The Trump administration has sided with the big dairy, meat and poultry industries to gut a major condition of the Organic Certification standards, ruling that livestock deemed “USDA Organic” need not be treated any more humanely than animals in conventional farming (the inherent cruelties of which have been well-documented).

This decision reverses years of policy at the Department of Agriculture, which, through the “USDA Organic” label, would dictate what may be sold as “organic” food in the United States. This label could not be used unless the stipulated animal welfare standards and practices -- which I helped initially formulate, several years ago -- were adopted and verified.

These new rules, called the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP), were finalized on Jan. 18, 2017, but that didn’t stop the USDA from delaying them multiple times in the wake of President Trump’s post-inauguration regulatory freeze. Scheduled to go into effect on May 14, 2018, the OLPP specified a set of standards for organic livestock and poultry designed to minimize stress, facilitate natural behaviors and promote animals’ well-being.

This reversal means that consumers will not have any government assurance that the animal produce they purchase comes from animals raised and treated with some humane consideration.

Reinstating humane livestock standards -- as well as those protecting the environment and public lands, which the current administration has trashed -- should be the first task of redemption by the next administration. But that all depends on an enlightened populace electing a more responsible legislature that equates the common good with those values that indeed were making America great, and beginning to put ethics and compassion into more responsible business practices, along with environmental responsibility.

In the interim, I urge consumers to consider vegan and “fake meat” options. The nonviolent revolution of the kitchen calls for saying “fork you” to the conventional food industry, seeing as it is petrochemical-based, pesticide-dependent, drug-addicted and inhumane. The lacto-ovo-vegetarian option (eating dairy and eggs, but no meat) is a relatively humane choice. Practitioners should support known, local producers whose bovine hormone-free (rBGH-free) and cage-free claims can be verified. Also, some animal produce that has been humanely certified by independent, nongovernmental organizations can be found in some stores and farmers’ markets; this may become more prevalent in reaction to the Trump administration’s negation of humane concerns for farmed animals.

Any government that puts making a profit over the higher ethical and spiritual values that define our humanity, especially over concern for fellow creatures and the natural environment, will ultimately justify violating human rights for the greater good of mammon -- and will not make America great again.

DEAR DR. FOX: My miniature long-haired dachshund Gus has exhibited “shaker syndrome” episodes since about age 2 or 3. He begins to shake and loses control of his hind legs. He maintains eye contact and does not appear to suffer any pain. He will sometimes vomit after an incident, and willingly enters his crate when the tremors subside, after he has regained control of his legs.

After these episodes, Gus appears to act normal again and resumes eating and playing. He will be 7 years old in a few months. My own research about this condition indicates it could be inherited, and that dogs with it can still live a normal lifespan.

In your experience, would any changes in diet or activity reduce the frequency of these episodes? Do medications help? I would prefer natural remedies. I appreciate your professional insight into this unsettling disorder. -- J.J., Falls Church, Virginia

DEAR J.J.: Your dog’s condition, evident in certain breeds, does point to a genetic susceptibility, but the actual cause has not yet been determined.

It may be an autoimmune inflammatory brain disease, possibly triggered by an infection, or so-called vaccinosis: an adverse reaction to vaccination. I would avoid further vaccinations and the use of anti-flea drugs, which can affect the nervous system.

I would put your dog on a whole food diet, as per my recipe on my website, that you can prepare yourself. Add some antioxidant-rich blueberries and other finely chopped or blended raw fruits and vegetables (apple, papaya, pineapple, kale or broccoli), plus anti-inflammatory fish oil. Discuss with your veterinarian a treatment with prednisolone (not prednisone) on a periodic regimen of increasing and then decreasing the dose, with intervals of no medication and possible maintenance on gabapentin. Melatonin, a natural plant product and potent antioxidant, may also be beneficial.

(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 DrFoxVet.net.)

DEAR DR. FOX: After my husband passed away, our dog was very depressed for several days. She had no interest in her food or regular walks. Knowing from your books how animals can grieve, I gave her extra TLC; after about three weeks, she got back to her regular routines, but it is like a spark has gone out of her.

What really stood out, though, was her behavior around the time my husband died. A bit before the hospital called to tell me his heart had failed (after a long illness), Sophie became very restless. She whined and kept running to the door and crying, and then came to lie down next to me. It was like she knew that my husband had died.

Just wanted you to know that dogs seem to know things we don’t. -- J.M., St. Louis, Missouri

DEAR J.M.: My condolences to you and your family. Many, but not all, animals grieve after the passing of a family member with whom they were close, be it a human or another animal. I would like to hear from other readers about how their animals reacted after such a sad event: what behaviors they showed, how long they were in mourning and what helped them recover.

I am especially interested in animals seeming to sense when a loved one has died, sustained a severe injury or been hospitalized. I have summarized some of these instances of “remote sensing” or empathic connectedness on my website under the article title “The Emapthosphere: Animal Prescience, Remote Sensing and Life After Life.”

I would welcome hearing about similar events from readers whose animals may have shown such awareness around the time of death of someone they knew, but who passed away outside their homes.

2018: THE YEAR OF THE DOG

From the Chinese Zodiac (thechinesezodiac.org):

“According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2018 is the year of the Dog, and its characteristic word is ACTION! Chinese New Year in 2018 is on Friday, Feb. 16. ... In Chinese astrology, each zodiac year (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig) is not just associated with an animal sign, but also one of five elements: Gold (Metal), Wood, Water, Fire and Earth. The year of 2018 meets the element of Earth, so 2018 is an Earth Dog Year.

“The Chinese Horoscope 2018 predicts that this year of the Brown Earth Dog is going to be a good year in all respects, but it will also be an exhausting year. You will be happy, yet frustrated; rested, yet tired; cheerful, yet dull! Is this going to be a beneficial year for Donald Trump? Or will the Dog Year be an unlucky year for (the rare) American president who has no dog?”

Dr. Fox here: For my part, I would not put dogs in the hands of those people who evidently lack the best qualities of dogs -- the qualities that make them honest, empathetic and trustworthy companions, faithful to the end, and who reflect and inspire our humanity.

(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 DrFoxVet.net.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I, too, detest it when I see a person walking their dog, only to drag the poor thing along as it tries to do its business or just sniff at stuff. That’s what they do! It’s supposed to be their special time. If you’re not planning on letting your pet enjoy their walk, take your own quick walk and then give the poor pooches an enjoyable walk later!

I agree that the current popularity of creating smaller, “munchkin” breeds is so very detrimental. I say no to docking, ear trimming and nail removal. Leave them the way God intended and just love them the way they are! -- G.M.E., West Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR G.M.E.: Your observations and opinions are unequivocally correct, but many people find reasons and excuses for doing what they do to the dogs (and other animals) they “own.” Indeed, animals are just a heartbeat away from being objects of property -- mere commodities in the eyes of many, including the law.

It is notable that in the U.K., there was much hoopla recently over animals being recognized, under the animal welfare/protection regulations, as “sentient beings.” Until the continuing discord and pervasive disconnectedness between most humans and other animals -- and between “civilization” and the natural world -- are supplanted by justice and respect for all life, this dark age of inhumanity will persist.

Those who contend that God created animals for man’s use surely made God in their own image. St. Francis of Assisi was one who saw animals as manifestations of divinity, of God’s creation for us to cherish and hallow.

DEAR DR. FOX: I am a huge fan and enjoy reading your syndicated column. In January 2015, I adopted a 7-year-old cat with a host of problems, including inflammatory bowel syndrome. I read your columns and concluded that the best thing for me would be to gradually wean her off the junk food she had been fed, and make my own food for her.

So, now I make and feed her a soup with organic, non-GMO ground turkey, turmeric powder and coconut oil. I also give her a powder of ground flaxseed, psyllium seed, slippery elm and marshmallow root and that is very effective in controlling the smelly, soft stools that she was plagued with.

What should I add to her food to keep her in good health for many years to come? Her energy levels are much lower than a 9-year-old cat should have. -- V.A., Alexandria, Virginia

DEAR V.A.: Stop the turmeric and coconut oil. The turmeric may aggravate the inflammation and coconut oil makes for loose stools.

Your cat needs good-quality probiotics (human-grade, over the counter) and a few drops of anti-inflammatory fish oil in each meal. A canned sardine (in water) per day can be highly beneficial. The flaxseed meal is of little nutritional value to cats and, along with psyllium husks, may cause further inflammation. Try my home-prepared cat food recipe or one of Honest Kitchen’s grain-free, freeze-dried cat foods.

Also, put a few drops of aloe vera liquid (oral, human preparation) in each of your cat’s meals, and increase that up to a half-teaspoon for five to seven days to help soothe and heal the intestinal wall and provide a prebiotic support for probiotic bacteria.

DEAR DR. FOX: I read your column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch regularly. We are concerned about our 6-year-old rescue cat, Mia. She has sneezing episodes from time to time that worry us. Most times, the thick mucus she expels is light yellowish to brownish, but at times, it is bloody. A couple days ago it was bloody, and about half the size of my pinkie finger. Sometimes she just has a clear, drippy nose, and at other times, it’s normal.

There doesn’t seem to be anything noticeable that triggers the episodes. I wonder if they are due to her exposure to smoke from the house fire we had almost five years ago; the episodes started a couple of years after we moved back home after the rebuild.

Is there anything we can do, or should do, for her? She is a very loving girl ... we want her to be well, and she appears to be in every other way. -- K.H., St. Louis, Missouri

DEAR K.H.: I doubt that the smoke from the house fire was the cause of this condition. Respiratory virus infections, common in kittenhood and especially in shelter situations, can lead to chronic secondary bacterial infections, especially in the sinuses. When the cat is stressed, or even just during changes in seasons, there can be a flare-up of sinusitis. But a chronic, persistent herpes or feline immunodeficiency virus infection could be involved, along with secondary bacterial infection -- meaning lots of pus and mucus. And in some cases of sinusitis, there are dental problems, where an infected tooth root and bone erosion can actually track infection into one of the sinuses.

So I advise a full veterinary wellness examination. This is a drain on your cat’s immune system and overall health and resilience.

(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 DrFoxVet.net.)