DEAR DR. FOX: I have a shih tzu/bichon-mix who scratches his face a lot. There are no fleas, and his vet can find no apparent reason for the itching. Could you advise me of the best way to solve this problem? -- V.E., Fort Myers, Fla.

DEAR V.E.: The itchy face condition in dogs can be linked with oral health problems like gingivitis, so a thorough oral examination is called for to rule out this possibility.

Another possibility is chronic conjunctivitis, which is often associated with one or more turned-in eyelashes. This is a common issue that I trust your veterinarian ruled out.

Some face-rubbing dogs show significant improvement when plastic food and water bowls are replaced with steel or ceramic ones. In other instances, the fur around their lips must be trimmed and their mouths wiped with a baby wipe containing soothing lavender and aloe extracts after every meal. Some dogs develop a hypersensitivity to certain food ingredients, and those treatments can provide immediate relief.

If all else fails, you may want to transition your dog onto a different diet -- one that contains a single protein as a food allergy elimination test. Providing filtered/purified drinking water rather than straight tap water may be advisable. For details, see my report on my website, www.DrFoxVet.com.

Finally, coming into contact with wool or synthetic fibers could set up some facial irritation, so have him sleep on clean cotton towels or sheets laundered with a scent- and fragrance-free detergent.

DEAR DR. FOX: We enjoy your syndicated column here at the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), and we appreciate your commitment to companion animal health and welfare. We want to alert you to a rally on Aug. 7 at 4:00 p.m. at Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. We are marching to the South Korean embassy to protest publicly the production and sale of dog and cat meat in that country. I hope you can attend!

For those of you who can't attend, you can still organize a campaign, demonstration or leaflet distribution for South Korean dogs and cats at a local venue. AWI will provide the materials you need. To learn more about events happening nationally and internationally, please contact Rosalyn Morrison at AWI: Rosalyn@awionline.org or 202-446-2126. -- R.M., Washington, D.C.

DEAR R.M.: Many readers share your concerns about the cruel treatment of dogs and cats in South Korea and other Asian countries, where cats are often skinned and boiled alive and dogs are tortured, beaten, hung and torched to tenderize their flesh before they are killed.

I will not be able to attend your rally, but here is my position statement: Why dogs and cats are killed for human consumption in countries such as South Korea is a question of culture, custom and commerce. But how they are handled and killed is a question of conscience, civility and compassion, which must be answered by all involved. Informed people from around the world are calling for full accountability since the measure of civilization is in how humanely animals are treated, regardless of their monetary value and utility. We should all ask ourselves if it is ethical to consume any animal species that has died in fear and pain.

DEAR DR. FOX: Frequently, our 6-year-old terrier-mix gags up some bilelike liquid, shakes her head, drools and seems very upset. She will drink some water, but won't finish her food. What can I do to stop this and help her feel better? -- R.E., St Louis

DEAR R.E.: Many dogs who have bouts of coughing, gagging, panting in evident discomfort and vomiting, and even those with raspier barks, are suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease. This condition, common in humans, can be distressing for afflicted dogs. In some cases, the stomach acids that the dogs regurgitate can damage not only the esophagus but also the throat, larynx and trachea.

There are other conditions that can cause these symptoms, so a thorough veterinary examination is called for. Your dog may show rapid recovery when given antacids, antibiotics and a change in diet -- reducing the cereal content and providing a single protein source.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 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 DrFoxVet.com.)

DEAR DR. FOX: This summer, my two dogs are having a bad time with flies. They aren't out in the yard for long before a fly lands on their backs and bites. Horseflies, I guess. There are others that draw blood by biting the tips of my dogs' ears.

I've sprayed them with bug sprays from the drug store, but nothing seems to work. Your advice would be appreciated. -- F.K., St Louis

DEAR F.K.: I know just what your poor dogs are going through. One of my dogs, Batman, a rescue from India who was no doubt terrorized by flies as a puppy, would pull me home or try to hide under the car when horseflies pestered him.

I have received letters from dog owners in different states telling me that this summer has been a tough one on dogs with the heat, humidity, biting flies and mosquitoes.

Most over-the-counter human bug repellants are not very effective. A drop of eucalyptus essential oil rubbed into the tips of the ears works to keep flies off dogs for two to three hours. Peppermint and lemon oils are also effective, but keep them clear from dogs' eyes.

Simmer a sliced lemon in 2 cups of water for five minutes, strain and store in the fridge in a glass jar. Rub some of the extract into your dog's fur before going out. This is an excellent and safe insect repellant for dogs, though it's not safe for cats who may groom it off themselves.

The organic product Orange TKO, an excellent, safe concentrated cleaner, can be diluted (1 teaspoon to a pint of water) and spritzed or sponged on the dog's coat to serve as a bug repellant. For details, call 800-995-2463 or visit www.tkoorange.com.

DEAR DR. FOX: My son filled our freezer with fish he caught this summer, and I am wondering if it is OK for me to feed some to our six cats. They love fish, and I would put just a bit in with their regular food every day or so. I'll cook the fish, of course -- some boiled or broiled and some fried in a little canola oil. Do you have any problem with this? -- M.E.G., Fargo, N.D.

Dear M.E.G.: Yes, I have problems with this and with feeding cats canned tuna. Lager, older ocean fish like tuna, swordfish, halibut, tilefish, orange roughy and king mackerel are some of the more contaminated fish that children and pregnant women should avoid. Some state health authorities have printed advisories for consumers of fish bought in the market or a restaurant or freshwater fish like those your son caught. Of particular concern with these freshwater fish are contaminants like mercury, which can cause neurological problems and kidney damage in cats and humans; dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyl, which may cause cancer and developmental defects; and perfluorooctane sulfonate, which can alter thyroid hormone levels and lower HDL ("good") cholesterol.

Freshwater fish should have all fat removed, since that's where some of these toxins accumulate. Cooking will not destroy any of the toxins. The basic rule for feeding yourself and your cats is to eat smaller, younger fish no more than once per week. Be sure to eat panfish -- a fish that doesn't outgrow the size of a frying pan -- like sunfish, crappie or yellow perch, rather than predator fish like walleyes, northern pike, bass and lake trout. Avoid consuming farmed salmon, which is especially noted for high levels of chemical contamination.

Many cats are allergic to fish. They can develop miliary dermatitis or itchy eczema or will vomit immediately after eating.

Tragically, many of our natural waterways are contaminated by industrial chemicals. This leads to contamination of the food chain and concentration of chemicals in apex predators at the top of the chain -- from humans to our carnivorous cousins, wild and domesticated, terrestrial and aquatic.

AVOID STAIRS FOR LARGE BREED PUPS

Norwegian veterinary researcher Dr. Randi I. Krontveit and her associates have published a study of housing and exercise-related health risks associated with the development of hip dysplasia in Labrador retrievers, Newfoundlands, Leonbergers and Irish wolfhounds in the American Journal of Veterinary Research. The most important risk factor for these breeds is climbing stairs; puppies under 3 months old should not be allowed access to stairs. Access to outdoor exercise on soft ground in moderately rough terrain decreased the risk for developing radiographic signs of hip dysplasia.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 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 DrFoxVet.com.)

DEAR DR. FOX: Thank you for your column regarding the crating of dogs. I am a supporter of the wonderful organization Dogs Deserve Better (www.dogsdeservebetter.org). DDB is a voice for chained and penned dogs. It started in Pennsylvania and has moved to Virginia, and it now occupies the former home of dog abuser Michael Vick.

I am not a religious person; I even call myself an atheist. But you know what? Almost every day I say a quick prayer to "whomever" to please relieve, release and rescue tethered dogs. With the rare exception, it is my only deliberate prayer. I don't even own a dog!

I am also sending you a big thank you for your piece about the breeding of cats. My husband and I do a small bit of private cat rescue. Once we learned about the pitiful situation for homeless cats, we, too, made it known that we deplore purchased cats, much less cats of recognized breeds. Your paragraph about no longer going to cat shows because you become too upset resonated very much with us. We are now the owners of eight cats, all rescued.

Thank you for being the voice for animals that you are. -- N.A., Stroudsburg, Pa.

DEAR N.A.: I always appreciate words of thanks and encouragement from readers of my newspaper column. I know that I offend some readers because of my concerns over how animals are treated more like commodities in these ethically and empathically challenged times.

So many animals become throwaway pets that wind up in shelters. Be they animals bred for the highly commercialized pet trade, the billions of animals crowded in factory farms being raised for human consumption or those who are wild and are shot for trophies -- to voice opposition to such exploitation is to be ridiculed by vested interests. So long as money rules over our own humanity and over those qualities of compassion and respect for life that make us human, the spiritual decline of our species will continue.

I believe that this decline is largely responsible for the grave global economic, climatic and population crises we face today, as I documented in my book "Inhumane Society: the American Way of Exploiting Animals." This "American Way" has regrettably become the way of the world, and the more we harm animals and the environment, the more we harm ourselves.

DEAR DR. FOX: I want to express my appreciation for your work. Thank you for relaying the importance of giving filtered water to dogs and, especially, cats. My two cats, 8-year-old littermates, seemed to be declining. They had frequent bouts of vomiting, refused to eat and seemed depressed. After changing their diets and many costly veterinary tests, they did not improve. They ate plenty of dry food and drank plenty of water. When I stopped giving them water from the tap, they seemed better. Now I give them pure bottled water, and, thanks to your advice, they are full of life and are more playful and active. -- W.Q., Winston-Salem, N.C.

DEAR W.Q.: Water quality is a major health concern for humans and other animals. It is one component of health care that is easily overlooked. But according to the evidence that I have compiled, it is a major public health issue that cannot be ignored. Visit my website, www.DrFoxVet.com, for more information.

CHILDREN WHO LIVE WITH DOGS MAY HAVE FEWER COLDS

Living with dogs decreases the susceptibility to respiratory syncytial virus, which causes the common cold and bronchiolitis. It appears that being around dogs trains children's immune systems to resist asthma, according to research from the University of California, San Francisco. Doctors have long recognized the decreased incidence of asthma and allergies in children sharing the same home environment with other animal species, especially with dogs.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 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 DrFoxVet.com.)