DEAR DR. FOX: I always enjoy your column in my daily Times-News, but your reference to smart water meters worries me.

Please don’t spread bad science; you have many scientifically naive readers who trust you. Please see the 2013 Huffpost article “Smart Meters, Dumb Science.”

I appreciate all the information you give on animal nutrition and environmental dangers, and pass the info on to friends with pets. I’m concerned when you get into areas you are less of an expert on and spread alarm about things that don’t warrant concern. -- A.B.R., Hendersonville, North Carolina, retired from New York Power Pool (NYISO Control Center)

DEAR A.B.R.: Thanks for opening the discussion on an issue that is not backed by “dumb science,” as stated by smart meter safety advocates and others in the wireless technology industry.

I have been researching this topic for some time, since being alerted by a veterinarian colleague who is highly electrosensitive. Veterinarians and dairy farmers alike have been aware for decades how “stray voltage” and electromagnetic fields affect cows’ health, behavior and productivity. Here is a synopsis of what I consider a global threat to public, animal and environmental health.

High-speed 5G is a technology associated with electropollution harmful to the bioelectrical fields of normal, healthy cells in all living organisms -- human, animal, plant and microorganism. The World Health Organization has designated this form of nonionizing radiation as a possible carcinogen. For more details, read my review “Electropollution: Existential Threat to Public Health and Planetary Life?” posted on my website (drfoxonehealth.com).

Dr. Samuel Milham, MD, MPH, in his book “Dirty Electricity,” warns that because of the recent proliferation of radio frequency radiation from cellphones and towers, terrestrial antennas, Wi-Fi systems, broadband internet over power lines, and personal electronic equipment, we may be facing a looming epidemic of morbidity and mortality. In the book, he reveals the steps we must take, personally and as a society, to coexist with this marvelous but dangerous technology.

The first veterinarian to highlight problems in this area with companion animals, to my knowledge, was Dr. Allen Schoen (see www.drschoen.com/2011/09/01/). And Josh Hart wrote on stopsmartmeters.org about a woman and her dogs, all of whom had adverse reactions after a smart water meter was installed in her home.

Robert Kennedy Jr., chairman of Children’s Health Defense, has committed to being proactive on the concerns regarding excessive exposure of our children to 5G and wireless radiation. CHD has filed a lawsuit against the FCC for its Dec. 4, 2019, decision to decline to review its 1996 guidelines, and for its determination that the guidelines are protective of human health.

The Environmental Health Trust has also addressed this problem and offers flyers that could be given to parents, teachers and other concerned parties. Visit ehtrust.org/resources-to-share/printable-resources.

Veterinarians, scientists and others around the world are signing up to ban 5G telecommunications. Visit 5gspaceappeal.org for more information.

Activist Arthur Firstenberg writes on this topic in his book “The Invisible Rainbow.” A summary is available at 5gexposed.com.

Finally, to find out how many cellphone towers and wireless antennae there are within a 2-mile radius of your home, go to antennasearch.com. You may be in for a big surprise.

DEAR DR. FOX: I’ve been using your homemade dog food and would like to try the meat alternatives you mention in the recipe: “cottage cheese, well-cooked lentils, garbanzo beans, lima beans or a dozen organic eggs.”

How exactly are these alternatives incorporated into the recipe? Do you simply add the respective meat alternative as you would the actual meat, and simmer with the other ingredients? Does the “well-cooked” description only apply to the lentils, or to the other items as well? If using organic eggs, are they precooked (scrambled?) before adding them, or are they added raw?

By the way, my miniature schnauzer loves this recipe and looks great. -- B.C., Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

DEAR B.C.: I am glad that your dog is doing well on my home-prepared dog food recipe. Your dog joins many others who are reaping the benefits of good nutrition and a healthful diet.

I would add the raw eggs, at room temperature, to the basic recipe once it has been cooked, letting the eggs become lightly cooked as you stir them into the hot mix. Ditto for the cottage cheese. Overheating the eggs will destroy some nutrients, while feeding raw eggs can cause other problems. The lentils or chickpeas you can cook in with the basic ingredients, but be sure to add around 250 milligrams of taurine per serving at feeding time when using such pulses/beans as the main source of protein.

I do not advocate vegan diets for dogs, and advise a “rotational” diet using different sources of protein week by week.

(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 highly publicized coronavirus disease -- which most likely came from an animal market in China -- and the rapid spread of the economically devastating African swine fever have public and veterinary health authorities on alert around the world. One-quarter of the world’s pigs are expected to die from the latter pandemic.

Warmer and wetter conditions in many regions are creating ideal conditions for insect-borne diseases, compounded by human encroachment into wildlands. The number of live pigs, goats, cows and sheep transported worldwide in 2017 was 30% higher than in 2007, according to the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization; and veterinarians and epidemiologists say the trend presents a growing threat of infectious disease transmission. Live animals are a leading source of infectious disease transmission to humans and other animals, wild and domesticated.

With more disposable income, people travel more, and eat more meat and other foods of animal origin. Common sense would indicate we should do less of both -- not only for our own health, but for the sake of the poor animals subjected to long-distance live transportation prior to slaughter. Those who still choose to eat animal products should strive to buy local, organic and humanely raised.

CHINA’S POORLY REGULATED WILDLIFE MARKET IS A PRIME SOURCE OF ZOONOSIS

A new coronavirus first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan has infected hundreds of people over the past month, and authorities say the virus emerged from illegally traded animals at a seafood market.

China’s booming market for wildlife is poorly regulated, and some 50 different types of wild animal were on sale at the market -- including snakes, porcupines, foxes, ducks, rabbits and endangered pangolins. (Reuters, Jan. 23; Business Insider, Jan. 23)

Already reported in the United States, Australia and Europe, this is the latest infection to jump from animals to humans. There will be more to come if we continue to exploit and consume other species.

CHINA KILLING DOGS AND CATS AGAIN

According to the Daily Mail Online, to reduce the spread of coronavirus, officials in some Chinese cities have ordered citizens to get rid of their pets or risk having them taken away. Notices given to the Mail Online show orders from officials to dispose of dogs and cats immediately, to stop them from carrying the virus. Another report indicated some pets have been abandoned on the street amid rumors that they can spread the virus, and officials in Suichang, Zhejiang province, reportedly told residents that dogs caught out in public will be exterminated.

I have also received some reports, yet to be verified, that this virus may have been genetically engineered, and that the live-animal markets -- said to be the probable source of the virus -- are merely a scapegoat. Either way, all of this is a great tragedy, along with swine fever, and will hopefully not become a life- and economy-devastating global pandemic.

DEAR DR. FOX: My grandson is a born naturalist and wants a reticulated python for his 13th birthday.

I know he would be a responsible keeper, but I have mixed feelings about giving him the money to get one. What is your advice? Are there veterinarians who specialize in these kinds of pets? -- A.W., Sarasota, Florida

DEAR A.W.: I strongly urge you to sit down with your grandson and help him to realize that these kinds of animals belong only in the wild. In Florida and other states, their accidental escape -- or deliberate release -- into habitats not native to them is creating considerable havoc for indigenous species.

Aside from needing expert care, many so-called “exotic” animals do not thrive in captivity. Many are imported, and uncounted numbers die in the process. Even though there are veterinary specialists in some communities, the exotic animal industry should be outlawed. At that point, veterinarians would only have to treat those animals “grandfathered” in by legislation prohibiting new sales and ownership after a given date. This is for both the animals’ sakes and for public health.

But bans on keeping exotic pets like pythons, alligators, fish and monkeys have been ineffective, and some experts say it’s time for a new approach to exotic animal ownership, including education for would-be owners and more options for safely surrendering animals. Most exotic species released into the wild are not equipped for the environments into which they are released, and so they suffer and die, says marine biologist Andrew Rhyne. (Scientific American, Oct. 7)

(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: Various concerned individuals and organizations are pushing for legislative solutions to reduce horse-racing injuries.

In 2019, 38 horses died at the Santa Anita Park racetrack in California. Additional thousands nationwide suffer injuries that do not immediately kill them, but tear tendons and crack bones so they cannot be raced. So they go on long journeys to slaughter for the horseflesh trade in Canada, Europe and Asia.

Legislation to monitor and prohibit drugging horses to boost performance and mask prior injuries, and prohibiting their slaughter for human consumption, is in the works, according to the blog “The Political Animal” by Wayne Pacelle (animalwellnessaction.org).

All of this sounds great, but my opinion as a longtime monitor of this corrupt industry is that banning horse slaughter for human consumption will just mean more horse meat being recycled into pet food. And even worse, no one is standing up and saying these thoroughbred horses should not be raced until they are more mature: They need time to allow their skeletal structures to mature and better bear the strains and stresses of high-speed racing. In my mind, this is the most important issue -- and of course, it is unacceptable to the industry because of costs. Instead, the horses must earn their keep at an immature age by racing, a risk which I consider unethical. I believe it warrants outlawing this entire industry until it adopts the logical and humane standard of no competitive racing until these beautiful animals are more mature: between 3 1/2 and 4 years of age.

For details, see “Timing and Rate of Skeletal Maturation in Horses” by Deb Bennett, Ph.D.: equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 4-year-old rescue Chihuahua that habitually chews her nails. I have tried applying Bitter Apple, but it’s only a short-term deterrent.

When we first visited Gabby in our vet’s office, I noticed her nails were very long and that many had been chewed. We assumed the chewing was due to the stress of being surrendered to a shelter, then having been in a foster home for two months with several dogs.

When we agreed to adopt Gabby, we contracted for a complete exam including lab work, microchipping, dental X-rays, teeth cleaning/any necessary extractions, and nail trimming. We brought her home and I established a routine of trimming/filing her nails usually weekly, hoping to get the overgrown quick to retreat and break her of the chewing habit.

I trimmed her nails earlier this week, but noticed today that she has chewed several down to the quick. She was left alone for only two hours this week, but I have also caught her chewing when we are together. When I say “No chewing,” she puts her perky ears down and ducks her head, so she knows better. She is now a spoiled, totally indoor lap baby: She quickly learned to use potty pads, she sleeps with us and is so bonded to us that we should change her name to “Velcro.” When we do leave her, she is behind a pet gate in our laundry room with a potty pad and her fleece-lined cave bed. She gets in her bed, lets me cover her up and shows no sign of being stressed, so I do not think the nail-chewing is due to separation anxiety.

I have been an obsessive pet mom for 57 years. Our vet of 45 years referred patients to me for Maltese grooming advice and for training dogs to use indoor potty pads, so I am not inexperienced in pet care. Gabby’s nail-chewing habit has me stumped. Any suggestions you have will be greatly appreciated. -- M.H., Tulsa, Oklahoma

DEAR M.H.: Nail-biting and chewing (onychophagia) is generally an anxiety-triggered and anxiety-relieving behavior seen in humans, dogs and other animals.

I put this kind of behavior -- along with excessive grooming and fur-pulling in cats and feather-pulling in birds -- in the stress-related, obsessive-compulsive category. These habits have a life of their own once they become established, self-reinforcing cycles. Such bad habits can lead to secondary bacterial and fungal skin infections between the toes in many dogs.

Soaking Gabby’s paws in apple cider vinegar for a few minutes, then drying them off, would be Step 1. No more nail trimming for a while. Then get outdoors for physical activity, and indoors, engage with squeaky chew-toys and any activity that helps redirect your dog’s attention. Wrapping the dog in a light towel so she cannot reach her paws so easily while you are together on the sofa might help both of you relax.

The best step to take, which you can discuss with your veterinarian, is to attempt to break this conditioned anxiety disorder with a short course of treatment with Prozac to elevate feel-good brain serotonin. I would combine this with twice-daily massage therapy, as per my book “The Healing Touch for Dogs.” If the Prozac does not work, then I would try CBD, but not all veterinarians are prescribing cannabinoids for their animal patients. I strongly advise against purchasing such products in states where the sale is legal to give to companion animals without veterinary supervision.

(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.)