DEAR READERS: “Not One More Vet is an online veterinary support group. The group was founded in 2014 by Dr. Nicole McArthur. It has grown into an international group of veterinarians who come together on Facebook to laugh, cry and lend a supportive ear with their colleagues.” -- from the group’s website, nomv.org

This is so very important, because the incidence of suicide in this profession is about twice that of the general population. Non-veterinarians working in animal protection, cruelty investigations and rescue work also need support; they, too, experience the burdens of empathy, frustration and despair that can come from dealing with a culture that has so little regard for nonhuman life. Compassion stress and compassion fatigue are among the personal indices of well-being.

As the late Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin famously wrote, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” By extension, dogs, cats and other sentient life forms are spiritual beings having a dog, cat or other experience, respectively. Accepting this view inspires a sense of reverential respect for all life, and a responsibility to care for all creatures great and small. This means we suffer with, and for, them when they are in need of care. Veterinarians and others in caring professions can indeed experience burnout and depression. Many even consider ending, and actually do end, their own lives -- an incalculable loss that support groups such as Not One More Vet can help prevent.

FEWER ANIMALS BEING TAKEN INTO SHELTERS, EUTHANIZED

Good news! Factors such as cultural change, an increase in spaying and neutering, pets being returned to owners and a trend toward rescue adoption have reduced the number of animals in big-city shelters that are euthanized by more than 75% since 2009. Though some no-kill shelters report being pushed beyond their capacity, shelters have become more sophisticated and collaborative. (The New York Times, 9/3)

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a small white Maltese. He is 8 years old, and in the past year, has started getting brownish red fur wherever he licks -- face, feet etc. I feel it is allergies, but don’t know to what. Otherwise he is healthy. I do give him filtered water.

Have you any suggestions for what I can try? -- B.M., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR B.M.: This is a very prevalent problem in dogs, and is especially evident in those with white coats. Red fur staining is caused by a compound called porphyrin. Porphyrins are iron-containing molecules produced when the body breaks down red blood cells. They are removed from the body primarily through feces, but are also in urine, tears and saliva.

Brown fur staining is primarily caused by an infection with the yeast Malassezia. This is the yeast that is responsible for skin and ear infections in dogs.

It is possible that your dog has both conditions. Excessive eye discharge can mean chronic eye infection or blocked tear ducts, while dental problems -- common in small breeds -- can lead to excessive salivation. Both secretions carry porphyrins that stain the fur.

Dogs with seasonal allergies may lick their paws and legs, the saliva staining the fur red. Then when brownish discoloration develops in the moist fur, the yeast infection sets in. The yeast thrives where the fur is moist, especially in the external ear canals, under the eyes and around the lower jaws, where the fur is moist from saliva and drinking.

I would advise a good grooming/clipping, and cleaning the affected areas with one part hydrogen peroxide in two parts water. Dry him well, then apply apple cider vinegar, rub it well into his fur, then wipe him semi-dry after 10 to 15 minutes. You may need someone to hold your dog and avoid getting any of these applications near the eyes.

If your dog has not had a recent wellness examination, you should take him in -- my fear is that he dog has chronic dental issues, and the remedy I offer will not fix the problem.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 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 DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR DR. FOX: At the proper time, our four cats were declawed, as we were in favor of intact furniture and zero cat scratches.

These cats spent their lives happily doing what cats do, even scratching their front paws on whatever met their fancy -- instinct. They lived to the age of 18, never being allowed outdoors, and passed within two weeks of each other (11 years ago).

That leads me to the question: It’s not OK to declaw cats, but perfectly OK to cut off dogs’ tails and operate on their ears for purely cosmetic reasons? I also disagree with the breeding of both cats and dogs that leaves them with pushed-in faces, making it difficult for them to eat properly; it can bother their breathing, too. -- H.O., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR H.O.: I have addressed these issues -- cropping dogs’ ears, docking their tails and deliberately breeding dogs with extreme facial and other physical abnormalities -- many times in my column, as well as in the articles on my website entitled, “Don’t Let Them Mutilate Your Dog” and “Recovering Canine Health.” Breeding Persian and other cats with deformed faces and others with abnormal limbs is also very inhumane.

I appreciate you sharing your experiences with declawed cats, but this is a wholly radical procedure that can have lifelong adverse physical and behavioral consequences. More details are available in my review of this issue on my website (drfoxonehealth.com). In many countries, declawing is considered an unethical practice for veterinarians to engage in.

DEAR DR. FOX: Come Thanksgiving, I will host my extended family at my home: siblings, spouses, in-laws, nieces, nephews, etc. We have lots of room and they will bring their dogs.

I do not have any pets, but I like animals, especially dogs. Most dogs cozy up to me almost immediately, often far more quickly than they do to other people. Most of the dogs who will be here are great and well-behaved.

However, my sister’s family has two German shepherds: a female about 8 years old and a male about 4 years old. The last two times they came to visit, the male dog took to barking at me, almost incessantly. He did not bark at other people, just me. I ignored it as much as possible. My sister tried to give me guidance on how to behave so that the dog would not bark at me. However, this was a 100-pound dog acting aggressively towards me in my own home; I would have no part of “acting” a certain way to minimize the dog’s behavior.

My sister and her husband have only ever had these two dogs, and while they have gone to some sort of obedience school, it does not really seem to have made a difference. They have had to crate the dog on more than one occasion while visiting, since he acted so erratically. The female German shepherd has no such issues.

The other dogs who’ll be visiting are a Rottweiler, a Shih Tzu and a shepherd mix (a rescue that used to be very anxious, but has really calmed down in the last couple of years). All the dogs get along with each other, whether in the house or outside on the lawn. Do you have any advice for this Thanksgiving? -- E.Z., Walkerton, Indiana

DEAR E.Z.: You are a good host, inviting so many dogs and their human families!

This German shepherd is probably not being aggressive so much as fearful and defensive when you are close and make eye contact, trying to reassure the dog. Yelling to make the dog be quiet is too late in the behavior-shaping process, and remote-controlled electric anti-bark collars are unacceptable -- very inhumane in the wrong hands.

I would ignore the dog and avoid eye contact. If the dog just will not settle down, he should be put in the owner’s vehicle (only if the weather is good), or outside with the other big dogs. I would advise against giving the dog any sedative drug prior to the visit.

This does sound like an unstable animal, but extend him some special understanding: German shepherds are very bright, and bark for attention, especially when people are ignoring them and are engaged in conversation.

When we had a “pack” of three rescued dogs, their response to us having visitors was to play together on the floor in front of us, after greeting and sniffing everyone. Also, one of our dogs would often bring a gift -- anything she could find, even a leaf from the porch -- with no other intention than to give it to our visitors. (She wasn’t looking for a game of fetch, because she would never respond to or retrieve a thrown toy.)

About Thanksgiving, visitors and in-home animals: This time of celebration can be marred by a cat or dog slipping outdoors as visitors come and go and then getting lost. Be sure collars and tags are on, and maybe consider keeping your animals in a separate room while guests are coming in or leaving. Keep them there if they are very shy or fearful, or if there are children coming. Also, do not give many treats: Many cats and dogs given meaty, fatty holiday leftovers go into emergency care with acute pancreatitis.

Best for all is to make it a compassionate and environmentally sensitive time of celebration by making the meal meat-free, vegan or vegetarian. I think we need a special day of Thanksgiving for all creatures great and small. Some people choose the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, Oct. 4, for this purpose.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 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 DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I am an avid reader of your columns and books, and have learned much about caring for my pets. They have lived long and healthy lives because of the information you provide.

I am writing in response to the letter writer who threatened to stop reading your columns unless you stayed out of politics. When did it become problematic to read opposing views on issues, or acceptable to deny facts readily available from multiple sources? Shouldn’t we all seek more information on a subject so that we can evaluate that information and have more informed opinions?

I, for one, appreciate the knowledge you provide on all aspects of our world, the treatment of it and the animals we depend on. I encourage you to continue your advocacy of our planet and the animals that inhabit it. Thanks for your insights. -- M.R., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR DR. FOX: I loved your article titled “Trump brazenly claims environmental leadership.” It takes guts to make a political statement, because so many people are so easily offended.

Thank you for saying it like it is without beating around the bush. We need everyone to start seeing the facts and the truth about Trump. The only hope we have is for a completely overwhelming number of people to vote Democratic if there is any hope of saving our country -- and the world, as well. With all the gerrymandering, voter suppression, short voting hours on a workday, long lines at too few voting locations, picture I.D. requirements, misdirections sending people to the wrong voting places and so many other tricks and cheats being pulled to restrict voting only to the chosen few, we need the truth to come out by every source possible.

Thank you for reaching so many people who only get their news from (the other) Fox. -- T.L., Springfield, Missouri

DEAR M.R. and T.L.: Your words of support are appreciated -- but probably not shared by all readers!

Even if a Democrat wins the next presidency, there is an enormous agenda, not only to rectify the setbacks to conservation, public health and a sustainable economy created by the present administration, but to unify America and other nations to address the climate and extinction crises.

We pay taxes to support a democratic, civil society whose leaders should be democratic and civil -- leaders who do not abuse the power of office to undermine human rights and animal and environmental protection. The moral inversion of the Golden Rule into the rule of gold is normative to “developers” and others who destructively exploit nature, and in the process, commit crimes against humanity and other species and their communities. This global cult of mammon has its contemporary rebirth under the guise of Ayn Rand’s rational selfishness, materialism and objectivism. She stated, ”My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.”

The climate crisis and associated extinction crisis -- as evidenced by the accelerating loss of biological and cultural diversity, and of indigenous native peoples, plants and animals -- is accepted as unavoidable “productive achievement” by the dominant culture. Socially and economically, this rising technocratic monoculture is nonsustainable, and suffers the same vulnerabilities we see in ecological monocultures. Dystopia and dysbiosis go hand in hand.

This commercial, industrial juggernaut of “productivity” also means a loss of our humanity: of those qualities of humility, compassion and respect for all life that make us human. Civil society faces all forms of inhumanity. The call for justice for all is ultimately enlightened self-interest, along with planetary CPR (conservation, protection and restoration).

I am not alone in calling for a United Environmental Nations, with the burning of the Amazon forest being just one example of a single nation’s actions (or inaction) harming the entire world. Our numbers and appetites are unsustainable. Many scientists and visionaries have long warned of us reaching this point on planet Earth, as per Frances Moore Lappe’s 1971 book, “Diet for a Small Planet.” Over half a century ago, Jesuit priest, paleontologist and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin wrote, “The day is not far distant when humanity will realize that biologically, it is faced with a choice between suicide and adoration.”

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 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 DrFoxOneHealth.com.)