DEAR READERS: I am sickened by the daily news reports -- as well as the long history -- of our cruel mistreatment of our own kind, and of other species. The all-too-common phrases “treated like an animal” and “they behaved like animals” also offend me. I have a doctoral degree in ethology -- the science of animal behavior -- and take offense at this demeaning of animals, many species of which have highly ritualistic behaviors to avoid harming each other and establish bonds of trust.

In actuality, we humans are behaving like the animals we are: aggressive, carnivorous primates with all the existential fears of sentient life compounded by arrogance -- believing we are the superior of all species -- and by xenophobia, fear and hatred. In his book “On Aggression,” the late Konrad Lorenz, M.D. -- Nobel laureate and my friend -- made it very clear that for our own good and the good of all life on Earth, we must recognize and better control our instinctual impulses that can lead to aggression, violence and inhumanity.

Treating humans “like animals” implies a cultural acceptance of animal cruelty. This is inevitable in a society where millions of animals are slaughtered for human consumption. The sheer scale of producing and processing these animals to meet market demand makes humane regulations impossible to enforce, along with worker-safety precautions.

A metanoia -- a revolutionary turnaround of human civilization, calling for justice for all our human and non-human relations -- is coming. Witness the globally nascent reverential respect for all life, along with concerted efforts to protect, heal and save. Even so, psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton, M.D., warns us of becoming “socialized to evil.” As empathy and compassion are severed from our relationships, there is dehumanization and de-animalization: animals treated as non-feeling automatons. So we destroy our roots, and this pathology of anomie -- from the Greek word meaning “lawlessness” -- ascribes a sense of rootlessness in society today.

Enthusiasm for environmental and social justice is the sustaining power for what we believe in: a shared spirit of divine inspiration, and a sense of the sacred in all creatures. Such enthusiasm is the antidote to depression, fatalism and despair for many, especially those suffering existential environmental despair and those who feel burned out helping save animals wild and domestic from extinction and cruelty.

DEAR DR. FOX: Please, in light of the hysteria, rumor, exaggeration and general craziness happening right now, be careful in implying that wild or domestic animals may someday carry COVID-19. This could lead to pets being abandoned by people who come to see them as a threat to their health. I know you didn’t actually say that, but things are so edgy and there is so much misinformation out there right now.

If it does become a problem, then address it, and even then, do so carefully so you don’t panic anyone. -- P.W., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR P.W., Your cautionary note needs to be highlighted for all concerned -- especially the ignorant and terrified who, as in Peru, started the mass killing of bats in March until their government intervened. Bats help protect people from several insect-borne diseases such as Zika, West Nile virus and dengue fever. These are now coming to the U.S., gift-wrapped in our abuse and disregard for wildlife habitat protection and stewardship. Our public health services should be more engaged with other agencies in protecting the natural environment, the health of which determines our own health.

I have mentioned countless times how cats, especially black cats, were blamed and persecuted for the Black Death pandemic that swept across Europe in the Middle Ages, killing an estimated one-third of the human population. Yet it was spread mainly by fleas and lice.

Some companion animals have already been abandoned by owners paranoid about COVID-1. Such irrational behavior, to which we are becoming desensitized at the highest levels of government, is consonant with the evocative language of fear and retribution: We are encouraged to “wage war against this invisible enemy” and “take this adversary down.” Public concern about a few cats and dogs getting COVID-19 from infected humans calls for responsible quarantining and testing, not abandonment and extermination.

Some say I am becoming too political in my columns, but we all must! Animals and the environment have been excluded for too long. But thanks to the work of nonprofit organizations such as the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Environmental Defense Fund, animal and environmental protection are now on the agenda of civil society. Relevant laws are becoming part of the curriculum in law schools and universities around the world.

(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 have a 23-year-old female cocker spaniel named Ed. She was just diagnosed with very bad diabetes. It has been a horrific, heartbreaking ordeal.

The vet is still trying to determine what dose of Vetsulin to administer. She is currently refusing to eat, and has to be fed critical-care food orally by syringe. We will have to increase the syringe feedings to give her the Vetsulin. She takes Entyce, an appetite stimulant, once per day. The vet said she may be insulin-resistant, as well as possibly having Cushing’s disease. Can Cushing’s be determined by a blood test easily?

We have two days to make a decision as to what we will do, and we do not want her to suffer in any way. Is there any advice you would give us about how to move forward? This is a most difficult decision to make, and our hearts are in such pain to think about seeing her go. -- L.P., New Rochelle, New York

DEAR L.P.: Your dog has reached a remarkable age. From your account, it seems that chronic organ failure has set in, which could be partially rectified with various medications, after more tests and determining the proper dosages -- but to what end?

If this were my dog, I would provide whatever she likes to eat and give her lots of tender loving care (including relaxing and anxiety-relieving massage therapy, as per my book “The Healing Touch for Dogs”), and let her go. No more medications or tests. Whether this answer upsets or relieves you, do let me know.

L.P. replies:

DEAR DR. FOX: Thank you for reaching out to me. Yesterday, we said goodbye to her, and my heart is crushed. It’s so hard to lose our companions when we love them as family. I’m trying to focus on believing we made the right decision in not allowing her to suffer, but it’s still very hard to convince myself. I have been filled with guilt and second-guessing if we decided to let her go too soon.

You have relieved me somewhat, and for that, I’m grateful. Thank you for the wonderful work you do on behalf of all beloved animals. I will refer to your website as soon as we are able to welcome another loving animal in our lives. -- L.P.

DEAR L.P.: I always hesitate to recommend euthanasia, because it is such a huge responsibility, and often a painful decision to make for a loved one. Most veterinarians feel this burden when having to euthanize terminally ill animal patients, and those whose owners cannot afford costly treatments that may or may not improve the animal’s quality of life. But there are some who would delay this -- not necessarily just to make more money, but because they see some diseases (like your dog’s diabetes) as conditions that should always be treated, rather than focusing on the whole animal. The caregiving burden and continued worry of the animal’s owner-clients must also be considered. Sending warm regards and my condolences.

EXPANDED WILDLIFE SLAUGHTER UNDER TRUMP

DEAR DR. FOX: Have you seen this article in The Washington Post? Headline: “Trump administration makes it easier for hunters to kill bear cubs and wolf pups in Alaska.” This is so inhumane, so terrible, so upsetting, so depressing.

What can we do? -- M.S., Washington, D.C.

DEAR M.S.: Yes, I have read this newspaper article; elsewhere, I read that one Alaskan wildlife official said this measure is intended for “subsistence hunters.” That is an insult to indigenous peoples. This is a relaxation of wildlife hunting regulations for “sport” and “trophy” hunters -- with the president’s son Donald Trump Jr. being a dedicated advocate of such activities, and of the deregulation of wildlife protections. If he were my son, I would disown him. Taxpayers paid $75,000 last year to provide him with Secret Service protection during his sheep-killing trip to Mongolia, during which he killed a member of a threatened sheep species before receiving a permit.

As to your question about what can we do: We can vote and elect the kind of leadership at federal and state levels that does not regard animals as objects, commodities and “harvestable natural resources.” This state of mind is called speciesism, which is part of the same degenerate and spiritually corrupting attitude toward the Spirit of Life that is behind the endemic problems of racism, sexism and classism here in the U.S and around much of the world.

(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: Philosopher and priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin famously wrote, “Everything that rises must converge.” There is a convergence today in the United States, and around the world, of ethical, legal and moral concerns about racism, speciesism, oppression, poverty, exploitation and cruelty. Likewise, there is a call for equal justice for all under the banner of the Golden Rule.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which is anthropogenic -- a consequence of our exploitation and killing of animals for food -- is sending psychological, political and socioeconomic shockwaves around the world. It is making us confront how the soon-to-be 8 billion of us are living, and is kindling the fires of ethical accountability.

My friend Thomas Berry, the late environmentalist and priest, saw this convergence of environmental justice, social justice, animal rights and environmental protection as the beginning of the “ecozoic” age: a time of ecological awareness and responsibility to ensure economic, social and environmental justice, determining the quality of life of future generations of humans and animals. Thomas wrote the foreword to my book “Animals & Nature First: Creating a New Covenant for Animals and Nature,” which promotes the concepts of One Health, One Justice, One Economy and One Earth. If religion cannot move us, then surely reason can. Where there is passion and compassion for all life, as well as awe, wonder and, above all, enthusiasm for ethical values, there is hope.

DEAR DR. FOX: My husband and I have a nearly 14-year-old Siberian feline, Niki. He is a much-loved and well-treated member of our family. He will sometimes join us on our deck, but prefers to find a soft, sunny spot indoors. He returns our affection by wanting to be close to us for brushing, petting, etc.

Our concern is his coughing: It starts as a dry cough, but ends up as a wet one (like he’s trying to cough up phlegm). We have taken him to a veterinarian, who has prescribed allergy medication (chlorpheniramine maleate). His lungs are clear, per X-ray, but we are concerned as Niki still struggles with this coughing three or four times a day. He also is taking prednisone once a day for asthma.

We give him his meds in a pill pocket. He gets occasional dental treats, and his regular food is canned Hills c/d. -- L.W. & J.W., Boone, North Carolina

DEAR L.W & J.W.: Your cat’s symptoms could mean a number of issues. Some cats diagnosed with asthma have a food allergy, so a change in diet is called for. The whole-grain corn and corn gluten meal listed in the prescription diet you are feeding Niki could be a contributing factor. Corn and glutens have no place in a cat’s diet, since they are obligate carnivores.

I especially like The Honest Kitchen’s freeze-dried cat food; that, or my home-prepared diet (posted on DrFoxOneHealth.com), may help. Other potential reasons for the cough include irritation and chemical sensitivity to formaldehyde-releasing carpets, various floor cleaners and other in-home chemicals. Also, the dust in some cat litters can be problematic, so a change in cat litter may help. Try washed sand or shredded newspaper for a while.

The most common reason for cats gagging and making distressing sounds is that they have fur caught in their gullets from self-grooming and swallowing, so groom your cat well every day. Offer some sprouted wheat grass or mashed green beans or butterbeans in his food, as the natural roughage can help get clear the trapped fur. Fur accumulates in a cat’s stomach if not fully regurgitated or passed in the stools, leading to trichobezoars: solid balls of fur in the stomach that can impair appetite and digestion before moving into the intestines and causing blockages.

So you need to do some more detective work on your cat’s problem. The current medication that has been prescribed may or may not help.

Excessive grooming because of thyroid disease, with a lot of fur being swallowed, as well as fluid in the lungs from cardiac problems, can also lead to the kind of coughing fits your cat is exhibiting. Keep me posted.

(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.)