DEAR DR. FOX: I am doing research on dementia and Alzheimer’s. There are five additives that I am learning may be bad for our brain cells: MSG (monosodium glutamate), aspartame, Splenda, diacetyl and -- especially bad -- aluminum.

Are any of these in pet foods? -- B.G., Minnetonka, Minnesota

DEAR B.G.: There are many issues with many highly processed cat and dog kibbles, and some canned foods, that contain so-called “natural flavors.” That can mean MSG.

Flavorings derived from natural resources in pet foods can include MSG, and are often found under less direct terms like “natural flavoring” or “hydrolyzed protein.” Manufacturers use these “natural” flavor enhancers to make low-quality ingredients more appealing, but they do not have to disclose them on the label, making it difficult for pet owners to avoid. For instance, the popular Temptations cat treats from Mars Pet Care “contain a mix of ingredients that create natural flavors derived from natural sources,” according to the manufacturer.

MSG is a neurotoxin and endocrine disruptor, and may be a factor in feline hyperesthesia syndrome. A friend’s cat had seizures after eating treats with high levels of MSG. High intake of MSG has been connected to an increased risk of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in humans. Some studies have found that MSG can reduce the mass of pancreatic beta cells, which are crucial for insulin production.

The addictive quality of these treats, coupled with a diet of dry kibble, may play a role in feline ailments such as obesity, diabetes, cystitis, renal failure and gingivostomatitis. Highly processed foods with various chemical additives may contribute to these problems by causing intestinal and oral dysbiosis, robbing cats (and dogs) of the healthful bacteria they need, but their diets do not support.

When looking for cat treats, go for additive-free, air-dried chicken strips or pellets. You can find air-dried chicken treats for cats from various brands like Zeal, Waita, Plato and Ziwi. These treats are made using a process that dehydrates the chicken, preserving its nutrients and natural flavor in a jerky-like texture. Look for products with high meat content, and avoid those with artificial colors or other additives.

On to aspartame and Splenda: My late mother-in-law stopped having mini-seizures at bedtime after I told her to stop consuming these sweeteners. She used to slather her sliced tomatoes with sugar and sweeteners! Sorbitol is a popular sugar alcohol used in countless “sugar-free” products, and can cause fatty liver disease. For details, visit: science.org/doi/10.1126/scisignal.adt3549.

As for the health risks of aluminum, we must confront the excessive contamination from aluminum cookware and a host of other environmental sources. A 2000 analysis confirmed that the aluminum content of brain tissue from patients with Alzheimer’s disease, autism spectrum disorder and multiple sclerosis was significantly elevated compared with levels from patients without these conditions. Further research is required to understand the role played by high levels of aluminum in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disease. For details, visit: doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-64734-6.

To avoid aluminum in your diet, reduce your intake of processed foods, use aluminum-free cookware and avoid cooking acidic foods in aluminum foil. Also, check medication labels for aluminum, and choose personal care products -- like deodorant and toothpaste -- that do not contain it. Avoiding high-exposure sources like certain antacids can also help limit intake.

A more informed public is now demanding more healthful -- and affordable -- foods for themselves and their animal companions.

(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 wish all readers a more secure and just New Year. And I wish all children could experience, as I did in my childhood, the awe and wonder of nature and of observing other living creatures. I realized two significant principles during those childhood years of exploring and observing all that lived in the ponds near my home.

The first principle was that, just like me, every creature has a will to live and, therefore, the right. That right must be respected. The second principle was that these creatures were integral participants in their life-community -- the web of life in their aquatic realm of interdependence and community sustainability.

Growing up in a civilization that does not live in accord with either of these principles -- and accepting the reality that the ponds of my English homeland are now gone, under a housing development -- has been challenging. But I see hope in the efforts around the world to save the last of the wild animals and restore their habitats. I wish all readers who care about animals would make a New Year's resolution to choose one of the many ways they can help.

Our beautiful and fragile planet is in urgent need of CPR: conservation, protection and restoration. But the possibility of international cooperation to this end will never be achieved so long as there are distracting wars, terrorism, and corrupt and tyrannical regimes that are laying waste to the natural world and driving climate change. Climate change, in turn, is displacing and impoverishing ever-more millions of people, while other species are endangered or close to extinction.

We all have the agency to support civil society initiatives, justice and the rule of law. We can choose to live more frugally and simply so others may simply live.

POISONING THE PLANET: PEOPLE MUST STOP

In a detailed article published in November in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Sciences Europe, 43 researchers from five continents -- including experts in toxicology, biology, public health and environmental science -- point out severe lapses in the current regulatory systems for evaluating the safety of products derived from petrochemical byproducts.

The full commercial formulations of common petrochemical-based pesticides used in global agriculture "have never been subjected by (the) industry to long-term testing on mammals," per the article. The authors note that only the active ingredients declared by makers of pesticides and plasticizers (chemical additives used to increase pliability) have been assessed for human health risks, while the full ingredient lists are often proprietary: not publicly disclosed by the companies that develop them. These pesticides and plasticizers contain petroleum-based waste and heavy metals such as arsenic. In short, this selective testing gives an incomplete picture of the safety of these products: "The ingredients of these formulations are not fully disclosed, yet the formulations are in general at least 1,000 times more toxic at low environmentally relevant doses than the active ingredients alone under conditions of long-term exposure."

To read the study, visit: doi.org/10.1186/s12302-025-01217-3.

BILL GATES HAS IT WRONG ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Recent statements by philanthropist Bill Gates that downplay the threat of climate change and assert that the world’s “biggest problems are poverty and disease” ignore a key fact, argues climatologist Michael Mann: Addressing global warming and global health is not a zero-sum game.

Climate change will exacerbate pandemics and vector-borne diseases, such as malaria. “Every fraction of a degree of warming we prevent means tremendous amounts of avoided damage,” Mann writes. To read the column, visit: nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03712-2.

As I document in my book "One Health: Veterinary, Ethical and Environmental Perspectives," world hunger, poverty, climate change, the loss of biodiversity and the risk of pandemics are all connected. Thus, they call for an internationally coordinated response.

THE ORAL HEALTH CARE CRISIS OF OUR CATS

The Feline Veterinary Medical Association recommends caring for your cat’s teeth at home, which can help prevent advanced periodontal disease and pain.

Sharing a related post from CatFriendly.com:

“Dental health problems are among the most common health problems veterinarians see in cats. Up to 85% of cats will already have signs of periodontal (gum) disease by two years of age. Even though dental disease is common in cats, it can be really hard for you to see it, or to see changes in your cat that are caused by it.

"Dental disease is painful, can be linked to infection and can lead to tooth loss. Cats are experts at hiding pain, so they might appear to be acting fine even when their mouth hurts. Taking care of your cat’s oral health will help them feel better and stay healthier, reducing the risk of problems later in life.”

Ideally, owners would start caring for their cats' teeth while they are still kittens, so they get used to the routine. Home care options include daily brushing with cat-safe toothpaste and a soft brush, or dental wipes, which might be better tolerated than brushing.

For several years now, I have recommended Adore Pet’s oral gels and sprays for dogs and cats, which can be applied with a gauze wipe or by rubbing one finger along the upper and lower gum lines. (For details, go to AdorePet.com.) The natural botanicals in this product prevent the buildup of dental plaque, which is the main cause of periodontal gum disease.

Download the 2025 FVMA Feline Oral Health and Dental Care Guidelines at catvets.com/dental.

(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 synopsis of ways to improve the well-being of indoor cats published this summer by the Feline Veterinary Medical Association and by the International Cat Care vet group has a serious omission. The groups present several aspects of cat ownership, which owners and the veterinary profession need to address in their relationships and educations. (Full story: doi:10.1177/1098612X251353656.)

They make no reference, however, to the socio-environmental enrichment provided by sharing a home with another cat. There is anecdotal evidence that two cats living together are happier and healthier than single cats who only have human companionship. Litter-mate pairs and mother-and-kitten combinations provide the emotional and physical stimulation conducive to overall well-being. Prey-catching activities can be redirected via interactive games with cat owners and between cats during play.

Some cats who live with no other animals exhibit separation anxiety when their human companions are away. Keeping two compatible cats can prevent this and other behavioral problems -- especially biting and scratching their owners, which can have serious adverse health consequences. Kittens playing together, and with their mothers, learn to interact without causing injures to each other, and are therefore less likely to injure their human companions during playful interaction.

Most cats need a quiet place where they can eat, drink and use the litter box undisturbed, especially in busy homes with children. Also, it needs to be more widely recognized by cat owners that neutering, especially of male kittens, makes cats more amenable to living exclusively indoors.

For more details about these issues, and about preventing various behavioral problems, see my book “Cat Body, Cat Mind.” It documents what cats have taught me -- and their owners -- over many years.

DISTURBING UPDATES ON AVIAN INFLUENZA

Veterinarian Dr. Jane E. Sykes has raised the red flag of warning in her article in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association entitled: "Companion animals and H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza: Cause for concern?" (Full study: doi.org/10.2460/javma.25.06.0388.)

Since its first appearance infecting people in China in 1997, this virus went on to infect people in southeast Asia and Egypt. By 2006, cats succumbed, showing respiratory and neurologic disease. In 2021, a strain of H5N1 called clade 2.3.4.4b "suddenly appeared in Europe and spread rapidly to the Americas, wreaking havoc on wildlife and crippling poultry and dairy industries," reads Sykes' summary. "Between 2022 and 2025, dozens of domestic cats died, most often following raw meat consumption" or after being allowed out to kill and consume wildlife that was infected.

Most human infections associated with poultry and dairy contact have been mild, Sykes reports, but now the genotype D1.1 strain has been linked to severe illness and death. The strain has additionally been detected in dairy cattle and domestic cats.

Since cats can clearly play a role in spreading this virus to humans and to farmed animals, Sykes advises (as have I) that all owned cats should be kept indoors and allowed out only into a wildlife- and escape-proof enclosure or “catio.” Since no vaccine is currently available, farm and barn cats should be closely monitored, neutered to reduce their numbers and, ideally, not allowed in close proximity to confined dairy cows and poultry (including backyard chickens).

Fewer people traveling by air and congregating in confined spaces will also help reduce the spread of this virus. All traffic and trade in unquarantined wildlife should be prohibited. Above all, governments must urgently increase funding to support veterinary services under the One Health umbrella to effectively monitor and prevent potential pandemics such as this avian influenza virus.

More than 100 federal scientists who track bird flu, including vaccine and food safety experts, were laid off in April by the Trump-Musk DOGE group as the deadly pathogen ripped through dairy herds and poultry flocks. This egregious error should have been immediately rectified.

For more about One Health, see: onehealthinitiative.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/One-Health-Umbrella-v12-4.pdf. See also the article entitled "Why and How to Apply the One Health Concept," found here: impakter.com/why-and-how-to-apply-the-one-health-concept.

ELEPHANT SEAL POPULATION WILL TAKE DECADES TO RECOVER

The population of southern elephant seals on Argentina’s Peninsula Valdes has declined by 60% after an H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in 2023, pushing the species’ status from “least concern” to "endangered." Researchers say the population will likely take at least 70 years to recover -- and that's if no other outbreaks or environmental issues occur.

“When you remove such a big mass, you completely upset the balance of the ecosystem,” said wildlife veterinarian Marcela Uhart. “No other species can replace elephant seals in the ocean.” (Full story: BBC News, Nov. 6)

(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.)