America’s wild horses, or mustangs, are not a native, indigenous species but an invasive, feral, formerly domesticated one. In one review on the origins of these beautiful, spirited and intelligent beings, “the disappearance of the horse in North America between 13,000 and 11,000 years ago” is noted. Archaeologists have used ancient DNA samples to identify the genetic homeland of modern horses. They found that modern domestic horses probably originated on the steppes around the Volga and Don rivers, now part of Russia, before spreading across Eurasia, ultimately replacing all preexisting horse lineages.

The estimated 86,000 wild mustangs that roam the West are at the center of a raging controversy between horse protectors and wildlife and ecosystem conservationists. The Bureau of Land Management is in charge of this contentious feral horse issue. For details, visit blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/herd-management.

Widespread and overabundant feral horses and burros wreak havoc on the rangeland ecosystem by overgrazing native plants, exacerbating invasive establishment and out-competing other ungulates. As a result, water resources are impacted, and important and iconic wildlife species are threatened. According to one evaluation, the drinking patterns of pronghorn antelope and mule deer at water sources are affected by the combined effect of higher temperatures and more horses using those same sources. These findings indicate that feral horses further constrain access to an already limited resource for native species in a semi-arid environment.

Predation is one natural population control, but cattle ranchers have virtually exterminated the main predator of equines: the cougar or mountain lion. This entire feral horse issue has been mishandled for decades by state and federal agencies that put the interests of cattle ranchers before those of humane treatment of the equines and sound range management with provision of feed and water, especially during periods of extended drought.

Roundups and horse auctions have resulted in thousands of these beautiful animals being transported to Mexico for slaughter after slaughtering in the U.S. was prohibited following petitions by horse-protection associations. This is an instance of good intentions having unforeseen harmful consequences.

Horses, sheep and cattle all graze differently. With good rangeland management, overgrazing and habitat degradation can be prevented, and all three species, at low densities, could sustainably cohabit. But most cattle ranchers see sheep, traditionally, and now the mustangs, as competitors to be exterminated, especially with the high demand for water and feed resulting from extended droughts and extreme weather events.

Many captured horses can be adopted by responsible horse and landowners, and stallions vasectomized and released back into the wild to help with population control. I support the humane population control of horses, including the protection of cougars (americanwildhorsecampaign.org/natural-predators) in the ecosystems they share with antelope and mule deer -- along with reduction in cattle and sheep.

Throughout much of human history, horses have served us and suffered. It should be a matter of national honor and public pride to protect wild horses by reducing their numbers to help restore natural biodiversity in their managed preserves -- our “public lands.” For more details, see my website posting (drfoxonehealth.com/post/the-wild-horse-issue/).

VALLEY FEVER ALERT

I mentioned this fungal disease in a recent column. Now it has been reported there were 20,000 human cases of Valley fever in 2019, but the CDC says the actual number of cases is probably higher, and experts say climate change could fuel the spread of the fungus that causes the zoonotic disease into new areas. Flooding and areas of standing water provide the growth medium for this fungus, along with wet basements and garages. The University of Arizona College of Medicine has developed a canine vaccine that could be authorized by the USDA next year, and researchers are developing plans for a clinical trial in humans. (Full story: NBC News, Jan. 30, 2023)

(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: Several sources estimate that the life expectancy of an outdoor cat is only 2 to 5 years. By contrast, the life expectancy of an indoor-only cat is 12 to 18 years! One major reason for the discrepancy is that when an outdoor cat enters another cat's territory -- whether that of a feral cat or the pet of an equally irresponsible neighbor -- fights usually ensue, along with bite wounds and claw punctures.

Cat bites can transmit FIV -- the usually fatal feline immunodeficiency virus -- and bites and claw punctures can both transmit bacterial infection into underlying tissues, muscles, tendons and joints. These wounds can be crippling and lead to septicemia (blood poisoning) and a slow death if the cat is not immediately treated.

Every veterinary hospital will attest to the fact that many of their feline patents come in with bite and scratch wounds, usually from other cats and occasionally from wildlife such as foxes, raccoons and coyotes. Some of these poor cats had no defense since they had been declawed by their owners. Being hit by vehicles, of course, is the other major cause of considerable suffering and expensive veterinary treatment for outdoor cats.

I am especially concerned about TNR "Community Cat" programs that do not provide any protective enclosures for their cats. In such cases, any free-roaming stray, feral or outdoor-indoor cat could encounter them and injurious fighting could occur. Catching TNR cats with fight injuries would be challenging -- and probably too little, too late, even if the suffering animal is actually caught. And "working cats" on farms and such with infected bites and scratches are likely to die slowly from a combination of infection and starvation, being too ill or injured to hunt.

For more details, go to petshed.com/petcyclopedia/cat-fights.html.

CAT RABIES RISK

An unvaccinated 8-month-old cat in Torrington, Connecticut, that shared water and food with wildlife and other outdoor cats was diagnosed with rabies. State law requires all dogs and cats older than 3 months to be vaccinated against rabies. (Full story: The Register Citizen, Jan. 12)

This incident underscores the need to always keep cats indoors. In the CDC's 2020 rabies surveillance report (https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.22.03.0112), only 11 coyotes tested positive, as compared with a total of 288 cats -- an increase from 245 cats in 2019. Only 57 dogs tested positive in 2020 -- a drop from 66 in 2019. Yet each year, hundreds of thousands of animals need to be placed under observation or be tested for rabies, and between 30,000 to 60,000 people need to receive rabies postexposure prophylaxis.

For more, see cdc.gov/rabies/location/usa/surveillance/human_rabies.html.

DEAR DR. FOX: I rescued three cats and I have one dog. I have a doggie door, and my cats learned how to use it to go outside. So to protect them from getting lost or, God forbid, getting hurt by other animals, I bought a chicken coop. I cut out the square where the dog door opens and put a comfortable hammock inside the coop. My cats love to go outside, get fresh air and watch the lizards and the birds, with no worries of getting lost. I thought I'd pass on my tip. -- M.B., Trenton, New Jersey

DEAR M.B.: Good for you -- and for your cats! I would put an extra protective fence around the chicken coop to keep any visiting cats or other animals at a safe distance. Cat owners who want more information on making in-home life safe and enjoyable for their cats can find a lot of good information from the American Bird Conservancy website (abcbirds.org).

There are also multiple articles on this topic on my website, drfoxonehealth.com.

(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: This is a continuation of my thoughts on the development of "grown" meat products as an alternative to factory farms and the slaughter of livestock for consumption. For the first part of this discussion, and the letter that prompted it, please see my Feb. 12 column.

Onward to the latest developments and their possibilities and implications:

Canadian meat giant Maple Leaf Foods has teamed with California's The Better Meat Co. to co-create next-level mycelium meats. While vegan burger and sausage manufacturers such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods rely on soy and pea proteins, and Quorn Co. was the first to utilize fungal mycelium, venture funding is stimulating innovations in animal cell culture in bioreactors.

For instance, San Francisco-based Wildtype will grow salmon stem cells in bioreactors, then transfer them to 3D plant-derived scaffolds to recreate the natural texture of fish. Such innovations will take time to reach the market, but could do much to quell the harmful consequences of overfishing, the depletion of ocean life and the inhumane conditions at salmon fish farms. (For details, see fishfeel.org.)

There is also a company using fungal mycelium to create a durable substitute for animal leather, which can then be made into shoes, clothing, wallets and more. For details, including purchase information, go to mycoworks.com.

On the pet food front, Bond Pets is using precision fermentation to create animal proteins that are just like meat. And a new company called Because, Animals is growing rabbit meat for dogs and mice meat for cats using cells from real meat. A growing number of companies, including Good Dog Food (gooddogfood.com), are focusing on cultured meat for companion animals only.

A company in Singapore, Pawsible Foods (pawsiblefoods.com), is another player in the mycelium-based pet nutrition arena. They are doing similar things as Quorn and The Better Meat Co., as far as using fermentation methods and mycelium-based bioprocesses to create food for pets that is cleaner and healthier than traditional meat-based products.

Fungal mycoproteins and other chemical components of mushrooms can heal, as promoted by some holistic veterinarians, notably my old friend Dr. Robert Silver. (For details, see realmushrooms.com and wellpetdispensary.com.) The role of fungi in helping us create safe and near-zero carbon emission foods, meat, fish, dairy and egg substitutes is indeed most promising, and they have been used safely in baking and brewing for centuries.

The powers, qualities and gifts of the fungal kingdom are many, and these organisms play vital roles in forests and other ecosystems. Recapturing these gifts, and in turn helping keep forests -- the lungs of the Earth -- healthy, may put us on the path of scientific redemption, healing and planetary restoration.

Readers interested in more information on this topic may find these two articles enlightening: "The Rise of Cell-Cultured Seafood" by Cliff White (seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/sena-panel-the-rise-of-cell-cultured-seafood) and "Understanding the Cellular Agriculture Industry's Impact and Growth" by Hamid Noori (forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/01/18/understanding-the-cellular-agriculture-industrys-impact-and-growth).

ALTERNATIVE PROTEINS FOR PETS: A WORD OF CAUTION

Regarding all of the promising developments and technologies above, we must still be patient and prudent before rushing to feed our companion animals any unproven products. Allergens remain a possible concern, as always.

The most likely food allergens contributing to canine cutaneous adverse food reactions (CAFRs) are beef, dairy products, chicken and wheat. The most common food allergens in cats are beef, fish and chicken. CAFRs include both food hypersensitivities (mediated by the immune system) and food intolerances (not involving the immune system). (For more, see "Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals," R.S. Mueller, et al, biomedcentral.com.)

In light of these findings, I would exercise caution in putting cultivated meats into pet foods. But this is unlikely in the near future anyway, because of the costs in producing animal proteins via biofermentation at this stage of research and development.

(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.)