DEAR READERS: Currently, over 90% of corn, cotton and soybean acreage in the United States is planted with genetically engineered seeds. Most of these GE seeds are either herbicide-tolerant (HT) or insect-resistant (Bt, short for Bacillus thuringiensis, the bacteria used to treat the seeds). If seeds are both HT and Bt, they are called “stacked.” Soybean seeds with stacked traits are currently not commercially available in the United States but are being imported from Brazil. In addition, over 90% of the U.S. canola crop is engineered to have some level of herbicide resistance.

This means corn, soy and cottonseed cake and oil, and canola oil -- all variously incorporated into farmed animal and manufactured cat and dog foods -- can contain herbicide residues and Bt insecticide. These contaminants may disrupt the gut microbiome, leading to multiple health problems.

With climate change leading to increased rainfall and higher moisture content of certain crops, corn may be more susceptible to fungal infection or mold that can produce toxins like aflatoxin. Aflatoxin, when ingested, can cause lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea and jaundice from liver damage. According to the National Institutes of Health, aflatoxin is associated with liver cancer in humans.

Bt may reduce insect-transmitted fungal infections in stacked corn, but spraying crops with herbicide to accelerate drying prior to harvesting (also done with conventional wheat and other cereals) creates additional food and environmental contamination.

Aflatoxin contamination is one of the most frequent cause of pet food recalls, second only to salmonella from contaminated farmed animal ingredients. Just this past October, pet food maker Sunshine Mills recalled products (mainly dog and cat kibble) containing excessive aflatoxin levels. These products were sold under the following brand names: Champ, Family Pet, Field Trail, Good Dog, Heartland Farms, Hunter’s Special, Old Glory, Paws Happy Life, Pet Expert, Principle, Retriever, River Bend, Sportsman’s Pride, Sprout, Thrifty, Top Runner and Whiskers & Tails. Affected lot codes were 3/April/2020, 4/April/2020 and 5/April/2020.

Corn has no place in cat foods. To help reduce health risks to both human consumers and companion animals -- as well as avoid costly recalls and potential legal liability for the manufacturers -- all corn, soy and other ingredients in pet foods should be certified either organic or GMO-free.

DEAR DR. FOX: A friend was going to give me some information about using garlic to keep ticks and fleas off dogs. He swore by it. But he died from a heart attack, so I never got him to explain the details to me. -- D.R.H., Hanna, Oklahoma

DEAR R.H.: Sorry to hear about the demise of your friend. Garlic is a potent herbal product with many health benefits, and it is generally believed to help ward off fleas and ticks. I advise one finely chopped clove of garlic (about the size of your index fingernail) per 30 pounds of the dog’s body weight, mixed in with one meal every three or four days. Given without food, garlic will harm the lining of the stomach. I always advise combining garlic with nutritional yeast (NOT baker’s yeast): 1 half-teaspoon per 30 pounds of dog.

Garlic should not be given to cats, or to some dog breeds such as Akitas and shibus, because it can cause hemolytic anemia. Onions will also do this to cats and some dogs.

Garlic inhibits blood clotting, which can help in cases of thrombosis. It was used during WWI as an emergency antibiotic and antifungal wound treatment. Along with ginger, it helps clear lung congestion and has antiviral properties. Garlic also has antioxidant- and immune system-boosting properties, as well as helping to lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol. It is one of nature’s greatest gifts indeed!

(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: Anti-fur demonstrations need to make a comeback, considering the rising demand for such animal products -- especially in Asian countries, which now receive much of what is “harvested” in North America and Europe.

Hundreds of thousands of caged mink have been destroyed in several countries because they contracted the COVID-19 virus from infected workers. These mink then infected other workers, along with cats and wildlife near some of the fur farms. Mink are either being quarantined or “depopulated” in the U.S., Canada, Russia, South Africa and all over Europe, to date.

The crowded conditions on mink and other fur farms, and the stress on the animals from their lifelong cramped confinement, are not only grossly inhumane, they create ideal conditions to establish zoonotic (animal-to-human) diseases. But the fur industry is profit-driven, and prohibition is a political hot potato. It is up to consumers to say “no.”

They should also say “no” to any furs and skins from wild animals -- like baby seals -- who are clubbed to death, and the millions of others who are trapped and snared, such as beaver, coyote, fox, bobcat and pine marten. Trapping and snaring (death by strangulation) is not only extremely cruel, it is also indiscriminate, often catching non-target species.

These non-target species can include people’s cats and dogs, and even endangered species such as the Canada lynx, of which there are 50-200 left in northern Minnesota. To prevent the latter, the Center for Biological Biodiversity filed a lawsuit in December against the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for allowing trapping and snaring methods that do not include “lynx exclusion devices” in the northern part of the state -- the last stronghold for the federally protected lynx.

Globally, wild animals now represent about 15-20% of all furs used in the trade. In North America, the largest producer of high-quality wild furs, the proportion is closer to 50%. Species include muskrat, beaver, raccoon, marten, fox, coyote, bobcat and lynx. Smaller quantities of wild furs also come from Russia (sable), Europe (fox), South America (fox, nutria) and other regions. Many of these species provide environmental and public health services by controlling rodent populations that can harbor plague, Lyme disease and other illnesses.

Most fur sold globally comes from farmed animals, such as mink, foxes, raccoon dogs, rabbits and chinchillas. To preserve the pelts, animals on fur farms are killed by inhumane methods, such as gassing and head-to-tail electrocution. An additional source of fur for the apparel industry comes from street-harvested cats and dogs in some countries, their fur being dyed and patterned to look like it came from a wild animal. It may be sold as faux or synthetic fur.

It is unlikely that the U.S. government, or any other, will ever move to prohibit the export of wild furs and other wild animal products and parts until a new paradigm of global trade is established -- one based on international agreements over animal and environmental protection. Yet this is ultimately in the best interests of public health and a sustainable economy, which depend upon a healthy ecosystem and optimal natural biodiversity.

Consumers can facilitate such change by voting with their money and refusing to purchase any fur garments, accessories or products.

ABOUT CANINE INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE

Canine inflammatory bowel disease can be caused by bacterial infection/dysbiosis, which can cause chronic vomiting and diarrhea with intestinal inflammation. But some dogs and particular breeds may be suffering from sensitivity to proteins called gliadins, which come from the gluten in their diet, especially wheat.

Grains are still an important source of various minerals, nutrients and beneficial fiber in dogs’ diets, so gluten-free grains and other sources of fiber should be provided. These include teff, sorghum, quinoa, amaranth, whole-grain brown rice, wild rice, buckwheat, millet, chia, flax, tapioca (from cassava root), uncontaminated organic oats (meaning, not milled with wheat) and unsweetened shredded coconut.

Dogs with intolerance to glutens are comparable to people who suffer from Crohn’s and celiac disease. Human nutritionists have reported that while corn (maize) is one of the most commonly consumed grains in the gluten-free diet, it could be responsible for persistent mucosal damage in a very limited subgroup of celiac patients. This same issue may well apply to some dogs and cats.

(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: In a recent column, you mentioned a safe flea control for cats. I don’t like using the chemical ones such as Advantage or Revolution. My cat does go out, supervised, for about 15 minutes a few times per week, and has an indoor/outdoor catio that he uses occasionally.

Although I’ve not seen fleas, he does have small scabs around his neck that I think are flea bites. He’s very jittery if I investigate too much.

I’ve been putting a little garlic powder in his moist food. Is this OK, or is there a more effective way to control fleas? -- C.B., Tulsa, Oklahoma

DEAR C.B.: Cats should not be given garlic or onions because they can cause anemia.

Instead, give him a pinch of organic nutritional yeast, rich in B-complex vitamins, in his food, working up to a half-teaspoon daily. Many people have found this keeps fleas off their cats.

Also, try one of these various spritzes on his fur -- spray onto your hands and then pet him, if he does not like the spray applied directly -- before letting him outdoors (into a safe enclosure). Try soaking fresh lavender in warm water overnight, or sliced lemon in just-boiled water to sit at room temperature overnight. Strain and save the liquid in a tight container in the refrigerator. Use 1 cup of water to a handful of lavender or one lemon. Alternatively, mix 1 cup of organic apple cider vinegar in a half-cup of water.

Rub the liquid between the cat’s shoulder blades, on the back of the neck and behind the ears. Avoid the lower back, since the cat may groom there and the residue could cause mild stomach upset.

Groom the cat well with a flea comb daily, and apply the spritz liquid herbal repellent every three days.

The above advice can also be applied to dogs. Dogs can also have suspensions of essential oils like a mixture of lavender, cedar, pine or eucalyptus in water put into their fur. But these essential oils are not for cats, who lack the liver enzyme to prevent any toxicity from these concentrated plant essences, and could become sick after grooming sprayed fur.

Cedar wood chips in dog and cat beds will also help repel fleas.

DEAR DR. FOX: My family and I have adopted four cats, and they are all sweet and friendly. The only problem is that our youngest cat, Phoebe, keeps defecating and urinating outside of the litter box. We have had her since she was 8 weeks old.

We have tried everything we could think of: changing litter (both brand and type), changing diet, new litter boxes, automatic litter boxes, taking her to be tested for a UTI (or anything else), changing all of the litter every day, natural sprays and treatments to discourage her from urinating outside the box. Nothing worked, and it’s getting worse: She is now urinating on our furniture, destroying couches and defecating in our laundry baskets (which we have replaced with lidded ones).

I have an immunodeficiency, my dad has diabetes and my mom has cancer, and we are constantly getting sick. We have discussed rehoming her with the original adoption agency, but they seem not to want to help us in any way. We are begging you to help us find other solutions; the last thing we want is to lose a family member. -- L.B., Brick, New Jersey

DEAR L.B.: I sympathize with your challenging situation as the primary caregiver in your home, a situation of which I am no stranger myself. This house-soiling young cat may be picking up on all the household stress, and/or not bonding well with the other cats. Some cat-rehoming experts tell me that some house-soiling cats never fully recover and use the litter box. Other cats do better when given their own box, a timeout in a separate room, and a short course of gabapentin and lorazepam, after being checked out and cleared of cystitis by a veterinarian. In rare instances, a twice-daily pinch of dried catnip herb can resolve the issue, and is worth a try.

My wife and I rescued a young stray cat recently, and all our socialization and rehabilitation efforts failed: He was a fearful soul, so we had to put him in a cat sanctuary. He was a house-soiler, even urinating on our beds! At the sanctuary, he has a better quality of life and is beginning to enjoy the company of other rescued cats -- 85% of whom are eventually rehomed. He will probably join the remaining 15% as permanent residents for behavioral reasons: being fearful or aggressive toward people, or spraying and not using the litter box. I consider these to be temperament- and genetic-related tendencies, exacerbated by stress and various traumatic experiences earlier in life.

You are captive of your own compassion with this cat, who could thrive in a sanctuary or single home after cage- or room-confinement for litter box training. So do not berate yourself for parting with this poor cat for whom you did your best.

(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.)