DEAR DR. FOX: With all due respect, I need to disagree with your position about cows being a problem. As a veterinarian, you should know that cows are just one of about 200 species of ruminant animals, all of them methane emitters. In my area, the white-tailed deer population has grown to the point that they are obnoxious vermin, chewing on anything green in addition to emitting methane.

All around the world, there are people dependent on water buffalo, reindeer, yaks, goats, sheep and other animals for their entire livelihoods. Elimination of domestic cattle would hardly make a blip in the total methane emissions into our atmosphere, the majority of which comes from the extraction and burning of fossil fuels, oil and gas leaks, garbage dumps, volcanos -- and, of course, wars.

Ever since the dawn of humanity, we have been meat-eaters. Many times, the only thing between humans and starvation was a chunk of wild animal meat. Some think that meat consumption enabled us to develop larger brains. If anyone wants to be a vegetarian, fine, go ahead. But the strident demands for all of us to convert to vegetarianism are ridiculous and probably impossible.

Most of the people making those demands are of the pampered class who have never been hungry, never produced one bit of their own food and have no idea of what food production requires. With widespread hunger around the world, those same people are blind to the irony of being able to ponder over their choices for each meal. And those hoping to make meat-eating into a moral issue are running counter to Christianity, Judaism and Islam, all of which recognize meat-eating.

The new artificial “meats” lack flavor, are too expensive and may be up to 15 times more damaging to the environment than real meat. It is impossible to grow, harvest, collect, transport, manufacture, distribute and cook artificial meat ingredients without a huge environmental impact, including water usage.

I do not like factory farms any more than you do. Those places are the result of economic forces and the constant mergers of ever-larger corporations that have driven the smaller farms out of business. Cows free to graze on pasture are the ideal situation, which in many ways replicates the effects of the millions of bison that once roamed North America. But farm commodities are subject to prices mostly controlled by large corporations. Only a few companies control meat production, five corporations control world grain prices, and milk processors are continually undergoing mergers. We have laws to limit monopolies, but our government seldom enforces them.

Here is a simple fact: Given a choice, people are going to eat what they like. The militant vegetarians, the new moralists and our medical establishment have all refused to accept that fact. -- D.D., Niles, Michigan

DEAR D.D.: As my friend the late Nobel Prize-winner Konrad Lorenz would say, “I could not disagree with you less” -- that is, regarding many of the points you raise!

However, I do regard vegetarianism, and ideally veganism, as ethical imperatives for those who do have choices. The estimated 800 million people around the world who are malnourished have no such choices. Using good agricultural lands to raise feed for factory-farmed animals, rather than people, is ecologically absurd, socially unjust and a major cause of the loss of biodiversity. India has millions of undernourished people, yet is a major exporter of meat.

How can food be produced sustainably -- and social, economic and eco-justice upheld -- with a global population of 8 billion, where many factions are at war or victims of extreme climatic events, when those with disposable income demand more meat? Producing animal proteins through cell culture/biofermentation is still limited by economies of scale, while the farming of insects is taking hold -- along with establishing food-safety and humane standards, since insects are sentient.

Monopolistic corporate control of agriculture, as you observe, is part of the seemingly unstoppable juggernaut of “progress,” decimating rural communities and the nexus of family farms, as I documented in my 1986 book “Agricide: The Hidden Crisis That Affects Us All.”

As for the methane issue and livestock-keeping: When herbivores such as deer browse vegetation, they stimulate plant growth, which creates a bigger carbon sink. (Study: "The role of large wild animals in climate change mitigation and adaptation" by Yadvinder Malhi et al., published in Current Biology, 2022.)

Deer emit much less methane than sheep, and far less than cattle on the same diets. (Study: "Comparative methane emissions from cattle, red deer and sheep" by N.M. Swainson et al., published in the Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, 2008.)

A modeling study of introducing bison into natural habitat showed that ”animal presence fundamentally changes the relationships between plants, microbes and the environment. In turn, this leads to large changes in the amount of carbon captured and stored in ecosystems relative to conditions that exclude animals. Hence, animals can be allies in fighting climate change as a key addition to the growing portfolio of nature-based climate change solutions.” (Study: "Rewiring the carbon cycle: A theoretical framework for animal-driven ecosystem carbon sequestration" by Matteo Rizzuto et al., published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, 2024.)

The "vegan dream" of no cattle, sheep or goats grazing/browsing would simply contribute to increased atmospheric CO2 without the stimulation of plant growth. Grasslands need to be restored, and indigenous herbivores such as the buffalo and antelope (and eventually wolves) need to be reintroduced. Consumption of vegetation also helps reduce the incidence of wildfires, which are a significant factor in climate change.

In the interim, it would not be “greenwashing” for ranchers to transition to optimal numbers of grazers, including cattle, sheep and goats. Mixed grazing could be coupled with rotational grazing at low stocking densities, with eventual reintroduction of indigenous wild herbivores. The transfer of diseases such as chronic wasting disease, hemorrhagic fever and brucellosis between wild and domestic herbivores will call for heightened veterinary involvement and the prudent use of available vaccinations.

(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: In your book “Supercat: Raising the Perfect Feline Companion,” you mentioned that young cats should have lots of different experiences to develop their intelligence. One of them is to experience the outdoors. Then later in the book, you say to keep the cat indoors.

I have had indoor/outdoor cats in the past, and currently have indoor-only cats. When I introduced my previous cats to the great outdoors, I could not keep them in the house. They would bolt out the door to enjoy outdoor adventures. My current cats have never been outdoors, so I do not have that issue, and they don't know what they are missing.

So my question is, how can you recommend taking young cats outdoors to develop their smarts and then say later that cats should be kept indoors? Don’t you think that it is cruel to keep them inside once they have experienced the joys of being outdoors? -- T.H., location withheld

DEAR T.H.: Thank you for asking for clarification, and I am sorry that my advice seemed confusing, even contradictory, in this detailed book about how best to live with and understand cats.

On page 68, where I discuss the importance of environmental enrichment for kittens, I state clearly that they should “always be under a parental eye” and that “a kitten should never be allowed to roam free and unsupervised, or be encouraged to wander alone outdoors.”

Later in the book, I write about always keeping cats indoors, and that some can be trained to enjoy short outdoor walks wearing a harness and leash. Another option is an outdoor enclosure, popularly called a “catio” today.

You are correct that once young cats get outdoors alone to roam free, they usually want to do so whenever possible. So, I agree with you it would be inhumane to deprive them of the great outdoors after experiencing it. Therefore, I advise all owners of kittens, right from the start, to never let them outdoors by themselves. They should only be allowed out on a leash and harness, or to access a catio enclosure via a door or window flap and covered walkway. They can also be carried to the outdoor enclosure, some designs of which I detail in the book.

I am glad that you are keeping your cats indoors and agree with you that they “don’t know what they are missing.”

AVIAN INFLUENZA TRANSMISSION BETWEEN PETS AND PEOPLE

The highly infectious H5N1 avian influenza that has been sickening and killing poultry, wild birds and various mammalian species is also transmissible to cats, researchers have found. There is no sign yet that the virus has developed the ability to jump from person to person, but finding it in domestic cats raises the question of whether their owners may be at risk. It is rare, but not impossible, for people to contract avian flu from pets or other animals, experts say. (Full story: sciencenews.org, May 31)

Cats that developed H5N1 avian influenza infections after drinking raw milk at a dairy farm developed lethargy, signs of neurological illness, discharge from their eyes and noses, and blindness, researchers reported in the CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases. Veterinarian Jurgen Richt, director of the Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases at Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said he would neither drink raw milk nor feed it to cats, dogs or calves. (Full story: Ars Technica, April 29)

To reduce the risk of this virus evolving to jump from cats to people, cats should not be allowed outdoors, where they may eat infected birds and small mammals, nor should they be fed raw milk or poultry.

WHY DOES MY DOG EAT GOLDENROD LEAVES?

Every spring, like other dogs, my dog Kota eats grass and later poops it out. But she also likes to eat the leaves of goldenrod plants. I checked out the possible health benefits of this herb, to which many people are allergic when it blooms.

According to one article from the Mount Sinai Health System (mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/goldenrod), “A few animal and test tube studies suggest goldenrod may help reduce inflammation, relieve muscle spasms, fight infections and lower blood pressure. It does seem to act like a diuretic, and is used in Europe to treat urinary tract inflammation and to prevent or treat kidney stones. In fact, goldenrod is often found in teas to help 'flush out' kidney stones and stop inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract.”

I would like to hear from readers whose dogs select particular plants to eat. Such readers might also find this study interesting: “The origins of zoopharmacognosy: how humans learned about self-medication from animals” by Mezcua Martin Alvaro et al., published in the International Journal of Applied Research in 2019.

(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 urge all veterinarians, and people with young dogs who are not yet neutered, to read this recently published study: “Assisting decision-making on age of neutering for German Short/Wirehaired Pointer, Mastiff, Newfoundland, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Siberian Husky: associated joint disorders, cancers and urinary incontinence,” by Lynette Hart, et al., published in April in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

The report states: “Spaying female and castrating male dogs, hereinafter referred to as neutering, is a U.S. convention for the first year in the dog’s life. Research on 35 breeds of dogs revealed that early neutering increases risks of joint disorders, such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia or cranial cruciate ligament tear, or cancers, such as lymphosarcoma, mast cell tumor, hemangiosarcoma or osteosarcoma, for some breeds. Joint disorder risks are heightened for some larger breeds and for mixed-breed dogs weighing more than 20 kg. Some breeds had elevated risks for cancers.”

My advice has always been not to neuter until full physical maturity. This is an issue with animal shelters, where the policy is an early spay/neuter for all pups prior to adoption. That should be revised with the new findings about adverse consequences in certain breeds, since mixed breeds may also be adversely affected later in life.

One option for shelters is to vasectomize male pups and perform hysterectomies on females, leaving the ovaries intact. (Testicles and ovaries can be removed later in life if desired, after veterinary consultation.) This practice could reduce urinary incontinence, for example, especially in young female dogs -- a condition that may lead some owners to put their dogs up for adoption.

DEAR DR. FOX: I am familiar with some of your writings about animal sentience, and I wonder if you have read this book about plants. It is an eye- (and heart- and mind-) opener! It’s called “The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth” by Zoe Schlanger. -- C.F., San Francisco

DEAR C.F.: Thank you for informing me about this new book, which represents a major contribution to the advancement of our appreciation for other members of the planetary life community.

It is very interesting and significant that at this critical time in our evolution, and in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss and rising extinctions, there is more discovery and integration of information about other sentient beings, including plants. We are realizing their contribution to our own well-being, along with viruses and bacteria, without which we would not exist. With this realization -- and with the ethical call of reverence for all life -- the Anthropocene era is being transcended by what my friend the late Father Thomas Berry called the Ecozoic era (which I call the Ethicocene). It is a paradigm shift, indeed!

HUMANE PIG CARE OPPOSITION

In his May 26 Star Tribune article "Farm bill brings more division in D.C.," reporter Christopher Vondracek writes about the proposed $1.5 trillion Farm Bill, which includes a provision to nullify the California hog welfare law passed in 2018. That initiative, known as Proposition 12, stipulates humane production standards for all pig products sold in California. Among other things, it requires pork producers to give each sow (mother pig) at least 24 square feet of space.

Now, some members of Congress are trying to nullify that law and prevent similar measures from passing. Speaking for his Minnesota pork-producing constituents, who fear economic loss of sales in California, Republican Rep. Brad Finstad calls Proposition 12 the “use of political science to mandate wrongheaded protection standards.”

Political science? Hardly. It is based on behavioral science -- the understanding of animal sentience -- and the ethics of compassion. Finstad needs to get an education. The provision to nullify Proposition 12 should be removed when the Farm Bill gets to the Senate.

PET FUR CONDITIONER RECALLED

Spectrum Brands Pet Care has recalled FURminator deShedding Ultra Premium Dog Conditioner due to potential contamination with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. The product was sold online and in pet supply stores in the U.S. and Canada. (Full story: cpsc.gov, June 6)

(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.)