The Animal Doctor

DEAR DR. FOX: A reader recently asked you how you deal with so much disturbing information. Your response mirrored the things I do: I like to look at my horses in the pasture, and in the evenings, I look for my friendly opossum and raccoons. The wild turkeys seem to know my voice when I greet them. They keep an eye on me, but don’t run away anymore. Once in a while, if I am lucky, I see a red fox or a coyote. The bird feeder is always fun, watching the many birds that eat there.

I don’t recognize constellations, nor do I play an instrument, but the peace I get from watching nature and animals is something I have enjoyed all my life. -- E.T., Edwardsburg, Michigan

DEAR E.T.: Thank you for sharing your examples of the spiritually renewing and healing experiences that animals and nature can provide.

You, and readers of like mind and spirit, will enjoy my just-published book, “One Health: Veterinary, Ethical and Environmental Perspectives.” It is a collection of reflective, critical, philosophical and practical chapters that represent my 60 years of experience as a veterinarian, ethologist and bioethicist.

The rising incidence of zoonotic diseases from farmed animals and wildlife in the expanding human population, and so-called reverse zoonoses where humans are infecting other species, are detailed in this book. These concerns are linked with anthropogenic climate change and our impact on ecosystems, which threatens biodiversity and the health and future of all species. The book examines these interconnected issues, broadening the scope and agenda of what is currently more narrowly practiced as preventive medicine. We need a greater emphasis on holistic, preventive, health maintenance in response to the escalating costs of human and companion animal health problems, the welfare of factory farmed animals, and the endangered status of many wild species. This will be a good read for all concerned about the state of the planet.

We are at a critical time on planet Earth, and we can all do something in our personal and professional lives to save the last of the wild, improve our health and stem the climate and extinction crises.

SEVERING REGULATORY AGENCIES FROM PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

There was an alarming development at a January meeting of the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), a nongovernmental organization that sets regulations for pet foods. According to a post by Susan Thixton of TruthAboutPetFood.com:

“The AAFCO meeting ends with a shocking announcement from the FDA. At the start of the Pet Food Committee session, the FDA announced that the new administration has prohibited the agency from participating in any event, and prohibited the agency from speaking to the public. At that point, all FDA representatives left the meeting. They did not answer any questions, they just left (even though they were scheduled to lead two different discussions during this meeting).”

The abrupt walkout was related to the memo referenced in this Associate Press item from Jan. 22:

"In a memo obtained by the Associated Press, acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Dorothy Fink told agency staff leaders (on Jan. 21) that an 'immediate pause' had been ordered on -- among other things -- regulations, guidance, announcements, press releases, social media posts and website posts until such communications had been approved by a political appointee. ... Agencies subject to the HHS directive include the CDC, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration -- entities that fight epidemics, protect the nation’s food supply and search for cures to diseases."

The AAFCO works for pet food safety in concert with the FDA and USDA -- an essential link that should be immediately reinstated, along with all other links between government and NGOs related to public health, environmental protection and consumer rights. Otherwise, there will be no effective regulation or oversight of corporate and industrial business practices, products and services.

(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: 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.)