DEAR READERS: Salmon have been spotted in upstream tributaries of the Klamath River at the California-Oregon border just two months after hydroelectric dams were removed, allowing the river to follow its natural path once more.

“The fact that the fish are going up above the dams now, to the most prolific spawning and rearing habitat in North America, it definitely shines a very bright light on the future,” said Ron Reed, a member of the local Karuk tribe, to the Los Angeles Times. Biologists are keeping a close eye on the fish as they spawn. (Full story: L.A. Times, Oct. 24)

The construction of dams as an energy source was celebrated as techno-triumphalism -- funded by taxpayers and constructed, with the best intentions, under the direction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Now we bear witness to the devastating ecological consequences of arrogant eco-imperialism with the increasing unreliability of hydroelectric power. Prolonged droughts, atmospheric rivers bursting, and deforestation-exacerbated mudslides have cast doubt on dams as a “renewable” source of energy.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a friend who is looking for help for his cat -- specifically, effective hyperthyroid medication and options for managing kidney disease, whether through food or medicine. Any advice? -- D.G., Minnetonka, Minnesota

DEAR D.G.: Get the cat on a wet food -- a special prescription diet for renal disease. The more the cat will drink, the better. Flavoring the water with chicken bouillon (low-salt or homemade) may help.

This cat's attending veterinarian can offer thyroid treatments, which can range from injecting radioactive iodine, prescribing methimazole or surgical removal of the cancerous gland, followed by thyroid hormone replacement. Survival times are probably longer following surgical removal. The cat’s blood pressure and body weight should be closely monitored. A few days’ treatment with gabapentin to help the cat feel less hyperstimulated may be advisable.

My post about helping dogs and cats with kidney disease is available here: drfoxonehealth.com/post/care-for-dogs-cats-with-chronic-kidney-disease.

Many cats suffer from hyperthyroidism, a multifactor disease in which high levels of fluoride in cat foods play a role. Also at fault are a host of endocrine-disrupting chemicals that our high-polluting industrial economy has released into the environment and our food chain, to the detriment of us all.

This is one of many companion animal diseases that make them the modern-day equivalent of canaries in the coal mines, warning us of an unsafe environment. It will be interesting to see what Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as secretary of Health and Human Services under the new Trump administration, will do about this.

(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 United States has just voted into office a president who has called climate change “a big hoax.” Researchers and activists across the world have reacted with dismay and anger.

Donald Trump is expected to increase investment in fossil fuel extraction, and his campaign promised to once more withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which the country had rejoined during the Biden administration.

The day after Trump’s win, the price of bitcoin cryptocurrency soared. This cybereconomy, which consumes energy from nonrenewable resources for each transaction, is a significant contributor to climate change. The collective energy consumption of all crypto assets is higher than all the world’s data centers combined. Per JustEnergy.com, "Current estimates suggest bitcoin mining spews about 65 megatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year."

To ignore the harmful consequences to vulnerable communities, and to wildlife and biodiversity, is a dereliction of duty by all involved. There will be continuous lawsuits to protect public health and the environment from the abuses of unconscionable dominion. This will continue until every nation bases its economy on cyclical ecological principles, stops subsidizing unsustainable and polluting industries, and supports socially just fair trade. Corporate hegemony must be transformed by international convention into free trade alliances.

Otherwise, to quote from W.B. Yeats’ 1919 poem, "The Second Coming": “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.”

DEAR DR. FOX: I wrote to you recently when my dog Max passed away. Thank you for being a ready ear in my time of need. I am doing well, and while I miss Max’s physical presence, he is now a treasured part of my soul. I no longer look at the world in the same way.

I can tell that the animals you have shared your life with have touched your soul, as well. You previously shared a short poem you wrote -- have you written other poems about animals and pets? If so, can you share them?

One final request for advice: My granddaughter is coming to visit, and I’ll have to explain that Max is no longer here in terms a 4-year-old will understand. -- B.C.S., Nassau, Bahamas

DEAR B.C.S.: With young children, I have found sharing photos of times spent with the now-deceased animal helpful. Doing so may briefly intensify their grief, but ultimately provides a smoother and faster resolution by recalling a good life well spent and loved. For older children, whatever suffering may have preceded the animal's death can be explained.

As for discussing where their spirits go, that depends on one’s religious or metaphysical beliefs. But rest assured, since deceased animals often return to "visit" their beloved human companions, there is life after life. For documentation, see my books "Dog Body, Dog Mind" and "Cat Body, Cat Mind."

I am glad that you enjoyed my poem. I have written many over the years, some of which will be published in the near future as a book.

Here is an excerpt from my latest one, entitled "When I Write -- and Why."

"Words pour out of me / In an endless thread / A dreamtime stream / Giving me a life sentence / In love, sorrow, outrage. / I do not know and dread and vent / Numb beyond the endless flow / Of words entangled in despair / That so many never care or see / Or feel for wildness in a cage ... I will continue to compose / With word after word to oppose / Cruel indifference, political corruption / To make a difference with disruption / With my appeals to conscience / For justice, respect for sentience / Before I decompose, or go to seed / And become a tumbleweed."

This poem references, and was inspired by, William Blake’s “Auguries of Innocence” and Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night," along with Father Thomas Berry's quotation, "The universe is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects."

(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 below story from Reuters about a promising development.

"SANTIAGO, CHILE -- Findley is a lucky dog. The small white and brown Chilean terrier is one of the first dogs in the world to get neutered without having to go under the knife. The procedure happened in his home in Santiago while he was being held by his owner, receiving treats during and after, and he later scampered off like nothing had happened.

"There was no sedation or surgical procedure, just a simple injection that the developers say is an immunocastration vaccine called Egalitte. Leonardo Saenz, a veterinarian and professor at the University of Chile who developed the vaccine, says it works by blocking the hormone in charge of reproduction and is reversible.

"'If we have (that hormone) blocked, we don’t release gonadotropin and therefore don’t release sexual hormones and the animal is in a state of castration,' he explained.

"The vaccine can be used for both males and females and costs about $54 U.S. It requires a veterinarian’s prescription and evaluation to ensure the dog is a suitable candidate. Saenz said the product could also help neuter animals on a wider scale since it’s less invasive and complicated than surgical castration." (Full story: Reuters.com, Oct. 4)

This development -- and I wonder why it took so long -- is a welcome alternative to the often high-risk neutering of street dogs in poor neighborhoods, and countries, where spay/neuter and anti-rabies vaccination efforts continue to founder. Worldwide, an estimated 59,000 human deaths are caused by rabies annually, with approximately 20,000 of those occurring in India. India has the highest rate of human rabies in the world, primarily due to the number of stray dogs. For details, go to apps.who.int/neglected_diseases/ntddata/rabies/rabies.html.

DEAR DR. FOX: Our 14-year-old cat, Henry, is having a hard time getting along with our 10-month-old Australian cattle dog/Chihuahua mix named Rusty. It is usually Henry who starts hissing, but now that Rusty's been with us a while, he's started to bark and defend himself.

Our other cat, Willie, gets along with Rusty fine, except for occasionally swatting at him. Henry is an active indoor cat. What can we do to help him get along with Rusty? -- J.C., Sandy River Plantation, Maine

DEAR J.C.: You have a situation that calls for the “tincture of time” to resolve. Your old cat is afraid of your young dog, who must learn to leave Henry alone. Training the pup to sit and stay, using food rewards, will help, plus plenty of outdoor physical activity.

He will not mature until around 2 years of age, and it will take time for him to learn to respect the distance that Henry needs. The swatting from your other cat is all part of his education!

ILLICIT WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING CRISIS

According to the Wildlife Conservation Society, illicit wildlife trafficking is estimated to generate billions of dollars for criminals each year. It is also tied to sex- and drug-trafficking cartels.

U.S. Reps. Andrew Garbarino and Mike Quigley have introduced The Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation and Reintroduction Act of 2024 (H.R. 7999) to codify all aspects of the various Wildlife Confiscations Networks and to fund animal rescue and rehabilitation. This is a long-overdue initiative that all should support.

(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.)