The Animal Doctor

DEAR READERS: The information and opinions that I publish in this nationally syndicated column are always based on sound, factual scientific and/or medical evidence, which I cite. As my sources for news and other information, I rely on my local newspaper, unbiased TV channels such as PBS and the BBC, and the websites of nonprofits and professional organizations.

I am not alone in being deeply concerned that millions of people now rely on social media platforms for their “news” while local papers become extinct. People tend to believe what they read on their screens, backed up by photos that may have been modified or outright fabricated.

This rising reliance on the internet has brought on the decline of fact-checking and encouraged the spread of misinformation and disinformation. It foments conspiracy theories and hate speech. Disinformation leads to distrust of established institutions and government agencies, and misinformation to confusion, conflict and violence.

The remedy is simple: Get off social media platforms. But the addictive and ego-gratifying elements of social media get people hooked, beginning in childhood, and the adverse health consequences are now being quantified. Still, the effort must be made. The divisive, anti-democratic use of social media platforms, many owned by billionaires and manipulated by “influencers” for political and commercial purposes, is a warning for all.

AUTHORITARIAN U.S. REGIME SILENCING SCIENCE

Below is an excerpt from a New York Times article entitled “Trump Killed a Major Report on Nature. They’re Trying to Publish It Anyway” by Catrin Einhorn.

“The draft was almost ready for submission, due in less than a month. More than 150 scientists and other experts had collectively spent thousands of hours working on the report, a first-of-its-kind assessment of nature across the United States. But President Trump ended the effort, started under the Biden administration, by executive order. So, on Jan. 30, the project’s director, an environmental scientist named Phil Levin, sent an email telling members of his team that their work had been discontinued. ...

"Biodiversity, the variety of life on Earth, is declining faster than at any time in human history, according to a landmark global scientific assessment. The National Nature Assessment was intended to provide a much more robust picture of the state of play for the United States, the authors said.” (Full story: NYTimes.com, Feb. 10)

It is blatantly clear that the Trump administration sees wildlife and biodiversity conservation as an obstacle to the fossil fuel industry and its documented legacy of contributing to the climate and extinction crises. I see this opposition to science as another example of bio-fascism -- part of the nihilistic, anti-democratic path of post-Constitutional governance of the United States of America.

This current administration’s gutting of the Environmental Protection Agency, and its dismantling of USAID and other federal agencies that serve the common good, is evidence of its total disregard for public health and well-being. The connections between our own health, environmental protection and biodiversity conservation and restoration are not recognized. In fact, they are being broken apart. This essential unity has long been recognized by health experts, as I document in my new book, "One Health: Veterinary, Ethical and Environmental Perspectives."

(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 Trump administration’s freeze on foreign assistance provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development means that the U.S. will cease its long-established, compassionate efforts to provide emergency care for people around the world suffering from famine, natural disasters and disease, and to provide veterinary care for their animals.

This cost-cutting action is being undertaken by “efficiency” czar Elon Musk in the full knowledge that without USAID, the human condition in many countries will rapidly deteriorate. There will be massive population displacements and staggering mortality rates. The ideology behind this action engenders conspiracy theories of population reduction and capitalistic isolationism, but fundamentally, it is simply inhumane -- part of a world where the rich no longer help those in need.

As a veterinarian who has served poor communities in India, I am appalled by the proposed closure of USAID, an entity that has done so much good for animals around the world. For details, see usaid.gov/results-data/success-stories/veterinary-services-boost-animal-health. (Note: As of this writing, the website is down -- hopefully temporarily.) These veterinary services are essential contributions to animal health and welfare, local economies and public health, and they protect wildlife from diseases transmitted by domestic animals.

HUMAN RISK OF BIRD FLU PANDEMIC RISING

From Nature.com:

"At least 68 people in North America have become ill from the H5N1 avian influenza virus and one person has died. Most of these illnesses were mild, but emerging data indicate that variants of the virus can cause severe disease and death, especially when passed directly to people from birds. Researchers are monitoring two main variants -- one carried mainly by birds and one carried mainly by cows -- but the numbers of human infections are too small to determine whether one is more dangerous than the other.

"'If the virus has adapted to cows, it is also better adapted to go into human cells,' says evolutionary virologist Daniel Goldhill. 'This is a first stepping-stone for the virus -- and it has increased the risk level of a virus jumping to humans.'" (Full story: Nature.com, Jan. 27)

Relatedly, in November, the World Organisation for Animal Health reported the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of influenza variously infecting poultry and wildlife in approximately 20 countries. This viral strain is wiping out wild animals in many species, avian and mammalian. Veterinarians and public health agencies are warning people to keep their cats indoors, and not to feed them raw milk or pet foods made with raw poultry.

INFLUENZA STUDIES HALTED AS OUTBREAK GROWS

The publication of at least two studies on avian influenza -- involving potential infections among veterinarians and possible transmission from people to pet cats -- has been stalled by the Trump administration. The studies would have appeared in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a critical public health document, but the administration halted its publication as part of a broad "freeze" on government communications.

The studies that were slated to appear are vital for our understanding of the spread of the virus and for preventing a potential pandemic. Former CDC officials have raised concerns about political interference in scientific reporting. (Full story: CNN.com, Jan. 30)

Precisely what interests -- and whose -- is the Trump administration serving?

NEW GUIDELINES FOR TIMING SPAY/NEUTER OF CERTAIN DOGS

A study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science presents evidence-based recommendations for the optimum age at which various dog breeds should be spayed or neutered. Spaying or neutering before a puppy is 6 months old is associated with higher risks for joint disorders, cancers and cranial cruciate ligament tears in certain sexes and breeds. For details, see universityofcalifornia.edu/news/when-should-you-neuter-or-spay-your-dog.

In another report, neutering Labrador retrievers before 12 months of age increases their risk of cruciate ligament rupture. For details, see pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39383890.

(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 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.)