The Animal Doctor

DEAR READERS: In this modern age of oligarchs, tyrannical dictators and regimes, all high school civics students -- and members of Congress -- can benefit from reading the latest book by Dr. Evaggelos Vallianatos, a historian and former Environmental Protection Agency employee. "Freedom: Clear Thinking and Inspiration from 5,000 Years of Greek History" is about the emergence and blossoming of Greek civilization.

He details achievements of Greek civilization such as epic poetry, the Olympics, democracy, theater, architecture and medicine, as well as the influence of notables like Alexander the Great, Homer, Aristotle and Hippocrates. These all influenced the founders of the American republic, and their ideas are still important for clear thinking in support of our democracy. They guide us to small-scale family farming and provide a foundation for social justice and law and order.

Looking back on the history of modern society through Vallianatos' clear lens will help us all recover the basic elements that make us civilized. The barbarism of materialism and consumerism destroying the natural world are being countered by the “less is more” movement, which encourages people to use fewer material goods. It is based on the idea that people can live more meaningful lives by letting go of nonessentials.

These principles stand in stark contrast to today's political leadership. It is concerning that President Trump has announced the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords and the World Health Organization. His false claims about wind turbines killing whales are reminiscent of President Ronald Reagan's 1981 claim that trees produce more air pollution than automobiles!

While the name of God was invoked many times during the recent inauguration, we should be reminded of Matthew 6:24: “You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth)”. This verse is a warning against the idolatry of money and the spiritual conflict between serving God and pursuing material wealth. As for Elon Musk's straight-arm salute, which many interpreted as a Nazi salute, I saw it as Musk mimicking a rocket going into space by flinging his arm into the air. Musk has proclaimed that he wants to go to Mars, plant a flag and colonize the planet. Is Earth care to be completely abandoned?

Now with billionaires closely in line with the Trump administration, many of them controlling major news media outlets, the misinformation and disinformation that threaten democracy will become rampant. Welcome to the new age, where war is peace and peace is war.

CYBER-INSANITY

An estimated 3.7 million new videos are uploaded to YouTube every day. Adding to this insanity are the energy demands of running (and cooling) data centers amid climate change -- not to mention the negative impacts of social media use, especially on young people.

According to a 2024 report from the American Psychological Association, U.S. teens spend an average of 4.8 hours a day using social media apps. YouTube, TikTok and Instagram accounted for 87% of their social media time. Of the teens with the highest social media use, 41% rate their overall mental health as poor or very poor, compared with 23% of those with the lowest use. (For details, see apa.org/monitor/2024/04/teen-social-use-mental-health.)

Time to disconnect and go for a walk -- if there is any nature left where we live -- to restore our bodies, minds and spirits. Then we must join others and find a less harmful way of life and protect our children from becoming cyber-addicts.

NEW AVMA RESOURCE: H5N1 IN CATS

From AVMA.org:

"Since the U.S. outbreak of avian influenza A (H5N1) in dairy cattle began in March 2024, dozens of cats are known to have contracted the virus, including barn and feral cats, indoor cats, and big cats in zoos and in the wild (e.g., mountain lions, tigers, leopards, and bobcats). Cats were already known to be susceptible to the H5N1 virus, with several feline cases linked to poultry or wild bird exposure before the cattle outbreak began.

"Cats appear to be particularly susceptible to severe illness, often resulting in death. The good news is that infection can be prevented with a few simple practices."

View AVMA’s resource page on the subject here: avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-health/avian-influenza/avian-influenza-h5n1-cats.

(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 am sharing some positive news, below, from CBS News (cbsnews.com/boston/news/cat-declawing-ban-law-illegal-massachusetts):

"Cat declawing is now illegal in Massachusetts after Gov. Maura Healey signed a bill Jan. 9 to ban the procedure that many animal advocates call inhumane.

"Declawing involves taking out the first bone of a cat’s toes. The Massachusetts Society for the Protection of Animals describes it as 'an amputation comparable to the removal of all 10 human fingertips at the first knuckle.' Advocates also say declawing can make cats more likely to bite, and can cause them to avoid a litter box.

"'Declawing is an abhorrent practice that most veterinarians view as inhumane, but it is also a procedure that is widely misunderstood and requested by owners,' said bill sponsor and State Sen. Mark Montigny of New Bedford in a statement. 'By passing this law, veterinarians will no longer have to weigh the choice knowing that if they don’t provide the procedure, an owner is likely to just look for someone who will.'

"Violators could face fines of $2,500 for repeat offenses, and licensed veterinarians who break the law could be subject to discipline. Massachusetts is the third state to ban declawing, joining New York and Maryland. Cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Denver have done the same."

DELIBERATE BREEDING OF CATS WITH DEFORMITIES

I have raised the issue of people breeding cats with genetic deformities, as well as crossbreeding domestic cats with various wild cat species, in earlier columns. The worst deformities, in the opinion of several veterinarians, are those of the so-called bullycat.

These animals are made by crossbreeding hairless sphynx cats -- which suffer from skin issues, sunburn easily and are susceptible to the cold -- and extremely short-limbed munchkin cats. The combination of these genetic abnormalities sentences the bullycat to a life of suffering and limited physical ability.

All who love cats should adopt one of the hundreds of thousands in shelters rather than purchasing one of these inhumane creations.

CAT LITTER CONCERNS AND OPTIONS

Finding a quality cat litter can be a challenge when one is aware of potential health risks to our feline companions. I am concerned about some clay-based litters that can adhere to cats’ paws and be ingested when the cat self-grooms, since they could contain inflammatory silica and other potentially toxic elements. When cats dig around in their litter boxes to bury their waste, they may also inhale small particles from dusty litter. This could be problematic with some ground corn-based litter products containing glyphosate herbicide residues.

I am very much in favor of an upcycled softwood cat litter from Catalyst, which my cat Fanny immediately accepted. It has a natural fragrance that controls odor, it clumps well and is not dusty. For details, see: catalystpet.com/products/cat-litter-unscented-formula.

(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 following from Dogs Naturally magazine:

"Thousands of pet owners experienced devastating and deadly effects (from) Seresto flea collars. Since 2012, they trusted the company’s safety claims. Now Elanco, the company selling these dangerous products, has agreed to a $15 million court settlement.

"Two pet owners filed this class-action lawsuit in California. They allege the company misled consumers about the safety of Seresto collars. The suit states Elanco 'misrepresented the product through affirmative statements, half-truths, and omissions regarding the safety of the product.'" (Full story: dogsnaturallymagazine.com, Oct. 24)

It is notable that no warnings are given to refrain from petting any animal wearing these insecticidal collars, with children being especially at risk. Nor is there any instruction not to allow treated dogs to enter freshwater ecosystems, even though these insecticides are documented as detrimental to aquatic life.

All externally applied and orally administered anti-flea and tick products containing imidacloprid and fipronil should be prohibited. Two alarming studies on the subject are "Distribution of fipronil in humans, and adverse health outcomes of in utero fipronil sulfone exposure in newborns"

(by Young Ah Kim et al., published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2019) and "Multiple neonicotinoids in children’s cerebro-spinal fluid, plasma and urine" (by Bernard Laubscher et al., published in Environmental Health, 2022).

Below are some additional issues of concern regarding Elanco and animal health.

-- In 2020, Elanco Animal Health completed its acquisition of Bayer's animal health division. Bayer probably needed to focus on other branches of its business -- namely, on dealing with thousands of lawsuits over its glyphosate herbicide, Roundup (which Bayer took over from Monsanto).

According to law firm Miller and Zois, "As of October 2024, Monsanto has reached settlement agreements in nearly 100,000 Roundup lawsuits. Monsanto (has) paid approximately $11 billion. ... Although these settlements account for nearly two-thirds of all Roundup claims, Monsanto estimates that 54,000 active Roundup lawsuits remain." (For details, see lawsuit-information-center.com/roundup-lawsuit.html.)

-- Another Elanco product is a feed additive called Paylean, which is marketed as a way to make pigs, turkeys and cattle put on more muscle and less fat. Paylean contains ractopamine hydrochloride, which can be regarded pharmaceutically as a psychoactive drug -- making animals feel tense, anxious and potentially more aggressive. This is an added stressor on these sentient creatures in the already-crowded conditions of factory farms. Additionally, animals given this drug often suffer from severe lameness.

Cooking does not eliminate ractopamine from meat, and some studies have raised concerns about its indirect impact on cancer development. It has not been allowed in the European Union, nor in almost 160 other countries, based on the 2009 European Food Safety Authority’s opinion on its safety. (For details, see drfoxonehealth.com/post/pharmaceutical-cruelty-in-animal-farms-consumer-beware.)

-- Elanco also sells Posilac, a bovine growth hormone product. Specifically, Posilac contains recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), a synthetic version of a hormone that increases milk production in dairy cows. RBST has been banned in Canada and in the EU for animal health concerns, including the risk of severe pain and distress for cows. (I testified against the FDA's approval of rBST when the product was first brought out by Monsanto, but approval was a "done deal" with the U.S. government.) Note that this product is not used in organically certified dairy products.

-- Elanco has posted an advisory for its widely used immunosuppressant drug, Apoquel, for dogs with skin problems. The notice (elanco.us/products-services/dogs/atopica-cyclosporine-capsules-usp-modified) includes several warnings. These include: "Atopica is a systemic immunosuppressant that may increase susceptibility to infection and development of neoplasia. Wear gloves during administration and wash hands after administration. ... Use with caution in dogs with diabetes mellitus or renal insufficiency."

The FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, Division of Surveillance reviewed the Apoquel website and determined that it "makes false or misleading representations about the risks associated with Apoquel." For more details, and safer alternatives, see my post here: drfoxonehealth.com/post/apoquel-risks-and-alternatives-for-dogs-with-atopic-dermatitis.

-- Elanco is one of the Big Pharma companies lobbying against restrictions on antibiotic use in farm animals. For details, see the article "Narratives of Delay" by Michaela Herrmann for Sentient Media: sentientmedia.org/animal-pharma-industry-overuse-of-antibiotics.

(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.)