DEAR READERS: I recently mentioned one major animal drug company, Zoetis, selling antibiotics abroad for nontherapeutic purposes to healthy animals in order to boost productivity and profits. This is now illegal in many countries because of the serious public health crisis of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, in part attributed to such global use.

Now Elanco, the other top animal drug company, has been reported promoting such a practice at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa. And these companies are not alone. The entire meat industry is unsustainable, and is a major factor in climate change and the loss of biodiversity, along with being a cause of pollution and diet-related consumer health problems.

DEAR DR. FOX: My husband and I have had five Cavaliers, often two at a time. Never had this problem before: About six weeks ago, Morgan began chewing on her right front leg and made it quite sore.

Our vet checked the spot. Her skin was clear, so the vet suggested we give her a Benadryl or two daily. No change. My sister read online that Cavaliers sometimes react this way to ear infections. We went back to the vet, but Morgan’s ears are fine.

My neighbor’s dog developed a skin problem, and his vet gave him Apoquel, so I requested to try Apoquel with Morgan. She has been on it for nearly 20 days with no improvement. I have to keep a collar on her at all times. Lately she has been waking at night, so I keep her crate door open, and she sleeps on the tile floor in the bathroom.

We have fed her (and our other Cav) Orijen for many years. She gets grain-free Bear Crunch cookies as a reward, and they both enjoy cucumber slices.

Is this a common problem? What do you recommend? --

C.N., Port St. Lucie, Florida

DEAR C.N.: I am sorry to hear about your dog’s condition. Such self-mutilation is distressing to witness and often difficult to diagnose.

Take your dog off the Apoquel immediately, because it is not having any effect and could impair her immune system. This drug, along with another called Cytopoint (from the Zoetis drug company), is advertised internationally as a treatment for atopic dermatitis in dogs. This class of drugs is the new corticosteroid fix that many veterinarians, like yours, are now using for various conditions. They are expensive and may suppress symptoms, but often don’t rectify the cause.

Your dog could have underlying arthritis; a grass awn (awns are grass seeds that are sharp and sometimes barbed, and can burrow into dogs’ skin) or other irritant under her skin; or discomfort from elsewhere that makes her find relief in chewing on herself. I trust your veterinarian considered these possibilities, along with possible grass/ pollen allergies or some food-ingredient intolerance.

I would transition your dog onto my home-prepared diet. Give a teaspoon daily of local bee pollen in her food, and a few drops of fish oil. Apply organic apple cider vinegar to her leg morning and evening, drying it off only if she has been licking and chewing, for seven to 10 days. Give her a raw beef-shank bone to chew on, and take her out for lots of exercise.

I also question why you crate the dog at night. She would be sleeping with me if she were my dog! Keep me posted.

A WONDERFUL QUOTE

This is one of my favorite quotes of all time, from Lakota Sioux Chief Luther Standing Bear from his 1933 book, “Land of the Spotted Eagle”:

“I am going to venture that the man who sat on the ground in his tipi meditating on life and its meaning, accepting the kinship of all creatures, and acknowledging unity with the universe of things was infusing into his being the true essence of civilization. And when native man left off this form of development, his humanization was (stunted) in growth.”

(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 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.)