The Animal Doctor

DEAR READERS: The rise of H5N1 avian influenza in cats highlights the need to include pets in disease surveillance, writes a group of veterinarians, epidemiologists and biosecurity specialists in an article on STATnews.com. The experts recommend coordinated federal, state and industry actions to improve surveillance and point-of-care testing, especially for pets of agricultural workers and others in high-exposure occupations, and pets with access to raw milk or meat.

“Data that reveal the prevalence of H5N1 in different populations of cats, coupled with interpolation of human H5N1 data, could help to unravel the ways in which cats may be part of the transmission chain of this promiscuous virus,” the experts write. (Full story: STATnews.com, March 4)

Cats allowed outdoors who consumed or contacted infected birds have died, and outdoor cats run the risk of bringing the H5N1 avian influenza virus into their homes and infecting humans. A cat in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, was euthanized after contracting avian flu, and other cats on the property are reportedly also sick. The euthanized cat had no known exposures to infected poultry or livestock, nor to raw meat or unpasteurized milk, but it was allowed to roam outdoors. (Full story: WPVI-TV, Philadelphia, Feb. 28)

It is time for all cat owners to keep their cats indoors and for municipalities to apply the same ordinances to cats and dogs alike: None should be allowed to roam free. Besides reducing the risk of disease transmission, this will help save our dwindling wild bird and small mammal populations. These are needed to help preserve and restore regional parks, woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and “rewilded” suburban communities.

DEAR DR. FOX: I feel completely helpless to affect what the world is allowing -- even condoning and endorsing -- in Palestine. But I am not powerless in asking you to please donate to Anas Arafat’s work in Gaza.

Anas is an amazing individual who has been providing free food, blankets and clothing to the people in Gaza since 2020 through individual donations. I know him. I trust him. I honor his dedication. Due to complications with diabetes, he has lost his vision in one eye, and yet he keeps on doing what he calls “my duty to the people in Gaza.”

You can read a message from Anas, and donate to support his work, here: muslimgiving.org/Ramadan25g4za. -- V.S., Camano Island, Washington

DEAR V.S.: I hope all who read your appeal will reach out and send donations. And readers who want to help animals in Gaza, including the hardworking donkeys and the starving dogs, can go to: eurogroupforanimals.org/news/solidarity-humans-and-animals-gaza. See also Sulala Animal Rescue, Gaza’s only animal welfare organization, which can be found on Facebook.

We may be on the cusp of World War III, with competing oligarchies and autocracies devoid of ethics and compassion. All U.S. federal agencies responsible for the protection of wildlife and wildlands, as well as public health and welfare, are being illegally dismantled by executive order. This is clearly taking us down the wrong path!

We would be wise to take what some Indigenous cultures call "the pollen path" to heal this ravaged Earth, and ourselves. The pollen path is a metaphor for a life guided by balance and harmony. It is a spiritual and ethical concept in both Navajo and Hopi traditions. The other path, according to the Hopi Message delivered to the United Nations in 1992, leads us to yet another world war as regional conflicts spread.

The Hopi Message centers me and makes me feel I am not alone because there are many others who feel as I do. Where there is suffering, let there be loving-kindness: compassion in action, as declared by Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam alike. When we pass through the portal of the ego-sphere into the eco-sphere, we realize we are all related.

(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: Organic, regenerative farming practices are a core component of One Health, benefiting the environment, wildlife and consumers. The cancers of our brains and bodies mirror the cancer of the soul of industrial civilization; the spiritual connections with all our relations have been severed in the name of progress and profits.

The soil, air and water are poisoned with pesticides and other chemicals used in conventional, industrial agriculture. Animals raised for food are given drugs that harm them -- and consumers -- while other species are subject to mass extinction. The net result is ecological dysbiosis with the disruption of beneficial microorganisms in the soil and in our guts. This, in turn, contributes to climate change, dysfunctional economies and ever-sicker communities, many members of which cannot afford health insurance.

A secular, Earth-saving and restorative spirituality is spreading to counter these harmful forces. More consumers are voting with their dollars, purchasing organically certified foods and opting for plant-based diets, the public health and environmental benefits of which have been well documented. For example, see the study "Cardiometabolic benefits of a non-industrialized-type diet are linked to gut microbiome modulation" by Fuyong Li et al., published in Cell in March. See also Dr. Will Tuttle’s book, "The World Peace Diet."

To make organically certified produce more available and affordable, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services should subsidize organic, regenerative agriculture without further delay.

Recycling organic waste is also crucial. One method is to create biochar: The process involves heating organic waste in a low-oxygen environment, essentially taking carbon out of the atmosphere and sequestering it in charcoal. Biochar, when added to the soil, increases organic matter and water retention.

Animal and human waste can be processed into biogas and fertilizer, but with the advent of the flush toilet, most human waste instead goes into sewage systems, many of which pollute fresh and marine water ecosystems. Capturing and recycling unprocessed sewage for agricultural purposes has led to the closure of some farms because of toxic chemical contamination. Fortunately, such practices are prohibited under organic certification standards.

DEAR DR. FOX: I am a freelance journalist, and I’m wondering if you saw the paper out of Korea about successfully engineering a hypoallergenic cat through CRISPR. If so, what do you think about it?

Are we still pretty far from hypoallergenic cats being commercially bred for our homes? Or will that be coming soon, in your opinion? -- A.Z., Brooklyn, New York

DEAR A.Z.: Thank you for alerting me to this report about using gene editing to create a hypoallergenic cat, who was then was cloned to create a similar feline. (Study: "Generation of Fel d 1 chain 2 genome-edited cats by CRISPR-Cas9 system" by Sang Ryeul Lee et al., published in Scientific Reports, February 2024.)

I am, in principle, opposed to the genetic engineering of animals, including the cloning of dogs and cats, because of the potential for adverse pleiotropic effects -- unanticipated genetic dysfunctions. The risks are compounded by the exploitation of surrogate mothers for these animals. Even if successful, scaling up this technology to create hypoallergenic cats will take time and money.

There are alternatives that may be beneficial for cat owners who are allergic to their cats’ dander. One is a food additive called LiveClear by Purina, marketed to make cats less allergenic to people. It utilizes a protein derived from eggs that binds to the primary cat allergen in a cat’s saliva, neutralizing it when the cat grooms itself -- effectively reducing the amount of allergen present in the fur and dander. And U.S. company Pacagen markets a household spray and a food topping, both of which claim to block the allergen in cat saliva.

Many people with mild cat allergies can get by with wearing a glove and wiping their cat twice daily with a moist, unscented wipe such as Huggies plant-based wipes.

Some cats are reportedly hypoallergenic, according to people who have told me that they are allergic to other people's cats, but not their own. No breed was identified in these cases. Mutant hairless cats may be less allergenic, but I am opposed to the creation of any such extreme mutations in domestic animals.

I would like to hear from readers who have used Purina’s product or those from Pacagen.

(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 practice of recycling slaughterhouse discards and rendering plant remains of animals into dog (and cat) foods needs to end. The strong and highly profitable alliance between Big Animal Ag and Big Petfood industries using companion animals as recipients of food ingredients that can jeopardize their health must be broken. For an excellent review by Alice Oven, go to foodfacts.org/articles/diets-dogs-media-health-plant-based-dog-food.

At least one company, Earth Animal, with its Wisdom dog foods, is breaking this alliance. But more involvement by all pet owners who care for their animals and are not brainwashed by the advertising and false claims of most major pet food manufacturers is called for. Healthful diets mean healthier companion animals and fewer costly veterinary care expenses, if any!

Also see: truthaboutpetfood.com/how-its-made-the-most-common-animal-ingredient-in-dry-pet-foods/

Explore alternative pet food sources, such as Earth Animal, that do not recycle dead animal parts discarded for human consumption and subject the ingredients to high heat-processing, which destroys many essential nutrients. Part of my dog’s diet is the Wisdom Air-Dried From the Seed recipe developed by Dr. Bob Goldstein. For details, visit earthanimal.com

Consumer Reports tested 58 dog foods from brands including Blue Buffalo, Hill’s Science Diet and Purina for key nutrients and dangerous contaminants.

“First, the good news: We did not find widespread or dangerous problems in the samples of dog food that we tested. ... We detected aflatoxins in only one dog food, and at an average aflatoxin concentration of 1.8 parts per billion (ppb) across the three samples. That’s well under the 20 ppb 'action level' above which the Food and Drug Administration would consider taking action against a potentially harmful product. ... But we did detect listeria in four out of the 174 samples. We found Listeria monocytogenes, the type of listeria bacteria that is known to cause illness, in one sample of Raw Bistro’s Free Range Chicken Entree and one sample of Viva for Dogs Ground Beef meal -- both frozen raw dog foods. The other two samples of Viva for Dogs Ground Beef raw meal we tested contained Listeria innocua, which does not typically cause sickness but is sometimes considered an indicator of the potential presence of harmful listeria bacteria. Viva Raw recalled five products in July 2024 for Listeria monocytogenes contamination, though the list of recalled products did not include the product we tested.”

For more details, go to: consumerreports.org/health/pet-food/whats-really-in-your-dogs-food-a1115304393.

Be sure that what you are feeding your dog is approved by your veterinarian, as some breeds and individual dogs with health issues may need a different dietary formulation from what you are feeding.

Adverse events associated with pet foods recorded by the FDA in the first six months of 2024:

-- The FDA received 1,705 reports of sick pets linked to Purina pet food products, with 206 pet death reports.

-- 119 reports of sick pets linked to Mars Petcare pet food products, with six pet death reports.

-- 31 reports of sick pets linked to Hill’s pet food products, with two pet death reports.

-- 26 reports of sick pets linked to Diamond pet food products, with one pet death report.

For more details, go to: truthaboutpetfood.com/purina-pet-food-adverse-event-reports-finally-provided-by-fda

Also, view the video "Pet Fooled: The Shocking Truth About the Pet Food Industry" here: youtube.com/watch?v=5XC1rUWWnxI.

Many people now prepare cat and dog food from known, whole ingredients, but just serving rice and chicken or ground beef is unwise because of essential nutrient deficiencies. Home-prepared recipes for cats and dogs are posted on my website, drfoxonehealth.com, along with letters from those who found them beneficial for their companion animals.

(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.)