DEAR READERS: Dog ownership decreases a person’s overall risk of premature death by 24%, according to researchers who conducted a review of the available medical evidence.

The benefit is most pronounced in people with existing heart problems. Dog owners had a 65% reduced risk of death following a heart attack and a 31% reduced risk of death from heart disease, the researchers said.

“People who had a heart attack prior to getting a dog had even more reduction in mortality,” said lead author Dr. Caroline Kramer, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto.

That analysis was backed up by a separate Swedish study, which found that heart attack and stroke victims who own dogs have a lower risk of dying, particularly if they live alone.

Owning a dog reduced a heart attack patient’s risk of death by 33% if they live alone, and 15% if they live with a partner or child, according to data from the Swedish National Patient Register. Similarly, death risk for dog-owning stroke survivors was 27% lower if they live alone and 12% lower for those living with someone.

Both reports were published Oct. 8 in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

Part of the benefit is likely due to the physical activity that comes with having a dog, Kramer said. Prior studies have come to similar conclusions, and researchers say dog ownership has both physical and mental health benefits. (HealthDay News, Oct. 8)

DEAR DR. FOX: What’s the best dry food on the market that I can purchase for my two Jack Russells? -- L.L., Newark, New Jersey

DEAR L.L.: First, I trust that you are not considering feeding your dogs just dry kibble.

Many are inflammatory and nutritionally incomplete, and the “grain-free” formulations can cause other health issues. Please see my review of some manufactured pet foods, as well as my recipe for home-prepared dog food, on my website (DrFoxOneHealth.com).

I feed our dog some dry manufactured kibble such as Halo, freeze-dried dog food from The Honest Kitchen, and one of a number of varieties of good-quality canned dog food -- in addition to the home-prepared dog food. Variety is the spice of dogs’ lives!

FERMENTED FOODS GOOD FOR OUR DOGS -- AND US

There is a growing consensus among holistic veterinarians and other health care professionals and health-conscious consumers that fermented foods are extremely beneficial in helping maintain a healthy gut flora, also known as the intestinal microbiome.

Highly processed foods for humans, dogs and cats alike are lacking in the beneficial enzymes, vitamins, minerals and probiotics that fermented foods provide. These foods include miso, tempeh, probiotic yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut. Visit animalwellnessmagazine.com/fermented-foods-good-dogs for more details.

(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 read your article about DERMagic and wonder if you have any suggestions to help my cat, Moxie.

He is a 4-year-old neutered, flea-free indoor cat, and at age 6 months, he began to chew and scratch and lose hair. After the usual diet change, which made no difference, a blood sample was tested and found him allergic to wool, cotton, grass and people!

For over a year, I gave him shots for the allergies, and he also received steroid shots as necessary during that time. The allergy shots made no difference, and were difficult to give -- Moxie is a rescue kitty with strong self-protection skills and, at times, a vengeful attitude!

We then tried Apoquel, which gave him no relief. For the past year, he has needed a steroid shot every four to five weeks.

Can you suggest a product and/or course of action that might help Moxie and wean him off the need for steroids? -- M.S., Jacksonville, Florida

DEAR M.S.: You have a challenging situation with your poor cat.

The allergy testing (even finding an allergy to humans!) is but one indicator of some disruption of how your cat’s body responds to foreign proteins/allergens. Suppressing that response with steroids or drugs like Apoquel can help in some instances, potentially harmful side effects from long-term treatment notwithstanding.

Emotions and stress can influence how the immune system functions, as can underlying infections such as feline immunodeficiency, leukemia or herpes virus, and in older cats, thyroid disease. General discomfort, fear and anxiety can lead to excessive grooming and fur-pulling in cats. That was the case with our new cat, Fanny, who stopped self-mutilating once she adapted to enjoying life indoors after over a year fending for herself outside.

I understand that Moxie can be difficult to medicate orally, and could be allergic to other proteins in whatever you feed him. I would try to transition him to my home-prepared cat food with known ingredients. A few drops of fish oil and local bee pollen given with the food, beginning with a minute amount since cats are so finicky, may help. Also, many cats like catnip, which can have a calming effect; I would start the day with some good-quality dried herb or a little tincture in the food. It is the equivalent of Valium for cats (though not all cats accept it). In addition, 3 mg of melatonin, crushed into the last meal at night, may help. Ideally, cats should have six to eight small meals a day, each about 1 teaspoon of moist food -- think mouse-sized.

DEAR DR. FOX: Recently, my 2-year-old border collie has been having repeated fevers starting about six months ago.

Sometimes it happens every two to three weeks, and sometimes she can stay healthy for over a month. Usually the fever starts after going to a place that is not very clean, e.g., dog pools, or after accidentally ingesting water left out in the park.

After a lot of recent blood work and testing by various vets, it was discovered that she has a high level of ANA (antinuclear antibodies) in her blood. One of the vets suspects that she has systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue).

I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of this in hopes that she does not have this fatal disease. We have not heard about any other dogs from the same breeder or litter having this issue.

At a very young age, she started taking Nexgard Spectra (afoxolaner) for flea/tick and heartworm control. I came across your article, from a few years back, about the potential hazards of these drugs, and was wondering whether Nexgard may be the root cause of these fevers.

Have you ever heard of afoxolaner or other similar drugs being linked to autoimmune diseases? -- M.L., Taipei, Taiwan

DEAR M.L.: I am sorry to hear about your dog’s distressing condition.

It could be SLE, but please note that high-ANA titers alone are not diagnostics for SLE. High titers, if accompanied by appropriate clinical and laboratory findings, are more likely indicative of SLE. High titers can also be seen in some animals with infectious or inflammatory disorders (e.g., Ehrlichiosis, Bartonellosis) so these possibilities should be checked out.

Giving probiotics and 500 mg turmeric with each meal may help your dog significantly.

I doubt that the afoxolaner was the primary cause of your dog’s apparent autoimmune disease, but I am in principle opposed to the long-term use of insecticides in companion animals.

VETERINARY APPLICATIONS OF ELECTROTHERAPY

Pioneering veterinarian Dr. Ava Frick has found many beneficial applications of Alpha-Stim, an FDA-cleared “microcurrent” therapy device, to treat and help alleviate various health issues in animals. It has also given significant benefits to humans.

According to its website, Alpha-Stim “has been widely researched on both animals and humans, and is used to treat anxiety, insomnia, depression and systemic pain. Research and clinical trials have proven the efficacy of the patented Alpha-Stim waveform in healing and treating spinal and nerve conditions, wounds, infections, and scar and soft-tissue injuries.” For more information, visit alphastimforanimals.com

(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: Off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, are floating pens: home to millions of farmed salmon. In early September, several million of those pen-raised fish unexpectedly died. The number of dead fish was reported as anywhere from 2 million to 8 million, and the reported causes for the die-off ranged from algae blooms to too-warm water.

The fishing company in question, Northern Harvest Sea Farms, said that 2.6 million salmon carcasses will be sent to another company to be processed into cat food and other animal feed. (thechronicleherald.ca, Oct. 11)

Pet food safety advocate Susan Thixton posted this comment on her website, truthaboutpetfood.com:

“The FDA openly allows diseased animal material to be disposed of into pet food. As recent as April 30, 2019, the FDA stated: ‘We do not believe that the use of diseased animals or animals that died otherwise than by slaughter to make animal food poses a safety concern and we intend to continue to exercise enforcement discretion where appropriate.’

“‘Enforcement discretion’ is the FDA’s way of saying ‘illegal waste disposal into pet food without disclosure to pet owners.’ Should you wish to tell the FDA how you feel about the illegal waste the agency allows in pet food, please email them at AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov.”

Thanks to CatFoodIngredients.com for forwarding me this story.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have been using Seresto collars for my 51-pound springer spaniel for the past two years, and he has developed cancer all of a sudden.

Chipper will be 12 in November, and he was fine until I started with these collars. He developed bone cancer starting in the jawbone close to the collar.

This is the first time I’m hearing of this connection, as I read your article. Thank you for the info. -- M.S., Trenton, New Jersey

DEAR M.S.: You are now witness to the sad reality of the high incidence of various cancers in dogs.

Cancer is a multifactor disease in most instances, involving a combination of genetics and, often, environmental factors. My approach is to avoid potential carcinogenic sources from the environment, which include the long-term use of insecticides on both food crops and our animal companions.

The ingredients in the Seresto collar could have played a role, but this is difficult to prove beyond circumstantial probability. High levels of fluoride and pesticides in some pet foods and drinking water could also be contributing factors.

The best you can do is to make life as comfortable as possible for your dog. Feed him a high-protein, high-fat, low-starch diet with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory supplements, including one daily teaspoon of fish oil, powdered turmeric and ginger mixed into his food. Also give him a tablespoon of blueberries, grated carrots or broccoli, 500 mg of vitamin C, and 200 mcg of selenium. At bedtime, give him 6 mg of melatonin, a potent antioxidant.

There are many holistic and nutraceutical ways of addressing animal patients with various cancers, along with surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy.

To find a holistic veterinary practitioner in your area, visit ahvma.org.

DON’T BUY PIG EAR TREATS, GOVERNEMNT WARNS

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are advising people not to purchase pig ear treats for their dogs: Since 2015, at least 127 people in 33 states have been infected with salmonella from these pig parts.

These parts come from Argentina and Brazil. Pig parts from China are blocked because of the current crisis of Asiatic swine fever, which has decimated the domestic pig population in several Asian countries.

(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.)