It is difficult to tell farmers what to do when it comes to environmental and wildlife protection and more humane treatment of animals raised for food when they are driven by profit margins and know how to farm the government for subsidies and price supports. According to one survey, “Total covered cropland declined nearly 10 million acres or -4% between 2012 and 2022. The decline was slower between 2017 and 2022 (-3%). Total covered cropland includes land in cover crops, winter wheat, and forages as well as cropland in CRP and pasture and grazing land that can be cropped without additional improvement.” (Zulauf, C., G.et al. "Cover Crops and Covered Cropland, 2022 US Census of Agriculture." farmdoc daily (14):37, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Feb. 22, 2024.)

Cover crops help prevent soil erosion and loss of nutrients and enhance carbon sequestration. No agricultural land should be left bare. Only 3% of farmed acres in Minnesota, used mainly to produce corn and soy, have any protective winter cover crop such as winter rye. I wish Cargill and Forever Green success in developing the over-winter cover crop of oil seed camelina that could be highly profitable and protect the precious soil.

Another harm that is evident in the decline in monarch butterflies and other insects, along with birds and other wildlife that depend on insects as a food source, results from the planting of genetically modified (GM) crops that are resistant to Roundup (glyphosate) herbicide treatment and produce their own insecticide called Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis). Now, a new study links monarch butterfly and other insect and bird declines with the widespread treatment of corn and soybean seeds with neonicotinoids in the Midwest that are absorbed into plant tissues. (See Van Deynze, B. et al (2024) "Insecticides, more than herbicides, land use, and climate, are associated with declines in butterfly species richness and abundance in the American Midwest," PLOS ONE 19(6): e0304319.)

Ninety percent of corn grown in the United States and over 80% of soy crop is fed to farmed animals. Much of these crops are exported to China and other countries to feed factory farmed animals that are a potential source of pandemics, such as the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus now decimating wild bird and land and sea mammals around the world.

With climate change-related floods and droughts reducing crop yields and causing food shortages and rising market prices globally, feeding people first rather than using land to produce crops for farmed animal feed, regardless of the dubious promises of developing genetically engineered flood-, salt- and drought-resistant feed crops, would be prudent.

Recent floods in many states have led to factory farm waste/manure holding lagoons overflowing, causing extensive pollution of surface and ground waters, fish kills, and risks to public health from excess nitrates and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Climate change also brings unprecedented heat that stresses these confined animals or suffocates them during power outages. Their suffering is compounded when ventilation is turned off to kill them when they have diseases such as avian influenza, extermination being the accepted means of disease control -- which would not be needed if animal factory farms were phased out.

Wealthier countries need to consume less meat to tackle climate change -- and one nationwide experiment in Denmark to encourage plant-based diets may show a way forward. (See article by Sanne Wass: How Denmark Is Nudging the Nation To Cut Back on Meat; Bloomberg, June 26.) Big Pharma that makes billions from antibiotic, vaccine and production-enhancing drug sales for factory farmed animals will protest and lobby against any reductions.

In a world full of unrest, fears are mounting about access to our most vital resources -- food and water. "The Grab" is a documentary that chronicles the way certain governments are attempting to control these global resources. The journalist and director behind the film, Nate Halverson and Gabriela Cowperthwaite, join the show to discuss whether the fight over our most precious commodities could lead to geopolitical conflict. For example, Smithfield Foods was recently purchased by China, making China the owner of 1 in 4 pigs in the U.S. The largest dairy company in the Middle East purchased 15 square miles in Arizona and is pumping water to grow hay that is sent to feed dairy cows back in Middle East; being in an unrestricted part of Arizona, there is no restriction on water abstraction even though nearby domestic wells may run dry. (See video documentary: youtube.com/watch?v=ppwlFwcL4iY.)

Consumers can join the farm-with-less-harm movement by purchasing produce and prepared foods (including some pet foods) that carry the logos USDA Organically Certified, GMO Free and Animal Welfare Certified. Country of origin should also be indicated. For environmental, biodiversity conservation, economic and health reasons, millions of consumers in many countries are now opting for vegetarian and vegan diets, and healthful vegan pet foods are now available for companion animals.

BLOCKING ALTERNATIVE (AND HUMANE) CULTIVATED MEAT PRODUCTION

A Republican congressman recently proposed a bill that would ban the use of federal funds in various areas related to cultured meat. Eight Republican colleagues cosponsored Rep. Warren Davidson’s (R-Ohio) REAL Meat Act of 2024. “Fake cell-cultured meat not only poses a health risk to the human body, but it also threatens the livelihoods of America’s hard-working ranchers, livestock farmers and butchers,” Davidson said after the bill was introduced. “Recently, laws prohibiting lab-grown meat have been passed in states like Florida and Alabama. Congress must act to ensure U.S. taxpayers are not footing the bill for this inferior, experimental product.”

I know of no documentation of any such health risks, but they are well-documented with conventional animal products. Cultured meats could provide greater consumer safety and significantly less negative environmental contribution to climate change -- and animal suffering.

U.K. CULTIVATED MEAT CAT FOOD COMING TO U.S.

A U.K. company plans to bring the first cultivated-meat cat food to the U.S. this year through an R&D partnership with a manufacturer in the U.S., where regulatory tests also remain, says Owen Ensor, co-founder and CEO of Meatly, which sells 5-ounce cans in the U.K. for about $1.25. Some big pet-food companies see a market opportunity in lab-grown meat, while others are skeptical, and Meatly's goal is to end pet food's reliance on farmed animals and decrease its effect on the environment. (Full story: The Daily Beast, June 29)

(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: I was raised as a Christian, but I find it hard to believe in a God who would create a world where there are predators that must kill to live. What are your thoughts? -- L.H., Cleveland, Ohio

DEAR L.H.: I sympathize with your quandary but, as I detail in my numerous essays about wolves, there are lessons to be learned about predation. First, predators -- other than humans, who domesticate and eat billions of animals annually -- never kill more than they need. Otherwise, they would run out of food and become extinct.

Second, predators practice birth and population control: Only top-ranking wolves breed, for example, and male lions kill the existing cubs of females they seek to mate with.

Third, life gives to life in the ecological food chain; little fish eat plankton and in turn are eaten by bigger fish, who are then eaten by seals and other marine mammals and seabirds.

Those who believe in a god should respect and protect that god’s creation, learning to live simply so that others may simply live. It's an ethic of peaceful coexistence that agnostics and atheists should also embrace.

The world was not created simply for human use, but as an incredible, dynamic, sustainable system of biodiversity. I see all animals experiencing life as spiritual beings in different forms and functions, all of whom can inspire and inform us as we evolve into a wiser and more compassionate species.

DEAR DR. FOX: We have a 2-year-old boy, Robbie, and recently adopted a gentle 1-year-old dog. They get along just fine, but the dog likes to chew Robbie’s fluffy animals and plastic toys, and I wonder if the plastic ones are safe. I worry he might swallow pieces, though none have broken up yet. They are soft and squishy, but I worry.

It is difficult to keep the dog away from them, especially when Robbie drops them. What is your advice? -- K.H., Lima, Ohio

DEAR K.H.: Your dog chewing on fluffy toys that your child later plays with should be safe for the child: It has been shown that children have fewer allergies and develop an immune system-boosting microbiome when there is a dog in the home passing on beneficial bacteria to infants. But as a precaution, I would put the soft toys and shared blankets in the washer from time to time.

For both your child’s health and the dog’s, I would get rid of all plastic toys because most contain endocrine-disrupting phthalates. Go online and look up safe toys for children. There are companies that are aware of this health problem, and more parents need to be informed.

As far as other options for your dog to chew on, avoid bones and deer antlers, which can crack dogs’ teeth. Bone fragments can also penetrate the guts. Never buy dried animal parts sold in pet stores, notably pigs’ feet and ears. An FDA investigation into 154 human cases of Salmonella infections cases between June 2015 and September 2019 linked seven Salmonella serotypes to samples from pig ear treats for pets, and some of the Salmonella species were resistant to three or more antimicrobial drug classes. The study, published in Lancet Public Health, found that Salmonella was transmitted to people through direct contact with pig ear treats and infected dogs. (Full Story: FoodSafetyNews.com, June 18)

Also, avoid rawhide dog chews, which can disintegrate and cause intestinal blockages, and which may well contain toxic processing chemicals. I give my dog plant-based No-Hide dog chews from Earth Animal that keep her teeth clean, her gums healthy, and provide her the chewing pleasure so many dogs enjoy that also helps relieve anxiety.

MINNESOTA WARNS CAT OWNERS ABOUT TULAREMIA

Tularemia is a bacterial disease carried by various animals, including squirrels, rabbits and mice, which can be spread by animal bites and scratches, bites from ticks and other insects, or even inhaled in aerosol form from a dead animal. The Minnesota Department of Health found tularemia in 21 animals last year, which is three times the usual number of cases for the state. Seven cases have been reported so far this year.

Health officials are warning that outdoor cats who develop a fever, swelling and skin sores are likely to have tularemia. The MDH is urging Minnesotans to avoid contact with wild animals and to wear tick repellents when outdoors, and cat owners are instructed to prevent their cats from going outdoors and hunting small animals. Infected cats could transmit this disease to family members, although the disease is not transmissible from person to person. So, again: Keep cats indoors!

This zoonotic disease, and others such as insect-borne West Nile virus and dengue fever, are likely to rise in many states with climate change-associated rising temperatures and moisture levels.

(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: I am a cat lover, and appreciate that you write about declawing as a cruel mutilation. I am sending you this article to share with your readers: "Declawing Cats Provokes a Billion-Dollar Debate" by Peter Funt, which ran in The Wall Street Journal in June. The subtitle states: "Surgically removing a cat's claws has long been a profitable business for veterinarians. Now animal advocates are hoping to ban what they call a 'cruel and torturous procedure.'" -- E.K., Washington, D.C.

DEAR E.K.: Thank you for sending this excellent review of the contentious issue of feline mutilation, about which I have written in an effort to discourage and outlaw the practice. (See my post here: drfoxonehealth.com/post/declawing-cats.)

Here are some highlights, paraphrased, from Funt’s article:

-- Nearly two dozen countries, including England, Australia and Japan, have prohibited or severely restricted declawing. Exceptions are given to owners who are immunocompromised and at risk from infection from cat scratches (as an alternative to euthanizing or rehoming their cats).

-- More than a dozen states have sought to ban the practice, but only New York and Maryland have succeeded.

-- America’s largest provider of veterinary services, Mars Inc., with some 2,200 animal hospitals, has opted out of declawing. A position paper states that removal of the third toe bone from each digit of a cat’s foot “has been shown to lead to chronic pain and, in some cases, to cause long-term behavioral issues.”

I encourage readers to seek out the full article.

People who opt for declawing their cats usually do so in an effort to curb the animal's scratching behavior, which can be destructive. A new study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science finds that stress triggers cats to scratch more than any other factor -- and it is exacerbated when young children are around. The study also notes that scratching increases after long play sessions and nocturnal activity.

Veterinary researcher Yasemin Salgirli Demirbas says the study suggests several ways to calm scratching, including short play sessions (which mimic successful hunting), safe hiding places, elevated observation perches and the provision of scratching posts in low-traffic areas. In addition, children must be instructed not to overexcite their feline companions. (Full story: Popular Science, July 3)

DEAR DR. FOX: I’ve always loved that you respect all life, and I’ve learned a great deal from your weekly articles. However, your timing with regard to the story about Orthodox Jews sacrificing chickens has made you a cog in the wheel of antisemitism. With everything going on in the world, specifically with antisemitism here in the U.S., couldn’t you have delayed this item until next year or whenever?

This is the type of thing that gets added to a list of vilifying grievances that haters use to stoke their hate. I expect more nuance from you. -- T.S., Lake Worth, Florida

DEAR T.S.: I appreciate your concerns, and I do not wish to perpetuate or contribute to discrimination in any form. However, I have found there is no perfect time for posting concerns about animal cruelty.

I have published concerns over ritual halal (Islamic) slaughter in my column, as well, and discuss these matters on my website (see drfoxonehealth.com/post/farmed-animal-slaughter-ritual-and-conventional). As I emphasize, goats and sheep should be stunned and rendered unconscious before their throats are cut because there are arteries in their vertebrae that continue to supply blood to the brain -- meaning the animals are conscious while they bleed out.

Religion-based ritual slaughter practices need to be made more humane, and science-supported criticism must not be dismissed as antisemitic or anti-Islamic. A life unexamined is a life unlived, and we should all examine our cultural and religious beliefs and practices.

(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.)