DEAR DR. FOX: We have a 9-year-old female beagle. The vet says she is healthy, but the problem is that she often drops her rear end and sometimes lets out a cry. The vet tells us her anal glands are fine, but there's a flap of skin over her female parts that gets infected, and this is the cause. It's painful for her because she can't reach the source.

We've had her on anti-infection medicine, and that cleared the infection up, but it comes back. The vet recommended surgery to remove the flap. The price will be from $1,200 to $1,800. Thank you for any advice you can give us. -- M.C.B., Forked River, N.J.

DEAR M.C.B.: This is a common problem in some female dogs as they get older and put on weight, in part because they have been spayed. With our own dog, we would wipe her posterior with a disposable baby wipe containing soothing aloe vera and lavender, available in the infant care section of drug stores. I would try this for four to six weeks, applying the wipes three to four times a day.

If this does not prove effective, seek a second opinion and price quote for the surgery, since the quote you have given is exorbitant.

DEAR DR. FOX: On Sept. 19, 2013, I brought a tame domestic cat, whom I had been caring for, to the SPCA in Cincinnati. I specifically told their intake person that Inky was tame, not feral (although she had a clipped ear), and of her specific circumstance -- my neighbor, who had been caring for Inky, moved and relinquished care to me to see if I could find Inky a home, or, if not, to bring her to the SPCA.

Instead of even trying to find her a home, the SPCA called Ohio Alley Cat Resource Group (OAR) to pick up the cat and abandon her, in violation of Ohio Revised Code 959.01. My name and address were provided to OAR; therefore, both organizations are responsible for abandoning the cat.

I was not advised that Inky had been abandoned back at my house or that I should resume feeding her; I was only contacted by OAR five days later, in order to chide me for taking the cat in "where she would be killed," not to alert me to care for her.

Forcing people to deal with cats that they do not want around their homes and pushing shelters to reject cats results in these cats being trapped, drowned, shot and poisoned, often suffering disease, injury, starvation, thirst and cold for months instead of being humanely put down.

No one is ever happy about having to euthanize a healthy animal, but until the cat overpopulation can be reduced so that every cat can be placed into a loving home, this is, sadly, the way things are. -- J.M, Cincinnati

DEAR J.M.: I think many people who care for cats will appreciate your letter sharing your experiences with the tip of the feral and free-roaming cat iceberg and the mess that purportedly well-intentioned organizations are making of this controversial issue.

Yours is not the only state where adoptable cats who were feral/living free were simply put back where they originally came from rather than being given the chance of in-shelter adoption. Some purportedly "no-kill" shelters are a sham and a scam, and, along with some of the larger animal protection organizations, need to consider the wellbeing of animals first and public image second. As I show in my book, "Animals & Nature First," animal rights and humane ethics do not preclude euthanasia.

We all need to be open to new ideas, alternatives and opportunities to make progress in animal protection and not be hampered by lack of vision and accountability for the consequences of rigid policies and inappropriate actions.

(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 READERS: Humans, like other animals, have so-called mirror neurons in their brains that instantly process the emotional state of another deciphered through their facial expressions, vocalizations and body language. This happens to facilitate communication and appropriate action/reaction.

When signals of distress and suffering are processed, empathetic concern is evoked, as is fear. Sociopaths and psychopaths may respectively feel nothing or some perverse pleasure. Empathetic concern, which can include sympathy, outrage, remorse, anger, guilt and disbelief, can lead to denial or appropriate action to help, save, protect and defend by direct action.

While the print and TV media increasingly limit public exposure to extreme human suffering, there are even greater limits imposed, at least in America, on showing documented cruelties and suffering of animals. Ironically, some newspapers -- including my local edition -- have no qualms publishing photographs of a 12-year-old girl with a deer she had shot and a wildlife biology student grinning with a wolf he had shot draped around his shoulders. This establishes a culturally accepted norm, but images of animal suffering and cruelty -- of animals in traps, in factory livestock and fur farms, puppy mills and slaughterhouses -- are rarely shown by the mass media. We should ask why, and who is protecting whom.

Censorship of animal cruelty and suffering by the mass media parallels the atrocious record of state and federal law enforcement agencies of anti-cruelty laws. Janelle Dixon, president and CEO of the Minneapolis Animal Humane Society, recently reported how her organization spent $225,000 caring for dogs from a puppy mill, while the operator of this commercial dog breeding operation received a charge of a year's probation, a 90-day suspended jail sentence and a $50 fine.

Clearly, America must wipe its mirror clean when it comes to animal and human suffering caused by how, as a culture, we choose to do our business. And the media must begin to act responsibly rather than entertain, distract and continue to promote consumerism and biased information.

DEAR DR. FOX: Regarding the dog from St. Louis with recurrent bowel problems: My Angel is an 11-year-old miniature poodle. When she was around 4, she developed recurrent gastroenteritis with diarrhea. We treated her with antibiotics, and she would be OK for while. Then the diarrhea would return. When we saw blood in her stool, the vet did blood tests, which showed abnormal blood proteins. Her liver and kidney functions were normal. An ACTH-stimulating test was performed, which showed no adrenal response, indicating Addison's disease.

She has received oral prednisone ever since from monthly long-acting steroid injections. She has not had a single bout of diarrhea since. She is on a regular diet and is happy, healthy and energetic. The only thing I have to watch is her diet, since she is always hungry and drinks a lot of water -- side effects of the prednisone. If the St. Louis dog has not had blood tests to look for other organ system problems, I would suggest that they be done. -- E.S., St. Louis

DEAR E.S.: I very much appreciate receiving letters from readers offering additional considerations about some of the health problems that I have addressed in my column.

I am glad that your veterinarian ran additional tests on your then-young dog and diagnosed the basic cause of the diarrhea. Cardinal signs of Addison's disease, such as weakness; weight and hair loss; dark, bloody stools; vomiting; thirst; anorexia; and depression were not described by the person with the Labrador suffering from diarrhea. But your letter serves to alert dog owners, especially those whose dogs show any of these symptoms, which tend to wax and wane with Addison's disease, but can escalate into sudden collapse.

This may be an autoimmune disease, which essentially shuts down the adrenal glands from producing some essential body-regulating hormones (glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids).

This disease can develop in young adult dogs, especially females of any breed. Certain breeds, such as poodles, Great Danes, West Highland white terriers, bearded collies, basset hounds and rottweilers, may have increased risk. Some veterinarians have implicated adverse vaccination reactions and possibly hormonal imbalances after spaying as contributing factors. Fortunately, this disease (also seen in cats and originally identified in humans, as you have discovered) is not difficult to diagnose, and with careful monitoring of replacement hormone treatment, animals can enjoy a good quality of life for many years.

(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 READERS: I have received letters from some readers whose dogs refuse to go inside their crates. When the dogs are forced inside, they fight to get out and even bare their teeth. While a few dogs will never accept being shut inside a crate, most will accept short periods of confinement once they feel the crate is a pleasurable refuge. Many will also use the crate as their den while the door is kept open so they can enter and leave as they choose.

The trick is to make it rewarding by putting a familiar smelling towel or blanket in the open crate and laying out a trail of treats leading into the crate. Eventually, the dog will willingly go into the crate to reach a treat or favorite toy tossed inside. Close the door for a few seconds to begin with, and give the dog a food puzzle toy or hollow rubber toy stuffed with cream cheese or peanut butter. Habituation and creating rewarding, pleasurable associations is the key -- as they are to most dog-training activities.

DEAR DR. FOX: We have a 10-month-old Pomeranian, weighing 10 lbs., who becomes very anxious when she goes in the car. She starts to hyper-salivate before we even start moving, and she vomits about a mile into the ride.

Our vet gave her Cerenia, which did not work. We tried a Thundershirt for anxiety -- not good. The vet gave us Xanax and told us to give her Dramamine, but that did not work, either. He upped the dose of Xanax, to no new results. I have tried Benadryl and ginger. We do not feed her the day of travel.

We are at a loss for what to do. We have tried short trips to the mailbox or around the block, but nothing seems to work. Any ideas? I am thinking of changing vets because he does not know what to do for her. -- C.R., Arlington, Va.

DEAR C.R.: First, stop all medications and simply sit in the car with your dog for short periods -- around 10 to 15 minutes -- several times a day for as many days as you can until she is more settled. This will desensitize her to the now-conditioned anxiety and associated nausea of being in the vehicle while it is in motion.

Read a book, have the radio on (try some CDs from "Through a Dog's Ear") and give her a few treats. Keep her in a safety harness at all times.

Once she stops drooling and showing signs of fear/anxiety, switch on the engine and let it run for short periods while you are out in the car with her. Next step is to slowly drive a few blocks so she gets used to the motion of the car. Before you start this, get some organic essential oil of lavender and make an emulsion in warm water. Spritz it inside the car, or put a few drops on a strip of gauze and hang it inside the car. Also, put a few drops of this calming oil on a bandanna around her neck. PetzLife dog calming natural product @-Eaze may help you at this stage and at the very beginning of the desensitization process, if she really hates getting into the car.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have an 8-year-old spayed female cat who I have a problem with: All of a sudden she poops on the living room carpet.

She still goes in her litter box, but at random intervals, she will poop (but not pee) in the living room in the middle of the night. We haven't changed her litter box or location, and she has plenty of room in the box. It is also cleaned after every time she goes. It seems to happen when she sleeps in the living room in the night. Could she be doing this while sleepwalking like a human might? She has a sister who we have no problems with, and she is in no way preventing her sister from going in the box. -- D.F., Bethel, Conn.

DEAR D.F.: Your cat is young to be showing signs of feline dementia, which can, as with humans, lead to incontinence. But I would not rule that out if there is no other evident physical cause, which your veterinarian can check for. These include painful impaction of the anal glands and constipation, which is very common in cats being fed conventional manufactured kibble.

Getting your cat used to a few drops of fish oil and some mashed green or lima beans for soft bulk fiber in her food may prove to be the best solution. You can also try feeding her a good-quality canned cat food, as posted on my website, DrFoxVet.com.

(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.)