DEAR DR. FOX: I know you’ve studied wolf behavior, so the recent articles and videos about a wolf using "tools" to open a crab trap will come as no surprise. -- B.C.S., Nassau, Bahamas

DEAR B.C.S.: Several newspapers and other media outlets have posted this report of a wolf “using tools” -- bringing a fishing float to the shore, then pulling on the rope to get the attached crab trap, which she broke open and ate the contents. (For those who have not heard about it, see doi.org/10.1002/ece3.72348.)

In my (now out-of-print book) “Superdog: Raising the Perfect Canine Companion,” I published a photograph of my dog Benji doing something very similar to this wolf. I placed a stick tied to a wire attached to a plate of food near the outside of his outdoor pen. He very quickly reached under the door of the pen with his front paws, where there was a 6-inch gap, and pulled the stick toward himself -- dragging the plate into the pen to consume its contents. Insightful tool use, indeed!

Dr. Friederike Range, wolf researcher and associate professor at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, has demonstrated how socialized wolves will work in pairs to pull separate ropes at the same time to get a food reward. Pairs of dogs, however, did not do as well. Dogs did better when paired with a person, indicating another effect of domestication!

Several readers have told me about their dogs pushing a stool toward a table or kitchen counter, then jumping up on it to reach whatever was drawing their attention -- another instance of insightful, tool-using behavior. Dogs learning how to open a refrigerator door is another. For a deeper dive into dog cognition, see my book "Dog Body, Dog Mind."

Tool use is also evident in some dexterous cats, who pull on light-switch cords and interact with other gadgets around the house. I learned of one who activated an electric can-opener when hungry, and another who gave her owner a massive water bill by repeatedly flushing the toilet!

THE SUPER-WILD DOGS: COYOTES AND GOLDEN JACKALS

Coyotes originated in the open grasslands and deserts of Mexico and central North America, but are now native to all North and Central America, with a range stretching from Alaska to Panama. Since the early 1900s, due to factors like human agriculture and the removal of larger predators like wolves, coyotes' expansion was inevitable.

Similarly, the golden jackal population in Europe is rapidly expanding, moving from its traditional Balkan and Mediterranean range into central, northern and western Europe. This expansion, which has been ongoing since the late 1980s, is attributed to factors like the decline of wolves and the jackal’s adaptability to diverse habitats.

Jackal hunting is legal in Austria, Croatia, Greece, Bulgaria, Hungary and Serbia. Golden jackals are a protected species in Germany, but exceptions are made for culling in special cases, such as when they are confirmed to have killed livestock. In Vienna, the golden jackal is a strictly protected species, making any form of killing or capturing illegal.

In America, it is, shamefully, open season for coyotes across the country. There are even coyote-killing contests. All trapping and killing for recreational and commercial purposes should be prohibited, and humane capture limited to wildlife research and conservation.

For details and information about how to help prevent such unconscionable slaughter, visit ProjectCoyote.org.

(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: A mother's diet during pregnancy can affect various aspect of the baby's development. One 2020 review looked for possible connections between nutrients and the development of autism. From the article's abstract:

"Maternal diet during pregnancy is important for child neurodevelopment. We reviewed 36 studies examining maternal diet and (autism) and found that prenatal vitamin/multivitamin use and adequate intake of folic acid and vitamin D were each associated with lower likelihood of having a child with (autism). Future studies on these and other dietary factors are needed to better understand the role of maternal diet." (Full study: "Maternal Dietary Factors and the Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review of Existing Evidence" by Caichen Zhong et al., published in Autism Research in 2020.)

Another study, this one published in 2018, "provided preliminary evidence that maternal unbalanced dietary patterns may be a risk factor for (autism), and supplementation of calcium during pregnancy preparation may be inversely associated with (autism) in offspring." (Full study: "Maternal dietary patterns, supplement intake and autism spectrum disorders: A preliminary case-control study" by Ya-Min Li et al., published in Medicine/Baltimore in 2018.)

A more recent study states: "Prenatal diet may be causally related to autism; however, findings are inconsistent, with a limited body of research based on small sample sizes and retrospective study designs." (Full study: "Healthy prenatal dietary pattern and offspring autism" by Catherine Friel et al., published in JAMA Network Open in 2024.)

More research is needed, but it seems clear that the less processed food we consume, and the more organically certified ingredients we choose, the better. Essential nutrients are lost in some forms of processing, and inflammatory -- potentially carcinogenic -- compounds can be created. These processing byproducts, in combination with pesticide residues, also have documented adverse health consequences.

Pesticide contamination and essential mineral deficiencies can be caused by the herbicide glyphosate. Bayer/Monsanto’s glyphosate blocks plants’ uptake of various minerals -- primarily cationic nutrients like calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, lithium and zinc -- by binding to them and forming stable, insoluble complexes. It also affects other minerals like copper, phosphorus and boron.

This herbicide is used on virtually all commodity crops used by the processed food and beverage industries. It has contributed to the demise of monarch butterflies and entire populations of insects and birds; it is a recognized carcinogen and endocrine disruptor.

Indiana University School of Medicine researchers found glyphosate in 99% of the pregnant women they observed in the Midwest. In their study, higher glyphosate levels were associated with lower birth weight and may also lead to higher neonatal intensive care unit admission risk. (Full study: "Glyphosate exposure in early pregnancy and reduced fetal growth: A prospective observational study of high-risk pregnancies" by Roy Gerona et al., published in Environmental Health in 2022.)

In addition to genetic and epigenetic considerations in the etiology of autism, the broader subject of dietary and nutrient deficiency needs to be more prevalent on the public health agenda. For one of many studies documenting the health benefits of vegetarianism -- which also saves medical costs -- see "Vegetarian diets in the Adventist Health Study 2: a review of initial published findings" by Michael Orlich and Gary Fraser, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2014.

As I have underscored repeatedly in this column, adopting a balanced, plant-based diet, fortified as needed with minerals, vitamins and prebiotics, is good for our overall health. It will also help reduce our collective contribution to climate change. The productions of beef, dairy, pork and poultry are major climate concerns and pose many animal welfare issues. These industries exacerbate the loss of biodiversity, groundwater pollution and public health risks from antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

(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: While many people are facing food shortages under our current dystopian politics and economics, the critical issue of climate change cannot be denied. We all have agency to help alleviate this environmental crisis.

A vast tonnage of food and beverage waste from manufacturers, grocery stores and homeowners is an issue many municipalities are beginning to address. In-home kitchen sink food-grinders should be prohibited, since the discharge is a burden on water treatment plants. Food waste should not go to landfills, either, because it often emits the greenhouse gas methane into the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change.

Large volumes of food and beverage waste can be retained in biogas-producing anaerobic digesters or fermentation tanks, and the methane generated can be used as an energy source. Biogas is considered a renewable energy source because it is produced from organic matter such as agricultural waste, municipal solid waste, sewage and food waste, which are continuously generated by natural processes. (See group.met.com/en/mind-the-fyouture/mindthefyouture/biogas.)

Dried food-waste residue, often high in phosphates, may be recycled into fertilizer if tested free of heavy metals and other harmful chemicals. This is an issue with sewage slurry, which is prohibited under organic farming standards in the U.S.

Sewage, including excrement and food waste, contains a trove of valuable nutrients including ammonia, a key ingredient of fertilizer. Now, researchers report a way to use sunlight to recover ammonia from wastewater. The cheap, efficient process is a practical way to reuse the nutrient on farms and keep it from reaching the environment, where it can cause harm.

PET FOOD PANTRIES STRUGGLE TO COPE WITH DEMAND

Pet food pantries are seeing an increase in demand as families in need across the U.S. experience delays and disruptions in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments. SNAP funds cannot be used to buy pet food, but can help families afford to keep their pets.

Per an Associated Press story: “We do know a lot of people will feed their pets before themselves,” says Kim Buckman with Feeding Missouri, a coalition of food banks in the state. “In some cases, that is their emotional support animal.” (See apnews.com/article/pets-food-snap-government-shutdown-65d27162199dfe7d8e41f9b8039bb356.)

Economic strain is a leading reason pets are surrendered to shelters, and shelters are preparing for another influx of animals.

PESTICIDES PUSHING MONARCH CLOSER TO EXTINCTION

A study entitled "Pyrethroid insecticides implicated in mass mortality of monarch butterflies at an overwintering site in California," by Staci Cibotti et al., was published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry in 2025.

From the study's summary: “Since the 1980s, monarch butterfly populations across North America have declined by 80% to 95%. Although several studies have implicated pesticides as a contributing factor to their population declines, our understanding of monarch exposure levels in nature remains limited. In January 2024, a mass mortality event near an overwintering site in Pacific Grove, California, provided an opportunity to analyze dead overwintering monarch butterflies for pesticide residues. ... On average, each monarch butterfly contained seven pesticides, excluding transformation products if the parent compound was also detected. Notably, three pyrethroid insecticides -- bifenthrin, cypermethrin, and permethrin -- were consistently detected at or near each chemical’s lethal dose.”

These beautiful butterflies are a warning of the health hazards of pesticides to us, as well, but the powerful agribusiness lobbyists have been blocking prohibitions for decades. Pesticides are linked to a variety of diseases, including neurological conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, various cancers, respiratory problems such as asthma, and metabolic disorders like diabetes. They are also associated with reproductive issues, birth defects and kidney and cardiovascular diseases. For details, see epa.gov/pesticide-science-and-assessing-pesticide-risks/human-health-issues-related-pesticides, as well as panna.org.

The costs of these health issues outweigh the benefits of using pesticides, but amount to significant profits for the medical-pharmaceutical industrial complex. Multiple kinds of harm following prenatal exposure of children to insecticides, fungicides and herbicides call for more rigorous transitions to organic production and the prohibition of toxic pesticides in agriculture.

The Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list explains which foods are most heavily sprayed with pesticides -- notably apples, strawberries, grapes and kale. If you can’t get USDA Organically certified foods, peel fruits and wash vegetables thoroughly in a baking soda solution to remove surface residues. However, because neonicotinoids are often applied systemically, meaning they are absorbed by the plant and present throughout its tissues, they are very difficult, if not impossible, to remove completely.

(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.)