DEAR READERS: In a report in the May 13 New England Journal of Medicine, on the topic of the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic cats, Peter J. Halfmann, Ph.D. et al. state:

“With reports of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to domestic cats and to tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo, coupled with our data showing the ease of transmission between domestic cats, there is a public health need to recognize and further investigate the potential chain of human–cat–human transmission. This is of particular importance given the potential for SARS-CoV-2 transmission between family members in households with cats while living under shelter-in-place orders. In 2016, an H7N2 influenza outbreak in New York City cat shelters highlighted the public health implications of cat-to-human transmission to workers in animal shelters. Moreover, cats may be a silent intermediate host of SARS-CoV-2 because infected cats may not show any appreciable symptoms that might be recognized by their owners. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidelines for pet owners regarding SARS-CoV-2 (www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/animals.html). Given the need to stop the coronavirus pandemic through various mechanisms, including breaking transmission chains, a better understanding of the role cats may play in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to humans is needed.”

As we fight COVID-19, the Animal Legal Defense Fund published a white paper with law and policy recommendations to prepare for and prevent the next pandemic. See also a Cambridge University report by William Sutherland and associates (https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/study-identifies-275-ways-to-reduce-spread-of-coronavirus-following-lockdown), stated that shutting down China’s live animal markets was not enough. The study also highlights how pandemic diseases can jump from animals to humans, and offers 275 ways to mitigate future crises -- from going vegan to limiting livestock production and consumption.

TICK CONTROL, SURVEILLANCE LACKING IN U.S.

The number of tick-borne illnesses reported in the U.S. more than doubled from 2004 to 2018, according to the CDC, but fewer than half of the nation’s public health and vector-control agencies have active tick surveillance programs. Just 12% conduct or fund tick-control programs, researchers reported in the Journal of Medical Entomology. “Pathogen testing is an essential component of surveillance, and is needed in order to understand tick-borne disease risk to communities,” said lead author Emily Mader, who manages the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases at Cornell University.

Our state and federal government agencies need better funding for these programs -- now more than ever, with climate change-related increases in insect-borne diseases.

KANSAS CONFIRMS VSV IN HORSES AT PRIVATE PROPERTIES

Kansas became the fourth state this year with confirmed vesicular stomatitis virus cases when the virus was found in horses at several private properties in the south-central part of the state. VSV is transmitted primarily by black flies, sand flies and midges. Owners of horses, cattle, goats, sheep, llamas and other susceptible animals should be diligent about preventing flies and other insects from thriving where animals are housed. (Hutchinson News, Kansas, June 17)

(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: Our 6-year-old shorthaired cat stopped eating two weeks ago. She became very lethargic, and she has started hiding and stopped grooming. She is urinating fine, but producing very little poop. She is drinking water.

We took her to the emergency room for cats. Her heart, lungs and eyes were all good and clear. They gave her mirtazapine and Cerenia. She did have a spike in her food intake for about a day and a half, and also ate a few pebbles of Iams dry food here and there.

But as of today, she ate about two bites yesterday and nothing today. We have tried many different flavors and brands, both wet and dry, plus real tuna and salmon. I grated Parmesan cheese on her food, used chicken broth, warmed her food, etc. She goes to the food immediately, smells it, then walks away, meowing.

As seniors, money is an issue and we just can’t afford unlimited medical care. We are wondering what advice you have for our precious baby. -- V.T & J.T., Brick, New Jersey

DEAR V.T. & J.T.: I understand your predicament, since more tests are likely in order -- at least abdominal palpation, as well as an X-ray or sonogram to see if there is a fur-ball filling the stomach, or a lymphoma tumor. She could have one or more tooth abscesses or another oral health problem that makes eating very painful. Such abscesses would also make her body toxic with infection and inflammation -- what I call the oral plague of cats.

Perhaps you can discuss a payment plan with the veterinary hospital. A cat who is not eating can get serious health complications within just a few days. It is good that she is drinking. Try adding some mushed-up canned sardines, or offering her some meaty or fishy Gerber baby food.

Keep me posted, and good luck!

Pedigree dog critic and welfare advocate Jemima Harrison (pedigreedogsexposed.blogspot.com/2020/05/dutch-ban-short-nosed-dogs-prompts.html) posted on May 30, 2020, that the Netherlands had banned the breeding of bulldogs and other short-faced breeds (and crossbreeds), prompting outrage from some dog-lovers -- and a standing ovation from others.

Faced with continuing high-profile media attention on the plight of brachycephalics, the Dutch government commissioned a report from the University of Utrecht entitled "Breeding Short-Muzzled Dogs" which was published in January 2019. It provided the basis for six new breeding criteria that Carola Schouten, minister for agriculture, introduced in March 2019. These cover eye conformation, nostril stenosis, abnormal breathing, excess skin folds and -- most controversially -- that all dogs bred in the Netherlands (crossbreeds as well as purebred) must have muzzles at least one-third the length of their head (and, in time, half the length of their head). The Dutch Kennel Club announced that it will no longer issue full pedigree certificates to specific "extreme" brachycephalic (short-faced) breeds -- unless the parents have passed an independent vet check confirming that at least one of them has a muzzle the required length.

Breeds of concern include the Affenpinscher, Boston terrier, bulldog, French bulldog, Griffon Belge, Griffon Bruxellois, Japanese Chin, King Charles spaniel, pekingese, Petit Brabancon, Pu and the Shih Tzu.

Other abnormalities in these and other breeds, such as tightly curled tails, abnormal limb structure and over-long backs, also need to be rectified by changing breed standards and breeding practices.

CERTAIN DOG BREEDS AT HIGH RISK OF HEAT-LINKED ILLNESS

Dogs that weigh more than 110 pounds or that have flat faces are more prone to heat-related illness than other dogs, but any dog can develop heat stroke in hot, humid weather, particularly if they are overweight or elderly, according to a study in Scientific Reports. Chow chows, bulldogs, French bulldogs, Dogue de Bordeaux and greyhounds were found to be the least heat-tolerant breeds. Full Story: HealthDay News (6/18)

DEAR DR. FOX: Thank you for your column that ran in the June 25 Tulsa World regarding breathing problems in flat-faced dogs. Fortunately, our local paper does not run ads for "Munchkin cats." I remember being horrified when I saw one of these kittens in an online video. I don't run across them anymore, so either the media is aware, or people have quit breeding them, or both. Someone on Facebook recently posted a picture of his hairless cat. Her face was grotesque. Her name was "Dermis."

I understand that some people take these poor animals in as rescues. I am not talking about them. I am talking about people who deliberately breed animals selected for deformities, and the people who pay money specifically to own a deformed animal. Please keep up the good work. -- G.B., Tulsa, Oklahoma

DEAR G.B.: Many people are waking up to some of the horrors caused by the selective breeding of dogs, cats, rabbits and some other domestic animals for novel, abnormal traits, often linked with multiple health and behavioral problems. I see this as a perversion of whatever love or affection people may have for such creations, on the one hand, and on the other, a selfish indulgence for ego-gratification and in some instances, making money.

These and other human activities that harm other creatures and the natural environment have become socially accepted cultural norms. Like a life unexamined is a life unlived, the same can be said about cultural values, which today must be examined for the common good and the good of the commons.

DEAR DR. FOX: We had a Maine coon cat who lived for 22 years and loved my wife but never bonded with me. I had to be careful around him because any time I sneezed, he would attack me, teeth and claws. Even if he was in another room and heard me, he would rush in and go after me. How do you interpret this reaction? -- R.N.H, Derby, Connecticut

DEAR R.N.H.: I am a very loud sneezer and cannot stop it when I know a sneeze is on the way, so you have my sympathy. Possibly the first time you sneezed this cat was startled and took it as a threat. From then on he was conditioned to respond aggressively to the challenge your sneeze represented to his psyche.

The human sneeze can vary greatly from person to person, with some intense sounds and occasional release of oral and nasal mucus possibly mimicking one cat yowling/growling and hissing/spitting with that hack-cough sound when challenging and readying to fight another cat.

I would like to hear from other readers who have such curious responses from their dogs and cats when they sneeze, cough or have the hiccups. I know of one dog who would always bark anytime his human companion coughed. My interpretation was that the dog probably thought the human was barking at something, so he gave vocal support. Another dog barked every time her caregiver sneezed, and that was often during the spring pollen season!

(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.)

Before being purchased by the German pharmaceutical company Bayer, Monsanto Corp. demanded that I retract my comments about the many health and environmental risks of their herbicide Roundup, which I refused to do, and they sent a letter discrediting my science-based concerns to all newspapers that published my article. Now, in one of the largest civil settlements in U.S. history, Bayer has agreed to allocate close to $10 billion to resolve around 125,000 filed and unfiled cases claiming its glyphosate-based weed-killer Roundup causes cancer. The deal will still allow Bayer to sell Roundup without adding any warnings, The New York Times reported. It comes after three juries in early, high-profile trials awarded more than $2.4 billion to plaintiffs who developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after long-term Roundup use.

This herbicide, still widely used in agriculture and around private property by homeowners and public places by municipalities is often combined with the herbicide 2,4-D, which is also used separately to kill “weeds” invading lawns. 2,4-D is an endocrine disruptor that can damage thyroid gland function and is a potential carcinogen. A 2004 study by Purdue University scientists showed that Scottish terriers exposed to lawns treated with herbicides such as 2,4-D had greater risk of bladder cancer than other terriers. A 1991 National Cancer Institute study concluded that dogs exposed to just four lawn treatments a year significantly increased their risk of malignant lymphoma. (For details visit ewg.org/research/24D/pets-wildlife-24D.)

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer declared 2,4-D a possible human carcinogen, based on evidence that it damages human cells and, in a number of studies, caused cancer in laboratory animals. More conclusive is the proof that 2,4-D falls into a class of compounds called endocrine-disrupting chemicals, compounds that mimic or inhibit the body's hormones. Laboratory studies suggest that 2,4-D can impede the normal action of estrogen, androgen and most conclusively, thyroid hormones. Dozens of epidemiological, animal and laboratory studies have shown a link between 2,4-D and thyroid disorders. (nrdc.org/stories/24-d-most-dangerous-pesticide-youve-never-heard).

Homeowners, community leaders, municipal authorities, and state and federal agencies involved in regulating the use of these and other chemicals in agriculture need to stop this insanity. Organic farmers are leading the way, along with books for homeowners like Doug Tallamy’s "Nature’s Best Hope," to get rid of their perfect lawns and landscape with indigenous plants for the benefit of insects, birds, other wildlife -- and our own health as well as our animal companions.

DEAR DR. FOX: Is there a supplement that is safe to give my two dogs in order to stop yellowing of my grass when they urinate? I looked into gypsum for the lawn, but it seems to do more harm to the grass than good. They currently eat a little kibble mixed with your dog food twice a day and added vegetables (Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots) and fruits (blueberries or apples) once a day. -- T.G., Tulsa, Oklahoma

DEAR T.G.: I am frequently asked this question and my response has usually ruffled some feathers. There are fraudsters out there selling various products to give to dogs with the claim that their urine will be changed so the lawn grass will not be harmed. These products are not FDA-approved and need not be if they are marketed not as drugs but as food supplements.

Any compound that changes the acidity/alkalinity of a dog's urine is altering complex biochemical processes and could cause harm, including disrupting the normal bacterial flora in the urinary tract that prevents cystitis and infections.

The three solutions that I offer are: 1. Adding a little milk or low- or zero-salt chicken bouillon (you can make your own) to your dogs' drinking water so they drink more and have less concentrated urine. 2. Soak the grass sod where your dogs have urinated with a liberal dousing of water at the end of the day to dilute their urine. 3. Put down sand and a layer of pea-gravel in one area where the dogs can evacuate in your yard, and let the rest return to the wild by seeding various indigenous perennial grasses, flowers and shrubs.

(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.)