and applaud your recognition of how our selfishness in prolonging the life of a loved one can mean extended suffering.

You will know when the time to consider euthanasia has come if she does not die in her sleep or in your lap. She will barely have enough energy to get up and move around, groom herself and enjoy her favorite foods.

Give her lots of tender loving care, grooming/brushing if she enjoys it, gentle full-body massage and whatever she likes to eat. Some cats with little appetite rally when given meaty or fishy human baby foods. She may want to seek solitude, which many animals do before they die. That can be a problem with indoor-outdoor cats who go out and never return.

DEAR DR. FOX: My 2-year-old Australian Cattle Dog/Australian shepherd mix has an odd thing going on with hiccups. When she is upset, she tends to start hiccuping. I always thought hiccups were an automatic response, but I think she can control them. If she wants something, like going outside at 2 a.m., or for me to play with her, she starts hiccupping if I tell her "no."

If this goes on a few minutes, I will usually stop what I am doing and rub her belly until she stops.

I've never had another dog that did this and I think it is odd -- is it? Or is this something some dogs are known to do? Would it be better if I just ignored her? I've tried ignoring her up to 15 minutes, but she just keeps hiccuping. -- A.C.J., Arcata, California

DEAR A.C.J.: Stress can be the trigger for these kinds of autonomous reactions, hiccups and esophageal spasm being common responses in humans. Also, sneezing and blushing. I rarely hear of such conditioned emotional reactions in dogs and would like to hear from readers who have dogs who may have similar issues.

I surmise that your dog at some time got the hiccups and it became a conditioned emotional response associated with general excitement. You cannot entirely rule out the possibility of you having played a role in reinforcing this behavior in your dog in the past, since this habitual reaction persists even when you ignore her.

Rubbing her tummy and getting her calmed down is what I would advise. Teach her to focus her attention by learning to sit and stay for several minutes. This may help re-balance her autonomic nervous system, which we can do consciously for ourselves by breathing slowly and deeply.

A daily massage, per my book, "The Healing Touch for Dogs," would certainly help. You are already doing some of that by helping her relax under your touch.

Conservationists Fight Plan for Border Wall

The federal government is moving forward with construction of a 6-mile steel and concrete barrier along the Texas-Mexico border that will cut through the middle of the National Butterfly Center, owned by the North American Butterfly Association.

The Center for Biological Diversity and Defenders of Wildlife filed a lawsuit in October against the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Butterfly Center has requested a restraining order, according to a Feb. 13 article on NationalGeographic.com.

This wall project is also interfering with the movements of other wildlife species to reach food and water in their normal range. It should be halted until a full environmental impact assessment and risk determination to endangered species has been conducted.

(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.)

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.)