DEAR DR. FOX: Can you share your philosophy or professional views on how we can keep animals well and prevent their suffering? -- L.O., Washington, D.C.

DEAR L.O.: I contend that all animals should be treated humanely, and their basic biological, psychological and emotional needs provided for, be they companion animals, farmed animals or captive wild species.

Resistance to adopting humane alternatives to how animals are raised and killed by the pig, livestock and poultry industries, with their disease-promoting concentrated animal feeding operations, is problematic. Government support of this agribusiness sector and allied pharmaceutical food industry complex puts consumers and the environment at grave risk. It must be confronted by the medical and veterinary professions, and be supplanted by more humane, ecological and healthful food production systems and informed consumer choices.

Above all, I see my mission as helping to heal the human-nonhuman bond, which involves education and inspiration through promoting understanding and respect; a relationship with the environment; and ethical animal breeding and rearing. We must focus on optimal nurturing of body, mind and spirit -- the soma, psyche and ethos of every creature under our care and assumed dominion.

These basic animal rights are the core principles of holistic, preventive medicine. Combined with veterinary bioethics and applied veterinary ethology, it optimizes the provision of animals' behavioral needs. For more details, see my books, "Healing Animals and the Vision of One Health" and "Animals and Nature First."

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a pug who is 13 years old. He sneezes and coughs from his throat rather than his lungs. I'm told it is his trachea.

He has been on different types of medicine. The latest is a high dose of steroids. He's been on it for almost a week with no relief. He's been coughing and sneezing like this for months now.

Can you please help my pug? This happens constantly when he is awake. -- J.M., Cumberland, Maryland

DEAR J.M.: I am so sorry for your poor dog. So many dogs afflicted with the condition called brachycephaly -- a foreshortened muzzle or squashed-in face -- suffer lives of misery.

Brachycephalic animals are unable to breathe easily, so they cannot enjoy much physical activity. The pressure created by the abnormally narrowed nasal orifices and especially the relative excess of soft palate tissue in the pharynx (back of the throat) set up such a negative pressure that the trachea (wind pipe) collapses. Pulling hard when wearing a collar may aggravate this; I advise a no-neck-pressure harness for all the afflicted breeds, from bulldogs and boxers to Boston terriers and pugs. These dogs also have protruding eyes, which make them more injury- and infection-prone. The large, domed heads mean difficult births, often calling for emergency surgical intervention. And many of these breeds have become more popular than ever.

Remedial surgery to reduce the amount of soft palate tissue and widen the nasal orifices can help provide these poor dogs with better quality of life. But the ultimate solution is to stop breeding those with extreme brachycephaly and change the breed standards to stipulate longer muzzles and snouts.

In the U.K., a committee including the British Veterinary Association, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Kennel Club and breed club representatives has been set up to address this long-neglected human-caused genetic abnormality, which can result in much suffering. The American Veterinary Medical Association -- of which I am a member -- and the Humane Society of the United States -- where I once served as a vice president -- should follow suit, along with the American Kennel Club, with whom I consulted some 30 years ago on this and related canine concerns.

OUTRAGEOUS PET FOOD COMPANY BEHAVIOR

According to Susan Thixton at truthaboutpetfood.com, "2013 FDA testing of Beneful found above allowed levels of cyanuric acid and melamine, and ethoxyquin that was not listed on the pet food label. Purina Beneful refused to provide FDA documents, refused to provide FDA with testing methods and in one instance, Purina refused to provide FDA the actual content of ingredients in a suspect food."

Cyanuric acid and melamine were linked with the manufactured pet food debacle of 2007, when thousands of dogs and cats developed kidney disease, many being killed or chronically impaired. Ethoxyquin has been linked to cancer and other health issues. For historical details, see my book "Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Cat and Dog Food," which I co-authored with two other veterinarians.

(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: We have a 7-year-old miniature poodle, and in the last two years, we've had problems with his dental cleaning.

After the first cleaning, he was lethargic for almost 48 hours after his discharge. After the latest cleaning, he came home with hip tenderness. Sometimes he walks for a few seconds with his right hip protruding to his right side like an S. The vet thinks it is a muscle/nerve tenderness due to the sedation shot.

We are considering stopping his annual dental cleaning. Is this a must-do procedure? What kind of food can we feed him to keep his teeth clean? -- G.R., Springfield, Virginia

DEAR G.R.: I receive many letters about dogs and cats having routine dental work done and having adverse reactions following anesthesia.

Much of this could be avoided by getting the animals used to in-home restraint or cradling by one person, ideally from an early age, and having another person gently brushing the animals' teeth or using a gauze-wrapped finger and then applying a tried and true dental cleaner. This can range from a home-prepared aloe vera juice and 3 percent hydrogen peroxide just before bedtime or a natural product such as the oral care gel or spray from PetzLife. Visit petzlife.com for details.

PetzLife also has American-made dental chews for dog to help keep the teeth clean and gums healthy. Always read the label on such products, and purchase only if it is clear on the label that the product is manufactured in the United States. You can also give your dog a scalded strip of raw stewing beef or chicken wing tip every day or so for the dog to chew, avoiding the various rawhide and other animal parts sold in pet stores that can be heavily contaminated with potentially harmful chemicals and bacteria.

DEAR DR. FOX: I don't own a dog, but I hike, and during these hot days, I have seen plenty of dogs who look exhausted and are struggling to go up the hills. One dog looked so bad, it was akin to animal abuse. I suggest well-intentioned hikers who want to give their dog exercise refrain from doing so when they go on hikes during the summer.

One hiker poured a bottle of water in his dog's mouth, but even that didn't seem to bring relief to the dog. Even modest hikes uphill wear out dogs in the heat. -- K.R., Gaithersburg, Maryland

DEAR K.R.: Thanks for the reminder to all people with dogs during hot and humid summer weather. The only way dogs can regulate their body temperature is by panting; unlike humans, dogs cannot sweat. So while we may not experience any significant distress, they often do. As you have witnessed, heat stress can be a killer, especially for old dogs and brachycephalics -- those with short, puggish faces. Hot pavements and sidewalks only add to their stress and extreme discomfort. Evaporative cooling vests, walking on the grass and a provision of water are essentials for healthy dogs going on long hikes.

(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 daughter lives on a farm and has a 12-year-old unaltered purebred Jack Russell terrier. The dog has had a third of her teeth removed because of health problems. She has never been formally trained. She is loving toward humans, but very aggressive with other dogs.

My daughter has a 1-year-old grandson, whom she cares for one day a week. She allows the child to crawl on the floor with the dog around. So far, things have been amicable between the child and the dog.

Recently, my daughter was in her yard talking with a worker. The child and dog were on the ground nearby. Unbeknownst to my daughter, the dog had found the carcass of an animal that was also close by. Out of nowhere, the dog attacked the child, biting him in the face. She backed away, and then attacked again. Luckily, the wounds were superficial since the dog does not have all her teeth.

What would cause this behavior? Is there any way to ensure that it will not happen again, or should the two be separated from now on? -- P.B., Alexandria, Virginia

DEAR P.B.: This is a distressing incident. Of the thousands of reported dog bites each year, this is probably the most common reason why people, children in particular, are bitten: The dog feels threatened by the close proximity or sudden approach of an unsupervised infant when the dog is eating, sleeping, has a favorite toy or, as with the dog in question, some other object that the dog covets. This is essentially defensive aggression, and certainly genetics play some role; terriers tend to be hyper-alert and quick to react, rather than easygoing and less possessive.

I would not blame the dog, since it is the nature of this dog to react in this way, and it was fortunate that the facial injuries were minimal. This could have been only partially due to the lack of teeth -- the dog may have given inhibited bites and warning snaps at the infant.

All dog owners should provide greater in-home vigilance and careful supervision of infants in particular, who may put themselves at risk in situations where they are unknowingly intimidating the family dog. They are also putting the dogs at risk: Reported dog bites generally require quarantine under rabies control regulations, and all too frequently lead to euthanasia. In many instances, I believe the dogs were surprised or alarmed, felt suddenly threatened and reacted instinctively -- an accident of biology or nature. In other instances, the dogs may have experienced prior trauma or suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

I recall several years ago when St. Bernards (due to their popularity and unethical commercial breeders) were uncharacteristically aggressive toward family members, and one small child was seriously bitten. The dog was euthanized, and an autopsy was performed, revealing a pencil that had been stabbed deep into the poor dog's ear canal by the infant.

So it is just as important to protect the dog from impulsive toddlers in the home as it is to never leave an infant unsupervised around most animals.

DEAR DR. FOX: I gather that you do not have much faith in politics, as you have written about the politics of extinction. Where do you find hope as you write about making the world a better place "for all creatures great and small"? -- S.C., Bar Harbor, Maine

DEAR S.C.: Because of the nature of politics, can politicians ever fully be trusted? Perhaps a few are a little trustworthier than others. There really is little hope when both corporations and individual citizens choose ignorance, denial and indifference over responsibility and accountability to the ethical code of respect for the environment and all life. I embrace spiritual anarchy, not the anarchism of violence. It is a spirituality that calls on us to find the best ways to cause the least possible harm, if any, in satisfying our basic needs while embracing the golden rule of treating all living beings as we would have them treat us. For more discussion on this topic, see my book "The Boundless Circle: Caring for Creatures and Creation."

BOOK REVIEW: "Dawn of the Dog: The Genesis of a Natural Species" by Janice Koler-Matznick.

If you are curious about the origin of our closest animal companion, the dog (Canis familiaris), this scholarly book is the best resource on this subject.

As a member of the Canid Specialist Group with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, there is no one better qualified and dedicated to address this question than biologist Koler-Matznick. From her analysis of scientific reports, this award-worthy and beautifully illustrated treatise supports the theory that the dog existed as a distinct, naturally evolved species separate from today's wolves long before any association with humans.

The book is enriched with color photos of aboriginal, indigenous "landraces" from around the world, many in danger of extinction. I have long embraced her theory of the origin of the dog and concur with her, from personal experience, that "except for some highly specialized types of work, they are actually the ideal 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.net.)