DEAR READERS: Several mammalian species, including cats, are susceptible to infection by people with COVID-19. A feline lockdown is called for, keeping all cats indoors (except for safe enclosures, aka “catios”). Otherwise, cats coming from homes with infected people could spread the virus to other cats. Back at home, those other cats could then infect any pet ferrets, rabbits or hamsters present. Infected cats could also spread the disease to wildlife, notably foxes, squirrels and rabbits.

Free-roaming and “working” rat-control cats could create a coronavirus pool of infection in various communities, becoming a link between an infected human population and wildlife already at risk (doi.org/10.1111/mam.12225). If the virus infecting cats (including the big cats in zoos) ever mutates and becomes transmissible back to humans, there could be a public backlash of cat and/or wildlife extermination, as occurred centuries ago during the Black Death.

At least one company, Applied DNA Sciences, plans to initiate clinical trials of one of its vaccine candidates for veterinary use to prevent coronavirus infections in domestic cats. The trials will be conducted in collaboration with biotechnology firm EvviVax S.R.L. upon receiving approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Precautionary measures -- like wearing masks, washing hands and avoiding crowds -- are essential elements of preventive medicine. All cat owners should treat keeping their cats indoors as another necessary precaution, and all TNR (trap-neuter-release) programs by animal shelters should be curtailed.

I share the concern of many virologists and epidemiologists that SARS-CoV-2 can mutate and become more infectious to one species, and then another. This has been reported in the Netherlands, where fur farm workers infected some mink, which then infected a previously healthy worker (medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-dutch-farm-worker-covid-mink.html).

I am also concerned about the global pork industry, since pigs are susceptible to SARS-CoV—2 and thus potentially at risk from infected workers. A certain coronavirus in pigs (swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus, discovered in 2016 in pigs in China) has the potential not only to devastate the pork industry, but also to spill over to human populations, according to a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2001046117).

It is high time we all turned to more plant-based diets, since produce is so much safer to eat, is more sustainably produced, and does not suffer.

CAT WITH RESPIRATORY DISEASE HAD SARS-COV-2

A 16-year-old cat with severe respiratory illness was humanely euthanized and diagnosed with a SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to Pennsylvania State Veterinarian Kevin Brightbill. The cat lived in a home with several people who had positive COVID-19 tests. While there is no evidence that pets can transmit the virus to people, anyone with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection should take precautions to prevent transmitting it to pets, says veterinarian Suresh Kuchipudi, a clinical professor of veterinary science at Pennsylvania State University.

DEAR DR. FOX: My dog is female, and has a very sweet, pleasant perfume smell just on the top of her head. It’s not coming from her breath or ears. What causes this? -- Z.C., Trenton, New Jersey

DEAR Z.C.: This issue comes up periodically, and I encourage people to sniff their dogs more. They have remarkable scent glands in the skin around their cheeks and on top of their heads. Some dogs give off little odor, if any, but others emit floral scents that remind me of frankincense, myrrh and sandalwood.

The purpose of these scent glands has yet to be determined, but they may have a calming or appeasing effect on other dogs -- similar to the calming pheromones coming from the skin around a mother dog’s nipples. (Years ago, a reader told me that when she was upset as a young child, her mother would tell her to go sniff their dog’s tummy to calm down!)

As a veterinarian, I was taught to use all my senses when evaluating an animal’s condition. Healthy animals, like healthy people, smell good! I advise all dog and cat owners to become accustomed to their animals’ scent. Any change could indicate a health issue -- perhaps dental, nutritional or one involving the kidneys or liver -- that would require veterinary attention.

(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: We spend the winter in southern Texas and need something for fleas. Our dog had been taking Simparica, but the last time, he had an adverse reaction: He got kind of catatonic and it took several days for him to be back to normal.

What could I use instead? We are in an RV park, and although we don’t go to the dog park, he likes to go on walks. So coming in contact with fleas is unavoidable. -- J.R., Mercedes, Texas

DEAR J.R.: I am sorry to hear about this frightening adverse event, and am glad your dog survived. Year after year, I hear accounts like yours, and wish the veterinary profession -- as well as dog and cat owners -- would wake up and use safer alternatives for flea control. I wonder about the long-term consequences on animals who recover from adverse reactions, or who do not develop immediate adverse reactions but could eventually become epileptic or more aggressive, or develop cancer or chronic spasmodic bowel conditions.

Safer flea-control suggestions are posted on my website (drfoxonehealth.com) under the titles “Companion Animal Risks of Flea and Tick Insecticides” and “Preventing Fleas, Ticks and Mosquitoes.”

DEAR DR. FOX: Regarding cat TNR (trap, neuter, release): After being trapped and neutered, these cats are returned to the only places they have ever known, where local caregivers supply them with food, water and care. Of course, if they can be adopted, they are. If they have kittens when trapped, the kittens are provided a better life.

These volunteers are helping the cats and their environment. What other alternatives are there? -- M.C., Vero Beach, Florida

DEAR M.C.: Volunteers could better help the environment and the cats by permanently removing them.

The alternative to TNR, for reasons spelled out in the article “Releasing Cats To Live Outdoors” on my website, is for our communities to provide cat sanctuaries: indoor-outdoor enclosures for lost, stray and feral cats and kittens. This is far preferable to releasing them to risk being killed or injured by traffic, or to catch and spread various diseases -- some transmissible to humans and wildlife. After all, these cats are domesticated animals, even though some can thrive independently as predators.

We are starting a movement in Minnesota of advocating for cat sanctuaries. When properly designed, these facilities can be places for people to commune with and adopt cats, many of whom do eventually recover from the mind- and spirit-changing experience of having to survive outdoors. Before being introduced to group housing, any new cats should be neutered, tested for feline viral leukemia and immunodeficiency virus, treated for any external and internal parasites, then quarantined for 10 to 14 days.

A GOOD DOG FOOD SUPPLEMENT

I advise adding shredded, unsweetened coconut to dogs’ food (1 teaspoon daily per 30-40 pounds of body weight). Coconut contains inulin fiber, a highly fermentable soluble fiber that helps sustain beneficial bacteria in the digestive system. Inulin fiber is one of the most well-studied functional fibers. Readers who already have my dog food recipe should add this ingredient!

(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: A team of Indigenous scientists from the Yukon have published a letter in the prestigious academic journal Science, “arguing that Indigenous principles and knowledge should inform a global strategy for recovering from the pandemic,” per coverage by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

“This is a big breakthrough, I would say, for the two world views and two knowledge systems to begin to acknowledge each other,” said Joe Copper Jack, a Ta’an Kwach’an Council elder and lead author on the letter.

The letter addresses the One Health approach, which links human health with the health of animals and the environment, in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors say that “scientists and policymakers often ignore the fact that Indigenous people have used this interconnected approach for thousands of years,” wrote the CBC.

From my perspective as a European immigrant -- coming from the dominant culture where the unbridled exploitation of nature and animals is the accepted norm -- and as a veterinarian, I have come to realize the critical importance of advocating the One Health philosophy. If it were an integral, global element of politics, public health and the stock market, the COVID-19 pandemic would most likely never have occurred, and any forthcoming ones could be prevented.

Animals’ rights and environmental ethics are not new concepts in Western civilization, despite them now being branded in the U.S. as “left-wing extremism” (which some readers have accused me of promoting!). Rather, these concepts were integral to the Indigenous peoples of North America long before the genocidal and ecocidal European incursion.

So it is no irony that hundreds of mink at a fur farm in Wisconsin have died of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Three people who work at the farm had mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms. Veterinarians and farmers are culling shocking numbers of mink in northern Denmark due to a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak that has affected more than 60 farms. This tragic consequence is a call to conscience and accountability.

Perhaps the only blessing of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it forces us to examine our relationships and responsibilities toward all lives and all creatures, great and small.

DEAR DR. FOX: My 9-year-old once-feral cat, Buddy, was rescued 1 1/2 years ago and had a whole host of issues, many of which were resolved. Recently he stopped eating as much, and his vet said that he had bad stomatitis. He wanted to extract all of Buddy’s teeth. Instead, I started giving him a product called George’s Always Active Aloe liquid (1/4 teaspoon), and his eating habits resumed miraculously.

I’m wondering if the gel is a better option over the liquid, as I hear aloe gel has minimal alpine or latex, which can be toxic over time. Please advise.

Also, the cat had ringworm, which started to disappear with the usage of the aloe liquid given internally. At the same time, I had started giving Buddy L-lysine (125 mg), but I discontinued that for fear of toxicity. I’m not sure if that helped in the immune response. -- C.G.R., Gardiner, New York

DEAR C.G.R.: I applaud your diligent approach and successful use of aloe vera and L-lysine in helping to improve your cat’s health. Significant progress in determining the safe and effective use of such herbal and nutraceutical supplements is being made by holistic veterinarians. This, of course, infuriates Big Pharma, and has yet to be embraced by conventional veterinary and human medical practitioners.

Aloe vera in liquid form is beneficial in treating gut-related health problems, in part because it is a food for beneficial microorganisms in the gut’s microbiome. It may also help prevent the “leaky gut” issue associated with allergies and impaired immune system function.

Applied topically for various skin problems, aloe vera liquid or gel accelerates healing by stimulating capillary and cellular proliferation.

Applied orally, aloe gel can help improve various gum and tooth problems, and could help prevent kidney disease and various chronic inflammatory conditions later in life. I would add two drops of essential oil of thyme (which is antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal) to 1 teaspoon of aloe vera gel. Get kittens and puppies used to having their gums and teeth rubbed with a gauze-wrap finger covered in these gifts from the plant kingdom!

As for beneficial supplements, you are on track using L-lysine, which is purportedly antiviral. I advise supplementing at weekly intervals -- one week on, one week off -- and I also recommend 250 mg taurine and a few drops of anti-inflammatory fish oil (not krill, for ecological reasons spelled out on my website). You can also try half a canned-in-water sardine (if your cat is not allergic to fish) or a marine algal product containing the essential fatty acids all cats need.

For more details on the feline stomatitis plague, its treatment and prevention, check my website www.droxonehealth.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.)