DEAR READERS: The Greek philosopher Plato asserted in "The Republic": “Democracy is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder, and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike ... Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty.”

English social critic D.H. Lawrence, in "Apocalypse and the Writings on Revelation," wrote, “But a democracy is bound in the end to be obscene, for it is composed of myriad disunited fragments, each fragment assuming to itself a false wholeness, a false individuality. Modern democracy is made up of millions of frictional parts all asserting their own wholeness.”

These fragments coalesced in the 2024 democratic election of Donald Trump as the next president of the United Sates, which some see as being purely in the service of mammon -- that is, wealth as an object of worship and devotion.

Empathy and compassion temper impulsive, narcissistic, antisocial behavior. They engender respect and equalitarianism. These qualities of our humanity and civil society have atrophied rapidly in American politics and governance, and at levels corporate and personal.

A resolution for 2025 to bring empathy, compassion and ethics back to life would surely help make America "great" again, which Trump has promised, and in the process, restore justice and extinguish fascism. True egalitarianism embraces other species and their habitats and calls for the protection of both. Regrettably, all nations are not yet aligned under the shared banners of peace and planetary responsibility.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have been reading your column for many years, and my husband and I really appreciate your communications. I wonder, though, how you deal with so much disturbing information. -- B.L., South Bend, Indiana

DEAR B.L.: You are asking a very difficult question. I will say this: At this moment of writing, I feel an outpouring of disbelief, despair and loving concern for all animals around the world.

This includes those succumbing to the H5N1 influenza virus and those suffering from the impacts of climate change, as warming oceans kill fish, leaving marine mammals and birds starving to death. Meanwhile, the media floods my mind with reports of wars and school shootings, acts of genocide and ecocide, and the latest catastrophic extreme weather events.

My best medicines are walking and grooming my dog; feeding her, as well as my rescued cat; making a vegetarian meal; and then playing a flute or waiting quietly for the raccoons and opossums to come onto my deck for their supper. On cold nights, they do not come. On clear nights, I can see the three stars of Orion’s belt, and then I know in the silence that all is well. They are the shining constants of my life -- the consonance of cosmic harmony and of the love that conquers all.

Indeed, there are many blessings in my life that support my spirit and my work. My book “Animals and Nature First: Creating New Covenants with Animals and Nature” offers insights and inspiration for all of us who care to make this world a better place for all the generations to come.

DEAR DR. FOX: My 16-year-old dog has arthritis, and I was wondering if Librela would be effective to treat it. My vet says it’s OK, but I worry about some of these medications and their possible harmful side effects. -- P.S., Larkspur, California

DEAR P.S.: I was watching TV last night and saw an advertisement for this medication. I would strongly advise against it. In December, the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine notified veterinarians about possible adverse events in dogs treated with Librela, which is a monoclonal antibody for osteoarthritis pain. Reported issues include ataxia, seizures and urinary incontinence. Veterinarians are encouraged to report adverse events to the manufacturer (Zoetis) or to the FDA. (Full story: FDA.gov, Dec. 16)

There are alternatives for treating your dog's arthritis, including supplements of glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM; doses of turmeric and ginger; and veterinary therapies including laser heat, soundwaves or hydrotherapy (warm-water swimming).

Of course, my standby treatment for all older dogs is massage therapy, as per my book “The Healing Touch for Dogs.”

(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: Millions of people spend hours at a time on computers, some working on them all day. Like all electronic devices, computers create electromagnetic fields and ionizing radiation, and emit positive ions into the surrounding environment. These discharges can have harmful health consequences that all users should know about and try to prevent. A good resource is here: ruanliving.com/blog/how-to-protect-yourself-from-laptop-radiation.

Cats and dogs should not be allowed to snuggle next to or under laptops and other computer equipment. I think this is a very common source of exposure for cats and dogs, with many staying close to these electronic devices while their human companions are off in cyberspace. Many laptops come with a warning for men not to put them on their laps because of possibly reduced sperm count, which is clearly no trivial matter. Children should have very limited time on any computer device in order to avoid the documented impairment and cognitive rewiring of their developing brains.

In my opinion, if protective measures are not immediately taken, we may have epigenetic and phenotypic mutations that will infuse society with what I call electro-zombies: victims of addictive online gaming and social media.

MITIGATING OWNERS' STRESS MAY IMPROVE DOGS' WELL-BEING

A study finding that dogs’ heart rates mirror those of their owners suggests that veterinarians should incorporate methods to reduce owner stress, as well as give dogs time to adjust to the novel setting of the clinic before beginning an exam. “The impact of veterinary professionals implementing the results of this research in their practices may improve the welfare of both dog owners and their dogs,” said veterinarian Aoife Byrne, one of the study’s authors. (Full story: BelfastLive.com, Dec. 4)

When this study came to my inbox, I had just finished grooming my dog, Kota, and cat, Fanny. I had felt my heart rate and blood pressure both go down as Fanny begin to purr and Kota rolled over for more. We all benefit from the reciprocal release of the feel-good hormone oxytocin during such interactions.

GOOD NEWS: N.Y. BAN ON ANIMAL SALES HAS TAKEN EFFECT

A New York law banning the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores took effect Dec. 15, aiming to curb the flow of animals from puppy mills and abusive breeders. A coalition of breeders and retailers called the Pet Advocacy Network had filed a lawsuit hoping to stop the law from going into effect. (Full story: WTEN-TV/WXXA-TV, Albany, New York, Dec. 13)

Breeders and retailers need to get a life and not make money by breaking hearts: those of the people who know about commercial puppy-, kitten- and rabbit-breeding mills, and those of the people who purchase these animals unknowingly and later suffer the consequences. Many such animals have serious health issues.

All pet stores should be part of their local communities. They should, under veterinary supervision, only put animals in their stores from local shelters -- animals that are healthy and available for adoption.

(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 receive reports from around the world every day on issues about animal health and behavior, environmental concerns and related public health issues. Here are just a few:

-- Cryptocurrency energy demand escalating. The media rarely report on the escalating energy demands of cryptocurrency transactions from data storage and transmission centers. This wasteful industry is being endorsed by many governments and adopted by the Trump organization and other corporate and private interests.

Building on data from the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that in 2023, electricity supporting Bitcoin mining comprised about 0.2% to 0.9% of global demand. "Based on those estimates," states the EIA report, "global electricity use in cryptocurrency mining was about the same as the total electricity consumption in Greece or Australia, respectively." The estimated 2023 U.S. electricity demand supporting cryptocurrency mining "would equal annual demand ranging from more than 3 million to more than 6 million homes." (For more, see eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=61364#.)

In this epoch of climate change, the contribution of cryptocurrency mining and transactions should concern us all. Even imposing a carbon tax on every transaction would not serve to ameliorate the risks and consequences.

-- The origin of COVID-19. From Nature.com:

"A new analysis of samples from early 2020 seems to add to the evidence that a market in Wuhan, China, was the likely origin of the COVID-19 pandemic. Genomic data from raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and greater hog badgers (Arctonyx collaris) found at the market seem to show signs of infection with SARS-CoV-2 or other closely related viruses. This supports the theory that animals were infected, which could have led to a 'spillover' event in which the virus infected people. But 'it doesn’t substitute for finding the virus in an infected animal' in terms of solid proof, says virologist Stanley Perlman." (For more, see nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03968-0?utm_.)

Related, also from Nature.com:

"After years of rumors that the virus that causes COVID-19 escaped from a laboratory in China, the virologist at the center of the claims has presented data on dozens of new coronaviruses collected from bats in southern China. At a conference in Japan (in December), Shi Zhengli, a specialist on bat coronaviruses, reported that none of the viruses stored in her freezers are the most recent ancestors of the virus SARS-CoV-2." (For more, see nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03982-2.)

As a background note, the U.S. government, after some biosecurity lapses, sent funds to transfer coronavirus research to China. Part of the allegation of a Wuhan biosecurity failure to contain the SARS-CoV-2 virus might have been fomented by the Chinese “wet market” industry to deflect responsibility. These markets, where caged and terrified animals are killed in public spaces, are widespread -- especially in regions lacking refrigeration and humane animal slaughtering facilities. They create significant risks to public health. All countries with open live animal markets have a social, as well as an ethical, responsibility to close all such facilities.

-- The panda scam. Corruption has been exposed, thanks to an investigation by Mara Hvistendhal of The New York Times. She details how U.S. zoos pay China millions of dollars for the right to host pandas at their facilities. By U.S. law, the money is required to go to conservation efforts for pandas in the wild. Instead, much of it has gone toward the construction of apartments, museums and computer equipment for Chinese government offices. Worse, many American officials knew about the misused funds but looked the other way for fear of losing access to the popular animals. (For more, see nytimes.com/2024/11/29/world/asia/china-panda-money-us-zoos.)

-- Fentanyl found in wild dolphins. Traces of fentanyl were found in the blubber of 30 of the 89 bottlenose dolphins studied in the Gulf of Mexico, researchers reported in iScience. “Chronic exposure to pharmaceuticals and their cumulative effects on marine mammals are not yet fully understood," said the study's lead author, Dara Orbach, "yet their presence in three dolphin populations across the Gulf of Mexico underscores the need for large-scale studies to assess the extent and sources of contamination.” (Full story: HealthDay.com, Dec. 9)

(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.)