DEAR READERS: The U.S. government is against concentration of ownership in the veterinary industry by large players. The following is an excerpt from an article published in June by the Veterinary Information Network, written by reporter Ross Kelly.

"Regulator orders NVA to sell still more veterinary hospitals

"The Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C., is intervening in mergers involving veterinary hospitals due to competition concerns. National Veterinary Associates has been ordered to sell more hospitals in the United States, in a further sign that regulators are increasingly uncomfortable about the concentration of ownership in the profession, particularly in emergency and specialty practice. The Federal Trade Commission said today it told the corporate consolidator, owned by German private-equity investor JAB, to sell five clinics -- two near Washington, D.C.; one in Richmond, Virginia; one near Denver; and one near San Francisco." (Full story: news.vin.com)

Mars Inc., also a major owner of veterinary hospitals, may come under FTC scrutiny because of concerns over the pitfalls of monopolistic control: fixing prices, limiting services to set treatment protocols, and promoting specific pet foods that may not be ideal for all animal patients.

This same issue is being addressed in the U.K. as per the article "Are corporate practices frustrating knowledge flow and clinical freedom?" by veterinarian Dr. Mike Davies (Veterinary Record, September 2022).

Dr. Davies tells me that he is an advocate of properly formulated vegan diets for dogs, since so many of his patients are allergic to various animal proteins. I will address this issue in a future column.

DEAR DR. FOX: A friend of mine recently had a very tragic situation where their dog got into his wife's medications and was on life support for many days; thankfully he is improving, but may have permanent heart and liver damage. Plus my friends have sky-high vet bills.

The dog ingested 400 mg of baclofen, a muscle relaxant. Have you done any articles on how very toxic so many human meds are for dogs? -- B.K., Washington, D.C.

DEAR B.K.: I have often raised this issue, especially with dogs eating marijuana left out by their owners, which can be very harmful, as can various prescription drugs.

When an animal is ill, caregivers should consult with a veterinarian and not use any in-home human medications. Tylenol (acetaminophen), for instance, can cause fatal liver damage in dogs.

The FDA has received reports of dogs dying after inadvertent exposure to human medications containing fluorouracil, which is used to treat actinic keratosis (which can progress to skin cancer), warts and other conditions. Pets can ingest fluorouracil if they chew on tubes of topical creams or lick skin where fluorouracil has been applied. Anyone whose pet has been exposed to the drug should seek immediate veterinary care. (Full story: FDA.gov)

RURAL COMMUNITIES SHORT ON VETERINARIANS

In 202, less than 2% of private veterinary practices in the U.S. exclusively handled large animals, and fewer than 6% handled at least some large animals, according to the AVMA. The combination of high student debt and low wages in rural areas is a driving force, says Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Daniel Grooms. The USDA offers up to $75,000 in student loan forgiveness for veterinarians practicing in rural areas, but this is not a panacea: The average debt load is around $200,000; applicants must submit a resume and seven different forms, plus supporting documents; only one veterinarian per designated shortage area is eligible; and the assistance is taxable. (Full story: KCUR-FM, Kansas City, Missouri, Sept. 8)

On the agricultural front, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has committed up to $300 million to help recruit more farmers to adopt organically certified practices. The demand for organically certified foods currently far exceeds the supply, with only 1% of farmlands in organic production.

DEAR READERS: You may enjoy this rather rambling interview of me on YouTube with musician Chris Jeffries, wherein I discuss companion animal health, nutrition and environmental issues: https://youtu.be/APEXmQoSeqI

(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: Our forests are in peril from fires, high winds and droughts. An estimated 11% to 16% of U.S. tree species are threatened with extinction, with the most common threat being invasive and problematic pests and diseases.

We need the trees to hold the hills and mountainsides to prevent erosion; to sequester carbon emissions, thereby reducing global warming and mitigating climate change; and to produce the oxygen we and most other life forms need to live. Regardless, trees are still seen primarily as a resource to be harvested.

What is utterly absurd is that taxpayer subsidies for the federal logging program ranged from $1.6 billion to $1.8 billion annually in fiscal years 2013 through 2017 (source: the Center for Sustainable Economy). A report on TennesseeHeartwood.org states, "The Forest Service attempts to justify these losses by hiding commercial timber sale projects within larger ecological restoration projects -- a move that consistently lands the agency in court. Selling timber from federal lands below cost is a form of environmentally harmful subsidy that runs afoul of international agreements."

If the Biden administration is serious about climate change, a significant initiative would be to end the timber industry subsidies, which should be diverted to reforestation and conservation.

Aside from economic issues, the country's trees are plagued by insects that have been given free range thanks to the spraying of insecticides and the wholesale applications of pesticides by the agricultural and agroforestry industries. In the process, beneficial pollinators are killed and insectivorous reptiles, amphibians and birds are either poisoned or starve to death.

The loss of America's trees, and those of other nations, may indeed culminate in the ancient prophetic warning that when the trees are gone, the sky will fall. As Franklin Roosevelt said, "A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people."

I have the greatest sympathy for the many residents and animals of Florida now recovering from Hurricane Ida. Such devastating and costly events are predicted to become more frequent and intense. Deforestation, in part a contributing factor to this climate crisis, will intensify with the escalating demand for timber to restore damaged buildings and construct new homes.

Part of the Florida tragedy can be attributed to the Army Corps of Engineers and other groups, which altered watersheds and drained wetlands and coastal marshlands for real estate and agricultural development. In eliminating these natural water-catchment and containment sinks, they made residents and farmers -- along with their crops and animals -- more vulnerable to flooding.

Massive quantities of precipitation, punctuated by periods of drought, are predicted for the coming years, due to the additional moisture in our warming atmosphere from the melting of polar ice. More hurricanes and cyclones will be energized by warming oceans. Rebuilding without first restoring the woodlands, wetlands and coastal marshlands would be imprudent.

There is good news for wildlife and biodiversity in some towns along the Mississippi River, where acres of corn and soy fields, once flood-plain wetlands and prairie grasslands, are being returned to nature as an effective method of community flood control. With increased rainfall caused by climate change, the locks, dams and levees are no longer effective, so nature-based solutions are being initiated. This is an example of enlightened ecological thinking and restoration.

On the homefront, those who are able should plant indigenous trees and native grasses. The practice of "rewilding" is preferable to wasting water and energy mowing monoculture grass lawns, and applying harmful chemicals to both lawns and golf courses. Many neighborhoods and cities are creating or restoring tree canopies to provide shade, reducing residents' utility bills for air conditioning and creating a healthier environment.

If we had all respected and empathized with the wildlife in the forests and wetlands, we would have protected them. How many mourn the silence of the frogs? All of us who do must rise up, voice our concerns and vote for political leadership dedicated to eco-justice.

Democratic principles of justice, the rule of law and the common good are ill-served when there is no ethical basis for the practice of law by attorneys who put winning over the morality of right and wrong. Every law student should have to read Christopher D. Stone's 1972 book "Should Trees Have Standing? Toward Legal Rights for Natural Objects." We might then, eventually, have a Supreme Court that better serves the collective good.

(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: I am posting this warning to all dog owners. When being walked outside on a leash, most dogs can be spooked by loud, sudden noises or by an off-leash dog rushing at them. If they pull backwards while the leash is being held, their collars can quickly slip over their heads, putting them at risk of getting lost or running into traffic.

I strongly advise that all dogs be walked wearing their regular collars with ID and rabies vaccination tags, but with the leash attached to a well-fitting harness around the dog's chest and shoulders. This will prevent any panic-triggered escape and possible tragic loss of a beloved canine companion. It will also prevent injury to the trachea, which can be damaged when dogs pull hard on the leash and the collar puts pressure on the windpipe. And remember: Never use a choke-chain collar.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have befriended a stray cat who is probably an abandoned pet. I believe this cat would be happy to come inside and stay there. Unfortunately, I have two dogs who are not cat-friendly.

I got them as puppies and had cats at the time, but I was never able to leave them alone with the cats. I had a system where the cats had the run of the house at night, and the dogs during the day. But I don't currently have a house where this system is possible.

All the shelters in my area are full, winter is coming and no one in my circle wants this cat. Do you have any suggestions about curbing my dogs' aggression? -- B.K., Central Point, Oregon

DEAR B.K.: Good for you for rescuing this cat! But you do have a problem, especially if you have terrier-type dogs. After all, a cat is something fun to chase! But a nearby cat who does not run will not trigger their chase response. If the cat is very calm and will come to your lap, simply sit down with the cat -- while wearing a protective scarf and thick, long-sleeved jacket -- and call the dogs to you. Have them sit and stay and then receive treats while you are petting the cat and letting the dogs sniff your hands.

Alternatively, your best hope to rescue and socialize this poor cat is to place her in a large crate or cage in the room where you spend the most time with the dogs. Feed the dogs where the cat can see them, and feed the cat at the same time. Your veterinarian might prescribe some gabapentin to help reduce the cat's stress.

Several times a day, have the dogs come beside the cage and make them sit, stay and then give them a treat to associate being close to the cat with receiving a reward. After doing this for a week, open the cat's cage soon after feeding time. Have the dogs on leashes, and if they get ready to rush the cat, give the command to sit and stay. Give them treats. Be sure to have all doors closed, so the cat will not run off and hide somewhere else. Good luck!

STOPPING NON-VETERINARIANS FROM OPERATING ON PUPPIES

A bill in Ohio would ban commercial dog breeders from performing surgical procedures on dogs -- including docking tails, bobbing ears and cutting vocal cords -- without a veterinarian present and without anesthesia and pain medication. (Full story: The Toledo Blade, Sept. 21)

Sadly, Ohio is not the only state where such legislation is sorely needed.

DOG FOOD RECALL

Pet food company Spot & Tango is recalling its Chicken and Brown Rice UnKibble Dog Food, distributed directly to consumers nationwide, which might be contaminated with salmonella. For details and lot numbers, see truthaboutpetfood.com/spot-and-tango-recall.

(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.)