DEAR DR. FOX: As an avid fan and weekly reader of yours, I am in desperate need of some clarification on what possibly could be done for my sweet 8-year-old little Maltese girl.

She needed knee surgery almost a year ago, and the blood test showed that there was too much cortisol being produced by her body. I waited for her knee to heal and then had more tests done, including an ultrasound. Her kidneys are more than half calcified, and she has two types of stones in her bladder. My vet suggested a parathyroid test and possible operation. I am undecided about proceeding with that. Even if we could stop the reproduction of cortisol, it would not reverse the damage already done to her body. Her diet has been Hill's Prescription w/d with added fruit and vegetables.

Every day I dread the possible dislodging of one of the stones, which most likely could mean putting her out of her misery.

My previous Maltese had Cushing's disease and developed diabetes, but with daily insulin shots, I was able to keep her until she was 13 years old. I am devastated by my second Maltese possibly having it, too.

I would appreciate any advice you may have. -- M.H., Hendersonville, N.C.

DEAR M.H.: Your poor little dog is one of several small breeds prone to a variety of chronic ailments, which is one reason why I advise purchasing comprehensive pet health insurance that covers disease of hereditary origin. When people purchase such animals, many come from puppy mills and online breeders. It's better to adopt a mixed breed from your local shelter.

But all of this is too late for you and your little Maltese. I urge you to continue with her prescription diet or have your veterinarian peruse secure.balanceit.com for more palatable home-prepared prescription diets to help your dog.

I would balance her quality of life with the costs and possibly harmful consequences of more drugs and proposed additional surgery. Her best option may well be lots of love, good food and a shorter life, but one with less anguish for you and potential suffering for her frail body and soul.

DEAR DR. FOX: I respect your love of animals so evident in your columns, and appreciate your advice to readers when they have wildlife issues on their property. We have a big problem with deer and ticks, and I don't want my dogs or myself to get Lyme disease.

Please advise on controlling both infestations! -- K.L., Front Royal, Va.

DEAR K.L: For tick repellants and control, check my website, DrFoxVet.com. Clear brush and get some guinea fowl who will feast on any ticks and reduce their numbers.

White-tailed deer are a problem in many states. There are millions more now than a century ago. The extermination of the wolf and other predators is part of the reason, which is why I oppose state and federal government endorsement of wolf hunting and trapping. An estimated 1 million people have filed opposition to the Obama administration's proposal to strip endangered species protection from the gray wolf and turn management over to the states.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, some 1.5 million vehicles collided with deer in 2003, causing nearly 14,000 injuries and over $1 billion in vehicle damage. But deer population management, which focuses on more killing, especially of does, is as controversial as feral and free-roaming domestic cat control, where humane killing is opposed by many with the best intentions but not always the best outcomes.

An overabundance of deer threatens forests as they consume saplings and other wild plants, preventing forest regeneration and harming other wildlife across the country. Here are some humane methods to keep deer away from your property:

-- Install an 8- to 10-foot tall vertical woven-wire fence.

-- Hang bars of deodorant soap (with wrappers intact) near the problem area.

-- Hang excrement from dogs or cats in cloth bags near the area.

-- Install scare devices, particularly those that are motion activated and, when activated, play a loud noise, spray water or turn on a bright light.

(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: I have a miniature poodle who is almost 5 years old. His name is Oliver. Earlier this year, we noticed that Oliver engages in fly biting (biting at the air like there is a fly nearby).

It seems more prevalent in the evening and lasts only a short time. We are usually able to distract him out of it.

Oliver is still very playful, and while he is engaged in retrieving a ball there is never any sign of fly biting. In January we took him to our vet who examined him, did a full blood panel and deemed him healthy. Our vet suggested we do nothing at this point.

I have done some reading about fly biting, which says this behavior is associated with epilepsy and is called a focal seizure. About two months ago we saw an increase in the fly biting, so I contacted our vet who told me that there is increasing evidence linking fly biting to gastrointestinal disease, which Oliver apparently has. When he was a puppy, I'd find green bile in his crate just about every morning, and he never seemed to want to eat.

Oliver's eyes have been checked, and no floaters were found. I really don't know what to do. I am so afraid he will have a massive seizure in the middle of the night and I will not be able to help him.

I have stopped using Frontline and HeartGuard this month. I'm using products made from natural ingredients. The vet put Oliver on Royal Canin dog food. A natural food storeowner told me today that Oliver's original diet of Instinct was a far superior food to Royal Canin.

Oliver is a play machine, has a wonderful disposition, is gentle almost to a fault and is happy as a lark. Please help me -- even if it's just to tell me to take the advice of my vet and do nothing. -- A.C.

DEAR A.C.: It is possible that corn or some other ingredient (soy, wheat or food dye) could be triggering these neurological symptoms. Before trying a psychotropic medication to increase brain serotonin levels, which can help dogs with obsessive-compulsive disorder, address the possible gut inflammation issue with a meat, fish, fruit and vegetable diet for your dog. I'd try home-prepared or fresh-frozen foods. A drop or two of lavender oil on a bandanna around his neck could be calming, as well as some organic freeze-dried turkey treats. PetzLife has an effective herbal product, @Ease, with calming ingredients that do not cause drowsiness.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a 1 1/2-year-old miniature poodle. He's an exceptionally good dog -- very smart and trained in obedience.

He sleeps in the bed with me and licks my face to wake me up in the morning. After he goes out, he eats breakfast and then proceeds to lie across my stomach and take each finger in his mouth and suck on it. Then he nudges me for the other hand. When he's done, he rolls up in a ball and goes back to sleep.

Why does he do this? He's very oral, according to his trainer (one of the best in the country) and food-driven. Is this something I should be concerned about? It really doesn't bother me. -- J.R., Marlboro, N.J.

DEAR J.R.: Perhaps your little dog was given milk from a bottle when he was a little puppy because his mother wasn't producing enough milk, or perhaps he was a runt and needed extra care. This could explain why he sucks on your hand. Alternatively, he just likes to lick your hands and, in the process, has realized that fingers are suckable, which for him and other dogs is a pleasurable, comforting experience.

I see nothing to worry about. This behavior seems like a special ritual before he naps, and I would not disrupt it. Just be sure he has a healthy mouth and that you thoroughly wash your hands afterward.

POOP SCOOP: FECAL MICROBIOTA TRANSPLANTS APPROVED BY U.S. GOVERNMENT

I know that several readers have been shocked and skeptical when I alluded to veterinarians giving dogs and cats enemas containing fecal material from healthy animals as a way of treating a variety of chronic intestinal problems. Cattle, goat and sheep farmers have been applying this concept for centuries, transplanting the cud bolus of healthy animals, which they gave orally to unthrifty young animals.

Now the Food and Drug Administration, in an unprecedented short timespan, has approved fecal microbial transplants given via colonoscope, a procedure pioneered by a handful of gastroenterologists and infectious disease specialists. It can help people suffering from Crohn's disease, colitis and the intractable diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile, usually getting donor bacteria from a healthy family member. Recent research has also discovered that changing the gut flora can alter behavior and mood.

(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: 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.)