DEAR READERS: I am sharing some positive news, below, from CBS News (cbsnews.com/boston/news/cat-declawing-ban-law-illegal-massachusetts):

"Cat declawing is now illegal in Massachusetts after Gov. Maura Healey signed a bill Jan. 9 to ban the procedure that many animal advocates call inhumane.

"Declawing involves taking out the first bone of a cat’s toes. The Massachusetts Society for the Protection of Animals describes it as 'an amputation comparable to the removal of all 10 human fingertips at the first knuckle.' Advocates also say declawing can make cats more likely to bite, and can cause them to avoid a litter box.

"'Declawing is an abhorrent practice that most veterinarians view as inhumane, but it is also a procedure that is widely misunderstood and requested by owners,' said bill sponsor and State Sen. Mark Montigny of New Bedford in a statement. 'By passing this law, veterinarians will no longer have to weigh the choice knowing that if they don’t provide the procedure, an owner is likely to just look for someone who will.'

"Violators could face fines of $2,500 for repeat offenses, and licensed veterinarians who break the law could be subject to discipline. Massachusetts is the third state to ban declawing, joining New York and Maryland. Cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Denver have done the same."

DELIBERATE BREEDING OF CATS WITH DEFORMITIES

I have raised the issue of people breeding cats with genetic deformities, as well as crossbreeding domestic cats with various wild cat species, in earlier columns. The worst deformities, in the opinion of several veterinarians, are those of the so-called bullycat.

These animals are made by crossbreeding hairless sphynx cats -- which suffer from skin issues, sunburn easily and are susceptible to the cold -- and extremely short-limbed munchkin cats. The combination of these genetic abnormalities sentences the bullycat to a life of suffering and limited physical ability.

All who love cats should adopt one of the hundreds of thousands in shelters rather than purchasing one of these inhumane creations.

CAT LITTER CONCERNS AND OPTIONS

Finding a quality cat litter can be a challenge when one is aware of potential health risks to our feline companions. I am concerned about some clay-based litters that can adhere to cats’ paws and be ingested when the cat self-grooms, since they could contain inflammatory silica and other potentially toxic elements. When cats dig around in their litter boxes to bury their waste, they may also inhale small particles from dusty litter. This could be problematic with some ground corn-based litter products containing glyphosate herbicide residues.

I am very much in favor of an upcycled softwood cat litter from Catalyst, which my cat Fanny immediately accepted. It has a natural fragrance that controls odor, it clumps well and is not dusty. For details, see: catalystpet.com/products/cat-litter-unscented-formula.

(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: Please see the following from Dogs Naturally magazine:

"Thousands of pet owners experienced devastating and deadly effects (from) Seresto flea collars. Since 2012, they trusted the company’s safety claims. Now Elanco, the company selling these dangerous products, has agreed to a $15 million court settlement.

"Two pet owners filed this class-action lawsuit in California. They allege the company misled consumers about the safety of Seresto collars. The suit states Elanco 'misrepresented the product through affirmative statements, half-truths, and omissions regarding the safety of the product.'" (Full story: dogsnaturallymagazine.com, Oct. 24)

It is notable that no warnings are given to refrain from petting any animal wearing these insecticidal collars, with children being especially at risk. Nor is there any instruction not to allow treated dogs to enter freshwater ecosystems, even though these insecticides are documented as detrimental to aquatic life.

All externally applied and orally administered anti-flea and tick products containing imidacloprid and fipronil should be prohibited. Two alarming studies on the subject are "Distribution of fipronil in humans, and adverse health outcomes of in utero fipronil sulfone exposure in newborns"

(by Young Ah Kim et al., published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 2019) and "Multiple neonicotinoids in children’s cerebro-spinal fluid, plasma and urine" (by Bernard Laubscher et al., published in Environmental Health, 2022).

Below are some additional issues of concern regarding Elanco and animal health.

-- In 2020, Elanco Animal Health completed its acquisition of Bayer's animal health division. Bayer probably needed to focus on other branches of its business -- namely, on dealing with thousands of lawsuits over its glyphosate herbicide, Roundup (which Bayer took over from Monsanto).

According to law firm Miller and Zois, "As of October 2024, Monsanto has reached settlement agreements in nearly 100,000 Roundup lawsuits. Monsanto (has) paid approximately $11 billion. ... Although these settlements account for nearly two-thirds of all Roundup claims, Monsanto estimates that 54,000 active Roundup lawsuits remain." (For details, see lawsuit-information-center.com/roundup-lawsuit.html.)

-- Another Elanco product is a feed additive called Paylean, which is marketed as a way to make pigs, turkeys and cattle put on more muscle and less fat. Paylean contains ractopamine hydrochloride, which can be regarded pharmaceutically as a psychoactive drug -- making animals feel tense, anxious and potentially more aggressive. This is an added stressor on these sentient creatures in the already-crowded conditions of factory farms. Additionally, animals given this drug often suffer from severe lameness.

Cooking does not eliminate ractopamine from meat, and some studies have raised concerns about its indirect impact on cancer development. It has not been allowed in the European Union, nor in almost 160 other countries, based on the 2009 European Food Safety Authority’s opinion on its safety. (For details, see drfoxonehealth.com/post/pharmaceutical-cruelty-in-animal-farms-consumer-beware.)

-- Elanco also sells Posilac, a bovine growth hormone product. Specifically, Posilac contains recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), a synthetic version of a hormone that increases milk production in dairy cows. RBST has been banned in Canada and in the EU for animal health concerns, including the risk of severe pain and distress for cows. (I testified against the FDA's approval of rBST when the product was first brought out by Monsanto, but approval was a "done deal" with the U.S. government.) Note that this product is not used in organically certified dairy products.

-- Elanco has posted an advisory for its widely used immunosuppressant drug, Apoquel, for dogs with skin problems. The notice (elanco.us/products-services/dogs/atopica-cyclosporine-capsules-usp-modified) includes several warnings. These include: "Atopica is a systemic immunosuppressant that may increase susceptibility to infection and development of neoplasia. Wear gloves during administration and wash hands after administration. ... Use with caution in dogs with diabetes mellitus or renal insufficiency."

The FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, Division of Surveillance reviewed the Apoquel website and determined that it "makes false or misleading representations about the risks associated with Apoquel." For more details, and safer alternatives, see my post here: drfoxonehealth.com/post/apoquel-risks-and-alternatives-for-dogs-with-atopic-dermatitis.

-- Elanco is one of the Big Pharma companies lobbying against restrictions on antibiotic use in farm animals. For details, see the article "Narratives of Delay" by Michaela Herrmann for Sentient Media: sentientmedia.org/animal-pharma-industry-overuse-of-antibiotics.

(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 want to thank you for your stance on animal welfare -- both for individual dogs and cats and for animals across the planet.

I live in Sonoma County, California, and we recently had a ballot measure here that would have required CAFOs (animal factory farms) in the county to downsize their operations. Before that, I didn’t realize how many Big Ag operations we had here disguised as friendly little family farms (which they might have been at one time). Sadly, the measure was soundly defeated; big money came in from all over the country to fight it. I realized that no matter how eco-conscious our local folks seem to be, very few of them have the empathy or understanding to really make a change on their plates.

Keep doing your good work. You give me hope for a better world. -- L.B., Sonoma County, California

DEAR L.B.: You underscore how money rules, and that even if people care and are environmentally aware, they do not all make the connection between factory farms and what they put on their plates.

Is it any coincidence that the deteriorating condition of the environment mirrors the deteriorating condition of humanity? Extreme weather events due to climate change make home insurance unaffordable for many, and denied altogether in some vulnerable regions. In our consumptive society, medical and mental health costs are escalating, and health insurance and medications are becoming unaffordable while millions suffer hunger, poverty, violence and preventable diseases.

Acts of loving kindness toward all living beings can expand the consciousness and the conscience, bringing the kind of joy that can only come from empathy and from the refusal of anger and judgmental retribution. With an expanded consciousness, there is holistic thinking and awareness -- a more unified, creative sensibility that makes healers and caregivers of us all. We can see the connections between human, nonhuman and environmental care and well-being, as documented in my book "One Health: Veterinary, Ethical and Environmental Perspectives." But we must first listen to nature and experience its sacredness.

I am saddened there are so many who are still ego-bound and causing harm in the world, as emphasized by Father Richard Rohr in his book "The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage." I grieve for all the millions of children surviving in war zones -- terrified -- while others starve, are enslaved or fall ill. I grieve for the billions of animals exploited and killed for food when plant-based diets are within the reach of most consumers.

We must transcend this immature stage of being anthropocentric and instead become Earth-centered. Going from egocentric to eco-centric is an evolutionary step we must all take, and it is a survival imperative. The climate crisis is putting us all on notice: We must either change our ways and evolve or continue to suffer the consequences.

BLUE RIDGE BEEF RECALLS KITTEN FOOD

Blue Ridge Beef has recalled one lot of its Kitten Mix food after tests revealed the presence of salmonella. The testing, conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources, was prompted by a report of a sick animal. (Full story: FDA.gov, Jan. 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.)