DEAR READERS: In a major step in recognition of animal rights and the bioethics of exploiting animals for human entertainment and money, the Canadian government has voted resoundingly for the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act. This new law prohibits the capture, breeding, trade and possession of orcas, porpoises and dolphins.

Such a humane, civil society initiative is needed in many countries, including the U.S., to protect these extraordinary, highly intelligent and empathic mammals. Further protection is also needed for those in the wild, where many are dying from ingested plastics or from being tangled in floating nets. Others are starving as a consequence of over-fishing and warming waters resulting in declining fish stocks. Sonic booms from deep-ocean oil and gas prospecting and naval sonar activities may also damage their navigational senses, leading to mass stranding.

DEAR DR. FOX: After reading your article on shelters, I was deeply moved -- to the point that I decided that I would adopt at least three dogs.

I have for the last 30 years always had a dog in our family, as many as four at one time. Slowly, we were drained of savings for their care (because after all, they are family). Our credit card debt also soared from some of the illnesses they got. I have looked into pet insurance and honestly, on a fixed income, the $30-$50 a month is not an option. Even the low-cost shelter vets are insanely costly.

If there were an option, I would have found it by now. If more of us pet lovers could afford the vet bills, maybe the shelters wouldn’t be crammed full. I have thought of fostering, but I don’t think I could give up a dog after falling in love with it.

Any alternatives to the high cost of pet ownership would be appreciated. -- M.G., Jupiter, Florida

DEAR M.G.: Yes, caring for a dog or cat cannot be done on the cheap when it comes to quality food and regular veterinary wellness evaluations.

People do not want to pay for behavioral advice, but that should be part of the bill, and is an essential part of owner-education and optimizing the human-companion animal bond. Obesity, dental problems and, later in life, cancer, are the big afflictions of dogs and cats, which annual veterinary appointments can help address and potentially prevent.

Some people advocate pet health insurance, but that has not caught on here or in Europe. Some veterinary practices have their own insurance policies, but often insist on frequent appointments, and may seek to sell more than is justified by the animal’s health.

For those people with little savings and on a fixed income, their responsibility to secure proper veterinary preventive care and treatments when needed may be compromised. One option that has been long established in many locations in the U.K. is the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals. People can take their animals there for treatment, bringing along their tax returns to show they need charity support, which is provided with the best affordable care for their animals. In the U.S., some local animal shelters have their own veterinarians or contract with local practitioners to provide low-fee services.

Clearly, the veterinary profession does care; treatments are often very costly, along with diagnostics, and appropriate veterinary care standards cannot be short-changed. How do you think veterinarians feel when clients insist on having their animals, who could be saved by the veterinarian, euthanized because they do not think the animal is “worth it,” regardless of whether they can afford treatment? Many clients are unduly demanding, and even expect vets to charge little because the animal only cost them a few dollars in the first place. Yet many veterinary treatments and diagnostics are virtually the same as in a human hospital or as prescribed by the family physician.

Not all U.S. veterinarians are aware of the fact that the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Foundation has a Veterinary Care Charitable Fund. According to AVMA President Dr. John H. de Jong, the fund “provides veterinarians a simple and effective way to offer charitable veterinary services to clients facing personal hardships, as well as a means to support animals injured as a result of abuse or neglect.”

(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: 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.)