DEAR READERS: Social animals often engage in reciprocal grooming (or preening, if they are birds). This is a caregiving behavior that has a bonding function and is indicative of animals' empathy and compassion. And it is clearly enjoyable! I strongly advise people who have dogs and cats, as well as those with horses and other animals who enjoy a good brushing, to do so on a daily basis.

This is not only a way to express affection, but it also helps stimulate the skin and keep the coat healthy, preventing knots and tangles in those with long fur. Brushing reduces cats' need to self-groom and risk developing hairballs in their stomachs to gag up later. It also removes dead skin cells that could block sebaceous (oil) glands, which is beneficial to the many dogs that are susceptible to developing sebaceous cysts that often require surgical intervention. Brushing and grooming also help with the early detection of fleas and ticks.

For my animals, I use a two-sided human hairbrush: one side with stiff bristles and the other with springy wires. It is amusing to see our dog Kota push her way in when I am grooming our rescued cat, Fanny, insisting that it is her turn next!

If you have never groomed your dog or cat before, begin by stroking along the line of fur with your hands down the back, then gently apply a few strokes with the brush. As the animal gets used to this and relaxes, apply more pressure as you brush. Eventually, you will be able to brush from rump to head, against the lay of the fur, to loosen more shedding matter. Have the animal turn over and gently work along each leg, plus the tail and belly. A few minutes should suffice; deep, excessive grooming is not advised.

Don't be surprised if an occasional grooming becomes a daily demand!

DEAR DR. FOX: I enjoyed your column about the benefits of dog saliva. I am glad you posted the risk of infection from the bacteria in some dog foods, which dogs' licking could transfer to us. Please say more about this; I have two children who are into everything -- including the dog's food bowl -- and our dog licks them all over. -- K.P., Trenton, New Jersey

DEAR K.P.: In a related post on my website (drfoxonehealth.com/post/dogs-kisses-licks-and-saliva-that-heals), I state: "Concerning potential infections from in-home animals, always wash hands before preparing food and before eating; wash out pets' food and water bowls daily because they could contain salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter and listeria bacteria from pet foods that could infect family members."

The main source of these harmful bacteria, some of which have evolved resistance to antibiotics, is the meat and poultry in raw and frozen pet foods, also found in batches of contaminated dry kibble. The latter could be contaminated by processing equipment and from being sprayed with an "animal digest" to make the kibble more palatable. These animal products come from cruel factory farms that are a hazard to the environment and public health and should be abolished.

However, I do advocate feeding some raw foods to dogs -- namely grated, shredded or crushed fruits and vegetables.

(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: Caring for all creatures great and small in the diminishing wild is a responsibility all communities and countries must adopt. The harmful incursions of people, along with our free-roaming and feral domestic animals and unattended livestock, cannot continue.

Allowing cattle, sheep and goats to roam free in and around wildlife areas should be prohibited, yet is actually subsidized by government "predator control" programs that have all but exterminated the wolf and cougar in most states. These animals, when pushed into developed areas in desperate search of food, can spread diseases that put other wildlife at risk. They can also infect cattle, sheep and goats with Lyme disease and spread other tick-borne illnesses.

Feral pigs -- "feral" meaning any domestic animal that adapts to living in the wild -- are becoming an increasing problem in the U.S. and Canada. The swine have established themselves in Canada and are encroaching on border states like Montana and North Dakota. Feral pigs can put domestic pigs at risk from diseases such as African swine fever.

There is also a feral dog problem. Feral dogs have been documented in all 50 states, doing an estimated $620 million of damage in the U.S. annually. In Texas alone, it is estimated that over $5 million in annual damage to livestock can be attributed to feral dogs. Feral dogs spread diseases such as distemper and parvovirus that put endangered and protected species like the wolf at risk, as well as other wild canids -- the various fox species and coyotes.

The feral cat problem is also a major factor in the loss of songbirds and small mammals. Cats spread diseases to wild felids such as the Florida panther and the northern lynx and bobcat. They also spread toxoplasmosis, which infects many species, including humans. According to one assessment of predation by domesticated cats, "When reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals are included in the tally, scientists estimate that feral cats in the U.S. kill 6.9 to 20.7 billion animals annually. Outside of human-driven habitat destruction, there is arguably no greater threat to small wildlife species -- especially birds -- than feral cats." (Source: the Bard Center for Environmental Policy, bard.edu, citing numbers from abcbirds.org)

As potential carriers of rabies, feral cats and dogs pose a greater public health risk than wild carnivores such as coyotes and foxes. Collectively, the negative impact of feral animals on biodiversity must be addressed.

The Biden administration has yet to sign and support the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity 2022 resolution to take concerted action to protect at least one-third of the world's natural ecosystems, aquatic and terrestrial. The issue of invasive species (both plants and animals) and free-roaming livestock cannot be ignored.

We must make fundamental changes in how we treat domesticated animals for food and other purposes, and those who become feral at home and abroad. For detailed references, go to drfoxonehealth.com/post/wildlife-protection-reducing-domestic-animal-insurgents.

DEAR DR. FOX: Our latest rescue dog, Shaney, lived in a filthy neglectful situation her first six years of life. She had to have bilateral inner ear surgeries because of longstanding untreated infections, and is now joyful.

The problem is that she sleeps in our bed. The first night she arrived, she made it clear that our bed is her bed. If I accidentally touch her during the night, she growls and is immediately prepared to fight. She opens her mouth to bite the offender. She bit my foot once and it took two months to heal.

I assume she's become protective after all the pain she suffered, and she probably has PTSD. But I'm afraid she'll bite me again and it could be worse.

Can I give her melatonin every evening? Might CBD help? Anything else you can recommend would be appreciated. -- L.H., Cleveland, Ohio

DEAR L.H.: This happens on occasion when a dog is evidently having a bad dream: The owner pets and comforts the dog, who then awakens partially and bites. Dogs with a history of emotional trauma -- the equivalent of humans' post-traumatic stress disorder, as you reference -- can react by defensive biting when suddenly disturbed. It is always important to rule out some underlying painful injury or chronic condition such as arthritis, which can make animals react this way when disturbed.

Try coaxing Shaney onto a soft dog bed, placed next to your own, with tasty treats during the day and at bedtime. This could take several days and nights. Hopefully she will come to accept the dog bed as a rewarding and safe place.

If she will not accept a dog bed and continues to insist on joining you, you are putting yourself at risk. A facial injury or deep bite on any part of your body is a serious possibility. I am sorry to hear that this has already happened once. For the time being, when in bed, wrap yourself in a thick robe or blanket and set a row of pillows between yourself and Shaney.

There are long-acting melatonin supplements worth trying. I would begin with 6 mg, given a half-hour before bedtime, plus 250 mg of L-tryptophan, which will convert into relaxing serotonin. In the morning, give her 200 mg of L-theanine. This will help elevate levels of GABA, a neurochemical that promotes relaxation without feelings of drowsiness. My other thought is a veterinary prescription for an anxiolytic psychopharmaceutical such as clomipramine.

I am not an expert on CBD, relaxing mushrooms or other herbal products which could be of help for dogs suffering from anxiety and related behavioral problems. For information on these matters, I suggest you contact Dr. Robert Silver, president of the American College of Veterinary Botanical Medicine, via his website, wellpetdispensary.com.

Good luck and keep me posted on your progress.

(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: Are you aware of the newest version of declawing cats, which is a laser surgery procedure? It only removes the nail itself.

I am truly a cat lover, but I would never consider having a cat that hasn't been declawed. I've been in the ER several times from a cat's scratch. -- C.W., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR C.W.: I maintain my continued assertion that declawing cats is an inhumane mutilation -- an unwarranted decision of convenience for people who do not want their furniture upholstery damaged.

A description of the procedure you cite, from 365petinsurance.com, explains that it is essentially very similar to traditional declawing: "Despite its higher cost, declawing with lasers is much simpler than the traditional declawing. It's similar to traditional declawing in that it removes the third toe bone. However, the toe bone is removed with a laser and not a scalpel."

People who are immunocompromised and might get scratched, or who do not know how to safely handle, socialize and communicate with cats, should first read my book "Cat Body, Cat Mind." They should then decide if a cat with intact claws should be in their lives. If one is already in their lives and has not been declawed, this book offers viable and time-tested alternatives.

DRUG GIVEN ON RACE DAY HARMS MANY HORSES

According to a study, American thoroughbred racehorses given furosemide on race day were at 62% increased odds of sudden death compared to those not given the medication. The study, published in October in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association, also found multiple other risk factors associated with sudden death, which related to race circumstances and the horses' individual histories.

Study authors based their findings on data extracted from the Equine Injury Database, which holds detailed records of 92.2% of all official race starts made in the United States and Canada during the study period. Furosemide was administered to 94% of horses in the study, but the authors cautioned that more research is needed to understand the association with sudden deaths. (Full study: "Fifteen risk factors associated with sudden death in thoroughbred racehorses in North America [2009–2021]," Euan Bennet and Tim Parkin; Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association; Oct. 20, 2022. Link: doi.org/10.2460/javma.22.08.0358)

Furosemide is an anti-bleeding medication used by veterinarians in horse racing to prevent respiratory bleeding in horses running at high speeds. Blood entering the lungs during high physical activity can cause a pulmonary hemorrhage and result in death. Furosemide's diuretic actions reduce the severity of lung bleeding by reducing blood volume, and therefore reducing blood flow and pulmonary arterial pressure. The diuretic action results in a loss of sodium, potassium and chloride in the urine and predisposes horses to electrolyte abnormalities, which can affect heart function and cause a heart attack.

Surely, no matter how spirited young horses may be, they should not be forced to such extreme exertion, nor be given this potentially fatal medication. And all for what purpose -- money? It is telling that one factor associated with higher death rates was the prize for the race: The higher the purse for winning, the higher the mortalities.

After millennia of exploitation and abuse, it is surely time for humans to assess all of our relationships with other animals and to begin to make amends.

(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.)