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.)

DEAR DR. FOX: I recently read about a class-action lawsuit brought against the company that makes Blue Buffalo dog food. The company agreed to pay out specific amounts to people who had purchased its products.

I believe the suit pertained to ingredients that were not listed on the label. I used to feed my dogs Blue Buffalo, but I never saved my purchase receipts (really, who does that?), so even if I'd wanted to receive a payout, I couldn't unless the larger pet stores with their "clubs" kept records of my purchases. Even if they did, I still have no wish to participate.

You might want to mention the particulars of the suit in your column in order to bring up the fact one never really knows what is in commercial pet food. -- R.S.B., North Beach, Maryland

DEAR R.S.B.: According to the website Top Class Actions (topclassactions.com), the Blue Buffalo pet food company agreed to pay $32 million in order to settle allegations that it falsely claimed its products were free of poultry byproducts, corn, wheat, soy and artificial preservatives. According to Top Class Actions:

"Pet food competitor Nestle Purina PetCare Co. along with plaintiffs in 13 separate class action lawsuits challenged the 'True Blue Promise' label after claiming that several investigations found those ingredients within Blue Buffalo products.

"The Blue Buffalo class action lawsuit alleged that plaintiffs paid a higher price for the 'natural' pet food because they were misled by false advertisements that Blue Buffalo was a quality choice compared to other products on the market.

"According to the Blue Buffalo class action lawsuit settlement, Class Members will receive $5 for every $50 they spent on various Blue Buffalo products over a seven-year claim period.

"Blue Buffalo stands by its labeling and denies it did anything wrong, however the pet food manufacturer has agreed to the terms of the settlement in order to avoid the cost of further litigation."

This is the largest class-action suit payout in the history of the pet food industry, but is the tip of the iceberg as more reports are published about mislabeling of ingredient amounts and types. This can pose serious health problems for animals with allergies and food intolerances. For pet food companies you can trust if you are not yet preparing your own pet food from known ingredients, visit truthaboutpetfood.com.

DEAR DR. FOX: Yesterday evening, our family cat, a domestic shorthair, started vomiting. The first episode occurred overnight, and then several more followed this morning after breakfast. I removed the food we usually keep out for her and left out a small quantity of water in case she was thirsty. I attempted to feed her some hard-boiled egg whites at dinnertime, and I don't know if she managed to eat any, but she did drink water and vomited shortly thereafter -- a total of three times over an hour-and-a-half timespan. The vomit is just liquid at this point. Her behavior seems OK; she is purring, and until this evening has been very interested in food.

Getting her to the vet is extremely stressful, so before I venture there, is there anything I can do at home? She is not listless or in other distress. Furthermore, our family dog returned home from the hospital the day before this vomiting began. He had an emergency splenectomy. Is there any chance he brought something home that may be causing this?

The cat is 14 years old, remains indoors and is in good health overall. -- M.M., Ashburn, Virginia

DEAR M.M.: There are many reasons why cats will occasionally vomit, often because of a fur ball in the stomach or eating too quickly -- they recover quickly and have their appetites back within a few hours and hold food down. But if vomiting persists or the cat does not eat for 24 hours, which can result in potentially serious dehydration and acute fatty liver disease and be a sign of other problems such as kidney failure in an older cat, veterinary attention should not be delayed.

Some veterinarians do house calls, which can be much less stressful for cats. In this instance with your cat, it could be simply transient, a stress-reaction to the dog coming home and smelling different and possibly behaving differently during recovery from surgery.

(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.)