Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS or “forever” chemicals, constitute a multibillion-dollar family of some 14,000 different chemicals that are widely used to make water-, grease- and stain-repellent coatings. They are also used in a vast array of consumer goods, clothing, carpets, upholstery, cookware and in industrial applications. 3M, a major manufacturer of these chemicals, has recently agreed to pay up to $12.5 billion to settle claims over PFAS polluting municipal drinking water systems around the country and to clean them up.

(For an extensive review of these chemicals, see Heather D. Brake et al, Current per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) research points to a growing threat for animals. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, July 2023, vol. 261, pp. 952-958 (doi.org/10.2460/javma.22.12.0582).)

Liver toxicity, reduced postnatal survival, depressed immune function and altered thyroid function in both humans and animals are documented. These chemicals are omnipresent in the environment in foods, food packaging, cosmetics, drinking water and in-home dust and carpeting, and may contribute to hypothyroidism and obesity in cats living in such contaminated environments.

It has been widely known for decades that, like the canaries down in the mines that warned of poisonous carbon monoxide gas, canaries and other caged birds have died in homes where Teflon-coated nonstick cookware was overheated. In my opinion, we ignored these early warnings of the potential health risks of PFAS.

It is estimated that at least 45% of drinking water in the U.S. is contaminated with these “forever” chemicals, along with some heavy metals, all of which are a health hazard to us and our companion animals.

I have used a ZeroWater filter for several years in our home, and the manufacturers of this low-cost filter system have posted this announcement: “Our 5-Stage water filters remove 99.6% of total dissolved solids (TDS). ZeroWater is the only pour-through filter NSF-certified to reduce lead, chromium and the forever chemicals PFOA and PFOS, giving you peace of mind in addition to delicious water.”

I have no vested interest in this company. The nonprofit organization the Environmental Working Group has tested various water pitcher filters and recommends four that remove close to 100% of toxic contaminants: Travel Berkey Water Filter, Clearly Filtered, ZeroWater and Epic Water Filter.

PERSISTENT CHEMICALS FOUND IN BLOOD OF DOGS, HORSES

Researchers found at least one of 20 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the blood of every horse and dog tested and identified biomarkers of liver and kidney dysfunction, according to a study published in Environmental Science and Technology. The animals lived in an area of North Carolina where PFAS have contaminated well water and a river, and the findings suggest dogs and horses could be sentinels of human exposure to so-called forever chemicals. Full story: The Hill (6/21)

DEAR DR.FOX: I prepare my dog's food using mostly chicken, lean beef and pork with seasonal vegetables. I add a supplement of vitamins/minerals that I purchase from The Farmer's Dog. My dog suffered a severe vitamin B12 deficiency. How is this possible? We brought him back from the brink with shots of B12 vitamins. I also switched to commercial dog food, which I must hand-feed, as he detests the stuff. I am now giving him a multivitamin daily. -- L.M., Washington D.C.

DEAR L.M.: I commend your veterinarian for making this diagnosis of a not commonly seen condition. The symptoms of B12 deficiency are not always easy to spot. The most common is weight loss, which can easily be mistaken for other health disorders. Some of the other symptoms include reduced appetite, dull hair coat, diarrhea, lethargy, mental dullness and neurological problems.

As most causes of vitamin B12 deficiency are a result of intestinal disease-causing malabsorption, simply giving a vitamin B12 tablet will not be beneficial. Most pets respond best to vitamin B12 administered via subcutaneous injection, and the frequency would be approximately once monthly but can vary.

If your dog has symptoms of intestinal B12 malabsorption, it is important to get him to the veterinarian as soon as possible. Certain breeds, including border collies, giant schnauzers and beagles, may be overrepresented, as the condition can be hereditary in these dogs. Exocrine pancreatic disease may also be a culprit.

(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: Democratic U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Amy Klobuchar have introduced a bill, misleadingly named the "Northern Great Lakes Wolf Recovery Act," that would delist wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. If passed, wolves in this region would lose federal protections and be subject to wolf hunting as written into law in these states. Previous wolf hunts in the upper Midwest have had devastating impacts on wolves.

Please contact your federal legislators, President Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and demand continued federal protections for all wolves. For letter-sending details, go to HowlingForWolves.org.

Some years ago, Klobuchar called for the opening of the Minnesota wolf hunt to be named after her. Now there is scientific documentation that provides more proof on what we have long known: Legal wolf-killing through public hunts leads to uncontrollable illegal wolf-killing. On average, for the period during and after the initiation of wolf hunting seasons, human causes were linked to 35.8% of deaths among the entire wolf population each year, with natural mortality being responsible for 7.6% of the deaths. (See "Human-caused wolf mortality persists for years after discontinuation of hunting" by R.T. Oliynyk, Scientific Reports, July 8.)

Wolves play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, indirectly contributing to our own health, as I detail here: drfoxonehealth.com/post/wolves-and-human-well-being-ecological-public-health-concerns.

DEAR DR. FOX: A friend of mine rescued a purebred dog, Joey, who was born with a stunted left foreleg. She took Joey to a vet, who recommended amputation. She paid $1,800 for the surgery, after which the wound opened back up. She took Joey back for resuturing and was charged $400 for that.

She took Joey home. Blood kept oozing from the wound, then clots, then more blood. Joey's gums became white, and my friend raced him to the ER vet. Joey was on death's door. He was given multiple transfusions, and he survived. I just saw him today. He looks great.

She paid an additional $8,000 at the ER vet. She asked that vet if the primary surgeon had screwed up. He would not commit, but he made comments that indicated he thought so. What is your opinion, and what steps should my friend take? -- L.H., Cleveland, Ohio

DEAR L.H.: In my professional opinion, the veterinary hospital and surgeon responsible for the amputation of this dog's deformed leg should pay for all post-surgical complications, which were evidently the result of an ineffectual amputation, including closure of major blood vessels, the results of which almost cost the dog's life and cost the owner financially and emotionally.

Filing a detailed complaint with the Ohio Veterinary Medical Licensing Board would be prudent and could help prevent future such occurrences at this veterinary hospital. You can download the Ohio veterinary complaint form from the OVMLB website. Disciplinary action includes requiring the vet to take courses, charging fines and/or suspending or revoking their veterinary license.

PROTECT ANIMALS FROM WILDFIRE SMOKE

From the American Veterinary Medical Association:

"As irritating as smoke can be to people, it can cause health problems for animals as well. Smoke from wildfires and other large blazes affects pets, horses, livestock and wildlife. If you can see or feel the effects of smoke yourself, you also should take precautions to keep your animals -- both pets and livestock -- safe."

The AVMA provides tips and resources at avma.org/resources/pet-owners/emergencycare/wildfire-smoke-and-animals.

ZOONOTIC DISEASES: NOT ONLY A FOREIGN PROBLEM

Industrial agriculture, the exotic pet trade, fur farming and live animal markets in the U.S. pose significant risks for zoonotic disease spillover events, and the U.S. lacks a comprehensive strategy for mitigating the danger, according to a report from experts at Harvard Law School and New York University. An estimated 25 million birds pass through some 130 live markets just in the Northeast every year, and there is evidence of outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza at live bird markets, and that swine flu spilled over to people at live animal markets in the past, the report says. (Full story: New York Times, July 6)

(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: New research shows that a combination of B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids can act as a dynamic duo against dementia.

Per a summary on FoodfortheBrain.org: "The research has found that giving older people with the first signs of cognitive impairment supplemental B vitamins (B6, B12 and folic acid), at higher levels than can be achieved through diet, ... produced 73% less brain shrinkage in a year, compared to placebo. This reduction brought brain shrinkage down to the level found in those elderly with no cognitive impairment."

It should be noted that this effect was only seen in participants who already had sufficient levels of omega-3 fats.

These documented findings could help with canine age-related cognitive decline and brain changes in aging cats that are analogous to Alzheimer's disease.

I would also consider taurine as a supplement for aging pets. In a study published in June, researchers examined 250 mice who were roughly 45 years old in human terms. Each day, the mice were either given taurine or a control solution. The mice that were given taurine had an increased lifespan of 12% in females and 10% in males.

In addition, organic coconut oil, given orally, has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties, and is also beneficial for slowing cognitive decline. Coconut oil also helps reduce seizures in epileptic dogs.

For references, citations and other details, go to drfoxonehealth.com/post/low-cost-supplements-help-prevent-alzheimers-disease-and-cognitive-decline-in-cats-and-dogs.

BOOK REVIEW: UPDATED EDITION OF 'UNNATURAL ORDER'

"An Unnatural Order: The Roots of Our Destruction of Nature" by Jim Mason. This fully revised and updated edition of the 1993 original outstrips all other books I have read with its documentation and compassionate conviction that advance the recognition of animal rights.

It is unique in its extensive examination of our inhumanity toward animals, toward our own kind and toward nature over the millennia of recorded history. Mason has coined the term "misothery" -- derived from the Greek "misein" (to hate) and "therion" (beast or animal) -- literally meaning "hatred and contempt for animals." Since animals are so representative of nature in general, misothery can mean "hatred and contempt for nature, especially its animal-like aspects."

For all who want to explore the origins of the current climate and extinction crises and pandemics, and what can and should be done, "An Unnatural Order" is an excellent resource. Read more about the author's philosophy at jimmason.website/why-animals-matter.

Mason makes it eminently clear that our disconnectedness from animals, the land and nature comes from the belief in human superiority -- dominion -- over the rest of Earth's creation, palpably evident in the global industrial system, and agriculture in particular. This is a state of mind most of us were raised with and taught to accept, even Christians and Jews, whose holy texts do not give religious sanction to dominate destructively and harmfully. On the contrary, they instruct believers to assume planetary care -- to "dress and to keep the Garden of Eden."

Under the equalitarian banner of justice for all, Mason links violations of women's rights, notably reproductive rights in the U.S., with the continuing denial of rights for all animals, wild and domesticated. Sexism, racism and speciesism are coins of the same currency.

When we lose our ancient, co-evolved connectivity and no longer feel awe and wonder at the symmetries of plants and insects, and the living communities they help sustain, we destroy more and more and feel less and less. This is because there is less and less to feel for, to empathize with, as biodiversity-impoverished norms are set for the next generation.

This vicious cycle of anthropocentric nihilism is evident in the daily news, from mass shootings to deaths from drug overdoses. Reading "An Unnatural Order" is a good beginning -- first to bear witness, and then to work on establishing a more natural order. This is evident in the countless symbiotic relationships discovered in sustainable ecosystems and provides an ethical basis for humankind to live in accord with the Golden Rule, treating others, human and nonhuman, as we would have them treat us.

GENETICALLY ALTERING PIGLETS TO HELP HUMAN BABIES

MIT's Technology Review reports that a company called eGenesis hopes to transplant gene-edited pig hearts into human babies with severe heart defects as early as next year, once a trial on 12 baboons is complete. The goal is to buy time for these infants while they wait for a rare human donor organ of the right size to become available.

Using the CRISPR gene-editing tool, eGenesis made about 70 changes to the pigs' genome. This involved removing genes for retroviruses and proteins, and inserting seven human genes. The company says that the changes reduce the risk that the recipient's immune system will reject the organ. So far, two infant baboons have received the transplants; neither survived more than a few days. (Full story: TechnologyReview.com, July 17)

How far will we humans go in exploiting other sentient species to help save our own kind, potential profits notwithstanding? The question raises ethical issues that cannot be ignored.

(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.)