DEAR READERS: Dry food is dangerous for cats. Too many people assume that if it’s for sale, it must be good for their pets. Ditching dry cat food may be the most important decision a person can make for their cat. For details, visit: feline-nutrition.org/health/species-inappropriate-the-dangers-of-dry-food. Please share this article, and help change what cats are fed.

Dogs can also be harmed on an all-kibble diet, which can lead to obesity, endocrine and inflammatory conditions, and other chronic health problems that reduce longevity and quality of life. They also increase veterinary expenses for various “nutrigenic” diseases.

DEAR DR. FOX: Thank you for your article about vaccinations that appeared in the Asbury Park Press recently.

In 2016, my dog Reilly had a rabies shot; seven days later, he was hospitalized. Well, now 2019 comes along. I had him vaccinated, and he is in the hospital again. The doctor said it was not from the vaccination.

I was up for three nights; my dog would not eat, and he drank very little. I took him to the vet and they gave him some liquid under his skin. That did not work, so instead of paying $1,600 for a one-night stay at an animal hospital, the vet said he can do it at his office overnight for half that.

It was 2 o’clock in the morning, and I was reading your article -- it confirmed I was not crazy. I wish you lived near me to help Reilly. You are so open-minded when it comes to proof.

Thank you again, and I hope my dog makes it this time. -- P.F., Asbury Park, New Jersey

DEAR P.F.: Your experience is all too common. I regret that some of my veterinary colleagues still have a cavalier attitude toward routine vaccinations, much like many members of the medical profession.

The evident denial by your veterinarian of any association with your dog’s sudden malaise and being given the anti-rabies vaccination, which should have been reported to the manufacturers and the FDA, is ethically unacceptable.

Visit ahvma.org to find a holistic veterinary practitioner in your area, who is likely more informed and willing to write a waiver for future anti-rabies vaccinations on the grounds of adverse reactions in your dog.

OWNERS’ CHRONIC STRESS MAY BE CONTAGIOUS TO DOGS

Dogs belonging to people with high levels of the stress hormone cortisol also have high levels of cortisol, suggesting that dogs become chronically anxious in response to their owners’ anxiety.

The study, published in Scientific Reports, did not find that anxious dogs create chronic stress in their owners, nor did the study authors suggest that chronically stressed people avoid adopting a dog. (The Associated Press, 6/6; National Geographic online, 6/6)

(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.)

Organizations like Ducks Unlimited have helped protect wetlands from agricultural and other encroachments and pollution. But an initiative in South Dakota is a throwback to the times when some species, like wolves and cougars, were exterminated -- not just to protect livestock, but so deer and elk hunters could have all the game for themselves.

Times are changing, not because of some people’s sentiment for such predators, but because without them, we have ecological dysbiosis: unhealthy ecosystems, as well as less healthy deer and elk herds.

One example of the elimination of perceived competition for hunters comes from South Dakota, which in April set a bounty on target species. The state is giving $10 to trappers for every raccoon, striped skunk, badger, opossum or red fox they kill, because these predators raid the nests of waterfowl and upland game birds.

Shame on South Dakota and the mini-minds who “manage” the state’s natural resources and wildlife. Reducing these species will increase the numbers of others, including mice and other small rodents that are the primary reservoirs for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. So Mother Nature puts a pox on us all!

DEAR DR. FOX: Congratulations on your article in our local newspaper. It is the most balanced mention of vaccines in this paper in at least two years.

I have spoken to no less an authority than Dr. Tom Coburn, former U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, about his concerns with the MMR vaccine. I have urged reporters to interview him, but they refuse. His first-hand experience doesn’t fit the Pharma/CDC narrative.

Your column is a dose of rational skepticism. Glad to see it! -- S.P., Tulsa, Oklahoma

DEAR S.P.: I appreciate your letter. Reason and sound science take second place these days to vested interests, and the wave of anti-science and disinformation are major civil society concerns.

I was raising questions about companion animal vaccinations in my columns 20 years ago, especially over the annual “boosters” touted by many veterinarians who believed they were safe. Some local veterinary associations then sought to have newspapers drop my column. But since that time, the veterinary profession has progressed significantly in this regard, to a degree I would consider far greater than the human medical profession has. I have never been an anti-vaccine advocate, but to question their safety and effectiveness can trigger the wrath of the medical establishment. I like to say that I have taken the middle road on vaccination concerns over the years, and have been, on occasion, hit by traffic going both ways!

DEAR DR. FOX: Sadly, we are expected to mow lawns in our neighborhood.

We comply, but we refuse to use chemicals, and we allow whatever wants to grow to have its way. In addition, we keep the blade high, to avoid cutting a good many clover flowers and such, and tend to have the shaggiest lawn in the neighborhood.

We have four varieties of clover, a couple of sorrels, buttercups, wild chives, violets and other low-growing blossoms. Everything is natural in our flower garden. We have plenty of bugs, including ladybird beetles and praying mantises. The fence behind the house harbors wild raspberries and other flowering bee treats. It’s kinda like suburban civil disobedience.

Birds and squirrels abound. No need to put out seed. Plenty of goodies in Nature’s grocery! But we are very concerned that honeybees have not put in an appearance. We are not allowed to keep bees, but if they want to take up residence, we won’t bother them, unless a serious beekeeper has a better place for them.

Maybe the rest of the neighborhood will discover the wonders of a wild lawn. We’ll keep the red carpet out for honeybees! Bless you all! -- S.M., Plymouth, Indiana

DEAR S.M.: Many readers will applaud your initiative and, hopefully, follow your “suburban civil disobedience.” If you poison insects in your yard or garden, you will also poison the native birds that eat those insects, including American robins, warblers, swallows, nighthawks, hummingbirds and hundreds of other species. Unfortunately, the adult birds feed the contaminated insects they find to their youngsters in the nest, and the entire family dies. Other insectivores, such as reptiles and amphibians, will also be poisoned -- or, along with the birds, die from starvation because insects are so few.

Local municipal and community ordinances concerning lawn care and maintenance need to be changed, not only for the bees and other insects, most of whom are beneficial, but also to help purify the rain and ultimately our drinking water. Certainly, the chemical fertilizer and pesticide contamination is greatest from industrial agriculture, but residential and corporate property owners, even if operating within the law, should be ridiculed for having “perfect” lawns.

(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 have two miniature dachshunds and a little Chihuahua.

Petie is my eldest: 16 years old with a heart murmur, and I fear that I may have to put him down in the not-too-distant future. I had thought that when that sad time came, I would hold him in my arms when the doctor gave him the injection, and that the other two dogs would be there too, as the three are tightly bonded. I don’t want them to wonder if Petie deserted them. I’m certain that they will recognize he has passed.

But I read in an article recently that when a dog is put down, it badly distresses other dogs who witness the death. Is that true? If so, I don’t want to put them through any more pain then necessary, as they will grieve when he is gone, anyway.

What would you recommend? Just taking him myself, or allowing his buddies to be there, too? I also informed my family that when I pass, I want my doggies to smell my body, as I understand that they can smell death and they will understand that I didn’t desert them.

All my dogs are (and any future dogs will be) rescues, and they have gone through enough emotional pain. Please advise me. -- G.B., Owasso, Oklahoma

DEAR G.B.: I sympathize with what you and your dogs have to go through, and applaud your concern for them.

In-home euthanasia with an experienced veterinarian is the best option. The dogs will react to a stranger in the home, so it may be preferable to put them in another room, ideally with someone whom they know and trust, so that Petie is not upset by their reaction.

The attending animal doctor may bring an assistant, since the dog must be properly held and restrained for the intravenous injection of the euthanasia solution. Many veterinarians will give an injection of tranquilizer first, to make the dog comfortable and to make it easier to inject the subsequent solution into the vein.

Once the euthanasia has been accomplished and the veterinarian has left, lay Petie’s body on a towel on the floor, and allow the other dogs to examine him and have some quiet time together. Some dogs are indifferent, while others clearly understand. Then wrap up his body and let the dogs see you take his remains out of the house for cremation or burial. Give the dogs extra attention, and be mindful that they may search the house for Petie and show signs of mourning. Stick to their daily routines; outdoor physical activity will be the best therapy for all.

DEAR DR. FOX: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has posted a notice concerning salmonella infections in people, children especially, from backyard chickens raised for their eggs.

What is your opinion on homeowners keeping a few layers to produce their own eggs? -- L.H., Cincinnati, Ohio

DEAR L.H.: There have been some discussions and concerns expressed in veterinary journals over the past several years about the animal- and public-health risks of backyard laying hens, and also about their welfare. The related issue is lack of people’s experience in caring for hens properly and providing safe, adequate housing for them.

Most children do not have sufficient exposure to bacteria, especially if there is not a dog in the house, and they do not get outdoors much, preferring to stay indoors with their smartphones and computer games. Their immune systems are therefore not well-developed and they, along with the elderly and already immunocompromised adults, can be prone to a number of bacterial infections from being in or around a backyard hen enclosure, or from eggshells not being properly sanitized prior to going into the home.

It is for these reasons that I am opposed to backyard hen-keeping in cities and suburbs with high population densities, unless operated by experienced people with the inspection and approval of the local state board of animal health.

Certainly, from all documentation, consumers are more at risk from bacterial infection when handling poultry and meat from factory farms and feedlots. I advise all people to eat less animal produce in general, and only from organically certified and humane sources, if they are unable to become vegetarians or vegans.

(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.)