DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 10-year-old Yorkie who scratches and acts like she’s being bit, but no fleas are on her that I can see. She chews her feet constantly, too.

In a recent column, you said this could be allergies. How do I know what she’s allergic to? The vet put her on Apoquel, but it doesn’t seem to help a lot. The vet did no tests, just put her on the medicine. It’s not helping; maybe takes the edge off a bit.

She also gets crusty little sores on her back (they gave me Douxo shampoo for that). This is all new within the last three years. Help! -- B.O., Sand Springs, Oklahoma

DEAR B.O.: I am afraid your little dog is probably a victim of substandard veterinary services, though she’s not alone: Many veterinarians here and in Europe are prescribing Apoquel and Cytopoint for dogs with symptoms like yours.

Regrettably, these two drugs that suppress the immune system -- sometimes catastrophically -- are the new steroid quick-fix that many veterinarians, including dermatology specialists, prescribe widely.

A quick online search reveals the potential danger. One piece of evidence is a letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to the manufacturer, Zoetis, essentially confronting the inadequate labeling of this immune system-suppressing drug and its potentially harmful, even fatal, consequences. (See the letter at fda.gov/media/113909/download.)

I have also received several letters from other readers whose dogs have developed adverse reactions to this drug. The crusty sores that developed on your dog’s back are probably due to this medicine.

I am disgusted that the veterinarian attending to your dog did not address diet and possible food intolerances or allergies, or potential allergens in the dog’s environment. I highly recommend you take your dog off this medication and try my home-prepared dog food diet, posted on my website, with half the grain content for small dogs like yours. And go to ahvma.org to find your nearest holistic veterinary practitioner.

Dietary supplements are very helpful for dogs with so-called atopic dermatitis (the dermatological problem your dog has been diagnosed with and improperly treated for), notably good-quality fish oil (not krill) and vitamin D3.

DEAR DR. FOX: Our PTSD service dog was exposed to a barrage of extremely loud fireworks right outside our back door on Christmas night while we were out. Video shows that he was terrified -- running through the house, trying to escape. He has not recovered. We have taken him to quiet places in the woods, and given him lots of quiet, gentle attention and assurance. Even when we walk in the daytime, he is hyper -- not having fun, but running from one spot to another in a frantic movement. What else can we do? -- N.L., Lake Worth Beach, Florida

DEAR N.L.: As you said, your service dog has a case of PTSD. I prefer to call this PTSS: post-traumatic stress syndrome. Consult with your veterinarian and get a prescription of Prozac or similar medication to help. Also, a bandanna around the neck with two or three drops of essential oil of lavender four times a day can have a calming effect. Give him 3 to 6 milligrams of melatonin at bedtime.

Loud fireworks need to be prohibited since they also harm people with some forms of PTSD, and trigger fright/panic reactions in animals wild and domestic, often with injurious and even fatal consequences. Not to mention the risks to children being burned and losing eyes and fingers, and the sparking of community and forest fires. Large firework displays may seem acceptable on occasion if all safety precautions are in place, but many animals will still be terrified. And why make air pollution worse? Time for people to grow up!

(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: In these times of increasing economic disparity, regional unemployment and homelessness in America, a Fort Collins, Colorado, veterinarian has set up a coalition to provide veterinary care for companion animals of the homeless.

These animals provide significant comfort and emotional well-being for the poor and homeless, and would benefit from donations from all who care, and from the engagement of veterinarians not yet involved. For details, visit thestreetdogcoalition.org.

DEAR DR. FOX: I am reaching out today to discuss the wolves of America.

It appears to me the federal government is heading toward removing wolves from the “threatened” or “endangered” species list. It looks to be led by Trump’s appointed Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt.

Reading your article “Betrayal of Wolves,” it sure seems like that would be a disaster to the wolf population. It’s sad to think of all the reintroduction efforts for this animal, only to see them killed off again. I truly don’t understand who could get any pleasure from shooting such a magnificent animal.

In Michigan, like Minnesota, it seems so divided, although I think most people are in favor of the wolves. The scary part is I don’t think a lot of people know the wolf is being removed from the protection of the act. I imagine that’s part of the feds’ idea: not to publicize it very much.

I think not only the wolf is in danger from people like Bernhardt, but many other animals. These are sad times we’re living in, when with all the strength and might of our nation, we cannot protect our oldest friends. -- R.C., Canton, Michigan

DEAR R.C.: You and I are not alone in feeling despair over what I have previously called bio-fascism. The gutting of the Environmental Protection Agency and essentially wiping out species once protected under the Endangered Species Act is NOT in the public interest. It may boost the “economy,” but such initiatives mainly serve the private interests of ranchers, land developers and destroyers -- especially the mining, oil, gas and timber industries.

When species and biodiversity are sacrificed along with air and water quality for short-term profit, the public interest is not served. Under the principle of One Health, our own health and economic security depend upon a healthy environment, which is in part maintained by indigenous species, plant and animal -- all of whom should be protected, if not in their own right, then for the well-being of future generations.

My article “Wolves and Human Well-Being” (drfoxonehealth.com) documents how species such as the wolf contribute ultimately to our own health. But it is evident that the current administration, running America into ecological and moral bankruptcy, is anti-science and cannot be reasoned with. Their primary concern is the almighty dollar.

I think and hope that Americans can do better, and can vote with their hearts and heads in the right place and restore democracy, which should include equal and fair consideration for all species, great and small. Otherwise, our children will suffer a lower quality of life and health, along with economic insecurity from the consequences of ecological mismanagement, environmental degradation and related climate change.

GOOD NEWS IN MARYLAND FOR PUPPES AND KITTENS

A federal judge has upheld Maryland’s ban on pet stores selling puppies and kittens, which went into effect Jan. 1, and which was protested by store owners and commercial breeders. This is a victory for these animals and for animal rights advocates.

California had been the first state to ban such sales. Several municipalities across the country are initiating similar prohibitions. Opposition also comes from the agricultural sector, which fears such bans make them vulnerable to legislation that could outlaw cruel and polluting factory farms and feedlots.

(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 always enjoy your column in my daily Times-News, but your reference to smart water meters worries me.

Please don’t spread bad science; you have many scientifically naive readers who trust you. Please see the 2013 Huffpost article “Smart Meters, Dumb Science.”

I appreciate all the information you give on animal nutrition and environmental dangers, and pass the info on to friends with pets. I’m concerned when you get into areas you are less of an expert on and spread alarm about things that don’t warrant concern. -- A.B.R., Hendersonville, North Carolina, retired from New York Power Pool (NYISO Control Center)

DEAR A.B.R.: Thanks for opening the discussion on an issue that is not backed by “dumb science,” as stated by smart meter safety advocates and others in the wireless technology industry.

I have been researching this topic for some time, since being alerted by a veterinarian colleague who is highly electrosensitive. Veterinarians and dairy farmers alike have been aware for decades how “stray voltage” and electromagnetic fields affect cows’ health, behavior and productivity. Here is a synopsis of what I consider a global threat to public, animal and environmental health.

High-speed 5G is a technology associated with electropollution harmful to the bioelectrical fields of normal, healthy cells in all living organisms -- human, animal, plant and microorganism. The World Health Organization has designated this form of nonionizing radiation as a possible carcinogen. For more details, read my review “Electropollution: Existential Threat to Public Health and Planetary Life?” posted on my website (drfoxonehealth.com).

Dr. Samuel Milham, MD, MPH, in his book “Dirty Electricity,” warns that because of the recent proliferation of radio frequency radiation from cellphones and towers, terrestrial antennas, Wi-Fi systems, broadband internet over power lines, and personal electronic equipment, we may be facing a looming epidemic of morbidity and mortality. In the book, he reveals the steps we must take, personally and as a society, to coexist with this marvelous but dangerous technology.

The first veterinarian to highlight problems in this area with companion animals, to my knowledge, was Dr. Allen Schoen (see www.drschoen.com/2011/09/01/). And Josh Hart wrote on stopsmartmeters.org about a woman and her dogs, all of whom had adverse reactions after a smart water meter was installed in her home.

Robert Kennedy Jr., chairman of Children’s Health Defense, has committed to being proactive on the concerns regarding excessive exposure of our children to 5G and wireless radiation. CHD has filed a lawsuit against the FCC for its Dec. 4, 2019, decision to decline to review its 1996 guidelines, and for its determination that the guidelines are protective of human health.

The Environmental Health Trust has also addressed this problem and offers flyers that could be given to parents, teachers and other concerned parties. Visit ehtrust.org/resources-to-share/printable-resources.

Veterinarians, scientists and others around the world are signing up to ban 5G telecommunications. Visit 5gspaceappeal.org for more information.

Activist Arthur Firstenberg writes on this topic in his book “The Invisible Rainbow.” A summary is available at 5gexposed.com.

Finally, to find out how many cellphone towers and wireless antennae there are within a 2-mile radius of your home, go to antennasearch.com. You may be in for a big surprise.

DEAR DR. FOX: I’ve been using your homemade dog food and would like to try the meat alternatives you mention in the recipe: “cottage cheese, well-cooked lentils, garbanzo beans, lima beans or a dozen organic eggs.”

How exactly are these alternatives incorporated into the recipe? Do you simply add the respective meat alternative as you would the actual meat, and simmer with the other ingredients? Does the “well-cooked” description only apply to the lentils, or to the other items as well? If using organic eggs, are they precooked (scrambled?) before adding them, or are they added raw?

By the way, my miniature schnauzer loves this recipe and looks great. -- B.C., Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

DEAR B.C.: I am glad that your dog is doing well on my home-prepared dog food recipe. Your dog joins many others who are reaping the benefits of good nutrition and a healthful diet.

I would add the raw eggs, at room temperature, to the basic recipe once it has been cooked, letting the eggs become lightly cooked as you stir them into the hot mix. Ditto for the cottage cheese. Overheating the eggs will destroy some nutrients, while feeding raw eggs can cause other problems. The lentils or chickpeas you can cook in with the basic ingredients, but be sure to add around 250 milligrams of taurine per serving at feeding time when using such pulses/beans as the main source of protein.

I do not advocate vegan diets for dogs, and advise a “rotational” diet using different sources of protein week by week.

(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.)