DEAR READERS: On Easter Sunday, April 17, I was encouraged to find the Parade magazine in my newspaper with its Earth Day cover proclaiming, "Don't Let Them Go Extinct: 6 Simple Ways to Help These Species and Mother Earth." But when I read item No. 5, "Eat smart," I nearly spilled my coffee. It stated: "Consuming protein that leaves a small carbon footprint can make a big difference. Swapping beef out for fish even twice a week is a 'good move in the right direction,' says Katie Matthews, chief scientist with Oceana." It then provides a website for salmon recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
In my analysis, farmed salmon is one of the most inhumane, unsustainable, environment-harming and potentially consumer-harming forms of aquaculture food production. A 20-acre salmon farm produces as much waste as a town of 10,000 people. For details, see my book "Eating With Conscience: The Bioethics of Food."
For better ideas, many readers will enjoy this free resource: "What to Eat When You Don't Eat Animals: Menus and ideas to inspire people who want to eat as if life is precious," created by Veda Stram and available at all-creatures.org/what-to-eat.html.
DEAR DR. FOX: Regarding your recent letter about the 4-month-old cat with the terrible itch: We had an older rescue cat with similar problems who would scratch herself raw. We tried oatmeal baths at the vet and food changes at home, with no effect.
We finally had allergy testing done, which showed an allergy to pine trees among other triggers. We had been using a pine-based litter. Switching her from it, plus some additional weeks of baths, helped her greatly. Your reader may want to try a litter change. -- C.C., West Palm Beach, Florida
DEAR C.C.: Thanks for this helpful insight. We all learn from our animals' reactions to various environmental factors. Your cat's allergy to certain types of cat litter -- laudably diagnosed by the attending veterinarian -- is one more data point added to our understanding of our companion animals.
Covered cat litter boxes can become problems for cats because of ammonia, dust and volatile scents being trapped inside. I advise open litter boxes and give additional details on my website (drfoxonehealth.com/post/cat-litter-box-issues) for all cat owners, many of whom do not clean out the box adequately on a daily basis.
PET OWNERSHIP LINKED TO SLOWER COGNITIVE DECLINE
Long-term pet ownership may support cognitive health, including verbal memory, in people over 50, according to a study scheduled for presentation at an upcoming American Academy of Neurology meeting. Pet ownership is associated with higher socioeconomic status, a sense of companionship and healthy behaviors, all of which are also associated with slower cognitive decline, experts said. (Full story: MedPage Today) Feb. 23)
(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.)