DEAR DR. FOX: The American Kennel Club is not, as you stated, "simply a registry issuing pedigree papers, essentially without policing the sources the dogs come from -- notably puppy mills."

The AKC registers dogs. We do not register kennels or breeders. We are not a government organization. We can address only situations surrounding dogs that are registered with us. The AKC is dedicated to the well-being of all dogs; it in no way condones or supports substandard care or "puppy mills." If we find anyone engaging in behavior detrimental to the health of any dog, we report them to the local authorities.

AKC's compliance department conducts thousands of inspections every year of breeders who register their litters and dogs with us. We have strict policies. Breeders must adhere (to them) for proper care and conditions of the dogs.

The AKC has several options for breeder education and health testing, which include our Bred with H.E.A.R.T (health, education, accountability, responsibility and tradition) program and various breeder education courses (akc.org/dog-breeders/bred-with-heart/). These courses are free and consistently occuring to provide breeders with the most up-to-date knowledge possible. -- Brandi Hunter, vice president of public relations and communications for The American Kennel Club, New York City

DEAR B.H: Thank you for clarifying the scope of the AKC's involvement in purebred dogs. When an AKC-registered puppy develops health issues that veterinarians have confirmed and consider to be of hereditary origin, who should the dog owner contact? Are these concerns thereafter passed to the breeder? What corrective measures are initiated? Is this data stored and available to the public, including scientists, veterinarians and prospective purchasers?

DEAR DR. FOX: To answer your question, if a person purchases a puppy and the dog has health issues, there are state laws that protect the consumer. They can report an improper practice that way. The AKC is not a government agency, and we cannot shut down a breeder, nor can we take dogs off property. We do, however, in any case where a dog(s) is in any danger or being treated improperly, report the breeder to local authorities and sanction them where necessary. We do our best to inspect breeders who register with us. Ethical breeding is our ultimate goal; however, breeders and their breeding practices are the responsibility of the breeder. -- Brandi Hunter

DEAR DR. FOX: After a horrible crisis in December with my Saint Bernard, "Mary," I found myself advocating alongside 22 victim families who purchased dogs from one woman in upstate New York.

Our case has snowballed, uncovering 38 disturbing issues with a breeder who had assumed 20 business names. Seventy-six percent of our issues are genetic abnormalities traced to one specific bloodline, which registered through the AKC. The issues include renal disease, congenital kidney abnormality, ciliary dyskinesia, fibrosarcoma, urinary incontinence, chronic urinary infections, vision loss, multiple Addison disease cases, aggression and double hip, elbow and knee dysplasia diagnosed at six months.

I phoned the AKC and spoke with someone in case management. I relayed, as a genealogist, the findings. We were greatly concerned of the troubled outcome with our dogs, and we felt a pattern was emerging on the family tree, but we needed help. I offered the registry numbers for parent dogs, as many of their pups were ill or had died. I inquired if the AKC offered medical testing on behalf of the breeder. The representative said, "The AKC does not maintain health records for registered dogs."

I wanted data on litters registered to one sire in particular. He was a prime suspect carrier for renal disease and potentially had fathered 200-plus dogs. The representative could not help, but she suggested forwarding a complaint. She was very clear that the AKC investigation department could review, but at best, only be able to inspect premises and note care of current breeding stock.

She didn't offer a database for owners to check breeder ratings, nor did she share the ability to reference credentials of the breeders who participated in programs such as Bred with H.E.A.R.T. There was no way she could provide assurance for me that our breeder was "in good standing," without complaint or had been scrutinized for state licensing.

Later, we found that this breeder had been unlicensed by all authorities for 11 years. All the while, she registered many litters with the AKC.

To whose benefit are programs such as Bred with H.E.A.R.T. if members are not vetted prior to accreditation? These programs mean nothing to the families who seek guidance with a breeder prior to purchasing or thereafter if we cannot source pertinent data. After our ordeal, we set up an unethical breeder awareness website for advocacy purposes at unethicalbreederawareness.com. Our story is displayed there. -- T.V., Howell, New Jersey

DEAR T.V.: You have my sympathy and support, as do all the people with dogs who have serious and costly hereditary diseases that might have been avoided by breeders following up on the health of the puppies they produce (called progeny testing). I urge all concerned readers with any purebred dog with health issues diagnosed by a veterinarian as probably hereditary in origin to contact your newly formed group, Unethical Breeder Awareness.

(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: My 7-year-old Australian shepherd just had surgery to remove kidney stones, and the vet says he now has to go on a low-protein diet. Can you make some suggestions? I've been researching the special diet foods, and I'm not impressed. Sugar was the fourth ingredient in one of them. I'd be fine making his food myself. -- R.B.

DEAR R.B.: Your dog should not be on a low-protein diet for urinary calculi and bladder stones. Double-check and be sure that this is what the veterinarian actually advised. If so, I would go to another animal doctor.

There are various kinds of stones that call for different dietary preventives, and this is what the veterinarian should have focused on. In many instances, short-term antibiotic treatment for chronic bladder infection is also called for.

The most common lower urinary tract stones in dogs and cats are of a chemical composition called struvite. These begin to form when there is bladder inflammation or infection coupled with low urine acidity, caused by high cereal content kibble and by animals not drinking sufficient water.

Keep me posted as to your progress.

Canadian Pet Food Salmonella Lawsuit Settled

Costco and Diamond Pet Foods are reimbursing customers for veterinary care costs and other related expenses after feeding their pets food that was possibly contaminated with salmonella. The companies did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to settle the class-action lawsuit affecting 115,000 pet owners in Canada. Read more at FoodSafetyNews.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.net.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I read with interest about a reader's 10-year-old gray tabby who was licking away its fur. We also have a cat who did the same thing and had sores on his furless tummy. After many attempts to remedy this, we eventually changed Tom Tom's food to grain-free. His fur grew back thick -- with an added bonus.

Before, his fur was a dull, coarse gray, and he had dandruff. Now it is deep gray, thick and smooth with no dandruff. If there is gluten in his food, we know shortly thereafter by the sores that reappear.

Your reader may want to go that route before contacting a vet. -- C.B., Vienna, Virginia

DEAR C.B.: Thanks for the reminder, which I so often put in my column: First, be sure to feed your pet a biologically appropriate diet. Veterinarians must ask about what the cat is fed when it is brought in with health issues.

While some cats can tolerate grains in their diet, many do not, and the problem is compounded by lack of omega-3 fatty acids, essential for a healthy coat and skin. For more details, see the book "Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Cat and Dog Food," which I co-authored with two other veterinarians.

It is a disgrace to the profession that biologically inappropriate high-cereal cat foods are still being manufactured and even sold by some veterinarians.

DEAR DR. FOX: I recently read the letter in which C.H. related the condition his Belgian shepherd was in when purchased from a breeder. The dog was in poor shape -- skinny, poor coat, bad teeth and her vocal cords had been cut. The writer said he reported it to the American Kennel Club shortly after he got her, but the AKC did nothing. Your reply cited AKC being a dog registry only, not an advocacy group.

From the writer's letter, it does not appear that he contacted the police or any other animal organizations to report animal cruelty and abuse. In your reply, you did not address the animal cruelty and his failure to report it and the breeders to the proper authorities. Failure to report these people allows the perpetrators to continue their vile practices with no repercussions.

Human beings need to stand up for dogs -- and ALL animals. People need to stop buying from breeders; adopt from shelters to put breeders out of business! -- K.K., St. Louis

DEAR K.K.: I agree with you that contacting local animal protection organizations and authorities is more likely to get an immediate response. (I will be writing a column about reporting to the American Kennel Club soon.)

One problem, though, is that local agencies are often not interested or reticent to prosecute and have few resources to seize and house neglected and abused animals, especially from the commercial puppy mill breeders.

Then there is the virtually unmonitored online market for purebred pups, which I vehemently oppose. I agree with you: Adopt from your local shelter first. Anyone wishing for a particular breed or mixed-breed might well find one there or on Petfinder.com. If you go to a local breeder, insist on seeing the parents and evaluating their temperaments and how well they are being cared for.

BOOK REVIEW: "Proboscidea -- The Emotional Lives of Elephants" by Hamish John Appleby

The beauty of this book is a reflection of the author's sensibilities as an artist and empathic spirit. The layout is engaging, and the high-quality images of the Asian elephants in Sri Lanka is captivating and riveting. To be able to seize such fleeting moments with evident consistency is a quality of photography calling for prescience: knowing, through careful observation and feeling, what the subject is going to do next. Hamish John Appleby is a rare master of that.

Appleby's skill in capturing the spirit and essence of being of these ancient, distant cousins of ours was enabled by his evident affection and respect.

This book is a call for liberation and safe sanctuaries for elephants. In itself, as a green, carbon-neutral print production, it is a beautiful collectible. "Proboscidea -- The Emotional Lives of Elephants" is a tribute to their living presence and a public appeal for much-needed funding of elephant CPR (conservation, preservation and recovery).

The book price is $80 plus shipping costs. The price tag is a result of a totally recycled paper book, made in Germany with nontoxic inks, under fair conditions, with a special climate-neutral stamp. All proceeds go to the Elephant Transit home. Visit proboscidea.elze.org/en/ for more information.

(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'm following the Fox Wood Wildlife Rescue protocol for treating a wild fox with mange, and the fox is growing fur again. The protocol consists of 11 doses of ivermectin in hot dogs. I use a very small amount of horse ivermectin, which I got from my daughter, who is a veterinarian, and it's working. Thanks for your advice. -- L.L.

DEAR L.L.: Yes, this product does work well and can help rid the fox of some other parasites, too.

It is heartbreaking to see wild animals afflicted with skin-destroying, infection-spreading, fur-removing and disfiguring sarcoptic mange -- known as scabies in humans. I call it the mad itch. However, in some states, you could be arrested for interfering with wildlife. Indeed, in wildlife circles, there is a debate going on about interfering and intervention, including treating wolves for mange and releasing a healthy pack on Isle Royale National Park, where the moose population is at risk from overcrowding, or letting nature take its course.

I am opposed, on ethical and humane grounds, to an across-the-board hands-off approach. In many places, wildlife needs our help more than ever. Here in Minnesota, there is no debate about planting feed for deer on private property and putting feed out for them in bad winters -- as much for the hunters as for the deer. Yet it is taboo to treat wolves, coyotes and foxes ravaged with the mange.

For too long, wildlife species under state and federal management have been managed from a human-centered perspective in terms of value for fur trapping, sport and trophy hunting or risk to livestock. So these animals are systematically exterminated with traps, cyanide guns and poison bait. The virtual extermination of the wolf across much of the U.S. has enabled the coyote population to explode, which has reduced the red fox and other small carnivore populations.