DEAR DR. FOX: We have a rescue beagle. She received a combo vaccination shot about eight years ago and had an allergic reaction to it. We no longer get her vaccinated, as she is a house dog.

Since that time, however, we have fought nasal congestion, discharge and large patches of hair and skin loss. After many vet bills and lots of specialists, she takes Pepcid for acid reflux, and we have had her on antibiotics off and on for the skin issues. We switched to your homemade dog food using chicken and turkey only. All these things seemed to help her acid reflux, nose discharge and general health. But the skin problems got worse.

We tried every test, and nothing showed up except a deep skin infection.

A few years back, we bought her a raised food and water bowl to drink and eat from due to her nose and reflux. About eight weeks ago, while watching her drink, I noticed her tags were in the water due to the height of the bowl. She had an old rabies tag on and an ID tag from the pet store. I wondered if the metal in these tags could be contaminating her water. After taking them off, her skin has been clearing up steadily. She is feeling much better, and at 13 is acting much younger. Her hair is growing back. I am not sure, but it seems there was some kind of metal in the tags that was contaminating her water.

Lead? Pot metal? Not sure, but taking them off has corrected her skin issues after years on antibiotics and various drugs.

Please pass this along to owners with raised dog bowls. If their dogs are experiencing problems, it could be the tags bathing in the water. -- C.G.

DEAR C.G.: You get a gold star for being mindful and observant to the point of solving your dog's skin issue. I am glad that my home-prepared diet helped correct the other issues as it has indeed helped many dogs enjoy improved health and vitality. Readers can find it on my website, DrFoxVet.net.

My first consideration is possible zinc poisoning from the old dog tags. A pure copper tag would have had some antibacterial properties, purifying the dog's drinking water. But most tags are made from an alloy of nickel, copper and zinc, or of brass, which contains copper and zinc; I would be concerned about the zinc.

While dogs need some zinc in their diet for healthy skin and coat, even one zinc-containing copper penny or a nut or bolt swallowed by a dog can cause liver damage and anemia. Skin problems with zinc toxicity are not commonly reported, but this is possible, since zinc clearly plays a significant role in helping maintain healthy skin, and skin problems could develop with zinc-associated liver damage. Without a chemical analysis of the old tags, we will never know what actual chemical compounds were responsible for the chronic skin infection, but at least you have the satisfaction of having eliminated the cause!

DEAR DR. FOX: My daughter has a bearded dragon lizard. Several months ago, he seemed a little lethargic and was not eating much. We made sure the temperature in the habitat was adequate and replaced the UV light, but nothing changed.

The vet said that it could be "brumation" (a kind of hibernating) and advised us to force-feed the dragon. We did this over the winter, and he continued to gain weight and seemed healthy. Now the problem is that he will only eat his crickets if we feed them to him. Before, he used to chase them and eat them. Is there any way to get him to eat on his own again? -- H.W., Bethesda, Maryland

DEAR H.W.: Reptiles and amphibians can be difficult to keep in captivity. I do not regard them as pets, nor should they be sold as such. They take expert care and attention to humidity, light exposure and temperature. Most captive reptiles slowly die from starvation and chronic bacterial or fungal infection, which force-feeding tends to prolong, rather than rectify.

That the lizard has gained weight is a good sign, but you may have to prepare yourself for always having to force-feed. A full-spectrum Ottlite or grow light over the enclosure, with shaded spots so the creature can better thermo-regulate, may be worth a try; give the dragon as complex a habitat as possible so that live prey can hide and possibly trigger hunting behavior.

(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.net.)

DEAR READERS: In a recent study about dog trends, lead researcher Kendy Teng from the University of Sydney, Australia, said, "Australians are favoring brachycephalic breeds, dogs with shorter and wider heads, such as the pug and the French bulldog, more than those with longer and thinner heads. Looking at data spanning 28 years, we found that the demand for smaller dogs has increased every year from 1986.

"Veterinarians are concerned about brachycephalic dogs' welfare, as these breeds commonly suffer from breathing difficulties, skin and eye conditions, and digestive disorders. In New Zealand, brachycephalic breeds are number four of the top five dog breeds considered by veterinarians to be unsuitable for continued breeding due to compromised health and welfare. We expect to see vets in Australia treating more dogs with the conditions described.

"This trend is also apparent in the U.K., where bulldogs, boxers and pugs have become increasingly popular in recent years. U.K. kennel club registrations of pugs and bulldogs have climbed from 2004 to 2013, the number of pugs has increased from 1,675 in 2004 to 8,071 in 2013, and French bulldogs also rose from 350 to 6,990. In the U.S., numbers of bulldogs and French bulldogs registered with the American Kennel Club have increased by 69 percent and 476 percent, respectively, in the past decade."

Readers, in my opinion, breeding dogs with extreme forms of the brachycephalic deformity is unethical. Pups' large heads can mean a Caesarian birth and a lifetime of partial asphyxiation, limited exercise tolerance and enjoyment of life, compounded by chronic eye, skin, respiratory and oral cavity infections. They are also susceptible to a host of inherited diseases affecting the heart, joints and other organs and systems. Most airlines will not and should not allow such dogs in cargo holds, where they can suffocate. Regardless of these dogs' appeal and appealing dispositions, those who really love them should stop breeding them, and the informed should never consider purchasing a purpose-bred one, regardless of how adorable the puppies may seem. They make most people smile, but they make me sad and angry.

DEAR DR. FOX: As a quick addendum to the recent letter regarding older animal lovers volunteering at shelters when they don't want to take on the responsibility of owning a pet they may outlive: I, too, am of an age where I am quite aware my pet might outlive me, and I, too, became a volunteer with the cats at our local SPCA.

But I have also adopted a pet from the shelter -- a wonderful older cat whose chances of adoption were less because of age. One never knows, but the odds of me outliving her are now more likely, and I know her last years will be peaceful and easy. It is always terrific to see older animals who often have already known a comfortable family existence being rescued to have that with a new family. Older animals have so much love and appreciation to offer. -- C.K., Annapolis, Maryland

DEAR C.K.: I strongly advise elderly people such as yourself to consider adopting an older animal, as you have done. Many come from people who had to give them up because they were set for assisted living, where no pets are allowed, a situation that is fortunately changing in many facilities. One reader wrote informing that when the time came for her elderly mother to give up her young adopted dog, the family was already prepared, and the grandson took the dog to live with him. Such responsible care shows a respect for life so often lacking in today's world.

BOOK REVIEW: "Making the Most of All Nine Lives: The Extraordinary Life of Buffy the Cat" by Sandy Robins and Paul Smulson

Between reverence and exploitation, there are realms of human engagement with other animals that span the rainbow bridge of understanding, from the sacred to the secular and the sentimental to the spiritual.

If anthropomorphizing animals -- making them seem more human -- makes them more appealing for some and helps repair this broken bridge, then this book is a winner. Cats, like other creatures, mirror us in how we regard and treat them and how they respond to us. This book may help us see into this mirror with greater clarity and good humor that can spark humility and love.

(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.net.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I've been a dog training and behavior consultant for 20 years. Prior to that, I worked in animal protection for 20 years at the Marin Humane Society.

I want to commend you on your stance on so-called no-kill shelters. No-kill is a lovely myth, but the reality is that there are still far more dogs and cats than there are homes for them, and the promotion of "no-kill" has only resulted in more animal suffering -- not less.

There are things far worse than a humane death for an animal who has no home. Extended incarceration in a no-kill kennel is cruelty, and adopting animals to the public who are badly behaviorally damaged is unethical and immoral. And how many other truly adoptable animals' lives could have been saved during the years that one dog occupied that kennel?

The public doesn't understand that "no-kill" doesn't mean the shelter doesn't euthanize animals, or that it sometimes means dumping cats willy-nilly in the community (under the banner of TNR -- trap, neuter, release) as done by a recent shelter director here in Washington County, Maryland.

I often say so-called no-kill is the worst thing to happen to the animal protection movement in my lifetime. It's deceptive and divisive, and it doesn't help animals in the long run. -- P.M., Fairplay, Maryland

DEAR P.M.: I really appreciate your informed response.

There is a real connection with no-kill and TNR that people do not yet understand. An abhorrence of euthanasia of unadopted animals is conflated by feel-good saving-a-life and pro-life sentiments, which can mean unadopted cats are dumped back into the outdoors to fend for themselves and dogs spend their entire lives in small shelter cages and go nuts.

Some shelters do need to do a better job of adopting out animals, but in many areas, there are simply too many cats and dogs and insufficient homes to receive them or provide foster care. There is a feral cat issue in Hawaii that is a serious wildlife conservation problem, and outdoor feeding on public lands will only help increase their numbers without clear identification of vaccinated, neutered and released cats in designated colony sites -- ideally enclosed sanctuaries. Cat lovers should think twice about donating to TNR organizations that should either evolve or perish.

DEAR DR. FOX: Your commentary regarding purebred dogs is offensive to me.

I've been preparing for years to find breed-standard, healthy, health-tested purebred corgis to breed and carry on the lines. I have spent thousands of dollars in emergency health-related vet bills for the rescue mixed-breed dogs that are part of my family, and very little in emergency health-related vet bills for my purebred dogs. Please reconsider your statements. -- M.R., Ignacio, Colorado

DEAR M.R.: I am glad to hear that you are such a conscientious breeder of corgis, a pure breed not yet ruined by popularity and commercial exploitation. As a Brit, I was always amused when one of the Queen's beloved corgis was reported in the media as nipping the heels of visiting dignitaries, a trait of this hard-working Welsh cattle dog.

Certainly with careful progeny testing and good nutrition for both parents, healthier litters of purebred dogs can eventually be produced, as you have experienced. The epigenetic effects of poor nutrition during pregnancy and subsequent traumatic experiences, especially during early puppyhood, can mean that rescued dogs develop various health problems later in life, as my wife and I have documented working with "natural" pariah dogs in India. But because of the documented accumulation of deleterious genes in many pure breeds, the evidence points to supporting the theory of hybrid vigor. Mixed breeds have fewer health problems than the more inbred pure breeds -- with one exception: Some "designer" breeds that are crosses of two pure-breeds both carrying deleterious recessive genes.

Those wishing to check on the prevalence of developmental and inherited disorders in various pure breeds should visit hsvma.org/assets/pdfs/guide-to-congenital-and-heritable-disorders.pdf. See also vet.cam.ac.uk/idid, the Inherited Diseases in Dogs Database.

(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.net.)