The Interior and Commerce departments proposed changing rules under the Endangered Species Act in a way that administration officials say would strengthen the law, but that conservationists say would eviscerate it and accelerate extinctions.

The proposal would end the practice of granting automatic protection to threatened species and would instead extend protection on a case-by-case basis. It would also delete rules requiring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to ignore the economic effects of protective measures.

On top of that, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently confirmed that it will again try to develop a proposal to remove wolves from the Endangered Species Act protections in the Great Lakes region. Please consider calling your member of Congress and asking for their opposition to any changes that weaken the Endangered Species Act.

Like the proverbial juggernaut, the U.S. government is undermining proposed standards for organically certified food, essentially deregulating the nascent organic farming industry to open the doors for the dominant pesticide- and drug-dependent agribusiness industry, which will put smaller, more humane and environmentally conscientious producers out of business. Organic farmers have long been calling for strict standards, especially when it comes to the well-being of animals raised for meat, as well as eggs from hens and dairy produce from cows. Organic producers say strict guidelines are crucial to consumer confidence in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Certified Organic label.

So what are conscientious consumers to do, when our government is undermining both organic and humane farming practices and our ability to make informed choices in the grocery store? This is an outrage! For more details, contact the Organic Trade Association, and also express your concerns to your congressional representatives.

DEAR DR. FOX: I wanted to let you know that several years ago, our 3-year-old standard poodle started suffering from seizures. Based on an article you had written, I changed her diet to eliminate corn. She has never suffered another seizure. I attribute her long life (age 13) to a great diet and exercise. She is our longest-living standard poodle!

Also, I want to mention how beneficial we are finding acupuncture for Marni’s arthritis. We can’t believe the difference in her! -- K.R., Shrewsbury, New Jersey

DEAR K.R.: Thank you for sharing the benefits of my advice concerning your dog’s epilepsy. Corn and wheat in dogs’ diets have been implicated in many cases of seizures due to the high gluten content, as well as lentils, beans, soy (pulses), oats, wheat, barley and dairy products high in brain-exciting glutamate and aspartate.

More and more veterinarians are becoming aware of how these and other ingredients may cause or aggravate canine epilepsy (which can be caused by many other factors, as well), and are no longer simply prescribing barbiturates and other anti-seizure drugs. For details, see the excellent book by Dr. W. Jean Dodds and Diana R. Laverdure, “Canine Nutrigenomics.”

Many readers will appreciate your assertion that acupuncture treatments can be of benefit for our canine companions. Skeptics should note the following: Veterinarian Daniel Eckman of Texas A&M University says that when acupuncture is performed by trained veterinarians, pets may experience numerous benefits with a low risk of side effects. Acupuncture can play a role in pain management, anxiety relief and treatment of respiratory, gastrointestinal or other disorders, says Dr. Eckman. (The Bryan-College Station Eagle, 7/8/18)

(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 READERS: Nick Polizzi, in his book “The Sacred Science: An Ancient Healing Path for the Modern World,” writes: “On a warm summer night a few years ago, an Ojibwe elder in the backwoods of Wisconsin shared a tale to illustrate an important choice we all have to make as we walk through this world. His words have stuck with me ever since and are particularly handy in times of intensity. ... I hope this teaching serves you as well.”

“The Two Wolves”

One evening, an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.”

“One is Evil: It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.”

“The other is Good: It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

This story -- with no disrespect to the wolves, whom in many ways I regard as our superiors, contributing far more to environmental health than we do -- affirms our dualistic nature. It is evident in most children and adults, in every country, every day. It is a war, indeed, between our humanity and our inhumanity, which good parenting and education can help end.

DEAR DR. FOX: My 11-year-old Yorkie has Cushing’s disease. Sometimes at night, she pants and paces and throws herself down on the bed, rubs herself back and forth on my refrigerator and whines almost continuously.

Is she in pain when she does that? Right now, the pancreatitis is under control. -- V.R., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR V.R.: Cushing’s disease is an all-too-common disease affecting the adrenal glands in older dogs, often coupled with hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus.

Such endocrine gland dysfunctions may be caused by a variety of factors, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the environment and food, adverse vaccination reactions (vaccinosis), and complications from neutering. Typical Cushing’s disease can be associated with a tumor in the brain or in the adrenal glands, causing secretion of excessive amounts of one or more adrenal steroids such as cortisol, and in some instances, of adrenal sex hormones.

Most dogs with this disease develop a pot-bellied appearance and poor muscle tone, and have increased thirst, urination and appetite. These hormonal storms can also cause anxiety, panting, increased body heat and discomfort, and acid-base disorders.

So in addition to carefully titrated medication to stop the production of adrenal hormones, close monitoring of blood pressure (and lowering of same, as needed), I would advise 3-6 mg melatonin morning and evening. Also, talk to your veterinarian about putting your dog on a “cooling,” natural, whole-food diet, as per my dog food recipe, minus the grain ingredient. And also consider asking about a short course of treatment with an anxiety-relieving drug such as alprazolam; if it improves the quality of your dog’s life, continue as needed.

KILLING DOGS FOR MEAT RULED ILLEGAL BY SOUTH KOREAN COURT

A South Korean court has ruled that it is illegal to kill dogs for their meat. This is a landmark decision that animal rights activists say could pave the way for legislation outlawing the practice completely.

The ruling was made by Bucheon City court, in a case brought by the animal rights group CARE against a dog farm operator. The man was convicted and fined 3 million won (U.S. $2,700) for killing animals without proper reason and for violating building and hygiene regulations.

(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 READERS: All the neighbors with whom I have spoken here in Golden Valley, Minnesota did not know that our state’s Animal Humane Society (AHS) is releasing cats, in all weather, to fend for themselves. This is their “Community Cats” program. They have no registered volunteers feeding these cats once they’re released.

In June, I took two black cats that had come onto our property to the AHS. The first one turned out to be one of their “Community Cats,” with the tip of her left ear cut (yet not visibly different at a distance). She had been out all winter. The AHS released her, and she was back on our property 24 hours later.

The second cat was a young male, and he, too, was back on our property 24 hours after being taken to the AHS. As they did for the first cat, the group neutered him and gave him an anti-rabies vaccination, but did not worm him or test him for feline leukemia and immunodeficiency disease. Parasites can cause cats to suffer and die from anemia and starvation, and the viral diseases (and others preventable by vaccine) could infect other cats.

This is not a legitimate or safe way to reduce the overall cat population.

The second cat was very sociable toward me: rubbing against my legs as I coaxed him with food and easily put him in a cat crate. Yet he was deemed “unadoptable” by the AHS behavioral evaluation staff, who also put his age at over 3 years (rather than my estimate of around 10 months).

With a doctoral degree in animal behavior and three books on cat care and behavior under my belt, I find this utterly incomprehensible. The cat was given no time to settle into the shelter environment, where he would naturally be fearful, before coming to trust his new caregivers. He is now settling into our home, after appropriate veterinary tests and treatment for parasites, and we hope to find a forever home for him. Perhaps he was considered not adoptable principally because he is black, a color many people associate with bad luck.

This nationwide practice of TNR (trap, neuter, release) is cruel and unwarranted, putting cats, wildlife and public health at risk. It is part of a broader societal pro-life ideology, based on some feel-good moralistic sentiment that causes more harm than good. It is endorsed by national organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States, where the politics and economics of appeasement put such organizations in an ethically untenable position.

Instead of this TNR program, the AHS should be focusing on: establishing group housing for the emotional recovery of rescued cats; working with cities and communities to establish ordinances prohibiting people from allowing their cats to roam off-property; licensing cats and mandating neutering and microchipping.

TNR is advertised as a tool to reduce feral cat numbers. Unfortunately, these programs have been shown to fail to do so.

For more details, see the “Trap, Neuter, Release” page from the American Bird Conservancy: abcbirds.org/program/cats-indoors/trap-neuter-release/

DEAR DR. FOX: We have moved into a new neighborhood, and it breaks my heart when I drive around and hear one dog after another barking and howling.

They are so lonely. We call the police, and they say “talk to the neighbors,” but there’s nobody at home. That’s why the dogs are so lonely. What are these people doing? Do they know how their dogs are suffering? What to do? -- M.K., Cleveland, Ohio

DEAR M.K.: My wife and I have the same problem where we live, in a suburb of Minneapolis.

Our municipal ordinance states: “It is unlawful for anyone to keep a dog or cat that barks, howls or meows excessively or continuously. This includes any noise by any dog or cat that can be heard by any person from a location outside the building where the animal is kept AND occurs repeatedly over at least a five-minute period of time, with less than 30 seconds between each animal noise.”

So check with your local animal control department. In my opinion, this is a nationwide problem, and a sad reflection of the quality of life of many dogs. They are basically pack animals, and suffer when left alone all day. Separation anxiety can lead to other behavioral and medical problems, as well as disturbing others in the community. It can be risky going over to speak to dog owners about their dogs barking and howling as I have learned from personal experience. Best to call the authorities.

Many people who are away at work all day and leave their dogs at home might consider asking neighbors if there are any problems, or using an in-home video recorder to see what their dogs do when they are gone. Much can be done to help dogs feel less insecure when left alone all day, which is a responsibility all owners should embrace.

(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.)