DEAR READERS: The posting in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (Jan. 15, 2021, vol. 258, pp. 104-105, "Regulatory standards on pet health insurance being developed") affirmed my concerns over this chaotically inconsistent industry, which could help decrease euthanasia for economic reasons but has fuzzy language as per “preexisting conditions.”

Apparently, there are some 20 companies across Canada and the United States involved in pet health insurance, and some 1.7% of owned dogs and cats are insured in the U.S. Now the National Association of Insurance Commissioners has established a Pet Insurance Working Group to develop a model law. This group’s meetings are public, and interested persons can go to jav.ma/workinggroup for details. For my own analysis of pet health insurance, see my review posted at drfoxonehealth.com.

DEAR DR. FOX: My 12-year-old Morkie tore his ACL in his left rear knee in a freak accident. I had a consultation with a surgeon. The cost of the surgery doesn’t bother me as much as the prospect of the post-op period (for both my dog and me). Since my consultation, my beloved dog has started to put minimal weight on the affected leg. Not all the time, but most of the time. He doesn’t appear to be in any pain, even when I touch and extend his leg.

Am I wrong to think that it would be best for him to live his life out in this condition without the surgery? -- J.S., Santa Fe, New Mexico

DEAR J.S.: I have followed the pros and cons of corrective surgery for this condition in dogs for several decades. Some veterinarians feel it is always indicated, while I join those who are more conservative with smaller dogs. They often heal and gain normal locomotion without surgery, provided they are not overweight and their physical activity is restricted for four to six weeks -- no running or jumping up and down off sofas, etc. Physical therapy in a warm swimming pool can help. I also advise general body massage as per my book "The Healing Touch for Dogs," and a daily supplement in the dog’s food of powdered turmeric and ginger, one-quarter of a teaspoon of each for a dog the size of yours. Also Cosequin, a glucosamine, chondroitin plus MSM supplement, may provide additional support.

Pet health insurance might have covered the cost of anesthesia and surgery, which is in the thousands of dollars for this all-too-prevalent malady, but could have been denied if your dog has some “preexisting condition” such as misaligned and bent legs, common in many breeds. Best prevention is keeping the dog lean with a no-all-kibble diet and regular physical activity, and minimizing vaccinations, especially canine distemper, which may be associated with collagen/tendon deterioration. Keep me posted.

DEAR DR. FOX: If it is helpful, I wanted to share a solution for my cat that was going outside of the litter box. A while back one of your readers wrote how the cat was using the newspapers on the floor instead of the litter box. Well, my stray-turned-indoor cat was constantly doing this, too. Finally, I decided to get her her own litter box with just newspaper. And it works!! She always goes into the newspaper-laden litter box and has never gone outside the box again.

Then I noticed cat litter at the store made of newspaper and was tempted to try, but thought why pay for that when I have my daily newspaper at home. Just wanted to share and pass this on. I am so glad it worked for my cat. Roll it up and dispose, very easy cleanup.

Thank you for all your good help for the animals! -- L.G., New Carlisle, Indiana

DEAR L.G.: Thanks for your good advice, which is an addition to the list of things to consider when cats poop outside of the box.

Shredded newspaper makes good cat litter box material, and I wish more people would subscribe to their newspapers to keep honest journalism alive. Our rescued TNR cat Fanny loves to play and hide under an opened-up newspaper and pounce on it! One of our evening rituals.

DOGS’ WORD COMPREHENSION LIKE A 2- OR 3-YEAR-OLD CHILD

Formally trained or especially gifted dogs can learn a new word for an object after hearing it only four times, suggesting that some dogs learn language similarly to a 2- or 3-year-old, says Adam Miklosi, co-author of a study in Scientific Reports. A border collie and a Yorkshire terrier demonstrated the skill in an exclusion-based task and a playful scenario, but the dogs were not able to tell the difference between two newly named toys. (Full story: CNN, Jan. 26)

(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 have a gripe against you being against all hunters. Deer hunting has been our family tradition for generations. Maybe you need to apologize or clarify. -- R.E., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR R.E.: I apologize if I have offended any readers in the past over my animal rights advocacy and critical comments against hunters, with the exception of most Indigenous subsistence hunters, of whom there are fewer and fewer around the world.

Right now in Minnesota (where I live) and several other states, more hunting and significant culling of herds is called for, both ecologically and to control the spread of chronic wasting disease. Those efforts must include continued state protection of gray wolves, which were removed from the federal Endangered Species Act list in October. Under laws in several states, gray wolves can be shot, snared and trapped legally. Just this past November, two radio-collared wolves being studied by conservation biologists were found to have been shot and killed by hunters.

My beef with deer hunters is specifically against those who see the wolf as a competitor and want wolves' numbers reduced, their families and bonds torn apart. In so doing, they diminish the beneficial ecological services healthy wolf packs provide, including keeping the deer herds and forests healthy and possibly reducing zoonotic diseases like Lyme disease and chronic wasting disease. The latter afflicts deer, elk and other cervid populations across many states where cougar killing is also condoned as a sport. These particular hunters also diminish themselves via their expressed and acted-upon prejudice against wolves and the many American citizens who want the wolf protected, along with Indigenous peoples who revere them.

My main gripe and deep concerns are with sport and trophy hunting: Simply killing animals for some kind of enjoyment, I believe, is a culturally sanctioned and deeply embedded manifestation of empathy-deficit disorder. This affliction has a long history in human slavery and other degrading forms of oppression, exploitation, objectification and inhumanity against man and beast.

The empathy-deficit disorder is evident in the corporate world, especially in the agrichemical pesticide sector that harms consumers and other species, as well as the environment we share. Where is the feeling and responsibility for harmful consequences beyond profit margins and investor satisfaction? Desensitization and rationalization can cement this empathy deficit into society. Dysbiosis and dystopia result, as we are witnessing today.

The empathy-deficit disorder is not only culturally embedded, but there is evidence of familial, generational and possibly genetic transmission. Such abnormal character development and expression might best be prevented through the incorporation of humane education in all grade schools, along with related ethics, animal and human rights and associated rule of law. The general public should be aware of annual turkey and pigeon shoots, bunny bopping, rattlesnake roundups and coyote-killing contests, not to forget illegal dog fights and other such contests.

If the endemic mistreatment of animals and killing for fun is not opened for discussion in America’s classrooms, the ethical and civic education of our children is defective and deficient. Our ultimate well-being is in that freedom of spirit which enables and empowers feeling for, loving and living with others.

MEDICATION TO REDUCE STRESS IN SHELTER ANIMALS

The anti-anxiety drug trazodone hydrochloride may reduce stress and thus boost disease resistance when administered within 48 hours of intake into an animal shelter, according to a study accepted for publication in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior. Animal shelters are inherently stressful places for vulnerable animals, leading to weakened immunity and higher disease susceptibility, study leaders Jennifer Abrams and Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere write. (Full story: TheBark.com, Jan. 21)

I would add that dogs who must be regularly groomed but are very stressed by the experience, where it cannot be done in-home, would benefit from this medication given the day before and the day of grooming. Similarly, dogs going into a boarding facility and suffering separation anxiety may benefit from this prescription drug. For shy and fearful cats, gabapentin can help reduce stress and distress prior to a veterinary appointment and when being boarded.

(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 am a new owner of a rescued cat, as well as a dog I inherited from my aunt. Both get on so well, and give me all the love and attention I could have ever hoped for in this time of shutdowns and isolation.

Now for my question: My cat’s poop is so hard when I clean out her litter box (twice daily, as you recommend), while my dog’s poop in my yard is firm but still somewhat soft. So is my cat constipated? Should I worry? Both get mainly canned, moist food, along with some soaked, freeze-dried food and only a little dry, organic kibble (one for cats, one for dogs).

Also, I sneeze more lately, and wonder if I am allergic to the cat. What do you think about giving her Purina’s new LiveClear kibble? -- K.L.C., Trenton, New Jersey

DEAR K.L.C.: What you are seeing is the biological, metabolic difference between cats and dogs. Domesticated cats, originally a desert species, conserve water and absorb moisture from their stools before evacuation. So their feces are very firm. The feral cats my wife and I rescued always had very dry stools, which they buried with great diligence in their litter boxes.

Firm stools should be no cause for concern, except when cats are just fed dry kibble and do not drink sufficient water to properly hydrate. Such cats can have very concentrated urine, which can cause inflammation of the urinary bladder (cystitis) and pain when they urinate. They can also become severely constipated, leading to pain when they try to poop. Fecal retention can even become toxic and require veterinary treatment. Cats suffering from any of these ailments often learn to associate pain with the litter box, so they urinate and poop elsewhere in the home -- in turn leading to them being unfairly punished, abandoned outdoors, given up for adoption or even euthanized, which is absurd.

On the other hand, cats with diarrhea could be in crisis if it is not resolved. The cat should fast for 24 hours, and then be offered salt-free homemade chicken or turkey bouillon, meaty baby food or a sardine canned in water.

Clinically serious diarrhea is more likely in cats allowed outdoors, who are exposed to infectious, free-roaming cats carrying various viruses -- including, potentially, the SARS-CoV-2 virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic. All cats should be kept within their owners’ property so that if the cat becomes sick with diarrhea, there are fewer possibilities as to the cause.

Loose stools, and even blood in diarrhea, are often quickly resolved by the fasting and bouillon routine described above. Then put the cat on a biologically appropriate, moist or freeze-dried diet. Many pet foods cause these problems in the first place, containing high levels of corn and soy and grains from genetically modified crops contaminated with herbicide and insecticide residues. Singly and collectively, these ingredients cause dysbiosis and inflammatory bowel disorders, as well as weaken immune systems. On occasion, such foods are contaminated with salmonella, which can give the entire family diarrhea.

No cat should be fed a dry-kibble-only diet. I worry about Purina’s widely advertised LiveClear kibble, which has an additive they claim makes cats “47% less allergenic to people who are allergic to cat dander.” This kibble contains rice, corn gluten meal, poultry byproduct meal, wheat flour, dried egg product, beef fat preserved with mixed tocopherols, soy protein concentrate, liver flavor and caramel color, some of which we know could make some cats sick. Glutens and gliadins are associated with inflammatory bowel disease in dogs, also.

My solution for cat allergies is to wipe the cat down morning and evening with a moist sponge to remove the dander (essentially dried cat saliva from self-grooming). Get a room humidifier in cold, dry weather, and vacuum well once a week. Keep cotton towels where your cat likes to lie, and launder them regularly. Many people, including children, eventually become desensitized to cat dander and their allergy goes away.

DOG’S DEVOTION DURING PANDEMIC

A dog in Turkey followed an ambulance carrying her owner to a hospital. She was taken home, but she returned to the hospital each day and waited outside while her owner was treated for COVID-19. Hospital staff fed the dog and allowed the owner to see her through a window until he was discharged. (Full story: CNN, Jan. 23)

(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.)