DEAR READERS: I live in Minnesota, where many serious environmental issues remain unresolved. These include the conflicts between industrial farming, water quality and climate change, and the protection of wolves from being “harvested” as a resource for trophy-hunters and trappers.

So I was pleasantly surprised last month to learn that a bill has been introduced to the state legislature to encourage residents to convert their lawns from grass to wild, indigenous flowering plants, which would help save the bees and other pollinators. The proposal would allot $2 million to subsidize 75 percent of the cost of these conversions. Funding the “Lawns to Legumes” program will increase the number of residential lawns with native vegetation and pollinator-friendly forbs and legumes.

I am confident that this legislation will pass, and that funding will be secured. It should be adopted by all states, especially targeting the absurd, irrigated lawns in California and the Southwest.

Also, Gov. Tim Walz’s Executive Order to Restore Healthy, Diverse Pollinator Populations became effective on April 19, directing several state agencies to promote “healthy and diverse pollinator populations that sustain and enhance Minnesota’s environment, economy and way of life.” This order comes at an important time, as pollinator populations are seeing critical declines. It will also help improve air and water quality, reduce chemical and noise pollution, and save energy!

I have long railed against lawns -- private ones, corporate ones, public ones along parkways and especially golf courses -- in this column, informing readers that many lawn chemicals are known to cause cancer in dogs as well as people. No offense to Tiger Woods and his industry, but golf courses, like lawns, are abominations when they widely and routinely apply chemicals, especially Roundup (glyphosate). These run off into surface waters and groundwaters, which we eventually drink, and also come down in rainwater far away.

Pesticides and chemical fertilizers should be prohibited, and a percentage of every golf course should be dedicated as a wildlife habitat.

DEAR DR. FOX: I’m just wondering, is it OK if I give my dog chicken bones? Some say it’s not good, and others say it doesn’t matter. -- B.D., Trenton, New Jersey

DEAR B.D.: The short answer is “no!”

The more detailed answer: Ground chicken bones (not from spent laying hens) are a good nutritional additive to a balanced diet. But raw and cooked chicken bones alike can splinter and cause internal damage.

The only safe bones to give a dog are raw beef soup bones (shank bones). Allow only a few minutes of chewing, and monitor closely, since some dogs can crack a tooth on them. This is also a problem with other very hard “chewable” items, like the popular deer and elk antler pieces. Other chews, from various animal parts -- from pigs’ ears, snouts and feet to bull penises -- can carry harmful bacteria.

Safer chews to keep teeth clean and gums healthy are rawhide strips and rolls, ideally U.S.-manufactured. Avoid knotted ones, since the knots may be chewed off and swallowed, causing choking or intestinal blockage. Raw chicken wing tips that are mainly cartilage can be fed with the skin after sterilizing in boiling water to get rid of bacterial contamination, a common problem with chicken from factory farms.

Turkey and pork bones, cooked or raw, should not be fed to dogs.

BEE SONG HELPS POLLINATION

Denise Ellsworth, an entomologist at Ohio State University, says bumblebees and some other wild bees do something honeybees don’t do: buzz pollination.

Bumblebees “can unhinge their wings from their wing muscles and vibrate their bodies,” Ellsworth says. This not only makes a buzzing sound in the tone of middle C, but also “causes the flower to explosively release pollen.”

(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 natural diversity of animals (including insects), plants and microorganisms that are native to a particular place -- its ecosystem -- help maintain environmental health and sustainability, as well as the food web.

Such communities help prevent the spread of harmful and invasive species. These controls break down when various human activities, especially industrial farming, aquaculture and agroforestry, reduce biodiversity. Invasive weeds, pests and diseases take hold. Rather than change practices and adopt organic, ecologically sound systems of production, the treadmill of reliance on pesticides and various drugs becomes the accepted norm. The rising incidence of cancer in children and dogs is no coincidence.

We must all be vigilant and practice good personal and public hygiene; humane, responsible animal care; thorough wildlife protection; and robust environmental stewardship. And we must avert the need for chemical agents. This is because, as with antibiotics and fungicides, insecticides kill many harmless species that help control the proliferation of other potentially harmful species through competitive exclusion. Such loss of biodiversity helps create terrible “superbugs” -- the drug-resistant bacteria and fungi now resident in many hospitals -- and herbicide-resistant “superweeds” and resistant populations of mosquitoes and internal parasites around the world.

The rising incidence of tick-borne diseases in the Americas is not attributable to climate change alone. There are many factors, including human and livestock encroachment, habitat change, and the hunting, trapping and poisoning of natural predators -- even using cyanide guns to kill coyotes. A paucity of foxes, and other eaters of small rodents that are reservoirs of disease, and a similar lack of insectivorous birds and reptiles that consume the ticks that transmit these diseases to humans, make the outdoors unsafe. So more pesticides are used, and the cycle continues.

Additional problems are created by the importation of plant and animal produce and animal feed from abroad. This calls for heightened biosecurity and the discouragement of, if not legislation against, the ownership, propagation and deliberate or accidental release of “exotic” animals and plant varieties.

Optimal biodiversity is the keystone of One Health -- encompassing animals, plants, the environment and humans. The contribution of biodiversity to One Health includes clean air, pure water, productive soils, ecosystem resilience and food safety and security. These then lead to greater climatic, economic and social stability -- provided that human greed is effectively restrained.

For detailed documentation of the degradation of global ecosystems and loss of biodiversity, see the 2019 United Nations’ IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services at ipbes.net/assessment-reports/eca. The report finds that around 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades -- more than ever before in human history. It is a clarion call to all of us, and to our governments in particular.

DEAR DR. FOX: I am having an ongoing debate with my husband about cleaning out the cat box. We have two cats, and they use the same box. I say we should clean it out twice a day, and he says once is fine. What do you say? -- G.L., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR G.L.: I would clean the litter box four times a day for two cats, or add another box and clean both twice daily, if equally used. Always wash your hands after scooping, raking and adding fresh litter. Empty the entire contents and replace with fresh litter every week or two.

Also: If you are pregnant, your husband should be the litter box cleaner for health reasons. For more litter box insights, check my website: drfoxonehealth.com.

(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: I read your regular column in our local newspaper, and have a question about the use of tramadol for dogs.

My goldendoodle had some surgery yesterday, and the veterinarian has put her on 50 milligrams of tramadol once every 12 hours for pain. Is this the suggested dosage? Are there any negative side effects that I should be aware of? -- S.M., Medford, Oregon

DEAR S.M.: Your veterinarian has not kept up with the professional literature on tramadol. It has recently been shown to be an ineffective analgesic for dogs (and also for rabbits). I have long questioned its use for dogs, since it can cause anxiety and palpitations in some dogs. Cannabidiol (CBD) would be a superior alternative for analgesia, and is also an anti-inflammatory.

A flying insect called the “kissing bug” that can carry and transmit a potentially fatal disease to humans, dogs and other animals is beginning to spread across the U.S. Well-established in Texas, Arizona and parts of New Mexico and California, kissing bugs have been reported now in Delaware and the Carolinas.

More informations from Texas A&M (kissingbug.tamu.edu):

“Infection with Trypanosoma cruzi can cause Chagas’ disease (also known as American trypanosomiasis) in humans, dogs, and other mammals. Kissing bugs can transmit the parasite to hosts by biting and subsequently defecating near the site of the bite. The parasites live in the digestive tract of the bugs and are shed in the bug feces. When infectious bug fecal material contaminates the mucous membranes or the site of a bug bite on a mammal, transmission of the parasite can occur. Alternately, dogs can also become infected through the consumption of infected bugs. The parasite can be transmitted congenitally, through blood transfusion, and through transplantation of infected organs. Chagas’ disease is endemic throughout Central and South America, and is increasingly recognized as both a human and veterinary health concern in the southern United States. Chagas’ disease became a reportable disease in Texas in 2013.

“In dogs, infection with the Chagas parasite can cause severe heart disease; however, many infected dogs may remain asymptomatic. There are variations in the degree of complications from Chagas’ disease that likely relate to the age of the dog, the activity level of the dog, and the genetic strain of the parasite. Cardiac rhythm abnormalities and sudden death may occur, as well as bloat due to reduced cardiac function and inability to properly pump fluids throughout the body. ...

“Testing for canine infection with the Chagas parasite is available through the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (tvmdl.tamu.edu). Unfortunately, treatment options are not readily available, although some research teams are developing new treatment approaches that are promising. There is currently no vaccination that protects against Chagas’ disease for either dogs or humans.

DEAR DR. FOX: My dog loves cheese. Is it safe to give her a small piece as a treat? -- R.M., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR R.M.: Generally, it is safe; all things in moderation.

Avoid orange-colored cheeses that contain a plant dye (annatto) that can cause seizures in dogs. I also avoid all U.S. cheeses and dairy products (plain yogurt and kefir being good for dogs) that are not organically certified. This is because many dairy cows here are injected with rBGH, a genetically engineered bovine growth hormone. This product, which can harm cows and shorten their lives, is banned in Canada and Europe for humane and consumer health reasons. (For details, see https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/recombinant-bovine-growth-hormone.html.)

Some non-organic dairies do not use this drug, and will indicate this with “No rBGH” on the label.

OLDER PEOPLE SAY PETS MAKE THEM FEEL LOVED, REDUCE STRESS

Fifty-five percent of 50- to 80-year-olds responding to a survey said they own at least one pet, and nearly 90 percent of those owners said their pet contributes to feelings of being loved. Around 80 percent said pets mitigate stress, nearly 75 percent said their pet gives them a sense of purpose, and 64 percent said their pet helps them stay active.

Drawbacks to having a pet included adding complexity to leaving the house or traveling, financial strain and related falls or injuries. (TIME, April 3)

(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.)