The Animal Doctor

DEAR READERS: Our collective sequestering during the COVID-19 pandemic has brought most of us closer to our animal companions, and has us preparing our own meals rather than eating out. Such self-sufficiency can lead us to consider just what we are eating and feeding to our families, including our pets. Questions we should all ask about our food include: What is its quality and nutritional value? What is its environmental impact/carbon footprint? What is its impact on biodiversity, or loss of wildlife and habitat? How much suffering was inflicted on sentient creatures being raised for consumption or caught in nets, in traps and on hooks?

It is ironic that while we are destroying the insect kingdom with our insecticides and herbicides, we are also beginning to utilize bugs to feed us and our pets. Most notable are the nutritious fats and proteins from the grubs of the black soldier fly, now allowed in Europe as a food-enhancing nutritional supplement. These grubs recycle food waste into a nutritious byproduct: a classic illustration of nature's waste-free "circular economy." And the process results in virtually zero net emissions, compared to farmed animals raised to produce similar fats and proteins.

As for emissions of carbon dioxide -- the main climate-changing greenhouse gas -- there is yet another irony. Food-grade CO2 is now in short supply in Europe because rising electricity and fossil fuel costs have crippled the ammonia fertilizer industry. That industry was able to market CO2, a byproduct of ammonia manufacturing, to the food industry to increase the shelf life of meats and other products.

The good news for companion animals is that several pet food companies are now looking at this bigger picture and are seeking and including eco-friendly and humanely produced ingredients. Of note is the Wisdom line of dog foods from Dr. Bob Goldstein's Earth Animal brand. This is a low-carbohydrate, high-protein, meat-based diet using sustainably sourced raw ingredients and humanely-raised proteins. The company is also developing a plant-based pet food, which is currently being evaluated and tested at Oklahoma State University and is scheduled to be available for purchase in 2022.

Biotechnology applied to cell culture, like that which led to the world's first large-scale facility for producing cultivated meat in Emeryville, California, is the wave of the future -- one where the human diet, and what we feed our animal companions, will be more humane and sustainable. Raising ever-fewer animals for human consumption, with their byproducts going into pet foods, would be good for the planet.

To find more companies that are pledging to use human-grade, quality ingredients in their cat and dog foods, I urge readers to visit TruthAboutPetFood.com. Along with this helpful information, pet food safety advocate Susan Thixton has also posted an analysis of the past 10 years' worth of pet food recalls. Some key findings: Kibble was the No. 1 type of pet food recalled. Pathogenic bacteria was the top cause of recalls, followed by pentobarbital, aflatoxin and excess or deficient vitamins/minerals. All should read this report (truthaboutpetfood.com/what-do-10-years-of-recalls-tell-us).

DEAR DR. FOX: After not having a dog for 20 years, I have recently become open to having one again. In doing some research, I came upon what I initially thought was an aberration that some quack was trying to sell, but it seems to have taken hold among some breeders. It's called "biosensor" or "early neurological stimulation," and promises a "super dog" resistant to disease and stress, and with a stronger heart and immune system. Good grief, it appears you could end up with dogs that can tap dance and play the piano at the same time!

So I'm wondering what your opinion of this is. The expert in question is Dr. Carmen Battaglia, and he calls it "early neurological stimulation." He appears to sell this information through paid seminars to breeders, who are perhaps hoping for a quick fix. He's evidently a judge for the AKC. By the way, his doctorate is in prison science and sociology of some kind -- not veterinary medicine. -- N.S., Houston

DEAR N.H.: There are many charlatans, plagiarists and pretenders proclaiming the ownership of whatever they may be promoting, often purely for profit and personal aggrandizement. The term "biosensor," in this case, is similar to a term from an earlier chapter in my career.

My book "Understanding Your Dog," first published in 1972 when I was a professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis (and also a veterinarian), provides the steps I developed to produce more resilient puppies through various early-in-life handling procedures. This original research, done by me, was part of my Ph.D. dissertation, which was eventually published by the University of Chicago Press as "Integrative Development of Brain and Behavior in the Dog."

The U.S. Army, under my consultancy, adopted these so-called "super dog" procedures in their "Biosensor" Vietnam war dog program. For more details, check the synopsis on my website: drfoxonehealth.com/post/dr-fox-the-superdog-bio-sensor-project.

(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: The deaths of four reindeer from hemorrhagic fever at the Minnesota Zoo last year prompted the zoo to begin running vaccination test trials on susceptible captive species -- some 30 bison, moose and pronghorn antelope -- to protect them against this disease.

As a veterinarian, I applaud this initiative and vigilance. The topic also gave me pause, and prompted the thoughts below.

Hemorrhagic fever is spread by midge flies. The larvae of non-biting midges feed on algae and bacteria, filtering microorganisms out of the water. However, some midges are predators. The larvae of phantom midges live in the open water and prey on water fleas and small larvae. Midge larvae are eaten by fish, dragonfly larvae, water beetles and other predators. Adult midges are eaten by all kinds of things, from spiders to swallows.

Only female midges bite, as they need nutrients from blood in order to produce eggs; those carrying the hemorrhagic fever virus transmit it to livestock and wild animals when they bite and take this blood-meal. In hot climates, midges are known to spread both African horse sickness and bluetongue disease.

Hemorrhagic fever was once prevalent only in the southern states; it was not identified in Minnesota until 2018, on a deer farm. Its northern spread has been attributed to climate change: Wetter and warmer summers provide longer breeding periods for the carrier flies. But I do not believe that climate change alone is responsible. A significant factor is the loss of biodiversity in our urban, suburban and rural environments.

Natural biodiversity helps control pests and pestilence. Specifically, the major predators of midges, such as bats and swallows, have been poisoned in the millions with our insecticides, some of which are now implicated in cancer, Parkinson's and other diseases. Many have also been starved to death by regional insect depopulation efforts, including the use of community sprays and aquatic insecticide pellets to kill mosquito larvae. Orchard and field crop producers of fruits and vegetables, along with state and federal forest departments, often use liberal applications of insecticides to "protect" crops and the timber industry.

We should also add to this list the insecticides that the rains wash off of medicated cattle and other outdoor livestock. These chemicals contaminate the fecal and slaughterhouse waste of pesticide-treated poultry and pigs. The long and short of it is that insecticide chemicals eventually turn up in our drinking water -- and even in the snows on Mount Everest.

Nitrates and phosphates in agrichemical fertilizer, animal manure runoff, and garden and golf course fertilizers, as well as our laundry detergents, all feed toxic algal blooms. These blooms reduce aquatic biodiversity -- plant and animal, vertebrate and invertebrate -- as well as microscopic interdependent life forms.

Our toxic chemicals enter rivers, lakes and oceans, and in freshwater ecosystems, they annihilate virtually all life as they pass up the food chain in increasing accumulation and concentration. Species at the low end of the food chain -- like midge larvae, with few if any aquatic predators that can survive pesticide contamination -- can quickly flourish and develop resistance, as has happened with mosquito larvae. Restoring the health of these natural aquatic ecosystems by phasing out the use of pesticides will go a long way to restoring biodiversity.

Relying only on vaccinations to prevent hemorrhagic fever may protect the livestock industry, as well as the questionable deer farming and hunting industries. But from a One Health perspective, municipal authorities and agricultural and other land-use agencies and regulators need to pay closer attention to disease prevention.

Ecosystems are resilient, and restoration of natural biodiversity mandates reevaluating all pesticide use. This will help control and prevent many diseases and buffer the long-term damage of climate change.

(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 read with interest your article on fish cruelty, and it brought to mind our experiences with fish in the Florida Keys.

When my son was 8 years old, we lived on a canal about 14 miles north of Key West. In our canal lived several schools of fish. One school composed of French grunt, mangrove snapper and several other varieties became very tame, and recognized us. They would jump out of the water and even take food from our hands. My son could lay his hand in the water and one of the fish would lie in it, even when he raised his hand above the water! The fish would lie perfectly still until lowered back into the water.

Wherever we swam in the canal, the school went with us, always surrounding us. Other people would want to feed them or make them do tricks, but the fish did not respond to any of them -- showing us they knew one person from another. I know firsthand that fish have intelligence and feelings, and I hate that others might not have the chance to have the experiences we did.

I have always had a love for animals, birds and insects. When I go into the Everglades, I can get wildlife to come to me -- even insects. Lubber grasshoppers will come when I talk to them, and lizards will also stop and listen. I wish that others would take the time to appreciate the world and its creatures. -- J.W., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR J.W.: I know some people will call your communication with other animals delusional, sentimental claptrap, and I pity them -- and anyone else who treats fellow creatures as mere objects. Indeed, when we are quite still around them, most animals will lose their fear, ignore us and get on with their business. They may even show some curiosity and approach us.

To keep animal encounters safe, parents and teachers should provide children with a knowledge of which local species might be dangerous. Make sure they know that many animals have a "flight distance" -- in other words, an invisible circle around them which, if you enter, they will likely flee. Even closer to an animal is the "critical distance," wherein they may attack, or freeze and play dead like an opossum.

How wonderful it can be when wild animals trust us, like the fish with your son! He, no doubt, grew from this communion into a more respectful and compassionate adult than those denied such experiences and parental example. Read on for more thoughts on animals' roles in children's education.

DEAR READERS: Various animal species are still kept in cages and aquariums in schools across the country -- a culturally condoned practice that calls for ethical reexamination. It also raises health concerns, as per the CDC's post entitled "Animals in Schools and Daycares" (visit cdc.gov/healthypets/specific-groups/schools.html).

In a section about preventing the spread of germs in classrooms, the CDC states: "Do not bring reptiles, amphibians, poultry, rodents or ferrets into schools, daycare centers, or other settings with children under 5 years of age."

In 2019, the American Humane Association, the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute and the Pet Care Trust released their "Pets in the Classroom" study. The study's findings suggest that utilization of classroom pets in third and fourth grade U.S. classrooms appears to hold significant benefits for children's social, behavioral and academic development.

I do not doubt these findings, but I do call for alternatives. For humane, ethical and health reasons, no live animals should be kept in classrooms.

Instead, I would love to see every grade-school class given a selection of photos or videos of local animal species, both predators and prey. Students could choose their favorite from each category -- an animal with whom they felt some affinity, awe, affection or wonder. A classroom vote would determine the top choices overall, with these animals becoming the class mascots or icons! Students would then learn all about these animals' behavior, life cycle, ecological importance and conservation status. This would help integrate humane education with ecology and environmental protection.

I also applaud the animal shelters, zoos and wildlife rescue organizations that bring healthy animals to classrooms to tell their stories. It takes some organizational effort, but classroom visits to local wildlife preserves, where children can examine pond and soil life under a microscope, can help them think about and respect other species -- plant, animal and microscopic. Ecology-themed summer camps can do the same.

A new world can open to us when we connect with another species. By "connect," I mean experiencing a spiritual kinship, awe, delight, sympathy or affection -- some special affinity. This is a process all parents should help facilitate as a critical aspect of child development and socialization.

(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.)