DEAR READERS: Flat-faced cats, like Persians and exotic shorthairs, are rising in popularity, as are flat-faced dogs such as Boston terriers and pugs. This condition, called brachycephaly, can mean a life of suffering from restricted airways, partial suffocation, chronic infections, eye problems and difficulty eating.

Over the past few years, breeders and show judges have selected extreme forms of this condition as a desired trait, with no regard for the animals' welfare. This abominable situation is being decried by the feline welfare charity organization International Cat Care, which is calling for cat lovers to speak out against such deliberate breeding of deformed animals. Under the revised Animal Protection Act in Switzerland, strengthened by regulations against intentional breeding to produce specific traits that compromise animals' health and well-being, two breeders of extreme brachycephalic cats have been successfully prosecuted.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a Pomeranian who has been suffering for a couple months, and I've been unable to help him.

He has a history of anal gland issues, and has his glands expressed by a vet every four months. Recently, he was showing signs of discomfort, so I scheduled an emergency visit for the next day. It didn't help; he still was squirming and crying a little as he tried to itch. I called for another emergency visit a couple weeks later, with the mandatory wellness check. The vet once again expressed the glands and found little fluid, and suggested we may have to remove them to alleviate my dog's issues. Again, there was no relief from his itching. I was very hesitant about a drastic step like removing his anal glands, so I started researching for alternate causes.

I think he may be suffering from a yeast infection. He has small black specks on his belly in addition to a slight discoloration of the skin. He's also been a little smelly. The symptoms described online fit what he was going through.

Here is what I am doing, as of yesterday: I changed his dog kibble (he does get high-quality food, not a supermarket brand) to a single-source protein kibble. I know that is not perfect, as you cannot bind kibble without a starch. I am looking for an alternative regarding the food, but I feel what I am giving him now is an improvement. No treats except protein. I am using an anti-fungal spray on his belly.

Is there something else I should be doing? I certainly don't want to make it worse. If I don't see an improvement shortly, I will take him back to the vet, as maybe he needs to be tested for allergies. I just wanted to try something natural first, so I don't put him through any additional trauma. I'm annoyed that the vet charged me for two wellness checks and clearly didn't check much, just jumped to a surgical option. -- G.L., Fargo, North Dakota

DEAR G.L.: You should contest the charge for a second wellness exam. I would avoid surgical removal of the anal glands. The glands have sacs that can be irrigated with antibiotics and steroids under light sedation and anesthesia. The more often they are squeezed (and often improperly at that), the more inflamed and secretory they can become.

Avoid going on the internet to find solutions. If you suspect a fungal issue, let your attending veterinarian determine that. Turmeric is messy when applied externally and is best taken internally as an anti-inflammatory supplement.

Many anal gland and chronic ear problems are related to food allergies, so try a single-protein diet with a few drops daily of anti-inflammatory fish oil in the food, or try my home-prepared recipe, posted on DrFoxVet.net. It has helped countless dogs with various health issues.

Pigment changes in the skin in older dogs can mean an endocrine problem is developing.

(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: A recent column included a letter from a reader concerned about bringing a new baby home to meet their cat.

When we were expecting our first baby, we were already sharing our home with a 4-year-old cat, Edison. She was a delightful companion to my husband and me, but she was rather unfriendly to almost everyone else. Many well-meaning friends and relatives asked us what we were going to do about "that cat." Mainly to give everyone else peace of mind, my husband replaced the door to the baby's room with a half-door he built. That allowed us to hear the baby, but kept kitty out. It worked very well.

When the baby was 6 months old, friends came to visit with their 2-year-old twins. They were both afraid of Edison. At one point, I put the baby on a blanket on the floor, and Edison immediately planted herself on a corner of the blanket, as if she knew she was protecting the baby so that the twins wouldn't come near her.

Edison wasn't a lap cat, but I had three children, and she was a very reliable pregnancy test. She would start sitting in my lap as soon as I got pregnant. When our second and third children were born, when my husband and I left for the hospital, she sat in my chair in the dining room and didn't leave it until my husband got home. She was quite the cat. -- A.C., LaGrange, New York

DEAR DR. FOX: Our two cats were 6 years old and well-adjusted survivors of three moves when the baby arrived. They both guarded the nursery door and scrupulously vetted each and every visitor. The cats lived to be 15 and 19, and the baby, now 49, is a confirmed cat lover. -- C.K.G., Union, Missouri

DEAR A.C. and C.K.G.: Thank you both for confirming how protective of infants some cats can be. Yes indeed, your Edison was "quite the cat." She probably could determine that you were pregnant by your change in pheromone odors associated with the hormonal processes of gestation. Her seemingly protective behavior lying on the blanket near your infant is probably a correct interpretation of her behavior, supported by C.K.G's two cats guarding the nursery door.

Early Egyptians revered cats for many reasons, one being their highly evolved protective behavior, which elevated them to divine status as Bast or Bastet, the anthropomorphized cat-goddess. The ancient Egyptians placed great value on cats because they protected the crops and slowed the spread of disease by killing vermin. As a result, Bast was seen as a protective goddess. Evidence from tomb paintings suggests that the Egyptians hunted with their cats (who were apparently trained to retrieve prey) and also kept them as beloved pets.

Some cat mothers will even accept grown offspring to nurse alongside a new litter of kittens and will sometimes nurse the orphaned offspring of other species.

DOG ANCESTRY

In the report "Genetic structure in village dogs," Dr. Laura M. Shannon and an international team of 26 other scientists reveal a Central Asian domestication origin, concluding, "Dogs were the first domesticated species, but the precise timing and location of domestication are hotly debated. Dogs today consist primarily of two specialized groups: a diverse set of nearly 400 pure breeds and a far more populous group of free-ranging animals adapted to a human commensal lifestyle (village dogs). Using genomic data from 5,392 dogs, including a global set of 549 village dogs, we find strong evidence that dogs were domesticated in Central Asia, perhaps near present-day Nepal and Mongolia. Dogs in nearby regions (e.g., East Asia, India and Southwest Asia) contain high levels of genetic diversity due to their proximity to Central Asia and large population sizes. Indigenous dog populations in the Neotropics and South Pacific have been largely replaced by European dogs; whereas those in Africa show varying degrees of European vs. indigenous African ancestry.

As I discuss in the review article "Recovering Canine Health" (posted on DrFoxVet.net), these wonderful indigenous, "landrace" varieties of dogs are endangered by European (pure breed) dog crossbreeding. In the U.S., there are too many intact mixed-breed dogs, especially in the South, where they are still allowed to freely roam and breed back to a more natural landrace type. But as municipalities enforce spay/neuter and leash laws (for many good reasons), and as overcrowded shelters in states such as Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee send these dogs up to shelters in northern states where there are insufficient local dogs and pups for adoption, we may be seeing the last of the natural landrace dogs in North America. Many on Indian reservations are being crossbred with pit bulls and other pure breeds.

(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: There is a disturbing trend among many so-called "sanctuaries" and "rescues," where they are denying suffering animals veterinary care, including a dignified and painless death. Instead, they leave animals to languish and die slowly and miserably.

Some of these places are opposed to euthanasia and follow a "life at any cost" mentality. Others are scammers who post photos of sick and injured animals in order to pull at heartstrings and solicit donations. Still others let animals suffer because of laziness or callous indifference.

At Darlynn's Darlins Rescue Ranch in Florida, a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) investigation revealed an emaciated pig named Spunky who was covered in lesions and couldn't use his back legs, who languished for months. Another emaciated pig, Buddy, spent his miserable final weeks lying on his side, struggling to get up.

At Angel's Gate Hospice and Rehabilitation Center for Animals in New York, PETA found that elderly, sick and disabled animals were kept in filthy, crowded conditions without veterinary care. Many had been sent there by Animal Care Centers of New York City in an attempt to reduce its euthanasia rate, including an elderly Chihuahua named Malcolm. After weeks of suffering from an apparent untreated neurological disease that left him unable to stand, walk or eat, Malcolm died alone in a cage.

Furrever Grateful Rescue in California subjected a cat whose face was being eaten away by cancer to multiple unnecessary surgeries. After the surgeries failed, the rescue took the cat to another veterinarian, who recommended euthanasia. The group refused and took the cat to a warehouse. They reportedly used him as a fundraising tool by posting photos of his decline online. Authorities finally intervened, the veterinarian's license was revoked, and the cat was put out of his misery.

These cases are a reminder never to blindly give animals or money to just anyone who calls themselves a "rescue." Thoroughly investigate -- in person -- any group you're thinking of supporting. Open-admission shelters -- the kind that refuse to hand over sick and dying animals when the merciful thing to do is to end their suffering -- deserve our support and thanks. -- T.L.C., People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Norfolk, Virginia

DEAR T.L.C.: Thank you for this important and disturbing warning and for doing the investigations to uncover such fraudulent and cruel exploitation of animals. There are many more posted on your website, which I find very alarming. For more details, readers can go to peta.org/issues/companion-animal-issues/animal-shelters/kill-label-slowly-killing-animals/.

With the holiday season upon us, which is losing its spiritual and religious significance as a season of giving to ever-more consumption, I appeal to everyone to support their local animal shelters, ask what supplies they need and go visit. If there is no open-door policy and they have tax-exempt charity status (about which you should also ask and get their tax exemption ID number), you should contact your state's attorney general's office and the Better Business Bureau. The doors should be open.

Pledge to volunteer in 2017, or adopt a cat or dog -- ideally after the holidays are over, when your home may be quieter and safer for the new addition.

DOES YOUR DOG HAVE FRAGRANT SCENT SPOTS?

My wife, Deanna, and I recently adopted a mutt, or mixed-breed, female dog brought up by the humane society in Minneapolis from Alabama. We chose her in part because she looks like some of the pariah or indigenous native dogs my wife rescued in India when she ran an animal shelter (for details, see our new book, "India's Animals: Helping the Sacred and the Suffering" on Amazon.com).

To our surprise, this dog from Alabama has a fragrant, flowery-scented area on each cheek where the fur makes a small ridge down her neck. It is a very similar scent to one we detected in some of the Indian dogs; when the dogs interact socially with each other, they usually sniff this region. Years ago, a breeder of Scottish terriers had me sniff the top of some of his dogs' heads, and I noted a similar fragrance.

I would like to hear from readers whose dogs have similar scented areas on their bodies (excluding paws that smell like peppery popcorn) and let me know exactly where and what the scent smells like. If we had dogs' noses, we might have a better vocabulary to describe various scents!

(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.)