DEAR DR. FOX: I am a 74-year-old retired lawyer living in south Florida. I read your recent column, "Is Mentioning the World's Overpopulation Now Taboo?"

I have been concerned about overpopulation since my undergraduate college days, inspired by Paul Ehrlich, but it seems like no one has been interested in it since the '90s. I don't get it. Worse, most media commentary is centered around the "crisis" of not enough people being born to maintain and support the growth society, and its environmental consumption, we seem to require.

I don't think Homo sapiens is equipped to continue for much longer; we will become another extinct branch on the evolutionary tree. But before we are finished, look out, fellow life forms. -- D.A., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR DR. FOX: Great article you wrote about the population issue -- with one big flaw: It is not a NEW taboo, but rather a very old one. But since nobody wants to offend the "church," which, in its all-knowing wisdom, posits that overpopulation is good, everybody remains silent -- while the Earth burns. -- S.L., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR D.A. AND S.L.: I feel very much the same way as you on this critical issue. Mother Nature's "retribution" to rectify what amounts to a planetary infestation of Homo sapiens is self-evident. All of this is clearly spelled out in a 1992 message from the Hopi people, delivered to the United Nations in a speech by Thomas Banyacya (an event in which I participated -- read the statement on my website: drfoxonehealth.com/post/the-hopi-message-prophecy).

Albert Schweitzer also encapsulated this message in his assertion that, "Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace."

Books such as Paul Ehrlich's "The Population Bomb" (published in 1968), Frances Moore Lappe's "Diet for a Small Planet" (1971), Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" (1962) and the Club of Rome report "Limits to Growth" (1972) helped galvanize public concern and sparked several nonprofit organizations dedicated to addressing these concerns. But they did not turn the tide.

I still have faith in the powers of reason and sound science and our survival instinct being enlightened by understanding that our well-being is inseparable from that of other creatures who sustain the natural environment. This fact is a core element of the One Health movement.

LONE STAR TICK CAN CAUSE SERIOUS ALLERGIC REACTION

A bite from a Lone Star tick can make consumers allergic to beef, dairy and gelatin, triggering the so-called "alpha-gal syndrome." Symptoms include a rash or hives; dizziness; fatigue; difficulty breathing; lowered blood pressure; stomach pain; swelling of the eyelids, lips, throat and/or tongue; joint pain; and generalized inflammation.

The condition may be under-diagnosed, and the CDC estimates up to 450,000 people across the U.S. have been affected by this allergy. This is yet another reason to go vegan!

AIR-DRIED FOOD: IMPROVING NUTRITION FOR DOGS' HEALTH

Air-dried dog food is made by gently drying the raw ingredients using high-velocity air, humidity and minimal heat. To learn more about this relatively new class of highly nutritious dog food -- and, in my professional opinion, a safer alternative to the BARF/raw food craze -- read this excellent synopsis in Animal Wellness magazine: animalwellnessmagazine.com/the-benefits-of-air-dried-dog-food.

(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 wonder how many municipalities in Minnesota and other states are poisoning their communities, with various herbicides being sprayed along public walkways, roadsides and parks for purposes I find, as a veterinarian and biologist, at best highly questionable.

On May 19, 2023, while walking my dog beside Basset Creek in Golden Valley, Minnesota, I saw some flags posted with the warning: “Keep children and pets off until May 19.” As I bent down to read what had been sprayed, a Monarch butterfly landed a couple of feet away on a young milkweed plant. Both may soon be gone, one from the herbicide and the other from starvation.

The flag notation indicated that Vastlan and AquaNeat had been sprayed on the plants beside the creek.

Results of one study about Vastlan's active ingredient, triclopyr choline, suggest that it may be more difficult for dogs to excrete triclopyr compared to other animals. Always take steps to minimize your pets' exposure when using pesticides. Triclopyr is low to moderate in developmental toxicity and moderate in reproductive toxicity. Details of the risks of this herbicide are available at npic.orst.edu/factsheets/triclopyrgen.html#

AquaNeat contains 5.4 pounds per gallon of the active ingredient glyphosate, in the form of its isopropylamine salt. Many scientists have documented the worldwide public and environmental harms of Monsanto/Bayer’s glyphosate, widely marketed as Roundup.

Multimillion-dollar settlements have been reached over exposure of Roundup users who developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. New research from the U.C. Berkeley School of Public Health shows that childhood exposure to the world’s most widely used weed killer, glyphosate, is linked to liver inflammation and metabolic disorder in early adulthood, which could lead to liver cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life.

(See Brenda Eskenazi et al, 2023 Association of Lifetime Exposure to Glyphosate and Aminomethylphosphonic Acid (AMPA) with Liver Inflammation and Metabolic Syndrome at Young Adulthood: Findings from the CHAMACOS Study, Environmental Health Perspectives, 131:3, CID: 037001; doi.org/10.1289/EHP11721).)

Glyphosate is highly toxic to many aquatic species, and applying Vastlan and AquaNeat next to Basset Creek is an affront to common sense, sound science and public responsibility. It is notable that at the end of the road where I live is the Minneapolis Clinic of Neurology, which has its extensive lawns regularly sprayed with Roundup.

Spot-spraying these herbicides on “invasive” plants such as sting nettles should be reconsidered. Many such plants provide food for insects, and nettles have medicinal and nutritive value -- they can even be made into cloth!

Herbicides may play a significant role in the proliferation of prions in deer, causing chronic wasting disease, and are a recognized factor in the genesis of chronic neurological disorders in humans, such as Parkinson's disease.

The good news, reported by Jennifer Bjorhus (Star Tribune, May 29, 2023, "Roadsides about to get wild again"), is that, modeled on a similar prairie program in Iowa, the Minnesota Department of Transportation will rewild roadside ditches along state and interstate highways with native vegetation for birds, butterflies, bees and other pollinators. All states should follow this initiative and prohibit routine weed-spraying and haymaking to help in biodiversity recovery and habitat restoration.

The widespread use of herbicides, especially by conventional agriculture and agroforestry, is decimating natural biodiversity -- plants that sustain pollinators and other beneficial insects and the reptiles, birds and bats that feed on them. These and other petrochemically derived pesticides have been found in rainwater and the waters we drink and bathe in. Time to clean up shop or ship off!

SOME DOGS’ BRAINS MAY BE GETTING LARGER

Domesticated animals' average brain size is nearly always smaller than that of their wild ancestors; the average brain volume of wolves is 24% larger than that of domestic dogs. But the average brain size of dogs that are the most genetically distinct from wolves is larger than that of ancient breeds, according to a study published in Evolution. Researchers say that dogs' brains are growing as they evolve through selective breeding, possibly driven by the demands of the complex human-made society in which they now live. (Full story: Psychology Today, June 13.)

Perhaps in a few generations, some dogs will verbally communicate more fluently with us, their word comprehension and associated attentiveness becoming even more astounding. As for our own brains, they are being “rewired" in childhood by interfacing with the internet/cyberspace, and reset therapeutically with mushrooms and herbs!

All things are connected, and I trust that artificial intelligence may expand our limited brains so we cause less harm, better serving the common good and the good of the commons as responsible planetary stewards.

(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.)

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS or “forever” chemicals, constitute a multibillion-dollar family of some 14,000 different chemicals that are widely used to make water-, grease- and stain-repellent coatings. They are also used in a vast array of consumer goods, clothing, carpets, upholstery, cookware and in industrial applications. 3M, a major manufacturer of these chemicals, has recently agreed to pay up to $12.5 billion to settle claims over PFAS polluting municipal drinking water systems around the country and to clean them up.

(For an extensive review of these chemicals, see Heather D. Brake et al, Current per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) research points to a growing threat for animals. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, July 2023, vol. 261, pp. 952-958 (doi.org/10.2460/javma.22.12.0582).)

Liver toxicity, reduced postnatal survival, depressed immune function and altered thyroid function in both humans and animals are documented. These chemicals are omnipresent in the environment in foods, food packaging, cosmetics, drinking water and in-home dust and carpeting, and may contribute to hypothyroidism and obesity in cats living in such contaminated environments.

It has been widely known for decades that, like the canaries down in the mines that warned of poisonous carbon monoxide gas, canaries and other caged birds have died in homes where Teflon-coated nonstick cookware was overheated. In my opinion, we ignored these early warnings of the potential health risks of PFAS.

It is estimated that at least 45% of drinking water in the U.S. is contaminated with these “forever” chemicals, along with some heavy metals, all of which are a health hazard to us and our companion animals.

I have used a ZeroWater filter for several years in our home, and the manufacturers of this low-cost filter system have posted this announcement: “Our 5-Stage water filters remove 99.6% of total dissolved solids (TDS). ZeroWater is the only pour-through filter NSF-certified to reduce lead, chromium and the forever chemicals PFOA and PFOS, giving you peace of mind in addition to delicious water.”

I have no vested interest in this company. The nonprofit organization the Environmental Working Group has tested various water pitcher filters and recommends four that remove close to 100% of toxic contaminants: Travel Berkey Water Filter, Clearly Filtered, ZeroWater and Epic Water Filter.

PERSISTENT CHEMICALS FOUND IN BLOOD OF DOGS, HORSES

Researchers found at least one of 20 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the blood of every horse and dog tested and identified biomarkers of liver and kidney dysfunction, according to a study published in Environmental Science and Technology. The animals lived in an area of North Carolina where PFAS have contaminated well water and a river, and the findings suggest dogs and horses could be sentinels of human exposure to so-called forever chemicals. Full story: The Hill (6/21)

DEAR DR.FOX: I prepare my dog's food using mostly chicken, lean beef and pork with seasonal vegetables. I add a supplement of vitamins/minerals that I purchase from The Farmer's Dog. My dog suffered a severe vitamin B12 deficiency. How is this possible? We brought him back from the brink with shots of B12 vitamins. I also switched to commercial dog food, which I must hand-feed, as he detests the stuff. I am now giving him a multivitamin daily. -- L.M., Washington D.C.

DEAR L.M.: I commend your veterinarian for making this diagnosis of a not commonly seen condition. The symptoms of B12 deficiency are not always easy to spot. The most common is weight loss, which can easily be mistaken for other health disorders. Some of the other symptoms include reduced appetite, dull hair coat, diarrhea, lethargy, mental dullness and neurological problems.

As most causes of vitamin B12 deficiency are a result of intestinal disease-causing malabsorption, simply giving a vitamin B12 tablet will not be beneficial. Most pets respond best to vitamin B12 administered via subcutaneous injection, and the frequency would be approximately once monthly but can vary.

If your dog has symptoms of intestinal B12 malabsorption, it is important to get him to the veterinarian as soon as possible. Certain breeds, including border collies, giant schnauzers and beagles, may be overrepresented, as the condition can be hereditary in these dogs. Exocrine pancreatic disease may also be a culprit.

(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.)