DEAR READERS: The evident ethical limitations of the U.S. Supreme Court are now being compounded by a lack of bioethical and science-based sensibility when it comes to protecting America's natural heritage: wildlife, wildlands and water quality. In its late-May decision in Sackett v. EPA, the court stripped isolated wetlands -- an estimated 45 million acres of swamps, bogs, fens and marshes -- from federal protection. These wetlands play a significant role as a carbon sink to help reduce climate change, and they host and support a wealth of wildlife, including many species close to extinction.

The National Corn Growers Association applauded this ruling, which will allow the conversion of habitat critical to waterfowl, migratory birds and other wildlife -- and important for flood control and water quality -- for agricultural and other purposes. I pray that courts in the near future will see such rulings as a crime against nature, and ultimately against humanity.

"First, do no harm," a part of the Hippocratic oath taken by physicians, needs to be applied to our judicial system as well -- along with all government and business sectors and our own activities and choices as consumers and voters.

KEEPING HARMFUL INSECTS OFF OUR DOGS

Plants defend themselves from insects in various ways, including the adaptive evolution of essential oils, which people have long recognized and extracted to ward off fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and other noxious insects. These natural products are infinitely safer than the synthetic insecticidal chemicals widely sold to animal owners that have caused animals much suffering -- and even death, as I have repeatedly documented in this column.

Veterinarian Dr. Bob Goldstein has formulated various sprays, spot-on treatments, powders and diffusing collars with essential oils of peppermint, lemon grass and cedar, as well as nutrient supplements that can help improve animals' immune defenses against external parasites and bloodsuckers. For more details about these products, including what I am putting on my dog now (Nature's Protection Flea and Tick Herbal Bug Spray), visit earthanimal.com.

DEAR DR. FOX: I saw an advertisement on TV from King Kanine for CBD/cannabis products for dogs. What is your opinion about what they are selling to the general public? I am concerned that this could mean dopey dogs, not to mention pet owners treating their animals, rather than qualified veterinarians. -- R.E., Washington, D.C.

DEAR R.E.: I checked the website of this company and have several concerns. You are right that dog and cat owners should not be diagnosing and treating their animal companions, especially with cannabis products.

Apart from that, I have concerns about these products' sustainability and efficacy. The product called King Kalm, for instance, contains krill oil as well as CBD, and I am concerned about the overharvesting of krill -- a vital food source for whales and other sea life -- for use as livestock feed and as supplements for humans and animals. The company's Mange and Mite Management product is not likely to get rid of sarcoptic and demodectic mange, which are communicable to other animals and humans.

The CBD-infused Dog Paw Moisturizer is made with THC-free CBD oil from hemp, plus natural beeswax, coconut oil and manuka honey. Again, I would question the need for this since dogs' paw pads toughen with age and do not need moisturizers like our hands and feet may. To remove winter street salt or summer sand from paws, washing them in soapy water and drying them well are all that is needed. By contrast, applying this "paw moisturizer" would lock these materials in! Dogs often lick their paws, and I would not like my dog licking this concoction. Paws have their own healthy bacterial community and scent glands, which dogs probably partially rely on in self-recognition when tracing their steps and orienting themselves outdoors. This product could disrupt that.

I question giving these CBD concoctions to dogs who are scratching and licking themselves when the causes of irritation have not been determined by a veterinarian. A food allergy could be the issue, which none of these products would help.

Additionally, there are several reports of dogs becoming acutely ill following consumption of cannabis (CBD and THC) products purchased by their owners for personal use. I do not believe that over-the-counter sales of CBD for companion animal use should be encouraged or permitted; these items should only be prescribed by informed veterinarians for diagnosed conditions.

(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: Please see the information below from Susan Thixton, pet food safety advocate and writer.

From TruthAboutPetFood.com, May 17: The publication PetFoodProcessing.net recently posted news about a meeting of "pet food processors, renderers, suppliers and academia." The purpose of this meeting was for these industry members to "collaborate and work together."

Those attending this meeting were asked: "What are the top challenges for the pet food industry?" The industry responded with: "oxidation, mycotoxins, foreign materials, Salmonella control, peroxide value (PV), stability, inflation and other issues."

All very serious concerns for pet owners.

And the suppliers of rendered ingredients were asked a similar question: "What are the top challenges for the rendering industry?" They responded with: "peroxide value, foreign materials, oxidation, contamination, consumer perception, freshness and other problems."

For more, visit: truthaboutpetfood.com/here-is-what-the-pet-food-industry-says-are-their-top-challenges.

ANOTHER MAJOR PET FOOD DEBACLE AND SETTLEMENT

From TruthAboutPetFood.com, May 9: A website has been established regarding a settlement agreement in the lawsuit against Midwestern Pet Food. The website states: "If you are a person or entity residing in the United States who purchased one or more of the pet food products made by Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. and/or Nunn Milling Co., you may be entitled to monetary benefits under a Class Action Settlement."

Per the agreement, Midwestern Pet Food has "agreed to create a $6,375,000 Settlement Fund ... for Pet Injury Claims, Breeder Claims, and/or Consumer Food Purchase Claims." For veterinary treatment claims, it appears the settlement will pay "100% of approved documented losses." However, the agreement also states under this category, "Payment amounts may be reduced depending on the number of valid claims submitted."

And, "Pet Injury Claims ... paid at $75 for pets that became ill but did not die and $150 for pets that died." But again, the agreement states, "Payment amounts may be reduced depending on the number of valid claims submitted."

The lawsuit settlement also will pay 100% for documented pet food purchases, and up to $50 for undocumented pet food purchases.

Per the FDA Warning Letter to Midwestern Pet Food, "approximately 104 products of dry dog and cat diets" were recalled from October 2020 thru March 19, 2021, due to high levels of aflatoxin. FDA testing of Midwestern pet foods found aflatoxin levels "as high as 558 ppb." The maximum amount of aflatoxin allowed in pet food is 20 ppb.

For more, visit: truthaboutpetfood.com/midwestern-pet-foods-class-action-settlement.

HOME AND SOCIAL LIFE QUALITY AND DOGS' LONGEVITY

Dogs with strong social connections and companions -- both human and canine -- tend to be healthier than dogs that are more isolated, researchers with the Dog Aging Project reported in Evolution, Medicine & Public Health. Financial and household adversity were associated with poor health and lower physical mobility, but the effect of social support on dog health was five times as strong. (Full story: University of Washington, May 24)

PROPAGATING SOME DOG BREEDS CALLED 'INDEFENSIBLE'

The Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations, according to a report in the British Veterinary Association's April Veterinary Record publication, has written that it is "indefensible" to breed English bulldogs and King Charles spaniels because of their inherited chronic health issues. This assertion was sent to Norway's Supreme Court in support of a prohibition on breeding these dogs in Norway.

I continue to question the "dog days" every summer, when breeds such as the English bulldog are raced at Minnesota's Canterbury Park. What enjoyment is there in this ritual for the dogs -- afflicted as they are with obstructive airway syndrome, spinal deformities, orthopedic disease and other inherited abnormalities, all of which make running stressful and potentially injurious? And what kind of perverse enjoyment do spectators have seeing such dogs struggling "valiantly" to run?

There are other breeds that should not be perpetuated for health and welfare reasons, which I have mentioned in this newspaper column, especially the popular and costly French bulldog. For more details, see my post: drfoxonehealth.com/post/recovering-canine-health-and-the-natural-dog.

GENE THERAPY FOR DOGS WITH HEART DISEASE

A gene therapy called RJB-01 (or Rejuvenate Bio) shows some promise in treating myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) in canines, according to new data presented at the May 18 meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy in Los Angeles.

"In the pilot study of cavalier King Charles spaniels with MMVD, a delay in disease progression was demonstrated," per a media release. For more details, visit: dvm360.com/view/gene-therapy-demonstrates-benefit-to-dogs-with-myxomatous-mitral-valve-disease.

Aside from the costs of this kind of treatment for dogs with inherited abnormalities, all such treatments should be conditional on all dogs being neutered to deter breeding.

(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 Supreme Court's decision on California's Proposition 12 came out in late May. The measure was originally passed by California voters in 2018, with 63% voting in favor, but has been held up in legal challenges.

As ABCNews.com reports, "Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for a five-justice majority, said that California voters overwhelmingly endorsed the 'ethical pork' law in 2018 and have the right to decide what products appear on store shelves."

Some background from HumaneSociety.org: "Proposition 12 requires that mother pigs, hens used for eggs, and calves raised for veal be given at least enough space to stand up, turn around and extend their limbs. The law also bans the in-state sale of pork, eggs and veal produced via extreme confinement."

SentientMedia.org reports: "The Court upheld the rights of California to require pork sold in the state meet certain animal welfare requirements. Notably, all nine justices rejected the National Pork Producers Council's argument that Prop 12 is unconstitutional because it has indirect effects on pork producers beyond California -- (pointing out that) 'virtually all state laws create ripple effects beyond their borders.'"

As Gorsuch wrote in the decision, "Companies that choose to sell products in various States must normally comply with the laws of those various States. While the Constitution addresses many weighty issues, the type of pork chops California merchants may sell is not on that list."

I doubt that this Supreme Court decision had anything to do with compassionate concern and humane ethics for factory-farmed animals. Rather, it is aligned with the intent to put greater responsibility on the states, especially regarding other ethical issues such as reproductive rights. However, this decision will have a ripple effect across the factory farming industry that has, for too long, been insulated from public censure and accountability for animals' health and welfare.

DEAR DR. FOX: It's been about 20 years since my beloved cat, Orso, passed away from natural causes. He used to hop onto the bed with my wife and me and do something like a fandango around our feet before settling down.

A week after his death, my wife and I were in bed at our cottage (about 150 miles away from our Toronto home) and each of us had this same experience: Orso doing his fandango at the foot of our bed, moving from right to left, then stopping. Neither of us spoke until after it happened and we each described it the same way. It hasn't happened again.

While I consider myself to be an agnostic, I agree with you that this phenomenon disconfirms our materialistic worldview -- or, to quote Shakespeare, "There are more things in heaven and Earth ... than are dreamt of in your philosophy." Buddhist beliefs seem to be more accepting of this kind of a transition phase after corporeal death. -- L.P., Toronto, Canada

DEAR L.P.: Many thanks for sharing your experience of an afterlife manifestation of your deceased cat. Such experiences are too often dismissed as a product of our own brain-conditioning, but when two or more people experience the same phenomenon at the same time, that theory is moot.

I would like to hear from other readers sharing similar experiences after their animal companions have died. For more details, see this post on my website: drfoxonehealth.com/post/animal-spirits-companion-animal-communications-after-death.

MEDICATION TO FACILITATE CAT RESCUE-ADOPTION

Cats rescued from hoarding situations were more amenable to human interaction after being given a dose of gabapentin, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Also, they were rehabilitated and adoptable sooner than cats that received the same rehabilitation program without the drug. The rehabilitation protocol developed by Bailey Eagan, a graduate student in the University of British Columbia's Animal Welfare Program, has been a "game changer" for cats at a shelter in the province, says Kim Monteith, the shelter's manager of animal behavior and welfare. (Full story: CBC News, Canada, May 21)

MEALWORM PET FOOD PROGRESS

France-based Ynsect worked with veterinary nutritionists to develop a nutritional product made with mealworms that can be incorporated into pet foods, and the company recently acquired its first U.S. production facility in Nebraska. The product is high in fiber, omega-3s and protein; low in ash; and has a slightly nutty taste. Ynsect is developing feed for wild birds and backyard chickens and working with other companies on pet food formulations. (Full story: Fast Company.com, May 18)

(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.)