The Animal Doctor

DEAR READERS: Every sentient being has a will to live -- the spirit that energizes the body and mind, which all combine to make a living soul. Holistic human and veterinary medicine consider the spiritual component in diagnosing and treating disease.

“Failure to thrive” is a recognized condition of the dispirited, who lose the will to live. This is common in wild animals after capture. In humans, conventional treatment for this condition is to prescribe antidepressants and other psychotropic pharmaceuticals that affect the mind, often to the detriment of the spirit.

Traditional shamanic and other integrative body-mind-spirit treatments have been marginalized, along with a holistic approach to healing, by drug-dependent conventional medicine -- the driver of Big Pharma.

Instead of raising farmed animals in biologically and spiritually/behaviorally appropriate environments, where they can experience and enjoy physical freedom and mental well-being, billions are confined in factory farms. The stress and distress are evident to any visitor observing these confined animals with empathy and an understanding of ethology -- animals’ normal behavior and needs.

The stress on these animals' bodies, minds and spirits makes them highly susceptible to disease, which then justifies treatment with antibiotics and other drugs. More profits for Big Pharma!

In open, safe fields, farm animals display freedom of spirit, often playing with and caring for each other. Those raised under humane husbandry practices are physically and mentally healthier than those in the factory farms of industrial agriculture.

CALIF. STATE VET BANS CATTLE, POULTRY FROM FAIRS

California State Veterinarian Annette Jones has banned poultry and dairy cattle exhibitions from state fairs and shows to minimize risks that H5N1 avian influenza will spread to more people, poultry and livestock. Highly pathogenic avian influenza has already infected hundreds of dairy farms, millions of wild and domesticated birds, and dozens of people in the U.S. Dr. Jones says health officials “will continue to assess the threat over the next few months and rescind this ban if the situation changes." (Full story: Turlock Journal, Jan. 15)

I would add a ban on pigs at state fairs, especially the “Miracle of Birth” exhibits, where pregnant sows are brought in to deliver their offspring in public. This is highly stressful on these animals, and is a potential public health risk from swine influenza. A worst-case scenario is the highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus from cows and poultry infecting pigs, which would have devastating economic and animal welfare consequences.

The practice of exhibiting farm animals at state fairs needs more than close monitoring. Compassion and respect for these animals, along with public health concerns, warrant the practice's prohibition.

(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: 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.)