THE DOG
By WESLEY MILLS, M. D,
IIIIIIIIIMIIIIMIIIIIIIIllll '
3 9090 013 410 283
JOHNA.SEAVERNS
The Old Corner Book
Rtnrp. Inr.
Webster Family Library of Veterinary Medicine
Cumfnlngs School of Veterinary Medicine at
Tutts University
200 Westboro Road
North Grafton, MA 01 536
THE DOa
IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE
INCLUDING
HIS ORIGIN, HISTORY, VARIETIES, BREEDING, EDUCATION,
AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH,
AND HIS TREATMENT IN DISEASE
BY
WESLEY MILLS, M. A., M. D., D. V. S., Etc.
PROFESSOR OF PHYSIOLOGY IN THE FACULTY OF HUMAN MEDICINE
AND IN THE FACULTY OF COMPARATIVE MEDICINE AND VETERINARY SCIENCK
OF MC GILL UNIVERSITY, MONTREAL ;
LECTURER ON CYNOLOGY IN THE LATTER FACULTY ;
AUTHOR OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY, COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY,
HOW TO KEEP A DOG IN THE CITY, ETC.
WITH FORTY-THREE FTJLIr-PAGE CUTS, ONE COLORED PLATE,
AND NUMEROUS OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS
SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED
NEW YORK AND LONDON
D. appleton and company
1913
Copyright, 1892, 1895,
bt d. appleton and company.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
That a second edition of this work has been called
for in so short a time the author takes to be evidence
that it meets a want. That it has been so kindly received
by the press, the general public, and the veterinary pro-
fession, has encouraged him to do his best to bring this
second edition up to date in even the smallest details.
The author has seen no reason to change the general plan
of the work, which he still deems the best because in
accordance with the laws of the mind, viz., that the nor-
mal should be studied before the abnormal or diseased;
and he is as fully as ever convinced that if the veterina-
rian is to secure the confidence of the public as regards
canine medicine, he must give evidence of a knowledge
of dogs as dogs — i. e., their nature and varieties, as well
as their diseased conditions. In other words, the vet-
erinarian must be a cynologist.
Some of the changes in this edition have been made
in deference to the views of those whose authority car-
ries weight in regard to the subjects of which they
speak ; others have been necessitated by the extraordi-
iy PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
nary advance in the science of medicine even since the
date of publication of the first edition.
In addition to the usual corrections, revisions, etc., a
glossary of terms in common use by dog fanciers has
been introduced.
An effort has been made to maintain the reputation
the work has won on account of the high character and
abundance of its illustrations, by a few substitutions of
more modern specimens and the addition of several full-
page cuts of breeds of dogs not illustrated in the first edi-
tion. For the originals of these the author is indebted to
several persons who kindly allowed the use of cuts for the
first edition, and also to Mr. James L. Little, of Brook-
line, Mass. ; Mr. H. B. Donovan, editor of the Canadian
Kennel Gazette, Toronto; Mr. L. A. Klein, of Black
Lake; Mr. MacHaffie, of Cornwall, and others.
The index has also been rendered more complete, so
that it is believed that the work will be found thor-
oughly accurate and up to date in all respects.
The author is led to hope that the book will be
found worthy of the confidence of the general reader
and of students and practitioners of veterinary medicine
in the future as it has in the past.
The Authob.
McGiLL University, Montreal,
September, 1895.
PEEFAOE
With none of our friends and helpers among tlie lower
animals would we part so reluctantly as with the dog.
No speechless associate of man has ever so entwined itself
around the very roots of our domestic life as the dog;
none has won so much admiration, confidence, and affec-
tion ; none has appealed to so large a number of mankind
of every condition, age, and sex. It will therefore be
conceded that so noble, so intelligent, and so faithful an
animal as the dog is entitled to the most complete un-
derstanding and the best usage of which we are capable.
The professional treatment of the dog in disease natu-
rally falls to the veterinarian ; but inasmuch as this ani
mal is very different in his nature from the horse and
other herbivora which engage the chief attention of the
veterinary profession, it follows that if the dog is to be
treated on a rational basis, he must be made a subject of
special study by the veterinarian. A knowledge of equine
medicine goes but a little way to qualify a man to treat
the dog, and the sooner this is recognized by the profes-
sion of comparative (veterinary) medicine, the better will it
be for both the profession and our canine friends If the
veterinarian hopes to largely acquire the confidence of the
y{ PREFACE.
public as regards dogs, he must show not only that he has
some grasp of medicine as medicine, but a special knowl-
edge of the nature, varieties, and peculiarities of dogs.
The dog must be understood in health before his ailments
can be well appreciated and treated, and the more intelli-
gent body of breeders and owners of dogs thoroughly real-
ize this. The consciousness that there was no book treating
of the dog in disease that recognized adequately the princi-
ples just set forth ; a strong desire to better the condition
of this noble animal, that for the greater part of the writer's
life he has studied with pleasure and profit to his own
nature ; and an intimate knowledge of the condition and
needs of the veterinary profession, explains the origin of
this book, so far as the latter is concerned. The writer's
experience as a teacher of canine medicine — or rather of
the nature of the dog in both health and disease, for which
the term cynology is an appropriate one — has convinced
him that the study of the dog in disease should for veter-
inary students, as others, be preceded by his study in
health, with as much thoroughness as circumstances will
permit ; hence the large amount of space given to the sub-
ject of the first part of this work.
But the book is by no means intended for students
and practitioners of veterinary science alone. It is meant
for all intelligent persons who breed, keep, or in any
way take a special interest in the dog. Their number is
very large, and is constantly increasing. While, there-
fore, the whole work has a scientific foundation, it has
been kept as free from technicalities as possible, and will,
it is hoped, be readily comprehensible by every intelli-
gent person.
PREFACE. y{\
It has been the aim constantly to set forth the princi-
ples that underlie the management of the dog in health
and his treatment in disease, as by this course the individ-
ual reader is left free to exercise his own judgment while
guided by a sort of mariner's compass the construction of
which is based on the well-ascertained laws of life. It has
further been the writer's aim to bring the book thoroughly
up to date in all respects — hence the illustrations represent
noted dogs of the day ; and the medical principles and
practice are modern and adapted to the real nature of the
dog himself, and not to that of some other animal unlike
him, as the horse, etc.
At the same time it has been thought well, so far as
drugs are concerned, to avoid reference to such medicines
as are now on trial merely, and with the virtues and dan-
gers of which we are as yet but indifferently acquainted as
regards man, much less the dog. This applies especially
to that now large class known as antipyretics. They should
be carefully tried on the dog by the expert ; but to recom-
mend them explicitly in a work of this kind seemed to
the author hazardous.
But, leaving out of account the second part of the
work, the first part will, it is thought, be in itself a valu-
able treatise on a new basis — i. e., a more rational basis
— on the dog as he exists to-day. It has been the
writers constant endeavor to give the reason for every
procedure.
Being deeply convinced that a work on the dog with-
out good illustrations is of comparatively little value, es-
pecial pains have been taken to furnish models for judg-
ing the various breeds of dogs in the full-page plates,
y{[\ PREFACE.
representing the best specimens as they exist at tlie present
time. In selecting these, only one thing has been kept in
view — viz., choosing those that seemed the very best, irre-
spective of every other consideration. Most of them have
never appeared in any book on the dog before, but have
been culled from the leading journals devoted to canine
interests in Great Britain and America, such as the " Ca-
nine World," from which the colored plate and several
others are borrowed ; the " English Stock-keeper," and in
America the "American Kennel Gazette," which has
furnished the illustrations of the pointer " Bracket," the
mastiff " Beaufort," etc., the artist of this periodical being
Mr. G. Muss-Arnolt.
The sources of the cuts in the text are acknowledged
by the way.
While the author has endeavored to produce a book
founded on experience, with a thoroughly sound and scien-
tific basis, in every way up to date and on a somewhat new
plan, he realizes that there is much yet to learn about the
dog, and will receive with gratitude suggestions from any
one who has true and accurate observations to communi-
cate.
This, like every work and every man, has no doubt its
shortcomings, but the kind way in which much that the
author has written for various journals devoted to dogs
has been received, and also his Httle book, " How to keep
a Dog in the City" (WilHam K. Jenkins, :N'ew York,
and the Editor of the "Canadian Kennel Gazette," To-
ronto, publishers), leads him to hope for a generous re-
ception of this work by the veterinary profession, breeders
of dogs, and the public in general.
PREFACE. ix
In conclusion, the writer wishes to express his apprecia-
tion of the successful efforts of the publishers in the pro-
duction of the work, including the illustrations, in such ad-
mirable form.
The Author.
Montreal, November, 189L
COI^TEISTTS,
Part I. The Dog in Health.
PAOE
The Origin and History of the Dog 1
The Zoological Position of the Dog 6
Anatomy of the Dog 6
Variations 9
The Animal Body 10
Psychic Characteristics of the Dog 15
Classification of Dogs 18
Class I.— Wild and Half-Reclaimed Dogs, etc 19
Standards 21
Standards further considered 25
Class II. — Dogs hunting chiefly by the Eye, etc. ... 34
The English Greyhound , .34
The Deerhound 36
The Russian Wolfhound or Barzoi 37
Class III. — Domesticated Dogs, hunting by Scent, which both
find and kill their Game 38
The Bloodhound 38
The Foxhound 39
The Harrier 41
The Beagle 41
The Otterhound 42
The Bassethound 43
The Dachshund 43
The Great Dane 43
The Terriers 45
The Pox-terrier 48
The Irish Terrier , . . 49
The Black-and-tan Terrier . , 50
xi
xu
CONTENTS.
PAGE
The Yorkshire Terrier 52
The Scotch Terriers , . . 53
The Bull Terrier 55
Other Breeds of Terriers . 55
The Welsh Terrier 56
The Airedale Terrier 56
The Dandie Dinmont Terrier 56
The Bedlington Terrier 57
The Paisley Terrier . 58
The Clydesdale Terrier 58
The Maltese Terrier 58
Class IV. — Domesticated Dogs, finding their Game by Scent
but not killing it, etc 59
The Spaniels 69
The Cocker Spaniel 69
The Clumber Spaniel 71
The Irish Water Spaniel 72
The Retrievers 73
Differences between the Breeds 73
The Chesapeake Bay Dog 74
The Dalmatian 74
The Poodle 75
Class V. — Pastoral Dogs, etc. , 76
Sheep Dogs 76
The Bough Collie 77
The Smooth Collie 77
The Bob-tailed Sheep Dog 78
The Pomeranian, Spitz, or Loup-Loup . . . . . 78
The Black Newfoundland 78
Other Varieties of Newfoundland 79
The Esquimau Dog 80
Class VI. — Watch-Dogs and House-Dogs 80
The Bulldog ' . 81
The Mastiff 83
The St. Bernard 86
The Toy Dogs 89
The Pug 90
The Toy Spaniels 91
Color Varieties 92
The Italian Greyhound . 92
The Schipperke 92
The Whippet 93
The Mexican Hairless Dog ,93
CONTENTS. xiii
PAGE
The Management of Dogs in Health 94
The Housing of Dogs 96
Feeding 101
Exercise and Occupation 114
The Care of the Dog's Skin 117
Breeding 125
Mating 131
The Care of the Stud Dog 134
The Care of the Brood Bitch 135
Whelping 141
Choice of Puppies 145
The Foster-Mother 147
The Rearing of Puppies 150
The Care of the Brood Bitch after Whelping . . . 148
Weaning Puppies 153
Feeding Puppies 156
Other Management of Puppies 158
Exercise and Training of Puppies 161
Retrieving 167
Gun-shyness 168
Exercise of Puppies 169
The Development of the Dog; Determination of Age . , 171
Shedding of the Teeth 175
Glossary 177a
Pakt II. The Dog in Disease.
General Principles 178
The Causes of Disease 182
Normal Temperature of the Dog 184
Fever 187
The Pulse 187
The Methods of studying the Dog in Disease . . . 189
Remedies and their Mode of Use 192
Drugs and their Administration 193
Diet and Care of the Sick . 198
Disinfection 200
Autopsies and Morbid Anatomy 201
Descriptions of Disease, Relative Prevalence, etc. . . 206
Diseases of the Respiratory Organs 209
Influenza 215
Acute Laryngitis 216
Pleurisy . 217
Bronchitis 221
xiy CONTENTS.
PAGE
Pneumonia 222
Asthma 230
Tuberculosis 231
Local Affections of the Nasal Passages 232
Nasal Catarrh 232
Ozaena 234
Diseases of the Blood and Circulatorx System . . . 237
Blood Diseases 239
Anaemia 239
Plethora 240
Heart-Disease 240
Hypertrophy 241
Diseases of the Blood-Vessels 242
Aneurism 242
Diseases of Veins 242
Diseases of Lymphatics and of Certain Glands . . . 243
Bronchocele or Goitre 243
Diseases of the Alimentary Tract 244
Affections of the Mouth 247
Warts 247
Salivary Glands 248
The Teeth 249
Inflammation of the Tongue 250
Blain 250
Pharyngitis 251
Functional Disorders of the Digestive Organs . . . 251
Salivation 251
Vomiting 251
A Capricious Appetite 252
Irregularities of the Bowels 253
Obstruction . . . 254
Constipation 254
Colic 256
Inflammatory Affections of the Digestive Organs . . 257
Functional Disease of the Liver 266
Jaundice 266
Organic Affections of the Liver 267
Hepatitis 267
Chronic Hepatitis 268
Degeneration of the Liver 268
Cancer of Abdominal Organs 269
Intestinal Obstruction 270
Diseased Conditions around the Anus 271
CONTENTS. XV
PAGK
Prolapse of the Rectum 271
Piles 272
Growths around the Anus 274
Perineal Abscess and Fistula in ano 274
Diseases of the Urinary System 275
Retention of Urine 276
Acute Cystitis 278
Chronic Cystitis 279
Nephritis 279
Renal Calculus 279
Cystic Calculus 279
Diseases of the Genital Organs 280
Balanitis 281
Morbid Growths 284
Prolapse of the Vagina 284
Metritis 285
Complications Incident to Parturition . . , . . 288
Malpresentations 289
Post-partum Fever 291
Diseases of the Bar . 295
Canker 296
Otitis Media 300
Deafness 301
Polypus 301
Diseases of the Eye • 302
Diseases of the Protective Apparatus of the Eye . . . 305
Inflammation and Abscess of the Lachrymal Glamd . . 306
The Lachrymal Ducts 306
Conjunctivitis 306
Ophthalmia 307
Ulcers of the Cornea 309
Granular Lids 310
Iritis 310
Cataract 311
Amaurosis and Amblyopia 311
Dislocation 312
Squint 312
Diseases of the Nervous System 312
Rabies (Hydrophobia) 313
Convulsions, Epilepsy, Fits, Apoplexy 318
Epileptiform Convulsions 319
Vertigo 321
Apoplexy 321
xvi CONTENTS.
PAGE
Paralysis 321
Meningitis 322
Hydrocephalus . . . 324
Tetanus 324
Chorea .325
Injuries to the Brain 327
Affections of the Nerves 328
Neuralgia 328
Diseases of the Skin 329
Ringworm 332
Follicular Mange 332
Sarcoptic Mange 332
Eczema 333
Internal Parasites or Worms 345
External Parasites 356
Constitutional Diseases 359
Erysipelas 359
Diphtheria 361
Dropsy 362
Rickets 363
Rheumatism 365
Distemper 367
Surgery of the Dog 380
Anajsthesia 381
Antisepsis 382
Cuts 383
Sprains and Bruises 384
Burns and Scalds 384
Fractures and Dislocations 385
Cutting Operations 386
Castration and Spaying 387
Umbilical Hernia 387
Poisoning 388
Stings 392
Sanitary and Medical Aspects of Dog Shows .... 393
Table of Doses of the Principal Drugs 396
FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS.
FACE PAGE
Colored plate of the great Dane Ivanhoe . Frontispiece
The greyhound Fullerton 10
The Scottish deerhound Rona III 16
The Irish wolfhound Sheelah ....... 24
The Russian wolfhound Krilutt 32
The bloodhound champion Cromwell 40
The beagle champion Ringwood 48
The bassethound champion Chopette 52
The German Dachshund Isolani-Franconia .... 56
The rough English Dachshund Woolsack 60
The smooth-coated fox-terrier champion Blemton Victor II . 64
The rough-coated fox-terriers Jack St. Leger and Jigger . 72
The Irish terrier Pilgrim 80
The white English terrier Eclipse 88
The Yorkshire terrier champion Ted 96
The Scottish terrier Argyle 104
The Skye terrier Thurkill 120
The bull-terrier Streatham Monarch 136
The Boston terrier Prince Walnut ...... 140
The Welsh terrier Brynhir Pardon 144
The Airedale terriers champion Newbold Test and champion
Vixen III 152
The Bedlington terrier champion Humbledon Blue Boy . 160
The pointer champion Bracket 1*^6
The English setter champion Dad Wilson .... 184
2 xvii
XVlll
FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS.
FACB PAOB
The Irish setter Geraldine II 192
The Gordon setter champion Bellmont 208
The black field spaniel champion Buckle . . . .216
The cocker spaniels Black Duke and Othello . . 224, 230
The Clumber spaniel Friar Boss 240
The Irish water spaniel champion Shaun 256
The wavy-coated retriever Darenth 264
The black-spotted Dalmatian Berolina 280
The black poodle Achilles 300
The rough-coated collie Sefton Hero 312
The bob-tail sheep dogs Grizzle Bob and Dairy Maid . . 320
The Newfoundland Mariner 328
The bulldogs The Graven Image, Holy Terror, and Bathos 344
The mastiff champion Beaufort 352
The rough-coated St. Bernard champion Sir Bedivere . . 368
The pug champion Loris 376
The ruby spaniel Ruby King 384
The Italian greyhounds Winks and Idiom .... 388
The Schipperkes Mia and Drikske 392
PAKT I.
THE DOG IN HEALTH.
THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE DOG.
In order to understand an individual of any species of
animals, it is important not only to know the circumstances
under which it lives, but its past history ; and the further
and the more completely this can be traced the better, in-
asmuch as the particular animal under consideration may
be regarded as the outcome or resultant of a vast number
of forces extending back in fact to the origin of hfe itself.
To illustrate, suppose one finds that a certain grey-
hound for several successive years wins in the old-estab-
hshed English courses, we inquire why this particular dog
has won. He may not seem superior in form of body to
others that he surpasses in speed, but it is perhaps found
that in his ancestry there is a long line of those that have
excelled in this respect. This goes a long way to explain
the pre-eminence of this dog. Then we may take up the
general superiority in fleetness of this breed, and this leads
to its origin and history. For ages the best and swiftest
have been chosen to breed from, and in all probability, from
the earliest times that man possessed the dog, this process
1
2 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
of selection of the best was going on, consciously or uncon-
sciously.
There was an ancient race of hounds not very unlike
the present swift coursers in essential particulars. Is the
breed used in the British Islands in any way related to
the Koman hounds by descent, or have both arisen inde-
pendently ?
The characteristics of the greyhound, then, can not be
^nderstood apart from his* history, nor from his origin.
But regarding him simply as a dog, one of the large family
of the Canidoe, what has been as yet considered does not
explain much.
Hence the necessity, if we would understand this grey-
hound as a dog, to inquire into the origin of the family
group to which he belongs. In other words, we must
seek for a more distant ancestry and learn if possible its
history.
The subject has been very carefully studied by Charles
Darwin, and no better treatment has been given it than
may be found in his work, " Animals and Plants under
Domestication." Briefly, the origin of the dog has been
referred to the following sources : All the various breeds
of dogs are believed by some to have descended from
some single wild species of animal, while others hold that
the evidence of descent from several is stronger. Some
think the dog has been derived from several species, ex-
tinct and recent, more or less mingled. Some would refer
the dog to the wolf, the jackal, or some unknown extinct
species.
No view of the origin of the dog can be considered
as proved ; nevertheless, some are much more probable
THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF THE DOG 3
than others. Yery few would now hold to a theory — at
one time more acceptable — that all the principal varieties
of dogs were derived from a distinct wild ancestral
species.
In favor of the view that the dogs of the present and
the past historical period were derived from several, or,
at all events, more than one wild species, may be men-
tioned the following :
1. The great difference, especially in form, of the dif-
ferent breeds of dogs.
2. At the most anciently-known historical period sev-
eral breeds existed resembhng wild breeds then living.
Breeds of dogs allied to greyhounds are figured on
Egyptian monuments between 3400 b. c. and 2100 b. c,
though there is evidence that besides these breeds there
were, thousands of years before our time, pariah dogs,
greyhounds, other hounds, house-dogs, mastiffs, lap-dogs,
turnspits, etc., which bear no small resemblance to the
breeds of the present day ; but there is not evidence to
prove that these subvarieties are identical with those of
the present time. But long before the historical period
in Europe there is evidence that man possessed the dog.
The resemblance of dogs, in different parts of the world,
to wild species of animals, is suggestive of a multiple
origin — i. e., an origin from several wild stocks. Con-
sidering man's sociable nature, the tendency of many wild
species resembling our dogs to hunt in packs — which
animals are more readily tamed — the attempt to tame the
young of such species can be readily understood, and its
success would be followed by fresh attempts as soon as it
was perceived how useful they might be in the chase,
4 THE DOG IN PIEALTH.
which was the chief occupation of primitive and uncivil-
ized men.
That the dogs possessed by the aborigines of I^orth
America bear a close resemblance to the various kinds
of wolves found wild in these regions is a matter of
frequent observation. It is further well known that the
dogs of the natives breed freely with wolves, and the
same remarks apply to some breeds of dogs of Europe
and other parts of the world. There is equally good evi-
dence to believe that some breeds of dogs are to be re-
ferred to the jackal. Upon the whole, it would seem prob-
able that '' the domestic dogs of the world are descended
from two well-defined species of wolf (viz., Oanis lupus
and Oanis latrans\ and from two or three other doubt-
ful species (namely, the European, Indian, and I^orth Af-
rican wolves) ; from at least one or two South Amei'ican
canine species ; from several races or species of jackal ;
and perhaps from one or more extinct species " (Darwin).
But this origin of the dog being only probable and
not demonstrable, we are entitled to ask whether it makes
the nature of the dog as we know it to-day more intelli-
gible than the theory that he is derived from some wild
forms long since extinct and of which we know little or
nothing. In other words, referring to our illustration, is
the greyhound more readily understood as- a dog and as
a courser on this hypothesis of origin from some wild
forms now existing? "Without going into details at this
time, we agree with those who think that without some
such theory the chain of natural coimections can not be
forged, but that with it a flood of light is thrown on the
whole nature of the dog, even to his minutest traits and
THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY OP THE DOG. 5
habits. This is rendered clearer when the changes in the
habits and instincts of the supposed wild ancestors of the
dog under conlinement and domestication are considered,
and the corresponding change in dogs when they become
feral. Thus most of the wild forms alluded to, strictly
speaking, do not bark as the dog ; but cases are on record
that show that such wild forms may learn to bark in con-
finement, while dogs that have become feral lose this trait,
and so with many other characteristics of the dog.
The great diversity of physical and psychic character-
istics in the different breeds of dogs is to be explained
by crossing, selection, and environment.
Crossing tends to modify in all respects the existing
form and character, selection to ^x a type, and environ-
ment to alter particularly the more transient or less
permanent characteristics, and produce strains, or those
combinations of form and qualities more difficult to de-
tect and often affecting the vitality of the breed.
To illustrate the last statements : a highly-bred bulldog
was crossed with a similarly well-bred greyhound, with
the result that, in a few generations, the bulldog form was
scarcely discernible, though the effects were manifest in
the stamina and psychic characteristics for many genera-
tions. This interesting experiment is given at length in
Stonehenge's work on the dog, and illustrated by cuts of
the animals produced. That the greyhound is such a
specialist is doubtless owing to the fact that, for a long
period in Britain alone, he has been used for the sole
purpose of coursing rabbits, in connection with which pub-
lic competitions have been instituted, leading to choice
of those best suited for breeding purposes and the great-
6 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
est care in selection and rearing — that is, the puppies are,
at a certain age, retained or rejected according to the merit
they display. Long before this, Nature will have weeded
out those that were feeble and unresisting ; in other words,
those perish that have insufficient stamina by a process of
" natural selection," as opposed to the previous kind of
selection by man, or " artificial selection."
By the environment is meant the whole combination of
circumstances that enters into the life of the animal — as
food, housing, exercise, climate, etc. — in fact, everything
not implied in breeding and selection.
Even those extremes of form seen in the gigantic St.
Bernard of two hundred pounds and the toy terrier of -G^ve
pounds are to be explained chiefly on the above principles,
though of course a possible origin from different wild
forms complicates the problem. Great as is the influence
of environment, greater by far are the effects of crossing
and selection, as every breeder of experience knows.
The history of the different breeds of dogs is involved
in so much obscurity that there is little agreement on this
subject. But it is very doubtful if any people, savage or
civilized, has been without the dog, while it seems equally
probable that this nol)le animal will continue to be man's
companion as long as human nature endures.
THE ZOOLOGICAIi POSITION OP THE DOG.
His Anatomy. — Whether the origin of the dog be as
above described or not, his structure justifies placing him
among the carnivora.
This is especially evident in the teeth, which are
adapted for seizing, tearing, and cutting rather than ^rind-
THE ZOOLOGICAL POSITION OF THE DOG. 7
mg, as may be readily observed by comparing the teeth of
the dog (pages 174 and 175) with those of some ruminant
like the ox. Moreover, while the jaws of the ruminant
have very free fore-and-aft and lateral movements, those of
the dog are restricted almost wholly to the vertical plane.
Such teeth, moreover, are the principal weapons of
defense and attack in the dog as in other carnivora.
The limbs have freely movable toes or digits armed
with strong and sharp claws.
Mostly the carnivora are digitigrade, have a strong
odor, are widely distributed, and have a two-horned uterus,
all of which applies to the dog, even to the odor which
is so pronounced in some breeds that in the house they are
unpleasant companions, though this feature can be greatly
modified by feeding, etc.
On the next page is given a cut of the skeleton of the
dog and the technical names applied to its various parts.
To bring the structure of the dog into comparison
with that of man we must place man on all fours, suppose
his jaws greatly lengthened out, his skull much flattened
and reduced in size, his chest flattened somewhat from
side to side, one rib added, his clavicle or collar-bone
absent, and, of course, his dentition modified to the car-
nivorous type.
Turning to the limbs, we must suppose him to walk on
his fingers and toes (digits), which have been somewhat
bent or flexed, and the nails elongated, thickened, nar-
rowed, and pointed. It will follow that the bones be-
tween the digits and the wrist or ankle will be placed
more or less vertically, while what is known as the wrist
in man will become the " knee " in the dog, and the heel
THE i)OQ IN HEALTH.
Fio. 1.— Skkleton of the Doa— Carntvora— (Strangkway).
Axial Skeleton.
The Skull. Cranial Bones. ~a. Occipital, 1: 6, Parietal, 2; c. Frontal, 2; /.%
Temporal, 2; Sphenoid, 1; Ethmoid, 2; Auditory ossicles, 8. Facial Bones.— f,
Nasal, 2; e. Lachrymal, 2; d. Malar, 2; /(, Maxilla, 2; gr, Premaxilla, 2; t, Inferior
maxilla, 2; Palatine, 2; Pterygoid, 2; Vomer, 1; Turbinals, 4; Hyoid (segments), 9,
Teef/i. —Incisors, 12; Canines, 4; Molars. 26.
The Trunk.— Z I, Cervical vertebrae, 7; m m. Dorsal vertebrae, 13; ?i n, Lumbar
vertebrae, 7; o. Sacrum (three segments), 1; p p. Coccygeal vertebrae (variable),
20; 1 1, Ribs, 20; * Sternum (eight sternebrae), 1; -i- Costal cartilages.
Appendicular Skeleton.
Pectoral Limb.— w. Scapula, 2; v, Humerus, 2; iv, Radius, 2; x, Ulna. Carpus.
—J/, Trapezium, 2; z, Cuneiform. 2; a'. Scaphoid, 2; &', Unciform, 2; c'. Magnum,
2; d', Trapezoid, 2; «', Pisiform, 2; Metacarpal bones, 10; h\ Anterior sesamoids,
10; f/', Posterior sesamoids, 20. Digit.— i\ Proximal phalanges, 10; A:', Mesian
phalanges, 8; /', Distal phalanges, 10; Small sesamoids vi'anting.
Pelvic Limb. Pelvis.— Os Innominatnm.—q. Ilium, 2; r. Pubis. 2; s. Ischium,
2. The Limb.—m', Femur, 2; o', Fabellae, 4; n'. Patella, 2; q\ Tibia, 2; p'. Tibial
sesamoid, 2: r'. Fibula, 2. Tarms.— s', Calcaneum,2; t', Astragalus, 2; n'. Cuboid,
2; v', Superior cuneiform, 2; w', Ecto-cuneiforme, 2; x', Meso-cuneiforme, 2; 37',
Endo-cuneiforrne, 2. Jfetofarsrts.— Large bones, 8; z', Small bones, 2; Anterior
sesamoids, 8; Posterior sesamoids, 16. Digit.— Frox\mal phalanges, 8; Mesian
phalanges, 8; Distal phalanges, 8; Small sesamoids wanting.
Visceral Skeleton.
Os penis. 1 ; Rudimentary clavicle (inconstant), 2.
The bones of the Carnivore Skeleton, thus considered, are 345.
THE ZOOLOGICAL POSITION OF THE DOG. 9
and ankle of man the " hock " of the dog. Usually, in
the dog the innermost toe is rudimentary (dew-claw),
though the feet, like other parts of this animal, vary
a good deal.
Variations. — There is scarcely a physical feature in
which dogs do not vary, as will be more evident after
an examination of the peculiarities of different breeds.
Some of these, however, are of scientific interest and
worthy of notice in passing. It might almost be said
that there is not a bone in the framework of this animal
which does not vary in the different breeds of dogs, not
to speak of differences in size, coat, carriage, and psychic
traits. The shape of the head is not identical in any two
breeds — a difference which generally extends to the bones
composing it. Correlated with this are differences in the
size and shape of the brain. Possibly also, in some cases
at all events, variations in the shape, and especially the
number, of the teeth are to be referred to modifications
in the size and shape of the jaws. The almost entire
absence of teeth, as in the Turkish dog, is to be regarded
in the light of defective development, as also the lack of
hair in the Mexican hairless variety. In large breeds of
dogs there seems to be a tendency to the development of
a fifth toe, especially behind. The extent to which the
feet are webbed — i. e., the toes united by skin — is also
variable and characteristic of some breeds. But, in fact,
dogs vary in every possible respect, both physical and
psychical, as even a moderately careful study of the dif-
ferent breeds will show, and this illustrates the remarkable
power of animals to vary under domestication. One of
the subjects of great interest in the study of this animai
IQ THE DOG IN HEALTH.
is the modification that his nature undergoes in relation
to the climate and modes of life of the peoples among
whom a particular breed happens to he developed.
Enghsh dogs, especially of some breeds, like English-
men themselves, fail to adapt readily to certain climates,
as those of India and Africa.
In order to understand the dog, either in health or
disease, it is indispensable to know something of the way
in which animals hve, move, and have their being— in oth-
er words, the conditions of animal existence. From time
to time this subject will be referred to in detail as it con-
cerns the dog. In the mean time the following brief out^
Hue ^ may serve a good purpose, alike for those who have
and those who have not studied physiology as a science :
The Animal Body. — An animal may be made up of a
single cell in which each part performs much the same
work ; or, if there be differences in function, they are ill-
defined as compared with those of higher animals. The
condition of things in such an animal (as Amoeba) may be
compared to a civilized community in a very crude social
condition. When each individual tries to perform every
office for himself, he is at once carpenter, blacksmith,
shoemaker, and much more, with the natural result that
he is not efficient in any one direction. A community
may be judged in regard to its degree of advancement by
the amount of division of labor existing within it. Thus
is it with the animal body.
Looking to the existing state of things in the universe,
it is plain that an animal to attain to high ends must have
* Taken, with some modifications, from the author's Comparative
Physiology. D. Appleton & Co., New York, 1890.
THE GREYHOUND FULLERTON.
Thrice winner of the Waterloo Cup, the most valuable of all coursing prizes.
For description, see page 34.
THE ZOOLOGICAL POSITION OF THE DOG. H
powers of rapid locomotion, capacity to perceive what
makes for its interest, and ability to utilize means to attain
this when perceived. These considerations demand that
an animal high in the scale of being shall be provided
with limbs sufficiently rigid to support its weight, moved
by strong muscles, which must act in harmony. But this
implies abundance of nutriment duly prepared and regu-
larly conveyed to the bones and muscles. All this would
be useless unless there was a controlling and energizing
systemx capable both of being impressed and originating
impressions. Such is found in the nerves and nerve-
centers. Again, in order that this mechanism be kept in
good running order, the waste of its own work (metabol-
ism), which chokes and poisons, must be got rid of — hence
the need of excretory apparatus. In order that the nerv-
ous system may get sufficient information of the world
around, the surface of the body must be provided with
special message-receiving offices in the form of modified
nerve-endings. In short, it is seen that an animal as high
in the scale as a mammal must have muscular, osseous
(and connective), digestive, circulatory, excretory, and
nervous tissues ; and to these may be added certain forms
of protective tissues, as hair, nails', etc.
The whole physiological story for one of the higher
animals, including the dog, may be thus told in brief :
The blood is the source of all the nourishment of the
organism, including its oxygen supply, and is carried to
every part of the body through elastic tubes, which, con-
tinually branching and becoming gradually smaller, ter-
minate in vessels of hair-like fineness in wliich the current
is very slow — a condition permitting that interchange be-
12 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
tween the cells surrounding them and the blood which
may be compared to a process of barter, the cells taking
nutriment and oxygen and giving (excreting) in return
waste products. From these minute vessels the blood
is conveyed back toward the source whence it came by
similar elastic tubes, which gradually increase in size and
become fewer. The force w^hich directly propels the
blood in its onward course is a muscular pump (heart),
with both a forcing and suction action, though chiefly
the former. The flow of blood is maintained constant
owing to the resistance in the smaller tubes on the one
hand and the elastic recoil of the larger tubes on the
other ; while in the returning vessels the column of blood
is supported by elastic double gates (valves), which so
close as to prevent reflux. The oxygen of the blood is
carried in disks of microscopic size, which give it up in
proportion to the needs of the tissues past which they are
carried.
But in reality the tissues of the body are not nourished
directly by the blood, but by a fluid derived from it and
resembling it greatly in most particulars. This fluid
bathes the tissue-cells on all sides. It also is taken up by
tubes that convey it into the blood after it has passed
through little factories (lymphatic glands), in which it un-
dergoes a regeneration. Since the tissues are impover-
ishing the blood by withdrawal of its constituents and
adding to it what is no longer useful and is in reality poi-
sonous, it becomes necessary that new material be added
to it and the injurious components withdrawn. The for-
mer is accomplished by the absorption of the products of
food digestion and the addition of a fresh supply of oxy-
THE ZOOLOGICAL POSITION OF THE DOG. 13
gen derived from witlioiit, while the poisonous ingredients
that have found their way into the blood are got rid of
through processes that may be, in general, compared to
those of a sewage system of a very elaborate character.
To explain this regeneration of the blood in somewhat
more detail, we must first consider the fate of food from
the time it enters the mouth till it leaves the tract of the
body in which its preparation is carried on.
The food is in the mouth submitted to the action of a
series of cutting and grinding organs worked by powerful
muscles ; mixed with a fluid which changes the starchy part
of it into sugar, and prepares the whole to pass farther on
its course. When this has been accomplished, the food is
grasped and squeezed and pushed along the tube, owing
to the action of its own muscular cells, into a sac (stom-
ach), in which it is rolled about and mixed with certain
fluids of peculiar chemical composition derived from cells
on its inner surface, which transform the proteid part of
the food into a form susceptible of ready use (absorption).
When this saccular organ has done its share of the work,
the food is moved on by the action of the muscles of its
walls into a very long portion of the tract in which, in
addition to processes carried on in the mouth and stom-
ach, there are others which transform the food into a con-
dition in which it can pass into the blood. Thus all of
the food that is susceptible of changes of the kind de-
scribed is acted upon somewhere in the long tract devoted
to this task. But there is usually a remnant of indigesti-
ble material which is finally evacuated. How is the pre-
pared material conveyed into the blood ? In part, direct-
ly through the walls of the minutest blood-vessels distrib-
14 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
uted throughout the length of this digestive tube, and in
part through special vessels with appropriate cells covering
them, which act as minute porters {villi).
The impure blood is carried periodically to an exten-
sive surface (lungs), usually much folded, and there ex-
posed in the hair-like tubes referred to before, and thus
parts with its excess of carbon dioxide and takes up fresh
oxygen. But all the functions described do not go on in
a fixed and invariable manner, but are modified somewhat
according to circumstances. The forcing-pump of the
circulatory system does not always beat equally fast ; the
smaller blood-vessels are not always of the same size, but
admit more or less blood to an organ according to its
needs.
This is all accomplished in obedience to the commands
carried from the brain and spinal cord along the nerves.
All movements of the limbs and other parts are executed
in obedience to its behests ; and, in order that these may
be in accordance with the best interests of each particular
organ and the whole animal, the nervous centers, which
may be compared to the chief officers of, say, a telegraph
or railway system, are in constant receipt of information
by messages carried onward along the nerves. The com-
mand issuing is always related to the information arriving.
All those parts commonly known as sense-organs — the
eye, ear, nose, tongue, and the entire surface of the body
— are faithful reporters of facts. They put the inner and
outer worlds in communication, and without them all
higher life at least must cease, for the organism, like a
train directed by a conductor that disregards the danger-
signals, must work its own destruction. Without going
PSYCHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DOG. 15
into further details, suffice it to say that the processes of
the various cells are subordinated to the general good
through the nervous system, and that susceptibility of
protoplasm to stimuli of a delicate kind which enables
each cell to adapt to its surroundings, including the influ-
ence of remote as well as neighboring cells. Without this
there could be no marked advance in organisms, no differ-
entiation of a pronounced character, and so none of that
physiological division of labor which will be inferred
from our brief description of the functions of a mammal.
The whole of physiology but illustrates this division of
labor.
It is hoped that the above account of the working of
the animal body, brief as it is, may serve to show the con-
nection of one part functionally with another, for it is
much more important that this should be kept in mind
throughout than that all the details of any one function
should be known.
PSYCHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DOG.
We use the term psychic in contrast with physical as
implying all that relates to the mental traits and the dis-
position ; in fact, all not purely animal or physiological.
The term is of wider significance than either "mental"
or " moral," and includes both.
While no doubt savages and prehistoric men early per-
ceived that the dog possessed qualities which would aid
them in accomplishing the aims of their life in the chase,
etc., a little reflection will show that, apart from those
characteristics which have made this animal man's closest
companion of all the forms of life below him, the useful
16 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
properties of the dog would have been of little service to
the human race. Many of the wild congeners of the dog
equal or excel him in hunting for game, etc., but such
animals are rather the enemies than friends and helpers
of man. But it is because the dog is teachable, tractable,
and adaptive, as well as courageous and intelligent, that he
has in all ages been one of man's most useful servants.
There are, however, other reasons why all peoples and
nearly all individuals have a kindly leaning toward the
dog. Scarcely surpassed in intelligence by any known ani-
mal, teachable in a high degree, ready to adapt cheerfully
to every condition of life, however much hardship it may
involve, fitted for so wide a range of duties, forgiving
without stint, meeting every wish of his owner even to
whims and caprices, contented with the homeliest fare and
the rudest shelter, so that he may but win his master's
approbation, faithful in many instances even unto death, it
is not surprising that in every age, in every clime, by the
lowest savages and by men of the highest talents and at-
tainments, the dog has been held in the greatest esteem
and, after a fashion, made a member of the family circle.
The individual that can see nothing to admire in the
dog is surely defective either by nature or by education —
in fact, a sort of human monstrosity.
The psychic characteristics of the dog have probably
been more studied than those of any other animal. He
has been the theme of historians, philosophers, scientists,
and poets for ages, and yet the author ventures to think
that, with increasing knowledge and changing views of the
relations of things in the universe, the field is still open tc
culture and worthy of the best human abilities.
PSYCHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DOG. lY
The dog is deserving of man's respect, for he seems to
possess in some degree of development every mental if not
also every moral faculty of man himself in so far as they
can exist apart from the possession of speech. In not a
few respects is the dog the superior of his master. If he
can not do all that the latter can, is it not also true that
there is much that he can accomplish quite impossible to
man ?
The author has long been impressed with the belief
that in regarding the dog as very like ourselves in physical
constitution, as shown by the similar action of drugs, poi-
sons, etc., and in psychic characteristics, we are better
prepared to understand this animal than on any other as-
sumption.
While he greatly resembles the cat in some of his
physical qualities, he differs from this animal in many
others ; and it is certain that the dog may be treated in all
respects more as if he were a child than as bearing any
close relationship to our other domestic animals. This
will be explained more fully later ; but at the present
the writer wishes to impress this on the reader, whether
he be a professional student or not, as he is deeply con-
vinced that the training, general management, and medical
treatment of the dog will be infinitely better carried out
on this basis than any other — a view which it is a great
satisfaction to know is entertained by some of our most
thoughtful breeders as well as most careful students of
comparative psychology and medicine.
For some time the author has been making a careful
study of the entire development of puppies from birth
onward, and this has greatly strengthened this conviction.
18 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
The development of the puppy and the child are nearly
parallel up to a certain stage, when the use of language
begins. Previous to that the puppy, in many respects at
least, surpasses the infant ; after that the child is of course,
on the whole, greatly in advance of the dog. As this
idea of human resemblance will be the guiding principle
throughout this book, it need not be further dwelt upon
just now.
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS.
There can be no doubt that the existing varieties of the
dog have been produced by crossing and selection, chiefly
aided by the influence of all that enters into the term " en-
vironment." Certain breeds have almost or quite disap-
peared, and so rapidly are the varieties known in any one
country modified that the dog of to-day is in some cases
so different from his ancestors of twenty years ago as to
be scarcely recognizable as of the same breed, owing to
the modifications produced in the way mentioned above.
There is in reality no limit to the number of breeds that
may be produced.
The great French naturalist, Cuvier, attempted to give
dogs a scientific classification founded on the shape of the
head, length of the jaws, etc., while these prominent parts
were by him supposed to vary with the peculiar qualities,
habits, etc., of the breed. It does not seem possible to
classify dogs in this way on a strictly natural basis. As
the purpose for which in the main a breed is used by man
has much to do with both its form and psychic character-
istics, the classification adopted by Stonehenge is at least
suggestive. It is as follows :
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 19
1. Wild and half -reclaimed dogs, hunting in packs.
2. Domesticated dogs, hunting chiefly by the eye, and
killing their game for the use of man.
3. Domesticated dogs, hunting chiefly by the nose, and
both finding and killing their game.
4. Domesticated dogs, finding game by scent, but not
killing it ; being chiefly used in aid of the gun.
5. Pastoral dogs, and those used for the purposes of
draught.
6. Watch-dogs, house-dogs, and toy dogs.
Y. Crossed breeds, retrievers, etc.
CLASS I.
The most important are the dingo, the dhole, the
pariah, the wild dog of Africa, and the North and the
South American dogs.
The dingo is about twenty-four inches high, and greatly
resembles the fox in appearance, with a head somewhat
between that of the wolf and fox, but, unlike the fox, the
tail is carried curled over the hip. He may be tamed to
some extent and will breed with domesticated dogs.
The dhole, or native wild dog of India, closely resem-
bles the dingo, except that the tail is not bushy. He at-
tacks various kinds of wild animals, including the tiger ;
and is of great speed and endurance.
The pariah is the name given to those dogs that
abound in the villages of India, and, though without
masters proper, seem ready to become the hunting com-
panion of any one who may encourage them. They are
used to hunt many varieties of game, as well as the tiger
and wild boar.
20 THE DOa IN HEALTH.
The wild African dogs (Ekia or Deab) are unclaimed,
half-wild, despised animals, living on the refuse of the
village streets or on wild animals they hunt on their own
account. They are rather large, resemble the wolf, and
are very fierce, illustrating well how usage affects the dog
for evil as well as for good.
Wild American dogs are now somewhat scarce, but at
one period were no doubt numerous enough.
The characteristics and mode of life of these varieties
of the canine race throw much light on not a few points
that are peculiar to the dog as we know him in civiliza-
tion, and lend strong probability to the views as to the
origin of this animal set forth in these pages. •
In almost every neighborhood there are dogs that are
relatively wild, and many a one, left behind to shift for
himself when the family to which he belonged has moved
away, has in the struggle for existence become a midnight
marauder or a canine vagabond — possibly a dangerous one.
The author has known of dogs that committed depreda-
tions on flocks of fowls of the neighborhoods in which
they prowled about that were long attributed to foxes, till
at last these vagrant animals were discovered in the act.
He has also known several dogs in the outskirts of a
large city in this country take up their temporary abode
in vacant lots or open fields, where a little straw or similar
bedding might be found, associate with them other dogs
that soon learned to be of habits more or less like their
own, constituting a sort of pack that lived by visiting the
barrels set out for the scavengers, such animals being a
menace both to human beings and well-behaved dogs that
avoided such company. This state of things has brought
CLASSIFICATION OP DOGS. 21
the canine race into much discredit with those who did
not reflect that man is himself wholly responsible for it.
Standards. — Before proceeding to give the points, etc.,
of the various breeds of dogs coming under the subdivis-
ions of the preceding classification still to be treated, it
will be profitable to consider the subject of a " standard,"
or tlie description of the characteristics of any variety
of the canine species. In this case again reference to the
origin of standards may not be without interest. Long
ago a large number of standards w^ere printed in Stone-
henge's admirable work on the dog, and these are to the
present time the basis on which others have been con-
structed. The standard actually used, or supposed to be
used, in the judging of any breed at a public exhibition of
dogs is usually that adopted by the specialty club that con-
cerns itself w-ith the breed in question. The standards of
all the leading breeds are now to be obtained in compact
and cheap form in one volume, indispensable to the judge,
the critic, the breeder, the exhibitor, and others. As to
how far they conform to the requirements of the perfect
standard may be better determined presently.
A standard of any breed should express in words the
ideally perfect dog ; and it would be of the highest serv-
ice to have the verbal description accompanied by an
ideal illustration, for there are no perfect dogs; and if
to these two were added a commentary of such a char-
acter as would render the meaning more clear and at the
same time give the reasons for the various requirements
of the standard, we feel certain that greater progress
would be made by all concerned. While some few^
writers have commented on the standards of some of the
22 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
breeds in the way suggested, it has never been done sys-
tematically or completely ; nor, so far as the writer knows,
have the proposed ideal cuts ever been published accom-
panying any set of standards. It has been customary
to say little of the psychic characteristics of dogs in the
standards, though surely there is no subject of higher
importance. Possibly this omission is to be explained
on the ground that it is impossible to learn these fully in
the judging ring, etc. However, it seems to the writer
that a dog of an objectionable disposition or of very de-
fective intellect should not be encouraged in the least, as
such qualities are, unless the result of bad usage, very
likely to be inherited by offspring, and in fact may be in
any case. To give such an animal a prize is to stamp him
with approval, and it is well known that the owners of
bitches often breed to prize dogs regardless of every other
consideration. It should never be forgotten that the dog
of every breed is meant to be the companion of his own
fellows and of man himself to some extent, and in the case
of some breeds very largely. It is unfortunate also that,
taking the standards as a whole, they do not agree on the
terms used or the subdivisions of the animal's form recog-
nized.
Since the clubs established in the interest of each breed
do now draw up and publish standards, a few words in re-
gard to these organizations may not be out of place.
In some countries specialism in the breeding of dogs is
carried so far that it is not uncommon for the admirer of
one breed to feel no interest — ^possibly a sort of contempt
or repugnance — as regards others ; or it may be that his
very enthusiasm may lead him to overestimate one breed
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 23
and undervalue all others ; or, again, there may be a spirit
of indifference to all breeds except the favorite one. We
think that the best attitude of mind for the cynologist to
assume is one of calm criticism, endeavoring to see the
good and the weak points of each breed and recognizing
that individuals of all breeds differ greatly in merit.
The assumed object of every club is to improve the
breed to which it is devoted by publishing a standard con-
sidered correct, encouraging breeding to the true type —
both physical and psychical — by giving prizes for animals
bred nearest to the standard, and encouraging esprit de
corps among the members.
It is also common to name certain individuals, either
from among the members only or including outsiders, to
act as judges at shows, believing that the true type of
dog will thns be best selected.
The advantages of all this is obvious ; the dangers of
specialty clubs not so apparent.
The history of all specialism seems to show that nar-
rowness and intellectual myopia are the usual pitfalls. In
seeking for improvement, minor points are apt to be
unduly valued and general soundness of make-up and
physical and mental stamina too little considered, with also
a strong tendency to go to extremes. It can not be denied,
however, that without such specialism the dog would never
have been advanced to the numerous distinct varieties,
beautiful in form and attractive in qualities, that we find
to-day. Kever before were dogs, on the whole, so typical
and so perfect ; at all events, in such large numbers.
Without dog shows the work would have been much
slower if not impossible, as they are, without doubt, the
24: THE DOG IN HEALTH.
most rapid and effective educators of the general public
and the greatest stimulus to high-class breeding. But of
these again.
The dog, like most quadrupeds, may very naturally be
considered as made up of the following sections or regions
of the body : Head, neck, chest, shoulders, back, loins,
quarters, tail, legs, and feet. Manifestly each of these is
capable of subdivision, and the extent to which this is done
in the different standards is very variable.
Unless standards are drawn up merely by caprice, we
are entitled to ask what should be kept in mind in per-
forming such a task ? It seems to us that within the limits
that Nature allows, the following should be the aims :
Primarily, the dogs of the breed in question should
have f^uch a form as is hest suited to the purpose for which
the animal is intended. Let this once be lost sight of, and
breeders are at sea without rudder or compass.
The relative size and proportion of parts should be
such as are consistent ; no decided weakness anywhere ; for
in an animal, as in a chain, the strength of the whole is
practically determined by that of the weakest part, and it
is just this balance of parts, which Nature looks after so
well in wild animals, that the breeder who is a specialist
may be tempted to disregard. To illustrate • What mat-
ters it that a dog shall have the most perfect form in every
other part if his head is so small that it can not contain
the necessary amount of brain for the piirpuses of his
work, or his loin so weak that if he has galloping work
to do he must soon tire, etc. ?
But a dog may l>e usefully and strongly built without
those refinements of proportion that we recognize in high-
CLASSIFICATION OP DOGS. 25
class dogs. Tliis result is in reality only the perfection
of what is implied in the above. It follows almost
as a corollary that all that is not of use in the formation
of the animal is to be condemned, and is commonly called
"lumber." Though the standards can not be so framed
that the internal organs shall be taken into the account di-
rectly, they are really considered in the form of the ani-
mal. It must, however, be remembered that what is
termed stamina — i. e., endurance and resisting power under
unfavorable conditions — is the outcome of the working of
all the cells of the body as maintained in a general balance
of functions. It is well known that pure-bred dogs have
not the stamina of mongrels in the sense now implied, and
this is probably due to those disturbances introduced into
the economy by those modifications of form, etc., for
which man is responsible.
The writer's accounts of the various breeds will scarce-
ly be full enough to constitute them complete standards.
They will, however, be more comprehensive, and, it is
hoped, have a special value to both the breeder and practi-
tioner of medicine, inasmuch as they will be illustrated, and
an attempt will be made to give reasons, if only briefly and
by way of suggestion rather than as elaborate explanations.
The whole subject will probably be better understood
if the principles stated above are applied first to the dif-
ferent sections of the body, without special reference to
any one breed exclusively.
Standards further considered. — Certain terms have been
and are used by breeders, convenient and well understood,
though very difiicult to define by words. Among these
are " character," " quality," and " type."
26 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
Character refers to the whole constitution of the dog,
physical and psychic, in so far as the latter is evident in
his appearance. A dog may be fairly correct in form,
according to the standard as regards shape and proportion
of parts, yet his attitude, his carriage, his facial expression,
and much more that it is almost impossible to describe,
yet quite easy to recognize by the experienced eye, may
be so far from correct that he may be fitly said to be
lacking in character ; and this is a most serious, indeed,
in the writer's estimation, a radical defect, and generally
accompanied by psychical imperfections which, if very
pronounced, render the specimen an undesirable posses-
sion.
Quality is different from character, though it may
enter into the • latter. It is a certain refinement arising
from perfection in details of form and character. A dog
of quality may be compared to a " gentleman " among hu-
man beings.
A typical animal is one that may be taken as a sort of
model and is a living illustration of the standard, and
inasmuch as, at the largest bench shows, such animals are
to be found, these institutions become, even unconscious-
ly, powerful educators, while the study of the best speci-
mens wdth a critical eye is absolutely indispensable to the
breeder, the critic, and the judge.
Returning to the subdivisions of the dog's form recog-
nized by the standards, we shall now speak of them in a
general way.
Head. — This is in reality tlie most important part of
the animal, since it contains the brain, is the seat of
most of the sense-organs, and, in consequence, deter-
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 27
mines largely tlie psychic traits of the breed and the
general intelligence and disposition. Apart from this,
the head, more than any other feature of the animal, de-
termines both character and quality. A dog with a head
that is coarse or of wrong formation can not possibly be
typical ; hence in every breed great importance is attached
to this part of the animal's form, though it is just possible
that undue attention is often given to minute details of
this region to the neglect of very important parts, as legs,
feet, loin, and quarters, of so much consequence in run-
ning-dogs.
J^eck. — Of this little need be said, except that it should
be in harmony with the rest of the animal and free from
loose skin (throatiness) — i. e., " clean " and neat.
Shoulders. — If the dog is one intended for speed, these
should be sloping, clean, and distinctly marked off at the
shoulder!-]' oint proper, with wide, long blades (scapula
long, wide, and obliquely placed), as seen in the grey-
hound, and in great perfection in the race-horse. Such
conformation permits of a long and easy stride, lessens
the shock when a galloping animal alights on its fore
feet, and furnishes a sufficient attachment for the mus-
cles that work the lower leg. If the withers are high,
an appearance of character and quality is imparted. If
the animal is not intended for speed, obliquity and length
are not of such importance.
Chest— li the chest is not deep it is i)lain that the
shoulder-blades can not be properly placed. The dog,
like the race-horse, having no collar-bone, his body is
swung between his shoulder-blades, and, that there may
be an easy movement of the fore-limbs, the whole chest
28 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
should be somewhat boat-shaped. The chest must be
rather narrow in front and keeled both before and behind
the shoulder-joints, but, in order that abundant room be
provided for both heart and lungs, there must be a limit
to the narrowness in front, and the chest must be very
wide above, w'lieh is insured by the ribs being well
sprung, while at the same time the back ribs must be
much shorter, otherwise there will be interference with
the working of the hinder locomotive apparatus.
But an opposite conformation is required in the large,
heavy dog destined not for speed, but strength, and an-
swering to the heavy draught-horse, in which the chest is
rather barrel-shaped.
Back. — As the shoulders cover so much of the chest
in the fast animal, the back, if due proportion is to be
maintained, must be short, and in most breeds it is level,
and should be in all fairly muscled, and in running dogs
especially so.
Loin and Quarters may well be considered together,
as these parts have so much to do with the fast gallop, as
witness the conformation of the greyhound, race-horse,
rabbit, etc. Both leverage and muscling are to be taken
into account, so that the loin should be strong, which usu-
ally implies both breadth and depth. At all events, it
should measure well around. It begins at the last rib and
passes into the quarters.
In bitches more depth is required than in dogs, to
allow of breeding room. The exact length of the loin
depends so much on the relative proportions of the animal
that no rule can be laid down. If very short, there is
neither strength nor freedom ; and if too long, the animal
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS.
29
invariably tires readily, and is frequently defective in
stamina. The loin should never be absolutely flat, but
should rise to a gentle curve.
The quarters must be large — i. e., both wide and deep
— as here are attached the muscles that render both loin
and thighs effective ; and generally in very strong ani-
mals there is a more or less rugged appearance from bony
prominences, which indicates a strong osseous, correspond-
ing to a strong, muscular development.
Thighs. — The thigh-joint proper of the dog is incon-
spicuous, and what is termed the " stifle " corresponds to
Fig. 2,
the knee of man. Upper and lower thigh (Fig. 2) are
convenient terms, and both should be well developed in
an animal intended for a long and rapid stride, for such
implies that muscles are both thick and long. Length is
of great importance for the highest speed, for it is well
known that a muscle in contraction may shorten to one
30 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
third of its length, from which its power will be evident.
The stifle should be well bent for the same reason that the
shoulder-blades should be oblique and should not turn in,
but rather a little out, so that there may be movement
free of the body.
Legs and Feet. — However good the other parts of a
dog, if his legs are weak, improperly bent, or otherwise
defective, he will necessarily be of little service for con-
tinuous work in hunting, etc. The upper avin (a part
often too little considered) should be strong in bone and
well muscled for the movement of what is commonly
understood by the forearm or front leg. The leg from
the elbow to the pastern or wrist (knee) should be perfect-
ly straight, the bone large — i. e., so as to seem strong
enough to support the weight of the animal and afford
attachment to large muscles. ThQ paste7m8 should also be
strong to bear the shocks to which they are exposed in
galloping, jumping, etc., and a slight obliquity in fast-
working dogs is probably an advantage, though on this
point there is diversity of opinion.
The elbows should be strong, but work clear of the
body in every possible movement of the animal ; hence
they should be turned neither in nor out (" out at elbow ")
and placed low — i. e., low enough to be free, as indicated
above.
The " knee " is really the wrist of man, and should be
low placed for speed.
In the hind-legs the hoclc corresponds to the ankle of
man. Like all joints that are called upon to bear severe
strains, it should be large or prominent and well bent
(well [turned) — i. e., tlie junction of the bones composing
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 31
the joint should make a decided angle. It should also be
low — i. e., near the ground — allowing of a longer thigh.
It will be noticed that throughout a common physical
principle is involved — viz., that obliquity is favorable to
resistance of strain. The longer the legs above the carpal
and tarsal joints (knee and hock), the more favorable for
the resistance of shocks and length of leverage — i. e.,
speed. A dog straight in stifle or hocks has a stilty action
that offends the eye as well as militates against speed.
Feet. — There are two principal types of feet — the
long or hare foot, and the roundish or cat foot. The lat-
ter looks better, but it is a matter of dispute which is
the more durable. It is probably a question of thickness,
hardness of pads, and supply of hair between the toes,
rather than of form. But the toes should be well flexed
or " knuckled up," thick through, and hard on the pads
for obvious reasons,
The toe-nails are of importance — more than is com-
monly believed. Let one be lost and it may then be
learned how weak the foot concerned becomes.
The Tail. — At first sight of little importance, but hav-
ing much to do with the character and quality of the ani-
mal, not to speak of its importance as an index of good
breeding, it must be taken into the account. The writer
believes that if animals be watched carefully it will be
perceived that the dog makes great use of his tail in pro-
gression, using it as a sort of air rudder or balancing-pole
— at all events, it seems to be of importance in making
sharp turns, etc. This should be considered, as some
breeds have the tail docked by common practice.
If the reader will now turn to the cut of the grey-
32 THE BOG IN HEALTH.
hound he will find in it an almost perfect illustration of
the embodiment of those principles that are involved in
the most rapid progression. In the setter or pointer we
have speed of a lower grade, but their conformation adapts
them to more continuous work (p. 10).
In such a dog as the mastiff or St. Bernard all those
points so important in the above-mentioned breeds and
their allies are of subordinate importance, and the ques-
tion in breeding such animals is simply how to get great
size and strength with majesty in expression ; hence a
massive frame and due proportion of parts to this end is
the aim. Nevertheless, attention must be paid to legs,
feet, etc., so that they shall not be unduly weak or dispro-
portioned anywhere, and at present the tendency seems
to be to neglect this balance of parts which JN^ature when
left to herself always insures, for if it does not exist in
any specimen, that animal's days are generally few and it
may leave no offspring. But " the survival of the fittest "
as it applies to wild animals has been modified somewhat
by man.
Even in toy dogs, bred exclusively to please the eye
and form the household pets of their masters, this same
balance must be attended to and their supporting parts
(leg and feet) not wholly neglected.
To summarize the views expressed in the preceding
pages and put them in language familiar to the breeder, a
dog to be typical must have a correct and true form and
show both quality and character.
His head must be neither coarse nor weak ; his jaws
even and teeth level ; he must be neither overshot nor
undershot (overhung, underhung ; the first is also termed
m a
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 33
pig-jawed) ; his neck of due size ; his chest either barrel-
shaped or deep and keeled according as he is intended for
slow or fast work ; his shoulders clean at the joints, and
long and sloping if of a fast breed ; his back level, short,
and strong ; his loin of due length and girth, strong, and
not flat; the quarters in the running dog especially
strong; stifles well bent; the thighs, upper and lower,
muscular ; the hocks strong and well bent ; bones of both
front and hind legs large ; pasterns strong ; feet thick,
hard, and well-knuckled ; the tail of due length, and so
proportioned, etc., as not to be coarse. To put the case
otherwise, the typical dog must not be snipy in muzzle,
throaty, straight in shoulder-blades or loaded in shoulders,
slack-backed or sway-backed, weak or flat-loined, feeble in
quarters, out at elbow or tied in the elbows, stand over at
the knees, weak in pasterns, straight in stifle or hock, cow-
hocked (turning the hocks in and very close together),
ring-tailed (curl in tail), splay-footed (foot flat and toes
separating), etc.
We have not alluded to coat. This should be in keep-
ing with the work to which the breed is put. Except in
toy dogs, more importance is attached to the color of nose,
eyes, etc., than to that of coat, as a rule, and properly so
because it is found that animals of the best strains have
these well characterized. A very light-colored eye in any
breed of dogs is to be avoided, as it is often associated
with some pronounced psychic imperfection. Quality of
coat — as hardness, softness, etc. — is also very suggestive to
the experienced as to breeding, disposition, etc.
34 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
CLASS IL
Under Stonehenge's second class, or dogs hunting
chiefly by the eye and killing their game for the use of
their masters, the principal breeds encouraged in England
and America are the smooth English greyhound, the
deerhound, the Irish wolfhound, and the Kussian wolf-
hound or barzoi.
As the writer has taken great pains to secure the best
cuts possible, the reader will find it advantageous to com-
pare the necessarily brief descriptions compatible with the
plan of this work with the illustrations. Few living
specimens are to be seen as good as those represented in
these illustrations, all of which are ty]3ical, and some of
them almost models.
The English Greyhound. — The most perfect form that
has ever existed, probably, among domesticated animals
for speed. A wonderful combination of strength and
grace ! Since this dog is bred almost wholly for one
purpose — the coursing of rabbits — he is an example of
extreme specialism in breeding, and, being mostly kept
exclusively in kennels and associating little with man as
a companion, he is neither very intelligent nor very af-
fectionate, as a rule, though capable of a fair develop-
ment of both under more favorable circumstances (p. 10).
The greyhound may be considered as an almost perfect
embodiment of those principles set forth in previous pages
as constituting the fundamentals for speed. No breed of
dogs could be freer from superfluous tissue or " lumber."
His form is admirably adapted, even in details, for cleav-
ing the air, while his frame is a beautiful model for the
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 35
attachment of muscles, and these being of great length,
and the bony levers also long, while the respiratory and
circulatory organs are well provided for, it only remains
that the bony pillars of support and the feet shall be
suitable for the end to be attained.
It is manifest that when a greyhound is in " condition "
the muscles should stand out distinctly and feel very hard.
The head of the greyhound should be long, lean,
tapering ; narrow across the skull as compared with some
breeds, but of sufficient width to allow of brain room.
The eyes must be rather full, clear, and bright ; the ears
small, lying close to the head and folded back ; the jaws
strong and even (not " pig-jawed "), and the teeth strong
and sound to hold the hare.
The greyhound's head is an example of the flat front
— i. e., the furrow between the eyes or " stop " is indif-
ferently marked, arid the brows not prominent.
The neck is long, tapering, and arched, to permit of
the dog catching up the hare without stooping, and the
way in which it is set into the head and shoulders or chest
has much to do with determining the quality of any par-
ticular animal, especially when taken in connection with
the head.
Coat. — Short, smooth, and glossy.
Color. — A matter of no great importance. A good
greyhound, like a good race-horse, can not be of a " bad
color," though of course a little attention must be paid
to it in the show animal ; but coat and color count only
five in a hundred marks, according to the standard now
adopted.
Tail. — Fine, nicely curved, and may indicate good
36 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
breeding or the reverse ; always carried low, except under
unusual excitement.
It is scarcely necessary to speak of shoulders, chest,
loin, quarters, etc., as these have been fully dealt with in
the general remarks in the requirements of the fleet ani-
mal. The loin is preferred a good deal curved and the
belly well tucked up.
A specially large greyhound is not to be preferred, as
such have rarely excelled in coursing, and should not,
therefore, have any advantage on the bench.
The Deerhound. — A coarser, larger animal than the
preceding, with a rough coat, once used for hunting deer,
but,'hke the wolfhound, not now bred for any special kind
of work (p. 16).
The chief points of difference are the greater coarse-
ness of head and neck. The head is heavier and the neck
not so long or so graceful.
This breed of dog stands higher, and, being more
heavily made, weighs more than the greyhound ; but,
though not so perfect a model of symmetry, the latter
is still pronounced.
Colors. — Tliose most preferred are dark-blue, fawn,
grizzle, and brindle, which has something of a blue tint.
Coat. — Whole body covered with a rough coat, coarser
on the back than elsewhere. " Intermediate between silk
and wool " is the description given by some breeders.
This variety of the greyhound tribe has been used
successfully to run down the prairie wolf or coyote of
North America.
The Irish "Wolfhound. — The animal that was known
under this name is now extinct ; but a breed greatly re-
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 37
sembling it is cultivated by a few enthusiastic admirers
in Britain (p. 24).
Of the deerhound type, he is more massive and far
taller, and, though more commanding in appearance, he
does not compare in symmetry with either of the two
preceding.
Coat. — Rough and hard.
Colors. — Much as in the preceding.
The Russian Wolfhound or Barzoi. — This breed has very
recently sprung into popularity in Britain, and taken some
hold in America. It is used in Russia to hunt (by sight)
the wolf, etc. (p. 32).
In general appearance this dog is a combination of the
greyhound and the setter, though it is not to be inferred
that such has been its mode of formation. In truth, the
greatest diversity of opinion is expressed about the breed
in most particulars. In not a few respects the form of
this animal is at variance with English and American
notions of dogs, and the breed will likely be much modi-
lied if it has come to stay. The great size, the setter-like
coat, and strength and elegance of form, unite to make up
a most attractive whole. As to temper, intelligence, etc.,
we have much to learn.
This dog is very long as well as tall, and the arch of
back and loin surpasses that in any other breed known,
while the muscular development of these parts is very
marked.
38 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
CLASS IIL
DOMESTICATED DOGS, HUNTING BY SCENT, WHICH BOTH FIND
AND KILL THEIE GAME. THESE INCLUDE THE VARIOUS
HOUNDS AND TEKRIEKS.
The Bloodhound. — The largest of existing breeds of
hounds cultivated in Britain or America. In general
form he greatly resembles the English foxhound ; but
no variety of dogs, perhaps, possesses so characteristic a
head, which is more pronounced — as is usual in all its
features — in the male (p. 40).
Shull very much domed and narrow across, though
rather long, with very decided occipital protuberance ;
forehead much wrinkled. Eyes small, deep-set, with a
distinct red "haw," or third eyelid. Ea7's long, fine in
"leather," hanging close to cheeks. Muzzle long, deep,
blunt at tip. Flews or angles of lips long and pendulous.
Unlike most breeds, in this a " dewlap," or loose skin in
front of the throat, is esteemed.
The whole expression of the animal is most peculiar
and characteristic.
Coat. — Short, hard on body, but soft and silky on ears
and head generally.
Colors. — Tan and black and tan ; the latter much pre-
ferred, the black to predominate on the upper parts of the
body.
The name of the breed is probably derived from its
having been used to track wounded animals. The extent
to which the bloodhound has ever been, or can be, em-
ployed to track human beings is uncertain. However, this
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 39
subject has attracted fresh attention of late, especially in
America.
The Foxhound. — The nature of the work that this ani-
mal performs has decided his form and character prob-
ably more than in any other breed of dogs after the
greyhound, and the extent to which perfection has been
reached is scarcely rivaled even by the latter wonderful
animal form, especially if the pack, rather than the indi-
vidual, be considered.
When it is remembered what fox-hunting implies, it
will be realized that only a breed combining considerable
speed with the greatest endurance would meet the require-
ments. Hence this animal's form may be considered as
the model for combined speed and endurance. It is there-
fore a great modification of that of the greyhound, in
which a burst of the highest possible speed, maintained
at the most for one or two miles, is what is sought.
In few breeds have specimens been so carefully se-
lected and the weeding-out process so rigidly carried on
as in this. As individual effort must be subordinated to
hunting in concert, considerable intelligence, as well as
scenting powers, speed, etc., is required.
It may be instructive to consider the points of the fox-
hound at rather greater length than in the case of some oth-
er breeds. (See cut and description of beagle, pp. 48, 41.)
Head. — While not heavy, the skull must be large
enough to accommodate a good-sized brain. Distinct but
not exaggerated brows should in the male girth sixteen
inches.
Muzzle. — Long (four inches and a half), wide, with
open nostrils.
40 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
Eyes. — Moderate in size, soft, and full of expres-
sion.
Ears. — Long (often "rounded" or shortened artifi-
cially), set low and lying close to cheeks.
N'eGk.—Ijong, lean, no throatiness, tapering, with con-
vex upper outline.
Shoulders.— Long^ sloping, clean at points, well mus-
cled. True arm long and muscular.
Chest — Large — i. e., deep — with well-sprung ribs, not
so narrow as the greyhound's, and with back ribs long ;
shouldei girth thirty inches in a twenty-four-inch (high)
hound.
Back. — Very muscular, running into loin without con-
tracting or " nipping."
Lorn. — Extremely strong and joining well into back
and quarters.
Quarters. — Yery strong ; may even be a little rugged
in appearance. Thighs strong and stifle moderately bent,
as most suitable to general work and endurance.
Legs and Feet. — Elbows free, straight (neither in nor
out), strong, and well let down ; legs (including bone
throughout, joints, etc.) of great strength. Must be the
typical exemplification of legs and feet adapted to speed
and endurance ; hence the pasterns are so strong as to
seem much as of one piece with the bone above.
The feet should be round, thick, well-knuckled, with
the hardest of pads.
Stern (tail). — Slightly arched over back, tapering, and
provided with a fringe of hairs below.
Coat. — Hard, short, dense, glossy.
Colors. — The " hound colors " are black, tan and white.
THE BLOODHOUND CHAMPION CROMWELL.
(K. C. S. B., 19,754.)
For description, see page
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 41
black and white, and the " pies " — i. e., white, with the
color of hare or badger — a sort of yellow or tan.
Symmetry, quality, and character should be pro-
nounced, especially the latter. The psychic characteristics
may be inferred from preceding remarks.
Eelated to the foxhound are the harrier and the beagle.
The Harrier. — Said to be descended from the old
Southern hound ; scarcely known pure now, but mostly
crossed with the foxhound. The harrier resembles the
foxhound closely, the head being in some respects differ-
ent. The skull is wider and heavier, and muzzle wider
and longer ; the ears set on rather farther l)ack, and are
not usually " rounded " ; eyes softer and larger ; whole ex-
pression sKghtiy suggestive of the bloodhound.
The harrier has probably a better nose than the fox-
hound, but tends to potter over the scent, and so does not
push forward as fast. His voice is also more like the
bloodhound's, and exceeds that of the foxhound in melody.
We speak of the true harrier, not the crossed animal.
The Beagle. — A very popular breed in America, espe-
cially of late, and largely used in rabbit hunting. Being
a small animal, the pack can usually be followed on foot
(p. 48).
Stonehenge regards the beagle as the miniature of the
Sonthern hound, but of greater symmetry. The standard
adopted by the American-English Beagle Club describes
him as "a miniature foxhound, solid and big for his
inches, with the wear-and-tear look of the dog that can
last in the chase and follow his quarry to the death."
In head he differs in an appreciable degree from the
foxhound, and we quote from the above standard.
42 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
Head. — STtull moderately domed at occiput ; cranium
broad and full ; ears set on low, long and fine in texture,
front edge closely framing and inturned to cheek, rather
broad, rounded at tips, and with an almost entire ab-
sence of erectile power at their origin.
Eyes full, prominent, rather wide apart, soft and lus-
trous, brown or hazel in color; orbital processes (eye-
brows) well developed; expression gentle, subdued, and
pleading.
The nnuzzle of medium length, squarely cut, and stop
well defined.
Jaws level ; indentation between eyes ; lips with at
most only moderate flews.
Nostrils large, moist, and open.
In other parts he should resemble the foxhound, and
be as strongly, perhaps even more symmetrically made
with an equal development of quality and character.
Size is of importance ; this dog must not exceed fifteen
inches in height at the shoulder.
His voice, or " cry," is very melodious to the ears of
his admirers.
The Otterhound. — Very like the bloodhound in general
appearance, coat excepted, which is thick, oily, and with
pily undercoat, adapting the animal to water. Open feet
with plenty of web, suiting the animal to swimming, are
also desirable.
In color sandy or grizzle, with black and tan more
or less clearly defined.
Irritable in temper and courageous to the last degree,
in consequence of contests with their quarry, they some-
times worry each other to death in the kennel.
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 43
The Bassethoimd. — This breed originated in France,
and is much esteemed in that country for hunting various
kinds of game, which this hound does with wonderful
scenting powers and pleasing music, though slow of pace.
A sm.all pack is sufficient (p. 52).
His form is striking as a whole, with a head very like
that of the bloodhound ; a long body supported on strong
short legs, the fore-legs being crooked, so that the toes
turn out. This conformation is adopted partly by fancy
and partly because of the strength it allows, and because
it renders the pace slow, which is thought desirable in
hunting the deer, etc., in Europe.
The Dachshund. — This breed is of German origin, and,
as the name implies (badger-dog), it is used in hunting
the badger, though not exclusively. A German or terrier
and an English or hound type are recognized. The for-
mer is the smaller, and is unrivaled for underground work.
It differs from the dog of English type in size and head,
the skull being flatter, etc. They may be either smooth-
haired or rough-haired (pp. 56, 60).
The head is long, narrow, with a decided occipital
protuberance or "peak" in the English type; no stop;
intelligent eyes ; long, broad, soft, and low-set ears.
Well " crooked " fore-legs are highly esteemed.
The coat is dense and short in the smooth variety;
hard and longer in the rough.
The Great Dane. — The great Dane, boarhound, Ulmer
dogge, German mastiff, German dogge, etc., are all related
in form and characteristics, though whether of similar or
identical origin is much disputed (frontispiece).
The great Dane is the most esteemed of large dogs as a
44 THE BOG IN HEALTH.
companion in Germany, though little, if at all, used now
for boar-liunting.
Gentle with women and children, and manageable by
his master, he is a desirable companion and protector, for
he is both strong and courageous. He is valuable in
America as a watch-dog, and seems to be growing in
popular favor.
His strong, active form, great size, and fierce appear-
ance render him a terror to aggressors of every kind.
As he is very suggestive of the wild beast, no
dog's appearance is so fitted to inspire fear, which is a
strong recommendation in a dog intended to guard a large
estate, etc.
His form is about midway between that of the mastiff
and the greyhound ; a very muscular, upstanding, alert,
active dog, combining the activity and grace of the grey-
hound and the strength of the mastiff in a high degree.
If this be borne in mind as the ideal to be attained, the
standard adopted by the Great Dane Club may be intelli-
gently criticised.
The minimum height for dogs is 30 inches, for bitches
28 inches ; the minimum weight 120 pounds and 100
pounds.
The head bears a general resemblance to that of the
bull terrier, but has characteristic features of its own.
Tlie ears are usually cropped, but, if not, should re-
semble in form and carriage those of the greyhound.*
The neck should be long and clean and join head and
shonlders neatly. Shoulders, chest, back, loin, quarters,
* No dog of any breed born after March, 1895, can, if cropped, win
a prize at a show held under the auspices of the English Kennel Club.
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 45
legs, and feet are all in harmony with the above ideal —
i. e., of a dog intermediate between the fleetest and the
strongest breeds.
The tail is strong at the root, tapering to the end,
reaching to the hock, carried slightly curved and not
mnch if at all above the level of the back ; when the ani-
mal is tranquil it is carried very low.
Coat — Short, liard, and dense.
Colors. — Shades of gray (or blue), black, white,
spotted, red, fawn, brindle or tiger-striped on a white
ground, with patches of dark color. The single colors
may be accompanied by markings of a darker tint about
the eyes and muzzle, with a line of similar tint (" trace ")
along the spine. The " wall " or " china " eye seems to
naturally accompany certain colors, as is also the case in
sheep-dogs.
The most noticeable or common faults are too heavy
or houndy a head ; brows and stop too pronounced ; face
too broad ; muzzle too light, short, or not square enough
at end ; ears too heavy or improperly carried ; throati-
ness ; neck too short or thick ; chest too broad or too
narrow ; sunken or sway -back and flat loin ; legs not
straight ; weak pasterns and cow-hocks ; twisted or splay-
feet ; coat coarse or long ; tail too heavy, too much
curved, carried too high, or curled into a sort of ring
(" ring-tailed ").
This, like other large breeds, is very liable to be weak
in hind parts — i. e., quarters, thighs, and hocks. Many
strong specimens lack symmetry, quality, and character.
Terriers. — The terriers constitute a numerous collection
of breeds, and, as almost every one is in Britain encour-
46 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
aged by a specialty club, it can be readily understood that
they have been bred to great perfection, or, at all events,
very near the proposed standards. It is somewhat other-
wise in America, where this group, with the exception of
the fox-terrier, can not be considered as very popular.
But of .late certain varieties, especially Irish and Scot-
tish terriers, have made great advances in popular favor.
Both breeds are hardy and courageous.
Since terriers, distinct as they are in details of form
and character, have a great deal in common, it will be Avell
to consider what may be termed terrier type.
As every breed or group of dogs must, as we have be-
fore said, be judged in reference to the work it is sup-
posed to be able to perform, so with this one. The ter-
rier is essentially a vermin (" varmint ") dog — i. e., he is
adapted to drive out, secure, or actually kill such animals
chiefly as are injurious to man — as rats, foxes, etc. Such a
dog must evidently be active, fast for his size, courageous,
with powerful jaws and teeth, and at least not large.
Terrier character is very decided and readily recog-
nized. The terrier must be a wiry, muscular little animal,
ever on the look-out and ever ready to tackle vermin, and,
if need be, to carry on the contest to the death ; and if he
looks this from nose to tail he has terrier character, as the
term character is understood by breeders.
The bodily form is characterized as follows : Flat,
more or less wedge-shaped head, with strong jaws and
teeth, neat ears, dark, small, usually deep-set eyes. Teeth
must be level ; to be overshot or the reverse is a great fault
in a terrier, as it indicates weakness where, above all, he
should be strong — i. e., in holding- and killing-power.
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS.' 47
The neck must suit the head and body ; cliest, loin,
quarters, legs, and feet must be those of a strong, active
animal, capable of considerable speed, and hence approxi-
mating those of the great Dane, already described, which
is a sort of larger terrier in form.
Tail and ears are in many breeds cut, to add, as it is
thought, to terrier expression. It is to be hoped, how-
ever, that all such cruel practices will soon be abandoned,
as they are plainly against nature.
The coat should, whether long or short, be hard gen-
erally and durable in all cases, so as to resist wear with
work and protect the skin of the animal. It must be re-
membered that the terrier is frequently required to dig
and to enter burrows (" go to earth "), hence the necessity
of strong legs, good feet well armed with strong nails, a
resisting coat, etc.
Color is variable but rarely striking, as that would dis-
cover the dog to the creatures he seeks to surprise.
The faults to be specially avoided in a terrier are
a heavy, thick skull ; prominent brows ; full eyes ; large,
badly carried ears ; weak jaws and poor teeth, not meet-
ing in front ; a cloddy form ; crooked or weak legs, and
splayed, soft, or thin feet ; tucked-up belly ; weak loin ;
legginess or the reverse ; a broad breast, straight shoul-
ders, or stifles ; uneven back ; flat sides ; general deficiency
of muscle ; a coat lacking in quality and quantity.
If the dog has a perfect form he may still lack to the
eye terrier character, in which case he will not do for the
bench ; and if he really is deficient in the psychical char-
acteristics of the breed, he is, of course, useless in a de-
gree as a vermin dog.
48 'i'HE DOG IN HEALTH.
The fox-terrier, the Irish terrier, the black and tan,
and among toys the Yorkshire, enjoy a fair degree of
popularity in America ; the first is in fact a great favor-
ite ; we shall therefore call special attention to these.
Although descriptions of coat will be given in referring to
the various breeds of terriers, it must be seen (like the
color), and in fact felt, to be appreciated thoroughly.
The Fox-terrier. — Used, as his name implies, to unearth
the fox, not kill him, he should be gritty and strong, and
fleet enough to keep within sight or hearing of the
hounds at all events. An excellent " ratter," and ready
for most kinds of small vermin, with considerable docility,
affection, and intelligence, handsome, sprightly, etc., he
is largely kept as a companion, even as a sort of house
dog. The fox-terrier may be regarded as the young
man's companion, as the poodle, the Yorkshire, or toy
spaniel is that of the lady (pp. 64, 72).
Head. — Shull flat, rather narrow, sloping to muzzle ;
little apparent stop, viewed from the front, but showing
slightly in profile ; cheeks not full ; ears Y-shaped, small,
pointing forward and lying close to cheeks ; jaws strong
and muscular ; some chiseling below eyes ; muzzle taper-
ing to nose, which must be black ; eyes and their rims
dark in color, small, rather deep-set, nearly circular in
shape, " full of fire, life, and intelligence " ; teeth about
level, but the upper may be just outside lower.
Neck. — Clean, muscular, tapering.
Shoulders. — Long, sloping, fine at points, and clearly
marked off at withers.
Chest. — Deep but not broad in breast ; ribs well
sprung ; back ribs deep.
THE BEAGLE CHAMPION RINGWOOD.
(K. C. S. B., 19,840.)
For description, see page 41.
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 49
Back, — Even, short, strong.
Loin. — Powerful, slightly arched, not tucked up in
flank.
Qtiarters. — Strong, muscular, no droop or crouch;
thighs long and powerful ; hocks near ground ; stifle bent
as in a foxhound.
Stem (tail). — Set on high, strong, carried gayly, but
not over back or curled ; is usually docked.
Legs and Feet. — Much as in the foxhound.
Coat. — There are two varieties of this terrier — the
smooth- and the wire-haired. In the former the hair is
smooth, flat, hard, dense, abundant, tough, and should
cover also the belly and inner side of thighs, though not
so thickly. In the rough-haired or wire-haired breed the
harder and more wiry in texture the better the coat, which
is longer than in the smooth dog ; but it should not give
the appearance of shagginess. It must on no account be
silky or woolly either to eye or hand.
Color. — White should predominate ; brindle, red, or
liver markings are objectionable ; otherwise color is not of
much importance, though black and tan on head is much
liked.
The fox-terrier should show symmetry, quality, and
character in a high degree.
Weighty etc. — Not either a leggy or low dog ; should
fall between sixteen and twenty pounds.
Irish Terrier. — This breed is very popular in Britain
and is gaining ground in America. In general appear-
ance, except in coat and color, he somewhat resembles
the fox-terrier, but is a considerably larger dog (p. 80).
Good-tempered with mankind, he is a little too ready
50 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
for a fray with his own species, and he does not always
stop to consider whether he is a match for his antagonist ;
but in any case he is slow to give up once he begins.
In jaws he is rather stronger than the fox-terrier. A
reaction has taken place against cutting the ears of this
breed, but the tail is still docked. This latter operation,
when done at a very early age, as it usually is, causes
very little pain. In most points the standard is similar to
that for the fox-terrier, but the Irish dog is larger.
Coat. — Somewhat like that of the wire-haired fox-
terrier, but its true quality must be learned by feel. It
should not be shaggy, but straight and flat.
Color. — Whole-colored ; bright red preferred, wheat-
en, yellow, and gray next ; brindle disqualifying. A lit-
tle white on chest not so objectionable as on feet.
TF^^'^A^.— Sixteen to twenty-four pounds, bitches, as
in all breeds, being rather smaller.
Black-and-tan Terrier. — Formerly a white terrier iden-
tical in shape, etc., to this was much valued. This
breed is now, however, rarely seen at shows in any
numbers (p. 88).
The black-and-tan terrier, on account of cleanly habits,
a skin free from smell, neatness, size, color, etc., is well
adapted to be a house dog ; but his aversion to stran-
gers, generally manifested by a shrill, unpleasant voice, is
no small drawback, though by no means confined to this
breed. He is not so generally popular as the fox-terrier,
not being so hardy and perhaps because of the cropping
of the ears, which is not always done so as to render
them presentable. They do not bear cold as well as most
of the terriers. Nevertheless, he is a good vermin dog,
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 51
being renowned in the rat pit. He has also many winning
ways and is capable of being taught various tricks.
In general form he is som.ewhat between the Italian
greyhound and the fox-terrier or very small bull-terrier.
His chief peculiarities are :
Head. — Long and narrow, slight stop, tight-skinned ;
like a much-tapered wedge ; eyes very dark (black), ob-
long ; very bright, neither much sunken nor protruding ;
nose black ; ears small, thin, set as close together as pos-
sible at the top of the head, lying close ('' button " ear).
Chest. — Narrow between the fore-legs and deep in the
brisket ; ribs well sprung.
Back. — Short.
Loin. — Slightly arched and powerful ; flank a little
tucked up.
Quarters. — Strong and muscular.
Feet. — Compact, split up between the toes and well
arched, with jet-black nails ; the two middle toes of the
front feet a little longer than the others ; the hind-feet
cat-like.
Tail. — Moderately short, set on where arch in quarters
ends ; thick at root, tapering gracefully, and not carried
higher than loin.
Coat. — Short, close, and glossy ; not soft.
Color. — A feature of great importance in this breed.
The recognized colors must not only be true but distinctly
defined or sharply marked off and confined to limited
regions. Black is the prevailing color, so that at a dis-
tance the dog appears black. The tan is described as a
rich or warm mahogany tan, whicli i? distributed as fol-
lows : Small spot over each eye, and another on each
52 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
cheek, which latter must be as small as possible ; lips of
upper and lower jaws, extending under jaw to throat in
shape of letter Y ; inside of ear in part ; fore-legs to knee,
with black patch (" thumb-mark ") between pastern and
knee ; toes must have a distinct black line on each (" pencil-
mark ") ; on hind-legs up inside of thigh to a little below '
stifle ; outside of legs must be perfectly black ; tan under
tail, and but sufficient to be covered by tail.
Weight. — Between fourteen and twenty-two pounds.
A dog under seven pounds is a toy, which is judged
by the same standard, but is rarely so perfect, especially
in head.
The Yorkshire Terrier. — Being a toy dog, he has lost a
great deal of the true terrier character, though in some
specimens much more is found than in others. In this
breed coat is the feature of the dog, and is allowed a large
proportion of the entire marks. In the words of the
adopted standard, his general appearance " should be that
of a long-coated pet-dog, the coat hanging quite straight
and evenly down each side, a part extending from the nose
to the end of the tail. The animal should be very com-
pact and neat, the carriage being very sprightly, bearing
an important air. Although the frame is hidden beneath
a mantle of hair, the general outline should be such as to
suggest the existence of a vigorous and well-proportioned
body." In accordance with the above, uneven jaws, crook-
ed legs, uneven back and loin can not be tolerated (p. 96).
Head. — Kather small and flat in skull, somewhat broad
in muzzle, perfectly black nose ; eyes of medium size^
dark in color, })right, intelligent, looking straightforward,
with dark-edged eyelids.
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CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 63
Ears. — If not cut, thej should be small, Y-shaped, and
carried semi-erect ; if cut, quite erect.
Coat. — As long and straight (not wavy) as possible?
silk-like (not woolly), extending from back of head to root
of tail.
Color. — A bright steel-blue, and on no account to have
any fawn, light, or dark hairs. Hair on muzzle very long
and of a bright golden tan ; on sides of head very long
and of a little deeper tan, especially about roots of ears.
Ears are covered with short hair of a deep, dark tan.
Legs covered with tan hair a few shades lighter at the
ends than at the roots.
Weight. — Divided usually into two classes — dogs un-
der five pounds and over ^yq pounds, but not to exceed
twelve pounds. Sometimes classified as toy terriers under
seven pounds. One of the most popular small dogs in
America.
Scotch Terriers. — The hard-haired Scotch terrier and
the Skye terrier are of Scotch origin, and bear the impress
both of the climate of the country and of the character
of the people that has such strongly pronounced national
characteristics (pp. 104, 120).
These dogs, when of the best strain, are docile, coura-
geous, affectionate, and faithful in a high degree. They
are essentially vermin dogs, but to an unusual extent show
also qualities which fit them for being the companions of
man. Though not so popular in America as some other
breeds, they are kept with pride by many a self -expatriated
Scot who has not forgotten the associations of his boyhood
and the canine friends of his old home.
Both the Scotch and the Skye are long, low, strongly
54 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
made dogs, provided with a coat admirably adapted to re-
sist wet and cold, and so fitting them for entering burrows
after their quarry and facing any weather however bleak.
The Skye is an especially long dog, with an ill-defined
outline owing to length of coat. A good Skye should
measure in length three times its height. The Scotch is
also long, but not in such proportion as the Skye. Both
these breeds are more cobby in build than other terriers,
and are not adapted for great speed ; with their power-
ful limbs, however, such conformation adapts them for
forcing quarry from a burrow, while their powerful jaws
and teeth make their grip firm and punishing.
In weight neither breed should exceed twenty pounds ;
better if a little less.
Coat. — In the Scotch terrier proper it is rather short
(about two inches), very dense, and extremely hard and
wiry.
In the Skye the hair should be long, straight, shining,
like that of a horse's tail ; silkiness, woolliness, or curl to
be avoided, though on the top of the head it may approach
silkiness.
Colors. — In the Scotch, steel or iron gray, black bi'indle,
brown brindle, gray brindle, black, sandy, and when ton ;
^vhite markings undesirable and not permissible, except a
little on chest.
In the Skye the colors most favored are in their order
of preference — steel gray, with black tips to ears and tail ;
fa^vn, with dark-brown tips; dark slaty-blue, black, and
pure fawn.
The Skyes are divided into drop-eared and prick-eared,
which terms in themselves express the main difference.
CLASSIFICATION OP DOGS. 55
The Bull-terrier. — The strongest, heaviest, and perhaps
the gamest of all the terriers (p. 136).
He is quick to take offence from another dog, and
in fighting is very tenacious ; but he is often affectionate,
docile, and very companionable.
Like other all-white dogs, etc., he is liable to deafness.
General Appearance. — " The general appearance of
the bull-terrier is that of a symmetrical animal, an embodi-
ment of agility, grace, elegance, and determination."
Head. — Long, flat, wide between the ears, tapering to
the nose, without cheek-muscles. There should be a slight
indentation down the face, without a "stop" between the
eyes ; jaws long and powerful, with large black and open
nostrils ; eyes small and very black ; lips meeting tightly
without any fold ; teeth regular and even in front.
Ears. — Always cropped hitherto in the show dog, and
in a peculiar manner.
Chest. — Wider than in other breeds of terriers.
Feet.—KoYQ of the " hare " than of the " cat " type,
but compact and well-arched. Shoulders, back, loin, legs,
etc., to suit a dog of the active type.
Tail.—^Qt on low ; thick at root and tapering to a fine
point ; carried at an angle of about 45°, without curl, and
never over the back ; usually ten to twelve inches long.
Color. — All wbite.
Coat. — Glossy, short, close, and stiff.
Weight.— From fifteen to fifty pounds.
Other Breeds of Terriers.^" — The varieties of terriers
* For an illustration of the Boston terrier, see p. 140. This breed
has lately become rather popular in America, and classes for them are
provided at some shows. It is intermediate between the bull-dog and
the bull-terrier.
56 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
not yet referred to are but little known in America, and
may be briefly described.
The Welsh Terrier. — He may be regarded as very like
a black and tan, wire-haired fox-terrier, but rather larger
and with a heavier head (p. 144).
The Airedale Terrier. — After the bull-terrier, the tallest
and largest of this class. His form departs little from what
might be termed average terrier type. He stands rather
high on the leg, and the tail is usually docked (p. 152).
Coat. — Kough or broken, dense and wiry in texture,
and free from curl or lock.
Color. — Dark grizzle from occiput to end of tail, ex-
tending also down sides of body, with dark markings on
side of skull ; rest of body a good tan, w^hich should be
darker on ears than elsewhere.
Weight. — Dogs, forty to forty-five pounds ; bitches,
thirty-five to forty pounds.
Dandle Dinmont Terrier. — Differing so from all other
terriers in eyes, ears, general shape of head, with its top-
knot, and being of a somewhat unmanageable disposi-
tion when he scents '' fur," it is suspected by some good
authorities that a Dachshund cross occurred at some time
in the history of the breed.
The skull is wide and heavy, forehead domed, power-
ful teeth and jaws ; eyes wide apart, full, and round ; ears
large, pendulous, wide apart, low-set on skull. The head
is covered wnth very soft, silky hair, forming a "top-
knot," but not confined to the forehead. The ears are
covered with soft, straight, brown hair, and have a thin
feather of lighter-colored hair like the top-knot.
Legs. — Short, straight (liable to be bandy), very strong,
and set wide apart in front.
CLASSIFICATION OP DOGS. 57
Chest. — Wider than in most terriers.
Coat. — Yery difficult to secure correct in this breed.
It is termed piley or penciled — i. e., a mixture of hard and
soft hair, giving a crisp feel to the hand ; the hard hair
should be wiry, the hair on under part of body being
softer, also lighter in color.
Color. — "Pepper" or "mustard" — i. e., of various
shades suggested by these colors but impossible of descrip-
tion in words.
Size and Weight. — Height at shoulder, eight to eleven
inches; length not more than twice the height. Best
weight, eighteen pounds.
The Bedlington Terrier. — Another peculiar-looking ter-
rier, standing rather high on the leg, and with somewhat
hound-like ears and a top-knot. He is a hardy, game,
useful dog (p. 160).
Sktill. — l!^arrow, deep, and rounded, high at occiput,
and covered with a top-knot of silky hair.
Ears. — Kather large, filbert-shaped, well forward, lying
close to cheek.
Eyes. — Small and well sunk.
Feet. — Rather long and large.
Tail. — Of characteristic shape and carriage.
Chest, etc. — Chest not wide, but deep and flat-ribbed —
well " ribbed up " (deep back ribs) ; back rising into an
arched loin ; quarters rather light".
Coat. — Hard, with close bottom, and not lying flat to
sides ("linty").
Color. — Dark blue, blue and tan, liver, liver and tan,
sandy, sandy and tan.
Size. — Height, fifteen to sixteen inches ; weight, eight-
een to twenty-four pounds.
58 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
This breed of terrier should be a light, " lathy " dog ;
he is apt to fail in back ribs, etc. In this breed the
stifles are apt to be rather straight and the hocks placed
very high.
The Paisley Terrier. — In general appearance a long,
low, stoutly-built dog, with an intelligent expression, and a
long, flowing, flat-lying, straight coat. The appearance of
the head depends a good deal on the ears, which stand up
quite straight, are set on high, covered with long hair, and
well fringed.
Coat. — Long, flat, and silky ; the longer and finer the
better ; a part extends from shoulder to tail.
Color. — Various shades of blue, dark blue preferred,
but of a lighter shade on head and legs.
The Clydesdale Terrier. — A long, low dog, with a large
head and a coat that resembles silk or suggests spun glass.
A fancy terrier, but hardier than the Yorkshire or Maltese.
Ears. — Yery characteristic, small, set on high, per-
fectly erect in carriage, covered with long silky hair (well
feathered).
Color. — Eanging from dark blue to light fawn, the
first preferred.
The Maltese Terrier. — A very small (must not be over
six pounds) toy terrier, in which coat and color are of
chief importance.
Coat. — Long, silky, with a slight wave ; woolliness and
curl are very objectionable.
Color. — Pure white, suggesting spun glass ; fawn
patches may occur, but are highly undesirable.
.N^ose black ; eyes full and black and not " weeping " ;
tail short and curled tightly over the back.
CLASSIFICATION OP DOGS. 59
CLASS IV.
DOMESTICATED DOGS, FINDING THEIR GAME BY SCENT, BUT
NOT KILLING IT ; AND USED CHIEFLY IN AID OF THE GUN.
These include the pointer and the different kinds of
setters and spaniels.
It will greatly facilitate the mastery of the points of
these breeds, as well as prepare for a criticism of the
adopted standards, if we first consider, according to the
principles already laid down, the work or pm-pose for
which they are intended. None of these breeds are, as a
rule, employed to hunt " fur," hence the fieetness of the
greyhound is not required, nor his form or characteristics
in a very high degree. They are all employed to discover
and indicate the whereabouts of game birds. For this
purpose keen scenting powers are the primary requisite,
and after that the pointing instinct. This may be re-
garded as an example of an acquired instinct ; for, although
all breeds of dogs and all the wild congeners of the dog
tend to stop when prey is discovered, and in certain cases
to steal upon it by cautious advances, in none of them has
the actual rigid or cataleptic condition of the muscles been
developed, at all events in any high degree. There is in
all of these groups of animals the fundamental instinct or
tendency out of which such a remarkable condition of the
nervous and muscular system has been evolved, and which
is now termed " pointing."
Dogs have been known to remain in this condition
(" on point ") for many hours, showing that it is not an
act of will or a mere taught habit ; though of course the
60 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
training and selection of the dogs showing it in the
highest degree for generations are the means by which so
remarkable an instinct has been developed.
Indeed, the modern pointer and setter are capital ex-
amples of the process of " artificial selection," or " the sur-
vival of the fittest," or what man conceives to be the
fittest. For many years both in Britain and America
field trials or public competitions in actual hunting have
weeded out the poorer specimens and brought the best to
the front, so that breeding from these, dogs of a superior
class have been produced.
While a dog deficient in nose or pointing instinct is
useless, of equal or more importance are other qualities,
particularly a specialized intelligence of a high order well
characterized as " bird-sense " or good judgment in seek-
ing for birds where they are m^ost likely to be found, and
so deporting himself throughout as to find the birds as soon
as his nose, powers of speed, etc., will allow, all being re-
lated to economy of energy. But with these qualities of
highest importance must be joined docility and tractability,
and from the physical side speed and endurance.
We may say, then, that with the requisite general and
special developments of the nervous system, especially of
the brain and the sense of smell, there must be that physi-
cal form and constitution that enables the dog to move
rapidly and to continue long at his work. If he has these
qualities, symmetry and beauty are of secondary impor-
tance. However, it but rarely happens that the above
exist in a high degree without a fair amount of the latter,
as the relative proportion of parts must have a great deal
to do with both speed and endurance.
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CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 61
Exceptional cases occur no doubt. These do not prove
that form is of no consequence, but they do seem to teach
the lesson that of however great importance a strong and
symmetrical form may be, a sound constitution and a well-
developed brain and nervous system generally are much
more so. The nervous system is always king in the high-
est classes of animals of every kind. It rarely happens
that a very successful iield-dog is wanting in the parts
most successful in propulsion, as loins, quarters, legs, and
feet, though he may be defective in head parts, neck,
shoulders, back, or even chest.
But should we not endeavor as our highest ideal to
combine " bench-show form " with " field form " ? What
meaning has the former if not related to the latter in a
hunting dog ? Our aim should be to discover what the
latter is, and adapt bench form to field form, or, rather,
make them identical.
What in a general way is "field form," or that best
adapted for work in the field, should not be very difficult
to determine with the greyhound, the foxhound, the race-
horse, and the hunter before us. Evidently, if, as is now
the custom, in consequence of the relative scarcity of
game, a dog that is both fast and lasting is required, a
form approaching a mean between that of the foxhound
and the greyhound must be attained. And in considering
this, one must not be led astray by the eminence certain
strains of dogs have attained. That eminence is no doubt
largely due to a specially cultivated and developed intelli-
gence, and the subject must be studied on a wider basis
than the one sometimes adopted.
The nature of the country and the climate must not be
62 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
left out of the account. But, turning to general principles,
How shall the end be attained as regards physical form so
that an animal may be built up that shall, provided he has
the nose and the brains, be able to put these to the most
effective use ?
Setter and pointer form will be first considered. It
is to be remembered that these dogs must traverse all
sorts of surface, pass through water often very cold, over
snow and ice, crush through thorny and brambly vegeta-
tion, and all this at a very considerable speed. Such a
form, combining grace and utility, experience proves is
built up on the following principles, most of which have
been alluded to before :
Head. — A longish skull, getting its capacity rather by
length and depth than width, and suiting thus the dog's
general form, more especially that of his long and not
very mde but deep muzzle ; eyes mild, bright, and of
medium fullness, thus suggesting intelligence and docility ;
ears long, low-placed, feathered, and so adapted to his
general character as well as protective to eyes and inner
ears ; muzzle long, deep, and fairly wide ; square-cut at
end, indicating that the jaws are even, mth a large nose
and widely open nostrils. Such a muzzle provides for a
large distribution of the olfactory nerve, and such a nose
readily admits air.
Neck. — Clean, graceful, and long enough to admit of
the dog's catching the foot-scent or reaching the ground
without stooping.
Shoulders^ hack^ loin^ quarters, legs, and feet of the
kind adapted for speed and endurance. The back need
not have all the muscular development, the loin so much
CLASSIFICATION OP DOGS. 63
arch, the quarters be so wide, nor the lower thighs so de-
veloped as in the greyhound, but we must not forget that
perfect model for speed while we seek to combine this
quality with endurance.
The bone of the legs, the pasterns, and the feet must
in strength and formation combine the features of these
parts in the greyhound and the foxhound. A dog weak
in these is, so to speak, weak all over — i. e., his otherwise
fine powers of intellect and body are of little use. The
chest is both deep and wide, but not in front or between
the fore-legs; capacity is attained by depth and spring
of ribs, but the chest must be keeled and in no sense
barrel-shaped, though in the English and Gordon setter
the back is wide ; the chest must be well ribbed back
(deep back-ribs.) In the setter the feet should be all that
is attained in the best pointers, but, in addition, have plenty
of hair between the toes as an additional protection.
Coat on all these breeds must be very abundant, espe-
cially on ears, legs, breast, and tail, where it constitutes a
long fringe or " feather." This feather adds to the grace
of the setter, but is of questionable advantage, inasmuch
as it tends to catch all burs, etc., and must hamper as well
as possibly protect. The tendency seems to be, as greater
speed is sought for, to do with less feather, and, we think,
wisely. The pointer's coat is short and soft, but not fine
(silky, almost) as in the setter's. Yery great fineness of
texture of coat in either setters or pointers may indicate
lack of stamina, as a coarseness may suggest bad breeding,
or that the possessor is wanting in high psychical quality.
As these breeds are never required " to go to earth,"
there is no necessity for a hard, much less a wiry, coat.
6
64 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
If the pointer were covered witli a similar coat, he
would, in general appearance, greatly resemble the setter.
IN^evertheless, there are differences the trained eye can read-
ily discern among the various breeds of setters, and much
more between them and the pointer. These points have
never been very clearly defined in words, and it is doubtful
if they can be, imless very full descriptions and accurate
proportional measurements be given. However, they can
be engraved on the memory by illustrations of the best
dogs, though, of course, better still by far from seeing
typical specimens of the breeds. We shall now mention
some of the salient diiferenccs.
The Gordon is the largest, heaviest, and slowest of the
setters ; the Irish the tallest, most lightly built, but most
wiry and active, perhaps ; while the English is the mean
between the other two (see pp. 1Y6, 184, 192, 208).
Head. — Skull in the pointer wider from ear to ear ;
consists of two rounded flats separated by a furrow ; de-
cided stop, brows, and occipital protuberance.
The whole head of the Gordon is heavier than in the
other setters, but in shape much resembles that of the
English. The skull of the English setter is between that
of the pointer and cocker spaniel, though the tendency
now is to a longer head and neck. In all these breeds the
stop and brows are well marked, and there should be en-
tire absence of " cheekiness," and both skull and muzzle
should be well chiseled or clean-cut.
The Irish setter's head is long and lean, in harmony
with the general build of the dog. The skull is peculiar,
being oval, Avith a very pronounced occipital protuber-
ance— a domed skull. The ears in all should hani^: close
o
H
W
CQ
o
<
o
H
M
O
fm
W
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 65
and be low-set, which applies, of course, to the pointer
also.
The ejes should be dark, always having reference to
the color of the dog ; but there is a strong tendency for
light eyes to appear, and they greatly militate against the
true expression of the animal. A downright yellow eye
is an abomination in any breed of dog.
In all setters the nose should be black or dark liver-
color ; but in lemon and white pointers and setters it may
be flesh-color. In the Irish setter it is described as " dark
mahogany " or " dark chocolate."
Shoulders. — The Irish setter is the most " upstanding "
of all these breeds, and his shoulders should be very per-
fect both at joints (points) and withers. This adds greatly
to the character and quality of the dog.
Loin. — The loin in all setters and the pointer should
be slightly arched, but not roach-backed or "wheel-
backed," as in the bulldog.
Quarters. — All should be broad and muscular here ;
but the Irish setter is the most ragged-looking in hips and
quarters ; in fact, this dog should be throughout eminent-
ly muscular and wiry ; he should be entirely free from
" lumber."
Feet. — The cat-foot is preferred in the pointer, and a
foot with abundance of hair between the toes in the setter.
This is most likely to be found in the hare-foot, though
in other respects it is probably not equal to the cat-foot,
and certainly does not look so well.
Tail ("flag" of setters, stern of pointers) is carried
curved and nearly on a level with the back in all breeds.
It should begin strong and taper to a point. A well-
66 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
carried, "sting-like" tail is a fine feature in a pointer,
and a similar carriage, with a nice feather to the tail, adds
greatly to a setter's appearance. Nevertheless, it has so
little to do with actual hunting ability that it should count
but little in the total estimate.
Coat. — Decidedly silky in the English setter, not quite
so much so in the Irish, and harder and coarser in the
Gordon. In none should there be any tendency to w^avi-
ness or curl ; in the pointer not silky, but soft and mellow.
In all these breeds the coat should be close-lying and
dense.
Color. — To this, great importance is not attached in the
English setter or pointer ; liver and white in the latter,
and black, white, and tan, and the " blue belton," or white
with fine black flecks, giving a roughly ink-splashed ap-
pearance, are tlie most preferred now in the former. In
the Irish setter the dark or mahogany-red is the choice
color. In the Gordon, color, though it is set down at five
per cent., is really valued higher. The same importance,
though in a minor degree, is attached to the black and the
tan being pure and distinct, as in the black and tan ter-
rier ; and though it is admitted that the original Gordons
were black, tan, and white, the latter is now greatly ob-
jected to, except a little on the breast, which, as in the
Irish setter, is of no account.
The black must be deep and pure, the tan a rich or
warm mahogany-red, and confined to a spot over each
eye, lips, cheeks, throat, fore-legs nearly to elbows, hind-
legs to stifles, and on under side of flag, but not running
into its long hair.
It will scarcely be necessary to add anything to what
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 67
has already been said on the importance of the best of
legs and feet in hunting dogs. As they have to stop sharp,
" or point," when in rapid motion, there is a great strain
on the ligaments and a tendency to become out at elbow,
or still more to walk with the fore-feet either out or in
(" pigeon-toed "), or to " knuckle over " — i. e., with the
knee and pastern not in Hne. To avoid this, young dogs
should not be exercised too much nor over too rough
country, and the exercise gradually increased.
Lengthy and too often bitter controversies have raged
over the respective merits of the diiferent breeds of set-
ters and pointers. Such discussions should be conducted
in a calm, if not a scientific, spirit ; but we venture the
opinion that they are in general productive of little good
and much harm, and lead to a great waste of energy and
the engendering of bitter feeling. The best dog is that
which suits his master best, and as no two men are alike, it
follows that the breed best adapted to one man is not ne-
cessarily the best for another. There is room for all ; and,
indeed, this diversity of qualities is an advantage. The
setters may be better able to resist the effects of wet, cold,
briers, and rough footing, but they catch up more burs,
bear heat and drought badly, as compared with the pointer,
and are neither so easily trained nor so tenacious of what
they learn as a class; and if pointers are not less liable
to skin disease, they are more easily treated, being short-
haired dogs. The Irish setter may be faster, have more
dash, vim, and endurance than the English setter, but h©
is not very readily broken or very easily restrained in
the field ; and so we might continue the discussion. But
dog and man must be considered together. Besides, it
68 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
must not be forgotten that anything to which a man has
become accustomed may be better for him though not
better in itself. Dogs suiting the English style of shoot-
ing must be adapted to that in vogue in America before
they can use their powers to advantage, and the reverse.
Two strains of English setters have been famous in
modern times, the Laverack and the Llewellin.
The latter was formed by a cross of the former with
the Duke-Rhaebe blood. These strains were named from
the gentlemen in whose hands they were formed or be-
came renowned.
The Laverack is heavier in the shoulders and chest,
more feathered, and perhaps more symmetrical.
The Llewellins have attained great eminence in field
trials in America, one dog, Gladstone, but recently dead,
having become a " name to conjure by."
We have devoted a good deal of space to the setter
and the pointer on account of their great popularity in
America, where they have reached a degree of perfection
perhaps not yet equaled elsewhere — at all events as re-
gards setters, whether the field or the show bench be
considered.
The author has just one more remark to make in re-
gard to these breeds. The setter is unquestionably one
of the most beautiful breeds of dogs ever seen, and it is
to be hoped that no temporary craze or mere fad will
lead to the production of dogs so small or so spaniel-
like in form that we shall lose what has been the ad-
miration and the result of the work of generations of
gentleman sportsmen and earnest breeders ; and it is
further to be hoped that bench-show judges will not
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 69
neglect to examine into the muscular development and
condition of the dogs that came before them in some
such way as is customary with the greyhound, for a dog
that has not plenty of muscle and in hard condition is not
lit for work ; and a dog with a make-up that is unsuited
for the intended purpose should not win, or judging will
become a farce and bench-shows a hindrance rather than
a help to the production of good animals.
The Spaniels. — The spaniels do not point, but are
taught to keep within a short distance of the gun, and
give tongue when game is discovered by the nose. The
Clumber spaniel, however, hunts mute.
In Britain the breeds most in favor are the Clumber,
the field, the cocker, the Irish water spaniel, and the Eng-
lish water spaniel. In America the only one of the span-
iels that is thoroughly popular is the cocker, and even he
is more of a companion or a house dog than a worker,
hence the tendency at present to breed very small speci-
mens. Excepting the water spaniels, the breeds agree in
being long, stoutly made, low dogs, with a profusion of
coat of soft texture.
All the spaniels should be of an eminently docile and
sweet disposition. Those of the opposite characteristics
should be discarded.
The Cocker and the Field Spaniels. — The former an ac-
tive, merry little dog, strong but not clumsy, and perhaps
the most symmetrical of all the short-legged group (pp.
216, 224, 230).
Long, low, heavy-boned, and cobby in build, but a
small dog (between eighteen and twenty-eight pounds).
He differs from the field spaniel in size, relative length,
70 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
and head. The liead of the cocker, as a whole, is not so
heavy, nor the muzzle so square throughout. The dome
of the skull of the cocker should correspond nearly with
the segment of a circle. Ears in both low set, but more
so in the field spaniel, in which they are also larger.
The eyes should not be either full or sunken, and in
color correspond with the coat. They are apt to be too
light, which spoils the expression. The correct amount
of stop and cleanness of chiseling, with correct eyes, has
much to do with quality in both breeds — in fact, in any
breed of dogs.
In the rest of the form the field spaniel and the cocker
differ but little from each other.
The neck should be long enough to allow the nose to
reach the ground, but free from throatiness ; shoulders
muscular and sloping ; chest fairly wide and deep ; ribs
well sprung and extending back, so that the coupling shall
be short ; the loin strong, and the flank not tucked up.
Legs and Feet are parts which, in spaniels as in
all other very long and low dogs, are apt to be wrong.
Legs should be strong in bone, to support weight and
enable the animal to push through thick coverts ; fore-
legs short and straight (not bandy) ; elbows free, and
neither in nor out ; hind-legs strong, with well-bent stifle
and good hocks, turning neither in nor out. Feet of
moderate size, thick ; toes well arched, pads hard, and
plenty of hair between the toes.
Length. — It is still agreed that the field spaniel should
be very long and low ; but in America there is now a re-
action against cocker dogs as long as those high in favor
in England. The standard in vogue says of the cocker :
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. fi
" From tip of nose to root of tail, about twice the height
at shoulder, rather more than less."
Coat — Abundant, soft, and silky, straight or wavy,
but not curly ; chest, legs, ears, and tail well feathered.
Color. — Black preferred ; liver, black, and white, and
various shades of red.
Tail. — Usually docked ; carried nearly level with the
back ; lower when at w^ork and in rapid movement.
The Clumber Spaniel. — " A long, low, heavy-looking dog,
of a very thoughtful expression, betokening intelligence.
Should have the appearance of great power. Sedate in
all movements, but not clumsy. Weight of dogs, between
fifty-five pounds and sixty-five pounds ; bitches, from
thirty-five pounds to fifty pounds " (Standard). (P. 240.)
B^ead. — Very characteristic, being massive in all di-
mensions, round above eyes, flat on top, with a furrow
running from between eyes up center of skull ; stop and
occipital protuberance pronounced ; jaw long, broad, and
deep; muzzle not square, but powerful-looking; nostrils
large, open, and flesh-colored, sometimes cherry-colored;
eyes soft, large, deep-set, and showing haw, hazel in color,
with dignified and intelligent expression; ears long and
broad at top, turned over on front edge, vine-shaped, low-
set, and close, slightly feathered on front edge only, with
straight, short, silky hair.
X^^^^^.— About two and a half times height at
shoulder.
Coat.—Silkj, straight, very dense, but not very long ;
feather both profuse and long.
Color.— Lemon and white, and orange and white;
fewer markings on body the better. Solid lemon or
72 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
orange ears, evenly marked head and eyes, muzzle and
legs ticked, constitute perfection of marking.
Stern. — Usually docked, set on level, and carried low.
The Norfolk and the Sussex spaniel are almost un-
known in America.
The Irish "Water Spaniel. — The Irish water spaniel has
a good many admirers, but does not enjoy the same popu-
larity in America as in Britain (p. 256).
]S[o dog is more adapted for retrieving from water or
being the duck-shooter's companion, unless it be the very
homely Chesapeake Bay dog. He is very intelligent, but
not always equally good-tempered. His general appear-
ance is that of a handsome, strong, rather leggy dog, with
very striking physical characteristics.
Head. — Skull of medium length, rather broad, with
but a slight stop ; muzzle long and broad to the end ; eyes
dark-brown and with an intelligent expression ; ears long
and CO veered with curls.
Chest. — Deep rather than wide. Loin somewhat
arched.
Stifles rather straight ; hocks well let down.
Stern. — Strong at root, tapering to a fine point ; hair
on it very short, straight, and close-lying.
Legs and Feet.—hQg^ long, but strong in bone ; feet
somewhat large.
Coat.—K\\ over, except on face and tail, little curls,
hard and not woolly. On forehead a top-knot of long
hair, falling over eyes in a peak. Legs to have as little
feather as possible.
Colcyr. — A rich dark-liver, free from white, though a
little of the latter on breast or toes should not disqualify.
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 73
The English water spaniel, which also has a curly coat
and is a useful dog, is but little known in America.
The Retrievers. — A dog kept purposely to retrieve
dead and wounded birds on land is not employed in
America, as setters, pointers, and spaniels are expected to
do this ; but in Britain a special breed for this purpose is
highly esteemed (p. 264).
They are divided into two classes — the wavy-coated
and the curly-coated black retriever. Both are large dogs
of about eighty pounds, and standing twenty-five to
twenty-six inches in height.
These breeds, which resemble each other greatly except
in coat, have been formed, in all probability, by a cross
between the ISTewf oundland and the spaniel (Irish) or the
setter, or most likely both.
In general, the form is that which admits of consid-
erable speed, endurance, and stooping power ; hence a long
neck is indispensable, as the dog must follow the foot-
scent to seek out the wounded bird. Scenting powers of
the highest quality are essential, as well as docility and
a desire to work so as to please his master. A bad-tem-
pered dog must not be tolerated on the bench or in the
field.
Differences between the Breeds. — Tail. — In the wavy-
coated it may be bushy, but in the curly-coated the hair
should be short and curly, and bare of curls toward the
tip.
Coat. — Texture of coat and bareness of face constitute
the chief difference between the breeds. The coat in the
curly dog is intermediate between wool and hair, and
very oily. On the whole face up to nearly middle of
IJ4. THE DOG IN HEALTH.
ears, coat should be quite short and without the slightest
waviness.
In the wavy dog the coat is short, but not so short as
in the hound or pointer, set close, slightly wavy, and
glossy.
The Chesapeake Bay Dog. — This breed comprises large
dogs, highly esteemed in duck shooting, and originated, as
their name imports, on the shores of the Chesapeake Baj',
in the United States. Their coat is adapted to resist
water, some being curly and others straight-haired. The
type is not very well marked, nor are they handsome
dogs. They seem to be intermediate in form between the
Newfoundland and Irish water spaniel, and might be
called the American retriever. They are of a tawny
sedge-color or red-brown.
The Dalmatian. — The Dalmatian, or coach dog, may be
included under the present group, as in his native country
he is employed as the pointer is with us. Upon the whole
he greatly reseml)]es the modern pointer, though his ears
are shorter, his carriage of tail higher, and his general
bearing in movement a good deal different to the experi-
enced eye (p. 280).
The dog is used chiefly to follow a carriage, making a
part of the general turn-out. Accordingly, he should be a
dog adapted for a long journey on a hard road, being gen-
erally muscular, though not heavily built, and with good
legs and the best of feet.
His chief attraction resides in the markings, which, by
the standard of the club, count 40 per cent. These black
spots on a white ground should be between the size of an
English shilling and a half-crowm, being smaller on the
CLASSIFICATION OP DOGS. 75
head and tail. There must he nowhere any hlack patches,
and as few " flecks " or " freckles " as possible. Liver
may be substituted for black, but is not so popular a
marking. The spots should also be so close that there
will not seem to be patches of white.
The Poodle. — On the Continent of Europe the poodlo
is used in fowling, both on land and water, an occupation
for which liis high intelligence and resisting coat ad-
mirably adapt him. In Britain and America he occupies
the role of ladies' companion and house-dog chiefly. Of
all dogs he excels in learning tricks, and his general intel-
ligence is very high, as might be suspected from his large,
well-chiseled skull, and the significant expression of his
eyes (p. 300).
Coat and color count 50 per cent, of the total number
of marks.
Head. — Skull broad and large generally ; head carried
high.
Muzzle. — Long and not snipy ; somewhat shorter and
thicker in the German breed ; in the French dog, nose is a
clear pink, and in the black breed jet black ; roof of
mouth also black.
Eyes. — Dark hazel, clear, and should look direct into
the face of the one addressing the dog.
Ears. — Long, and thickly covered with long, silky
hair.
Chest. — Broad and fairly deep.
Tail. — Usually docked, carried jauntily at an angle of
about forty-five degrees.
Coat. — In the Eussian, wiry, like horse-hair; in the
French, like wool ; in the corded, made up of long ring-
^Q THE DOG IN HEALTH.
lets ; but in all it should be very thick, springy to the feel,
and glossy.
Color. — Pure white or pure black, though a sort of
liver-color seems to be coming into fashion.
CLASS V.
PASTORAL DOGS AND THOSE USED FOR DRAUGHT.
Sheep Dogs.— These include the rough colhe, the smooth
collie, and the bob-tailed sheep dog. All these breeds are
remarkable for high general intelhgence, no doubt largely
due to long and close association with man and to selection
of the best specimens for actual work, in which psychical
qualities have been more considered than physical ones.
However, it must be apparent that dogs physically adapt-
ed to the work would alone survive. Their chief use for
a very long period has been as assistants to cattle-drovers,
and especially shepherds. Such dogs must of necessity
be capable of adapting to a bleak climate, such as prevails
on the hills of Scotland, etc. ; hence a coat capable of re-
sisting wet and cold is indispensable. These dogs must
also be of a strong racing build, capable of easy and rapid
movements. Docility of a high order and an intelligence
specially developed for this one occupation of herding sheep
and horned cattle are found in admirable combination.
The rough collie has become very popular of late as a
show dog and companion, even as a house-dog.
The collie is of a somewhat jealous disposition, and
does not welcome strangers, either human or canine, very
cordially ; and in a kennel with dogs of other breeds he
may prove very troublesome.
There seems to be a tendency to pay undue attention
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. YT
to profusion of coat and high quahty, especially in head,
to the neglect of other qualities in the show dog. The
standard allows for coat 20 per cent, of the total marks in
the rough collie.
Eough Collie.— ^6^^. — Skull quite flat and rather broad,
with line tapering muzzle of fair length, the upper teeth
projecting sHghtly beyond the lower; eyes wide apart,
almond-shaped, and obliquely set ; skin of head tightly
drawn, no folds at corners of mouth ; ears as small as pos-
sible, semi-erect when surprised or listening, at other times
thrown back and buried in the " ruff " (p. 312).
The rest of the build corresponds to that combination
of speed and strength so often referred to before. Neck
rather long ; loin also.
Tail (brush).— Long, " wi' upward swirl " at the end,
and, except under excitement, carried low.
^^^2;._Except on legs and head "as abundant as possi-
ble " ; outer coat dense, straight, hard, and rather stiff ;
under coat furry and so dense that it would be difficult to
find the skin. The " ruif " and " frill " very full ; but little
feather on fore-legs, and none below hocks on hind-legs.
Color. — Immaterial, but sable and white, black and
white, and black and tan are popular.
^^•^^.—Height of dogs, twenty-two to twenty-four
inches; of bitches, twenty to twenty-two inches. Yery
small and very large and coarse specimens are to be
avoided.
The Smooth Collie. — He bears a close resemblance, ex-
cept in coat, to the rough dog, but his head is not so foxy
in expression nor so wedge-shaped.
Coat. — Short, hard, and smooth.
78 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
The Bob-tailed Sheep Dog. — This breed is, above all
others, the drover's dog, and seems to take to his work al-
most as a duck to water. The best specimens are devoid
of even the semblance of a tail, have very long, shaggy
coats, both head and legs being abundantly covered.
Though not handsome, he is very courageous, and useful
in the highest degree (p. 320).
The Pomeranian, Spitz, or Loup-Loup. — Employed in his
native land as a sheep dog, he has become in Britain and
America a ladies' pet, of attractive appearance. In ap-
pearance and size he is between the collie and the fox,
except in carriage of tail, which is peculiar. Head-parts
are very foxy. Coat and color are important, counting
thirty per cent. Very small specimens are now favored
in Britain.
Coat. — More like coarse fur than hair ; undercoat
woolly ; general distribution of long and short hair,
feather, etc., as in the collie.
Color. — Black or white, quite pure.
Tail. — Carried curled over the back and usually on
the left side ; heavily feathered and rather short in dock.
The Newfoundland. — Employed for draught purposes
on the island from which he derives his name, but else-
where chiefly as a companion. Being an animal of won-
derful sagacity and nobility of nature, he was long one of
the greatest of canine favorites, but at present yields in
popularity to the gigantic St. Bernard. His feats in life-
saving have done much to make the canine race popular
and respected (p. 328).
The Newfoundland's general appearance is that of a dog
of strength and general activity. He should move freely
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 79
on his legs, with the body swung loosely between them,
so that a slight roll in gait should not be objectionable ;
but at the same time a weak or hollow back, slackness of
loins or cow-hocks, constitute grave faults.
Head. — Broad and massive ; top of skull flat; occipital
protuberance well developed, but, unlike the St. Bernard
and mastiff, he has no decided stop ; muzzle short, clean-
cut, and rather square in shape, covered with short, fine
hair ; eyes small, dark-brown, rather deeply set, without
haw and somewhat wide apart ; ears small, set well back,
square, with the skull lying close to head, covered with
short hair and without fringe.
Should be sound throughout. A sway-back, slack loin,
cow-hocks, and splayed feet are very objectionable, as be-
fore stated, and they are not uncommon.
Tail. — Without flag but covered with long hair, usu-
ally carried low, and with slight curve ; when the animal
is excited or in motion, carried higher, but never curled
over the back, and should never have a kink (turn to one
side) in it.
Color. — Jet black.
Coat. — Flat, dense, coarse in texture, oily, elastic.
Height and Weight. — Average height, twenty-seven
inches at shoulder for dogs and twenty-five inches for
bitches ; average weight, one hundred pounds and eighty-
five pounds, respectively. Large size desirable if accom-
panied by other good points and general symmetry.
Other Varieties of Newfoundland. — The St. John's or
Labrador dog is smaller and more retriever-like in form ;
in fact, it is probable that this breed has entered into the
formation of the retriever.
so THE DOG IN HEALTH.
The Landseei- Newfoundland should in all respects
follow the black dog except in color, which may be any
that disqualifies for the black class ; but those most in
favor are bronze or black and white, beauty in markings
to count high.
The Esquimau Dog. — A moderately large dog of twen-
ty-two to twenty-three inches in height, of wolf-like ap-
pearance, though the head is rather foxy, covered by long
hair with woolly undercoat and a long, gently curved,
almost bushy tail.
They are only half domesticated, though employed in
large teams to draw sledges over the snow and ice of
northern America, usually under the leadership of one of
their number, that is acknowledged as master. They are
left to shift very much for themselves, and getting but
little of man's confidence or affection, give but little in
return.
* CLASS VL
WATCH-DOGS AND HOUSE-DOGS.
The dogs of this class not being employed for securing
game, are not required to have either the scenting powers
or the conformation necessary for speed or for endurance
in locomotion found in hunting-dogs ; but, on the contrary,
that adapted for attack on intruders in the case of the
krger breeds, and in all the disposition and intelligence
fitting them for guarding persons and property.
Most of them give warning by barking, and, in fact, in
some of the smaller members of the class such is the more
important part ; to this, however, the bulldog is an excep-
tion, as he usually attacks without any warning by the voice.
THE IRISH TERRIER PILGRIM.
(K. C. S. B., 28,110.)
For description, see page 49.
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 81
The Bulldog. — It is quite impossible to understand this
dog either physically or psychically apart from its history.
In tlie days when our ancestors delighted in badger and
bull baiting a dog was formed adapted in every way to
seize and to pin down these animals ; and a study of the
bulldog will show that for this purpose he could scarcely
be improved upon. He was taught to attack the bull (and
other animals) at the head, and if he could not hold, either
from lack of courage or lack of jaw power, etc., he woukl
have little chance in the contest. It may be said that the
whole dog exists for his jaws ; hence that enormous head
and front generally as compared with the parts behind tlie
ribs ; hence that indomitable courage, that tenacity, in fact,
which knows no yielding, for, as Stonehenge well says, the
bulldog is not only " the most courageous dog, but the
most courageous animal in the world." This breed may
be considered the very opposite in all particulars of the
greyhound, and taking these as the extremes, we can learn
the extent to which man's capacity to take advantage of
the variations Nature produces has been carried. Viewed
from another standpoint, these are the results of " artificial
selection " in the most pronounced way (p. ^^44).
A breed like the bulldog should not be expected to
possess high intelKgence, great affection, or indeed any
long list of noble qualities ; nor to be amenable in a high
degree to training. His skull is immense, but it is largely
made up of bony processes for the attachment of muscles
to work the enormous jaws, and is not capacious as a
brain case ; nor is the bulldog's brain larger than that of
other dogs, as might at first be inferred from his enormous
skull.
82 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
However, it would be a mistake to assume that this
breed is quarrelsome, ferocious, or utterly destitute of any
attachment to his master. As in other breeds, much de-
pends on his treatment.
General Aj^pearcmce. — That of a smooth-coated, thick-
set dog, rather low in stature, but broad, powerful, and
compact. Its head is strikingly massive, and large in pro-
portion to the dog's size ; its face is extremely short ; its
muzzle very broad, blunt, and inclined upward ; its body
short and well-knit ; the limbs stout and muscular ; its
hind quarters very high and strong, but lightly made in
comparison with its heavily made fore-parts. " The dog
conveys an impression of determination, strength, and
activity similar to that suggested by the appearance of a
thick-set Ayrshire or Highland bull " (Standard).
The above seems to the author a very good description
of the dog, except that the last comparison scarcely meets
the case. We shall not go into further details except on
a few points, leaving the reader to observe them in the
cuts supplied.
Tail (stern). — Set on low, is round, smooth, thick at
root, tapering, low carried. Is apt to be deformed (screw-
tail).
Size. — Most desirable size about fifty pounds.
The ear preferred is the '' rose-ear," as opposed to the
" button-ear." In the former the organ folds back so as
to expose the inside.
The angles of the lips or flews are called the " chop " ;
and the back and loin, from rising into an arch, is termed
" roach-back " or " wheel-back."
Goat. — Fine, close, short, smooth (not wiry).
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 83
Colors. — Whole-colors and smuts (i. e., whole-color with
black mask or muzzle). It is worthy of note that the bull-
dog is the only breed in which the undershot jaw is called
for ; this, in conjunction with the turned-up muzzle, per-
mits of great holding power, and allows the animal to
breathe at the same time that his jaws are buried in the
flesh of the creature attacked. " Ugly " the bulldog may
be in one sense, but he is, or was, an example of beautiful
adaptation.
The Mastiff. — There have been other breeds named
mastiffs, but the mastiff is essentially an English dog,
dating back considerably more than half a century.
Physically he is one of the largest and certainly the
strongest and most muscular dog known, unless it be cer-
tain specimens of the great Dane (p. 352).
In the words of the standard of the Old English Mas-
tiff Club : In general character he has a " large, massive,
powerful, symmetrical, and well-knit frame. A combina-
tion of grandeur and good nature, courage and docility."
The mastiff is the watch-dog. In no other breed is
watching his master's property a pure instinct to the
same extent, a,nd this is the highest test of the strength
of any quality.
The mastiff at sight is not attractive in appearance to
all. He is not the embodiment of grace and activity ; but
if ever there was a good reliable dog, honest through and
through, that dog is the mastiff. He makes an admirable
companion for all, is perfectly gentle, and may be trusted
with women and children, to whom he will prove a faith-
ful protector. Of course there are occasional exceptions,
as with all breeds. As a watch-dog he has the great
34 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
merit of arresting and retaining the intruder without, as a
rule, seriously injuring him.
His voice is extremely low-pitched, and, though power-
ful, is not irritating.
General Appearance of Head. — " In general outline
giving a square appearance when viewed from any point.
Breadth greatly to be desired, and should be in ratio to
length of the whole head and face as two to three."
General Description of Body. — Massive, broad, deep,
long, powerfully built, or legs wide apart and squarely set.
Muscles sharply defined. Size a great desideratum if com-
bined with quality. Height and substance both important
if combined in due proportion.
Since 40 per cent, of the total value is assigned to
head, it may be well to describe it in detail.
Skull. — Broad between ears, forehead flat, wrinkled
when attention excited, brows slightly raised, muscles of
temples and cheeks (temporal and masseter) well developed.
Arch across skull a rounded, flattened curve ; a depression
up center of forehead from median line between^ eyes to
half way up sagittal suture.
Face or Muzzle.— ^\\OYi, broad under eyes, and nearly
parallel in width to end of nose, which is square-cut at
end and of great depth ; under-jaw broad to end ; canine
teeth powerful, sound, and wide apart ; incisors level (if
the lower jaw projects beyond the upper, teeth not visible
when mouth closed).
Length of muzzle to whole head and face as one to
three. Circumference of muzzle (measured midway be-
tween eyes and tip of nose) to that of head (measured be-
fore ears) as three to five.
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 86
The author believes it would greatly advance standard-
making if comparative measurements like the above were
generally given. Exact knowledge dissipates many preju-
dices, and prevents misunderstandings.
Ears. — Small, thin, wide apart, set on at highest points
of skull, lying flat and close to cheeks in repose.
Eyes. — Small, wide apart, divided by at least the space
equal to two eyes ; hazel-brown, the darker the better, and
showing no haw.
Nose. — Broad, flat in profile, nostrils wide.
Lips. — Diverging at obtuse angles with septum, and
slightly pendulous, so as to show a square profile.
Such a head is the very ideal of strength, massiveness,
and grandeur, and any one who has felt the bump of a
mastiff's head as he throws it about in play can under-
stand how bull-like in force his attack must be as he springs
against an intruder.
Such a head implies a neck and chest in proportion,
while these again should be balanced with good hind
parts, or an undesirable weakness will exist and be appa-
rent to the eye. The shoulders, chest, etc., are not those
of the hunting-dog, but of a wholly different type for
obvious reasons.
The legs and feet should be of a size to suggest
strength and due proportion.
Tail. — Set on high, reaching to hocks or a little lower,
wide at root and tapering to end, hanging straight in re-
pose, but forming a curve with end upward (but not over
back) under excitement.
Goat. — Short and close-lying.
Color. — Apricot, or silver fawn, or dark fawn brindle.
86 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
In any case, muzzle, ears, and nose black, with same color
round orbits and extending up between them.
The St. Bernard. — Of a dignified, sweet, and noble
expression of countenance, of majestic size, and beauti-
ful coat, color, and markings, with unbounded good na-
ture, courage, and sagacity, it is not surprising that this
breed is by far the most favored of the large dogs of
the day, though it is possible that some reaction may
follow his present amazing popularity for reasons to be
given later (p. 368).
Great importance is attached to size, to head, and to
markings, even to the detriment of the general soundness
of make-up of the breed, we fear ; though, so far as ex-
pression and character go, it is well to lay great stress on
them, for we must have the dog as well as the animal
form, which is somewhat apt to be overlooked by those
breeding show-dogs. Of what use is a mere mountain
of flesh without true character — i. e., without the proper
disposition and intelligence? These the judge can often
only ascertain by the expression and bearing of the dog,
and they should count high in the estimate of the animal
as a whole.
Head. — Like the whole body, very powerful and im-
posing. The massive skull is wide, slightly arched, and
sloping at the sides with a gentle curve into the very well-
developed cheek bones. Occiput slightly developed ; su-
pra-orbital ridge (brows) strongly pronounced, forming
nearly a right angle with the horizontal axis of the head.
Between the two supra-orbital arches and starting at root
of muzzle runs a furrow over whole skull, producing a
decided stop, which extends upward, getting more and
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 87
more shallow toward the base of occiput. Skin on fore-
head forms deep wrinkles, more or less distinct, and con-
verging from top of brows toward furrow over forehead.
Slope from skull to muzzle sudden and rather steep.
Muzzle. — Short, not " snipy," and depth at root (stop)
must be greater than length ; bridge of muzzle not arched,
and over its surface runs a rather wide, well-marked, shal-
low furrow. Flews of the upper jaw strongly developed,
not cut at right angles, but turning with a graceful curve
into the lower edge, and are slightly overhanging. Flews
of lower jaw not pendant. Teeth rather weak in propor-
tion to size of head. Black roof to mouth desirable.
J^ose. — Yery broad.
Ears. — Of medium size, set on high, with well-devel-
oped " burr " ; standing out slightly at base and dropping
with a sharp bend to the side, lying closely to head with-
out fold.
Eyes. — Placed more to front than to sides, of moderate
size, brown or nut-brown, set moderately deep, with a
sagacious and good-natured expression.
Shoulders. — Rather more sloping than in the mastiff.
Legs. — Massive.
Eeet. — Broad ; single or double dew-claws, set on low,
so as to broaden foot and prevent breaking through snow.
Tail. — Starting broad and powerful directly from
rump, is long, heavy, ending in a blunt tip ; carried down
in repose, but turning gently upward on the lower third ;
in action higher, but not over back or curled.
Coa^t.^Two breeds of St. Bernards are recognized,
differing only in coat, although many specimens interme-
diate in this feature are to be found.
88 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
In the smooth the coat is very dense, broken-haired
{Stoch-Haarig\ flat, tough without feehng rough to the
touch ; thighs sHghtly bushy. Tail at root covered with
longer and denser hair, gradually getting shorter toward
tip. Tail appears bushy, though not provided with a
" flag."
In the rough-coated dog the coat is long, flat, to slight-
ly wavy ; never to curl, be rolled, or shaggy.
Tail bushy ; hair not to be parted or feathered. Face
and ears covered with soft, short hair, long and silky ;
hair allowable at base of ears ; fore-legs slightly feathered ;
thighs very bushy.
Color and Markings. — Orange and orange-tawny are
now preferred, with white markings and dark shadings.
Whole-colored dogs are at a disadvantage. The follow-
ing white markings are absolutely necessary : White chest,
feet, tip of tail, muzzle (nose-band), and collar ; white spot
on nape, and a blaze are very desirable.
Dark shadings on face and ears are much esteemed.
Since the markings have much to do with the general
expression and character of the dog as it appears to the
eye, it is fitting that they should rank high ; but it is
manifestly easy to overestimate color in any dog kept for
a useful purpose. In the case of a toy dog the subject
assumes a wholly different aspect.
AU the large breeds of dogs are liable to similar de-
fects— viz., disproportion of parts and weakness in back,
and especially in parts behind the ribs. First-class legs
and feet, back, loin, and quarters, with correct and easy
movement, are rather the exception than the rule in the
Bhow St. Bernards of the day. Grand heads and great
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 89
size aiul weight liave been attained. The author attrib-
utes the defects, which seem to be more pronounced in St.
Bernards now than in other breeds, to the following
causes : Aiming to get vast size too speedily and by forced
feeding, causing a too rapid and consequently imperfect
growth ; the overuse of certain popular dogs in the stud,
enfeebling their constitutions and, of necessity, that of
their offspring ; judges favoring dogs that are giants in
size, though with the above defects, so that these dogs get
a factitious value in the stud and propagate their defects ;
insufficient exercise to develop bone, muscle, and stamina ;
show-dogs carrying too little muscle and too much fat
(lumber), which is greatly against health and high vitality ;
too much of the annatural surroundings of show life ;
the inadequate feeding of many rapidly-growing puppies,
causing rickets, etc.
In the interests of this noble breed these things should
be pondered.
Toy Dogs. — Several causes tend to render toy dogs
somewhat delicate. The small size demanded has led to
a constant selection of smaller and smaller specimens,
which, being naturally weaker and lacking in stamina,
have rendered the whole class difficult to rear and keep
in health. Being so much confined to the house, getting
but little exercise, and tempted with all sorts of tidbits,
indigestion and constipation, with the accompanying foul
breath, follow. But, ])y judicious breeding from dogs
small enough, yet healthy, and by due care in rearing, etc.,
these difficulties may be overcome.
Toy dogs are usually fairly intelligent, from their op-
portunities of mingling with mankind, but are apt, like
90 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
spoiled children, to be somewhat wayward and trouble
some, and so ready to bark on the entrance of strangers
that they may be considered in some sense watch-dogs.
They are in most instances kept more, however, for
their good looks than any other qualities they may pos-
sess ; hence, in the standards of these breeds, more im-
portance is attached to superficial characters than in the
case of utility dogs.
The principal toy breeds of Britain and America are
the pug, the toy spaniels, the Italian greyhound, toy ter-
riers (already described), and the Mexican hairless dog,
which is comparatively rare.
The Pug. — A dog of fair intelligence, moderately active,
with a very independent and conseqncntial bearing (p. 376).
In general form and appearance (tail excepted) very
like a diminutive mastiff, but entirely opposite in bearing
and disposition. He is essentially a squarely built, cobby
dog. Considering that head parts count thirty-five per
cent., and symmetry and general carriage fifteen per cent.,
or these together fifty per cent., we get a good idea of the
way toy dogs are rated.
Head. — Shull large, massive, round, with large and
deep wrinkles. Muzzle short, blunt, square, but not up-
turned as in the toy spaniel. Eyes very large, dark, bold,
prominent, globular, bright, soft, and soHcitous in expres-
sion. Ears thin, soft (velvety), small, either "rose" or
" button," the latter preferred.
Body, legs, and feet suitable to a cobby, strongly made
dog.
Tail curled as tightly as possible over the hip. The
double curl is perfection.
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 91
Coat fine, smooth, short, soft, glossy, neither hard nor
woolly.
Color^ silver or apricot fawn, very decided and pure.
Markings. — All to be clearly defined. Muzzle or
mask, ears, moles on cheeks, thumb-mark or diamond on
forehead, back-trace (dark line from occiput to tail) to be
as black as possible, and especially the mask.
Size. — A very compact dog of thirteen to seventeen
pounds. A leggy, lanky pug is not to be tolerated, as
such an one is wholly false to the type.
Toy Spaniels. — These are cobby, long-haired, small pets,
of an affectionate and docile disposition (p. 384).
Symmetry, condition, and size count twenty per cent,
and head parts about fifty per cent, of the total.
The different varieties are founded on color distinctions.
Head. — Skull well domed, almost semi-globular, pro-
jecting over eyes ; stop between eyes very deep ; muzzle
very short, with nose turned up between eyes ; lower jaw
wide between its rami or divisions, and fitted well to
the upper, with lips concealing teeth ; eyes wide apart,
with eyelids square to line of face, large, lustrous, very
dark, with pupils mdely dilated ; ears very long, measur-
ing twenty to twenty-two inches from tip to tip, set low,
heavily feathered. The ears are longer in the King
Charles than in the Blenheim.
Tail. — Usually docked to length of three to four inches.
Not to be carried above level of back.
Coat. — Long, silky, soft, wavy but not curly. In the
Blenheim a profuse mane extends well down front of
chest. Legs and feet well feathered, also tail, so that a
" flag " of a square shape results.
92 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
Color Varieties. — King Charles : Glossy black and deep
tan — i. e., with tan spots over eyes and on cheeks, legs,
etc.
Blenheim: A ground of pearly white, with large patches
of rich chestnut or ruby-red evenly distributed ; ears and
cheeks red, with a blaze of white extending from nose up
to forehead and ending between the ears in a crescentic
curve. In the center of this blaze there should be a clear
" spot " of red of the size of a sixpence.
Tricolor or Charles I. spaniel : Like the last, but mth
black instead of red ; ears and area beneath tail should
be lined with tan. This breed has no '' spot."
Ruby : A uniform red ; nose black.
It is difficult to breed King Charles spaniels free from
white.
Size. — Cobby little dogs of about ten pounds weight.
The Italian Greyhound. — An active, lithe, graceful little
creature, rather delicate and very sensitive to cold (p. 388).
The more nearly he approaches the greyhound in
shape the better ; but he is not likely to have so good a
head. The skull is apt to be relatively wider, the muzzle
shorter, and the ears larger and not so well carried. The
eyes are much larger and very soft in expression, but
" weeping " is not tolerated as in the toy spaniel.
Coat is short, soft, and silky.
Color (value fifteen per cent.), fawns much preferred.
Symmetry (value fifteen per cent.) is naturally high in
a toy.
Size (value fifteen per cent.), dogs not to exceed seven
to seven and a half pounds, bitches five to six pounds.
The Schipperke. — Imported from the Continent of
CLASSIFICATION OF DOGS. 93
Europe, especially Belgium, this breed has lately come into
some favor both in Britain and America. It is remarkable
in being tailless. This dog is a very active, small, long-
haired, blixck animal, suggesting the fox in head and gen-
eral appearance, though much higher on the leg (p. 392).
The Whippet. — A small cross-bred dog of the grey-
hound type, much used in competitive racing over short
courses, for the enjoyment of the onlookers.
The Mexican Hairless Dog. — This small breed is almost
destitute of hair. The skin is somewhat copper-colored,
spotted more or less with black.
In concluding this account of the breeds of dogs recog-
nized in British and American shows, and almost the only
ones known as companions to those speaking the English
language, we remind the reader of the principles which we
have already stated as underlying breeding and the forma-
tion of standards — viz., that the form and physical and
psychical characters of each breed should correspond with
a type or ideal founded on the purpose for which the
breed is used or supposed to be used. Unless this is con-
stantly kept in view there is no limit to which the vaga-
ries of mankind or the caprices of fashion may cause a
departure from Nature, and therefore from sound sense.
A second principle is the one which we have not yet
insisted upon, because less important and not so likely to
be neglected, to the effect that every breed should be
sufficiently distinct in type to merit an independent ex-
istence. Unless something is to be gained of downright
worth, it is only a useless expenditure of energy, that
might be employed in perfecting existing valuable breeds,
to set about the formation of new ones. A merely popu-
94 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
lar craze, which must be in the nature of the case fleeting,
or pecuniary gain to a few, can not be sufficient warrant
for disregarding, as this implies, the importance of the
work of generations of breeders that have passed away by
thus attempting to replace their well-earned results in
the formation of noble breeds of dogs by new varieties
without new merits.
THE MANAGEMENT OF DOGS IN HEALTH.
Our object should be to develop dogs to the utmost,
both physically and psychically. Mongrel specimens are
so much more easily kept in health that the directions
given in this part of the work will be supposed to refer to
the most highly-bred animals, unless otherwise stated.
Management resolves itself chiefly into housing, feed-
ing, exercise, grooming, etc. ; amusement, training, and
occupation ; also breeding in all its aspects.
On every one of these topics the most diverse — indeed,
totally opposite — opinions have been expressed, which is
probably to be explained by the limited experience of the
writers and their inability to perceive that the application
of principles must vary with circumstances.
So that every reader may be able to judge for himself,
the writer proposes to lay stress on principles rather than
their application, since only sound judgment will ever in-
sure good practice, and the formation of that judgment, in
so far as it can be formed by the perusal of any work, is best
secured by clearly setting forth those fundamental princi-
ples of Nature which must underlie all applications. When
these are distinctly grasped, " rule of thumb " will be im-
possible, and all experience will prove really useful, as it
THE MANAGEMENT OF DOGS IN HEALTH. 95
must tend to establish principles ; and then they become
like the compass in actual practice. The possession of a
compass will not make a man a mariner or explorer. On
the other hand, he can not become either in any worthy
sense without it ; so is it with underlying principles.
In the understanding of the dog no advice can be better
than that of the old Greek, " Know thyself." Of all the
lower animals none is so like man as the dog, unless per-
haps the monkey ; but of the latter this is true only in a
certain sense. The monkey does not respond sympathetic-
ally to our moods and our environment like the dog.
This idea will be the key to this book throughout, and
by making it so the author hopes to bring the whole sub-
ject mthin easier and more effective grasp of both the
professional and non-professional reader.
If dogs were generally viewed as we do children of
different ages, their whole nature and management would
be better comprehended ; at least such is the view to
which the best study we have been able to give to animals
generally, and the dog in particular, for a long period has
led us.
In the entire management of the dog two things must
ever be kept in mind — his origin from wild ancestors on
the one hand, and on the other the great modification
he has undergone during ages of association with man, in
consequence of which he has been assimilated to mankind
in numberless respects, both physically and otherwise.
The whole problem is greatly simplified if only one
breed of dogs is kept, for so great are the differences in the
breeds as to disposition and bodily habitudes that the
treatment that is adapted to one does not suit another
96 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
The views of those who have kept only one breed must
therefore often seem unsatisfactory to those who have al-
ways been associated with one of opposite tendencies.
In the end, whatever the advantages of specialization, and
they are very great, careful comparison and correlation
can alone lead to deductions at once safe and broad.
The writer will endeavor, so far as possible, to avoid
narrow views that apply to but a measurable extent, and
while the limitations of space will prevent exhaustive dis-
cussion, the foundations for conclusions and practice will
be laid as broad as possible.
The Housii^ of Dogs.^If even but one dog be kept, and
he a house-dog, experience has taught that he will prove
more satisfactory if there be some other place than the
house to which he can retire for a time daily. The dog
appreciates his privileges more and deports himself better.
In the case of several dogs, it is needless to say that a spe-
cial home or kennel is necessary.
The best conception of a kennel is that it is a canine
home, and that all its arrangements must be shaped in
harmony with this view. It should therefore be not only
a comfortable and healthy, but a happy, attractive place.
The chief considerations ^ for health are, as in a human
habitation, light, ventilation, temperature, drainage, cleanli-
ness, absence of dampness, etc. In the absence of any
one of these, dogs can not be healthy any more than human
beings ; in fact, owing to their being usually less separated,
there is the more need to attend to them ; for it would be
a mistake to assume that a pure-bred dog can be kept in
the best condition under circumstances very much less
favorable than those suited to a rugged man.
THfi MANAOEMENT OP DOGS IN HEALTH. 97
In addition to the above, if tlie arrangements of tlie
kennel permit of some regard to tlie beautiful, it will not
be witliou': its effect on the inmates, though this is of
course a subordinate matter ; but of all creatures the dog
is most influenced for good or ill by his surroundings.
Dampness is perhaps of all evils, after extreme crowd-
ing, the greatest in connection wdth a kennel. With a
damp kennel it is impossible to keep dogs in health, and
this condition w^ill sooner or later ruin the best collection
of dogs that can be got together, no matter what their
stamina.
A good foundation, then, which will prevent the damp-
ness of the soil from effecting the kennel, is desirable in
any case, and absolutely essential if the soil is clayey or
adapted in any way to retain moisture. If the soil is light,
it will be well, if no foundation is used, to make a bottom
of loam and ashes, the latter being in large proportion.
The slope of the ground is of some importance.
Dampness may arise from hoar-frost on the walls in
very cold weather if no artificial heat be used ; and though
this is not so injurious as that which arises from a bad
floor, it is nevertheless a serious objection, especially when
the severity of the weather mitigates. Of course brick and
stone walls are more liable to favor such dampness than
wooden ones.
The outlook of every kennel should be toward the
south, so that it shall at no season of the year be devoid of
the heat and light of the sun, and if direct so much the
better in the winter. Exaggerated stress can not be laid
on the value of sunlight, and it is scarcely too much to
say that animals can not be kept in health without it.
98 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
A dark kennel is a wretched dog prison, unfavorable
alike to health and canine happiness.
There are special reasons why kennels should be well
ventilated. However cleanly dogs may be, and however
well their tendencies to be so may be encouraged, it will
happen that excretions will lie on the kennel floor at times.
Apart from the vitiation of the atmosphere, there is that
more fatal poisoning that arises through emanations from
the lungs and skin of the animals. At the same time ven-
tilation must be accomplished without draught, except in
the hottest days of summer, when a slight breeze is as re-
freshing as to ourselves. But draughts, even in summer, at
night, are a fruitful source of diarrhoeas, other disturbances
of digestion, etc. Yentilating-shafts through the roof,
that can be closed to a greater or less extent as occasion
demands, prove successful. In addition, the kennels may
be well aired several times a day, when the animals are out,
by the doors and window^s.
If the space can be afforded, the plan that has worked
so well in some educational institutions, and, as w^e happen
to know, in some very large kennels, should be provided
for, w^hich is having certain rooms or compartments used
only half the time — e. g., room A is used to-day as the habi-
tation of the dogs while room B is being cleaned thor-
oughly and abundantly aired, w^hile on the succeeding
day room B will be occupied. This is far in advance of all
other methods when it can be adopted.
If the climate will permit, it is to our mind clear that
hardier dogs will be reared if no artificial heat be used in
the kennel. It is preferable even to blanket the dogs,
though that is not as easily carried out as with horses ;
THE MANAGEMENT OP DOGS IN HEALTH. 99
but with thick walls, filled between the boards with saw-
dust and covered with tar-paper within, with boxes large
enough to hold two dogs in winter, and abundance of
good straw, except in the coldest climates the kennel need
not be heated.
The danger from artificial heat arises in the changes
in the temperature likely to result, for such irregularities
will utterly derange the health of the strongest dogs. If
a constant temperature of about 65° to 60° Fahr. could
be maintained in severe weather, hoar-frost would be kept
from the walls and the animals would no doubt be more
comfortable. The expense of the planking would prob-
ably be saved in food, as it is well known that all animals
consume food in proportion to the temperature of the sur-
rounding air.
But sudden changes — now a fire and again none — are
utterly demoralizing.
After these vital considerations of light, heat, ventila-
tion, dryness, etc., come many minor ones of great impor-
tance to the kennel manager, and of no less moment in the
development of the dogs. We have stated our view that a
kennel should be made a healthful, happy home, and not a
mere lodging place. To insure this, as with a family of
human beings, the individual dog or the individuality of
the members must be considered as well as the community.
Dogs of different breeds do not usually get on very well
together, and dogs differ so in disposition, even when of
the same breed, that the kennel arrangements must, to be
successful, meet these facts.
Several smaller compartments are better than a few
larger ones. Bitches and dogs must be kept apart absolute-
100 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
Ij at certain periods ; old dogs and puppies rarely agree,
while sometimes the very best mode of correction of mis-
conduct in a dog, as in a child, is solitary confinement for
a time. It is also often desirable to associate dogs of
opposite temperament occasionally.
Every kennel should be so arranged as to permit of the
free and full natural development of the individuality of
each dog. To allow one dog to be bullied or cowed by
another, not to say worried or perhaps killed, as not infre-
quently happens in some kennels, is culpable negligence
and cruelty.
The more orderly, systematic, and complete the arrange-
ments of any kennel, the better both for the kennel mana-
ger and the dogs. It will mean a saving of energy, the
avoidance of anxiety and worry to him, and comfort,
health, and happiness to the canine household.
There should be a place for everything and everything
in its place, as in any well-ordered establishment.
As to the exact buildings and internal arrangements by
which all this is to be carried out we have not the space
to speak ; and indeed these must necessarily vary with the
number of dogs kept and the depth of the owner's purse
to some extent ; though a good kennel need not be an ex-
pensive one, nor the latter a good one.
Cleanliness is important both in reference to health
and the character of the dog. Much can be done to render
dogs cleanly in habits, but to prevent evil results arising
from urine and fa3ces that will inevitably be deposited
on the kennel floor, special precautions must be taken.
The most essential at the outset is a suitable floor ;
the very best is one of concrete, which, though expensive
THE MANAGEMENT OF DOGS IN HEALTH. 101
at first, is economical in the end. A wooden floor, being
repeatedly wet with urine, soon gets saturated, foul, and
rotten, favoring the breeding of fleas, etc.
Fresh pine sawdust, not too fine, spread on the floor to
the depth of tv/o inches, disinfects or deodorizes stools and
catches much of the urine, thus saving the floor and obviat-
ing the evils that would otherwise arise. But this can be
spread on a concrete floor also, and the latter can be fre-
quently washed over and will dry much sooner than a
wooden floor, especially if very warm water be used.
Some prefer benches or raised platforms for the dogs to
lie on. For large dogs with long coats, that do not readi-
ly feel cold, they serve well enough ; but in most instances
a cheap packing box, never resting directly on the floor,
open only in front to allow of ingress and egress, and well
supplied with straw, answers a better purpose. They are
warm, and allow the dog the independence and privacy of
his own little room. If he wishes a partner, he can take
one ; if not, he can keep the intruder out, and in no case
should one dog be allowed to drive another out of his bed.
It does the character of both harm. Such movable boxes
can be readily cleaned and disinfected, or when hopelessly
infested with vermin, burned and replaced at slight ex-
pense. In summer, when it is excessively warm, the ken-
nel inmates often prefer to lie on top of the boxes, or
simply on the floor.
Feeding. — This subject, being of such vast importance
and one in regard to which the greatest difference in the-
ory and practice obtains among breeders, deserves more
than passing notice, especially since errors in feeding are
responsible for a large proportion of canine ills.
102 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
So that the whole subject may be grasped in a rational
manner, we remind the reader of certain well-established
physiological principles.
All foodstuffs for animals are divisible into —
I. Organic.
1. Nitrogenous : (a) albumins ; ip) albuminoids (as gela-
tin).
2. ]^on-nitrogenous : {a) carbohydrates (sugars, starches) ;
(5) fats.
II. Inorganic.
1. Water.
2. Salts.
Every animal to remain in health must have all of the
above in its diet, as has been abundantly proved by experi-
ments— i. e., the food must be cheinically adequate. But,
in addition, food must be in such a form that the digestive
juices can attack it — i. e., it must be j^Jiysically suitable ;
and finally it must be suited to the peculiar organization
of each animal, which Nature expresses by what we term
liking — i. e., the food in question must be craved. If a
diet fails in any of these respects it is not suitable. But
however good any article of diet in itself, a change is ab-
solutely essential from time to tune.
We have no hesitation in saying that the whole art of
feeding dogs or other animals consists in the judicious
application of these few principles.
It is well known that nearly all animals, and certainly
all dogs, will accept milk with avidity. Milk is a perfect
food because it meets all the above requirements. It is
what Nature has provided for all young mammals.
But observation shows that wild mammals do not alL
THE MANAGEMENT OF DOGS IN HEALTH. 103
choose the same foodstuffs, though all their foods meet the
above conditions ; and according as they derive their sup-
plies from the bodies of other animals, from the vegetable
kingdom alone or from both, are they termed carnivora,
herbivora, or omnivora.
It is found that while the digestive apparatus has a
common resemblance in all, it varies in details of size,
structure, etc.
In the carnivora the stomach is always simple and the
intestine relatively short, especially the large gut ; in the
herbivora the stomach is always in part a reservoir for the
storing of food as well as an organ for its digestion, and is
often much divided into compartments, each with a differ-
ent function, while the intestine, especially the large in-
testine, is voluminous. The digestive tract of the omniv-
ora is somewhat intermediate, but approximates that of
the carnivora rather than of the herbivora.
In type the dog is unquestionably carnivorous in both
organization and tendencies, as is shown in a puppy's
eagerness for a bone almost as soon as its eyes are open.
Nevertheless, it must not be forgotten that habit for
ages has greatly modified this tendency, and with the
dog's altered environment there must come changed feed-
ing.
Experience proves exactly what we should expect from
the dog's ancestral relationships, that the more he ap-
proaches in mode of life the carnivora, with their ex-
tremely active habits, the more completely may he be fed
on flesh — in fact, must he be so fed if he is to prosper —
e. g., dogs hunted hard daily Duiy be fed better on a flesh
diet than on any other, perhaps, in the large proportion
;lo4 the dog in health.
of cases. On the other hand, to feed a house-dog on flesh
entirely is simply to invite the onset of disease.
However, as we should suppose, no dietary for the dog
can ever be considered complete from which meat or its
equivalent is wholly excluded. Such practice ignores
completely the origin of this animal. But between these
two extremes lies that territory in which there is the
greatest room for discretion — in fact, the closest observa-
tion and study, especially when several dogs of different
breeds are kept together.
Even under identical circumstances all the dogs of a
kennel must not be fed alike ; and it is the failure to per-
ceive these differences for breeds, and especially for indi-
viduals, that is the fertile source of so much wretchedness
for dogs ; for certainly more than one half of all cases of
skin disease, diarrhoea, etc., arise from dietetic errors.
We find breeders of experience advocating the most
opposite kinds of feeding. One all meat, the other little
or none ; one abundance of milk, another condemning it
as the source of disease ; one plenty of vegetables, another
opposing them as unnatural ; one advocating corn-meal
as cheap and wholesome, another declaring it unfit for the
dog under any circumstances ; one flesh in the raw state,
another only when it is cooked, etc.
We think these divergent views can be reconciled.
So long as any diet meets the conditions set forth above, it
may vary in many respects and yet prove suitable under a
different environment ; in a word, it must ever be borne
in mind that the food viust vary with the environ-
ment.
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TIIH ]\rANAGEMJ]NT OF DOGS IN HEALTH. 106
already laid such stress, tlie A\-liole matter will become
plainer to tlie most unscientific or inexperienced.
As are the waj^s of men so are the ways of dogs — in
feeding as in other matters. Our own diet, when we fol-
low our instincts freely, is made to vary with the season,
the climate, mode of life, and a thousand other things we
can not always define. Exactly so is it with dogs — alto-
gether more so than with any other of our domestic ani-
mals.
The diet of the plowman or lumberman differs widely
from that of the clerk or bookkeeper ; and if the latter
were to change his occupation, he would soon be under
the necessity of altering his diet to a more nitrogenous
one — i. e., one in which flesh, etc., was more prominent ;
though we have in the Highlanders of Scotland a people
that flourished on oatmeal and milk. But then milk and
meat are similar in nutritive qualities if not in effect on
the activities of the body.
Whole kennels of mastiffs have been kept largely on
horseflesh. But these dogs roamed the country fields, had
abundance of exercise, pure air, etc.
Certain vegetables when cooked — such as carrots, cab-
bage, etc.— furnish little nutriment for man or dog, but
they do under certain circumstances serve to rectify the
workings of the machinery of life. They are in a sense
medicines or correcti\^es rather than foods. Plainly they
are not at all necessary under some circumstances, and
may be positively injurious in some cases, as in dogs hunt-
ing day after day. But why does the dog nibble grass,
etc., if green vegetables serve no purpose under any cir-
cumstances ?
IQQ THE DOG IN HEALTH.
Milk ill large quantities contiimously tends to dilate,
render flaccid, and to weaken the digestive tract; yet,
used with discretion, there can be no better food for man
or dog than milk.
A diet of porridge and milk is a good diet, but not
constantly and without change. We have in such a diet
all that is involved in the principles we have set forth as
established. It has the merit of being very easily digested ;
])ut in some conditions of the stomach, induced by certain
modes of hfe, as we ourselves know, it is not rehshed or
well-borne by men, nor, as observation also teaches us, by
dogs.
The problem as to the amount and form of a meat
diet often arises for practical solution.
As a rule, cooked meat is the best to be fed in large
quantity. Eaw meat, moreover, may contain parasites or
their germs, hence it should be fed sparingly and be
closely examined. Eaw liver is on this account danger-
ous, though a little cooked liver acts nicely as a gentle
aperient to the digestive tract. The habit of throwing
sheep's-heads and ox-heads to dogs is also open to the same
objection (parasites). Beef and mutton are the best meats
for dogs.
But it is difficult to conceive of a more suitable and
agreeable meal for a dog than such as may be prepared by
boiling sheep's-heads (or ox-heads) till the flesh falls off and
the ligaments, etc., are reduced to a gelatin. A rich broth,
which may be slightly flavored with salt, and a large part
of the fat skimmed off (in most instances), results. After
removal of the bones, the whole may be allowed to set, aft-
er some of the broth has been removed, perhaps, and the
THE MANAGEMENT OF DOGS IN HEALTH. 107
solids minced. This preparation may be mixed with por-
ridge made of oatmeal, corn-meal, wheat-meal, etc., or stale
bread, broken biscuits, or such like, which furnish the
necessary proportion of starchy food. A small proportion
of vegetables may be boiled with the above, to flavor, etc.
Certain it is that all meal preparations should be boiled
till reduced to a jelly, for a dog's stomach is no more
adapted to digest raw or half -cooked meals than a man's.
It is probably this ill-prepared meal food, such as may do
for fowls, that has been condemned by so many breeders,
and rightly ; but their disapproval is not wisely extended
to good porridge. However for summer use especially,
wheat-meal porridge serves a better purpose than either
corn-meal or oatmeal. It is less apt to cause irritation of
the diixestive tract, and reflex effects which show them-
selves in irritation of the skin.
Yery generally the question of economy is an impor-
tant one. In Britain and on the Continent of Europe
horseflesh is obtainable at a low price. In America not
so easily, perhaps ; but butchers' offal — such as heads of
oxen and sheep, the '' pluck " (heart, liver), etc. — may be
secured cheaply, and makes excellent food in the hands
of a discreet kennel manager ; but in no case should such
food be given raw.
Kaw flesh in small quantity occasionally acts like a
tonic to nearly all dogs, however kept.
What of patent foods, such as Spratts's? Yery admira-
ble preparations, most convenient, saving much trouble,
but rather expensive, and not suitable for continuous use
as the sole food any more than any uniform diet that can
be devised. Change is at the foundation of life itself, and
;|^0g THE DOG IN HEALTH.
must be recognized by all who would understand the man^
agement of dogs.
Starchy foods if given in excess tend to digestive de-
rangement (fermentation, etc.) and favor skin disease.
Meal in excess is unduly exciting, and will also cause in-
flammation of the skin and other disturbances. Milk
alone and uninterruptedly is too bulky, and enfeebles the
digestive tract.
A mixed diet, in proper proportion and properly
cooked, will suit most of the conditions under which the
dog is kept better than any other. Cakes or biscuits made
of the entire wheat, ground moderately line, make good
food, and may at times be fed dry to advantage.
The question of quantity is of very great importance.
Experience shows that the tendency is usually to overfeed.
The result is digestive troubles, an undue taxing of all
those organs that get rid of the waste or poisons of the
body, with numberless reflex disturbances which in the
dog, for reasons to be explained later, generally express
themselves on the skin.
But the quantity must vary not only with the breed
and size of the dog, but, above all, with his surroundings
and the amount of exercise he gets.
A dog that is worked to the fullest extent may proba-
l)ly nearly always be left to be his own judge as to when
he has had enough of food. But under any other circum-
stances this would scarcely be a safe rule for all dogs.
Some are gluttons, and would constantly be out of condi-
tion if fed as much as they would eat. But a pack of
hounds hunting daily will scarcely eat too much — even the
most ravenous dogs being able to use up, in the long-con-
THE MANAGEMENT OF DOGS IN HEALTH. 109
tinued and violent exercise tliey get, the material (source
of energy) which they store up in their tissues.
Some dogs are such uncertain and capricious feeders
that their cai-e taxes to the utmost the skill of the most
judicious. Such specimens are commonly defective in
stamina, easily disordered, and unsuitable either as stud
dogs or brood bitches, as their progeny are apt to inherit
these undesirable qualities.
A word of warning may be in place regarding bones.
While useful as indicated above, when very hard they
wear down the teeth, and it is often a question whether
they should be allowed to old dogs at all. They clean a
dog's teeth, and if they can be secured of the right kind it
is well not to withhold them entirely. But very hard
bones, and those which when broken present sharp edges,
as those of fowls and of game birds, are absolutely unsafe,
as there can be no doubt that they have caused death
by puncturing the digestive tract, especially the intes-
tines.
A question much debated is the frequency of feeding.
Should an adult dog be fed only once, twice, or oftener,
during the day? To all such questions no categorical
answer can be given. Circumstances must be taken into
account. It has been said that the dog's stomach is large
and his digestion slow ; that the carnivora often subsist for
days on a single meal, etc., and therefore the dog should
be fed only once a day.
The dog's stomach is rather large as compared with
man's ; but the rapidity of his digestion depends greatly on
a variety of circumstances. Digestion is less rapid when
the stomach is distended, and in an animal in a gross con-
110 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
dition, as compared with one not thus burdened with
flesh.
The argument from the wild carnivora must not be
pushed too far, since their mode of life is very different
Fig, 3.— Stomach op the Dog.
A, CEsophagus ; B, Pylorus.
In the Dog and Cat the ventriculus is but little curved, and is pear-shaped, the
small extremity corresponding to the pylorus. The cardia is dilated like a
funnel, and is nearer the left extremity of the organ than in other animals.
The oesophageal mucous membrane is not continued beyond the margin of that
orifice. The simple stomach of the carnivora forms only a single sac, whose in-
ternal mucous membrane presents, throughout its whole extent, the same or-
ganization as the membrane lining the right sac of solipeds. This membrane
is remarkable for the regular and undulated folds it forms when the stomach
is empty. Nothing is more variable than the capacity of the dog's stomach,
because of the great differences in the size of this animal, according to breed.
M. Colin has found the minimum to be 1^ pints, and the maximum to be 1^
gallons ; he calculates the average to be about '2)4 quarts. In the cat, the
average is from 2 to 2X gills. (Cut and description from Chaveau.)
from that of the dog at the present time. More reliable
instruction may be got from a study of ourselves.
THE MANAGEMENT OF DOGS IN HEALTH. m
Some moil eat four times a day, others three times, and
some only once; and those who have varied their habits
in this respect know th;it the result is often much the
same whether the individual eats twice or three times
daily.
The actual quantity of food taken is the principal
thing. However, there are persons who, having tried dif-
ferent methods, hnd that the number of times food is taken
greatly modifies their comfort and efficiency.
So far as the feeding of packs of hounds and large
kennels is concerned, convenience, rather than any exact
study of the question, has probably determined that the
dogs shall be fed but once in twenty -four hours, and then
allowed as much as they care to eat. The result is that
the animals, being very hungry, gorge themselves to dis-
tention, and lie about in a very lazy manner for some time
afterward, and in this they no doubt imitate their wild
congeners.
But it seems more than doubtful whether this is the
best way, regarded from the point of view of the dog's
welfare rather than the keeper's convenience.
Dogs, like other animals, require more food and a
larger proportion of fatty food in winter than in summer ;
and to feed a dog but once a day during the severe weather
of winter seems little short of cruelty in the larger propor-
tion of cases.
A light breakfast of, say, porridge and milk, or a few
wheat-meal biscuits, with a good meal at night, will prob-
ably serve the best purpose. But to all rules there are
exceptions, and some dogs will do much better if fed but
once a day, even when getting a moderate amount of ex-
112 THE DOG m HEALTH.
ercise, which latter has been assumed throughout in the
discussion of this subject.
Again, with very hard-worked hunting dogs a break-
fast has only proved in some cases a source of indigestion
and diarrhoea. But, in any case, dogs should never be
hunted or violently exercised just after a meal. It has
been proved that in such cases food may remain for
hours undigested in the stomach, the animal's energies
being used up, especially by the muscular system.
Dogs may be allowed such exercise as they will them-
selves take in play just after a meal, or veiy soon after, at
all events.
The feeding of toy dogs, on account of their delicacy
of constitution and unnatural mode of life, requires special
care. Meat must be sparingly given, yet not absolutely
withheld. Milk and its various preparations with eggs,
may be well substituted, with stale bread, biscuits, etc.
When only a single dog is kept, as is perhaps usually the
case, table scraps make an excellent fare, given twice a
day in moderation, but avoiding rich gravies and pastry
except in small quantity. In the large majority of cases
the family dog is fed too often and too much, and were
it not that he is generally a hardy mongrel, the results
would be more frequently manifest in skin disease and
other troubles. Rice is an excellent staple, when well
boiled, for toy dogs that are poor feeders.
When dogs are allowed many bones of a kind that
can be masticated and swallowed, they ai'c apt to become
constipated, owing to the excess of lime, etc., forming in-
soluble soaps in the intestine.
Errors in feeding are responsible for more derange-
THE MANAGEMENT OF DOGS IN HEALTH. 113
ments of the dog than perhaps all other causes put to-
gether ; hence we have dwelt on this subject.
The views set forth may be thus summarized : The
diet should be a mixed one in which all the essential food-
stuffs are duly represented. Meat may occasionally, under
exceptional circumstances, be safely and wisely given as the
exclusive diet ; usually it can be allowed only in limited
quantity, but in no case must it be permanently withheld.
Vegetables are to be regarded as correctives rather than as
foods. Of all the cereals, wheat, ground moderately fine
and used to make bread, biscuits, and porridge, is the
best. Oatmeal and corn-meal answer a good purpose,
especially in winter. Milk is useful, but not in large
quantities at a time, nor continuously. Bones under due
precautions serve an excellent purpose. Patent foods are
good, but not as a staple or for continuous use.
Whatever foods be employed, variety is of the utmost
importance. The less exercise a dog gets, and the more
unfavorable his surroundings, ' the greater the care ne-
cessary in regard to food in all except its nutritive quali-
ties. With the hard-worked animal the latter is of the
greatest moment.
The actual quantity consumed within a given period is
of more consequence than the intervals at which food is
given. As a rule, twice in twenty-four hours will be quite
sufficient, with many exceptions in favor of one daily
meal.
In all matters relating to feeding, the circumstances
under which the animal lives, and its individual peculiari-
ties, must be carefully considered.
114
THE DOG IN HEALTH.
EXERCISE AND OCCUPATION.
The dog still retains, in most breeds, the activity that
is characteristic of the group to which he belongs — the
carnivora.
He no longer, it is true, seeks prey, but he naturally
hunts some form of life by inherited tendency, and man
avails himself of this to train the dog to various kinds of
hunting, to watching, guarding, etc.
Exercise and occu])ation we couple together, because
the former is best secured with the latter, since it naturally
follows that the sort of development, both physical and
psychical, which adapts him for the intended use must be
best. Apart altogether from this, however, dogs, like
other animals, indeed much more so than most others, re-
quire exercise to keep them in health. We can not dis-
regard with impunity any animal's ancestral or inherited
tendencies. To do so is to overlook the true nature of the
animal. So that if a dog can not be taken to fields or
woods, he should l)e given the opportunity somewhere not
only to walk, but to romp freely. Exercise should be pleas-
ant ; the dog must have some opportunity to gratify his
instinctive tendencies, or exercise will be so destitute of the
element of occupation or interest that it will accomplish
but a small part of its purpose. To lead a dog out by a
chain is better than no exercise at all, but it is at best but
a poor substitute. To keep any dog constantly chained is
simply downright cruelty. The yard should always, when
at all possible, allow of moderate exercise and freedom.
In only exceptional cases will a dog take too much
exercise in a yard, however large. But, even with the
EXERCISE AND OCCUPATION. II5
freedom such circunistances permit, every dog should be
introduced daily, weather permitting, to the larger outer
world, for change, to develop his intelligence and to stimu-
late him to greater efforts and attainments.
We shall treat the whole management of puppies later,
when their exercise, etc., will be specially considered.
It would puzzle the best physiologist to explain fully
why exercise is so beneficial. It seems to be a part of the
actual constitution of protoplasm, that foundation for all
function, to be in constant though varying action. What
we term rest is only diminished activity ; and that princi-
ple of change to which attention has been called as regards
diet is but a special application of that law of incessant
change which seems to be essential in all life-processes.
It is a change in the life of muscle to pass from "rest" or
diminished activity to greater activity and back again.
Hence rest and exercise can not be separated in a healthy
existence. With continuous rest or continuous activity,
failure of vital powers is inevitable. Under exercise the
circulation is quickened with a corresponding increase in
every function of the body. Dogs are very subject to
constipation, yet observe how freely a dog will empty
the bowels during a ramble in the fields. Exercise fills
the lungs with fresh air; the dog beholds new sights,
hears new sounds, sniffs fresh scents, and is stimulated in
every fiber of his being.
But let exercise, good as it is in itself, be carried be-
yond a certain point, and the result is harm rather than
good. An exhausted dog is not ready to digest food —
good evidence that his exercise has been an injury.
It is not usual to give dogs when brought in from ex-
-j^-j^g THE DOG IN HEALTH.
ercise as much care as horses ; but there is the same neces-
sity for it. The dog takes cold also, and if he does not
show his derangement in the same way, it is not to be in-
ferred that it is a matter of indifference whether he is al-
lowed to throw himself down anywhere, or whether he is
groomed as is the horse. It adds enormously to the
value of exercise, and diminishes all its risks, to see that
afterward the dog is rubbed dry if wet, and mud or dust
removed — in a word, to make sure that his skin is re-
duced to a comfortable and healthy condition ; and if to
this the dog be shampooed or manipulated like an athlete
in training, the results for good will be as satisfactory as
they may be surprising to those who have not been accus-
tomed to observe such things.
It is difficult to convince kennel men that these details
are of great importance, but, in the light of physiology,
they are not difficult to understand, as will presently be
seen.
It will be much more satisfactory to accustom dogs to
exercise before meals ; in fact, exercise of a violent char-
acter after a large meal is directly contra-indicated. The
dog's energy should then be directed to his digestive sys-
tem, and not diverted to his muscles; and it must be
borne in mind that about one quarter of all the blood in
the body is distributed to the muscular system, with a
corresponding diversion of nervous energy.
Occupation founded on natural instincts, which fur-
nishes the best amusement for the dog, is too often neg-
lected. It is essential for the best pliysical and psychical
development. Tins, of course, varies with the breed ; but
a dog that is a mere loafer is not apt to be any more a de-
THE CARE OF THE DOG'S SKIN. I17
sirable companion than the liunian being of Hke character.
Xo dog is naturally such, and it is almost cruel to force
such a life upon him.
The difficulties in large cities of meeting these require-
ments as to exercise and occupation are considerable, but
the writer is of opinion that unless a dog can be kept
without perverting his nature, he should not be kept at all ;
and in most circumstances a little thoughtful consideration
will overcome the hindrances to natural development.
THE CARE OF THE DOG'S SKIN.
The skin in all animals serves three main purposes:
(1) It is a means of communication with the outer world,
or a collection of sense-organs which have to do with
"feeling" in its widest acceptation. (2) It is an organ
or collection of organs for getting rid of the waste of the
body — an excretory apparatus. (3) It is protective in a
mechanical way and against loss of heat.
In the dog the first and the third functions seem to be
most developed. As to the first, little need be said now.
The protective functions of the animal's skin reside chief-
ly in the hair, which is kept more or less oily, and thus
shielded against wet, by the oil-secreting glands {sebaceous
(/lands) connected with the individual hairs. Small mus-
cles attached to the hair-follicles permit of the erection
of the hair. Sudorific or sweat-glands are less abundant
in the skin of the dog than in that of man or the horse.
We take the opportunity here of referring to the
whole subject of excretion briefly, as it will not only ren-
der the understanding of the dog's skin the more clear, but
throw light on other subjects to be considered hereafter.
118
THE DOG IN HEALTH.
The whole body of an animal must be regarded as a
sort of factory, in which numberless chemical processes
Fig. 4.— Hair and Hair-folliole (after Sappw).
t, root of hair ; a, bulb of hair ; 3, internal root-sheath ; 4, external root-sheath ;
5, membrane of hair-follicle : 6, external membrane of follicle ; 7, 7, muscular
bands attached to follicle ; 8, 8, extremities of bauds passing to skin ; 9, com-
pound seliaceous gland, with duct (10) opening into upper third of follicle;
11, simple sebaceous gland ; 12, opening of hair-folhcle.
THE CARE OF THE DOG'S SKIN. HO
are constantly going on, witli the result that useful and
harmful products are being constructed. This, if not the
essence of life, is inseparable from all vital processes.
The animal in all its parts is built up from its food, but
sooner or later the whole fabric is renewed completel}^ ;
as a matter of fact, the building up and tearing down go
hand in hand, and constitute what physiologists term the
Fig. 5.— Papilla of Skin of Palm of Hand (after Sappey).
A vascular network iu all cases, and in some nerves and tactile corpuscles, enter
the papillge.
metabolism of the body. Science can not at present trace
all the changes a piece of meat undergoes from the time it
enters the body till it leaves it. There are no doubt very
many intermediate bodies formed of which we are as yet
ignorant. But we do know part of the story. The meat is
digested or changed to blood albumin ; this is assimilated or
built up into the different parts of the body, and is finally
broken down and expelled in forms of relative chemical
simplicity.
Taking food as a whole, it may be considered as reap-
pearing in the waste of the body (excretions) largely as
water, carbon dioxide (usually called carbonic-acid gas).
120 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
salts, and certain nitrogenous compounds, of which the
principal is urea. While these are the compounds best
known, there can be little doubt that there are others ex-
pelled in small quantity, but which, when retained, soon
poison and derange the whole mechanism of life — a state-
ment which applies with more or less force to every body
that enters into the excretions. The principal excretory or
eliminative organs are the lungs, skin, kidneys, and bowels.
Water and carbon dioxide pass off chiefly by the lungs ;
nitrogenous waste by the kidneys in the urine. Exactly
what is expelled by the bowels beyond the undigested re-
mains of food is not so well known. The skin gets rid of
a good deal of water, some salts, a little nitrogenous waste
(urea), and several acids — i. e., in those animals whose
skins are very active, as is the case with man and the
horse.
The dog gets rid of an excess' of water by the respira-
tory tract and the mouth. He does not sweat largely. It
would seem as though the kidneys, lungs, and mucous
membrane of the mouth of the dog, perhaps also his sali-
vary glands, did some of the work that in certain animals
is accomplished by the skin.
The connection between the different excretory organs
is important in all animals. Each is supplemental to the
other ; each can to a certain extent act for the other, but
only for a limited period if the animal is not to suffer.
What Nature seems to aim at is a balance of work with
division of labor, each organ being a sort of specialist, but
one that is not wholly out of touch with the others.
In all management of animals, in health and in disease,
there is no more important truth to be kept in mind than
THE CARE OF THE DOG'S SKIN. 121
these relations of repair and waste, of assimilation and ex-
cretion, and of the mutual dependence of parts. They
must be recognized by the breeder and the medical prac-
titioner, though not necessarily in a conscious way. How-
ever, a clear understanding is always an improvement on
a merely practical adaptation. Good science with good
practice is better than either alone. In a way, every
stableman knows that grooming a horse is useful ; hence
the very term "groom" — one whose business it is to
attend to the skin of the horse But there can be no
question that attention to the skin of the dog is of quite
as much or more importance.
The skin of the dog in all pure-bred varieties is sin-
gularly liable to reflect every ailment of the animal, possi-
bly because of its limited ability to throw off poisonous
matters. The skin of the carnivora has been specialized
for protective rather than excretory functions, and when
much of this work is imposed upon it by the partial failure
of other organs, it seems to break down under the task.
Derangements of the digestive tract are immediately ex-
pressed in the skin.
For many reasons, therefore, the care of the skin be-
comes of great practical importance, and in carrying this
out we must not neglect any of its functions.
All agree that grooming — i. e., the brushing, etc. — of
dogs is well enough, if not greatly impressed with its
value ; but on the subject of washing there is more differ-
ence of opinion. In the light of the facts we have just
considered, it will not be difficult to outline the best meth-
ods of caring for the skin, and to give them a foundation
that is both sensible and scientific.
122 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
The wild carnivora, from contact with grass, forest
brush, clean soil, etc., do not get fouled as dogs roaming a
city or living in a kennel. The former have running
streams and lakes to bathe in when so inclined. Their
tongue is the only brush needed to supplement the natu-
ral rubbing and massage they get. We will do well to
imitate ^N^ature, and this implies cleansing the dog, when
really befouled, by washing, but avoiding the necessity
for this as much as possible ; also daily grooming and
massage.
Washmg. — The only circumstance actually calling for
washing is the presence of real dirt on the dog's skin such
as can not be removed by dry treatment, as grooming.
The dangers and objections to washing are primarily the
liability to disturbances of the circulation, shock to the
nervous system, catching cold, and allied results, together
with the removal of the protecting oil, etc.
These are to be obviated by care in the following :
Wetting the dog's head with cold water before he is placed
in the bath ; keeping him free from draughts in a build-
ing at a temperature not lower than 60° Fahr. during and
especially after the cleansing ; using water of a tempera-
ture related to the season of the year ; rapid and nearly
complete drying by cloths, followed by much friction,
hand kneading, and rubbing; taking the animal at once,
when fully dry, for a brisk run.
It is better not to wash just before or after a meal, as
the shuck, etc., disturbs digestion ; a few mouthfuls of
food with a drink of warm milk after the dog is done
with the hand-rubbing is a good precaution.
After all these measures the dog must be kept free
THE CARE OF THE DOG'S SKIN. 123
from draughts. If washing must be done in winter or
for medical purposes, blanketing after, for a few hours at
all events, may be necessary.
Washing generally requires the use of soap, and this
especially removes the oil from the hair, so that the coat
after a good wash is generally somewhat dry and harsh to
the feel, while repeated Avashings render it coarse and
otherwise unnatural.
The soap should be well rinsed out with soft water
colder than that used for the general cleansing. This acts
as a stimulant, and tends to prevent taking cold.
Our own experience teaches us that headache, nausea,
etc., are much less likely to follow a bath if the head be
wet first.
It is important to see that the ears are gently but well
dried far within ; otherwise eczema of the flap and pos-
sibly inflammation of the middle ear, may follow.
Grooming. — This implies friction to the skin with ap-
propriate means, such as brushes, gloves, cloths, chamois
leather, and especially the naked hand. Common sense
dictates that this must vary with the breed, size, sort of
coat the dog has, etc.
The idea is to remove dead epithelial scales (dandruff,
scurf), foreign matter, as dust, to straighten hair and
remove dead hair, quicken the functions of the sebaceous
glands so that the hair will be oiled by a natural process,
cause a distribution of blood and nervous energy to all
parts of the skin, and so encourage all its functions. Of
late, massage or kneading of the skin and deeper parts in a
systematic way has come into use in human medical prac-
tice with the best results, though its value has long been
124
THE DOG IN HEALTH.
known, if not well understood, to trainers of men and
other animals for feats of speed, etc.
There can be no doubt that these influences, carried in
to the nervous centers from the skin in grooming and
massage, are reflected to all
the organs and tissues of the
body, and serve as the very
best sort of a regulator or
natural tonic.
These means are espe-
cially valuable just after ex-
ercise, and on those days
when the weather does not
permit of the animals being
taken into the fields or on
the highways.
The larger breeds of dogs
that carry a heavy coat are
apt to suffer from the heat
of summer. When these
animals can not be taken to
some natural body of water
for a bath, it is a comfort
to them to supply an arti-
ficial bath into which they
can themselves go as they
feel inclined. It requires a
little study to manage this, and at the same time not allow
the dogs to get into dirt afterward. A grass run is very
valuable in such a case. The excess of oil in the coats of
these breeds makes them resisting to water, and they are
Fig. f).— Sudoriparous Glands. 1 x 20
(after Sappey).
1,1, epidermis ; 2, 2, mucous layer ; 3, 3,
papillae ; 4, 4, derma ; 5, 5, subcu-
taneous areolar tissue ; 6, 6, 6, 6,
sudoriparous glands ; 7, 7, adipose
vesicles; 8, 8, excretory ducts in der-
ma ; 9, 9, excretory ducts divided.
BREEDING. 125
not spoiled, as in the case of other dogs, by frequent wet-
tings.
Of course a dog can not be kept clean unless provided
with proper surroundings. Every place where he is ac-
customed to lie should be ready for his reception. To his
bed especial attention must be paid. For a large part of
the year nothing equals good straw ; it is both warm and
clean. It should be changed before it gets very short and
broken up, when it packs and irritates the dog in many
ways, and before it becomes saturated with emanations
from the animal's skin, when it is unhealthy and harbors
vermin. Pine shavings make a good summer bed, but
are apt to cling to the dog when he leaves his resting-
place.
Some disinfectant beneath the bed tends to preserve it
sweet and to keep away vermin.
BREEDING.
In the lowest animals there is no distinction of sexes,
and reproduction of the species is maintained by division
of existing forms, one becoming two or more separate
individuals. Among the invertebrates the two sexes are
in many groups united in one individual, a common ex-
ample of which is the tape-worm. In all vertebrates the
sexes are distinct, and copulation or its equivalent is the
rule. Both male and female furnish their quota to the
new being. To explain more fully, in the higher verte-
brates— e. g., in the dog tribe — the female organs of gen-
eration at definite periods undergo changes consequent on
a special accumulation of energy, resulting in the matura-
tion in the ovary of eggs {ova\ which are discharged into the
126
THE DOG IN HEALTH.
oviducts {Fallopian tuhes)^ wliere tliey become impregnated
by the male cells {spermatozoa) when coitus takes place.
Fig. 7.— Sagittal Section op the Ovary of an Adult Bitch (after Waldeyer).
©. e, ovarian epithelium ; o. t, ovarian tubes ; y. /, younger follicles ; o. f, older
follicle ; (1. p. discus proligerus, with the ovum ; e, epithelium of a second ovum
in the same follicle ; /. c, fibrous coat of the follicle ; p. c, proper coat of the
foUicle ; c. /, epithelium of the foUicle (membraua granulosa); a. f, collapsed
atrophied foUicle ; b. v, blood-vessels ; c. t, cell-tubes of the parovarium, divided
longitudinally and transversely ; t. d, tubular depression of the ovarian epithe-
lium, in the tissue of the ovary ; h. e, beginning of the ovarian epithelium,
close to the lower border of the ovary.
BREEDING. 12*?
In all that relates to the sexual functions in the female
we have an illustration of the great law of periodicity of
rhythm. A bitch experiences these recurrences of sexual
activity at regular more or less fixed periods, usually twice
a year, and, though these may be delayed or shortened,
they are upon the whole very regular.
Naturally the entire nature of the animal participates
in corresponding changes. Usually they are preceded by
a short interval of excitement, indicating the approach
of a more profound change. The mammary glands may
slightly enlarge ; the bitch, if young, may show rapid
growth ; some fall off in flesh ; the disposition is modified;
etc. The generative apparatus forming a connected
whole, it is not strange that the activity of the es-
sential organs {ovaries) is accomjoanied by a correspond-
ing increase in vascularity or blood supply of other
parts, so that the external genitals {vulva) enlarge.
There is a visible flow of mucus, to be soon followed
by blood.
As soon as the ova are mature the female will accept
the male. This is not usually prior to the appearance of
blood, but may be before it has disappeared or soon after,
generally the latter.
As there is nothing to show clearly that the period of
the coitus or service has anything to do with the sex of
the offspring, the bitch may be allowed to choose her own
time for congress with the male.
As it is not possible to be certain that all the ova
mature at one time, it is not irrational to allow of a
second service after an interval of one or two
though it is likely that if the first was in every way a
10
128
THE DOG IN HEALTH.
complete coitus and nmtually desired, a second is super-
fluous ; but of this one can never be sure.
The mode of coitus in the dog is characteristic, owing
to the pecuhar structure of the penis, the action of the
female's vagina, etc.
Fio. 8.— Embryo op Dog, Twenty-five Days Old, Opened on Ventral Side.
Chest and Ventral Walls have been Removed.
a, nose-pits ; 6, eyes ; c, under- jaw (first gill-arch); d, second gill-arch ; e,/,gf, h,
heart (e, right, /, left auricle ; g, right, h, left ventricle); i, aorta (origin of);
fcfc, liver (in the middle between the two lobes is the cut yelk- vein); I, stomach ;
m, intestine ; n, yelk-sac ; o, primitive kidneys ; p, allantois ; g, fore-limbs ;
h, hind-limbs. The crooked embryo has been stretched straight. (Haeckel,
after BischofE.)
The penis
:erior part (
erectile region is the
consists of two erectile portions. In the
f the organ there is a bone. The posterior
anterior part of the organ there is a bone, rne posterior
larger, and during copulation is spas-
BREEDING. 129
modically (reflexly) grasped by the muscles {sjpliincter
cimni) of the vagina, so that the male organ can not be
withdrawn until erection subsides. Since certain glands
{Cow;per^s) that secrete diluting fluids are wanting in the
dog, as well as the reservoirs {seminal vesicles) in which
in many animals semen is stored up, the importance of
this arrangement enforcing prolonged copulation can be
understood.
The forcible separation of dogs in coitu maiy lead to
rupture of parts and dangerous bleeding.
The whole period of being in "heat," "in season,"
or " in use " extends over about three weeks, but often
longer, and of course in a minority of cases less. During
the whole of this period, as a rule, it is of the greatest im-
portance to keep the bitch entirely separate from all dogs
except the one selected. The sexual appetite of bitches is
strong and persistent, and no risks should be taken.
The meeting of male and female cells usually results
in impregnation or that commingling of their parts which
results in the division {segmentation) of the female cell
(egg, ovum) and its whole growth and development.
Strictly speaking, however, we should say that the two
are blended for growth, etc. If this were more carefully
kept in mind the whole subject of breeding might be dis-
cussed in a more intelligent manner.
The two united cells making up the as yet undevel-
oped individual soon provide arrangements for receiving
nourishment from the mother and getting rid of the waste
of their own life-processes. This is accomplished by cer-
tain outgrowths which develop into the placenta, which
may be finally said to consist of two parts — a maternal and
130 THE DOG IN PIEALTH.
a foetal — in eacli of wliicli tlie structure is essentially simi-
lar, viz., blood-vessels covered with a layer of cells which
elaborate the material from the mother's blood and fit it
for the nourishment of the young animal, and which also
excrete into the mother's blood the waste that has been
thrown into the blood of the foetus by its own excretory
organs.
It is highly important to understand clearly the nature
of impregnation and the relation of the mother and foetus
in utero.
From these relations we think the following principles
must of necessity follow :
1. The offspring must be in some degree a compound
of the nature of both parents, but not equally in most
cases. Some stud dogs are " prepotent," or have an un-
usual power in imparting their own riature to their off-
spring. The same applies to some bitches.
It is also evident that all in the same litter may not
equally represent both parents. It would be strange if it
were so, as the actual influence of the male cells may not
be equal on each ovum or all male cells may not be equally
potent. In fact, there is of necessity great room for all
sorts of variations in such matters, so that all rigid dicta
as to which parent exercises the most influence on the
offspring are out of place.
2. The dam, from her long connection with the foetus,
must exercise an influence peculiarly her own. Since her
health, her temper, her occupation, etc., all have an influ-
ence on her own nutrition and that of her offspring, it is
of the highest importance that the brood bitch should be
given the greatest care.
BREEDING. 131
Everything that tends to her welfare in any way must
influence the offspring more or less, and the reverse.
3. From the close connection between mother and
foetus, it follows that the foetus must also influence the
mother, and more or less permanently ; which explains
why the members of subsequent litters may show an un-
mistakable resemblance to previous sires. The nature of
the sire is of necessity impressed on the dam to some ex-
tent, but in most cases it is slight and not obvious ; but
it is difficult to see how, from the nature of the connec-
tion between mother and foetus, the sire's influence can
be wholly avoided.
" Reversion " or " atavism " is resemblance to a pre-
vious ancestor.
There is a wide-spread belief among breeders that the
offspring resemble the sire in external form and the dam
in the internal or hidden form, or that which determines
disposition, stamina, etc.
But it is not to be forgotten that a sire is generally
selected with more care than a brood bitch, and often be-
cause he has a striking and pleasing form and with but
little regard to his constitution, which is but seldom a sub-
ject of special inquiry.
Mating. — All sound rules for mating must be based on
such principles as we have endeavored to set forth.
Both parents must be equally considered.
In wild animals there is the freest choice and the
greatest degree of intercrossing within the limits of ^-he
species, which result in bringing together in the male and
fenuale cells protoplasm of the most diverse experiences,
which seems to result in the highest vitality ; while the
132 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
more inbreeding the less vigor at all events, as a rule,
whatever else may be attained.
Pure-bred dogs must, in the nature of the case, be very
much inbred as compared with mongrels, which in great
part explains why they are less hardy and more liable
to all sorts of derangements.
The problem with the breeder narrows itself down to
this : How can the highest perfection of type in its most
comprehensive sense, including physical and psychical
qualities, be attained ? The more he strives for form, the
more liable is he, perhaps, to fail in some other direction ;
for, having got certain strains which meet his ideals pretty
well, he fears to introduce outside blood lest he disturb,
by the meeting of protoplasm more unlike than that of
his own strains, the balance that exists, and thus get, per-
haps, a series of " variations " or departures from the type
he does not desire.
"We think the solution lies in this principle : to keep
within the lines that give the type as long as there is
no sign of deterioration in any direction, notably in size,
stamina, or intelligence, which are apt to suffer by inbreed-
ing ; but when an outcross is necessary, to introduce one
as similar as possible ; in other words, to make departures
by gradual steps only.
Pedigree is indispensable in breeding ; but in consider-
ing family lines the conditions under which the animals
have lived are of no little moment. To breed a brother
an'^ sister brought up in the same kennel is quite a differ-
ent natter from breeding the same relatives one of which
was reared in England, say, and the other in America.
As a rule, the less closely animals are bred, provided
BREEDING. I33
type can be secured and maintained, the better, and the
reasons must be clear on a little consideration.
But similarity is fatal to success if carried beyond a cer-
tain point. We, of course, refer to that deep, underlying
similarity commonly expressed by the term " same blood,"
but which is better understood if we use the term proto-
plasm, or life-stuff of similar experiences. All the cells of
the animal body are, of course, composed of protoplasm.
But in all cases the parents must be considered much
more than the other ancestors. Why is this ?
Because the parents are the outcome of the entire an-
cestry, and while they may have hidden or latent qualities,
good or bad, dependent on the ancestry, we can not hope
that those obvious qualities which they possess will not
appear in the offspring. As a matter of fact, they do
usually crop up ; and when a mating is made, the problem
is always a complex one, with many factors known only in
a vague way by the pedigree, but others more clear and
certain as actually existent in the parents.
Glaring faults are almost sure to be reproduced, no
matter how good the mating in other respects, so that an
animal of very pronounced defects in physical or psychical
qualities should he rejected as a breeder ; all the more so
if these were known to exist in the more remote ancestors.
Disposition and stamina are of the utmost importance,
in the brood bitch especially, as they are very likely to
be reproduced in the offspring. But inasmuch as two
dogs ideal in all respects can not generally be found for
the mating, we inquire. What is the best to be done ?
Assuming that in the bitch there is good intelligence,
disposition, and stamina, if she have no defects of form,
134 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
etc., beyond mediocrity, good results in a fair proportion
of the litter may be looked for if she be mated with a dog
not only free from these faults, but possessing the oppo-
site qualities even slightly in excess. But from two ex-
tremes or from two decided opposites good results need
not be expected from a single mating. Faults when pro-
nounced can only be corrected by degrees.
It will be found that bitches with poor digestion, and de-
fective in stamina generally, and those that in addition are
liable to any form of disease, rarely make good breeders
or nurses. If they are not able to cope with the environ-
ment under ordinary circumstances, how can they be ex-
pected to do so when they are handicapped in providing
for half a dozen other creatures from their own resources ?
Dogs lacking in health, vigor, and resisting power
should not be used in the public stud, especially where, if
they happen to be famous winners, they may be much in
demand, and so have their vitality diminished still more.
It is difficult enough to raise pure-bred puppies when the
parents are both all that can be desired in these respects.
It will very often be found, for the reasons stated, that
a show bitch is a poor breeder, while a more homely but
strongly-made and vigorous creature, judiciously mated,
provided she come of good stock, will produce offspring
much superior to herself in form and other qualities.
THE CARE OF THE STUD DOG.
There is plenty of evidence to show that the condition
of the dog chosen to mate with a bitch is not a matter
of indifference, but may have a marked effect on the
constitution of the progeny, ire should be in such con-
CARE OF THE BROOD BITCH. 135
dition as fits him for doing tlie work for which the breed
is intended, and should in no case be overburdened with
flesh, soft in muscle, or suffer from any derangement of
health.
When a dog is placed in the public stud the drain on
his vital powers may be so great that unless unusual pre^
cautions are taken the dog may be broken down in health,
or, at all events, become prematurely old, not to speak of
the natural result of impaired vitality, etc., in the off-
spring. Of such dogs the greatest care must be taken
even to the minutest details. They may require at times
very concentrated and nutritious food — as eggs, strong
broths, and even such special helps as cod-liver oil, phos-
phates (containing iron), etc. It is to be remembered,
however, that such frequent use of a stud dog as to require
such adjuvants, especially if he be in his prime, clearly
proves that he is being overtaxed.
The extent to which a dog, with a bitch in season near,
will lose flesh in a few days indicates that the stud dog
should be kept so far away from bitches in this condition
that he will not be aware of their presence, and thus have
no superfluous source of drain on his vital powers.
Every stud dog should have periods of sexual rest to
allow of natural recuperation — somewhat analogous to
turning a horse out to pasture.
THE CARE OF THE BROOD BITCH.
The bitch, still more than the dog, if possible, should
be at her best in every way before being mated. She
should be fully matured. In the author's opinion, a
bitch should never be bred in her first season, no matter
136 tup: dog in health.
of what breed or how fully grown she may seem to be.
Her constitution can not be matured, and to put on her
the severest strain possible is unwise, if not cruel, as re-
gards the offspring, and still more the bitch herself.
This is especially true of the larger breeds.
It is well known that a fleshy bitch is apt to miss con-
ception, and as at some period of gestation the usual exer-
cise a dog should get must in her case be cut down more
or less, if she is even a little thin but extra hard in mus-
cle it will be well.
Many bitches that have failed to conceive will do so
when reduced to a very thin condition. It is also recom-
mended to give such a brisk run just before and just after
copulation, especially the former.
Barrenness exists to some extent among all animals.
Before a bitch in her prime is given up as hopelessly bar-
ren, she should be reduced to a low condition of flesh and
tried at successive seasons with different young and vig-
orous dogs. Even purgation and bleeding, to reduce the
animal still lower, have been tried, it is said, with success.
While in " season " the bitch must often, to avoid
accidents,. be less exercised than usual, in which case her
food must be cut down in quantity and be less stimulating
— i. e., contain less meat, and consist more of milk, porridge,
bread, etc.
It is a wise precaution to give exercise on chain, con-
sidering the eagerness of bitches to meet the opposite sex
regardless of pedigree, the methods they will employ to
escape, and in how brief a moment the best-laid plans may
be shattered.
It occasionally happens that a dog will not mate with a
CARE OP THE BROOD BITCH. 137
certain bitch, or that a dog seems to be unable to effectu-
ally copulate even if inclined, as they now and then are
not. It is impossible to lay down any definite rule to
meet such cases. A consultation with some experienced
breeder, or practitioner of canine medicine, will be best for
the novice. It means, of course, that there is something
wrong either in the health or the formation of the genitals
of the dog or bitch, most likely the former. Such cases
are rare, and often a little common sense solves the prob-
lem. An unwilling or forced service on the part of the
bitch may not prove unfruitful, especially if the first one.
The treatment of the hitch after concejption is of much
importance.
It must constantly be borne in mind that several young
are being developed entirely at the expense of one or-
ganism, that of the dam. In wild animals their natural
conditions and their unerring instincts suffice. But when
man takes matters into his own hands, as with our do-
mestic animals, all this is changed in large measure.
In most bitches some little alteration in demeanor may
be detected by the experienced eye which suggests that
the mating has been successful.
It is seldom that change in size, shape, or weight is
appreciable before the fourth or fifth week of gestation.
Sometimes at this period there is only the slightest
modification in shape. But often when the bitch is laid
on her side or back the young may be felt through the
walls of the abdomen in the horns of the uterus. If the
bitch is not somewhat enlarged at the sixth week, the case
is not hopeful, though not hopeless.
The whole period of gestation extends over nine
138 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
weeks, or from fifty-eight to sixty-five days. Puppies are
not likely to be born alive before the fiftieth day, though
they may be delayed several days without any apparent
detriment in many cases. The average period of gesta-
tion is about sixty-three days.
There is room for the greatest discretion in the man-
agement of the brood bitch, and common sense with a few
guiding scientific principles are worth volumes of rules
without reasons, for no two cases precisely resemble each
other.
For the first month there is so little change in the
bitch, the foetuses being very small, that there seems to be
no special reason for departing from the usual practices in
the management. At the same time there may be periods
when the close observer will see that the animal is disin-
clined to exercise, needs not only abundance of food, but
some special change, etc. It is during the first six weeks
that plenty of exercise can be given, including galloping,
provided the bitch is not given to abort. If so, she must
be exercised gently.
Her appetite may or may not be increased.
There can be little doubt that if a bitch is engaged in
her proper occupation — e. g., a hunting-dog in hunting —
it will be better, or shall we say may be better, for the
psychical development of the offspring. This the author
believes is borne out by both theory and practice. And,
at all events, every animal enjoys its life most and thrives
best when following its natural instincts — i. e., when it has
some occupation congenial to it.
The last three weeks are the most important in them-
selves, and for this period the bitch should have been pre-
CAKE OF THE BROOD BITCH. I39
pared in the preceding weeks. Exercise must usually be
gradually diminished. Toward the end of the period
some animals are very much disinclined to exercise, and
lose flesh in spite of good feeding and the best of care in
other respects. In such cases it would be unwise to ex-
haust the energies by their undue diversion to the muscles
by vigorous exercise. Connnon sense must dictate.
The appetite may greatly increase, and the animal's
food should be abundant and very nutritious. If she
shows any falling off, she must be given cod-liver oil or
chemically pure lime phosphate or Parrish's food, espe-
cially if the bitch be herself light in bone. The diges-
tion must be carefully watched. If. the bowels are not
regular in their action, if the eyes run, if the tongue be
whitish, a change of diet, or possibly a little less for
twenty-four hours, will prove helpful. Medicine is to be
avoided if possible, and violent purgation is never called
for — in fact, may cause abortion.
Yentilation is of importance, as the bitch must pro-
vide for the aeration and purification of the blood of the
young within her as well as her own. The more she can
live out of doors the better.
A bitch may often with advantage be fed three times
a day instead of twice. She may then not become so dis-
tended and uncomfortable, since she requires to take less
at each meal.
About the sixth week she should be treated for worms.
This is always a matter of safe routine, unless the bitch is
unusually delicate, has aborted previously, or for some
other special reason. Later, such treatment is not so
free from danger; but if there be clear symptoms of
140 THE DOa IN HEALTH.
worms, especially tape-worms, treatment is justifiable.
The pumpkin-seed treatment (see page 355) is compara-
tively safe even during the last week. It is also well to
treat the bitch for worms just as she is coming into season,
or a little before, when the dosing should be thorough.
The brood bitch should not be fat at any period of ges-
tation, but above all at its close. Such nearly always im-
plies lack of vigor and inability to meet the strain of
whelping. It moreover presents a mechanical impedi-
ment, as with external fat there is generally internal fat,
and at this time all the room possible is wanted within.
When a bitch with a ravenous appetite tends to get fat,
it is well to give more meat and less starchy food. The
excess of fat must be removed, not by starving, which is
dangerous for the young, but by modification of the diet,
and especially by more exercise.
Preparation for whelping should in every case be
made. All forms of dirt and every kind of vermin on the
dam are a source of danger for the puppies.
A bitch may be safely washed a few days before
whelping-time, and in nearly every case will be benefited
by it if done with proper care. Of course there is more
risk in winter ; but, except in rare cases, breeding should
be regulated to have the puppies whelped in spring or
summer. The former is the better period, as distemper
is often rampant in the fall, and the older the puppies, if
attacked by this malady, the greater are their chances of
survival. Naturally, the months from April to ISTovem-
ber are those permitting of that outdoor life essential to
the development of puppies.
i^-.T-- ' ' ^ '^ ■" ' "^-^^ -.-•'-^i^
THE BOSTON TERRIER PRINCE WALNUT,
WINNER OF TWO PRIZES.
By comparing the illustration of the bulldog and the bull- terrier, it will be seen
that the Boston terrier is intermediate in form.
WHELPING. 141
WHELPING.
Natural instinct generally shows itself in tlie bitch,
leading her to seek retirement, to keep more quiet, to
eat less, etc.
When the brood bitch is one of a kennel, her instincts
should be assisted. She should be allowed an entirely
separate abode, out of sight of all other dogs, and given
lighter food, especially if her appetite is capricious. A
meal of porridge and milk tends to open the bowels; but
if they are confined, a dose of castor oil is demanded, or
an injection of warm soap-suds with castor oil.
The latter is preferable if the bitch's stomach is not in
first-rate condition. Medicine is to be avoided if possible,
as there is no sense in prematurely distui'bing a nature
that must soon be put to a great strain. Actual constipa-
tion should not be allowed in the brood bitch at any time,
above all toward the close, since a full bowel must prove a
great mechanical hindrance to the passage outward of the
young, not to speak of the general disturbance to health.
Some bitches become very nervous, almost maniacal,
just before whelping. Soothing, quiet, even darkness,
help such ; but if these do not suftice, a dose of twenty
grains of bromide of' potassium may be gi\'en with safety.
However, medical treatment will be considered in another
part of this work.
While a bitch should be allowed considerable freedom
in the choice of her whelping-place, there is a limit to this.
If the animal be left in a fair-sized apartment, such as a
" stall " or " loose box " in a stable, out of sight and out
of hearing, if possible, of other dogs, given some straw in
142 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
one corner, she will in general take to it and wlielj) quietly
and well. Bnt a few additional precautions are not super-
fluous. Beneath the straw a piece of old but clean carpet
may be tacked to the floor, on which latter a little of some
disinfectant has been placed, and over this the straw. The
idea is that the claws of the puppies shall, by catching in
it, enable them the better to suck the dam, as the straw be-
neath them is generally clawed back. The carpet must be
soon removed, however, or it will become a source of dis-
ease. The writer does not consider it essential.
A shallow board guard placed around one corner will
keep in the straw, and give the bitch the feeling of com-
fort arising from having a little spot all to herself.
Some recommend a ledo^ins:, about four inches wide
and a little way from the floor, to be provided so that the
bitch may not crush the puppies against the wall, etc. It
may prove useful in some cases, but in others will not be
necessary, and may prove a source of inconvenience to
the mother.
Only those whom the bitch knows and likes should ap-
proach her when whelping ; better if only one, and he as
seldom as possible. Still, some little oversight is necessary
withal, and in many more than a little. It can be man-
aged so as not to disturl) the bitch, but to assure her. She
will soon perceive its object. Gentle caressing, a little
milk-gruel, or merely cold water, if offered in the right
spirit, vrill be appreciated even if not taken ; but fidgeti-
ness will do only harm. That very coarse and lowly
organized sort of human nature to which animals are
sometimes intrusted is never more out of place than about
the pure-bred bitch during parturition.
WHELPING. 143
The temperature of the whelping department should
be such that the delicate, newly born puppies may not be
chilled if they get separated from their mother. It should
not be lower than about 68° F., and may even be higher.
Cleanliness in the whelping nest is looked after by
the dam herself for a considerable period. She usually, as
soon as a puppy is born, gnaws the navel string {umbilical
cord) across, thus disconnecting mother and offspring in a
safe and ready way.
She also disposes of the after-birth {placenta) by eat-
ing it eagerly ; and it would seem that, owing possibly to
the discharges {vneconium) it contains, this acts as a natu-
ral laxative for the bitch.
The escape of the waters (Jiquor amnii), etc., leaves
the bitch herself and the bedding in a very unsuitable con-
dition, though the mother licks the puppies themselves
into perfect cleanliness.
As soon as the puppies have been all, or most of them,
born, it is well to renew the bedding carefully, using a
little of some disinfectant, as " Sanitas sawdust,-' and to
sponge off the bitch where she most needs it with warm
water, to which a few drops of carbolic acid, etc., may be
added, drying well with cloths.
Toward the end of the first week, if all goes well, she
may be carefully washed all over in lukewarm water, finally
rinsing with cooler water, drying quickly, and using much
hand-rubbing, to prevent unfavorable effects (see p. 122).
The strain of whelping and the attempt on the part of
the organism to adjust to the new conditions, including
the activity of a large amount of gland tissue in the secre-
tion of milk, may not be so perfect that there will be no
11
144 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
febrile reaction. Consider how great is the adaptation that
must be made, and that this is sometimes affected without
the rise of a single degree in the temperature, and we have
an illustration of how marvelous is Nature's power to
modify to such a greatly changed state of things. As to
this, much will depend on the previous management of
the brood bitch, as well as on her natural organization.
Very generally the secretion of milk is gradually pre-
pared for by an enlargement of the mammary glands
prior to whelping — often weeks in advance ; but in this
matter there is the greatest individual variation. Some
bitches have plenty of milk days before parturition begins ;
others have but little for from twenty-four to forty-eight
hours afterward — all within the limits of health and safety.
As a rule, the indication is to allow the puppies, as
soon as they can suck the dam, which they will generally
attempt, to do so, unless for some special reason. This
is to be encourged, as it seems to have a beneficial effect
on the bitch's nature in every way.
Occasionally, however, the trials and sufferings of the
mother during labor or afterward justify the temporary
removal of the whelps, when they must be kept wwrm and
carefully coddled.
From the first every facility should be offered for the
free and natural action of the mother. She should be
given to understand that she is not a prisoner, but should
be encouraged to leave the nursery to attend to nature's
calls, get a little fresh air, stretch herself, etc. But noth-
ing must be strained or forced, otherwise the effect on her
nervous system is likely to be felt in either the quantity
or quality of the milk, her digestive powers, etc.
THE WELSH TERRIER BRYNHIR PARDON.
(K. C. S. B., 28,297.)
For description, see page 56.
CHOICE OF PUPPIES. 145
In the case of the brood bitch, as in all else that con-
cerns the dog, we must act as if a human being were con-
cerned, and a similar regard for the animal's feelings
should be shown as in the case of a member of the human
family ; in fact, in the case of some dogs more, the sub-
missive, dependent, gentle, and approval-loving traits of
the dog being among its most pronounced attributes. I^o
one can better manage a brood bitch than a lady of refine-
ment, who has had some experience with the canine race
and is gifted with discretion and a practical turn of mind.
Men, in dealing with dogs in whelping, must try and feel
as women, and to do this is worth more than any amount
of specific directions, especially if there be an intelligent
comprehension of the nature of the physiological pro-
cesses involved.
CHOICE OP PUPPIES.
It very generally happens that more puppies are
born than the dam can rear successfully or without great
injury to herself.
In most litters the puppies are not all equally beauti-
ful or equally vigorous ; and if the purpose is to breed to
the best advantage rather than to supply the market, it
will be wise to follow Nature and send the weakest to
the wall, or imitate " natural selection," for, without doubt,
the weakest do generally perish in the litters of wild
animals.
When some are very obviously both weak and small,
these are plainly to be selected for drowning, and he
who can not drown should not breed. "The survival
of the fittest" is Nature's law, and it must be followed
J46 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
out when the fittest or the imlittest can be selected with
certainty.
But how, in many cases, to choose the best is no easy
matter even to the most experienced. One is greatly
aided often by past experience of puppies raised by the
same bitch, such and such hke puppies having grown up
with such and such merits and defects.
It sometimes happens that the smallest at birth may
become the largest, and a coarse-looking puppy may show,
when developed, both vigor and quality.
It is not possible to lay down rules that will apply
alike to all breeds, but it is certainly always very risky to
retain the smallest and w^eakest puppy. Dehcate animals
greatly increase the breeder's worries, no matter what their
beauty. Often the young seem so much alike in form,
etc., that one may as well choose for color and markings.
The advice of an experienced breeder is often of the
utmost value to the novice in the choice of puppies. In
general, a bitch can not raise well, in justice to herself,
more than four to six puppies. To leave to a dam of any
breed from eight to twelve puppies is sometimes down-
right cruelty and generally very poor policy, unless the
welfare and future of the puppies, and especially of the
bitch, are to be wholly ignored. An animal has only so
much vital energy, and if this be exhausted in rearing one
litter, the bitch must of necessity be made prematurely old.
Often, however, the puppies are so valuable, from their
breeding (pedigree), that the owner can not afford to sac-
rifice any of them.
In other cases the mother is, from various reasons, un-
able to suckle any of the litter. She may be very much
. THE FOSTER-MOTHER. 147
exhausted, may be dangerously sick from blood-poisoning,
inflammation of the womb, etc. ; she may lack milk, or it
may act as a sort of poison. In all such cases, if the lit-
ter is to be saved, a foster-mother is to be secured.
THE FOSTER-MOTHER.
The essential qualification is the ability to take the
actual dam's place as completely as possible. The bitch
must be not only vigorous, free from skin disease, etc.,
but, in addition, good-tempered, and able to supply at
once, and to continue to do so, an abundance of milk of
good quality. If a past history, showing that the require-
ments have been met by the particular animal in question,
can be obtained, so much the better. As a rule, a bitch
with a good appetite and digestion bears the strain of sup-
plying half a dozen hungry, growing young puppies with
their entire nourishment for four weeks, and with a good
part of it longer, and so makes the best foster-mother. A
dainty feeder may be at once rejected.
If the animal be of the same or closely allied breed, so
much the better. Even a cat may serve for small puppies.
If the foster-mother has just whelped, or is about to
whelp at once, the case is most favorable to the ready adop-
tion of the stranger offspring. Before introducing them
they may be allowed to lie awhile with her own progeny in
her absence, to get the scent from them, then have their
heads, etc., smeared with some of the foster-mother's milk,
and be introduced cautiously at night. However, much
must be left to the discretion of whoever undertakes this
delicate and sometimes impossible task.
The mother herself should be removed so far away
148 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
that she shall not know what has become of her offspring.
It is important that the milk glands of the mother be
relieved from distention in those cases where it is found
desirable to remove puppies while the bitch is in full milk.
One at least had better be left. If not, the secretion of
milk should be limited by giving laxatives, dry food, etc.
At first, after the birth of puppies, there may be an abun-
dant and rapid secretion, and if this be not removed by
the nursing of a puppy, with or without aid by the hand,
febrile reaction may be severe, or even caking or inflam-
mation of the mammary glands may occur.
The method of drying up the milk, which is really
preventing its secretion, will be considered shortly.
THE CARE OF THE BROOD BITOH AFTER WHELPINQ.
In anticipation of febrile reaction or milk fever, it is
well to feed lightly, both as to quantity and quality, for
the first twenty-four hours or longer, unless the bitch
shows great exhaustion, when easily digested but concen-
trated nourishment is demanded ; so that gruel, milk,
eggs beaten up with milk, stale bread and milk, etc., are
ordinarily indicated. But some bitches dislike such food
even when prepared in the nicest way, and^ as a rule,
unless there is positive fever or other contra-indication,
their tastes may be consulted with little risk — at all events,
in moderation.
The stools should be especially looked to, as they are
an index to the state of the digestion. Constipation is se-
rious, and diarrhoea must be checked, or the strength of
the bitch will suffer and her milk possibly fail. However,
a relaxed condition for one or two days is rather to be
CARE OF THE BROOD BITCH AFTER WHELPING. I49
favored, as tending to prevent fever and get rid of tissue
waste, etc.
Constipation may best be relieved by a rectal injection.
The less medicine the brood bitch is given the better, con-
sistent with actual safety, as it not only modifies her own
vital j)rocesses, but, through the milk, that of the puppies.
After the first week the bitch should be given exercise
regularly, at first onl}^ walking her, then gradually intro-
ducing more and more of that form of exercise which by
breed, previous habits, etc., is best adapted to her. It will
be more pleasant in many cases to her to accompany the
other dogs of the kennel, when she will thrive all the bet-
ter in that case.
The feedirig of the nursing bitch can scarcely be over-
done, if her appetite be taken as a guide and she does not
gain in flesh. After three weeks she is apt to show a fall-
ing off, and it may be necessary to add to the food those
helps to nutrition referred to previously.
A nursing bitch should almost from the first be fed
three times a day. The demands on her are very great,
and if not met by food, the supplies will be drawn from
her other tissues, to her detriment — i. e., the milk glands
will rob the other tissues of the body.
At the best she will suffer temporarily after the nurs-
ing period is over, if not before then. A bitch always
loses her coat after whelping, usually grows thinner, the
skin becomes irritable, and eczema is liable to follow. If
neglected in the matter of food, she may be ruined ; her
constitution may be hopelessly undermined. However,
the digestive powers must be carefully watched, for they
are not always equal to the needs of the tissues.
150 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
It is needless to remark that every means employed to
keep dogs in health should be specially used in the case of
an animal so taxed as the brood bitch. As a matter of
fact, however, such practices as grooming, washing, even
exercise, are too often neglected, so that the unfortunate
creature often enough pays heavily for the pleasures of
maternity.
We are now in a better position to answer the impor-
tant query : How often should a bitch be bred ?
Considering how much is involved in the four months
of maternal life of a bitch, it is not surprising that ex-
perience has shown that to breed a bitch as often as she
comes in season is one of the surest ways to render her
prematurely old. Once a year at most is often enough to
breed any bitch, and too often for many. As a rule, the
higher the show quality of the animal, the more important
is it to spare her. Surely this matter should be looked at
from a humanitarian point of view !
THE REARING OF PUPPIES.
A large proportion of the worries and discourage-
ments, as well as the pleasures and successes, of the breed-
er of dogs have their source in puppies.
Until a young dog is matured, especially till he is one
year old, he must be a source of more or less anxiety to
one who really knows the risks. During this age of
growth and development there are, however, times of
greater danger, or critical periods. These are when being
weaned, when getting the permanent teeth, and between
these two periods chiefly, or, to put it otherwise, till the
puppy is eight or nine months old.
THE REARING OF PUPPIES. 151
" To be forewarned is to be half armed," applies in a
very higli degree in regard to these youthful troubles.
Prevention is better than cure always, but especially so
in this case ; for such is the delicate nature of all young,
pure-bred dogs, as compared with the curs that run the
streets, that it is very often a grave question whether
medicine, which may help in the troubles of older dogs, will
not do more harm than good with puppies. Certainly
all the arrangements should be made with a full realization
of possible dangers and their prevention, rather than of
dosing with medicines. The breeder who does not act on
this principle will not be a success ; and the practitioner
of canine medicine, like his colleague in human medicine,
is discharging his highest functions when he advises so as
to prevent evils which, in a good proportion of cases, he
can but imperfectly remedy.
But in this as in every other case, if we would pro-
ceed on a sound basis, we must grasp those few underly-
ing principles on which all the details hinge.
Let us consider that we have to do with a rapidly
growing being that must adapt its own altering constitu-
tion to a changing environment. There is a double in-
stability. The constitution of the creature alters con-
stantly and rapidly, and this alone is no small factor ; and
the changing animal must be adapted to all vicissitudes
of climate and to everything that enters into the environ-
ment, so that the practical problem with the breeder is
this : To adapt the environment, as far as possible, to
changes that are inevitable in the organization of the
puppy ; and in doing this two extremes are to be avoided
— constant coddling and neglect.
152 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
For its development the young animal requires abun-
dant and suitable food, pure fresh air, exercise, amuse-
ment, occupation, and training, with protection against
the inclemencies of the weather, against filth, and all else
that hinders development and tends to favor actual dis-
ease.
!N^ow, manifestly here again we must not lay down iron
rules. Every one must, in a large degree, be his own
judge as to how best to attain these ends, for not only are
all puppies not alike, but environments must of necessity
differ very widely. It will be our purpose to indicate the
fundamental principles which should guide, not to supply
rules for combinations of circumstances that are never
twice alike. It must not be forgotten, either, that perhaps
the most important factor of all in the environment is the
individual who undertakes the work of rearing puppies.
If he lack intelligence and a sympathetic feeling with
dogs, by which alone they can be comprehended, it is idle
to hope that any directions will be of avail. A litter that
with the same general management will grow up to the
highest perfection they are capable of under one man, will
be miserable culls under another who may think he is
following the same course, but who neglects details of
adaptation which all the books in the world could not
furnish.
WEANING PUPPIES.
So long as the puppies and the dam are perfectly
well they should not be separated. It but rarely happens,
however, that a pure-bred bitch can suckle puppies longer
than four to five weeks without immediate or future detri-
ment to herself especially, and not seldom must the dam
THE AIREDALE TERRIERS
CHAMPION NEWBOLD TEST AND CHAMPION VIXEN HI.
For description, see page 56.
WEANING PUPPIES.
153
be helped in her duties after the third week. This should
be done very gradually, for the change from mother's milk
to any other food implies a grave strain on these delicate
stomachs.
It now and then happens that an attempt must be
made to hand-feed j^uppies from the first, when a foster-
mother can not be secured. With one this may be man-
aged, just as an infant is fed from a bottle, but at best it is
of doubtful success, and with a whole litter it requires a
patience almost beyond human nature.
The only suitable first food of the pnppy is, of course,
that most like what he has had — viz., milk — and practi-
cally this must be cow's milk. Experience shows that
this can not at first be given undiluted, not because- it is
richer than bitch's milk — for the following table shows
that the latter far exceeds most other kinds of milk in
nutritive qualities — but because the stomach, etc., can not
at once adapt itself to the new food.
Percentage Composition of Milk.
Constituents.
Woma-n.
Cow.
Mare.
Bitch.
Casein
2-00
2-75
0-25
5-00
4-00
4-00
0-60
4-40
2-50
2-00
0-50
5-00
10-00
Fats
Salts
10-00
0-50
Sugar
3-50
Total solids
10-00
90 00
13-00
87-00
10-00
90-00
24-00
Water
76-00
About one half water for a couple of days, gradually
strengthened to full quality, will suit best. Puppies soon
learn to lap milk, which should, of course, be made all
the more like that of the mother by being warmed, and a
little sugar added for a few days.
;154 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
Very soon easily digested solid food, as boiled rice,
well-cooked oatmeal porridge, and stale bread, may be add-
ed to tlie milk ; and in a few days m'ore a little broth, ratber
weak and free from fat, may replace part of the milk, etc.
But if the puppies bloat under any food, either they
have worms or the food is not agreeing with them in
quality or quantity. Gradual adaptation, with simplicity
yet some variety, is the key to successful puppy feeding
at this period.
The weaning usually may be accomplished in about
ten days, and it is a critical period, during which many
puppies are lost. If the whelps do not seem to thrive as
they ought, the addition of a few drops of cod-liver oil
for each may prove very helpful.
The difficulties of this and the period of the succeed-
ing weeks arise in part from the fact that the mother,
that up to this time has been a most faithful groom and
scavenger, begins to weary of this no longer very pleasant
work. The canine infants evacuate the bladder and bow-
els frequently, hence their nest is soon badly fouled, they
themselves get dirty, the air is poisoned, and a whole chain
of evils sets in, the end of which is not infrequently death,
though the average observer may not always see the con-
nection.
One source of mischief, and among the greatest, has
received surprisingly little attention in writings on the
management of the dog ; but in the author's opinion it is
one of the gravest of all.
All puppies, as soon as they begin to feed, and espe-
cially after they have left the dam entirely, get smeared
about the head parts with the food used. True, they will
WEANING PUPPIES. 155
attempt to lick each otlier clean ; but, in the case of long-
eared dogs especially, these, if not kept carefully cleansed,
by hanging into the food, become the source of much
mischief. The food dries on the puppies' hair, irritates
the skin, and will of itself cause eczema, both external
and internal (canker) ; and worse still, perhaps, such neg-
lect is almost certain to be followed by lice, which soon
become a plague, that from the constant irritation utterly
derange the health of the animal, cause universal skin dis-
ease to add to its misery, and have sent many a fine puppy
to an untimely grave. Their treatment we will consider in
the medical part of thi^ work, along with that of other
parasites ; but prevention is now our theme.
My own plan is the following : Immediately after eat-
ing, each puppy is cleansed with a sponge dipped in luke-
warm water and rubbed dry with a clean cloth. If the
ears are long, they are pinned back by the hair behind the
neck with spring clothes-pegs. If the bed be clean, and
the other precautions to be suggested later be observed,
no lice need be feared. However, the inexperienced are
warned to look for these creatures carefully, especially
about the outer ears, as they are not easy to detect if few,
clinging as whitish specks close to the actual skin. They
are best seen when the skin is wet.
At the time of weaning the dam must not be for-
gotten. Her milk must be gradually dried up— i. e., its
secretion lessened, and finally wholly arrested. Usually
this is facilitated by a little simple treatment, though in
occasional cases the matter takes care of itself. The ap-
plication of camphorated oil, fluid extract of belladonna
(poisonous, and must not be licked ofi, which the bella-
156 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
donna liniment is less likely to be), strong vinegar, etc.,
tends to arrest the secretion of milk. But perhaps a
strong solution of camphor in alcohol is, upon the whole,
the best, and is perfectly safe for external application
several times a day. In obstinate cases a drop of the
fluid extract of belladonna may be given twice a day.
Then, great care must be taken to get the bitch back to
her former vigor as soon as possible. The skin is very
liable to suffer, and requires careful watching — in fact, as
is usual with dogs, it is a remarkably good index of the
general health of the animal. The neglect of brood
bitches that have faithfully done their duty, as too often
witnessed, must grieve any right-minded man sorely.
Not seldom must the bitch have tonic treatment, as
cod-liver oil, iron, phosphates, quinine, etc.
FEEDING PUPPIES.
The principles underlying the feeding of dogs hav-
ing been already pretty fully discussed, it will only be
necessary to point out certain precautions to be taken in
the case of puppies. It must always be borne in mind
that puppies are in need of food to construct new and
rapidly growing tissues, as well as to maintain ordinary
wear and tear, like adult animals ; hence their food must
be abundant, nutritious, complete — i. e., contain all neces-
sary constituents. But it must, in addition, be suited to
the changing needs of the animal and the condition of
the digestive tract, which, of course, vary from week to
week.
It must not contain too much liquid or be sloppy, else
the digestive system is relaxed and enfeebled. An all-
FEEDING PUPPIES. I57
milk diet is not suitable, nor one wholly of broth. While
it is not true that milk directly causes worms, through
conveying their germs, there is nevertheless some founda-
tion for this prejudice, inasmuch as it does when largely
and continuously used by weakening the digestive organs,
favoring excess of mucus, etc., tend to produce an envi-
ronment suitable for the development of parasites.
When bread and milk, broth and bread, and such like
foods are used, the dry material should be allowed to soak
up the liquid, so that the whole will be moist but not sur-
rounded by liquid. Dry bread-crusts and biscuits are use-
ful, and tend mechanically to remove excess of mucus,
the worms themselves and their germs. Powdered char-
coal is sometimes administered with the same end in view,
as well as to prevent that flatulency and distention not un-
common in puppies.
Sour milk or buttermilk given now and then acts as
a tonic, especially in hot weather, if not used in too large
quantity at once ; and the acid it contains is no doubt
unfavorable to worms.
But since buttermilk lacks the fat (and some of the
casein) of entire milk, it is not a suitable food for dogs in
quantity or continuously. Dogs " at walk " in the coun-
try often get too much of it for their best development, it
is feared.
Puppies, as soon as they cut their teeth, should be al-
lowed bones that are suitable — i. e., large ones — that they
can gnaw and suck but not break, and not hard enough to
wear down or fracture the teeth. They strengthen the
teeth, jaws, etc., as well as amuse.
All puppies after eight weeks require a little meat, the
158 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
quantity varying with the breed, conditions of Hfe, the in-
dividual, etc. A diet of meat alone is too stimulating for
a puppy of any age, while one destitute of it will never
develop a dog of the highest quality. A little raw meat,
cut very fine, has a tonic effect on the digestive system ;
but, as a rule, the greater part of the meat given dogs
should be cooked, for reasons previously given (parasites).
The older the puppy, the stronger its food should be in
nitrogenous or albuminous material — the more meat. But
puppies of the larger breeds usually require more meat
from the first.
After six or eight months, or when the puppy has got
its second teeth, it may be fed, Hke older dogs, on table
scraps ; in fact, after this period the feeding may be much
as in mature dogs.
How often should a puppy be fed ? Since its needs
are so great and digestion feeble, a young puppy must
get its meals often. It is surely better to give food more
frequently, than to feed so seldom that the puppy must eat
to distention to satisfy his appetite.
For puppies under three months, ^ve or six times a
day is not too often, the last meal being given late at
night and the first early in the morning.
For those from three to six months, four times daily
may suffice, and from six to eight months three times;
after that two good meals will answer. It is best to feed
each puppy separately.
OTHER MANAGEMENT OF PUPPIES.
If we could only imitate Nature's ways, we should be
eminently successful. We find that the carnivora, the dog
OTHER MANAGEMENT OF PUPPIES. 159
tribe included, bring forth their young in secluded places,
as caves, holes in the earth, burrows, etc.
As soon as the whelps are old enough to move about,
their surroundings are favorable for cleanliness and exer-
cise, while they can readily resort to their natural shelter
in case of storms or other stress of circumstances, and for
undisturbed repose.
What better grooming for the skin than that fur-
nished by fresh earth, grass, forest brush, dry leaves, etc. ?
Earth is a perfect deodorizer, if not an actual disinfect-
ant ; it furnishes a means of removing dirt and vermin ;
and tends to produce those ingoing nervous influences
which have, as already pointed out, such a salutary influ-
ence.
Kow, if we but imitate these conditions, our puppies
will be fairly healthy, notwithstanding that in breeding
and in many features of the environment we must depart
from Nature in keeping pure-bred dogs around hmnan
habitations.
Puppies, when well, always play much — the best exer-
cise they can get. What is wanted, then, is a shelter to
which they can resort for quiet and shade during the day ;
a kennel free from draughts or other source of danger at
night, with free ventilation and cleanliness.
Puppies can not develop sound bodies, especially good
legs and feet, without liberty to run ; hence they should
have a yard, if not a field ; they must be free to scrape up
and burrow in earth, and this should be encouraged ; their
stools must be constantly removed ; and they should have
access to good, cool water. A grass run is very desirable,
but not as the sole resort, for it is very diflicult to keep it
12.
160
THE DOG IN HEALTH.
clear of excrement. A heap of coal ashes, in the absence
of opportunity to hnrrow in earth, is useful.
When four or five months old the puppies may be
taken out together for a little scamper. This they will
greatly enjoy, and the change will do them good. They
should not at this period accompany older dogs, nor be
allowed to meet many strange dogs, lest they catch dis-
temper.
Washing puppies is to be avoided, if possible, till they
are six months old, and then as seldom as may be. Young
puppies feel the shock, and are apt to catcli cold, suffer in
their digestion, etc. Nevertheless, washing is preferable
to that filthiness which favors all sorts of parasites and
renders the creature's life a burden. With the precautions
we have indicated as to cleansing after feeding, and with
freedom and encouragement to burrow, washing will
seldom be required. But if it must be undertaken, let it
be done quickly and well.
The amount and kind of grooming young puppies will
need must vary very much with the surroundings ; after
six months they will require more attention in this respect.
When a puppy is kept in a small yard special attention
must be paid to his dejections. A box of earth, ashes, or
saw-dust, from which a little material may be taken to
cover the offensive matter at once, will be indispensable,
even if it is removed as soon as it should be.
Any arrangements which do not permit — in fact, do not
favor — the puppies retiring to where they can get undis-
turbed sleep after eating or when tired with play are very
defective. Eest is as absolutely demanded as exercise.
Young dogs of different breeds, from their dissimilar
EXERCISE AND TRAINING OF PUPPIES. 101
habits and tendencies, do not usually do well together^
one being generally a source of annoyance or worry to
the other, sometimes of positive danger from fighting.
All problems are greatly complicated when several breeds
are kept in the one kennel, even if separated. But if
study is the main object, there is more to learn for him
who has the eye to see.
EXERCISE AND TRAINING OF PUPPIES.
These subjects are so closely associated in practice that
they may be treated together to some extent. We have
already tried to show that the best exercise for a dog is
that which fits him for his work, and that in the very
nature of the case this must be taken in connection with
that work. Such is Nature's method. The young car-
nivora soon take part in catching, etc., the maimed ani-
mals the parents bring home.
An analysis of our own psychic life, complex as much
of it is, compared with that of the dog, shows that a great
part of our mental processes are not concerned with ab
stractions and generalizations of a very high order, but
with actual concrete perceptions and conceptions ; that we
think in pictures rather than words ; that our thoughts
are the result of past associations ; that the machinery of
the mind or brain is so connected that when one part is
moved, so to speak, a whole series of connections are es-
tablished. Hence the psychic life of every creature must
be related essentially to its past experiences.
If this be true — and it can not be doubted — we think,
then, the puppy's intelligence, like our own, begins to
develop, and continues to do so exactly in relation to its
162 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
environment. We can make that environment prettj
much what we will ; and with the dog, his master from the
first, and always, is the princijDal factor.
' Two extreme views have for a long period been enter-
tained in regard to the training of the dog : the one
that he is a wild, wayward creature to be '' broken," the
other that he needs no special correction if properly taught
from the first. Neither is quite correct.
A puppy full of life tends to do exactly as his im-
pulses urge him, till the highest motive power, a desire
to please his master, is substituted. It follows that a
puppy can not be too soon led to understand that he has
a master — kind, honest, intelligent, and firm. He must
be consistent with his puppy. All caprice is fatal; it
utterly confuses and demoralizes the dog.
Kemembering, as we indicated long ago, that the dog
is very like ourselves, we can suggest a few principles
for training that we think will meet the test of experi-
ence. The puppy at one period is like a young infant,
later like a two-year-old child, and at the best most dogs
never get beyond the intelligence of a young child in
most respects, though in some qualities the wisest man is
far behind the dog.
For practical purposes the puppy may be treated as an
infant, but as a rapidly developing one. He gets his in-
formation through his senses, and his training must be
related to this, and to the fact that he is a creature with
strong impulses but of little self-control.
It is a well-established law of the nervous system,
that what has happened once is likely to occur again
under the same circumstances ; hence in the training of
EXERCISE AND TRAINING OF PUPPIES. 163
puppies first experiences are of much importance, and all
the arrangements of the kennel, and in fact the whole en-
vironment, should be shaped in relation to this principle.
The puppy should not be allowed to get into habits
which will later need correction. Let him from the first
be encouraged in cleanliness, self-respect, love of esteem,
respect for the rights of other puppies his fellows, etc.
Yery early begin to instill into him lessons of restraint,
but only for the briefest periods, for the creature is as
yet weak in brain and will power, though strong in in-
stincts and impulses.
The master or trainer must not be associated in his
mind with unpleasantness, but with the reverse. Do not,
therefore, punish him, but let him learn almost uncon-
sciously that certain actions and certain pleasures are con-
nected.
He should soon be taught his name, should always
come when called, but not be summoned too often, espe-
cially if playing. It is well to carry a bit of biscuit,
cheese, etc., to reward him for coming at first. Later a
pat of approbation will suffice.
The trainer should never undertake what he is not
reasonably sure of accomplishing ; and the first aim should
always be to secure the dog's attention and interest and to
make the accomplishment pleasant. But he must know
what is wanted, and if he can not comprehend this, the
lesson is unsuitable at this period. He must, however,
obey if he understands ; gentle compulsion, when once the
purpose is understood, may be exercised — e. g., if he will
not come when he is called, he must not be whipped, as
that will make the whole set of associations unpleasant,
164 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
but he must be gently dragged by the back of the neck or
bodily carried to where the trainer stood when the com-
mand was given ; he should be very gently reprimanded,
then forgiven and made to feel that he is forgiven, and the
lesson repeated, always rewarding obedience in some way.
Obedience to what is right pleasant, disobedience un-
pleasant, is the rule for us all, dogs and men. On these
principles yard and house training is simple with well-bred
dogs. They mean to please if they can. Make obedience
and right-doing understood, possible, and pleasing, and it
will be preferred, especially if the wrong-doing is followed
by the reverse experiences.
Dogs are naturally cleanly, and will not foul their ken-
nels if they can betake themselves to a more suitable place ;
but this latter must sometimes be pointed out to puppies.
An animal confined must of necessity evacuate his bladder
and bowels, but a dog that has from his puppyhood had a
chance to be cleanly will often suffer much before fouling
his dwelling-place. The author has known a puppy at the
point of death drag himself from his sleeping-box to evacu-
ate his bowels.
Dogs are not filthy in their habits, but some people
who keep them are, and others do not understand what is
required to enable a dog to follow his instincts of cleanli-
ness. Where a dog has once been to respond to E'ature's
call, he tends to visit again, and this is a guide to enable
us to avail ourselves of natural instinct to maintain cleanly
surroundings. The same general principles apply when
dogs are taken afield to be worked on some sort of game.
At first the puppy may run toward almost every form of
life he sees. This is natural, and he would not be worth
EXERCISE AND TRAINING OF PUPPIES. 165
keeping if he did not show some such tendency to in-
vestigate the world about him.
But he must be restrained gradually. He must asso-
ciate certain acts with the approval and others with the
disapproval of him he respects, loves, and would delight
to please if he only knew how.
But such is the strength of the impulses of some pup-
pies— now, we will suppose, six or eight months old — that
they find it very difficult to restrain themselves. In such
case we must lessen the stimulus or source of excitement
rather than resort at once to the application of the princi-
ple of making the act unpleasant, as by the use of a spiked
collar or check-line.
These may later be useful in a modified form, but not
at first; indeed, such methods are usually quite unneces-
sary if a proper course be pursued. To illustrate : Sup-
pose that a brace of setter puppies eight months old be
taken to some wood where there is but little game. If
they tend to run wild without any reference to the where-
abouts of the trainer, and disregard his calls or his whistle,
it surely would not be wise to whip those puppies soundly
at once, or attach a spiked collar or a check-line. To do
so would probably confuse them, humiliate them, and re-
tard their development in every way. Now, if the trainer
secrete himself for a little while, the puppies will probably
get frightened a little, feeling that they are lost, and will
after this be more cautious how widely they range. When
they do come in they may be scolded, but not whipped at
this stage.
All dogs should be taught to come in to whistle and to
" down charge," or to drop at some word of command or
166 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
at the upraising of the hand. This applies to all breeds,
though more especially to dogs used in shooting. A dog
in the field should also be guided by the motions of his
trainer's hand. In learning this, the voice, the whistle,
and often a long cord will be useful.
But the author wishes to avoid giving the impression
that there is only one way of accomplishing these things,
as many previous writers seem to have thought, with the
result that many who have attempted to follow their rigid
rules have disgusted themselves and spoiled their dogs.
It is to be remembered that all lessons require frequent
repetition. " Little and often " applies to training as a
cardinal principle.
Ko one should undertake the training of a dog to work
on game who is not possessed of patience and good temper.
Lacking these, the puppy is apt to cause the trainer great
worry and to get little good from him, if he be not actually
spoiled. It is, in fact, better to go afield expecting that
the puppy will do nothing as desired at first ; then one is
prepared for the worst, and may soon lay his plans to ac-
complish what he aims at, which must always be done in
relation both to the dog and the circumstances.
But with dogs example is strong for good or evil. A
steady, old, trained dog is invaluable, while a disobedient,
headstrong one will most assuredly ruin the puppy. But
it is clearly foolish to expect a puppy under a certain age
to work on game with an older dog — indeed, to work on
game at all — though ranging, obeying the whistle, dropping,
etc., should all be taught before the puppy is introduced
to game. He must learn restraint and obedience, though
it must be confessed that a day's work on actual game
EXERCISE AND TRAINING OF PUPPIES. 167
often quite transforms some puppies. But, as a rule, ten
or twelve months will be quite soon enough to introduce
a puppy to actual work.
Retrieving may be taught at home, using a soft ball
of yarn, etc.; and if the puppy is inclined to bite hard on
this, a few wires may be pushed through it. He nnist
always at first be rewarded, when he brings the ball when
thrown, with a little meat, cheese, etc. The words " fetch,"
" seek," etc., may be employed. Soon he will understand,
and seek when no ball is thrown. To get him to " seek
dead," some article may be hidden, and at first some meat,
etc., must be employed, and the dog assisted to find it.
Later a real bird may be used, or a wing. The same word
of command should always be used. If the puppy will
not bring the article — will not retrieve — take him to the
spot and place it in his mouth, holding it there and oblig-
ing him to carry it and finally deliver it at command;
reward him, and then try him again.
Some dogs take to retrieving naturally, requiring no
training, while it is almost impossible to get others, often
of high intelligence, to learn this at all.
Most puppies need a good deal of attention before they
are perfectly steady on point, and to wing and shot, as
their natural tendency is to secure the game when they
have found it. How best to overcome this it is not always
easy to decide. The dog must be encouraged to remain
steady while his trainer moves up. Often the assistance of
a second person to flush the bird will be desirable, while
the dog is approached and encouraged but not allowed to
rush on. In this case a check -cord may be useful — to be
employed as little as possible. The example of a rehable
168 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
old dog is invaluable. Some form of check that will make
the dog defeat or punish himself is preferable to direct
administration of punishment by the trainer.
Gun-shyness is but an exaggerated form of fear of
unusual noises, and must be treated accordingly. Let the
dog be gradually introduced to louder and louder noises,
never being allowed to escape, but made to see that no
harm is meant him or can happen to him. As to whether
it is worth while to attempt to cure the worst cases will
depend much on other circumstances, such as the dog's
breeding, general intelligence, " nose," etc. It may or
may not be inherited.
The author, in conversation with a very successful
trainer of horses, once asked : " Can you teach any horse
these things ? " "I can do so, but it w^ould not in many
cases be worth while," was the reply. The same may be
said of dogs : some of them are not adapted for certain
kinds of work and acquirements to a sufficient degree, to
make it worth while to persevere in teaching them ; just
as some boys would never become expert enough at certain
vocations to warrant their pursuit. But before abandoning
a well-bred specimen that seems to possess courage, " go,"
and fair general intelligence, it might be well to get the
advice of some second person of much experience. Many
dogs, unpromising at first, have become a great success
afterward. The ability to read dogs very thoroughly is
given to but few men, and these, provided they have
patience, good temper, and perseverance, must of course
make the best trainers.
Though we have spoken chiefly of the training of
hunting dogs, it is simply because that is usually more
EXERCISE AND TRAINING OF PUPPIES. 169
elaborate. All training is based on essentially the same
principles, for the mind of the trainer and that of the
do": are relative constants, while the circumstances are the
variables.
In every instance the dog, from the earliest period,
must know the trainer as his master, as one who knows
his own mind and is always to be obeyed. But, in order
to insure this, the principles we have already endeavored
to enforce must be faithfully and intelligently applied ;
and it is very important, we repeat, that nothing be under-
taken that can not be performed, and every advance in
instruction approached by slight gradation and frequent
repetition. All sound training must constantly keep in
mind the individuality of the animal. The assumption
that all dogs should be treated just alike, is as erroneous
as that all stomachs may have the same diet.
A dog kept constantly in a kennel can never attain his
highest psychical development ; and it is the author's expe-
rience that it does every dog good to bring him into the
house occasionally for short periods and allow him to
mingle with the family. It raises the animal in his own
estimation, and attaches him to his master, for whom he
will have increased respect.
The exercise of puppies is, of course, of more impor-
tance than that of grown dogs, as not only their health but
their development is to be considered. Bearing in mind
their eagerness, their inexperience, the ease with which
they are exhausted, the immature character of their tis-
sues, and their general instability of nature, certain pre-
cautions are very necessary.
It has been already pointed out that the object of exer
lYO THE DOG IN HEALTH.
cise is the best development of the dog, physical and
psychical ; that it should be in great part in reference to
the work — in fact, in connection, if possible, with the
work — the animal is intended to perform.
This is not always possible. A setter puppy can not
always be taken to the woods, etc. In such case, the near-
est approach to the ideal must be striven after. He can
be taken to fields, along country roads, etc. It is desira-
ble that all dogs be taught to lead on chain without strain-
ing or worry, and to walk " at heel." To accomplish this
latter a stick with a spring snap attached to one end, that
can be put through a ring in the collar, will serve to hold
the dog in the desired position, always accompanying the
action with the word " heel," so that soon this apparatus
may be dispensed with.
This should not be undertaken too soon with puppies,
or their natural spirit will be too much curbed. It is
more than desirable to keep very young puppies out of
temptation to run wild, where they can do mischief, while
giving exercise.
It is far more important in a puppy than in a grown
dog to avoid exhaustion ; nor should the young dog be
allowed to race at the top of his speed till he is tired and
then drop and continue to lie on the cool earth, for he may
get one of those chills so favorable to the onset of distem-
per, pneimionia, or some less serious form of disturbance.
Racing over hilly and rough country without previous
preparation, especially if long continued, is very apt to
strain the muscles and ligaments, and is no doul)t responsi-
ble for many of the imperfections of the legr, and feet that
we see in himting-dogs. Especially is this likely to follow
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DOG. lYl
if the dog is not well groomed and rubbed after coming
in, the legs included.
Big dogs, such as St. Bernards, mastiffs, etc., are not
adapted to the same sort of exercise as setters, terriers, and
smaller dogs ; but it is astonishing how active and fast such
dogs become when judiciously exercised, and now and
then, in a field not too large, allowed to romp with dogs
of some more active breed for a short time and after pre-
liminary training.
We have already said that no dog should be kept con-
stantly on chain. The tugging at a chain will not improve
the form of any dog, and will most certainly deform a
puppy; in fact, to keep a dog on chain is to subject him
to entirely wrong conditions, all his natural instincts being
checked and his nature perverted.
Many accidents also are liable to happen, such as hang-
ing, etc. In nearly every instance chaining up could easily
be avoided.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DOG; DETERMINATION
OF AGE.
All mammals are born in a more or less undeveloped
condition, and to this the dog is no exception. The newly
born puppy is capable of but little locomotion ; and though
it can both taste and smell, the eyes and ears are not yet
complete in development, the external ears being closed
and the eyelids not yet separated, so that the creature is
both deaf and blind. In ten or twelve days these organs
are functional, and from that time the puppy's advance is
rapid. He soon gets control of his muscles, and uses his
senses and locomotive powers to investigate the world
;[72 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
about him and prepare for an independent existence.
Every organ of the body becomes by degrees more active,
and puppy coat, carriage, form, etc., are gradually ex-
changed for those characteristic of the adult of the breed
to which he belongs.
Those familiar with a breed by raising puppies can,
with considerable accuracy, estimate the age of a puppy
by its general appearance and demeanor, as they can also
of an " old dog," though in the latter case with much less
certainty.
It is easier to decide the age of a very young puppy
than of a dog of any other age, while it is not possible to
determine with any degree of certainty the age of a well
reared dog between his first and his fourth or fifth year.
The same reliance can not be placed on the teeth as in
the case of the herbivora, especially the horse, in which
their rate of wear is fairly constant and their appearance
for each year of life up to old age characteristic. The
fact is, the dog scarcely uses his teeth to masticate food
at all, unless it be in gnawing bones. But considerable
dependence may be placed on the teeth to indicate age
within the first year of the dog's life.
It will be borne in mind that a tooth consists of a part
imbedded in the gum and jaw, the root or fang, and of an
exposed portion, or crown. The latter is capped by an ex-
tremely hard substance — enamel — beneath which is the
" ivory " or dentine, made up of fine tubules into which
the substance of the pulp extends. The tooth is supplied
with blood-vessels and nerves through the pulp, which fills
the hollow interior of its root or roots, and corresponds to
the marrow of bones in some degree. (Fig. 9.)
DETERMINATION OF AGE.
1T3
The teeth of the dog, as in other carnivora, are adapted
for seizing, holding, tearing, and cutting, rather than grind-
ing.
Fig. 9,— Tooth of Cat in Situ (Waldkybr).
i, enamel ; 2, dentine ; 3, cement ; 4, periosteum of alveolar cavity ; 5, bone of
jaw ; 6, pulp cavity.
The first or milk-teeth may soon after birth be felt
within the gums of the puppy, and the period of their
174
THE DOG IN HEALTH.
eruption is fairly constant. The larger breeds and bitches
get teeth earlier by a little than smaller breeds and dogs.
It may be said that, in general, the front teeth or incisors
appear before the back teeth or molars, though the tooth
actually erupted first is usually the lower middle molar,
and at about the eighteenth to the twenty-second day.
Then follow, after one to two days' interval, the incisors
— i. e., " nippers," " intermediates," and " corner teeth " —
Fig. 10.— Gekeral and Lateral View of the Dog's Teeth (Chauvkau).
in the order indicated, though this is not constant; and
the interval between their appearance may be inappre-
ciable, so that they often seem to erupt at once. At about
the same time the canines (tusks) appear. The first and
third molars are cut about the fourth week, and in a
couple of days later the middle upper molar pushes its
way through ; next comes the last upper molar, and then
the first upper molar, so that hy the fifth week the whole
of the milk-teeth mcvy he through the gums.
DETERMINATION OF AGE. 1Y5
The temporary teeth are twenty-eight in number — six
incisors, two canines^ and six molars in each jaw.
They are softer, wider apart and get more so with the
o;rowth of the jaw, smaller and more pointed, than those
that will succeed them. The incisors of the dog are very
characteristic, owing to their cusps or points, usually three
in number.
The shedding of the teeth begins at about the four-
teenth to the sixteenth week ; but in this case the central
incisors are the first to be renewed, and the upper molars
Fig. 11.— Anterior View of the Incisors and Canine Teeth in a Year-old Dog
(Chauveau).
are cut before the lower. Usually the canines appear soon
after, but they are more frequently delayed than the other
teeth. However, there is a good deal of difference, often
in even the same litter, as to the exact age at which the
renewal begins, the teeth are all shed, and the permanent
set is completed. Usually the dentition is complete before
the fifth month, but in the smaller breeds the completion
of the process may be delayed till the sixth or eighth
month.
There is no increase in the number of incisors or
canines, but the molars in the second set are twelve in the
upper jaw (occasionally fourteen) and fourteen in the
lower, making the total number of teeth forty-two, as in-
13
Incisors.
Canines.
Premolars.
Molars.
3—3
••* 3—3
1—1
1—1
4—4
4—4
2-2-42.
3-3
2—2
*** 3—2
1—1
1—1
2—2
2—2
^-^-32.
3—3
176 THE DOG IN HEALTH.
dicated in the following tabular comparison with the den-
tition of man :
Dog
Man.
The usual order of eruption is : Fourth, above ; fifth,
above ; fifth, below, soon followed by the sixth and sev-
enth ; three anterior above ; about a week later the three
anterior are replaced below. The four first molars on
each side are often termed premolars.
From the nature of the case, it is impossible to deter-
mine the age of a dog by his teeth after the permanent set
is complete, as their condition varies greatly with the sort
of wear to which they are subjected, this depending on
the food, etc.
In a perfectly healthy dog the teeth remain white
for several years ; but if there be abnormalities of the di-
gestive juices, the teeth are apt to become discolored by
tartar, an accumulation of lime-salts, entangling foreign
matters.
It is well to give a dog, therefore, suitable bones, hard
biscuits, crusts of bread, etc., to clean the teeth.
Dogs of most breeds are at their best physically in
their third year, though some individuals of these, and
many in the larger varieties, continue to improve up to the
fourth year.
After the sixth year a dog usually shows signs of fail-
ure ; after the eighth he is old, and after the tenth year he
is, as a rule, unfit to propagate his kind or engage in those
DETERMINATION OF AGE. I77
pursuits which afforded liiin bo mucli pleasure in earlier
years. As a rule, the smaller breeds are the longest-lived.
Dogs, like human beings, improve in judgment with
advancing years, become more staid, and prefer quiet ob-
servation to activity. Like men, too, they show gray n ess
about the head and face, though, as in the human subject,
this sometimes appears early and as an hereditary trait.
The age at which a dog ceases to be useful or to enjoy
life will depend largely on inherited stamina, and especially
the care he has been given. The dog is an animal in
which maturity, both physical and psychical, is speedily
attained, decline rapid, and life short. His is a brief, in-
tense career. He lives much though not long ; the tide
of hia life is rapid and full, but evanescent.
177a GLOSSARY.
GLOSSARY.
The author has thought it well to gather together in a
list those terms in common use among dog-fanciers, with
the meaning attached to them, though a large proportion
of them have been already explained in the text as they
occurred. Such terms are often used in the reports of dog
shows published in papers devoted to kennel interests.
Apple-headed. Roundness instead of flatness of skull ; a common
fault in the toy black-and-tan terrier, etc.
Babbler. A dog that gives tongue in hunting when he should be
mute.
Back. For illustration of the terms applied to different parts of the
dog, see the cut, p. 29.
Belton. Applied to an English setter with small, evenly distributed
flecks of some other color on a white ground — e. g., black (blue
Belton), lemon (lemon Belton), etc.
Blaze. White extending up the center of the skull, as in a St. Ber-
nard.
Brisket. The lower and forward part of the chest.
Brush. The tail in some breeds with long hair on this part, as in the
collie.
Butterfly-nose. The end of the nose not of a uniform color, as black,
flecked with white — always a fault.
Button-ear. The lappet of the ear hanging down so as to cover the
entrance to the auditory canal.
Cat-foot. The foot short and round, as in the cat. Desired now in
most breeds.
Chaps. The lips, especially the back parts.
Character. See p. 26.
Cheeky. Unduly prominent on each side of the skull ; a grave fault
in a terrier.
Clean. Free from loose skin, etc. ; an important point in the neck of
most breeds of dogs — e. g., the pointer, great Dane, the terriers, etc.
GLOSSARY. 177^
Cobby. Of compact form, as in a cob-horse; an important point in
most breeds of spaniels.
Condition (good). That physical and psychic state, arising from the
health and vigor of the animal as a whole and of every part, and
reflected in the eye, coat, movement, etc.
Couplings. Certain joints. A dog is long-coupled when he is too
long between the shoulder and the hip-joint ; or he is too long be-
tween the couplings, so spoiling due proportion.
Cow-hocked. The hock-joints turning in toward each other, instead
of pointing straight back, and generally too close together ; most
apt to occur in large breeds ; a grave fault.
Crest. The upper ridge of the neck.
Cropped. Ears not natural, but designedly cut.
Dew-claws. Partially developed toes or claws, generally most pro-
nounced on the hind leg.
Dewlap. The loose skin on throat and neck; undesirable in most
breeds, but called for in the bloodhound.
Dish-faced. The opposite of Roman-nosed — i. e., with muzzle higher
toward the end than elsewhere. The upper plane of the nose
should be level.
Docked. The tail shortened by cutting, etc.
Drop-ear. The lappet falling to the side of the face ; the opposite of
prick-ear.
Dudley-nose. Flesh-colored.
Elbow. " Out at elbow " — i. e., with the elbow inclining to the outer
side, and not pointing straight back, as it should.
Faking. Attempting to improve the animal by illegitimate means, as
dyeing, clipping, singeing, etc.
Feather. The long hair on the back of the legs, on the tail, etc., as in
setters.
Fiddle-headed. Long and wolfish, rather than massive; a fatal de-
fect in such a dog as the mastiff.
Flag. The tail, especially in setters.
Flat-footed. The opposite of well knuckled up.
Flews. The hanging lips ; should be abundant in the bloodhound.
Frill. The abundant long hair on the under side of the neck and
chest, as in collies.
177c GLOSSARY.
Hare-foot. Elongated, as in the hare, and opposed to cat-foot (see
illustration of the Russian wolfhound, p. 32).
Haw. The red " third eyelid " seen at the inner angle of the eyelid in
the bloodhound.
Heat. In season, in use ; the period of sexual excitement in the bitch.
Huckle-bones. Tops of the hip-joints.
Knuckled. Toes are well knuckled up when they are bent up so that
the foot looks thick through, as seen in the illustration of the grey-
hound, p. 10.
Leather. The lappet of the ear.
Leggy. Too long in the leg.
Level. Teeth level — i. e., the teeth of both jaws meeting evenly in
front.
Lippy. Lips too free when they should be tight-lipped — e. g., in the
bull-terrier, black-and-tan terrier, etc.
Lumber. Useless tissue ; material that is a hindrance to a dog in his
work ; a serious defect in a hunting-dog.
Mane. The long hair on the neck and shoulders of a collie.
Overshot. The upper incisors projecting appreciably beyond the
lower.
Pigeon-toed. The toes turning in when walking.
Pig-jawed. Overshot ; the upper jaw longer than the lower, so that
the upper incisor teeth project beyond the lower appreciably.
Piley. Applied to the coat of some dogs, as that of the Dandie Din-
mont ; a mixture of hard and soft hair.
Prick-ear. The ear standing erect, as in the Pomeranian, etc., but a
serious defect in most breeds.
Quality. See p. 26.
Roach-back. The back or loin arching considerably, as in the bull-
dog ; much the same as " wheel-back."
Rose-ear. The lappet so turning back that the inner part is exposed
to view ; preferred in the bulldog (see p. 344).
Ruff. The long hair back of the head in the collie.
Snipey. Muzzle not square at the end, but narrowing gradually.
Splay-footed. Same as flat-footed.
Standard. Written description of a breed by which it is supposed to
be judged.
GLOSSARY. 117d
Stern. The tail ; used of the pointer, etc.
Stop. The indentation between the eyes at the root of the muzzle.
Tliroatiiiess. Excess of loose skin on the throat and neck.
Tucked-up. A -nipping" or gathered-up appearance at the flank.
Called for in some varieties, but a defect in dogs of a breed that
should be cobby.
Tulip-ear. Ilalf-pricked ear.
Tnrii-iip (and lay back). Applied to the turning up and back of the
muzzle of the bulldog and toy spaniel.
Type, typical. See p. 26.
Undershot. The lower incisors or front teeth projecting beyond the
upper ones.
Vermin (Varmint) Dog. One used to hunt vermin or creatures that
annoy mankind, as rats, etc., and so applicable especially to ter-
riers.
Well-turned Hock. The joint strong, and the bones at a good angle
at this (ankle) joint. The hocks in a dog intended for great speed
for short distances, as the greyhound, should be placed low or rela-
tively near the ground.
PAKT II.
THE DOG IN DISEASE.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
The processes or functions of the animal body in a
natural condition, or in health, have been considered in
one brief chapter (page 10), which it might, at this stage,
be worth the reader's while to review.
We have now to consider those deviations from the
normal which constitute what is termed " disease," and,
before undertaking the discussion of specific forms of dis-
ease, it may be well to consider some of the main principles
which underlie the subject.
Causation. — The environment may be regarded as the
entire collection of conditions under which an animal
lives, life being the resultant of the action of the environ-
ment on the organism. If this be unfavorable, disease
results, and the unfavorable factor is termed the cause of
the disturbance. Causes are divided into 'predisposing and
exciting. Thus, everything that tends to lower the vitality
of the animal is a predisposing cause of distemper in the
dog, while a specific germ is the probable exciting cause
of the disease.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 179
Medical practitioners (and we always use that term for
those that practice on the lower animals as well as on man)
use the terms "diagnosis," "prognosis," "prophylaxis,"
"treatment," etc., as applicable to every disease. Diag-
nosis is the recognition of a certain group of disturbances
or symptoms as characteristic ; prognosis is simply another
term for the outlook, the probable issue; prophylaxis is
the technical expression for means of prevention; while
treatment implies all that is to be done to help the patient.
It can not be too well remembered that disease is not
cm entity, something that can exist apart from an animal.
Disease is nothing more than altered function, a more or
less serious departure from the natural condition ; hence to
know what is the natural condition of an animal is the
first requisite for the understanding of disease. We must
always have a standard of comparison. Scientific medicine
is impossible without scientific pathology or knowledge of
altered function, and this again is dependent on a sound
physiology or knowledge of the normal behavior of the
body. Treatment is based on both, as w^ell as a knowledge
of causation, for the first principle of treatment is always
to remove, if possible, the cause, and, if that is not to be
done, to neutralize it as far as we can.
Disease always implies altered nutrition, or, to use a
more modern and expressive term, metabolism, or series
of essential changes that make up the life-work of a cell,
organ, or entire organism.
It is both convenient and necessary, in considering dis-
ease, to bear in mind the alterations that take place in each
of the great systems of the body, as well as the general
expression or result of this ; moreover, nearly every dis-
180 THE DOG m DISEASE.
ease attacks, or, as we should more correctly say, results in
a greater alteration of one system or set of functions than
of others ; e. g., there are diseases peculiar to the digestive
system. However, an equally important truth is to be
recognized, viz., that no system can suffer alone ; the body
is a whole.
It has been customary to assign a very prominent place
to the changes in the blood-vascular (circulatory) system
both in health and disease ; but it must be remembered
that changes in the blood-vessels are dependent in most
cases directly on changes in the nervous system. In all
diseases, as wejl as in health, the nervous system is the
head and director of the processes of the body. This
truth has for some years been rather ignored, but is again
being recognized. There are certain central cells in the
brain and spinal cord that preside over all other cells either
by direct government or influence or indirectly^ and their
action depends on the influences or stimuli that reach them
through the afferent or sensory nerves, while their com-
mands or governing influence are conveyed by the efferent
or outgoing nerves, the whole constituting a sort of circuit
which we may compare, after a fashion, to the circuit of a
battery. Influences of some kind, good or bad (irritation),
are^ always passing to and from the central cells, and any
doctrines of pathology or therapeutics (treatment) that
overlook this are radically defective.
The preceding part of this book has dealt with dogs as
they are at the present day, and has explained how they
are to be managed to produce their best development and
to avoid disease. But do our best, we can not always so
perfectly adapt the environment to the animal that serious
GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 181
disturbances may not arise ; lience the necessity for chap-
ters on disease, which disease as a matter of fact exists
and carries off many of the finest specimens of the canine
race.
In a large proportion of disturbances inflammation
and ahered conditions play a very prominent part, and to
these, in the briefest way, attention is now invited.
An organ may contain an excess of arterial blood,
owing mostly to enlargement of its arterioles, and is then
said to \>^ hyijercBmjic ; if the organ contain. an excess of
venous blood, from the latter not being removed as rap-
idly as usual, the part is possibly congested^ or there is
stasis, though the latter term is applied mostly to slowed
current in the smallest vessels or capillaries.
When the vascular (circulatory) and associated disturb-
ances constitute inflammation, we have dilatation of blood-
vessels, afflux of blood, slowing of the blood-current,
changes in the walls of the vessels, in the blood within
them, and in the tissues around them.
The small blood-vessels dilate, the colorless corpus-
cles become more actively amoeboid, the vessel-walls are
changed, and, in consequence of the relations between the
blood, the vessels, and the tissues being altered, the cor-
puscles pass through to a greater or less extent, especially
the colorless ones {leucocytes), and also a fluid derived
from the liquor sanguinis, or plasma.
The tissues around the vessels may enter on a more
active condition and produce immature cells.
These changes are accompanied by heat, pain, redness,
and swelling in most instances, and may give rise to con-
stitutional disturbance of varying degrees of severity,
Ig2 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
indicated nearly always by more or less elevation of tem-
perature, as well as other changes.
Locally the exudation from the vessels, the cells that
pass from them, and those that are produced in the neigh-
boring tissues, may collect to form an abscess.
An inflammation may end in resolution or return to
the normal without formation of abscess, etc., or result
in abscess, gangrene, or death of parts when very severe,
softening and disintegration, and various forms of degen-
eration ; or poisonous products may be formed, taken
into the general circulation, and cause the most serious
disturbance, or even death.
Hypermmia may lead to increased growth, or may go
on to inflannnation or return to the normal.
Venous congestion is very apt to issue in some form of
^' exudation " — i. e., a fluid derived from the plasma of the
blood, allied to it in general comj^osition, but to be re-
garded as " foreign " in a considerable degree. By press-
ure and otherwise it may do much harm.
The Causes of Disease. — Any sudden and great altera-
tion in the environment is apt to be followed by such
inability on the part of the organism to adapt itself to it
that what we term disease arises. Prominent among these
are extremes of temperature, too little and too much food,
over-exertion, etc. Such are to be classed among predis-
posing causes in most instances.
Of late our knowledge of disease has been greatly
extended by the study of a world of extremely minute
vegetable organisms by means of powerful lenses, artificial
cultures, and other kinds of experiments.
It has been shown that animal life may be preyed upon
GENERAL PRINCIPLES. Ig3
by such organisms, distinct in form and equally distinct
in functions, each variety of which produces a train of
symptoms peculiar to itself. Some of these are powerless
to affect certain species of animals or individuals. It is
now definitely known that the greatest scourges that afflict
man and his dumb companions are attributable to these or
to similar lowly-organized animal forms.
And it might be well to point out that most of the
recent advances in human medicine, especially in that most
important department of preventive medicine, have been
owing to exiDcriments on the domestic animals, or on ani-
mals living about human habitations.
These minute organisms, by feeding on the fluids and
tissues of the animal, cause — as they are present in vast
numbers, mechanically, and more especially by direct irri-
tation, and by the poisons they produce — an effect on the
entire organism that may be best termed poisoning ; and,
of course, the greater the vigor of the animal, the better
prepared it is to withstand such influences and to eliminate
both the micro-organisms themselves and their poisons.
As yet our knowledge of combating these enemies is con-
fined to preventive inoculation in the case of a few dis-
eases— all that can be desired, perhaps, if it were established
for all microbic maladies and to preventing infection in
some degree. But direct destruction of the germs when
once within the body remains as one of the triumphs to be
attained. Nevertheless, it can not be denied that the
progress of medicine within the past decade has never
before been in the slightest degree approached.
X84 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
NORMAL TEMPERATURE OP THE DOG.
The bodily temperature of any animal is the result of
that series of chemical processes inseparably associated
with life. The fact that the temperature remains, under
the most varying circumstances, constant -within narrow
limits, is one of the most wonderful examples of adap-
tation of complex vital mechanism to environment con-
ceivable.
Physiologists now universally recognize two factors in
this equilibrium — heat production and heat dissipation or
loss, which in health balance each other. Heat production,
as well as heat regulation, is controlled by the nervous sys-
tem. Heat is lost chiefly by the skin and lungs, though in
a slight degree by the passage of urine and faeces.
The amount of heat produced in any tissue or organ is
dependent on its activity. The muscles are the greatest
source of heat, and among glands the liver. The blood is
constantly being cooled at the surface of the body and in
the lungs, and as constantly being warmed in the deeper
muscles and the internal organs. With exercise there is
increased metabolism, augmented chemical activity, more
heat produced, and the necessity for greater dissipation of
heat if the balance is to be maintained ; hence the dog
loses heat by his skin and by his lungs to a greater extent,
breathing faster and with open mouth. Some animals
lose a great amount of heat by sweating ; the dog not so
much in this way.
It is plain that whatever will throw these two pro-
cesses out of balance will give rise to a departure
from the normal temperature, either in the direction of
NORMAL TEMPERATURE OP THE DOG. 185
lowering or elevation of the temperature. The latter is
the more common, and is termed fever. Since fever im-
plies elevation above a normal, we shall now discuss the
natural temperature of the dog ; and, finding that this had
received but little attention, the author has investigated
the subject recently with the assistance of some of his
students, and will give a few of the results.
It is kno\ATi that in man and other animals the tem-
perature varies within limits in the twenty-four hours.
The tabular statement on the next page will illustrate this,
.and indicate what is the dog's exact temperature.
It will be noticed that these temperatures do not quite
correspond ; and investigation has proved that we must
recognize differences not only for breed, age, sex, etc., but
also for each individual. It is true these are slight, but
they must be taken into account in drawing conclusions
for both the healthy and the diseased. The rectal (or
vaginal) temperature is the most reliable; that in the
groin under favorable circumstances is usually about one
degree less than in the rectum, but it can not be relied on.
The dogs on which the observations were made be-
long to the author's own kennel, and were disturbed as
little as possible during the act of taking the temperature.
The animals were a pedigreed greyhound dog and pedi-
greed Gordon setter bitch,. of almost the same age — about
two and a half years.
The following is extracted from the author's record-
book : Animals fed at 8.30 a. m. and 5 p. m. Dogs re-
moved from the kennel while taking the day temperatures
to a room in the house, and kept there during the night of
observation, January 3 and 4, 1891. The thermometer
186 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
used in the rectum was a corrected, certified Hick's instru
ment. Time occupied in each observation ten minutes :
Greyhound Dog. Gordon Setter Bitch.
10.00 A. M 10°2-0 101-4
12.00 noon 102-2 102-2
2.00 P.M..... 102-4 101-7
5.30 p. M 101-7 101-9
8.15 p.M 101-5 101-6
10.30 p.M 101-5 101-6
12.00 p. M 101-4 101-2
2.00 A. M 100-4 101-8
4.00A.M » 100-4 100-7
6.00 A. M 100-4 100-8
7.40 A. M 100-6 100-5
The following appears from the above : That there is
a curve of temperature ; that the maximum differs from
the minimum (in this case 102-4°, 100-4°, 102-2°, 100-5°)
to the extent of about 2° — quite an important matter in
determining the temperature range in fever.
While there is a maximum in every case examined, it
has been found that the hour has not agreed in any of the
dogs examined, though kept under the same conditions.
The individual differences in temperature, like the indi-
viduality of animals generally, have been somewhat
ignored by writers on science and medicine.
The rectal temperature very rarely falls below 100°,
and it is important to note that it may rise, as the author
has many observations to show, above 102° considerably ;
so that a conclusion that fever exists can not be made on a
reading of even 102*8°, especially in a puppy in which the
temperature may naturally be higher than in an adult
dog, and is liable, as in human infants, to oscilla^te very
rapidly.
FEVER. 187
But temperatures under 99° or over 103° should arouse
suspicion of disease, and even a temperature of 102' 6°, if
constant, can not be normal.
FEVER.
An elevated temperature is an indication of that dis-
turbance of the bodily processes known as fever, which is
usually accompanied by an increase of heat production
and a decrease in heat dissipation. That there is increased
chemical activity is shown by the augmented output of
urea, carbonic dioxide (CO,), and still more by the excess
in consumption of oxygen. More fuel and more smoke
generally mean more heat, and so it is with the body.
It would seem that fever may be caused by poisons
produced within the body, or by any agency that will de-
range the nerve-centers or certain parts of them.
Usually there is excess of solids in the excretions with
diminution of fluids.
Many diseases are marked by febrile symptoms — i. e.,
elevated temperature, rapid pulse and respiration, with
diminished excretions, etc. Most, if not all, germ dis-
eases are characterized by febrile symptoms.
THE PULSE.
As indicating the rapidity and character of the heart-
beat, and the condition of the arteries, the pulse conveys
to the experienced a world of information. It may be
conveniently taken in the groin of the dog ; but often it
will be necessary, especially in the case of small dogs, to
attempt to get at the state of the heart directly, which can
be readily done in the dog by feeling the organ through
14
188 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
the chest-wall. As the dog is an excitable animal, he must
be quieted and soothed a little when the pulse is being
taken or the heart examined, especially by a stranger.
In all cases it must be ascertained that the pulse is not
merely transiently affected as the result of temporary
excitement from the very process of examination or other-
wise.
The variations natural to the different positions of the
body are not to be forgotten.
The pulse at birth is very rapid, 130 to 160 ; for the
first three months, 120 to 140 ; at from the sixth to the
ninth month, 90 to 110 ; after one year, 70 to 90. It will
be understood that these are only rough estimates, so wide
are the variations with age, sex, breed, position, tempera-
ment, etc.
A merely rapid pulse, with no elevation of tempera-
ture or other unfavorable symptoms, is not of great sig-
nificance usually. It is to be borne in mind, too, that
when an adult dog is quietly sleeping the pulse may be
very slow — indeed, 40 to 50.
The author desires to draw special attention to a feat-
ure of the pulse of the dog to which reference is seldom
made. After puppyhood the pulse is subject to a sort of
normal irregularity — i. e., with each expiration the pulse
is slower and stronger, and the beats uneven — a condition
of things, in fact, which in man or any other animal would
be a certain sign of disease in the large proportion of cases.
The phenomenon in question is never shown decidedly
in a young puppy, and it is never absent in a matured
dog, so that it constitutes in some measure an indication
of age. By the inexperienced these peculiarities might
METHODS OF STUDYING THE DOG IN DISEASE. 189
readily be mistaken for abnormalities of the heart. The
ratio of the respiration and pnlse in the dog is about tlie
same as in man — i. e., about one to four.
THE METHODS OF STUDYING THE DOG IN DISEASE.
He who is most familiar with the appearance and de-
portment of the dog in health at the various periods of his
existence will most readily appreciate all departures from
the normal. It follows that the student of canine medi-
cine should associate as much as possible with the dog to
acquire the desired familiarity. The idea that a student
of medicine can get all the knowledge of dogs that is re-
quired from seeing sick animals as they may be brought to
an infirmary, though widespread, has not proved correct,
and perhaps explains in no small degree that lack of con-
fidence in veterinary surgeons, as regards the dog, which
is certainly prevalent if not well founded.
The careful study of even a single puppy throughout
its whole period of growth and development by one of
good powers of observation and a reflective habit of mind
is one of the best possible preparations for the study of
canine medicine, and the more of this that can be done the
better. Departures from the normal can only be ade-
quately appreciated by him who knows the normal (healthy)
dog.
If the veterinarian were known to be a man who
understood well the various breeds of dogs in health, and
was in sympathy with dogs as dogs, there can be little
doubt that he would be more frequently consulted, espe-
cially by breeders ; and we see no reason why he should
not, like the '' family physcian," be periodically called in
190
THE DOG IN DISEASE.
to advise so as to prevent disease — a subject on which mod^
ern medicine has made great advances.
To the really intelligent practitioner there is little sat-
isfaction in pouring medicine into a dog whose case is
plainly hopeless, but which might have been saved, possi-
bly, if an early consultation had been sought. It is for
owners and practitioners to so understand each other
that advice will be valued and asked early. A certain
proportion of breeders, etc., are men of enough intelli-
gence to appreciate medical discussions — at all events,
sufficiently to know when to attempt treatment themselves
and when to call in experts in medicine ; accordingly, the
author will endeavor to keep this part of the work free
from needless technicalities, while it is made scientific, his
object being to make the book as widely useful as possible.
Diagnosis. — Different persons arrive at a diagnosis or
determination of the nature of the ailment by different
methods. The safest, in fact the only absolutely safe way,
is by the process of exclusion — i. e., considering all possi-
ble or probable diseases, and finally narrowing down to
one by determining that the malady can not be any of the
others ; apparently a tedious method, but in reality with
practice pretty rapid.
• Every help must be secured, so that the dog's attitude,
expression, carriage, etc., are to be considered before he is
taken in hand for a careful examination of each system of
the organs of the body. The latter implies what is termed
physical signs, as ascertained by palpation, or feeling dif-
ferent parts ; wuscultaiion, or listening to various sounds
derived from the chest-w^all usually; permssimi, or tap-
ping with the fingers or instruments over different regions
METHODS OF STUDYING THE DOG IN DISEASE. 191
with a view of learning whether they are more or less
resonant than normal, etc. But it will be perceived that
all this can have but little meaning to him who does not
understand the normal ; hence every sort of examination
should be practiced on healthy dogs of various breeds and
sizes. The physical examination of the dog is easy in it-
self, but may be troublesome if the animal is restive or
fractious.
This leads us to consider the manner of dealing with
dogs during examination. Some recommend that the dog
be taken out of the sight of his master, quickly thrown
down, and so handled that he will be taken by surprise
and offer no resistance. But in all dealings with dogs it
can not be too well remembered that they are very sensi-
tive creatures, of strong likes and dislikes, and good mem-
ories. A dog may be so treated that it will be almost im-
possible for the same person ever to succeed a second time
in examining him. Moreover, if a dog resists it is not
possible to form correct judgments always, as his functions
are disturbed thereby.
If the dog is treated so that he shall see that no harm
is meant him, he will usually quietly submit according to
his natural amiability. A little rubbing of the head, a few
soothing words, a gradual approach toward the real object,
may occupy a few minutes at first, but save infinitely in
the end. l^ow and then there are exceptions, but, in our
experience, they are of the rarest.
Before making any examination, the history of the case
should be obtained. To the experienced especially it
means a great deal, and upon it alone a fairly safe diag-
nosis may often be made. While the history is being re-
192 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
lated the dog may be observed, and an acquaintance that
shall win his confidence established. If there are no febrile
symptoms, a large class of maladies may be excluded.
But it is especially necessary to point out that the cool,
moist nose may be very deceptive. A dog with a high
fever and dangerously sick may have a cool nose ; nor is
the pulse of the sick dog always accelerated. The only
safe rule is to use the thermometer.
In making a diagnosis the greatest unportance is to be
placed on the symptoms, physical signs, and history of the
case, as they make wp a whole / and any one who neglects
to consider them all together is sure to make mistakes.
In making an examination of the dog it is most impor-
tant to do it in such a way as will render it easier of ac-
complishment on the next occasion ; and unless this be car-
ried out so that it is at least not disagreeable to the ani-
mal, or as little so as possible, the trouble will increase on
each repetition.
REMEDIES AND THEIR MODE OF USE.
The closest investigation the author has been able to
give the dog has convinced him that this animal is more
like man in his physical constitution than any other ani-
mal, as is proved in part by the character of his diseases
and the way in which medicines and other remedies react
on him. It is quite impossible to treat the dog on the
same principles as the horse, ox, etc., while with com-
paratively few reservations human medicine is directly ap-
plicable to the dog. This is fortunate, for our knowledge
of none of the domestic animals at all approaches in ex-
actness and thoroughness the condition to which ages of
DRUGS AND THEIR ADMINISTRATION. 193
study under more favorable conditions has brought human
medicine.
As the treatment of the dog falls not to the prac-
titioner of human medicine, but to the veterinarian or prac-
titioner of comparative medicine, it is all the more neces-
sary that a special study should be made of the dog, tak-
ing human rather than equine medicine as the standard of
comparison.
More and more must canine medicine become a spe-
cialty ; and in time it will no doubt develop its own pecul-
iar doctrines, treatment, etc. In the mean time, the closer
human practice is imitated the better will it be for the
dog, always observing those exceptions that experience
shows must be made. Hence in treating the dog we have
to use similar food stuffs for the sick, similar medicines in
like doses, and the same external and internal treatment
generally as with man.
DRUGS AND THEIR ADMINISTRATION.
A very few drugs are known to he required in larger
doses for the dog than for man — e. g., aloes ; but this
medicine alone is not a good remedy for either dogs or
human beings. Dogs are peculiarly liable to be salivated,
or even fatally poisoned, by a comparatively small dose of
calomel, or mercury m other form, so that great care must
be taken to see that it is administered in very small doses
(one fourth of a grain to three grains), and speedily removed
from the system by a saline or other aperient ; nor is it
safe to use, in most cases, mercurial ointments. Turpentine
has been instanced as another drug dangerous for the dog ;
but the same applies to man, except it be used in very
194 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
small doses and shielded by mucilage, milk, etc. It is
very important to note that opium and its derivatives — as
morphia — can be tolerated to an almost unlimited extent
by dogs, so that it can be in rare and urgent cases added
to ointments which may be licked off without serious
harm. A large dose of opium nauseates a dog profound-
ly, but is not at all likely to poison him.
A rule for the dose of any medicine suitable for the
dog, based on the quantities given to horses and other do-
mestic animals, is extremely difficult to lay down ; in fact,
any attempt to do so is apt to mislead the inexperienced
very seriously. In general, it may be said that for the
largest dogs — as full-grown St. Bernards — the dose may be
exactly as for an adult human being ; but for other dogs,
of say forty pounds, the dose is about that suitable for a
child of twelve to fourteen years, or about two thirds that
for an adult man ; in the case of small, matured dogs — as
terriers, toy spaniels, etc. — from one third to one half the
latter will be near the mark.
In the case of puppies ander two months of age the
less medicine given the better ; but if it must be admin-
istered, the doses should be very small and tentative. In
fact, for a young dog the first dose especially should al-
ways be smaller than is usually safe, with a view to any
possible idiosyncrasy, and to allow the stomach and con-
stitution generally to adapt themselves somewhat to the
foreign substance, for such it is.*
Sucking puppies may be treated, as for constipation,
through the mother, since drugs are in many cases ex-
* A tabular statement of the principal drugs recommended in this
volume and their doses will be found at the end.
DRUGS AND THEIR ADMINISTRATION. I95
creted into the milk. As a rule, very young nursing pup-
pies can not be safely drugged directly.
The method of administration of medicine is of simi-
lar importance to the method or manner of him who un-
dertakes the examination of dogs, because of the difficulties
that arise if the animal becomes unmanageable or objects
seriously to the treatment. Harshness with dogs is so radi-
cally opposed to their nature that it in every way defeats
the end in view. (See Fig. 30. page 389.)
The following methods have been recommended : 1.
To back the animal into a corner, press the lips against
the teeth, and, when the mouth is opened, pass the medi-
cine far back, rapidly close the mouth, and wait for the
dog to swallow, covering the nostrils, if necessary, to com-
pel him to do so. 2. Inserting the neck of a small bottle
containing the medicine in the pouch between the angle of
the lips and gradually pouring the liquid back. 3. Pouring
the medicine down, if liquid, from a spoon. 4. Giving
pills in pieces of meat. 6. Attaching a cloth to the upper
and lower jaws to hold them open in the case of dogs
large and hard to manage. 6. To keep the head up by
a fastening after the administration, to prevent vomiting.
As a matter of fact, while each of these methods may
be useful as guides, and successful or necessary in some
cases, the nature of the dog and the amount of experience
one has must greatly determine the method. If possible,
it is well that a dog should not know that he is getting
medicine at all, so that if the latter can be given as small
pills in meat it is most desirable. Modern pharmacy has
provided a large number of preparations, etc., for the
practitioner of human medicine. In some respects these
j^96 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
are far more necessary for him whose duty it is to minis-
ter to sick dogs. They can not understand the object ot
what must seem to them ill usage ; they are keen to feel
any affront, as this liberty by a stranger often must appear ;
their stomachs tolerate nauseous draughts and boluses very
badly; and altogether there is every reason why dogs
should get their medicine in the way that will cause least
disturbance of their feelings, which, as we have before
pointed out and as we know by ourselves, has much to do
with the bodily condition; and without that exhaustion
which may follow a struggle to give medicine.
It pays, in every sense of the word, to use means to pre-
vent dogs tasting the medicines they must take. Hence, to
have pills either gelatin-coated or sugar-coated, or to use
gelatin capsules, will be most important. So many drugs
are now put up in useful combinations for man's use that
the canine practitioner can avail himself of a large field
for selection. Gelatin capsules No. 0 and No. 00 serve
every purpose for dogs. Occasionally liquids must be
given.
Spoons of various sizes, strong, with blunt edges, and
capable of containing more than the dose intended, will be
useful. For obstinate cases, the medicine spoon as used
in human practice will be a useful addition.
It is often necessary to give castor oil to dogs. This
can be done with greater satisfaction if it be somewhat
warmed (the spoon also) and floated in a little milk, when
it will run off the spoon and down the dog's throat easier.
Quickness in the administration of medicines is of the
greatest importance.
The author's own practice in giving medicine is as fol-
DRUGS AND THEIR ADMINISTRATION. 197
lows : Never to use fluids that must be poured down, if
possible to avoid it ; to get the dog against a wall, a cor-
ner preferred, between the knees, press on the lips just
enough to cause the mouth to open, then insert the gela-
tin capsule, moistened with saliva, far back on the tongue,
and, giving it a gentle but rapid push down with the
fingers, suddenly close the dog's mouth, when he usually
swallows, almost unaware of what has happened. Then
a pat on the head and an encouraging word, and he thinks
no worse of his physician than before, especially if he gets
a taste of meat or a sup of milk just after. Even in giv-
ing pills we now often prefer to put them in a small
gelatin capsule, so that the dog actually tastes nothing at
all. However, the above method is varied a great deal.
Following this method, the author can administer, with-
out trouble to himself or offense to the dogs, a dose of
medicine repeatedly to any of the more than twenty in-
mates of his kennel at the present time. But in the case
of some very sensitive dogs — e. g., Irish setters — it may be
well for the master or trainer to get some one else to give
medicine, so that he may not be associated with any un-
pleasantness in tlie mind of the puppy. Sometimes a
syringe may prove very useful in giving medicine. It
should be of hard rubber, or, if of glass, well guarded with
metal. Large balls or boluses are unsuitable for dogs. It
is better to make them into smaller masses (pills), which
can be given several together. However, gelatin capsules
are so cheap and convenient that there can be no reason
for neglecting their use.
Dogs may be given injections by the rectum or vagina
without trouble. They object to hypodermic injections,
198 THE DOa IN DISEASE.
which should only be used in extreme cases demanding a
very rapid action, as in collapse, internal haemorrhage,
poisoning, etc. When the stomach will not tolerate medi-
cine, it may be given hypodermically or by the rec-
tum. But, in all dealings with dogs, decision, rapid action,
gentleness, etc., can not be too much insisted on.
As a rule, to which there are some exceptions, medi-
cines had better be given after food, in which case they do
not so readily act on any one part of the stomach and are
more gradually taken into the blood. This rule applies to
all preparations of iron and arsenic. Aperients should be
given on an empty stomach.
DIET AND CARE OF THE SICK.
In some of the gravest troubles to which the dog is
subject, food and the surroundings of the patient are of
infinitely more importance than medicine, while in many
minor ones attention to these alone is required. Per-
haps the best advice that can be given either the breeder
or the student of medicine is to make himself familiar
with the actual preparation of those various articles of
diet that have in recent times proved invaluable in
the hands of the enlightened human practitioner and
trained nurse. "Know thyself" applies here again in
full force.
Dogs have sensitive stomachs, and may altogether
refuse to eat. Often this is Kature's method of restoring
a disordered digestion or assimilation; but during the
progress of febrile diseases the animal must either be
tempted with palatable food and coaxed to eat, or
forced, if his Hfe is to be saved. Food that is light
DIET AND CARE OF THE SICK. -[99
and easily digested, or food that is readily digestible and
also liighly nutritious, is indicated.
Broths, milk, eggs, rice prepared in various forms with
the greatest skill, may be taken when all else is rejected.
Often the dog will accept a little given to him from the
hand, and will so improve in the interval that at the next
feeding period he will eat spontaneously.
When a dog is rapidly losing flesh and strength, if he
will not eat he should have small quantities of suitable
food forced down his throat every hour or two. If the
stomach is very irritable, small pieces of ice, or a very
little spirits with broth, fluid beef, eggnog, etc., may be
useful. In fact, the addition of a little wine, brandy, or
whisky to liquid food in prostrating diseases may mark
the turning point in the case. An excellent combination
is broth and boiled rice, the latter being so easily digested.
But if a sick dog will take nothing else, he may relish raw
meat. The best beef or mutton, grated or minced, some-
times acts like a charm, and need rarely be denied.
The opinion of one who knows the individual dog well,
provided he is one of those keen and sympathetic observ-
ers, should be given the greatest weight, even by the most
accomplished practitioner. We must beware of giving
liquid food too long, lest the stomach rebel against it.
The aim is to furnish food for a wasting, disordered or-
ganism in a form that can be used, and often the instincts
of the animal, if duly consulted, will be the best guide.
As a sick dog is in every way at a disadvantage, the
more care must be observed as to all matters of venti-
lation, cleanliness, a suitable temperature, quiet, and com-
fort generally, including a ministering to his self-esteem
200 "THE DOG IN DISEASE.
and love of approbation. Who has not been touched bj
the friendly wag of the dog's tail when not far from the
end of all things to him ? Who has not seen the effort to
eat, simply to please the one whose slightest wish it has
been the very highest delight of his life to meet ?
DISINFECTION.
Disinfection as a preventive of disease must play a
great part in the medicine of the present and the future.
Since it is now known that very many of the most fatal
diseases are of microbic (parasitic) origin, and that these
germs can, in many cases, live outside of the body, and so
perpetuate disease in animals exposed to them, their de-
struction by suitable agents is plainly indicated. Such
destruction of the germs themselves and the poisonous
products they create is disinfection.
A disinfectant may or may not be a deodorizer, and
in practice it is very important that a strong smell of car-
bolic acid, chlorinated lime, etc., shall not of itself satisfy
the mind.
Disinfection of kennels, whether there has been con-
tagious disease or not, at regular periods, is a precaution
the proprietor will never regret.
It is to be remembered that the germs of disease are
usually propagated by spores, or microscopic vegetable
cells, which have great vitality— i. e., can resist conditions
fatal to most forms of life about us. Thus they bear,
many of them, prolonged drying, great extremes of tem-
perature, etc. Such facts probably explain the amazing
tenacity that such a disease as distemper has in maintain-
ing itself in a kennel in which it has once broken out.
DISINFECTION. 201
Disinfectants have been divided into two classes — those
capable of destroying spores, including fire, steam under
pressure (twenty-five pounds), boiling water, solution of
chloride of lime, liquor soda3 chlorinatse (Labarraque's
solution), and mercuric chloride in solution (corrosive
sublimate). The second group is effective only in the
absence of spores, and includes dry heat (230° Fahr. for
two hours), sulphur dioxide, carbolic acid, solution of cop-
per sulphate, and solution of chloride of zinc.
The strength of the above solutions should be con-
siderable and their application thorough. It will be seen
that the agents of the first group must be the most reli-
able, and should be resorted to in all doubtful cases.
In the absence of disease, and merely to keep a kennel
sweet and free from vermin, some of the various prepara-
tions on the market serve a good purpose, such as Jeyes'
fluid, "creosin," " sanitas sawdust," etc. " Sanitas saw-
dust" is one of those easily handled preparations that
are most useful for kennels and dog-shows. But none
of these should be relied on after distemper.
In actual practice it will be the safest to use several
methods of disinfection. The subject is so important
that it will receive attention again in connection with the
disease distemper.
AUTOPSIES AND MOHBED ANATOMY.
Disease or alteration of the natural functions to an
extent detrimental to the animal's welfare does not usually
exist long without changes of either a gross or microscopic
character ; and as experience has shown that certain sets
of symptoms are generally associated with definite altera-
202 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
tions in the size, color, consistence, vascularity, etc., of
organs, for the purpose of being sure as to the actual dis-
ease a post-mortem examination must be made ; and while
one familiar with the normal appearances in a dead ani-
mal may know that such and such departures exist in any
given case, yet their exact interpretation is especially the
duty of the expert.
It is plain that the sooner after death the autopsy is
made, especially in very warm or very cold weather, the
better the chance of learning the conditions as they ex-
isted during life, which is what is aimed at but not so
easily attained. The position of the animal at death and
since should be noted, as this will explain gravitation of
blood and other fluids, the neglect of which has led to
very erroneous conclusions. Naturally the veins contain
most of the blood after death, so that if the small arteries
or capillaries are full, inflammation, etc., is to be suspected.
The condition of the heart is very instructive. If full of
blood and distended, death must have taken place during
the relaxed phase {diastole) of the organ, and this is al-
ways so in cases of strangulation from any cause.
When the heart is smaller, contracted, relatively pale,
death must have taken place during contraction {systole)
of the organ. Generally with the full heart the lungs are
engorged with blood also, and in fact the appearance of
every organ may be modified by the condition of the heart
as affecting its blood-supply at the moment of death.
Bearing this in mind, all other departures from the
normal can only be estimated by experience in examining
the dog or some other animal (the more closely allied to it
the better) that has died from bleeding in the one case and
AUTOPSIES AND MORBID ANATOMY. 203
from suffocation in the other. The student is recom-
mended to investigate this subject on young puppies that
must be killed soon after birth — worthless curs, kittens,
rats, etc. Having learned what is normal, then a knowl-
edge of the deviations produced by disease can be gradual-
ly gained by autopsies on animals, the history and the
symptoms being well known, for without these any one
may be puzzled, and to the beginner they are absolutely
indispensable.
Of course, post-mortem blood-staining is to be dis-
tinguished from inflammatory redness, bile-staining from
escape of bile, etc.
The object of the present section is not, however, to
furnish a systematic treatise on morbid anatomy, but to
point out the great importance of studying the appear-
ances of organs after death in hoth the healthy and
diseased.
A very few brief directions in making autopsies on the
dog may not be out of place. It must always be remem-
bered that the organs must be studied in relation to each
other, and, before any one of them is removed or cut into,
its own appearance and that of related parts well observed.
If the examination be systematically conducted, the cause
of death can usually be assigned.
The general appearance and condition of the animal,
its position, etc., is to be noted.
Observations are to be recorded in writing, it being
always stated how long after death the examination was
made.
The chest is to be opened by removal of the sternum
by cutting through the rib cartilages on each side after
15
204 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
the skin lias been dissected back from the middle line.
Removal of hair by scissors will often be advisable.
The circulatory and respiratory systems are so closely
related that heart, lungs, etc., should be examined early.
If any fluid is present in the chest it should be described,
removed, measured, etc. The statement of the position of
organs if abnormal is very important.
If the abdomen is opened before the heart or circu-
latory system in any part is disturbed, some valuable ob-
servations may be made throwing light on the question of
congestion, inflammation, etc.
After noting the position, appearance, etc., of the
heart, great vessels, lungs, and other contents of the
thorax, the heart may be incised in position, the pres-
ence of clots observed, the amount of blood in a fluid
state, etc., all cuts being made so as not to injure the
valves.
Then the organ may be removed, cutting away as
much of the great vessels with the heart as possible, when
all pa-rts may be opened up fully for more complete ob-
servation.
The lungs should be removed with the trachea and
larynx, so that all may be carefully examined. It should
always be stated, in case of suspected disease, whether sec-
tions of the lungs will float or not. The character of se-
cretions in the bronchial tubes is to be stated, and, in case
of sudden death, foreign bodies looked for in the larynx,
bronchial tubes, etc.
The same care should be taken before removal to note
the position of organs in the abdominal and pelvic cavities
as in the thorax.
AUTOPSIES AND MORBID ANATOMY. 205
Intussusception, or one part of tlie intestine pushed
within another, is not very uncommon in the dog, and at
this stage it should be looked for — also perforations ; in
fact, let everything possible be done to detect lesions be-
fore the removal of organs. The stomach should be in-
cluded between double ligatures at both extremities, and
then cut free. After the removal of the intestines both
may be examined on a suitable table or board, on which
they may be spread out, slit open, and, after inspection of
the contents, washed by running a stream of water over
them from a small kettle ; the position, numbers, and kinds
of parasites, ulcers, adhesions, etc., noted, and so with all
other organs.
It sometimes becomes necessary to examine the nerv-
ous centers, the brain, and spinal cord, more frequently
the former. This task is more difficult from the very per-
fection of their bony protective cases. Small saws and
bone-forceps of different kinds are required. The cuts,
after removal of the skin of the head, may be made just
above the base — ^on a line with the root of the ear in a
good many cases. The saw should not penetrate soft
parts within the skull, or lacerations will result that may
prevent any safe conclusions being drawn. The degree of
distention of the blood-vessels of the coverings of the
brain, any unnatural adhesions, tumors, clots, etc., should
be noted before the brain is lifted from its case for syste-
matic slicing.
A blunt chisel-like instrument is of great service, after
the saw-cuts are made, in prying off the brain case. The
removal of the spinal cord is difficult, and, fortunately,
not so often required. The vertebral arches must be
206 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
opened from the back either with bone-forceps or bj
these together with a saw.
The cause of death is always finally by the heart and
lungs, so that the problem resolves itself into what has
caused the arrest of their functions ; and while in some in-
stances, as in the case of violent haemorrhages, this may be
easy enough, in others the chain of events is long and
complicated, and some of the links almost impossible to
find.
Every practitioner of medicine should aim at being an
expert in making and interpreting autopsies ; while every
breeder who will secure the assistance of the expert may
get much useful help in avoiding future calamities, and
aid in the most efiectual way in the advancement of medi-
cine.
RELATIVE PREVALENCE, ETC.
Reference has already been made to the term " type,"
or " typical," as applied to breeds of dogs. The same may
be used for the characteristics of disease. In studying
any disease it is found that the combinations of symptoms
are rarely, perhaps never, quite the same in any two ani-
mals— a statement which also applies to their intensity,
order of appearance, etc., though the latter is often fairly
constant. These variations, as we have already tried to
make clear, are due to the inborn and acquired differences
in the constitutions of animals of the same species, which
are inseparable from and constitute indimduality. As
there are so many breeds of dogs, these principles apply
forcibly. But in reading most works on medicine which
DESCRIPTIONS OF DISEASE. 207
are professedly systematic treatises, one meets with such a
long array of maladies, such a host of symptoms, and such
a variety of " complications," that he is at first surprised,
when an actual case of the disease presents itself, that not
a quarter, perhaps, of the symptoms enumerated are really
present, while the complications are likely enough wholly
absent.
Further, with increasing experience, it is found that in
ordinary practice, either as a breeder or practitioner of
canine medicine, not a few of the diseases so fully de-
scribed are scarcely met at all. While it is desirable that
the expert shall know all the possibilities, it is only just
to the learner, whoever he may be, to point out that some
of the departures from health described in books are
merely pathological curiosities. And it is especially ne-
cessary to warn the beginner not to expect to find all the
symptoms that may be enumerated actually present in any
one case, or in any score of cases. But it is most impor-
tant that the reader grasp the general character^ the type^
the fades of the disease under consideration — that com-
bination of phenomena, whatever we term it, which will
enable him to understand in a general way what is going
on within the body of the animal whenever such a dis-
turbance exists as is denominated the disease in question.
After that each case must be studied on its merits. It
will be clear that there is always room for the exercise of
the greatest judgment in diagnosis, prognosis, and treat-
ment.
The weakness of patent remedies in the light of such
considerations must be plain. There can, in the very
nature of the case, be, as a rule, no panaceas, no remedies
208
THE DOG IN DISEASE.
of universal application. But what is possible is a mas-
tery of the principles of physiology, pathology, and thera-
peutics; an acquaintance with symptoms as they group
themselves in disordered animals; a knowledge of gross
and microscopic lesions, etc.
It will be the aim of the remaining portions of this
book to be a guide to the accomplishment of this in so far
as space permits, though, of course, it will be quite impos-
sible to teach, ah iiiitio, such sciences as physiology, pa-
thology, and therapeutics, while we ever gladly point to
them as the only true lights in scientific medicine, canine
or other.
Relative Prevalence of Disease. — As a matter of fact,
the greater number of dogs die within the first year of
life, or, as in the human subject, during the period of
very early youth, infancy, or puppyhood, as we term it,
respectively ; and for this high mortality parasites, mostly
internal, and distemper are chiefly responsible, always
including all possible complications and consequences
(sequelcB); to these must be added disturbances of the
digestive tract and skin disease, as frequent though not
commonly fatal maladies. A considerable proportion of
puppies die of inflammations of the respiratory organs.
But if any large breeder of dogs were to look over
his mortality records for a long series of years, he
would, we venture to state, be able to place fully three
quarters of all fatalities under debility, parasites, and
distemper.
The first is scarcely a disease ; it is rather lack of
vitality, usually traceable to injudicious mating or ina4e-
quate care of the brood bitch.
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RELATIVE PREVALENCE OF DISEASE. 209
So that, to meet the needs of actual practice, whether
as it falls to the breeder or the veterinarian, we shall dis-
cuss fully those conditions which are found in fact to be
the cause of three quarters of all canine misfortunes, and
only briefly, if at all, diseases of the rarest occurrence, and
others requiring but common sense, general medical knowl-
edge, and a knowledge of canine nature generally, to enable
any one to cope with the conditions.
However, as it is more scientific and, in the end, better
in practice, we shall consider the derangements of each
main system of the body ; though the reader is again re-
minded that all the systems are inseparably connected, and
that every one is in sympathy with the other — a result
to be explained chiefly through the nervous system, the
blood, and the lymph which is derived from the blood
and is the real food of the tissues.
In cities the veterinarian is verj- frequently consulted
in regard to toy dogs — pampered pets — whose physical
nature rebels against what their perverted instincts toler-
ate. Most of their ailments are traceable to the alimentary
tract ; and dieting, or positive abstinence from food for a
time, proves most serviceable for them.
As before indicated, it will be assumed that we are
dealing with pure-bred dogs, for any treatment that will
be efficacious with them is still more likely to succeed with
mongrels, that are both less liable to disease and more
readily restored to health.
DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS.
Anatomical and Physiological, — The respiratory tract
is the area over which the gases that are concerned in the
210
THE DOG IN DISEASE.
ventilation of the blood pass, and extends from the nos-
trils to the air-cells.
Briefly, the tract consists of a mucous membrane cov-
ered with epithelial cells, abounding in blood-vessels and lin-
FiG. 12.— Lungs, Anterior View (Sappey).
1, upper lobe of left lung ; 2, lower lobe ; 3, fissure ; 4, notch corresponding to
apex of heart ; 5, pericardium ; 6, upper lobe of right lung : 7. middle lobe ;
8, lower lobe ; 9, fissure ; 10, fissm'e ; 11, diaphragm ; 12, anterior mediasti-
num ; 13. thyroid gland ; 14, middle cervical aponeurosis ; 15, process of at-
tachment of mediastinum to pericardium ; 16, 16, seventh ribs ; 17, 17, trans-
versales muscles ; 18, linea alba. Though this cut refers to the human sub-
ject, the relations of parts are substantially the same in the dog.
ing the nose, back of the throat, the voice box {larynx)^ the
wind-pipe {trachea)^ its subdivisions {pronchi\ and blend-
DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 211
ing with the essential lung membrane {air-cells, alveoli).
The tubes constitute a tree-like framework, upon which the
lung tissue proper is supported. The mass of this is elastic
tissue. The atmospheric air rushes into the respiratory
tract when the chest is enlarged by the muscles attached to
Fig. 13.— Bronchial Tubes and Lungs, Posterior View (Sappey).
1, 1, summit of luugs ; 2, 2, base of lungs ; 3, trachea ; 4, right bronchus ; 5, divis-
ion to upper lobe of limg ; 6, division to lower lobe ; 7, left bronchus ; 8, divis-
ion to upper lobe ; 9, division to lower lobe ; 10, left branch of pulmonary
artery : 11, right branch ; 12, left auricle of heart ; 13, left superior pulmonary
vein ; 14, left inferior pulmonary vein ; 15, right superior pulmonary vein ; 16^
right inferior pulmonary vein ; 17, inferior vena cava ; 18, left ventricle of
heart ; 19, right ventricle.
it, because the lungs everywhere fit its walls closely ; and
air is expelled when the muscles are relaxed, the whole to
be explained on physical principles ; but the action of the
muscles is due to commands or nervous impulses originated
212 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
in a collection of nerve-cells or center in that portion of
the brain {m£didla oblongata) just anterior to the spinal
cord. This center is accessible to the blood, and may be
influenced by nervous connections of the most extensive
kind, so that the breathing reflects the changes that are
taking place elsewhere in the body.
The essence of respiration is the interchange of the
oxygen of the air and the carbon dioxide (COa) of the
blood ; but beyond that there can be no doubt that many
poisonous substances are eliminated from the blood by the
lungs.
The blood is exposed in the lungs in extremely minute
blood-vessels (capillaries), which are everywhere distrib-
uted over the air-cells, so that the whole process may be
said to be resolved into the exposure of blood to the air
by the intervention of the cells that compose the capillary
blood-vessels, the basement membrane of the lungs and
the cells covering it — all of which are of the very thinnest.
The retention of the carbon dioxide and the poisonous
excreta referred to stupefies and poisons the animal, while
the withholding of oxygen from the blood starves the tis-
sues, all of which constantly require it for their very exist-
ence, and gives rise to a feeling of distress which we can
ourselves artificially produce by holding the breath. The
oxygen is carried to all parts by the coloring matter of the
red blood-corpuscles, which is lighter or darker according
to the amount of oxygen it retains. Such facts enable us
to understand many of the phenomena of inflammation
and other affections of the respiratory tract.
The principal inflammatory diseases of the tract are
laryngitis, Ironchitis, influenza, pneumonia, smd pleurisy.
DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 213
All diseases of tlie respiratory tract, notably all acute
inflanimations, have much in common. In all, from dimi-
nution of the breathing capacity or the aerating func-
tions, the-e is more or less disturbance in respiration, with
a corresponding alteration in the circulatory system. In
addition, as in all inflammations, there are febrile symp-
toms, while the whole system is affected by the retained
poisonous products, lack of oxygen, etc.
The onset of all is favored, if not actually caused, by
exposure to great and sudden changes of temperature,
especially after exercise, or when sleeping in cold and
draughty kennels.
Prophylaxis. — Good feeding, regular and sufficient
exercise, comfortable and well-aired kennels. Wet, with
cold, and, above all, draughts, are especially to be avoided.
Common Pathology. — This depends on the fact that
there is in all these diseases an inflammation, so that there
is more or less sudden arrest of secretion, with swelling
of the mucous meml)rane, followed by excess of and
altered secretion, and modified function generally.
Common Symptom^s. — Kapid breathing and pulse, ten-
dency to nausea at the outset, a chill, febrile symptoms,
anorexia (loss of appetite), more or less distress or actual
pain, altered physical thoracic signs, changed secretions, etc.
Prognosis. — Good, if not arising as complications of
other diseases, and if the animal is not debilitated and the
treatment be judicious, especially the hygienic surround-
ings and the feeding.
Treatment. — (For doses of medicines, see table at end
of the book, and for formulae, pages 235 and 286.) The
indication in all is at the outset, and only in the stage of
214 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
hyperaemia or congestion to attempt to abort the mischief.
This is rarely successful, as the case is not usually observed
early enough. But at the moment of chill, a laxative, a
good dose of quinine with bromide of potassium, the ap-
plication of the chest-jacket, to be presently described,
and perhaps a little whisky, to be followed in an hour
by Dover's powder, may cut short a threatened attack.
This will not usually be successful, and the aim must be
to favor the aeration and purification of the blood by the
closest attention to the atmosphere surrounding the pa-
tient, which should be kept pure by frequent interchange
of air. The temperature must be even, not less than 60°
to 65° Fahr., and the air rather moist.
Draughts are fatal. To relieve pain, quiet the heart's
action if rapid and strong, or support it if weak. Keep
the temperature within bounds ; administer a suitable diet,
light usually at first, later very nutritious, but easily di-
gested.
In this class of maladies the danger is from poisoning
of the system by retained products, both natural, which
are not eliminated as usual, and altered secretions; the
heart is overworked, and death often occurs, sometimes
suddenly, from cardiac failure, so that the pulse must be
carefully watched. The rate of the heart's action is not
of so much importance usually as its character.
When the heart is weak, tonics, and especially digitalis,
with alcoholic stimulants, administered in small doses but
often, are called for. The animal's strength must be main-
tained at all costs. If it will not take food, the latter, in
the form of concentrated extracts or of the nature of fluid
beef, must be given ; also eggnog, etc.
DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 215
On stimulants, hygiene, and feeding must tlie reliance
be placed in extreme cases. Drugs are of subordinate
value.
Convalescence is assisted by gentle exercise, sunshine,
massage, amusement, tonics, cod-liver oil, etc.
It is well to keep records of the respirations and pulse-
rate, as any very markedly disturbed ratio should arrest
attention, and is by no means a good sign.
Some additional remarks on each disease, to enable the
reader to grasp the salient features, will now be better ap-
preciated.
Influenza. — This disease, long known among men and
horses as an epizootic, is rarer among dogs, and is of very
varying degrees of severity. There is an inflammation of
the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, beginning
usually in the nose and extending downward, sometimes,
especially in the debilitated and old, ending in pneumonia.
The symptoms are altered breathing, frequent sneez-
ing, dryness, and burning sensation (if we may judge by
man's experience), with high temperature and great pros-
tration.
Diagnosis. — The eyes soon become affected. The
watery secretion from the nose and eyes, and the sneez-
ing, with the fact that the disease generally goes through
an entire kennel, will render the diagnosis 6asy.
Prognosis. — Favorable, if pneumonia does not inter-
vene, at least in vigorous animals.
Treatment. — Quinine, phenacetin, etc., with bromide of
potassium at the outset ; attention to temperature of the
dog's apartment and other hygienic conditions, to food, etc.
If much depression, stimulants. Convalescence must
216 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
be carefully watched, tonics, especially nux vomica and
strychnine and cod-liver oil, which latter may be consid-
ered as a food as well as tonic, being very useful.
Acute Laryngitis is not so common by itself in the dog
as in the horse and in man, unless that very mild form
associated with a common cold ; but it may result from
cold, from chemical or mechanical injury, as from tugging
at a chain, etc. Inflammations of other parts often extend
to the larynx.
Diagnosis. — There may be difiiculty in swallowing,
but usually an alteration in the voice of the dog, with
more or less husky cough, tenderness on pressure, etc., es-
tablish the diagnosis.
Prognosis. — Favorable if oedema (thickening of tissues
by effusion of liquid into them from the blood-vessels)
does not set in.
Treatment. — Good hygienic conditions, as indicated
above. Simple cases require nothing more.
The bowels to be kept freely open. Counter-irritation
by means of turpentine, coal oil, stimulating liniments, or
St. George's paint, over the upper trachea and the larynx,
will tend to relieve and prevent the inflammation spread-
ing to the parts below.
Inhalation of medicated vapors, though most useful, is
not easily carried out with the dog ; but he can be much
helped by having his food given in small quantities in
liquid and semi-liquid form, very hot ; and the air may also
be kept moist and warm with steam. Any attempts to
apply hot fomentations to the dog are apt to be frustrated,
but in an extreme case they should be tried.
As there is usually some pain and cough, sedatives may
DISEASES OP THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 217
be given in the form of coniurn, hyoscyamus, belladonna,
and especially Dover's powder.
Certain oils and balsams, as copaiba, balsam of Tolu,
etc., seem to exercise a beneficial effect.
If suffocation threaten from swelling, tracheotomy
should be performed — an operation to be avoided, if possi-
ble, on account of all wounds about the neck of the dog
tending to bleed excessively.
Should the disease become chronic, various applica-
tions found useful in human practice may be tried with
the dog, though to place a solution with any degree of cer-
tainty in the larynx itself is not always possible. A brush
with handle bent at a right angle will be most serviceable.
A solution of chloride of zinc in water to the extent of
ten to forty grains to the ounce, and then diluted one half
with glycerin, is excellent ; but at first great care must be
exercised lest glottic spasm be produced.
Pleurisy. — The inner surface of the thoracic walls, the
upper aspect of the diaphragm, and the lungs themselves,
are covered with an elastic smooth membrane, lubricated
in health with a small quantity of fluid secreted by its own
investing cells.
In pleurisy or inflammation of this covering it be-
comes dry, the friction of the opposed surfaces gives rise
to pain, and sometimes to a rough grating or crackling
sound — " friction sound" — which is diagnostic.
Causes. — Similar to those producing other inflamma-
tions of the respiratory tract, but, in addition, various con-
ditions of the system, as rheumatism, kidney disease, blood
poisoning {septiccemia), etc. It is a frequent complication
or accompaniment of other diseases of the lungs when it is
218 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
not easily detected. Various injuries, as fracture of the
ribs, also induce it.
Pathology. — Dryness of the membrane, followed by
increased secretion of an altered material, either perma-
nently fluid or with a tendency to coagulate — "plastic
lymph." The fluid may or may not be absorbed, and the
semi-solid matter disappear or become organized and cause
adhesions, limiting the action of the lungs, which is one
of the gravest results ; or the fluid produced may be puru-
lent— also a very serious state of things.
Prognosis. — As a simple disease and not a complica-
tion, with but little effusion, and in the absence of pus,
the prognosis is good j otherwise uncertain.
Diagnosis. — The differential diagnosis is between
bronchitis and pneumonia, chiefly the latter.
The pain, the shallow, quick, catchy breathing, the
anxious expression, possibly tenderness on percussion, and
especially the " friction sound " heard on auscultation, with
absence of dullness at the same time, make the diagnosis
pretty certain.
The temperature is not usually as high as in pneu-
monia.
Of course, in the latter disease we get at the outset
more or less dullness and altered respiratory sounds, which,
as the disease progresses, become more pronounced, till
there is positive " wooden dullness " on percussion, with
the total absence of respiratory sounds over that region,
and intensified sounds with "blowing" or "bronchial"
breathing elsewhere on the affected side.
The difficulty in diagnosis is only in the earliest stage,
before the physical signs of pneumonia are well estab-
DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 219
lished. Later, if there be dullness in pleurisy, owing to
fluid, it is shifting in extent, and varies with the position
of the animal.
In bronchitis we usually soon hear sounds {rales) of
some sort on auscultation, which may be present in pneu-
monia, though not without the signs of solidification.
Percussion cmd Auscultation. — Percussion should pre-
cede auscultation. We believe that the best results will
follow the practice of very light percussion without the
help of instruments, placing two or three fingers of one
hand flat on the chest wall and striking quickly and lightly
with one or two fingers of the other, so that the blows fall
evenly and but once on a single spot, the hand working
only, and not the arm. Eapid comparison can thus be
made and slight differences noted. It is a good plan to
percuss corresponding areas on both sides, for each animal
must be a standard for itself (its own norm.).
It is well to learn to listen with the ear applied to the
chest, interposing only a thin piece of cotton, as well as
with a stethoscope. It is often a great advantage to use
the modern flexible binaural stethoscope. Apart from
hearing more distinctly, in the case of dirty dogs infested
with vermin the advantage is obvious. Shy animals are
also less disturbed, not to mention the absence of the
necessity for stooping, etc.
One who has learned the normal percussion and aus-
cultation sounds by examination of healthy dogs of differ-
ent breeds and sizes, will not find much difficulty in soon
becoming familiar with the main departures in disease,
while mere verbal descriptions alone are of little real
service.
16
220 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Treatment. — Much as in other diseases of the chest as
to diet, hygienic surroundings, etc.
Pain must be relieved at once with an opiate, say fif-
teen grains of Dover's powder for a dog of fair size.
Counter-irritation is decidedly useful — e. g., an appli-
cation of turpentine, followed by the chest-jacket (see p.
226) ; a mild aperient, and aconite to quiet the circula-
tion, may all prove useful in this stage of the disease.
Pleurisy with effusion is dangerous in proportion as
the lung space is replaced by fluid and the vital organs
displaced. Absorption should be faoilitated by counter-
irritation, and every measure that will improve the gen-
eral health.
Some like to administer small doses of calomel, others
iodide of potassium and digitalis, to stimulate the kidneys
to do extra work, carry off more fluid from the blood, etc.
But if within a reasonable period the fluid does not
disappear, and especially if it tends to increase, or if it be-
comes purulent, constituting empyema^ it must be drawn
off either with a small trocar and canula {'' tapping ") or
an aspirating needle ; but in no case very suddenly or all
at once, for fear of heart-failure. The puncture should
be made low and far back, and with the position of vital
organs in mind.
Convalescence may be encouraged by the best of food,
tonics, etc.
Chronic pletcrisy^ either as a localized subacute inflam-
mation or with eft'usion, which is most common and most
serious, is not of very frequent occurrence in dogs of a
good constitution.
The symptoms are much as in the acute form of the
DISEASES OP THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 221
disease, except that the fever, pain, etc., are not so
marked.
Treatment is to be directed especially to the removal
of the effused fluid, either by natural absorption or " tap-
ping," and the greatest attention to the general health of
the animal.
Bronchitis. — This disease is an inflammation of the
mucous membrane of the bronchial tubes.
When the smallest tubes are involved the affection is
termed capillary hronchitls, most common in very young,
very old, and debilitated subjects, and so is by far the most
dangerous form.
Pathology. — There are swelling and dryness of the lin-
ing membrane of the tul)es, followed by a mucous dis-
charge in excess, which is apt to become to a greater or
less extent purulent.
The cells lining the membrane die, are thrown off and
expectorated in the case of man. As dogs do not properly
expectorate or cough to much purpose, they are at a great
disadvantage. However, they frequently vomit when
coughing, which tends to expel the excessive and altered
discharge, and furnishes a hint for treatment.
Prognosis. — Favorable if not associated with gangrene
or death of lung tissue, abscess, dilatation of the tubes,
and if the strength of the animal be good.
Symptoms. — More or less cough, moist sounds on aus-
cultation, with sympathetic congestion and catarrh of the
eyes and nose.
Treatment. — At the outset an emetic of twenty grains
of sulphate of zinc, which, if not effective, in a few min-
utes may be followed by two to four drachms of wine of
222 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
ipecacuanha, a laxative, attention to general comfort, and
to the ventilation especially.
When the cough is dry a choice of some of the follow-
ing in combination may be made, viz. : Ipecac, squills,
ammonia, spirits of chloroform, hydrochlorate of apomor-
phia, paregoric, morphia, potassium cyanide, etc. Later,
ammonium carbonate, syrup of Tolu, or senega may re-
place some of the preceding. Possibly remedies of this
character may be required ; but the sooner drugs can be
dispensed with the better, for they all tend to disorder
the digestive tract. Quinine, iron, nux vomica, and other
vegetable bitters may be useful after the acute stage has
passed.
In chronic bronchitis, tonic treatment, including cod-
liver oil, is of great importance.
A moderate allowance of alcoholic stimulants, as wine,
whisky, or brandy, is often called for when bronchitis
threatens to exhaust the animal, or when it overtakes a
dog already enfeebled by disease. Supporting treatment,
with an emetic at the outset, will be best in the capillary
form of bronchitis.
In all forms of the disease counter-irritation and the
chest-jacket are very beneficial.
Vermmous bronchitis, owing to the presence of para-
sites in the bronchial tubes, is a rare and unmanageable
disease, generally leading on to a fatal result. An attempt
should be made to dislodge the worms by emetics, inhala-
tions of the fumes of burning tar, etc.
Pneumonia is an inflammation of the substance of the
lungs, and may be confined to a portion of one lobe or
may include the greater part of both lungs. Such exten-
DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 223
sive inflammation is not common, and is almost of neces-
sity fatal. Pneumonia is divided into lobar {croupous^
diffuse) and lobular {patchy, catarrhal). In the latter,
only limited and usually scattered portions of the lung
tissue are involved. Tliis form is most common as a com-
plication of bronchitis, and especially when it arises in
the course of other diseases.
Causation. — The onset is favored by wet, cold, any-
thing inducing a chill, etc. Some cases are almost cer-
tainly due to a microbe, and the disease then seems to be
infectious. It will be safe in treatment to regard all cases
as infective.
Pathology. — In lobar pneumonia we have a typical
inflammation with hyperaemia, soon followed by escape of
red and white cor^Duscles from the blood-vessels, and effu>
sion of a coagulable fluid with increase {proliferation) of
the lining and other cells of the tissue of the lung. The
portion of lung involved gets red and solid, when removed
after death, sinks in water, cuts firm, and looks not unlike
liver. This is the stage of red hepatization, and is suc-
ceeded, when the course of events is typical, by a fatty
degeneration of the morbid products, a stage known as
gray hepatization. Resolution is the return to the nor-
mal by the absorption or removal of this foreign material,
a natural state of the blood-vessels, etc. Untoward results
may occur, abscess or purulent infiltration — i. e., breaking
down of the lung tissue — and gangrene or local death,
usually followed by breaking down of a portion of the
lung. Both the latter conditions frequently prove fatal.
With pneumonia there is usually more or less bronchitis,
and often pleurisy.
224 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Prognosis. — As a matter of fact, pneumonia is a dis-
ease that carries off a considerable proj)ortion of the
canine race, both as a jDrimary affection and as a complica-
tion and sequel of other affections, which is probably
owing to its attacking weakly animals when a primary
disease, to neglect at the outset, and to indiscreet treat-
ment ; while during the course of and subsequent to other
diseases the constitution is naturally often unable to bear
the additional strain.
Much in the prognosis will depend on the amount of
lung tissue involved, the condition of the heart, and the
patient's vitality and resisting power.
Symptoms. — Usually pronounced. Dyspnoea (distress-
ing breathing), characteristic anxious fades or expression,
injected (red) eyes, dry and hot (not always) nose, and
most characteristic attitude. The animal sits on his
haunches, with his head extended and mouth open, evi-
dently suffering from lack of oxygen. If the dog attempts
to lie down, he keeps the head supported high on some
object. In extreme cases he may be unable to lie down
at all. Percussion reveals a more or less dull sound over
the affected area ; auscultation, fine crackling sounds.
However, neither of these may be very distinct.
If pleurisy be present, a friction sound is to be heard
{crepitant rdles\ and this friction of dry surfaces explains
the pain in great part, if such exist.
The attack is usually ushered in by a chill — a symptom
which should always be inquired for and to which the
greatest importance should be attached, as invariably in-
dicating that something serious is at hand in any animal
the subject of it.
THE BLACK COCKER SPANIEL CHAMPION BLACK DUKE.
For description, see page 69.
DISEASES OP THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 225
The pulse is usually rapid, and disturbance of the
pulse-respiration ratio is apt to occur. Instead of the
normal four to one, it may be two to one, or less.
The temperature may reach 104° to 106° Fahr., with
other indications of fever.
In pneumonia too much reliance must not be placed on
physical signs, as there may be very grave disease without
the former being at all well pronounced.
But prostration, a weak, irregular, very slow or very
rapid cardiac action, or greatly disturbed pulse-respiration
ratio, are indications calling for a cautious prognosis and
the most watchful treatment, especially if with these there
be much dyspnoea or cyanosis (blueness of mucous mem-
branes, etc.), indicating that the blood is being very poorly
ventilated.
Less frequently than in man does the dog cough up
the characteristic rusty sputum — i. e., mucus, etc. — with
blood enough to color it. When this is seen, the diagnosis
of pneumonia is clear.
Diagnosis. — The altered respiration, the position of
the animal, the dullness on percussion, etc., usually suffice
to establish the diagnosis in lobar pneumonia, by far the
commonest form as a primary disease.
The patchy or lobular form is more difficult to make
out; but if there be limited areas of dullness, or more
diffuse but ill-defined dullness on percussion appearing
during an attack of bronchitis or other disease, this form
of pneumonia is to be suspected.
Treatment. — The greatest difference of opinion pre-
vails on this subject both as regards human and veterinary
practice, some even maintaining that when no treatment
226 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
whatever beyond careful nursing is adopted the results are
just as favorable.
While there may be some truth in this so far as typical
cases are concerned, it is not a safe doctrine to teach to
the young practitioner, nor a position with which medicine
should be content even if the assertion be true, which we
very much doubt. Directly opposite has been the prac-
tice in regard to local applications, some recommending
them warm and some cold.
But as a matter of experience, it is found that it is un-
wise to apply either kind to dogs under ordinary circum-
stances. Heavy poultices are apt to shift, the dog is rest-
less, and in changing any sort of moist applications the
animal is apt to get chilled, so that this mode of treatment
may be considered quite unsuitable for dogs. The same
may be said of cold applications.
The chest-jacket^ before referred to, we have found in-
valuable in all chest diseases. The object is to have a
close-fitting coat or jacket, which shall absorb the moist-
ure from the animal's skin and protect it from varia-
tions in the external temperature. The exact construc-
tion is of minor importance provided that it is of even
thickness, fits closely, and can be kept in place. Dogs
do not usually attempt to remove such a comfortable
body bandage.
In winter it may be made of two layers of flannel or
horse blanket, with or without padding of cotton-wool
quilted in ; and it becomes still more effective if it fit
neatly and be sewed on the dog in such a way as to lie
close and feel comfortable, the object being to prevent
access of cold air. For summer use the whole may be
DISEASES OF THE IIESPIRATOHY ORGANS. ^27
less warm, but, as a matter of fact, pneumonia is much
less common at this season.
Openings may be made for the fore-legs, or the whole
may be attached by strips of cotton in front and iirmly
stitched over the back. It is well that it extend far back
over the loin. Closeness of fittino^ without beino^ so tiffht
as to embarrass the breathing is important, both to pre-
serve it in position and to prevent the access of cool air.
Often the dog will breathe easier at once when this dress-
ing is applied.
When there is pleurisy especially, it will be advisable
to use some form of counter-irritation first. Turpentine
answers very well, and leaves no stain, as does iodine.
Blistering is never called for. It is the writer's opin-
ion that under no circumstances whatever in any acute
disease {if ever) is llistering of the dog justifiable. The
amount of pain and irritation is out of all proportion to
any possible good in an animal with so responsive a nerv-
ous system as the dog's. Counter-irritation is often use-
ful ; blistering never.
The hygienic surroundings should be of the best, the
air being frequently changed, the temperature even and
not above 60"* Fahr.
The food must be light at first, unless there be marked
prostration, and largely fluid or sloppy while the fever is
high.
If the pulse is very rapid and full, tincture of aconite
in frequently repeated small doses may be useful, watch-
ing ihe pulse cai-efully, especially if Fleming's tincture be
used. Some practitioners are oppo.^t'd to this treatment.
If there is evidence of pain, or if cough is troublesome,
228 THE DOG IN DlSi-^ASE.
a little paregoric, or, better, Dover's powder, on account of
its favoring the action of the skin and kidneys, may be given.
Bleeding has been recommended in very sthenic cases.
Chlorate of potassium has a good reputation in diseases
of the respiratory tract, and is favorable, it is thought, to
the oxidation of the l)lood. As it is somewhat depressant
to the heart, its action should be carefully watched.
In the early stage the author likes to give, m a gelatin
capsule, powdered bromide, acetate, and chlorate of potas-
sium with tincture of aconite. After this is swallowed,
the dog may be given water to drink to dissolve and
dilute the dose. Being thirsty, he is only too glad to get
the liquid. He may relish buttermilk or sour milk, and it
will be useful at this period. At night fifteen grains of
Dover's powder, with a like quantity of bromide of potas-
sium, in capsules, will be useful in securing rest.
It is important not to give aconite if the heart be weak,
even if rapid, and it should be stopped if it does not with-
in a moderate period quiet the circulation, as a depressant
action may set in later and prove dangerous.
Death in pneumonia is nearly always by heart-failure,
and this organ must therefore be most carefully observed
throughout.
Assuming that resolution has begun, the general
strength is to be maintained. If the apj^etite is not good
and the temperature is not high, vegetable bitters — as nux
vomica, cinchona, gentian, etc. — will be useful ; also qui-
nine, citrate of iron and quinine, etc.
During convalescence the treatment already recom-
mended for other diseases of the respiratory system is
suitable. If the temperature runs very high, quinine in
DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 229
large closes, aiitipyrin, or phenacetiii, will meet the views
of some. One large dose of ten to fifteen grains of qui-
nine, with twenty grains of bromide of potassium at the
outset, may be worth a trial ; but repeated doses of the
above remedies are of very doubtful efficacy.
If the disease is of a low type from the first, with evi-
dences of weakness or positive prostration, the chief reli-
ance must be on good feeding and alcohol, with such stimu-
lants as ammonia, strychnine, strong coffee, caffein, etc.
Whisky or brandy, given in doses of a teaspoonful or
lees with fluid beef or eggnog if the dog refuses nourish-
ment, or diluted with water, given simply as medicine,
often produces the happiest effects. In fact, in some cases
at the outset a small dose of whisky has seemed to mitigate
the symptoms at once. Of course, with the bounding
pulse and a generally sthenic type of the disease this is
plainly not indicated.
Certainly if the dog will not take nourishment it must
be forced on him, with as little exhaustion of his strength
as possible.
If the heart becomes very weak or irregular, resort
must be had to digitalis, say five drops of the tincture
every two hours for an adult dog of medium size, watch-
ing its effects carefully. It is a most valuable remedy in
skillful hands. It may be combined with carbonate of
ammonia and some vegetable bitter, and, if quinine has
not already been given freely, small tonic doses (one to
two grains) may be given three times daily. Quinine is
a well-tested remedy for dogs and men ; but, in the case
of dogs especially, it must not be given without duly
guarding against a depressant action.
230
THE DOG IN DISEASE.
As in the case of man, unpleasant head symptoms may
be obviated by giving with this drug ten to twenty grains
of bromide of potassium, according to the dose of quinine,
the age, etc., of the dog ; but it is somewhat depressant.
Asthma. — Spasmodic asthma, so common in man, is of
rather rare occurrence in the dog. This form of the dis-
ease is the result of more or less local constriction of the
bronchial tubes, owing to spasm of the unstriped muscular
fibers found in their walls.
The causes inducing it are various, as certain atmos-
pheric conditions, certain mechanical and chemical irri-
tants in the form of dust, gases, etc. It may also be
excited by parasites in the intestinal tract, and more fre-
quently by their presence in the bronchial tubes them-
selves. It is sometimes traceable to dietetic errors.
The other form of asthma, sometimes spoken of as
" congestive," is due to a thickening of the mucous mem-
brane of the air-tubes from congestion, as in heart-disease,
from bronchitis, etc., and to the lessening of the caliber of
the tubes by the pressure of tumors, etc., when the symp-
toms may be described as asthmatic rather than as arising
from asthma as a disease.
Asthma is not common in young dogs ; but more or
less dyspnoea of an asthmatic character is not at all infre-
quent in old, fat, lazy dogs permitted to lie about the
house and feed to excess.
Prognosis.— As to complete cure, unfavorable; gen-
erally relief can be given. The disease of itself is rarely
if ever fatal.
Symptorns.— Loud, wheezy respiration, labored breath-
ing, characterized by prolonged expiratory efforts, dilated
THE COCKER SPANIEL OTHELLO.
For description, see page 69.
DISEASES OB^ THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 231
nostrils, perhaps open mouth, with numerous evidences of
imperfectly aerated blood.
Diagnosis. — Is very easy, but the cause is not so readily
made out in all cases.
Treatment. — In the spasmodic form the dog should be
removed to a small chamber, in which tar or kindred sub-
stances may be burned, especially if the symptoms arise in
connection with bronchitis.
Paper dipped in a solution of saltpeter and tincture
of stramonium and then dried may be burned w4th relief
to the patient sometimes.
If the dog be gross and overfed^ his diet must be cut
down and simplified. This is a clear case for feeding only
once a day.
The liver and digestive organs generally may be bene-
fited by the timely administration of a compound cathartic
pill at night, followed by Epsom salts in the morning,
while the compound rhubarb pill may be given daily for a
time.
When associated with bronchitis, the indications are to
treat that disease, of which it is but a sort of superadded
symptom. In the case of tumors, removal, if possible, is
indicated. If this can not be done, attention to the general
health and condition of the dog may alleviate the distress.
Iodide of potassium in small' doses, gradually increased
and kept up for a considerable time with intermissions,
may effect a complete or partial cure. The dose may be
from one to five grains, though some dogs do not tolerate
this remedy any better than some people.
Tuberculosis. — This, in pulmonary or other form, is
very rare in the dog, though it may be induced. When it
282 '-THE DOG IN DISEASE.
occurs it is to be recognized by wasting, altered respira-
tion, cough, etc. — in fact, the same symptoms as in other
animals, while the treatment must be on similar lines also.
For dogs to swallow the sputa of consumptives is dangerous.
LOCAL AFFECTIONS OF THE NASAL PASSAGES.
Nasal Catarrh. — Sometimes, though rarely, as the result
of a " cold," more frequently of a succession of '^ colds,"
in dogs badly kenneled, an excessive discharge of muco-
purulent matter from the nose results, and is an indication
of a relaxed and weakened if not a low inflammatory con-
dition of the membrane lining the nose. It is apt to fol-
low distemper, and to improve or get worse as the dog's
general health varies.
Yery often the mucous membrane covering the front
of the eyeball and the inner surfaces of the lids {conjunc-
tiva) partakes sympathetically (reflexly), or as a result of
the original inflammation of distemper, etc., in the ca-
tarrhal condition.
If unchecked, the nasal catarrh may lead to ulceration
of the soft parts of the nose or to inflammation of the
bones of the organ, with resulting death of part of the
bone (necrosis, caries) ; or the secretion may become al-
tered, or be retained and give rise to a most offensive
smell. From such inflammation, catarrh, etc., nasal polypi
or growths of a highly vascular character occasionally arise,
and may so obstruct respiration, or cause such disturbance
generally, as to demand treatment.
Acute catarrh when not associated with distemper does
not usually require local treatment in the dog, as it is
transient.
LOCAL AFFECTIONS OF THE NASAL PASSAGES. 2:'>3
When a catarrh does not yield to treatment in a mod-
erate period, the dog should be anaesthetized and a care-
ful examination of the nasal passages and month made l)y
the help of bright sunlight or a reflecting mirror and a
speculuna.
If growths are found, they should be at once treated
either by burning off with a strong wire at a bright-red
heat, or torn out, if larger, with a wire snare, and the bone
cauterized with the hot wire as before, which usually also
arrests all haemorrhage.
These chronic catarrhs tend to undermine the health
of the animal and to become less amenable to treatment
the longer neglected.
The nose must be washed out with a syringe and warm
water, to which a little carbolic acid (about five grains to
the pint) has been added ; or, better still, if the dog can be
kept quiet, a spraying apparatus may be used, though, con-
sidering the length of the dog's muzzle, this is somewhat
difficult to manage.
For a spray such a formula as the following will prove
very useful :
9- Sodae biborat 3 j ;
Sodae carb 3 j ;
Acid, carbolic , gr. v ;
Glycerinae 5 j ;
Aquae ad § viij.
M. Inject.
Often the cleansing in this manner, faithfully carried
out, will effect a cure. If not weak, astringent solutions
may be sprayed up the nostrils or carefully injected by
a syringe ; but strong applications do only harm.
234 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Sulphate of zinc, about two to six grains to the ounce,
half water and half glycerin, is one of the best.
When there is much foulness, a little boracic acid or
iodoform may be blown up to advantage.
The external parts must be protected from the irritat-
ing discharge or a form of eczema will result. For this
purpose the oxide-of-zinc ointment, or one containing a
little iodoform, etc., will be useful.
Attention to the general health is very important,
tonics — as quinine, iron, phosphates, cod-liver oil, etc. —
being demanded, and proper evacuations of the bowels,
etc., indispensable.
A dog long affected with catarrh is a|;t to get into a
dejected condition, and his psychic treatment is not the
least important.
Ozaena is the term applied to a form of eatan-h with a
fetid, more or less bloody and purulent discharge, which
tends to irritate all parts with wliich it comes in contact.
If it does not yield to the treatment for chronic ca-
tarrh, a careful examination of the nasal passages is called
for to ascertain whether there is not disease of the bones,
etc. The external openings of the nose should be pro-
tected with some antiseptic, as iodoform ointment or vase-
line. This is also a good application internally, or iodo-
form powder, etc., may be blown up the nostrils.
Catarrh may also be due to parasites.
Hints as to FormulcB and Administration of Medi-
cines in the Treatment of the Before-mentioned Diseases.
— To economize space, we shall employ now and later the
following commonly used abbreviations : ^ ^^^ prescrip-
tion, recipe ; gr. for grain ; 3 for drachm ; § for ounce ;
LOCAL AFFECTIONS OF THE NASAL PASSAGES. 235
ft, make ; mist, mixture ; pit, pilLs ; gtt, drops ; imgt,
ointment; sig., directions; aquae, of water; dr., drachm;
oz., ounce.
It will be assumed that an adult dog of say forty to
fifty pounds is to be treated.
To relieve pain, Dover's powder, in ten-to-fifteen-grain
doses, morphia sulph. in pills of one eighth to one half
grain, paregoric in doses of one half to two drachms.
Laudanum is effective, but more apt to nauseate. All
preparations of opium, except perhaps Dover's powder,
tend to check secretion — a very grave objection in most
diseases of the chest.
To moderate the heart's action and mitigate other
symptoms in pneumonia, etc. :
5 Tinct. aconit. rad 3 ijss. ;
Pot. bromid 5 ss. ;
Pot. chlorat 1 ss. ;
Pot. acetat § ss, ;
Syrup, aurant 5 ij ;
Aquae ad 5 ^iij*
Ft. mist.
Sig. : A dessertspoonful every two hours.
As before stated, it is easier to give most remedies not
in solution, as assumed above, but as powders in gelatin
capsules, with the tinctures, etc., dropped on the other
ingredients, offering the dog water to drink just after-
ward, or, if he will not take this, a little milk.
N. B. — If Fleming's tincture of aconite is used, the
dose must not exceed one drop and the effect be carefully
watched. In the later stage of pneumonia, ammon. chlorid.
may be substituted for pot. bromid. in the above formula.
236 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
In troublesome cough, potassium cyanide in very
minute doses (gr. ^\ hydrochlorate of apomorphia, or
spirits of chloroform, may be used when opiates are
contra-indicated, as well as tinct. hyoscyami or conii.
Useful in acute bronchitis :
]^ Spt. chlorof ormi § ss. ;
Yini ipecac 3 iij ;
Tinct. scillse 3 v ;
Syrup, aurantii § ij ;
Aquse ad ^iy.
Ft. mist.
Sig. : Teaspoonful in a little water every two to four
hours.
Of use in the later stages of acute bronchitis and in
chronic bronchitis :
9 Spt. ammon. aromat 5 ij ;
Tinct. senegse S ss. ;
Spt. eth. nit § ij ;
Spt. chloroformi § j ;
Syrup, aurant § ij ;
Aquae ad § viij.
Ft. mist.
Sig. : Dessertspoonful every two to four hours.
In chronic laryngitis, balsam of copaiba may be given
in doses of ten to fifteen drops in mucilage, olive oil, raw
white of eggs, or placed in capsules.
When iodide of potassium is to be administered it is
well to combine it with a vegetable bitter, as tinct. gent. co.
In asthma, such a prescription as that recommended
for chronic bronchitis may prove useful.
Tonic Treatment. — We again remind the reader that
DISJi^ASES OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM. 237
tonics had better be given some time after food — i. e.,
not on an empty stomach. Pill f(.riii answers admirably.
Dogs often lick up cod-liver oil and phosphates (e. g.,
Parrish's syrup) very well when stirred up in a little milk„
DISEASES OF THE BLOOD AND THE CIRCULATORY
SYSTEM.
The blood consists of an albuminous fluid in which
colored and colorless cells abound, the latter in relatively
scanty numbers. This fluid, owing to the arrangements
of the circulatory system, is conveyed to every part of
the body, but never during health actually escapes from
the containing vessels
The principal function of the red cells is the convey-
ance of oxygen. The blood as a whole is at once the
source of supply for all tissues and the medium of re-
moval of all waste — i. e.^ all waste, gaseous and other,
sooner or later gets into the blood and is carried to those
various organs that serve to eliminate the diflersnt harm-
ful constituents.
Nature, then, it would seem, is constantly striving to
maintain the equilibrium of the blood. When much is
taken from it the nervous system becomes conscious of it,
so to speak, and hunger for food or oxygen is the result ;
an attempt is made to furnish food and thus renew the
blood from the digestive supplies, while the lungs do the
work to furnish oxygen. It thus appears that there is a
very close relationship between the respiratory, circula-
latory, and digestive systems. (Fig. 14.)
But in reality the tissues are not nourished directly by
blood, but by lymph, which may be regarded as an albu-
238
THE DOG IN DISEASE.
minous fluid analogous to the fluid part {plasma) of blood
secreted by the capillaries, according to the needs of the
tissues in any particular region. This fluid {lymph\ when
Superior Vena
Cava.
Inferior Vena
Cava.
Capillaries of
Liver.
Portal Vein.
Capillaries of the
Head, etc.
Pulmonary Ca-
pillaries.
Main Arterial
Trunk.
Capillaries of
Splanchnic
Area.
Capillaries of
Trunk and
Lower Ex-
tremities.
Fig. 14.— Diagram of the Circulation.
The arrows indicate the course of the blood. Though the pulmonary, the lower
and the upper parts of the systemic circulation are represented so as to show
the distinctness of each, it will be also apparent that they are not independent.
Relative size of different parts of the system is only very generally indicated.
it has served its purpose, is in great part removed by
another set of vessels, very like blood-vessels, known as
lymphatics. It is also likely that not a little is taken up
BLOOD DISEASES. 239
bj the capillaries themselves, though of this we have not
very much positive evidence.
It is worth w^hile to bear in mind, too, that the blood
and the blood-vascular system are developed in the foetus
together as parts of one wdiole. A knowledge of tliese
cardinal physiological truths makes much in the causation,
pathology, and treatment of disease less obscure.
BLOOD DISEASES.
It is likely that the white corpuscles become relatively
too numerous in certain conditions in the dog as in man ;
but little, however, is positively known on this subject,
and there is ample room for investigation of the blood of
this animal in disease.
Ansemia — w^iich implies an impoverishment of the
blood, especially as regards the quantity or quality of the
coloring matter {hmmoglobin) of the blood as contained in
the red cells — occurs in dogs as in other animals.
It results under unfavorable surroundings, as a badly-
lighted, damp kennel, in ill-fed animals, in those whose
nutriment is abstracted by parasites, in bitches bred too
frequently and exhausted by suckling, etc.
Pallor of mucous membranes, as well seen in the
mouth, makes the diagnosis certain.
Treatment — Remove the cause and substitute the best
conditions possible; feeding on the most nutritious food,
including raw flesh, and the administration of certain ton-
ics and alteratives. As the coloring matter of the blood
contains a certain proportion of iron, on which its vital
properties largely depend, this mineral, in the form best
suited to the animal, is indicated.
240 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
The miiriated tincture, reduced iron, the saccharated
carbonate, j^hosphates containing iron, as well as cod-liver
oil, and, if the appetite is poor, the citrate of iron and
quinine — all may serve a good purpose.
In some cases minute doses of arsenic or corrosive sub-
limate will help the action of iron or do what this drug
alone can not. However, the importance of gentle exer-
else, of sunlight, and of grooming and massage, is very
great. Parasites, if present, must of course be expelled.
Plethora is the opposite condition to that just described,
and is most likely to occur in vigorous young dogs that
are insufficiently exercised and overfed.
The remedies are plain : low diet for a time, given but
once a day, plenty of exercise gradually increased, an oc-
casional laxative, etc.
HEART-DISEASE.
Until the physical examination of dogs is practiced
more systematically, and post-mortem examinations much
more frequently made, we shall continue to be a good deal
in the dark on this subject.
All violent exercise, if long continued, tends, both in
man and the lower animals, to induce disease of the heart
and blood-vessels.
The dog has a large and powerful heart, and the elas-
ticity of the arteries of the dog and other of the domestic
animals is not so often impaired by disease as in the case
of man ; nevertheless, dogs violently exercised — such as
coursing greyhounds and iield-dogs that engage in frequent
competitions — do occasionally die Fiiddenly from heart-
disease ; and dogs, probably of tener than we are aware,
*.^pp^iC7r
HEART-DISEASE. 241
suffer from enlargement, dilatation, or valvular disease of
the heart. The latter may result from rheumatism, etc.
It is true that the physical investigation of the heart of the
dog can not be carried out as easily as in man ; neverthe-
less, any marked alteration in size, and especially any
change in the heart-sounds, is readily made out in the one
case by percussion and palpation, in the other by auscul-
tation.
Hypertrophy, or increase in the thickness of the muscu-
lar walls of the heart, is not of itself of such serious im-
port as dilatation, for this results in imperfect closure
{mGompetency) of the valves, regurgitation of blood, dam-
ming back of blood in the venous system of the body, en-
gorgement of the lungs, and that long list of evils arising
therefrom, such as oedema or dropsy of the tissues, dropsy
of the various cavities of the body, indigestion, haemor-
rhage from the stomach, disturbed sleep, etc.
Prognosis. — "With care in the case of hypertrophy the
prospects are good ; of dilatation, in old dogs especially,
not hopeful.
Treatment. — Cure, or a return to the normal can scarce-
ly be expected. Palliation is all that may be hoped for in
most cases.
The dog must never be allowed to compete with fast
and vigorous animals. If not excitable, he may accompany
his master quietly alone or with some easy-going compan-
ion. If spirited, exercise on chain may alone be allowed.
Special attention must be paid to the condition of the
bowels and digestion, especially in dilatation.
At the same time, to forbid exercise altogether would
be a capital mistake, both as regards the heart itself and
242 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
the dog's general health. Drugs should be used onlj
when urgently needed. In dilatation, digitalis is the most
useful single drug as regards the heart itself.
However, every case must be treated on its merits
with the utmost discretion, and professional advice will be
valuable accordingly.
DISEASES OF THE BLOOD-VESSELS.
Aneurism is a local dilatation of an artery. It is said
to have been the cause of the death of the noted coursing
greyhound Master McGrath. Such a tumor is generally
preceded by a local weakening of the walls of the vessel,
owing to disease of one or more of the coats, and, in such
cases as that mentioned above, is caused by straining of
the vascular system. The prognosis is bad.
Diagnosis. — Dullness over the area on percussion, ab-
normal respiration, pulse, heart's action, pain, etc., are the
most reliable signs.
Treatment. — Absolute quiet, a diet as free from liquid
as possible, and iodide of potassium in gradually increas-
ing doses, have been most useful in human practice, and
might be imitated in the case of the dog.
DISEASES OF VEINS.
In old dogs dilatation of veins in the extremities is not
uncommon.
Inflammation of veins {phlehitis), except in bitches
after whelping or following on blood-poisoning, is not
common.
Diagnosis. — An alteration in the circulation, tender-
ness on pressure, with full veins in the neighborhood.
DISEASES OF CERTAIN GLANDS. 243
swelling of the limb, etc., are very suggestive, especially if
accompanied by febrile symptoms.
Treatment. — Quiet, relief of pain, liot fomentations to
the part if possible, these to be medicated with opiates,
bland diet, etc., during the acute stage ; tonics, good food,
and massage to the part during convalescence after all ten-
derness has disappeared — are the indications.
Dilatation of veins in the extremities and elsewhere
may be counteracted to some extent by bandaging and
cold sponging, followed by suitable gentle massage.
DISEASES OF LYMPHATICS AND OF CERTAIN
GLANDS.
Inflammation of the lymphatics (ly7nphangitis\ except
from injurj' of a mechanical or kindred nature, is rare in
the dog, and it scarcely ever arises, as in the horse, from
overfeeding and want of exercise.
The treatment is about the same as for inflammation
of t^eins.
Of course the lymphatic glands are usually involved as
well as the vessels.
Scrofulous enlargement of these organs, so common in
man and some of the domestic animals, is very rare in the
dog.
Glands in the neighborhood of the mammm^ especially
in old dogs, become chronically enlarged. Painting with
tincture of iodine, the application of the ofiicinal com-
pound iodine ointment, or removal, are the indications,
though they are rarely dangerous.
Bronchocele, goitre, or enlargement of the thyroid
gland, is frequent in the dog ; the cause is not well known.
244 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
It is recognizable as an enlargement of the neck with-
out the redness, heat, and other signs of inflammation that
would precede the formation of an abscess, although this
is a possible result, especially if the part has been injured.
It is most frequent in young dOgs, and is apt to give rise
to trouble by interference with swallowing or respiration.
Treatment. — Surgical procedure is to be avoided un-
less an abscess forms, when it should be opened. Atten-
tion should be paid to the general health, and syrup of the
iodide of iron or iodide of potassium and a vegetable bit-
ter may be tried, as well as tonics, etc.
However, many cases will yield to counter-irritation,
painting with tincture of iodine having special claims to
success. Whenever this remedy is to be used on the dog
it is better to snip the hair away as completely as possi-
ble over the affected region.
DISEASES OF THE ALIMENTARY TRACT.
General. — The disorders of this, like other regions of
the l)ody, become the clearer when the natural structure
and functions are borne in mind.
Though certain organs, as the liver and pancreas, seem
to be separate from the " digestive tract," as that term is
commonly understood, the history of the embryological
development of this region of the body shows that they
are outgrowths from a main tube which is at one period
a straight gut and which becomes differentiated as devel-
opment proceeds. Such a fact explains in some measure
that sympathetic connection which is very conspicuous in
all ailments of these parts.
In general it may be said that the digestive tract con-
DISEASES OF THE ALIMENTARY TRACT. 245
sists of a long niuseular tube of unequal caliber at differ-
ent parts, covered with an elastic serous membrane exter-
nally, which tends to prevent distention, and internally
with a mucous membrane well supplied with blood (vascu-
lar) and abounding in glands which secrete the various
digestive juices. The muscular tissue is necessary for the
movements essential to push on the food from place to
place throughout the tract. Nervous structures are
found in abundance, which explains how pain is caused in
disease, and how the nervous centers affect and are affected
by the condition of the tract. (Fig. 15.)
The solid organs, as the pancreas and liver, are really
parts of the digestive tract, as already explained, and are
connected with the main tube by outlets {ducts) for their
secretions, which are, of course, emptied into the in-
testine.
From this brief description alone it must be apparent
that a disease affecting, say, the last part of the whole tract,
while localized to a certain extent, must also be expressed
elsewhere, even at the very commencement ; and, as a
matter of fact, the appearance of the tongue is a pretty
fair index to the condition of the stomach, intestines, etc.
While the causes of the disturbances of the digestive
organs must be sought in anything that will seriously dis-
order any part of the body, it is more especially to that
which the animal eats and its quantity, or to those condi-
tions that affect the general health — as cold, wet, bad
ventilation, etc. — that we must look for an explanation.
Of acute forms of inflammation due to irritant poisons,
nothing will be said till later, when treating the subject
of poisoning.
246
THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Fig. 15.— Intestines op the Dog (Chauveau).
stomach ; 6, duodenum ; c, jejunum ; d, ileum ; e, caecum ; /, ascending colon ;
g, transverse colon ; h, origin of descending colon ; /, great omentum ; k,
spleen ; /, mesentery ; in, pancreas ; t, aoi-ta ; 2, great mesenteric artery ; 3,
artery of the duodenum • 4, artery of the large intestine ; 5, small mesenteric
artery.
AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH. 247
Indeed, nearly all the disorders of the digestive organs
are traceable to bad management, which is one of the rea-
sons why we have devoted so much attention to the care
of dogs. The disorders of this region and their conse-
quences in loss of " condition," and especially as regards
the skin, are among the most frequent and trying of the
minor ailments of dogs. These are evils with which all
kennels have to contend, while many diseases that must be
described in books are comparatively rare.
The treatment of such troubles when they do arise is
so much a matter of careful dieting, that the principles of
feeding should be well understood.
The general expression, especially of the eyes of dogs
suffering from any digestive disturbance, is very suggest-
ive to the experienced. Any redness, any catarrli of the
eyes when not directly traceable to cold, etc., may usually
be set down to digestive disorders.
The character of the evacuations of the bowels is al-
ways of the utmost moment as an index to both causation
and condition ; sometimes quite diagnostic.
All concentrated food tends to constipate, and, as a
rule, coarse food, as porridge, to relax, as does also a
vegetable diet.
But with abundant exercise the bowels rarely become
constipated on any diet.
AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH.
We shall consider the salivary and mucous glands —
the tongue, the teeth, the gums, the pharynx, etc.
Warts may be so numerous over any part of the mouth
as to require treatment. Cutting may be followed by too
^g THE DOG IN DISEASE.
much bleeding, and caustics, except when very carefully
applied, are apt to be too destructive. The solid nitrate
of silver is one of the safest and best. Strong acetic acid
is useful, especially when these epithelial growths are very
numerous. It is to be swabbed or brushed on daily.
But perhaps the quickest and most effective method is
the application of the red-hot iron of neat form. The dog
should be narcotized first, of course, when the operation
is to be at all extensive, though the actual pain, if the iron
be at a hright-red heat, is slight. K single wart, or a few,
may be cut ofi and the base cauterized.
Salivary Glands. — Salivation in greater or less degree is
a frequent accompaniment of disordered digestion, espe-
cially of the stomach. Salivation to a dangerous extent,
or as evidence of poisoning by mercury, is difficult to con-
trol. The breath is more or less fetid, and the gums and
other parts usually suffer. When the secretion of the
mucous glands or of the salivary glands is abnormal, tar-
tar—i. e., a collection of lime salts entangling foreign
matter— collects on the teeth. A dog of a thoroughly
healthy digestion rarely suffers thus. It is important, as
sooner or later the gums, and the teeth themselves, are cor-
roded, resulting in ulceration of the gums {cancriim oris).
The latter requires both local and constitutional treatment.
If due to digestive disorders, attention to the diet,
regulation of the bowels by exercise and dieting, and, in
more urgent cases, by medicine, usually suffice.
Mercurial salivation requires more attention. Locally,
strong washes of chlorate of potassium and tincture of
myrrh alternately will be useful. Iodide of potassium,
combined with a vegetable tonic, should be given inter-
AFFECTIONS OF THE MOUTH. 249
nallj thrice daily in duses of one to four grains, following
any special indications as to the rest.
The Teeth — If tartar tends to collect, alter the food,
and, if necessary, the general management. It may be
judicious to feed less, or to feed at more frequent intervals
and in small quantities. Sometimes a good fast wiU be
beneficial. Each case must be studied and treated accord-
ing to its indications. Hard biscuits, crusts, and bones
tend to clean the teeth. After removal of the greater
part of the tartar with appropriate instruments, a brush
and powdered charcoal should be used daily. In some
cases this alone will suffice to restore the teeth.
If neglected, the gums are softened, abscesses may
form, ulcers appear, the roots of the teeth be absorbed,
the periosteal lining of the bone get inflamed, etc.
When matters get to such a pass, one or more teeth
may require removal, or the gums to be lanced. Fleers
will need to be washed, as above indicated, for salivation,
or perhaps a little boracic acid or iodoform dusted on.
Teeth may break off, leaving stumps that decay and
give rise to evils that threaten both the gums and bone.
Such roots should be extracted with suitable instruments,
the dog usually requiring to be anaesthetized.
Coarse instruments and unpracticed hands are out of
place about the mouth of the dog. The veterinary sur-
geon will get some hints as to what he needs by an in-
spection of the tools used by our modern dentists with
their matchless outfit. In puppies the first teeth some-
times do not drop out in time, but are in the way and
turn the permanent ones aside. They should be re-
moved.
250 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Inflammation of the Tongue. — This is rare, but occasion-
ally dangerou^:^ from threatened suffocation arising from
swelling. "When moderate, it is marked by some swelling,
redness, tenderness, painful deglutition, etc.
The bowels should be opened freely, the animal fed
on light diet at first, and later on concentrated food if the
strength fails. If he can not swallow, rectal injections of
strong broth or eggnog are called for. Locally, washes
of chlorate of potassium and alum, with incision of the
tongue, or tracheotomy in tlireatened suffocation. Tonics
are likely to be called for after the inflammation subsides.
Blain. — This term is applied to a vesicular eruption on
the tongue, etc., which, bursting, is very apt to be fol-
lowed by ulcerSo
This is usually a disease arising from neglect, through
which the animal gets into a debilitated condition.
Treatment by local washes similar to those already in
dicated, and tonics internally, with good feeding, are the
indications,
• In all cases of disease when ulcers occur, the judicious
use of the solid nitrate of silver as a caustic is followed by
favorable results.
For internal use the following is recommended :
9 Pot. chlorat 3 iij ;
Tinct. ferri mur 5 ss. ;
Glyceringe § i j ;
Aquae ad ^ viij.
Ft. mist.
Sig. : Dessertspoonful after food three times a day.
It is better to give this as indicated, and not in capsules,
so as to get its local effect.
UlSORDEKS OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 25 i
Pharyngitis is occasionally present in mild form, as
the result of a cold. It often arises as a complication of
other diseases. Except the irritation of foreign bodies, as
corrosive poisons, and when due to bones of a sharp na-
ture being caught in this region back of the tongue, it is
seldom serious. When a dog can not swallow perfectly
well, a careful examination should always be made.
Treatment is best carried out by attention to the gen-
eral health, especially to the bowels, by administering
warm liquid food and by careful nursing. The hot food
acts in a soothing way. A little at a time and often, as in
laryngitis, is best.
If there is not much fever, the prescription recom-
mended for blain will prove helpful. But if the stomach
is disordered, this remedy is contra-indicated.
FUNCTIONAL DISORDERS OF THE DIGESTIVE
ORGANS.
The term indigestion is very vague, implying imper-
fect discharge of the functions of the digestive tract, and
is also often associated with certain positive ailments.
Many of the same symptoms that manifest themselves in
consequence of actual structural or organic disease mark
derangements that are purely functional — i. e., not asso-
ciated with any changes of structure visible to the naked
eye or by the aid of a microscope. In the dog these are
very frequent.
Salivation as one of these has been noticed already.
Vomiting is one of the easiest acts for the dog, for-
tunately, and saves him many ills that we ourselves, and
especially the horse and ruminants, must suffer from.
18
252 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
It always indicates, when purely functional, that the
food is unsuitable either in quantity or quality, or that the
stomach is unfit to receive it, and so is better without it.
The dog frequently, in warm weather, eats grass and
causes vomiting, and thus in a way regulates his own di-
gestive tract.
As a rule, when a dog is seen to vomit he should
either be left without food for a time or have his diet
wholly altered — perhaps both. It is very rarely that medi-
cine is demanded. Vomiting may be due to worms, when
the indication is clearly to give a vermifuge. When
vomiting is frequently repeated, a careful investigation
should be made, and poison, among other things, sus-
pected.
A Capricious Appetite should always receive attention.
It may be due simply to lack of stamina, or to debility
owing to bad hygienic surroundings. It may be a sign of
organic disease, of worms, etc. The bowels will generally
be found at fault. If due to mere debility or atony of
the digestive organs, vegetable bitters — as gentian, quassia,
cinchona, etc. — are useful, especially in the form of the
compound tinctures. I^ux vomica, carefully watched, is
excellent. A change in the feeding to raw meat only for
a time may be wise. A trial may be made of a mixture
of bicarbonate of soda, powdered rhubarb, and gentian, or
the compound tincture of cinchona. If dependent on a
sluggish condition of the liver, about which one can form
some opinion by watching the stools, this must be treated.
The color and consistence of the stools of the dog vary
with the food. Meat causes them to be dark ; a mixed
diet some shade of yellow. They may be very hard and
DISORDERS OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 253
liglit-colored when tlie dog chews up bones, owing to the
presence of lime salts derived from them. The faeces
should never be so stiU as to cause the dog to strain to
pass them, nor so fluid as to run from him in a stream.
When of a pasty consistence and a dirty-whitish color,
an absence of bile pigment may be inferred, and that the
liver is at fault. Of course, the appetite soon tells a tale
when any part of the tract is disordered. In a dog well
managed, however, purely functional gastric dyspepsia is
rare.
Irregularities of the Bowels — as diarrhoea and consti^a-
tio7i — are also, as may be inferred from what has already
been said, usually evidence of injudicious management,
mostly from too much or too little exercise, bad feed-
ing, etc.
Diarrhoea arises from an excessive peristaltic action of
the bowels, causing frequent evacuations, which must of
necessity be of improper consistence. Generally this is
due to the presence of unsuitable food or food in excess,
giving rise to fermentation and its irritating products ;
sometimes to contact with the damp, cold earth, to draughts,
etc. It is an effort on the part of I^ature to get rid of
offending material, and should not be arrested at once ;
in fact, only when there is danger of harm — as inflam-
mation, weakness, etc. A diarrhoea may be caused by
excessive discharge of bile, which is a more serious
matter.
If diarrhoea is not checked l)y quiet and rest or by diet-
ing, other measures may be necessary, especially if blood
appears or much mucus. Easily digested food is, of course,
indicated. Opiates and astringents should only be tried
254 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
after a good dose of castor oil, to free tlie bowel from of-
fending matter, if such there be. This is a safe proced-
ure, even if the diarrhoea has lasted for days. If there is
evidence of pain, ten to fifteen drops of laudanum may be
given with the oil. Sometimes one dose of tincture of
rhubarb in peppermint-water answers well, as there is a
subsequent astringent action. If the relaxation still con-
tinues, the officinal lead-and-opium pill, or such astringents
as kino or rhatany, will be in place.
Obstruction. — Obstruction may be due to prolonged
constipation, and is serious, as it may end in inflammation
of the intestine {enteritis). It is better to begin by enemas
of warm soap-suds and castor oil or olive oil. Occasion-
ally it may be necessary to scoop out the obstructing mass
by mechanical means. Castor oil or syrup of buckthorn
may be given by the mouth. Kneading the abdomen may
be of service. Reference will be made to this subject
again, under ^' Peritonitis."
Constipation. — Except in old dogs, this is mostly due to
errors in management, especially in feeding and from ir-
regular or insufficient exercise. Dogs kept in small yards
and on chain frequently suffer. It is a fruitful source of
evil, including disorders of the skin. It may be necessary
to feed vegetables, as a sort of medicine ; though porridge
tends to relax. Liver, which should be boiled, is also use-
ful. Food that is very concentrated, and sometimes the
opposite kind, tends to constipate. Exercise and a suitable
diet remedy the irregularity in most dogs. In old animals
the muscular coat of the intestine loses tone, and then
medicine and massage of the abdomen is demanded. A
pill made as follows will possil)ly do good :
DISORDERS OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 255
51 Ext. belladon gr. ij ;
Ext nuc. Yom gr. v ;
Ext. Barb, aloes 3 ss.
M. Ft. pil. no. xxiv.
Sig. : One pill at niglit.
Constipation may arise from a sluggish liver, in which
case '' gray powder '' (mercury and chalk), small doses of
calomel at night, followed by Epsom salts in the morning
and carefully watched, extract of dandelion, etc., are
worthy of trial.
The author suggests as valuable remedies, in suitable
form, for use in many disorders of the digestive tract,
the officinal compound rhubarb pill and the compound
cathartic pill. The first consists of aloes and rhubarb
chiefly ; the latter, of colocynth, jalap, gamboge, and calo-
mel. The first may be given as a digestive pill ; the sec-
ond is excellent when the portal system is overloaded — i. e.,
when the digestive organs are congested — when their cir-
culation is not free, as often happens in overfed, under-
exercised dogs
These pills can be obtained coated with sugar or gela-
tin. One, except for the largest dogs, will suffice, given at
night on a very light supper, and followed by a good dose
of some sahne in the morning. For habitual constipation
the fluid extract of cascara sagrada has found favor. It
may be given with or without castor oil. It should be
given in capsules, as the taste is very unpleasant. However,
persistent medication is bad, and enemata of soap-suds
or the injection of a small quantity (teaspoonful) of glyc-
erin, with a little cold water added, by a small syringe, is
not much trouble. By all means accomplish the result by
256 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
exercise and dieting if possible. It must not be forgotten
that bones, when small and capable of being chewed up,
are very constipating. While line flour bread tends to
costiveness, this article, made from unbolted wheat or
Graham flour, is not, and constitutes a most suitable food
for dogs. Spratts' foods rarely constipate, but at first
may relax too much. As a rule, they soon agree well,
and as patent foods leave nothing to be desired.
Colic. — When the contractions of the intestine are long
continued at one spot, pain of a very depressing though
more or less spasmodic character results. It is not in
itself an inflammatory affection, though colicky pains
{formina) precede or accompany several intestinal diseases.
Causation and Symptoms. — Colic may be caused by
unsuitable food, damp and wet, worms, lead when intro-
duced to a poisonous degree into the body, the passage of
gall-stones, renal (kidney) calculi, etc. Uneasiness, moan-
ing, or sharp cries, arched back, difiiculty in walking at
times, as if paralyzed, a piteous expression, tense abdo-
men, etc.
Treatment. — Give at once a good dose of castor oil
with twenty drops of laudanum, and apply to the abdomen
a turpentine stupe for twenty minutes ; this may then be
removed and replaced by a modification of the chest-
jacket. If the bowels do not soon move, give an enema
containing an opiate, and, if the pain still persists, twenty
drops of chlorodyne or a drachm of spirits of chloroform,
with a like quantity of aromatic spirits of ammonia, prop-
erly diluted with water, will likely afford relief.
Of itself, colic is not a fatal disease ; and those maladies
which are really inflammatory— as enteritis, though often
THE IRISH WATER SPANIEL CHAMPION SHAUN.
(K. C. S. B., 26,925.)
For description, see page 72.
INFLAMMATION OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 257
associated with colicky pains — should not he termed
" colic."
INFLAMMATORY AFFECTIONS OF THE DIGESTIVE
ORGANS.
In all these diseases the symptoms bear some resem-
blance, which also applies to causation, pathology, and
treatment.
This is owing to similarity in structure of the intestine,
stomach, etc., and to the fact that the different parts of
one long tract are anatomically and functionally so related
that one can not be seriously affected without the other
sympathetically (reliexly) feeling the effects. To illustrate
this again, if the stomach is inflamed, nervous influences
proceeding from the disordered region inward to the
centers by the nerves supplying the region in question so
affect these centers (brain and spinal cord) that influences
radiate from the latter along the nerves to the part affect-
ed, and to other regions often widely removed, and act
through the blood-vessels and otherwise. (Fig. 16.) This
explains how it is that the heart, the appetite, the intes-
tines, etc., may be affected in an inflammation of the peri-
toneum, for example.
The most important diseases of the alimentary tract
are gastritis, or inflammation of the stomach; enteritis,
or inflammation of the small intestines ; dysentery, or in-
flammation of the larger intestine ; and peritonitis, or
inflammation of the serous covering of the walls of the
abdomen, etc.
Comjnon Pathology. — Increased secretion, etc. {ca-
tarrh), following a dry state of the mucous membrane,
258
THE DOG IN DISEASE.
^dth redness, tumefaction, exudation, etc., owing to the
usual changes in vessels and tissues at the seat of inflam-
mation, as before described. Of course, the effects of
[brain above medulla I
»y CENTRE"""^ "(-"I 1- •■'■^ /"^INHIBITORY CENTRE
O 7 SENSORY CEUL AND
AFFERENT NERVE
MOTOR CELL.AND
EFFERENT NERVE
MOTOR CELL WITH
EFFERENT NERVE
Fig. 16.— Diagram intended to illustrate nervous mechanism of— 1, automatism ; 2,
reflex action ; and 3, how nervous impulses in the latter case may pass into the
higher parts of brain and affect consciousness, or be wholly inhibited. A reflex
or automatic center may, for the sake of simplicity, be reduced to a single cell,
as above on the left. The arrows indicate the course of the nervous impulses.
irritating products formed at the site of the disease, and
absorbed or acting locally, must not be forgotten.
Common Causation. — Apart from poisons and such
like irritants, unhygienic surroundings, especially damp
with cold; unsuitable food, either too coarse and bulky
or too exciting, too hot, too cold, or putrescent; blows,
nervous shock, as from harsh treatment, etc.
INFLAMMATION OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 259
Co7)imon Symptoms. — Altered expression and attitude,
modified appetite, thirst, vomiting, changed action of the
bowels, either diarrhoea or constipation ; pain or tender-
ness, alteration in the muscular tension of the abdominal
walls, febrile symptoms, as elevated temperature, quick-
ened and . otherwise modified pulse and respiration; cer-
tain brain symptoms, as dullness, or, in bad cases, delirium
or stupor {coma).
The common dangers are extension of the inflamma-
tion, gangrene or death of parts of the organ from the
severity of the inflammation, exhaustion from pain, diar-
rhoea, vomiting, etc., or sudden collapse from haemorrhage
or nervous shock, heart failure, etc.
Common Treatm^ent. — To look to all circumstances
that tend to favor a return of the organs to health, which
implies avoiding all sources of irritation, whether by what
enters the digestive tract or by external conditions — sup-
porting the strength, and attacking any symptoms that
threaten to lead to any of the dangers above mentioned.
In other words, we must pay special attention to feeding,
absolute rest, comfort of body and mind, to allaying pain,
checking vomiting or diarrhoea if excessive, and keeping
up the strength, when failing, by suitable feeding, drugs,
and stimulants.
Prognosis. — So long as pain can be controlled, the
heart's action is not very rapid or feeble, and nourish-
ment well taken, the prognosis is usually good.
Peritonitis, enteritis, and dysentery, a rather common
disease, are often fatal.
All these diseases exist in a subacute and chronic as
well as in the acute form.
260 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Instead of giving a systematic account of each disease,
we propose to now add some remarks especially as to how
to discriminate between them as they actually meet the
practitioner of medicine, and in reference to treatment.
We advise all owners and breeders of dogs, when their
animals have prolonged diarrhcea or slimy and bloody
stools, or give evidence of pain, to consult some medical
expert, as delay is dangerous, and sound treatment not
always possible except by one of special education and
experience ; though in all that relates to hygiene, feeding,
etc., the intelligent reader, who has had some experience
with dogs, should be fairly well prepared.
Differential Diagnosis between Colic, Gastritis, En-
teritds, Dysentery, and Peritonitis. — In typical cases the
diagnosis is not specially difficult, but such cases are com-
paratively rare.
Colic, pure and simple, should be easily excluded, as
there are no febrile symptoms, the pulse is not quickened
appreciably, vomiting is rare, and the pain is relieved on
pressure, while in all the others the reverse is the case.
The symptoms of gastritis, very pronounced in the
acute form, are thirst, vomiting, pain, tenderness, etc.
The position of the animal is often characteristic, inas-
much as it hes stretched out on its belly — there is not the
same tendency to arch the back as in colic; but in all
these diseases the abdominal walls are tense and shrunken
unless there be much flatulence, when distention with ten-
sion must result.
Enteritis may exist wath less marked symptoms, and
this should direct attention to the intestines. The tender-
ness will be more extensive and reach farther back if pres-
INFLAMMATION OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 261
ent, but it is not always well marked. It may be asso-
ciated with colicky pains {tormina).
Inflammation of Lungs.
Asthma.
Gastritis.
Colic.
Rheumatism.
Fig. 17.— (Mayhew.)
In dysentery, tenderness, if present, will not be so dif^
fuse, and the stools are characteristic, at all events after
the first, which may resemble those of a simple diarrhoea.
Later they are soft, may contain little balls of fecal mat-
262 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
ter, but especially are tliej jelly-like from mucus, and
stained with blood. Vomiting is not common, and there
is far more straining, with or without expulsion of the
morbid secretions, than in any other of the diseases in
question. The febrile symptoms are not so marked as in
gastritis, enteritis, and especially peritonitis.
Peritonitis is characterized by constipation, with much
pain and tenderness. Thirst and vomiting may not be so
marked as in gastritis, but flatulent distention, constipa-
tion, and a rapid, wiry pulse are highly diagnostic.
In the subacute and chronic forms all symptoms are
less defined, and the general disturbance not nearly so
marked.
As in inflammation of the serous membrane of the
chest, there may be copious exudation of fluid or " plastic
lymph," which may lead to adhesions that are sometimes
the cause of future fatal obstruction of the bowels, and
other evils.
When all acute symptoms have subsided, the same
remedies may be used to facilitate absorption as in pleu-
risy, with the additional use of judicious massage, practiced
daily at least.
Treatment should be both internal and external.
It is assumed that the patient is well housed, with en-
tire separation from other dogs, and provided with a com-
fortable bed.
His food should be given in all cases in small quanti-
ties and often: bland and liquid or semi-liquid at first,
gradually adding more solid food as he can bear it.
In all cases a turpentine stupe may be applied with ad-
vantage, to be followed by a well-padded but not heavy
INFLAMMATION OP THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS. 263
modification of the eliest-jacket — i. e., a dressing to cover
the parts affected and those immediately adjacent.
The stupe may also be applied somewhat beyond the
region beneath, which the affected organ lies, as the effect
on sound parts seems to be beneficial to tho^e actually-
diseased.
Counter-irritation in some form, especially at the out-
set, is certainly indicated.
Vomiting, when persistent, must be combated by in^
ternal remedies also.
Drink must not be allowed the dog except in small
quantities at a time; his food must be liquid, and but
little given at once. In some cases it may be worth while
to add pepsin to the food, or give it immediately after, to
assist digestion. Lime-water is an excellent addition to
milk. If food is vomited in spite of all precautions, it is
useless to further force it on the animal ; but if there be
urgent need of nourishment, it may be given by the rectum
(injection or enema).
To arrest vomiting, trial may be made of small quanti-
ties of ice-water, small bits of ice, the dilute officinal prus-
sic acid, very small doses of carbolic acid (one half to one
grain) in a little ice-water, oxalate of cerium, the latter
with small doses of sulphate of morphia (gr. -J), subnitrate
of bismuth alone or with cerium or morphia ; hypodermic
injection of morphia over the stomach. Warm and stimu-
lating applications, as turpentine, will be worth a trial in
all cases.
The diarrhoea of enteritis, or dysentery, apart from
the external treatment, may require special remedies, such
as have been already indicated under "Diarrhoea" (page
264 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
253) ; but in dysentery great benefit is often derived from
injections of boiled starch, with twenty to forty drops of
laudanum, and a dessert-spoonful of listerine, the wliole to
be retained within the bowel by holding the hand, invested
in a soft cloth, against the anus for ten minutes at least.
As already indicated, we think it wise, in both diar-
rhoea and dysentery, to make sure that the bowels are free
from offending matter, and would commence the treat-
ment with castor oil or syrup of buckthorn and enough
laudanum to reheve pain.
When dysentery tends to become chronic, small doses
of ipecacuanha, one to three grains of the powder, or
three to eight drops of the wine every one to two hours,
may be tried. It is frequently a most obstinate disease,
and much depends on judicious nursing and feeding.
In all these inflammatory affections pain may be severe
and lasting, and may kill the animal by disordering the
nervous centers, in consequence of which the nutrition
{metabolism) is perverted and the main centers of life,
the heart center especially, worn out, so that the indica-
tion above all others is to relieve pain. This can be done
by warm applications, counter-irritation, and opiates. Some
recommend leeches and blood-letting. We doubt if either
is practicable or judicious with the dog, but have no very
positive opinion based on experience.
Constipation may coexist with either gastritis or en-
teritis. It is not to be too soon reheved with drugs;
better far to use enemas, at least while the acute symp-
toms last.
In peritonitis^ opium in some form is still the sheet-
anchor. Constipation is commonly present, and may be
INFLAMMATION OF THE DlGRSTIVR ORGANS. 265
relieved after one to two days with an enema, but not
with a purgative.
Hot applications are of great value ; some believe in the
administration of turpentine internally ; better, we think,
by the rectum in soap-suds and olive oil, when, in small
quantities, it may relieve constipation and flatulent disten-
tion. Some also recommend ice-cold applications. The
great indication is quiet, external and internal, and the
relief of pain by opiates. The heart must be carefully
watched, and, if it threatens to fail, stimulants — by the
stomach, if possible — if not, by the bowel — must be given.
Milk, eggs, and brandy make an excellent combination.
When it is remembered how great in extent is the
surface of the peritoneum, covering as it does not only
the walls of the abdomen, the under surface of the dia-
phragm, but also nearly all the organs of the abdominal
cavity, the gravity of an inflammation of a large portion
of it is very evident.
During convalescence special attention must be paid to
supplying a nutritious diet and to the use of tonics.
It is important that the dog be fed for a while about
three times a day, and in moderate quantities only at each
meal, to avoid distention of the stomach or intestines,
which may, if it occurs, be a cause of lasting trouble. The
dog must, in fact, be for some time carefully guarded as
to exercise, housing, and all that relates to his well-being,
including the maintenance of a good deal of self-esteem and
cheerfulness, for the effect of the psychic nature over the
body in well-bred dogs is very great ; indeed, a fact that
must ever be kept in mind in treating them in health and
in disease.
266 THE DOG m DISEASE.
In all cases when the strength begins to fail, the most
nutritious and easily-digested food should be given, and
alcoholic stimulants, either alone in water or mixed with
the food, especially if the latter must be forced on the ani-
mal, or in injections by the rectum of broths, eggnog, etc.
In threatened collapse, stimulants are plainly indicated.
FUNCTIONAL DISEASE OF THE LIVER.
Jaundice, the retention or reabsorption of the constitu-
ents of bile, results from failure of the liver to do its
work, whether this arises from organic disease or merely
from functional disturbance or obstruction to the outflow
of bile. To the latter we now more especially refer.
Causation. — Chills, caused by bad management ; inju-
dicious feeding ; obstruction to the discharge of bile from
the liver cells ; the poison of certain diseases, as distemper ;
exhaustion from violent exercise, especially if left without
grooming afterward, etc.
Symptoms. — Usually the mucous membranes show, by
their staining with bile pigment present in the blood, the
true nature of the trouble. The animal is dull, appetite
falls off or becomes capricious, urine high-colored and
contains bile pigment. The stools are characteristic, being
lacking in color, of a gray, dirty appearance, and usually
tough, pasty consistence ; often fetid. There may be diar-
rhoea, but usually constipation.
Treatment. — The dog is to be made very comfortable,
and protected from draughts ; gentle but regular exercise
is to be given ; food to be supplied in small quantity and
of a very bland character, as rice and milk, stale bread
and milk, biscuits, etc. Fatty food is to be avoided strict-
ORGANIC AFFECTIONS OF THE LIVER. 267
ly. Buttermilk is useful. Massage over the abdomen
raaj prove valuable after the first few days.
Gray powder or calomel in small doses (half a grain of
calomel) three to five times a day ; the compound rhubarb
pill, after a previous dose of one compound cathartic pill,
followed by a saline the next morning ; powders of rhu-
barb and the bicarbonate of soda, or the following :
^ Tinct. rhei. co § jss. ;
Sod. bicarb § j ;
Tinct. gent, co 5 jss. ;
Syrup, aurantii § ij ;
Aquae ad § viij.
Ft. mist.
Sig. : Dessertspoonful a short time before food three
times a day.
Taraxacum may also be tried ; it often does good.
If there be pain from the obstruction of the ducts by
gall-stones or other cause, morphia or Dover's powder is
indicated. It is also advisable in all such cases to apply
simple hot fomentations, turpentine stupes, or the former
sprinkled with laudanum.
ORGANIC AFFECTIONS OF THE LIVER.
Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) of an acute form
is rare, except in tropical countries — at all events, when
not due to blows, etc. The causes are obscure, and the
diagnosis not always easy. Tenderness over the liver on
pressure, more or less pain, digestive disturbances, foul
breath, altered respiration, lying on the chest and belly,
probably jaundice, with characteristic stools, and febrile
symptoms. If enlargement of the liver can be made out
19
268 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
by physical examination, with such a train of symptoms,
the diagnosis between this disease and gastritis or enteritis
is pretty clear.
Treatment. — Much the same as for jaundice induced
functionally, though no line of treatment by drugs has
given much satisfaction. Attention must be paid espe-
cially to the diet and surroundings.
The termination of the disease in abscess of the liver
is not uncommon, and usually proves fatal. When pus
forms, attention must be paid to maintenance of the
strength with the most concentrated foods, quinine, and,
if the stomach will bear it, cod-liver oil, while alcoholic
stimulants, that are strongly contra-indicated in the early
stages, may now prove essential.
Chronic Hepatitis usually gives rise to dropsy, and a
whole host of evils which commonly end in death. The
symptoms must be combated as they arise, as it is impos-
sible to do much with drugs by direct action on the
affected or^an. Occasional minute doses of calomel or
corrosive sublimate (one thirtieth of a grain) or iodide of
potassium (one to two grains) may be tried, given two or
three times daily.
"When disease of the liver is due to parasites, the only
course is to treat the case according to the symptoms
presenting, in the hope that the cause of the disease may
be thrown off, which rarely happens.
DEGENERATION OF THE LIVER.
The form most common in the dog is fatty degenera-
tion, which may be found in animals no longer young that
have been overfed and little exercised. A cure is rare,
CANCER OF ABDOMINAL ORGANS. 269
but something may be done to mitigate the symptoms.
Dieting, with special reference to both quantity and qual-
ity of food, is of the greatest importance. Ko fatty or
starchy foods should be given for a time, and as little as
possible later. The animal should be fed on a limited
quantity of meat, on sweet milk and on buttermilk.
If the liver is greatly deranged, its glycogenic func-
tion may be altered — i„ e., its manufacture of animal
starch, and the distribution of this to the body as sugar
by the medium of the blood. When this function is
disordered, dieting is the chief reliance, and all saccharine
and starchy food must, as far as possible, be withheld.
Skim-milk is useful.
CANCER OF ABDOMINAL ORGANS.
In dogs past their prime, and especially in old animals,
cancer is not so very rare. It does not commonly attack
the liver primarily, but more frequently the stomach or
upper part of the small intestine {duodenum), though it
is rarely confined to these regions unless death speedily
ensues.
The symptoms indicate serious disturbance of the di-
gestive processes and great irritability of the digestive
organs ; hence vomiting, tenderness on pressure, loss of
aj^petite, capricious appetite, and, as properly elaborated
material is not supplied by the digestive tract to the blood,
there is wasting and loss of strength, which the misery
augments.
Cancer is generally, but not always, a painful disease.
It is, perhaps, invariably fatal, and the only thing the prac-
titioner can do is to make the patient as comfortable as
270 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
possible, relieve pain, vomiting, etc. The diet must, of
course, be specially studied.
It is important for purposes of diagnosis to get the
animal to submit quietly to a careful palpation of the
abdomen, as very often an enlargement of some organ, or
possibly adhesions, etc., may be detected, and when the
diagnosis is certain, the case is so hopeless that, if there
is nmch wretchedness or rapid wasting, it may be kindness
to chloroform the animal to death.
INTESTINAL OBSTRUCTION.
This serious and generally fatal condition may be due
to foreign bodies, faecal masses, the passage of one portion
of the gut within another {intussusception)^ twisting of
the gut, or constriction, the result of peritonitis or some
other form of inflammation, and kindred causes.
Symptoms. — Usually constipation, which may be pre-
ceded by diarrhoea, increasing pain of a colicky character,
general disturbance, flatulent distention, haggard expres-
sion, vomiting, which may increase in severity till bile,
and later fgecal matter, is regurgitated, prostration, etc.
Diagnosis. — At first obscure. The abdomen should
always be carefully palpated, with the view of detecting
tumors within. When there is vomiting of fgecal matters,
or prolonged vomiting in the absence of the other symp-
toms of gastritis, obstruction should be suspected.
Prognosis. — Yery bad ; the disease generally proves
fatal. Occasionally the affected ])art sloughs away (drops
off), and natural union of the adjacent parts follows.
Treatment should be directed to allaying irritation by
emptying the bowel beyond the obstruction by copious
DISEASED CONDITIONS AROUND THE ANUS. 271
enemas ; but in no case should purgatives be given, as in
the nature of the case they must aggravate the symptoms
and endanger the patient. Pain must be allayed by fo-
mentations and opiates, rest enforced, and vomiting quieted
if possible.
If a positive diagnosis can be made moderately early,
surgical procedure is indicated. The dog bears opening
the abdominal cavity well. But this should be under-
taken only by skillful hands, under strict antiseptic pre-
cautions, and after the operation the dog should be con-
stantly watched, in a suitable compartment, by a discreet
person, for at least twenty-four hours.
In s'ome cases opening into the abdomen will be justi-
fiable as a diagnostic measure. Yery often a portion of
intestine will require excision and the cut ends brought
together by careful suturing. It is most important that ex
treme cleanliness be observed, lest inflammation of fearful
violence may be lighted up, or blood poisoning intervene.
DISEASED CONDITIONS AROUND THE ANUS.
Prolapse of the rectum — i. e., extrusion of a part of
the gut — owing to a variety of relaxing and debilitating
causes, as constipation, piles, etc., ^occasionally occurs.
The indication is to reduce or put back the gut as soon as
possible, before swelling, inflammation, or death and
sloughing of the part takes place.
The gut should be washed clean from dirt with an
antiseptic solution of weak carbolic acid or corrosive sub-
limate (1 in 2,000), the former preferred on account of its
sedative action. There is no objection to adding a little
laudanum or morphia, to still more allay irritation. The
272 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
gut should be gently pressed back, the hind part of the
animal's body elevated, then some cold water, or a solution
made slightly astringent with tannic acid, injected gently
and retained for a short time. The patient should have
twenty grains of Dover's powder or a hypodermic injec-
tion of a quarter of a grain of morphia, to induce quiet
and relieve pain.
If the intestine still tends to protrude, a special dress-
ing or extemporized truss must be applied. No exercise
should be allowed for some days, and then only gently.
The bowels should be confined, and the diet nutritious and
concentrated, but not abundant.
Files are not uncommon in old dogs, especially if
neglected. The circulation is weak, and if the strength
fails becomes still weaker, so that injudicious management
— as lack of exercise or a diet favoring constipation — leads
to that portal (venous) congestion which tends to induce all
sorts of digestive disorders. Any pressure, as from faeces,
on the large gut tends to keep the veins over full, leads to
loss of elasticity of their walls, slowing of the blood-cur-
rent, coagulation within them, inflammation, ulceration,
etc. Especially is this the case if the piles protrude from
the anus. Blood in the stools, straining, licking the anus,
dragging the hind parts, should lead one to suspect piles.
So long as the piles are internal there is more hope of re-
lieving the condition by medical treatment ; when ex-
ternal^ surgical measures will generally be required.
Treatment. — The indication is to remove the cause and
allay irritation. Such food should be given as will of
itself relax the bowel — as oatmeal or wheat-meal porridge
with milk, boiled liver, or vegetables. A cure is hastened
DISEASED CONDITIONS AROUND THE ANUS. 273
by the administration of laxatives, one of the best of which
is sulphur, which dogs will generally take, when real hun-
gry, in porridge, with milk or broth, or even in the ordi-
nary food ; but if not, it may be given mixed up in mo-
lasses, either with or without cream of tartar.
External piles may be treated with astringent and
sedative washes, as a combination of tannic acid, glycerin,
laudanum, and water ; or with ointments of a similar
character, as the officinal compound tannic-acid ointment,
or one composed of oxide of zinc with extract of bella-
donna or stramonium, etc.
It may be necessary to muzzle the dog to prevent his
licking these off. The following will indicate the nature
of such combinations :
]^ Unguent, zinci ox § ij ;
Ext. belladon . 3 ij.
M. Sig. : Apply three times daily.
9 Acidi tannici 5 ss. ;
Morph. sulph g^- ^j >
Glycerin 5 jss- ;
Aquae ad § iv.
Sig. : Apply this lotion several times a day.
When there is a tendency to inflammation without
actual ulceration, the ofiicinal compound lead ointment is
very soothing.
Surgical measures are called for when such as the pre-
ceding fail.
Ligature and excision, or preferably the use of the
thermo-cautery or the electro-cautery, the little tumors
being grasped by a suitable clamp, have given good
274 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
results. The dangers to be feared after operation are
blood-poisoning, inflammation — as peritonitis, etc.— and
haemorrhage.
After operation, ice in cloths, held to the anus for
some time, has proved useful in warding off these evils.
The patient must be kept quiet and free from pain and
the bowels confined.
Growths around the anus are mostly epithelial in char-
acter, as warts or polypi. When small, their treatment
may be similar to that adopted when found in the mouth
or other parts (see page 247) ; but when large, more care
must be taken, as haemorrhage may be difficult to control.
Excision, with the use of the thermo-cautery just after-
ward, may be demanded.
The differential diagnosis between such growths and
cancer should not be difficult when the history and age of
the animal are known. Cancerous growths, except during
degeneration, are usually very firm. Cancer rarely attacks
animals in their prime.
Perineal Abscess and Fistula in ano are closely related.
Pus collected in the region of the perineum and consti-
tuting abscess is very liable, if not freely evacuated early,
to affect the bowel and ultimately lead to an opening into
it, constituting fistula, which is said to be hlind when
there is no external opening through the perinseum. The
indication is to open the abscess and evacuate the pus by a
free incision.
Fistula is rarely cured except by opening up the bowel
and perineum, which can be done well by passing a
grooved director through the external opening and then
through the internal, turning the inner end out through
DISEASES OF THE URINARY SYSTEM. ^75
the anus by the finger and incising all the parts that lie
between the director and the exterior. A poultice or
fomentation may be necessary for a short time afterward,
and a little iodoform dusted on will tend to keep the parts
eweet and facilitate healing. The diet should be simple
and the bowels confined for a few days.
DISEASES OF THE URINARY SYSTEM.
We direct attention to certain anatomical and physi-
ological facts important to bear in mind. Urine is se-
creted by the kidneys, a pair of organs situated in the
loin (lumbar region), which are composed of a great vari-
ety of tubes of different shape and size, provided with
numerous kinds of lining cells which secrete the constitu-
ents of urine, the whole of each organ being abundantly
supplied with blood-vessels, lymphatics, and nerves. Urine
is secreted constantly, and carried off to the bladder by a
main duct {ureter) leading from each kidney.
The bladder is the receptacle for urine — a muscular
organ situated in the pelvis, and lined with a mucous mem-
brane. It communicates with the exterior by a tube or
duct {urethra) of small dimensions, which passes in the
male through the penis, but in the female it is short and
opens into the vagina.
The urine of the dog is decidedly acid, of high specific
gravity (1030 to 1050), clear and yellow, so that any dark
color, turbidity, any stickiness from mucus, etc., should
attract attention as probable evidence of disease of some
part of the urinary tract.
Other symptoms which should lead to a suspicion of
disturbance of this part of the dog's system are frequent
276 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
or painful urination (micturition), dribbling or retention
of urine, an awkward or straddling gait, tenderness over
any portion of the urinary tract, nausea, febrile symp-
toms, etc.
J^one of these troubles are common in the dog ; hap-
pily so, as treatment in bad cases is difficult to carry out.
Retention of Urine may arise from reflex spasm of the
neck of the bladder or urethra, from swelling of the mu-
cous membrane of the urethra, enlargement of the pros-
tate gland, pressure on the urethra or swelling of this
part from sexual excitement, traumatism (injury), the
abuse of certain drugs, as cantharides, etc. Occasionally
an excitable young dog after a long journey with confine-
ment in a crate, or from the excitement of new surround-
ings, as in a bench-show, will be unable to empty the
bladder. Generally he will do so if he be removed to an
extremely quiet place, given perfect freedom, and has his
mind diverted from what has been engrossing his atten-
tion and is soothed by words and caresses. However, if
these fail, and the bladder is much distended, a warm bath
should be given. The dog should be caused to sit on his
haunches in a tub with enough water, as hot as can be
borne, to reach above his loins, for twenty to thirty
minutes. He should then be rubbed dry, and kept warm
as a precaution against catching cold. If he still suffers,
he may be given fifteen grains of Dover's powder and
twenty grains of bromide of potassium. If the case grows
urgent, an attempt to pass a catheter should be made. In
the female this is not difficult, and the ordinary metal in-
strument used in human practice will serve the purpose,
or a gum-elastic catheter suitable to the size of the bitch.
DISEASES OF THE URINARY SYSTEM. 277
In the male dog reacliiiig the bladder in this way is
not easy ; a small gum-elastic catheter will be required.
The dog should be laid on his side, the instrument warmed
in hot water and well oiled, gently passed in till its point
can be felt with one finger in the rectum, when it may be
guided onward into the bladder.
This operation is to be avoided if possible, as it is
neither easy to the manipulator nor agreeable to the dog ;
and if there be much struggling, harm may follow the
attempt.
In extreme cases ether may be given, and, if the cathe-
ter can not be passed, an opening made into the bladder to
save life ; otherwise rupture of the bladder and inflamma-
tion following this, if not sudden death, or urgemic poison-
ing result from retention of the material in the blood
which the kidneys should remove ; but it is seldom in-
deed that the treatment with opiates or the hot bath will
not suffice.
Suppositories in the above and other painful affections
of this region will be of great service if they can be re-
tained in the rectum.
As an example of a suitable combination we offer the
following :
'^ Pulv. opii gr. vj ;
Ext. belladon gi"- iij ;
Oh theobrom 3ij.
M Ft. suppos. no. vi. Use one every two to six
hours, as needed to relieve pain.
Hot injections by the rectum of warm water medicated
with laudanum or belladonna often prove very useful.
The dog may suffer from inflammation of the kidney
278 THE DOG m DISEASE.
itself {nephritis)^ of the bladder {cystitis), or from renal
or cystic calculi.
As these are not very common affections, a general
account, so as to enable a differential diagnosis to be
made, will suffice.
The history of the case is important, and in all in-
stances a careful physical examination should be made,
to establish local tenderness if present, bladder disten-
tion, etc.
Tenderness over the loins when rheumatism can be ex-
cluded points to the kidney ; tenderness abov^e the pubes
(between the thighs) to the bladder.
Ordinarily, percussion does not discover the dullness of
the bladder, but on distention it should, while at the same
time the hand may be able to make out a somewhat globu-
lar tumor.
Differential Diagnosis. — In acute nephritis the kid-
neys are swollen, and there may be escape of an albumin-
ous fluid from the vessels, and of red blood-cells as well as
leucocytes ; hence albuminous urine, bloody urine, tender-
ness over the loins, with febrile symptoms, suggest acute
nephritis.
Blood makes the urine " smoky " or brown in appear-
ance. Blood may be positively diagnosticated by the
microscope, or, better, with the spectroscope.
In Acute Cystitis, tenderness over the loins is not so
likely to exist, though j)ain may radiate in various direc-
tions, and tenderness over the bladder is nearly always
present. The urine is not so likely to contain blood, but
the urine may be turbid, alkaline, or contain excess of
mucus, which is not to be mistaken for albumin, which
DISEASES OP THE URINARY SYSTEM. 279
never constitutes a sediment, but is detected by boiling
the urine and adding enough nitric acid to make it de-
cidedly acid in reaction. If albumin be present, there will
be coagulation.
In Chronic Cystitis the urine is often decomposed and
alkaline when passed.
In Nephritis there may be frequent micturition from
extension of the irritation from the kidney to the bladder,
the alteration in the urine, etc. ; but in cystitis there is
always more or less trouble in this way. ' If there be
abscess of the kidney, pus will appear in abundance in the
urine.
Renal Calculus is often difficult to diagnose ; but irregu-
larity in the symptoms, with at times great pain and gen-
eral tenderness over the kidney, are highly suggestive.
Cystic Calculus, or stone in the bladder, is also marked
by aggravation of the symptoms at times, possibly blood
in the urine, occasional retention of urine it may be, pain,
etc. Small calculi may block the urethra and necessitate
urethrotomy, or cutting into the urethra. While acute
nephritis may be set up by cold, drugs like turpentine
and cantharides, which should be used in the case of the
dog with extreme caution, the forms of chronic nephritis
so common in man are of extreme rarity in the dog.
Treat7)ient. — In all these diseases warm and in every
way comfortable quarters are essential". Food must be
always easily digestible and unstimulating, but in the later
stages of acute aifections (convalescence), and in chronic
affections, highly nourishing. In acute disease demulcent
drinks, and in cystitis milk and lime-water, are especially
indicated. In all, it is important to relieve pain with
280 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Dover's powder, suppositories, medicated injections, fo-
mentations, hot baths, etc.
With care and ordinary good medical treatment, acute
nephritis and cystitis tend to get well.
The chronic form of cystitis, and all affections depend-
ent on calculi (stones, concretions), are very troublesome.
If stone in the bladder can be positively diagnosticated,
an operation may prove successful; but there are great
risks.
Washing out the bladder of the female dog with anti-
septic and soothing warm solutions — as warm water con-
taining boric (boracic) acid or carbolic acid, with a little
morphia — is practicable, but not in the male, it is feared.
Attention must be directed to maintaining the strength
with tonics, good food, etc.
If from any cause ursemic poisoning is threatened, the
bowels must be moved very freely. For this purjiose
jalap, in doses of fifteen to twenty-five grains, answers;
but calomel must on no account be used, as it is especially
liable to salivate. The purpose is to divert blood from
the head and eliminate the poison. Warm baths should
also be tried, keeping the head cool.
DISEASES OF THE GENITAL ORGANS.
These are mostly of the nature of inflammations and
their consequences, and morbid growths.
Inflammation of the passage from the bladder for the
discharge of urine iiirethrd)^ termed urethritis, occasion-
ally occurs in the dog as a result of irritation from some
cause, including coitus with bitches similarly affected, or
from unhealthy discharges of some part of the genital
DISEASES OP THE GENITAL ORGANS. 281
tract, from retained secretions in inflammations of the
sheath, etc.
Some writers claim that the dog may have, hke hu-
man beings, tlie specific inflammation known as gonor-
rhoea from sexual intercourse, and even syphilis. The
subject is worthy of further investigation.
The symptoms of urethritis are uneasiness, possibly
painful micturition, licking the penis, and especially a
muco-purulent whitish or yellowish discharge, which can
be traced within the penis — i. e., to the urethra.
Balanitis is an inflammation of the sheath {prepuce)
covering the penis. The symptoms are as in the preced-
ing, except that the urethral discharge is not a part of
this disease, though the two may be associated, as they
not infrequently are.
The sheath is swollen, tender, and soon gives rise to a
muco-purulent discharge. The dog is disgustingly atten-
tive to his genitals when they are affected.
If not relieved, the prepuce may become swollen to
such a degree as to prevent the extrusion of the penis,
{phimosis) and may even in some degree interfere with
the passage of urine.
Occasionally, from long-continued sexual excitement,
etc., the prepuce prevents the return of the penis within
the sheath {paraphimosis)^ and the former becomes greatly
swollen, and, in its exposed condition, liable to abrasions
and ulcerations. The latter are apt to occur from pent-up
discharges, as in balanitis, so that the whole may become
very offensive to the associates of the dog, and a source of
worry and humiliation to himself. The animal always
licks the parts, his own method of cleansing and relieving
282 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
pain and irritation. Inflammation may extend to the cov-
ering of the testicles {scrotum), or this may arise inde-
pendently in old dogs, and requires attention lest the
parts become the seat of malignant disease, as cancer or
sarcoma. Balanitis in chronic form is common.
Treatment. — The indication in all these cases is to re-
lieve irritation, both from the actual inflammation and
from the discharges. The sheath should be kept clean
by frequent washing with warm water or injecting up
into it from a syringe the same, and, if this does not
answer of itself, astringent and soothing solutions, such
as tannic acid, sulphate of zinc, acetate of lead, etc.,
which are all the more effective if some glycerin be
added.
A very good plan is to insert a little surgeon's lint or
some cotton-wool dipped in the astringent solution within
the sheath for twenty minutes. The addition of laudanum
or morphia to the cleansing water or to the astringent
lotion will be helpful.
In the case of urethritis, it will be necessary to inject
one of these solutions after the use of very warm water
into the urethra.
Such combinations as the following will illustrate how
useful lotions may be made :
51 Tinct. opii 3iv;
Acid. acet. dil 3 j ;
Liq. plumbi subacetat. . . 5 j j
Aquge ad gviij.
Ft. mist.
Sig. : Apply or inject from two to four teaspoonfuls
three to six times a day.
DISEASES OP THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 219
liehed. Later, if there be dullness in pleurisy, owing to
fluid, it is shifting in extent, and varies with the position
of the animal.
In bronchitis we usually soon hear sounds {rales) of
some sort on auscultation, which may be present in pneu-
monia, though not without the signs of solidification.
Percussion and Auscultation. — Percussion should pre-
cede auscultation. We believe that the best results will
follow the practice of very light percussion without the
help of instruments, placing two or three fingers of one
hand flat on the chest wall and striking quickly and lightly
with one or two fingers of the other, so that the blows fall
evenly and but once on a single spot, the hand working
only, and not the arm. Rapid comparison can thus be
made and sliglit differences noted. It is a good plan to
percuss corresponding areas on both sides, for each animal
must be a standard for itself (its own norm.).
It is well to learn to listen with the ear applied to the
chest, interposing only a thin piece of cotton, as well as
with a stethoscope. It is often a great advantage to use
the modern flexible binaural stethoscope. Apart from
hearing more distinctly, in the case of dirty dogs infested
with vermin the advantage is obvious. Shy animals are
also less disturbed, not to mention the absence of the
necessity for stooping, etc.
One who has learned the normal percussion and aus-
cultation sounds by examination of healthy dogs of differ-
ent breeds and sizes, will not find much difficulty in soon
becoming familiar with the main departures in disease,
while mere verbal descriptions alone are of little real
service.
16
220 ' THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Treatment. — Much as in other diseases of the chest as
to diet, hygienic surroundings, etc.
Pain must be relieved at once with an opiate, say fif-
teen grains of Dover's powder for a dog of fair size.
Counter-irritation is decidedly useful — e. g., an appli-
cation of turpentine, followed by the chest-jacket (see p.
226) ; a mild aperient, and aconite to quiet the circula-
tion, may all prove useful in this stage of the disease.
Pleurisy with effusion is dangerous in proportion as
the lung space is replaced by fluid and the vital organs
displaced. Absorption should be faoilitated by counter-
irritation, and every measure that will improve the gen-
eral health.
Some like to administer small doses of calomel, others
iodide of potassium and digitalis, to stimulate the kidneys
to do extra work, carry off more fluid from the blood, etc.
But if within a reasonable period the fluid does not
disappear, and especially if it tends to increase, or if it be-
comes purulent, constituting empyema^ it must be drawn
off either with a small trocar and canula (" tapping ") or
an aspirating needle ; but in no case very suddenly or all
at once, for fear of heart-failure. The puncture should
be made low and far back, and with the position of vital
organs in mind.
Convalescence may be encouraged by the best of food,
tonics, etc.
Chronic pleurisy ^ either as a localized subacute inflam-
mation or with effusion, which is most common and most
serious, is not of very frequent occurrence in dogs of a
good constitution.
The symptoms are much as in the acute form of the
DISEASES OP THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 221
disease, except that the fever, pain, etc., are not so
marked.
Treatment is to be directed especially to the removal
of the effused fluid, either by natural absorption or " tap-
ping," and the greatest attention to the general health of
the animal.
Bronchitis. — This disease is an inflammation of the
mucous membrane of the bronchial tubes.
When the smallest tubes are involved the affection is
termed cwpillary hroncMtls, most common in very young,
very old, and debilitated subjects, and so is by far the most
dangerous form.
Pathology. — There are swelling and dryness of the lin-
ing membrane of the tubes, followed by a mucous dis-
charges in excess, which is apt to become to a greater or
less extent purulent.
The cells lining the membrane die, are thrown off and
expectorated in the case of man. As dogs do not properly
expectorate or cough to much purpose, they are at a great
disadvantage. However, they frequently vomit when
coughing, which tends to expel the excessive and altered
discharge, and furnishes a hint for treatment.
Prognosis. — Favorable if not associated with gangrene
or death of lung tissue, abscess, dilatation of the tubes,
and if the strength of the animal be good.
Symjptoins. — More or less cough, moist souiids on aus-
cultation, with sympathetic congestion and catarrh of the
eyes and nose.
Treatment. — At the outset an emetic of twenty grains
of sulphate of zinc, which, if not effective, in a few min-
utes may be followed by two to four drachms of wine of
222 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
ipecacuanha, a laxative, attention to general comfort, and
to the ventilation especially.
When the cough is dry a choice of some of the follow-
ing in combination may be made, viz. : Ipecac, squills,
ammonia, spirits of chloroform, hydrochlorate of apomor-
phia, paregoric, morphia, potassium cyanide, etc. Later,
ammonium carbonate, syrup of Tolu, or senega may re-
place some of the preceding. Possibly remedies of this
character may be required ; but the sooner drugs can be
dispensed with the better, for they all tend to disorder
the digestive tract. Quinine, iron, nux vomica, and other
vegetable bitters may be useful after the acute stage has
passed.
In chronic bronchitis, tonic treatment, including cod-
liver oil, is of great importance.
A moderate allowance of alcoholic stimulants, as wine,
whisky, or brandy, is often called for when bronchitis
threatens to exhaust the animal, or when it overtakes a
dog already enfeebled by disease. Supporting treatment,
with an emetic at the outset, will be best in the capillary
form of bronchitis.
In all forms of the disease counter-irritation and the
chest-jacket are very beneficial.
Verminous hronchitis, owing to the presence of para-
sites in the bronchial tubes, is a rare and unmanageable
disease, generally leading on to a fatal result. An attempt
should be made to dislodge the worms by emetics, inhala-
tions of the fumes of burning tar, etc.
Pneumonia is an inflammation of the substance of the
lungs, and may be confined to a portion of one lobe or
may include the greater part of both lungs. Such exten-
DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 223
eive inflammation is not common, and is almost of neces-
sity fatal. Pneumonia is divided into lobar {croupous,
diffuse) and lobular {patchy, catarrhal). In the latter,
only limited and usually scattered portions of the lung
tissue are involved. This form is most common as a com-
plication of bronchitis, and especially when it arises in
the course of other diseases.
Causation. — The onset is favored by wet, cold, any-
thing inducing a chill, etc. Some cases are almost cer-
tainly due to a microbe, and the disease then seems to be
infectious. It will be safe in treatment to regard all cases
as infective.
Pathology. — In lobar pneumonia we have a typical
inflammation with hypergemia, soon followed by escape of
red and white corpuscles from the blood-vessels, and effu-
sion of a coagulable fluid with increase {proliferation) of
the lining and other cells of the tissue of the lung. The
portion of lung involved gets red and solid, when removed
after death, sinks in water, cuts firm, and looks not unlike
liver. This is the stage of red hepatization, and is suc-
ceeded, when the course of events is typical, by a fatty
degeneration of the morbid products, a stage known as
gray hepatization. Resolution is the return to the nor-
mal by the absorption or removal of this foreign material,
a natural state of the blood-vessels, etc. Untoward results
may occur, abscess or purulent infiltration — i. e., breaking
down of the lung tissue — and gangrene or local death,
usually followed by breaking down of a portion of the
lung. Both the latter conditions frequently prove fatal.
With pneumonia there is usually more or less bronchitis,
and often pleurisy.
224 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Prognosis. — As a matter of fact, pneumonia is a dis-
ease that carries o^ a considerable proportion of the
canine race, both as a primary affection and as a complica-
tion and sequel of other affections, which is probably
owing to its attacking weakly animals when a primary
disease, to neglect at the outset, and to indiscreet treat-
ment ; while during the course of and subsequent to other
diseases the constitution is naturally often unable to bear
the additional strain.
Much in the prognosis will depend on the amount of
lung tissue involved, the condition of the heart, and the
patient's vitality and resisting power.
Symptoms. — Usually pronounced. Dyspnoea (distress-
ing breathing), characteristic anxious fades or expression,
injected (red) eyes, dry and hot (not always) nose, and
most characteristic attitude. The animal sits on his
haunches, with his head extended and mouth open, evi-
dently suffering from lack of oxygen. If the dog attempts
to lie down, he keeps the head supported high on some
object. In extreme cases he may be unable to lie down
at all. Percussion reveals a more or less dull sound over
the affected area ; auscultation, fine crackling sounds.
However, neither of these may be very distinct.
If pleurisy be present, a friction sound is to be heard
{crepitant rales), and this friction of dry surfaces explains
the pain in great part, if such exist.
The attack is usually ushered in by a chill — a symptom
which should always be inquired for and to which the
greatest importance should be attached, as invariably in-
dicating that something serious is at hand in any anima)
the subject of it.
DISEASES OP THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 225
The pulse is usually rapid, and disturbance of the
pulse-respiration ratio is apt to occur. Instead of the
normal four to one, it may be two to one, or less.
The temperature may reach 104° to 106° Fahr., with
other indications of fever.
In pneumonia too much reliance must not be placed on
physical signs, as there may be very grave disease without
the former being at all well pronounced.
But prostration, a weak, irregular, very slow or very
rapid cardiac action, or greatly disturbed pulse-respiration
ratio, are indications calling for a cautious prognosis and
the most watchful treatment, especially if with these there
be much dyspnoea or cyanosis (blueness of mucous mem-
branes, etc.), indicating that the blood is being very poorly
ventilated.
Less frequently than in man does the dog cough up
the characteristic rusty sputum — i. e., mucus, etc. — with
blood enough to color it. When this is seen, the diagnosis
of pneumonia is clear.
Diagnosis. — The altered respiration, the position of
the animal, the dullness on percussion, etc., usually suffice
to establish the diagnosis in lobar pneumonia, by far the
commonest form as a primary disease.
The patchy or lobular form is more difficult to make
out; but if there be limited areas of dullness, or more
diffuse but ill-defined dullness on percussion appearing
during an attack of bronchitis or other disease, this form
of pneumonia is to be suspected.
Treatment. — The greatest difference of opinion pre-
vails on this subject both as regards human and veterinary
practice, some even maintaining that when no treatment
226 THE BOG IN DISEASE.
whatever beyond careful nursing is adopted the results are
just as favorable.
"While there may be some truth in this so far as typical
cases are concerned, it is not a safe doctrine to teach to
the young practitioner, nor a position with which medicine
should be content even if the assertion be true, which we
very much doubt. Directly opposite has been the prac-
tice in regard to local applications, some recommending
them warm and some cold.
But as a matter of experience, it is found that it is un-
wise to apply either kind to dogs under ordinary circum-
stances. Heavy poultices are apt to shift, the dog is rest-
less, and in changing any sort of moist applications the
animal is apt to get chilled, so that this mode of treatment
may be considered quite unsuitable for dogs. The same
may be said of cold applications.
The chest-jacket^ before referred to, we have found in-
valuable in all chest diseases. The object is to have a
close-fitting coat or jacket, which shall absorb the moist-
ure from the animal's skin and protect it from varia-
tions in the external temperature. The exact construc-
tion is of minor importance provided that it is of even
thickness, fits closely, and can be kept in place. Dogs
do not usually attempt to remove such a comfortable
body bandage.
In winter it may be made of two layers of flannel or
horse blanket, with or without padding of cotton-wool
quilted in ; and it becomes still more effective if it fit
neatly and be sewed on the dog in such a way as to lie
close and feel comfortable, the object being to prevent
access of cold air. For summer use the whole may be
DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 227
less warm, but, as a matter of fact, pneumonia is much
less common at this season.
Openings may be made for the fore-legs, or the whole
may be attached by strips of cotton in front and firmly
stitched over the back. It is well that it extend far back
over the loin. Closeness of fitting without being so tight
as to embarrass the breathing is important, both to pre-
serve it in position and to prevent the access of cool air.
Often the dog will breathe easier at once when this dress-
ing is applied.
When there is pleurisy especially, it will be advisable
to use some form of counter-irritation first. Turpentine
answers very well, and leaves no stain, as does iodine.
Blistering is never called for. It is the writer's opin-
ion that under no circumstances whatever in any acute
disease {if ever) is hlistering of the dog justifiable. The
amount of pain and irritation is out of all proportion to
any possible good in an animal with so responsive a nerv-
ous system as the dog's. Counter-irritation is often use-
ful ; blistering never.
The hygienic surroundings should be of the best, the
air being frequently changed, the temperature even and
not above 60° Fahr.
The food must be light at first, unless there be marked
prostration, and largely fluid or sloppy while the fever is
high.
If the pulse is very rapid and full, tincture of aconite
in frequently repeated small doses may be useful, watch-
ing the pulse carefully, especially if Fleming's tincture be
used. Some practitioners are opposed to this treatment.
If there is evidence of pain, or if cough is troublesome,
228 THE DOG IN DlSl^^ASE.
a little paregoric, or, better, Dover's powder, on account of
its favoring the action of the skin and kidneys, may be given.
Bleeding has been recommended in very sthenic cases.
Chlorate of potassium has a good reputation in diseases
of the respiratory tract, and is favorable, it is thought, to
the oxidation of the blood. As it is somewhat depressant
to the heart, its action should be carefully watched.
In the early stage the author likes to give, in a gelatin
capsule, powdered bromide, acetate, and chlorate of potas-
sium v/ith tincture of aconite. After this is swallowed,
the dog may be given water to drink to dissolve and
dilute the dose. Being thirsty, he is only too glad to get
the liquid. He may relish buttermilk or sour milk, and it
will be useful at this period. At night fifteen grains of
Dover's powder, with a like quantity of bromide of potas-
sium, in capsules, will be useful in securing rest.
It is important not to give aconite if the heart be weak,
even if rapid, and it should be stopped if it does not with-
in a moderate period quiet the circulation, as a depressant
action may set in later and prove dangerous.
Death in pneumonia is nearly always by heart-failure,
and this organ must therefore be most carefully observed
throughout.
Assuming that resolution has begun, the general
strength is to be maintained. If the appetite is not good
and the temperature is not high, vegetable bitters — as nux
vomica, cinchona, gentian, etc.— will be useful; also qui-
nine, citrate of iron and quinine, etc.
During convalescence the treatment already recom-
mended for other diseases of the respiratory system is
suitable. If the temperature runs very high, quinine in
DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 229
large doses, antipyrin, or phenacetiii, will meet the views
of some. One large dose of ten to fifteen grains of qui-
nine, with twenty grains of bromide of potassium at the
outset, may be worth a trial ; but repeated doses of the
above remedies are of very doubtful efficacy.
If the disease is of a low type from the first, with evi-
dences of weakness or positive prostration, the chief reli-
ance must be on good feeding and alcohol, with such stimu-
lants as ammonia, strychnine, strong coffee, caffein, etc.
Whisky or brandy, given in doses of a teaspoonful or
less with fluid beef or eggnog if the dog refuses nourish-
ment, or diluted with water, given simply as medicine,
often produces the happiest effects. In fact, in some cases
at the outset a small dose of whisky has seemed to mitigate
the symptoms at once. Of course, wdth the bounding
pulse and a generally sthenic type of the disease this is
plainly not indicated.
Certainly if the dog will not take nourishment it must
be forced on him, vrith as little exhaustion of his strength
as possible.
If the heart becomes very weak or irregular, resort
must be had to digitalis, say five drops of the tincture
every two hours for an adult dog of medium size, watch-
ing its effects carefully. It is a most valuable remedy in
skillful hands. It may be combined with carbonate of
ammonia and some vegetable bitter, and, if quinine has
not already been given freely, small tonic doses (one to
two grains) may be given three times daily. Quinine is
a well-tested remedy for dogs and men ; but, in the case
of dogs especially, it must not be given without duly
guarding against a depressant action.
230 THE DOO IN DISEASE.
As in tlie case of man, unpleasant head symptoms may
be obviated by giving with this drug ten to twenty grains
of bromide of potassium, according to the dose of quinine,
the age, etc., of the dog ; but it is somewhat depressant.
Asthma. — Spasmodic asthma, so common in man, is of
ratlier rare occurrence in the dog. This form of the dis-
ease is the result of more or less local constriction of the
bronchial tubes, owing to spasm of the unstriped muscular
fibers found in their walls.
The causes inducing it are various, as certain atmos-
pheric conditions, certain mechanical and chemical irri-
tants in the form of dust, gases, etc. It may also be
excited by parasites in the intestinal tract, and more fre-
quently by their presence in the bronchial tubes them-
selves. It is sometimes traceable to dietetic errors.
The other form of asthma, sometimes spoken of as
" congestive," is due to a thickening of the mucous mem-
brane of the air-tubes from congestion, as in heart-disease,
from bronchitis, etc., and to the lessening of the caHber of
the tubes by the pressure of tumors, etc., when the symp-
toms may be described as asthmatic rather than as arising
from asthma as a disease.
Asthma is not common in young dogs ; but more or
less dyspnoea of an asthmatic character is not at all infre-
quent in old, fat, lazy dogs permitted to lie about the
house and feed to excess.
Prognosis. — As to complete cure, unfavorable; gen-
erally relief can be given. The disease of itself is rarely
if ever fatal.
Symptoms. — Loud, wheezy respiration, labored breath-
ing, characterized by prolonged expiratory efforts, dilated
DISEASES OP THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 231
nostrils, perhaps open mouth, with numerous evidences of
imperfectly aerated blood.
Diagnosis. — Is very easy, but the cause is not so readily
made out in all cases.
Treatment. — In the spasmodic form the dog should be
removed to a small chamber, in which tar or kindred sub-
stances may be burned, especially if the symptoms arise in
connection with bronchitis.
Paper dipped in a solution of saltpeter and tincture
of stramonium and then dried may be burned with relief
to the patient sometimes.
If the dog be gross and overfed^ his diet must be cut
down and simplified. This is a clear case for feeding only
once a day.
The liver and digestive organs generally may be bene-
fited by the timely administration of a compound cathartic
pill at night, follov.^ed by Epsom salts in the morning,
while the compound rhubarb pill may be given daily for a
time.
"When associated with bronchitis, the indications are to
treat that disease, of which it is but a sort of superadded
symptom. In the case of tumors, removal, if possible, is
indicated. If this can not be done, attention to the general
health and condition of the dog may alleviate the distress.
Iodide of potassium in small doses, gradually increased
and kept up for a considerable time with intermissions,
may effect a complete or partial cure. The dose may be
from one to five grains, though some dogs do not tolerate
this remedy any bettei* than some people.
Tuberculosis. — This, in pulmonary or other form, is
very rare in the dog, though it may be induced. When it
282 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
occurs it is to be recognized by wasting, altered respira-
tion, cough, etc. — in fact, the same symptoms as in other
animals, while the treatment must be on similar lines also.
For dogs to swallow the sputa of consumptives is dangerous.
LOCAL AFFECTIONS OF THE NASAL PASSAGES.
Nasal Catarrh. — Sometimes, though rarely, as the result
of a " cold," more frequently of a succession of " colds,"
in dogs badly kenneled, an excessive discharge of muco-
purulent matter from the nose results, and is an indication
of a relaxed and weakened if not a low inflammatory con-
dition of the membrane lining the nose. It is apt to fol-
low distemper, and to improve or get worse as the dog's
general health varies.
Yery often the mucous membrane covering the front
of the eyeball and the inner surfaces of the lids {conjunc-
tiva) partakes sympathetically (reflexly), or as a result of
the original inflammation of distemper, etc., in the ca-
tarrhal condition.
If unchecked, the nasal catarrh may lead to ulceration
of the soft parts of the nose or to inflammation of the
bones of the organ, with resulting death of part of the
bone {necrosis, ca/ries) ; or the secretion may become al-
tered, or be retained and give rise to a most offensive
smell. From such inflammation, catarrh, etc., nasal polypi
or growths of a highly vascular character occasionally arise,
and may so obstruct respiration, or cause such disturbance
generally, as to demand treatment.
Acute catarrh when not associated with distemper does
not usually require local treatment in the dog, as it is
transient.
LOCAL AFFECTIONS OF THE NASAL PASSAGES. 233
When a catarrh does not yield to treatment in a mod-
erate period, the dog should be anaesthetized and a care-
ful examination of the nasal passages and month made hy
the help of bright sunlight or a reflecting mirror and a
speculum.
If growths are found, they should be at once treated
either by burning off with a strong wire at a bright-red
heat, or torn out, if larger, with a wire snare, and the bone
cauterized with the hot wire as before, which usually also
arrests all hsemorrhage.
These chronic catarrhs tend to undermine the health
of the animal and to become less amenable to treatment
the longer neglected.
The nose must be washed out with a syringe and warm
water, to which a little carbolic acid (about five grains to
the pint) has been added ; or, better still, if the dog can be
kept quiet, a spraying apparatus may be used, though, con-
sidering the length of the dog's muzzle, this is somewhat
difficult to manage.
For a spray such a formula as the following will prove
very useful :
9 Sodse biborat 3 j ;
Sodse carb 3 j ;
Acid, carbolic gi*- ^ >
Glycerinse § j ;
Aquse ad § viij.
M. Inject.
Often the cleansing in this manner, faithfully carried
out, will effect a cure. If not weak, astringent solutions
may be sprayed up the nostrils or carefully injected by
a syringe ; but strong applications do only harm.
234- THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Sulphate of zinc, about two to six grains to the ounce,
half water and half glycerin, is one of the best.
When there is much foulness, a little boracic acid or
iodoform may be blown up to advantage.
The external parts must be protected from the irritat-
ing discharge or a form of eczema will result. For this
purpose the oxide-of-zinc ointment, or one containing a
little iodoform, etc., will be useful.
Attention to the general health is very important,
tonics — as quinine, iron, phosphates, cod-liver oil, etc. —
being demanded, and proper evacuations of the bowels,
etc., indispensable.
A dog long affected with catarrh is apt to get into a
dejected condition, and his psychic treatment is not the
least important.
Ozsena is the term applied to a form of catarrh with a
fetid, more or less bloody and purulent discharge, which
tends to irritate all parts with which it comes in contact.
If it does not yield to the treatment for chronic ca-
tarrh, a careful examination of the nasal passages is called
for to ascertain whether there is not disease of the bones,
etc. The external openings of the nose should be pro-
tected with some antiseptic, as iodoform ointment or vase-
line. This is also a good application internally, or iodo-
form powder, etc., may be blown up the nostrils.
Catarrh may also be due to parasites.
Hints as to FormulcB and Administration of Medi-
cines in the Treatment of the Before-mentioned Diseases.
— To economize space, we shall employ now and later the
following commonly used abbreviations : ^ for prescrip-
tion, recipe ; gr. for grain ; 3 for drachm ; § for ounce ;
DISEASES OP TPIE EAR. 299
When the disease is chronic, astringent lotions, aUied
to those ah'eadj advised for various forms of inflamma-
tion, are applicable. Tannic acid, borax, boric acid, zinc
sulphate, etc., are all of value, and if some glycerin be used
in their solution with water, they are more effectual, as
they do not evaporate so soon.
The following may serve as an example :
B Acid carbolic 3 ss. ;
Zinci sulph 3 j ;
Sod. biborat 3 j ;
G5-lycerin § ij ;
Aquee ad § vj.
Ft. mist.
Sig. : Pour in or inject a teaspoonful, warm, two to
three times a day after cleansing with warm water.
The lotion recommended for ophthalmia, etc. (p. 309),
is also valuable. In chronic cases tincture of iodine may
do good. When there is much smell, iodoform blown in
is invaluable. Medicated oils serve a good purpose.
If the discharge is profuse and the affection of long
standing, astringent powders blown in will be more effect-
ive sometimes than liquid applications. Some of the best
of these have been mentioned for lotions, and to the list
may be added dry oxide of zinc and alum, or these mixed
with subnitrate of bismuth to render them less powerful.
For the parasitic form of the disease mercurial ointments
are the most efficient. The yellow oxide of mercury, one
grain to one drachm of vaseline, applied daily, often cures.
In nearly all cases the general health of the dog will
require attention. The bowels should be relaxed, though
purging is not called for. The alimentary canal is often
21
300 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
at fault. It may be that alteratives, as arsenic, will be in-
dicated.
When ear disease is chronic and the digestion is good,
tonics — as iron, quinine, cod-liver oil, etc. — will hasten a
cure.
Good feeding is as valuable as any part of the treat-
ment. It should be very bland when the disease is acute,
but nutritious when chronic and discharges are profuse.
Otitis Media, or inflammation of the middle ear, as a
primary affection is rare. It may arise from extension of
canker, from blows or other injuries, etc., but sometimes
it will not be possible to assign a cause.
At the outset the pain is often very severe ; the dog
may whine, cry out, or rub his head on the ground. In
all such instances, if there are no external signs of disease,
this affection may be suspected, especially if the cause can
not be found in the mouth, as a decayed tooth, etc. After
a few days pus is likely to issue from the ear, and then the
disease simulates canker.
The danger to be most apprehended is extension to the
brain, causing meningitis, or abscess of the brain itself,
which may end fatally by pressure or blood-poisoning.
The prognosis should always be guarded.
Treatment. — The most urgent indication is the relief
of pain by opiates, combined with bromide of potassium,
warm medicated (belladonna, etc.) injections into the ear,
and counter-irritation to the back of the head and neck.
Warm syringing gives great relief, and should be fre-
quent ; but immediately after, the ear should be filled with
cotton-wool dipped in a sedative solution and covered up
well. Turpentine painted on moderately two or three
p
o
2 ^
eq
DISEASES OF THE EAR. 301
times a day is a good nictliod of counter-irritation. When
the acute stage is past and there is an abundant discharge,
the treatment should be as for canker, though the powders
referred to, carefully blown in, are even more needed than
in canker. Constitutional treatment is also imperative in
many cases.
When very chronic, the internal ear itself may become
affected, though this is fortunately rare.
The disease, unless checked, will lead to the loss of the
small bones, perforation of the drum-head (very common),
and considerable deafness.
Deafness, to a certain extent, as a result of the last dis-
ease, is almost sure to be present, though not always readi-
ly observed. Old dogs, whose powers are all failing, are
more or less deaf also, though less frequently than old
men. There is a tendency in all white dogs, as bull terri-
ers, to congenital deafness. A dog may be deaf in only
one ear, but when born deaf usually both ears are defect-
ive. In testing for deafness the trials should be so con-
ducted that the dog may not be able to perceive actual
concussion of the earth, waf tings of the air, or notice other
signs which might attract his attention through sight or
smell. It is well to make comparative tests on other dogs
at the same time under the same circumstances. Deafness
may be due to accumulations of dirt, wax, or both together,
in the ears. After this has been softened by dropping oil
into the ears for a couple of days, they should be well
syringed with warm soap-suds.
Polypus of the ear is apt to arise from long-continued
discharges from the ear, the result of inflammation {ptor-
rhma). When a discharge does not yield in a moderate
302 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
period to treatment, a careful examination of the ear
should be made with a speculum in a bright light. If a
polypus is discovered and it can be reached with a for-
ceps, snare, etc., its immediate removal is indicated, the
base being cauterized with nitrate of silver or carbolic
acid if possible, and the wdiole finally destroyed by re-
peated astringent applications (powders).
DISEASES OF THE EYE.
The visual apparatus consists of a series of refracting
bodies which bring rays of light emanating from an object
to a focus on the expansion of the optic nerve {retma) in
the form of a clearly defined image, which so influences
the nerve of vision that certain parts of the brain are af-
fected, and '' seeing " or " vision " results.
The principal refracting body is the crystalline lens.
The essential apparatus {crystalline lens and retina), so far
as the globe of the eye is concerned, is protected by a firm
whitish outer tunic, lined within by a vascular (blood-
supplying) covering supporting the retinal expansion of
the nerve of vision.
The main refracting body is supported in position by
a ligament {suspensory ligament), the foldings {ciliary
processes) of the vascular, pigmented coat {choroid), and
the vitreous humor.
Light is admitted through the clear outer cornea,
which is set into the rest of the globe as a watch-glass into
its case. At the junction of this cornea and the firm outer
coat {sclerotic) hangs, in front of the lens, a colored (pig-
mented) circular muscular curtain {iris) with the power to
vary in size under the stimulus of light reflex/h^ so that
DISEASES OF THE EYE.
303
the greater the quantity and intensity of light, the smaller
the central opening {pu^pil) in the curtain.
The globe of the eye is set in a bony socket, moved by
several muscles, protected by the eyelids, eyebrows, eye-
lashes, and washed over with the secretion of a small gland
— S^liPERK3Rfl£eU>S
CHOROfiO
.OPTJC NEflVE
NFERIOR AfCTOS
—Section op Human Eyb, somewhat diagrammatic (after Flint).
{lachrymal) situated in the outer part of the socket. The
secretion, when it has served its purpose, is carried away
by the lachrymal duct into the nose.
In the dog, a third eyelid hiemhrana nictitans) is pres-
ent at the inner corner of the eye, but is not so well devel-
oped as in herbivora, etc., though more prominent in some
breeds, as bloodhounds.
304 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
The gland of Harder is placed in connection with it,
and secretes a protective oily matter.
It is important to remember the conjunctwa^ a mucous
membrane extending over the front of the ball, reflected
on the inside of the eyelids, and terminating at their edges.
It is very thin and transparent over the cornea.
Fig. 24.— Eye partially Dissected (after Sappey).
1. optic nerve ; 2, 3, 4, sclerotic dissected back so as to uncover the choroid coat ;
5, cornea, divided and folded back with sclerotic coat ; 6, canal of Schlemm ;
7, external surface of choroid, traversed by one of the long ciliary arteries and
by ciliary nerves ; 8, central vessel, into which the vasa vorticosa empty ; 9, 10,
choroid zone ; 11, ciliary nerves ; 12, long ciliary artery ; 13, anterior cihary
arteries ; 14, iris ; 15, vascular circle of iris ; 16, pupil.
While it is possible that any part of the eye may be
the seat of disease, affections of certain regions are very
uncommon, and it would serve but little purpose to give a
complete account of all the diseases of the eye that have
occurred at any time.
The eyelids, eyebrows, eyelashes, lachrymal apparatus,
DISEASES OF THE EYE. 305
third eyelid (" haw "), and lachrymal ducts are more espe-
cially the protective apparatus of the eye, and affections of
some of these parts are common.
Diseases of the Protective Apparatus of the Eye. — Kot
infrequently, especially after distemper, the eyebrows and
eyelids are affected with a troublesome eczema, which
must be treated on the general principles that apply to
that disease.
Occasionally, particularly in neglected, ill-fed dogs and
after distemper, the edges of the lids also tend to inflame
and remain in a condition of chronic irritation, leading to
exudation, scabs, loss of eyelashes, etc.
The condition does not always yield readily to treat-
ment. The lids should be bathed with warm, soothing
lotions, as boric acid and laudanum, dried, and anointed
with vaseline, while attention is paid in every way to the
general health and the surroundings.
If this simple treatment is not effective, it may be
necessary to apply a mercurial ointment, either the red
oxide-of -mercury ointment (pink ointment), three grains to
one drachm of vaseline, or, better, the officinal nitrate-of-
mercury ointment (citrine ointment), one drachm to one
ounce of vaseline.
As these are very irritating to the eye, they should be
confined to the lids. All mercurial ointments kill para-
sites which occasionally attach themselves to the edges
of the lids. When such preparations are used it is
most important that no other dog get near the patient,
as he might lick them off and be poisoned with mer-
cury, which in the dog happens readily and is very
fatal.
306 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Inflammation and Abscess of the lachrymal gland now
and then occur in the dog, and, when it does, should
be treated on the general principles that govern other
inflammations. It is important that no secretions be pent
up.
The Lachrymal Ducts also may become the seat of in-
flammation or catarrh, giving rise to swelling, so that the ^
tears are not carried off^ but run over the cheeks.
If possible, after soothing treatment in the acute stage,
a probe should be introduced and the duct opened up. A
cutting operation, as slitting up the duct, may be required.
Altogether they are most unsatisfactory cases to deal with,
and the practitioner must be guided by the indications in
each instance.
The haw^ or third eyelid, may inflame and greatly en-
large. This condition, when acute and of short standing,
may be treated with soothing and astringent lotions ; and
very often these will reduce the structure to a natural size
within a moderate period. If not, it must be seized with
forceps, drawn out, and snipped off, the dog being under
the influence of an anaesthetic, as in nearly all other opera-
tions on the eye, so that nicety in results may be attained
and accidents may not occur from the struggling of the
animal. The application of cocaine may render an anaes-
thetic unnecessar}'.
Conjunctivitis, or inflammation of the mucous membrane
of the eye. — The eyes in the dog, more than in any of our
domestic animals, reflect the condition of the constitution,
especially the state of the digestive and respiratory tracts.
There are all degrees of abnormality in the conjunc-
tiva, from simple injection or redness, with little or no
DISEASES OF THE EYE. 307
discharge of any kind, to tlie extreme redness, swelling,
and purulent discharge of ophthalmia.
We have very often to deal with a catarrh of the con-
junctiva akin to that of the nose during and after distem-
per as well as from general disorder of the digestive tract
or the economy as a whole.
This catarrh may be regarded as a conjunctivitis,
which, according to the symptoms, may be acute, sub-
acute, or chronic, and is to be considered apart from oph-
thalmia.
Diagnosis. — In influenza the discharge is nearly al-
ways thin, especially for some days. In the catarrh of
distemper, etc., it is thin at first, but soon becomes muco-
purulent.
Ophthalmia. — The local symptoms are very severe,
especially in the worst form, the lids being swollen {mdem-
atous\ the conjunctiva very red, thickened, tender, and
the seat of a copious purulent discharge. It is a violent
inflammation of the mucous membrane, affecting more or
less the whole eye sympathetically (rellexly, etc.).
There is pain, intolerance of light {jjhotophohia), febrile
symptoms, and general disturbance. Damp, dark, un-
healthy kennels, bad feeding, etc., are predisposing causes.
There is difference of opinion as to how far purulent
ophthalmia is contagious or infectious. However, it is
practically better to assume that it is very liable to attack
other dogs in the kennel, and accordingly to remove the
sufferer to a quiet, comfortable, but somewhat darkened,
place by himself.
Treatment. — The indications are to allay pain and irri-
tation both by local and constitutional measures.
308 THE DOG IN DISExVSE.
The disease can not be aborted, but its severity may be
mitigated and complications may be prevented.
The dangers are that adjacent structures, may take on
an inflammatory condition, and that abscesses and slough-
ing, or loss of structure, may result. Ulcers of the cornea
are common after this disease.
Cleanliness, in the medical or surgical sense, can not
be too much insisted on in all such diseases — i. e., all dis-
charge must be frequently removed.
This had better be done without actual contact of the
hand as much as possible, as the eyelids are extremely
tender.
Warm water may be allowed to trickle from a sponge
into the eyes, or, better, from a piece of cotton or lint,
which, if brought in contact with the eyes at all, should be
frequently renewed. The water should be as warm as can
be borne comfortably. In the intervals a hot fomentation,
medicated with belladonna if the pain be severe, may be
laid over the eyes, but not long enough to retain much
secretion before washing is resorted to again. Warm
water may be poured into the eyes from a little kettle or
teapot in a gentle stream.
A few drops of the ofliicinal solution of atropine may
be dropped into the eye two to three times a day, taking
care that it does not run into the dog's mouth (poisonous).
The application with a camers-hair brush of a solution
of nitrate of silver, of a strength of ten to twenty grains
to the ounce of water once or twice daily, has been found
generally useful. For a lotion to be used more frequently,
the following is recommended, and is useful in many ca-
tarrhal conditions of the eye :
DISEASES OF THE EYE. 309
9 Zinci siilph gr. xvj ;
Morph. sulpli gi*- iv ;
Aquae ad ^ iv.
Ft. mist.
Sig. : Apply several times daily as a lotion to the eyes.
Sometimes boric acid, ten grains to the ounce of water,
answers better than the sulphate of zinc.
The colorless fluid extract of golden seal, one part in
six or eight of water, may be combined with other astrin-
gents, as sulphate of zinc, though this mixture is better
adapted for ordinary forms of conjunctivitis.
An excellent prescription for this and other forms of
inflammation of the eye and ear is Goulard's extract of
lead (or Goulard's water) combined with morphia or
opium in water, thus :
9 Goulard's ext. plumbi 3 ss. ;
Ext. opii liquid § ss. ;
Aquae ad § iv.
The quantity of the first ingredient may be double for
use in the ear. The patient should be given abundance of
bland, nutritious food.
If he does not sleep, and is very restless, Dover's
powder combined with bromide of potassium is indicated.
Counter-irritation to the back of the head and neck
will be found serviceable in all acute inflammations of the
eye and ear.
Ulcers of the Cornea are apt to result from this and
some other conditions. They are very slow to heal, and
prevention is much better than cure.
The use of atropine and stimulating lotions and oint-
ments has answered best.
310 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
One of the most useful remedies is the yellow oxide-of>
mercury ointment recommended for granular lids below.
A small quantity of calomel dusted over the ulcers often
does good.
Granular Lids. — A condition resulting from long-con-
tinued irritation of the mucous membrane, with more or
less prominent elevations on the inside of the lids. These
are a source of no little irritation to the cornea, and the
eye as a whole.
Treatment. — At first a gentle application of a smooth
crystal of sulphate of copper, and, immediately after, wash-
ing over the everted lids with a camel' s-hair pencil dipped
in water.
The up23er lid is easily everted with a little practice
by placing a rather small pencil or pen-handle over it
and then seizing the edge of the lid and lashes and turn-
ing it back. The lower lid can readily be drawn from the
eyeball or everted in a similar way.
A most useful application is an ointment made from
the amorphous yellow oxide of mercury, one to three
grains to one drachm of vaseline. A piece the size of a
hemp-seed sufiices for a single application.
The same treatment is excellent for opacities of the
cornea, which are apt to result from granular lids or m-
iiammation of the cornea itself.
The latter occurs during distemper, the whole cornea
becoming cloudy or steamy in appearance. Generally it
clears up without local treatment being specially directed
to it.
Iritis. — Inflammation of the iris may occur independ-
ently, or as a complication of other diseases of the eye.
DISEASES OP THE EYE. 311
It is recognized by an alteration in the appearance and
mobility of the structure. It assumes a dirty hue; the
pupil may be contracted, or very irregular in shape.
Treatment. — Counter-irritation to the back of the
head, atropine dropped into the eye frequently, and regu-
lation of the general health.
Cata/ract is a whitish opacity of the crystalline lens,
and may be either complete or partial. As the light is
thus shut out, the eye is more or less useless.
It is rare in young dogs, but not uncommon in old
ones.
The lens may be removed, as in man, but the sight is
rather imperfect without glasses, which we fear even the
most intelligent dog could scarcely be induced to wear.
If only incipient, attention should be paid to the gen-
eral health by tonics, etc., to prevent its increase.
AmauTosis and Ainblyojpia are terms used to indicate
blindness without obvious alterations in the structure of
the eye.
In all such cases an ophthalmoscopic examination of
the eye should be made by an expert.
The causation is obscure, but irritation from worms in
the digestive tract, defective action of the liver, exhaustive
diseases, etc., seem to be associated in some cases.
The presence of hrain disease should be suspected in
alterations of the pupils, squint, photophobia, loss of vision,
etc., when other cause is not obvious.
The possibility of parasites lodging within the eye is
not to be forgotten. The treatment of amaurosis must be
in accordance with the cause and general condition of the
animal. No local treatment is likely to be of any use.
312 'i'HE DOG IN DISEASE.
Dislocation (extrusion, protrusion) of the eyeball may
result from violence, as fighting, etc.
If the parts are not clean they should at once be
washed with an antiseptic solution, and, by gentle pressure,
oiling well with vaseline, returned before swelling and in-
flammation have set in. If some time has elapsed, the
eye should stiU be pressed back, if possible, before opera-
tive procedures are undertaken.
After replacement the head should be bandaged for
a few days, cotton-wool being laid over the eye itself.
If there is danger of inflammation, surgeon's lint dipped
in the lead lotion referred to previously will tend to
soothe. The dressing should, of course, be covered with
impermeable material to keep the whole moist.
Squint can in some cases be remedied by operation,
and it may be worth while if the dog be very valuable,
though in most instances the services of an oculist will be
desirable.
DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.
The nervous system consists of nerve-endings, nerve-
fibers, and nerve-cells. The cells alone are capable of
originating influences {impulses), or modifying them when
carried to them by the conductors or nerves. The nerve-
endings are specially modified cells adapted for receiving
the stimulus from the outer world. All the sensory or-
gans may be regarded as more or less complex combina-
tions of nerve-endings. The principal centers are the
brain and spinal cord, which in reality are groups or com-
munities of organs, just as the alimentary canal is a group
of organs, and we must expect to find localization and
DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 323
specialization of function in tlie spinal cord, and cispecially
in the brain, as elsewhere.
We may compare the brain and spinal cord to the
great collection of central offices of a vast telegraphic sys-
tem, with the nerves as the conducting wires, and the
nerve-endings as the outlying smaller, less important of-
fices of the system. Another useful comparison, espe-
cially in understanding the functions of the cord and
reflex action, is that of a battery representing the central
nerve-cells, and the circuit as completed by the nerves
and nerve-endings representing the wires.
The connection of every part of the body with the
central nervous system and with the other regions, so that
all the parts constitute a related {co-ordinated) whole, is
one of the most important truths to be borne in mind by
both physiologist and practitioner.
The nervous system in the dog is well developed, yet
somewhat unstable ; hence functional disease of this part
is common.
Rabies (Hydrophobia).— This is the gravest of all the
diseases of the dog, both as regards the canine and human
species, since it is invariably fatal, and is common to the
dog and many other animals. The disease has been much
misunderstood and dreaded by the non-professional por-
tion of the public, though it is to the credit of dog-breed-
ers that they have generally taken a sensible view of the
subject.
Eabies has been treated at great length in some works,
much useless speculation being indulged in up to within
recent years, when the illustrious Pasteur put the subject
on a more scientific basis. We have still a great deal to
314 THE DOa IN DISEASE.
learn in regard to predisposing causes, and the real patho-
logical lesion, if there be such visible by the microscope ;
while we are utterly in the dark as to any method of treat-
ment that has the slightest effect when once the disease
is established.
Eabies may be regarded as a specific disease of the
nervous system leading to a fatal issue, and in the course
of which all the various functions of the body may be
more or less abnormal though the psychical changes are
the most pronounced.
The cause is a virus or poison communicable by a bite
from the affected animal owing to the poison being in the
saliva. It is known that inoculation with the saliva will
produce the disease.
Protection {immunity) against rabies has been pro-
duced by Pasteur by inoculations of the weakened {attenu-
ated) virus obtained from the portion of brain next to the
spinal cord {medulla oblongata).
The period of incubation or latency of the disease is
more variable than in the case of any malady known to us.
It seems to vary between a few days (ten to fifteen) and
many months, if not even years.
The animals affected may show symptoms that vary
sufficiently to warrant a division into two distinct forms —
the excitable, furious, or maniacal, and the paralytic. It is
to be borne in mind, as said before, that in this, as in all
diseases, absolutely typical cases are rare, and the dog may
be sick unto death with either form and not attract very
marked attention. Death usually results in from two to
ten days in the furious form, and in a much shorter
period in dumb rabies.
DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 315
Pathology. — No absolutely characteristic post-niortem
appearances are known. Evidently the changes are func-
tional modifications of the brain-cells chiefly.
Symptoms. — These are principally expressed in the
behavior and appearance of the dog. At first he may be
very quiet, shy, sullen, inclined to hide away in corners ;
but sooner or later he is likely to show more or less ex-
citement. The dog is profoundly altered in his psychic
nature, and this is most evident to those who are accus-
tomed to observe dogs, though in well-marked cases obvi-
ous to any one. He may seem more affectionate than
usual, or the reverse. If a bitch, she may be sexually
excitable, inclined to solicit attention from dogs of the
opposite sex. Much stress must be laid on perverted ap-
petite, the animal swallovring all sorts of foreign material
— as sticks, stones, straw, even its own fseces and urine.
The voice is altered to a short bark, often ending in a sort
of howl or moan which is characteristic.
At this early stage the animal may or may not snap at
objects or champ the jaws.
During the excitable stage, which may be well-marked
or the reverse, the dog is prone to roam over wide tracts
of country at a jog-trot, head down, tongue out, but not
usually frothing at the mouth, with a dejected look and in-
different to what is about him, yet snapping at any animals
that happen to come in his way. He may return to his
home if not interfered with. The biting and snapping
should not be regarded as deliberate, but as a sort of reflex
action, or at all events as more or less unconscious. It is
then the dog is most dangerous to other animals. A sort
of bluish tinge to the mucous membrane of the mouth may
316 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
appear, and should assist in diagnosis. He will not nsnally
eat, and for this reason, and because of the general dis-
Fig. 26. — Representation of a Dog affected with Rabies (after Sanson).
turbance, sleeplessness, etc., he rapidly loses flesh. His
eyes, altered in expression from the first, get more abnor-
mal, and his whole appearance is extremely haggard. The
excitement may periodically result in convulsive parox-
ysms, death resulting in one of these, or from the exhaus-
tion that follows them.
Diagnosis. — Discrimination lies between epilepsy, or
fits of various kinds, arising from the heat of the sun as
dogs run the streets, neuralgia, toothache, meningitis, ex-
cessive fright, acute ear disease, parasites in the nose or
brain, the distress of dogs lost in a large city, of bitches
deprived of whelps, etc.
If the dog has been bitten and symptoms of a sus-
picious character follow^, he should be isolated at all events
and kept under observation. The bark of the rabid dog
is very characteristic, and careful examination and obser-
vation should enable one to distinguish between the dis-
DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 317
tTirbanee arising from real pain or mental distress and the
altered behavior of rabies.
"Fear of water" is a pure hypothesis so far as the
dog is concerned, nor, in the absence of paralysis, is there
necessarily any difficulty in swallowing from spasm of the
muscles concerned. The history and the entire assem-
blage of symptoms must be the basis for diagnosis.
The par aly tie form of rabies {dumb rabies) is more in-
sidious in its attack. There is not usually any excitement,
but very soon after the onset of the disease, manifested by
listlessness, the muscles of mastication become paralyzed,
so that the lower jaw drops. There is no maniacal stage.
These forms do not constitute distinct diseases, and
both may occur at the same time in the one kennel. In a
word, the variations in the disease rabies are wholly de-
B^o. 26.— Representation of a Dog supFSRiNa from Paralytic Rabies
(after Sanson).
pendent, so far as known now, on the amount of the
poison introduced into the animal, and on the latter's indi-
vidual peculiarities of constitution.
318 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Dumb rabies seems to l^e more prevalent in hounds
kept in packs than in other varieties of the dog.
Treatment. — The disease can not be conveyed by the
digestive tract, so that there is no (danger in sucking a
wound to extract the poison, provided the lips, etc., are
free from cuts or abrasions — i. e., so long as they are pro-
tected by the natural covering of epithelium.
Sucking the wound, a handkerchief twisted tightly be-
yond the wound to prevent the return of blood as much
as possible into the general circulation, and especially vig-
orous and prompt use of the actual cautery, in the form of
a red-hot iron or the solid stick of nitrate of silver, consti-
tute the best treatment. It is a good thing to carry the
latter always in the vest-pocket, in view of emergencies of
different kinds. In the case of man, the subject should be
at once subjected to the Pasteur treatment, which has un-
doubtedly produced marvelous results.
The dog should, if possible, be treated in the same
way ; but if the disease has actually developed itself and
the diagnosis is certain, a painless death for the animal
is the clear indication.
The rabid dog should be not only confined in a suitable
place, but secured by very strong and reliable fastenings.
But as all animals bitten do not become rabid, it is not
necessary to kill a dog bitten by a rabid animal at once,
for he may wholly escape ; and instances are given of
dogs repeatedly bitten that never took the disease — in fact,
in this, as in other maladies, some animals enjoy a natural
immunity ; but in any case secure isolation is imperative.
Convulsions, Epilepsy, Fits, Apoplexy. — All the normal
movements of the body are the result of harmonious or
DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 319
co-ordinated functional activity of the neuro - muscular
mechanism — i. e., of the nerve-centers, nerves, and mus-
cles. In a fit or convulsion this is not the case; the
movements are irregular, purposeless, and generally ai-e
injurious, and always wasteful of the energies of the
animal.
Epilej>tiform convulsions are due to an irregular dis-
charge of the nerve-cells, which are in a highly unstable
condition ; they are independent of the will, occur during
unconsciousness, are not dependent on a stimulus from
without, but usually on no stimulus that we are able to
trace, or else upon some tumor, etc., of the brain.
They occur unexpectedly, last a variable period, the
spasms are usually either of the nature of one prolonged
muscular contraction {tonic), or from the first or following
on the other variety they consist of alternate contraction
and relaxation {clonic). The dog usually froths at the
mouth, and may bite the tongue. Epilepsy may be heredi-
tary, or due to injuries to the head which have resulted
from severe concussion, new growths, to the irritation of
worms, etc., though it is better to speak of the disturbance
in such cases as convulsions which may be epileptiform in
character and reflex, as they certainly are when due to
teething and worms.
Fits, then, may arise from teething, from worms, indi-
gestion, and a variety of causes, such as exhausting dis-
eases, nursing puppies to the point of debility, or the virus
of certain diseases, as distemper.
Treatment— Dm'mg the fit nothing can usually be
done but to prevent the animal injuring himself as far as
possible, and from escaping when deranged mentally. If
320 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
the fits be due to a recognizable cause — as worms, over-
feeding, etc. — this must be removed of course.
Habitual epilepsy had better be treated with bromide
of potassium conjoined with some bitter. Sometimes
small doses of iodide of potassium prove useful. In all
cases of fits special causes of excitement must be removed.
As the purpose of treatment is to obviate the tendency
to irritability of brain-cells and often excess of blood in
the head, bromide of potassium will be worth a trial in
most cases of convulsions.
The body should be kept warm and the head cool.
It is often well to hold a dog quiet and soothe him, and
wet the head. In no case should one dog be allowed to
see another in a fit, as it may induce a like condition, or
produce at least a shock, if it does not cause an attack upon
the victim. Dogs at shows sometimes grow very excited.
They should be removed to a quiet place, or fits may re-
sult ; cold to the head, and bromides, are also indicated. If
in any case of fits such measures do not sufiice, the dog may
then be placed in a warm bath, the head being kept cool.
However, on account of the reaction and the danger
from cold, this is not to be done unless other measures
fail. The convulsions of strychnine poisoning and all
forms of fits, when the stomach is very irritable, may be
treated by rectal injection of twenty to thirty grains of
chloral hydrate. In extreme cases, from whatever cause,
when death is threatened by a succession of fits, a little
chloroform and ether in equal parts may be cautiously
given by inhalation.
After fits dogs should always be kept in a rather dark,
quiet place, free from all excitement for a while.
THE BOB-TAIL SHEEP DOGS GRIZZLE BOB AND DAIRY MAID,
For description, see page 78.
DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 321
Vertigo, or dizziness, is apt to occur in dogs, that are
overfed, when taken a-field. They may reel, sit down
dazed, or fall over, without usually losing consciousness.
Generally attention to the digestive tract, and exercise
gradually increased, remedy this state of things.
Apoplexy is a term that has been used for a sudden
attack, with loss of consciousness, possibly convulsions,
the former not being of brief duration, as in epilepsy, but
more lasting.
The causes are as in the preceding — excitement, etc.
Diagnosis. — It differs greatly from epilepsy. Usually
convulsions are not prominent ; the loss of consciousness is
long-continued, or, in fatal cases, permanent, with sterto-
rous (loud snoring) breathing, pupils altered, either con-
tracted or dilated, and more or less paralysis of one or
both sides of the body.
Causation. — Generally pressure, due mostly to hgemor-
rhage within the brain, is the cause.
Treatment. — No means are known except operation of
removing the blood-clot, and in dogs more than in men
the location of the clot is difficult.
We must just wait in the hope that the blood-clot will
be absorbed. The treatment is "expectant" — i. e., there
is no routine treatment, but symptoms must be combated
as they arise.
Paralysis. — Paresis is the term used for a certain de-
gree of loss of voluntary control of the muscles; pa-
ralysis, for complete loss. The muscles may still contract
rellexly, but not at the command of the will. The defect
may be in the brain, spinal cord, nerves, or the muscles
themselves.
322 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Paralysis, more or less complete, often arises from
worms ; and when there is no obvious cause for a lameness
in a dog, it is well to suspect worms. The author had a
cocker spaniel that for some days was lame in one hind-
leg. Treatment on suspicion of a sprain, etc., proving
useless, she was dosed for worms. Four tape-worms were
expelled, and the leg weakness at once disappeared.
When paralysis is due to disease of the brain it is
always on the side of the body opposite to the injury
{lesion).
Paralysis very often follows distemper, and may be
progressive.
Treatment. — As recommended under "Apoplexy,"
when the brain is involved.
If due to a tumor of any kind that can be localized, or
if due to pressure from bone driven in, etc., operation is
to be considered.
The paralysis from a bruise or that which follows dis-
temper is well treated by counter-irritation and massage.
After all acute symptoms have subsided, small doses of
iodide of potassium for a couple of weeks, or, it may be,
syrup of the iodide of iron, are worth trial.
Later, nux vomica or strychnine, in very minute and
gradually increasing doses, may be useful, with such addi-
tional treatment as each case seems to call for.
Meningitis. — This term implies an inflammation of the
coverings {meninges) of the brain or spinal cord. It may
be either spinal, cerebral, or both combined.
The general pathology is much as in inflammation of
other membranes, as the pleura, but, from the peculiar
confined condition of the brain, the pain is intense, and
DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 323
naturally the brain partakes in the disturbance, so that the
psychic symptoms are very pronounced.
Causation. — This is often obscure, but it may be the
result of blows, wounds, ostitis, great heat, extreme cold,
etc.
Symptoms. — Intense pain in the head, acuteness of all
the senses at first, extreme sensitiveness over the whole
body {hyper(jesthesia) perhaps, restlessness, greatly altered
expression, mental aberration, passing on to delirium,
mania, and finally stupor (gowjO).
Diagnosis. — This affection is liable to be mistaken for
rabies, but there is no need to make such an error. In
this disease vomiting is common ; not so in rabies. The
temperature is much elevated in most cases of meningitis,
but little in rabies ; the voice is high-pitched, the animal
snaps, etc., but he does not tear up things about him, or
show a tendency to bite other animals; there is not the
peculiar bark and howl combined, as in rabies.
The animal suspected of rabies should never be killed
off-hand, as it may be a mere temporary excitement from
which he is suffering. It is well to handle all such ani-
mals with thick gloves, so that biting may not occur,
especially as the imagination of man is so active and can
induce false rabies ilyssophohia), which may end fatally.
TliQ prognosis in acute meningitis is bad.
When spinal, there is generally great tenderness over
this region, and spasms, or possibly, in the later stages,
paralysis — which also occur in cerebral meningitis. Squint,
alterations in the pupils, etc., are not uncommon.
Treatment. — Counter-irritation to the hack of the head
and nape of the neck, or, in spinal meningitis, along each
324 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
side of the spine. Over the main portion of the head,
cold constantly applied in the form of cloths dipped in
ice- water and often changed, or the ice-cap ; bromide of
potassium given frequently ; the bowels well opened ; the
bladder relieved by a catheter, if the urine be retained,
etc. But the cold applications and bromides must be the
chief reliance in the acute stage.
After effusion, iodide of potassium, good food, counter-
irritation, etc., are indicated. If there be convulsions at
any stage, in addition to the above belladonna may be
tried.
If the heart be vigorous, chloral hydrate may be com-
bined with bromide of potassium at the outset, but not
continued, as it depresses the heart dangerously.
When suhaciite or chronic the disease is difficult to
recognize, and the diagnosis is got at by a process of ex-
clusion. Stupidity, drowsiness, alteration of disposition,
twitchings, etc., should arouse suspicion. The history
may throw light on the case.
The treatment should be as for the later stages of the
acute form.
Hydrocephalus — "large head/' "water on the brain,"
etc. — may occur in puppies owing to an excess of the fluid
of the ventricles of the brain, possibly related to chronic
inflammation. The prognosis is bad, though iodide of
potassium, tonics, etc., may be tried.
Tetanus is a dreadful and generally fatal disease. It is
due to an irritable condition of the nerve-centers, now be-
lieved to be caused by specific germs, in most if not all
cases, which results in more or less constant discharges
from the motor-cells of the brain and spinal cord, giving
DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 325
lise to tetanic or constant contraction of the muscles. The
gernns enter the system through some open wound, though
it is not always possible to trace the chain of events. It
is, fortunately, not common in the dog.
When the muscles of mastication are involved it may be
impossible to give either food or medicine by the mouth.
Treatment. — Perfect rest, quiet, sedatives, and nutri-
ment. Chloral hydrate, if necessary, by the rectum or by
hypodermic injection, nutrient enemata, and, later, stimu-
lants. Opium hypodermically may also be tried. The
prognosis is very bad. Death may result froni exhaustion,
or from suffocation owing to failure of the respiratory
muscles. Anti-toxic serum from immunized animals is
now on trial.
Chorea. — We do not know the essential pathological
condition underlying those irregular, more or less con-
stant, muscular movements that go by the name St. Yitus's
dance, megrim, chorea, etc. These irregular, involun-
tary discharges of the motor-cells may apparently be due
to many causes.
Usually only certain groups of motor nerve-cells, and
consequently only certain groups of muscles, are affected.
The movements may or may not cease during sleep.
Generally there are no febrile symptoms, and the animal's
health may seem to be otherwise perfectly good.
It is certainly associated with the presence of worms
in the intestinal tract in some instances, but it most fre-
quently is a sequence of distemper. It may also follow
on nervous shock from fright, as when a dog is thrown
into water ; against which, and against plunging rashly into
a bath-tub without any warning, we wish to protest.
326 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
In the dog the disease is certainly mostly of a func-
tional character — i. e., no lesion can usually be discovered
even with the microscope, as has been proved by careful
autopsies and microscopic examinations instituted at the
author's own suggestion. The poison of distemper weak-
ens the cells, and they discharge irregularly and without
the normal stimulus of the will-powder.
Except when due to worms, etc., the prognosis is bad.
Few cases following distemper ever wholly recover.
Treatment. — Apart from attention to the general
health, only two or three drugs seem to have been of any
use whatever. The disease has proved practically incurable.
We prefer to commence with small doses of iodide of
potassium, in case there may be any morbid grow^ths press-
ing on the nerve-centers. Counter-irritation might be
worth a trial — i. e., over the part of the cord correspond-
ing to the affected muscles.
Nux vomica or strychnine and arsenic are the drugs in
which most confidence is placed. Some administer them
together. It is a good plan to give one in the morning
and the other in the evening.
Upon the whole, freshly prepared liquor arsenicalis
does very well. It may be mixed with the animal's food,
but never given on an empty stomach. Commencing
with, say, three drops in water, after a few days the dose
n>ay be gradually increased to ten ; then, after a brief ces-
sation from dosing, begin again, say, with five drops, and
increase in the same way to fifteen, and so on till twenty
or thirty drops, in the case of large dogs, may be reached.
The other remedies may be pushed in a similar manner,
but not to very large doses.
DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 327
Arsenic should always be stopped when the constitu-
tional symptoms of its action — as reddened eyes, whitish
tongue, nausea, etc. — show themselves. The same applies
to strychnine and nux vomica. Any stiffness or tendency
to spasms demands an immediate withdraw^al of these
drugs. Phosphates and cod-liver oil may do good in
very mild cases.
When both paralysis and chorea follow distemper the
case is nearly hopeless, and the animal may soon, in spite
of care, become so wretched that it is kindness to chloro-
form him to death.
Hyoscyamin in small doses may be tried, but wdth no
great degree of hopefulness, in piire chorea.
Injuries to the Brain. — In consequence of violent blows,
falls, etc., there may be concussion^ or, if rupture of a
blood-vessel or fracture of the skull, compression of the
brain.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish these
when they do not occur together, as is commonly tlie case.
Bleeding from the nose, and especially from the ears,
is suggestive of fracture of the base of the skull.
Unconsciousness, alteration in the mobility or size of
the pupils, either as compared with each other or with the
normal, points to compression.
The symptoms of compression from a blood-clot or
other cause have been already dwelt on (see " Apoplexy ").
They may be sudden, or gradually increasing to the point
of complete paralysis, coma, and death.
Treatment. — Little can be done but meet the indica-
tions as they arise. If possible, keep the bowels and blad-
der free, administer nourishment or stimulants, and await
328 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
the results of Nature's intervention. As before remarked,
if there be depressed bone, it should be elevated by opera-
tion {trejphining).
Aflfections of the Nerves. — The nerves are occasionally
the seat of painful tumors {neuromata^ etc.), giving rise, it
may be, to sudden or more or less continuous pain, nms-
cular twitchings, etc.
Whenever an animal holds any part of its body more
or less rigidly, walks gingerly, or utters loud cries now
and then, the case calls for special examination. Recently
a dog fell under the author's observation with such symp-
toms. As the case seemed hopeless, he was chloroformed
to death, when a careful examination revealed a tumor
pressing on one of the nerves of the brachial plexus as it
issued from the spinal column.
Neuralgia, or pain in a nerve, is to be suspected in a
dog that cries out apparently with pain when colic, menin-
gitis, etc., can be excluded, and especially if he has bad
teeth.
The treatment must depend on the cause. If a de-
cayed tooth, it should be removed ; if from cold or some
constitutional defect, then attention to the digestive tract
and to the diet will be the first consideration, with relief
of pain.
If periodic, a good dose of quinine (three to seven
grains), a couple of hours before the attack, is indicated.
A dose of Dover's powder internally, with counter-
irritation over the part affected, or a hypodermic injection
of morphia in the same region, may be required.
DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 329
DISEASES OF THE SKIN.
The structure and functions of the skin have already
(page 117) been considered, as well as the reasons why
disorders of this region are so frequent in the dog. Dis-
temper, parasites, and skin disea^^j.: are the bane of all
large kennels of dogs, and with the greatest care they will
occasionally occur, while in the absence of especial pre-
cautions a kennel may be demoralized if not destroyed.
Diseases of the skin are not usually of themselves fatal,
but they may so undermine a dog's constitution that he
becomes the victim of some fatal malady.
We wish once more to insist on the close connection
between derangements of the digestive organs and of the
skin, to be explained reflexly as well as by the deteriora-
tion of the blood by poisons introduced from the alimen-
tary tract through imperfections in the digestive processes.
Skin diseases may be divided into parasitic and iioii-
parasitic, but in any case they all, sooner or later, become
inflammation of the skin ; and it is from this point of view
that they are most profitably studied and treated.
Instead of considering the numerous phases of cutane-
ous inflammation as so many separate diseases, it is much
more simple, rational, and, we think, practical, to consider
the causes and treatment of inflammations of this great
organ as a whole.
Causation. — Inflammation is a perverted nutrition
{inetaholism) of a part, and its symptoms are the same in
the skin as elsewhere, but modified by the fact of exposure
to the atmosphere, etc. The cause is external or internal
irritation.
330 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
The external sources of irritation may be parasites —
vegetable or animal — or bedding that is old, damp, satu-
rated with exhalations from the animal's body, or possibly
urine or f geces.
The above may be direct exciting causes, but such are
not essential to skin disease. Certain conditions of body
predispose, and these arise from excessive or otherwise
improper feeding, lack of exercise, or starvation, and gen-
eral inattention to sanitary surroundings.
It is always to be remembered that pure-bred dogs are
disordered by an environment in wiiich a mongrel might
do fairly well. So common a cause is overfeeding, that a
certain form of inflammation of the skin has been called
" surfeit " or blotch.
Of course the presence of parasites, by the itching some
of them cause, leads the subject to scratch so much that
this of itself suffices to explain the inflammation, altogether
apart from their own biting and burrowing.
Pathological Condition and Symptoms. — As in other
inflammations, there is heat, redness, pain or tenderness,
and swelling ; but these are present in very varying de-
grees in different cases. Perhaps the most typical form
of inflammation is that known as eczema. A localized,
swollen, more or less red, tender area, known as a pimple
{papule), appears, which soon has its epithelial covering
raised by exudation from the blood-vessels and becomes
a vesicle, which may be filled with a clear, a turbid, or
a purulent fluid. In the latter case it constitutes a pus-
tule. These sooner or later burst ; the fluid escapes,
irritates the adjoining skin, and dries into more or less
well-defined scahs. If the animal scratches, these may
DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 33I
bleed or become ulcers, or they may run together, and
large patches of skin may thus be involved in a common
condition. If this state of things continues, deep sores
may form.
It may be that from the first the inflammatory condi-
tion may be somewhat different ; there may be no vesicles,
pustules, or exudations, but a redness of the skin with dry
exfoliation of the epithelium in a sort of coarse dandruff.
Such a condition is often termed pityriasis rubra^ and
may occur over the whole body.
Again, there may be an eruption of papules small and
more readily felt than seen, each one being distinct and
giving a " shotty feel," a condition known as prurigo.
Generally, in the less acute (subacute) forms there is
little exudation, ^tc. Chronic conditions are marked by
thickening, loss of flexibility, a tendency to crack, exten-
sive loss of hair, etc.
Since the hair follicles may be involved, loss of hair is
very common in all forms of skin disease. The exact
course of the inflammation is determined not alone by the
cause, but depends on whether the dog is long-haired or
the reverse, the nature of the treatment, and his individu-
ality.
More or less tenderness or actual pain, itchiness, irri-
tability of temper, possibly restlessness, even to the point
of sleeplessness in extreme cases, with corresponding failure
in the general health, are common. However, in all such
matters there is the greatest range of variability.
Diagnosis. — It is highly important to distinguish be-
tween parasitic inflammations of the skin and those not
due to this cause. The principal diseases of the skin de-
23
332
THE DOG IN DISEASE.
pendent on vegetable parasites are ringworm {Tinea ton-
siirans) 2iX\difavus.
Ringworm occurs in more or less circular, well-defined
patches, from which the hair falls, and which are covered
with a fine scurf.
Favus is characterized, after the earliest scurfy stage,
by peculiar crusts of a sulphur-yellow color and a smell of
mice. Beneath these, cup-shaped ulcers are found. In
both diseases spores or branches {mycelium) of a vegetable
growth (mold) may be discovered by the microscope.
Follicular Mange is caused by a sort of mite {Acarus
folliculorum\ which lodges in the hair follicles and seba-
ceous glands and sets up
infiammation. It is likely
that a vegetable, fungoid
growth akin to that caus-
ing ringworm is an addi-
tional source of the mis-
chief.
Sarcoptic Mange, or
dog itch, is due to a mite
{Sour copies canis). The
female, the larger, bores
into the skin, there bur-
rows, and lays a multi-
tude of eggs that soon
hatch out, the young run-
ning over the surface to
repeat the story. The irritation gives rise to intense
itching, and an inflammation, with distinct small papules,
surmounted by pointed (not flat, as in eczema) vesicles.
Fig. 27.— Sarcoptes Canis (Gerlach).
DISEASES OP THE SKIN. 333
This is very contagions — more so than the follicular
mange ; there is much more irritation, itching, etc.
The hair follicles are greatly affected in the follicular
disease, and the scabs have a peculiar sort of moldy smell.
Tenderness replaces itching. It is more common in young
dogs.
In the early stages the diagnosis from eczema is not
difficult ; later, the microscope alone may decide.
Though nearly all skin diseases in the dog are popular-
ly termed '' mange,'' true itch is rare as compared with
eczema, which is very common. When a skin disease
rapidly spreads through a kennel, mange is to be sus-
pected; though the possibility of several dogs being af-
fected in a like way, from gorging, is not to be forgotten.
Follicular mange is apt to begin about the head.
If not soon cured, both become associated with eczema
from irritation, when the diagnosis becomes more difficult,
but generally possible by the help of the microscope.
Eczema is, in the larger proportion of cases^ a consti-
tutional disease, or the expression of a disorder within.
All the forms of parasitic disease are essentially local,
though, from the irritation they produce, the constitution
soon suffers.
An investigation into the whole environment of the
patients is always advisable, both for purposes of diagnosis
and treatment. In a large proportion of cases the disease
will turn out to be eczema, due to excessive or scanty
feeding, improper diet, etc.
Is eczema contagious? One has only to observe the
effect of the exudation on comparatively healthy skin to be
convinced of its irritating effect. That the discharge can
334 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
produce irritation and inflammation is certain, and in this
sense it is contagions. It is better to act on this assump-
tion and keep the dog pretty much to himself, and espe-
cially not allow others to sleep with him.
Sarcoptic mange is so extremely contagious, that when
there are several dogs in a kennel all, or nearly all, will be-
come affected ; and it spreads rapidly over the body from a
small beginning in separate vesicles that lead to a whitish
Hue, the burrow of the insect. The irritation in mange is
so great, that a dog may rapidly lose flesh and fall off in
health generally. Follicular mange is also contagious.
Treatment. — The indications are to remove the cause,
allay irritation, stimulate enfeebled parts of the skin, re-
lieve the skin by acting on other parts, correct constitu-
tional aberrations, etc.
Parasitic disease when due to animals is much more
readily managed, follicular mange excepted, than when
vegetable organisms are concerned. Prompt measures
soon kill the dog-mite, break up its burrows, and destroy
the eggs.
Suppose the case to be quite recent, very little inflam-
mation of the skin yet present, and consequently few
scabs, the dog should be well washed with soft soap, the
rubbing and scrubbing being of the most thorough char-
acter.
An ointment the basis of which is sulphur will com-
plete the work within a few days, so far as destroying the
parasites themselves is concerned, but eczema may remain
and require additional treatment.
In the management of all skin diseases, not only the
remedy but its mode of application is of great importance.
DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 335
The Application of Remedies. — As the object of all
local remedies is to affect the skin itself, it may be neces-
sary, though not usually, to remove the hair from the
diseased patches of skin by clipping as close as possible.
As to whether a lotion or an ointment shall be chosen,
must depend on whether the dog has a long or a short coat,
whether clipping away of hair is admissible, the stage of
the disease, etc.
Both lotions and ointments should be applied as dress-
ings when possible — i. e., the parts should be covered with
cotton dipped in the lotions and evaporation prevented by
impermeable material, or the cotton covering the parts
smeared with ointment may be dipped in oil. This keeps
the former from being rubbed or licked off. Moreover,
when the limbs are affected, a bandage nicely applied is
comfortable, and favors the circulation of the blood.
Such methods are not, however, always applicable,
from the disease being very extensive or from some other
cause.
As any oily substance applied to the skin naturally
checks its proper functions, ointments should never be
employed continuously, however suitable, but will always
be found more useful if washed off every few days.
In using any ointment or lotion it is well to apply it
over only a small part of the affected surface, to learn
whether it is suitable or not; or two or three different
applications may be compared in their effects ; for a rem-
edy that will help one case will only make another worse,
and what is most useful at one stage of the disease will be
harmful at another. Moreover, a lotion or ointment that
may soothe when of a certain strength, will irritate when
336 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
stronger. Before discussing special forms of skin disease
further, a few of the principles that underlie treatment in
general will now be considered.
Principles of Treatment. — Lotions are most efficacious
in the early stages of inflammation, before there is exuda-
tion and the formation of scabs, or they may be used to
soften scabs and soothe at the same time ; however, some
kind of oil or oily substance will best answer this purpose.
In all cases, before applying an ointment, scabs should be
removed, as they only tend to keep the application from
the diseased skin.
Generally the very best way to begin all local treat-
ment is by washing the dog, though, of course, the season
and all the circumstances must be taken into the account.
Crusts or scabs may be softened by washing in water
containing a little sodium carbonate (washing soda), which
is soothing in itself. However, in general, oil applied to
the skin, if scabs have formed, washing the animal in a
couple of hours, or as soon as the scabs are moderately
soft, with strong carbolic soap, will have a good effect,
as carbolic acid allays irritation and favors healthy ac-
tion of the skin. A little crude carbolic acid put into
the washing- water — enough to make its presence percepti-
ble to the hand — will serve the purpose, and is cheaper,
some Castile soap being used to lather the dog. If the
skin is very tender, eggs beaten up may replace soap. In
all cases, when carbolic acid is used, the dog should be
well rinsed with water not too cold.
Having got the subject ready for the application of
some remedy, the next thing is to determine what one^
Is the skin broken, or only red and tender? Are there
DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 337
ulcers? Is thickening and loss of hair prominent? etc.,
are among the questions to be considered. Ointments are
more continuous in their action, unless lotions be applied,
as suggested above.
The following hints as to the preparation and use of
certain drugs are to be remembered : Glycerin, when pure,
tar, turpentine, balsams, coal oil, etc., are all stimulating
and unsuitable for the most acute form of a skin inflamma-
tion, though valuable in subacute and chronic forms. So-
dium carbonate and bicarbonate, borax, acetate of lead,
etc., are soothing in most cases.
The best basis for ointments is vaseline, as it does not
readily become rancid. Belladonna, though an excellent
sedative, is not in the case of the dog to be used in oint-
ments, as it may be licked ojff and cause poisoning. Opium,
though seldom required, is not so dangerous.
Itching may be relieved by the addition to ointments
and lotions of alkalies, carbolic acid, and rarely opiates.
Sulphur, in powder, dusted through the hair down to
the skin, is soothing ; and dry oxide of zinc is useful when
exudation is excessive.
In non-parasitic disease the internal treatment may be
the more important of the two, as generally the cause of
the trouble is to be traced to some disorder of the digest-
ive organs. The state of the bowels should be especially
attended to, and the diet. Sulphur, Epsom salts, cream of
tartar, and bicarbonate of soda, are useful. Violent purg-
ing is usually not required. Often the liver is at fault, and
the portal circulation sluggish ; in this case one of the
officinal compound cathartic pills at night, and a saline in
the morning, may prove efficient.
338 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Sulphur has, besides its laxative effect, a good influence
on the skin of the dog, and may be given day after day
for a time with the food, or, combined with cream of tar-
tar, in syrup.
Arsenic is never to be given in the acute form of skin
disease, and when used, as pointed out before, the dose
must be small at first, increased gradually, never given on
an empty stomach or undiluted, stopped every now and
then, and not continued when the digestion is poor or
symptoms of irritation show, as evidenced by coated whit-
ish tongue, red eyes, etc.
Arsenic is the most valuable constitutional remedy we
possess in chronic cases when judiciously employed.
In cases that resist all ordinary treatment a few doses of
calomel, small and speedily worked off by salines, may act
well.
The general health of the dog is always to be consid-
ered. When very thin or debilitated, tonics and cod-liver
oil are demanded.
Diet is, in eczema, of the utmost importance. In a
large number of cases the dog is overfed. In such a
case a fast of twenty-four hours will often be the very
best treatment. In all cases a complete change of diet
is desirable.
If the dog has been fed much on meat, let him have
none for a while, but a diet of milk and bread or milk and
wheat porridge. On the other hand, if he has been gettmg
only starchy food, or an excess of it, a change to meat
alone will be the best natural medicine. The half-starved
dog is very liable to eczema.
Yery often a long walk, or a run of ten to fifteen miles
DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 339
after a horse, an exciting hunt in the woods continued to
tlie point of weariness, and followed by spare feeding, will
work wonders.
If constipation exists it must be overcome, and if by
exercise and dieting, so much the better. The value of
vegetables for this purpose is not to be forgotten.
If for any reason the sulphur ointment can not be used
in sarcoptic mange, a lotion prepared as follows is cleanly
and effective. It forms a good standing mixture for a
kennel. It should not be kept very long, but made fresh
every few weeks :
Unslaked lime, one pound ; sublimed sulphur, two
pounds; add two gallons of soft water; mix well and
boil down to one gallon ; let stand till cool ; pour off, after
standing some hours, the clear liquor ; filter, if necessary.
Apply frequently over the whole body with gentle friction.
Special Formulas.
For allaying irritation :
1. Salt-water baths, or bathing with vinegar and
water.
2. Lotion of sodium carbonate or bicarbonate, or
borax, of the strength of about ten grains to the ounce
of water.
Some glycerin may be added, thus :
9 Sod. biborat 3 jss. ;
Glycerin 5ij;
Aquae camph 5 viij.
Ft. lot.
Especially useful in irritable, scaly, and papular erup-
tions.
340 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
As a drying, soothing lotion :
^ Zinci oxid 3 ij ;
Glycerin 3 ss. ;
Aq. calc § ij ;
Aquse ad 5 ^iij-
Ft. lot.
Sig. : Apply as a lotion.
The lead lotion recommended before (page 309) is also
excellent, but it is better to use morphia than opium, to
avoid staining. It is not suitable for application over a
large surface, for, while the dog is not readily poisoned
with opium, his stomach is easily disordered by this' drug.
In some cases the "black wash" (calomel and lime-
water) is valuable.
Prepared chalk in the form of ointment or wash, with
or without lime-water, has also given good results.
By allowing water to stand over tar till it tastes strongly
of this substance, a lotion suitable for the red unbroken
skin may be made. For the eczema that attacks the face,
especially the eyelids and eyebrows, some form of mercu-
rial ointment may be demanded (see page 310). The liquor
plumbi subacetatis may be combined with the tar-water.
Soothing ointments may be made of sulphur, ox-
ide of zinc, borax, lead salts (acetate and subacetate), etc.
These ointments as officinal preparations may be pur-
chased ready-made. It may be wise to dilute them at
times, or add alkalies, carbolic acid, or opiates.
The unguentum zinci (officinal) is a most valuable
ointment for soothing and drying ; but when parasitic
disease is suspected the sulphur ointment should take its
place.
DISEASES OP THE SKIN. 341
Tlie former will be found very efficacious in eczema of
the ear (canker).
Such a combination as the following will suit sar-
coptic mange and many forms of eczema :
9 Sulphur, flor 1 ss. ;
Sod. carb 3 ss. ;
01. pic. liq 3 ij ;
Yaselin 5 iv.
Ft. unguent.
Sig. : Apply freely once or twice daily.
Lard or vegetable oil may be substituted for the more
expensive vaselin.
For mange (sarcoptic), especially after the first stage,
and also for chronic eczema, with thickening ; for eczema
with a scurfy or scaly condition of skin, the officinal tar
ointment, creasote, balsam of Peru, oil of cade, oil of tar,
kerosene (coal oil), etc., are useful, properly combined.
As samples of combinations, we give :
1^ Sulph. flor li;
Bals. Peruv 5 j j
Yaselin 5 iv.
Ft. unguent
Sig. : Apply twice daily for three days, then wash the
dog thoroughly.
Tar ointment may be conjoined with sulphur ointment,
one of the former, four to eight of the latter.
1^ Olei cad 5 iij ;
Acid, acet § ij ;
Acid, carbolic 3 ss. ;
Olei olivae ad 5 xvj.
Ft. mist
342 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Apply freely twice a day, and wash the dog after
three days.
This is an efficacious mixture for advanced cases, but
disagreeable to the patient and to the one who applies it.
For true mange its efficacy is increased, in the opinion of
some, by the addition of sulphur.
1^ Balsam Peruv 5 ss. ;
Yaselin S ij-
Ft. unguent.
The balsam of Peru, dissolved in ^ve to eight parts of
alcohol, may of itself be painted on. The last four com-
binations are useful in itch (mange), and when thick-
ening, cracks, etc., exist. The last two are excellent for
cracked nipples. Balsam of Peru is rather expensive,
though an excellent remedy.
Follicular mange is very difficult to cure. One of the
most efficacious remedies is carbolic acid.
'^ Acid, carbolic ♦ 5 ss.
Balsam, canadens § ij ;
Ft. unguent.
Sig. : Apply carefully, heating if necessary to render
sufficiently liquid, with a camel's-hair pencil, in a thin
layer over a portion of skin not to exceed two to four
square inches at once, so that carbolic-acid poisoning may
not follow. If necessary, muzzle the dog to prevent
licking.
The mercurial ointments referred to before (page 305)
may also prove useful, or the balsam of Peru.
Bingworm may be treated by frequent paintings over
and aroxmd the affected area with tincture of iodine, St
George's paint (stronger than the former), or the appli-
DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 343
cation of mercurial ointments, etc., as in the last-men-
tioned disease.
Fig. 28.— Tricophyton Tonsurans, the Vegetable Parasite causing Ringworm,
Magnified 400 Diameters (after Payne).
After any of the contagious skin diseases, all with
which the dog has been in contact, that can be destroyed
without serious loss, should be burned ; all collars, chains,
dishes, etc., and the whole kennel, disinfected as well as
thoroughly scrubbed (see page 379).
As an excellent kennel or office mixture for dogs re-
quiring a saline, as frequently happens, and nearly always
when eczema occurs, the author recommends the follow-
ing, which may be kept constantly on hand :
9 Magnes. sulph 5 i^ >
Ferri sulph gr. xvj ;
Acid, sulph. aromat 3 ij ;
Spt. chlorof ormi 3 i j ;
Aquae menth. pip § xvj.
Ft. mist.
Sig. : Give sufficient to move the bowels in the morn-
ing before food — say one to four teaspoonfuls in water.
344 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Of course, this is not a hard and fast formula, the
most essential part being the saline, which is rendered
more agreeable, and prevented from griping by some of
the other ingredients. The whole is also somewhat of a
tonic to the stomach and general system.
Frequently a dog is worried by great irritability of the
skin, though there is no eruption or other obvious cause.
In these cases a look at the tongue will often reveal a
disordered digestion. Attention should be given to diet,
etc. Sulphur, cream of tartar, and also bromide of
potassium often prove useful. Phosphorus pills given
after food {-j-^ to -^ grain) are said to be helpful in some
cases. A soda or salt bath is often followed by relief. A
lotion of lead acetate is also very soothing.
Occasionally, as a result of skin disease or defect of
nutrition of the hair follicles, the dog's coat almost all falls
out, or unsightly bare patches result.
To stimulate the growth of hair, more blood and nerv-
ous energy are required in the skin ; so that friction, mas-
sage, and stimulating applications are indicated.
Such applications as cocoa-nut oil, or a combination of
this oil with coal oil and olive oil, in about equal parts,
applied for a couple of days and then washed off, are help-
ful in many cases, especially if the dog is shedding his
coat — as he naturally does in the spring and autumn — too
slowly ; or if the restoration of hair after its loss follow-
ing suckling puppies is tedious. " Yegetable oil " (cot-
ton-seed oil) is cheaper than olive oil, and answers well
enough.
The above mixture is useful in true sarcoptic mange,
especially if sulphur be added, also in chronic eczema.
INTERNAL PARASITES OR WORMS. 345
For bare patches, the following may prove of value :
!^ Sod. biborat 3 j ;
Tiiict. capsici 3 j ;
Glycerin § ij ;
Aquse ad § vj.
Ft. mist.
Sig. : Apply with friction two to four times daily.
After a while the quantity of tincture of capsicum
may be increased. A very light application of glycerin
has also been found useful in recent cases.
When skin disease in any form occurs between the
toes, it may be necessary to wrap up the feet in medi-
cated dressings and keep the patient quiet.
It is most important when true sarcoptic mange occurs to
thoroughly disinfect the kennels and everything with which
the dog comes in contact. The same precautions should
be taken as after a visitation of distemper (see p. 379)."^
INTERNAL PARASITES OR WORMS.
It is likely that the estimate that three quarters of the
whole canine race are, at some time, infested by worms,
and that they cause more deaths than all other causes
together, is about correct. To understand their preven-
tion and treatment, a brief account of their varieties and
life-histories will be necessary.
It is true that every principal organ in the body may
be the seat of some form of parasite. Some of these are,
however, of such rare occurrence that they are mere
pathological curiosities, and need not be here described.
* Modem skin specialists attri))ute more importance to vegetable
parasites than ever before ; hence the value of sulphur, etc.
346
THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Practically we have to do with neinatode, or round
worms, and cestode^ or tape-worms.
Fig. 29.— Eustronoylus Gigas (Cobbold).
This parasite is occasionally found of great size in the dog, especially in the kidney.
The principal round worm of the dog is Ascaris mar-
ginata^ pale-red in color, round, tapering to each end,
firm to the feel, the sexes distinct, propagated by eggs
{ova) with great resisting power, and capable of maintain-
ing their vitality for months, from one to eight inches in
Fig, 30.— Ascaridks (Stonehenge).
length, living in the small intestine, and moving about
freely — i. e., not attached. Ascaris mystax also occurs.
The thread-worm, or oxyaris, is very small, similar in
formation and mode of propagation to the preceding, lives
INTERNAL PARASITES OR WORMS.
347
in the large intestine, and may descend low down in the
rectum.
The ova of round worms may be taken in with water,
etc., or may hatch within the host, as the creature is
termed that harbors them, possibly within the worm itself
in some instances.
Fig. 3l._T.ENiA Solicm (Stonehenge).
o, head ; 6, generative orifice.
The life-history and structure of the tape-worm is alto-
gether different. Every tape- worm consists of a head
which is usually provided with suckers, booklets, or both,
by which it attaches itself to the mucous covering of the
intestines, of segments {proglottides) that are budded off
24
348
THE DOG IN DISEASE.
from the head end, and which contain both male and
female generative organs ; so that a tape- worm is an exam-
ple of an animal in which the sexes are combined ijier-
maphrodite). When each segment is perfect, it produces a
vast number of eggs and drops away from the main
colony. Those farthest from the head, being the oldest,
come away first.
When these segments find their way into certain ani-
mals the eggs are set free by digestion of parts surround-
FiG. 32.— Head of Both-
RIOCEPHALUS LaTUS
MAGNIFIED (StONE-
HENGE).
Fig. 33. — Head of
T.ffi;NiA Solium
magnified (aft-
er Heller).
Fig. 34.— Head of T.e-
NIA MeDIOCANELLATA
magnified (after
Heller).
ing them. The eggs hatch out into embryos, which under-
go development up to a certain point, but do not become
tape-worms in that species of animal but usually migrate
from the alimentary canal into some other organ, com-
monly the liver, there forming often hydatids, or cysts,
and proving fatal to their host. But when these hydatids,
or immature tape-worms, pass into that particular species
of animal suitable for their development they become
tape-worms.
INTERNAL PARASITES OR WORMS.
349
The following are found in the dog: T(£nia mar-
ginata^ T. ctccumerina, T. ser-
rata, T. echinococcus^ T. so-
lium, and Bothriocephalus la-
tus, the last two being common
to man and the dog.
The first three are the most
common : T. fnarginata, the
intermediate host of which is
the sheep, may attain a length
of eight to ten feet ; T. cucu-
inerhia, the most common, ten
to twenty inches in length, with
a very small head, the segments
getting very gradually larger
from before backward ; T. ser-
rata, intermediate host the hare
and rabbit, twenty to forty
inches in length.
To illustrate how tape- worm
is propagated and how one ani-
mal may prove a source of dis-
ease to many, we may mention
that a larval or immature form
{Coenurus cerebralis) of a tape-
worm exists in the sheep's
brain. If this be taken into
the dog's stomach it develops fig. 35.-t^nia solium (Stonk-
into a mature tape-worm, the
^ c, generative orifice; e, water vascu-
eggS of W^hich, if swallowed by lar canals ; g, ovarian duct ; h,
ovarian receptacle ; i, branched
the sheep in drinking-water, ovarium.
350
THE DOG IN DISEASE.
etc., become the larval form referred to above ; and so the
biological circle is completed.
Again, it is believed that the dog-louse {Trichodectes
canis), more frequently^ perhaps, the flea {Pulex canis),
swallows the minute eggs of segments of the tape- worm ex-
pelled from the dog and adherent to his hair
and proves the intermediate host, while these
parasites are again accidentally swallowed by
the dog ; hence the vicious circle.
It is thus apparent that one dog with tape-
worm may infect a whole kennel of dogs.
All sorts of worms in the intestinal tract live
on the digestive food by which they are sur-
rounded. They may injure an animal, when
numerous, by taking up the nourishment be-
longing to it ; and by irritation, which has
innumerable reflex effects that express them
selves through every system of the body.
As it is most important to beware of these
symptoms, we instance some of them :
Digestive. — Colic, diarrhoea, constipa-
tion, vomiting, slimy stools of a peculiar
wormy smell — it may be gray or blood-
stained— capricious appetite or loss of appetite, bloat-
ing, etc.
Circulatory. — Blood impoverished, shown by pale
Fig. 36.— TiENiA
echinococcus
(after Bris-
TO we).
a, Taenia magni-
fied 10 diame-
ters ; h, ovum
magnified 250
diameters.
gums, etc.
Cutaneous. — Harsh coat, skin eruptions, falling of hair.
Respiratory. — Dry, hot nose, cough. A special form
of bronchitis may be caused by small worms in the bron-
chial tubes.
INTERNAL PARASITES OR WORMS. 351
Nervous. — Convulsions, twitcliings in sleep, chorea,
paresis.
The general economy suffers, as shown by emaciation,
dullness, debility, etc.
Round worms are much more common than tape-
worm, which is rare in puppies, from which the former
are seldom absent in pure-bred dogs.
Diagnosis. — General lack of vigor, unthriftiness, with
symptoms of imperfect digestion, especially bloating,
should in a young dog suffice to lead to treatment for
worms in the absence of any other obvious cause. Much
attention to the anal region suggests thread- worms ;
marked emaciation, with a ravenous appetite, tape-worm.
The segments may be seen at times in the stools.
Prophylaxis. — The prevention of worms has been al-
luded to under treatment of the brood bitch. Pup-
pies get the eggs from their dam ; but if one dog in a
kennel has worms, it is easy to understand how they may
be spread by dogs walking through the stools, licking
each other, etc.
Milk can not convey the germs of worms except by
their getting into it after it leaves the cow, which is not
very likely ; but milk does, in large quantity, tend to relax
the digestive tract, produce an excess of mucus, and, in a
^vord, favor an environment in the intestine suitable to the
development of worms.
Continuous sloppy food for puppies is therefore a mis-
take.
Meals of dry biscuits, bread-crusts, etc., are beneficial
in clearing out mucus and ova of worms and begetting a
better tone in this region.
352 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Powdered charcoal, given with the food of puppies, in
one-half to one-teaspoonful doses twice a day, occasionally,
is both a preventive and a cure {vermicide). Every means
that will produce a vigorous condition of the animal as a
whole, and the intestinal tract especially, will be useful.
Treatment. — This may be divided into preparatory and
medicinal. The object of treatment is primarily to expel
the worms ; hence it is important that remedies shall reach
them readily, and find them in a somewhat famished con-
dition.
It is always desirable to allow the subject to fast — if a
weaned puppy, eight to twelve hours ; if a dog over nine
months, from sixteen to twenty-four hours. There will be
no harm done, and possibly something gained, especially
in the case of tape-worm, by giving a dose of castor oil
several hours before the anthelmintic proper.
The following are the principal remedies recommended
for the round worm : Santonine, wormwood, calomel and
jalap, pink-root and senna, kousso, hellebore, pomegran-
ate bark, turpentine, areca nut, kameela or pumpkin,
squash seeds, wormseed oil, etc.
For tape-worm : Areca nut, kousso, pomegranate, tur-
pentine, and oil of male fern.
An old and valuable remedy for round worms, and the
safest and best of all, perhaps, for very young puppies, is
wormseed oil. This, in dose of one to four drops, may be
given to puppies of four to six weeks of age. It is well
to combine the remedy with a drop of oil of aniseseed or
oil of peppermint and a drop of turpentine, the whole to
be well mixed with a teaspoonful of castor oil (for toy
puppies a little less), warmed and floated on a little milk.
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INTERNAL PARASITES OR WORMS. 353
Kousso dAvX pomegranate hark are not now often used.
Such remedies as powdered glass need be mentioned
unly to be condemned as dangerous.
Pink and senna. An extract of pink and senna com-
bined is now to be had which is effective and tolerably
safe. However, it acts very dissimilarly on different dogs,
and should be used tentatively — i. e., the dose should at
first be much smaller than is known to be generally safe.
It is one of the best remedies for puppies still sucking.
Three weeks of age is about the earliest at which any
remedy may be used, and then only in urgent cases, as
puppies bear drugging very badly. About five drops may
be given three times daily for two to three days, and then
a dose of oil to expel the dead worms. For older dogs
one half to one teaspoonful may be given at a dose, and re-
peated. For very young puppies enough olive oil to relax
may serve to expel worms.
8am,tonine. This remedy may be given alone to pup-
pies in doses of one half to one grain, according to age,
till three or four doses have been taken at intervals of an
hour, then followed by castor oil ; or santonine may be com-
bined with the preceding in puppies over five weeks of age.
Turpentine is not usually required for round worms.
Many object to its use altogether for the dog on account
of its irritating effect on the kidneys and alimentary tract.
Given in small doses, it is certainly very irritating to
the kidneys, and in a large dose it may set up gastritis or
enteritis.
However, as vermicides, usually successful, fail with
some dogs, it may be necessary to fall back on this remedy.
Even young puppies (two or three months) may take
354 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
five to fifteen drops of turpentine with safety if given
beaten up in egg, mucilage, or well mixed with castor oil,
say a teaspoonful for ten drops of turpentine. It is im-
portant that it shall be quickly carried through the in-
testine.
Areca {betel) nut is, on the whole, the best anthelmin-
tic we know. Some maintain that it is quite harmless,
others that it is dangerous and never to be given. Both
views are extreme. The author has used this remedy a
great deal, and has never had one bad result. He has
found it almost invariably efficacious for both the round
worm and the tape- worm. It seems to be least certain
and most dangerous with young puppies. He would
never give it to a dog under five to six weeks, and to
those under two months only with the greatest caution.
To very young puppies, about one grain to the pound
weight of the dog is enough to try at first. Generally one
grain and a half to the pound weight of the animal suffices,
but, after four months of age, two grains is usually safe.
The author's plan is to fast the animal, give the freshly
grated, dark-colored nut in gelatin capsules, and, after
from three quarters to one hour and a half, according to
the age of the dog, a large dose of castor oil, to make sure
that the remedy is removed from the intestine. If there
is not a movement of the bowels in half an hour, the
dog is permitted to eat porridge and milk, which generally
causes a motion.
Some dogs must be allowed out of the kennel, or they
will suffer, owing to cleanly habits, before evacuating the
bowels. It is the custom of some to combine santonine
with areca nut, to which there is no objection.
INTERNAL PARASITES OR WORMS. 355
It is likely that the bad results that have followed the
use of areca nut have arisen from neglect of some of the
necessary precautions as to quantity and speedy purgation
after the dose is given.
Some puppies seem to be such perfect breeding mech-
anisms for worms, and suffer so much from this pest, that
it is almost hopeless work combating the evil. This con-
dition is in some cases hereditary, and bitches that produce
such offspring should be discarded as breeders.
After the use of worm remedies, especially areca nut
or turpentine, the diet should be bland for a couple of
days.
Pumphm and squash seeds are excellent remedies and
quite harmless, but rather troublesome to prepare. The
hulled seeds should be gently stewed to a pulp, the fluid
poured oft', and given in teaspoonful doses. The pulp may
also be given in larger quantity. It is especially a good
way to dose puppies if they will take the preparation in
their food ; otherwise troublesome.
The best remedies for tape-worm are areca nut, oil of
male fern, and turpentine.
The author would try the areca nut fairly first. If un-
successful he would give later ten to thirty drops of the
ethereal extract of male fern, shielded as recommended in
the case of turpentine, and in half an hour, or earlier if
the dog seemed much prostrated, a large dose of castor oil.
This is severe treatment, and not justifiable except when
the areca nut fails, as it seldom does. The worms passed
should be examined carefully in water to ascertain that
the head has been removed ; otherwise reproduction of an
entire worm is but a question of time.
356 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Thread-worms are easily destroyed by injecting into the
rectum salt and water, vinegar and water, an infusion of
quassia, etc., and retaining it there for a few minutes by
holding the hand covered with a cloth against the anus.
It is highly important, to prevent the spread of worms,
that all the excreta after dosing, even when no worms
are seen, should be collected and buried deep, or, better,
hurned. When worms of any kind are obtained, the treat-
ment should be repeated, but not till the dog has recovered
from the last dosing.
EXTERNAL PARASITES.
Parasites are the great evil of canine existence ; for if
the dog is not killed by internal forms, he is worried by ex-
ternal ones, that may be so numerous and such constant
companions day and night that his life is burdensome. Is
it possible to prevent them ?
Lice are the pest of puppies chiefly, and are most
common about the head parts. Keference has been made
to them already.
Fleas are divided into the common variety {Pulex irri-
tans) and the sand flea {.Pulex penetrans). The former
bites, the latter bores, into the skin. Both are believed to
undergo development not on the dog, but in sand, rubbish,
etc.
The great difliculty practically is really not killing
fleas and getting rid of those on the dog at the time, but
in keeping him free ; in fact, the former is quite an easy
task comparatively. It is no exaggeration to state that
there are surroundings amid which it is impossil)le to keep
dogs clear of fleas for twenty-four hours ; so that, in choos-
EXTERNAL PARASITES. 357
ing the site for a kennel, and in all its arrangements the
flea question should be kept prominently in view. On a
sandy soil the sand-flea may prove extremely troublesome,
and nothing but a conversion of the soil into another sort,
or removal of the kennel, will suffice.
The removal of all rubbish, manure, old straw, spent
or used sawdust, and the free use of wood ashes with lime
below, will do much to keep down the flea pest. Coal
ashes and loam together make a good, hard yard, which
can be readily swept clean. All boxes used for sleeping
places, and all cracks, should be frequently subjected to
treatment with some of the agents that destroy these ver-
min. This subject has been dealt with in an earlier part
of the work.
The agents and methods of destroying fleas are legion.
Various powders, soaps, oils, acids, etc., are all efficacious,
and the choice of the one or the other should depend on
circumstances. It is to be remembered that insects breathe
by pores, and that if these are fllled up with oils, powders,
etc., they must perish.
If a dog has but few fleas, the Persian or Dalmatian
insect powder may be dusted through his coat conveniently
from a little bellows, while he sits on papers to avoid loss,
as the cost of this article is considerable.
When there are many dogs in a kennel badly infested
with fleas this method will not prove of itself successful.
The plan the author has found most satisfactory is the
following : Cover the dog all over with a mixture of equal
parts of cotton-seed oil and crude coal oil, and in half an
hour wash the animal thoroughly with strong soap. In
some cases simply washing in water to which some crude
358 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
carbolic acid or cresol has been added suffices to kill, or
nearly kill, the fleas.
In all cases the dog should be gone over with a fine
comb and the vermin taken off and burned, for thej have
a way of reviving after w^ashing that is astonishing.
Another plan that gives excellent results is to get the
dog to stand over some clean boards, so that any fleas fall-
ing may be seen and trodden on ; and with a shallow, flat
dish containing coal oil at hand, pass a fine comb dipped
in this fluid through the hair and rapidly rub off the fleas
as caught into the shallow dish of oil.
But in any case, under certain unfavorable conditions,
keeping dogs even moderately free from fleas is no light
labor, and nothing but watchfulness and work will accom-
plish it.
The constant worry from fleas or lice may seriously
derange a dog's health, or with the scratching produce ec-
zema.
Lice can be easily destroyed by treating as for fleas,
as recommended above, especially by the first method, but
the comb will also be necessary, and in puppies with long
ears freedom is secured only at the price of ceaseless
vigilance.
Washing young puppies is to be avoided as a rule.
Washing the head after treatment with oil, etc., will often
suffice. However, with special care, washing is not the
bane to puppies some would have us suppose. Of two
. e\dls, washing and lice, the former is much to be pre-
ferred. In the author's own kennel no unfavorable re-
sults have ever followed washing puppies with the precau-
tions as to rapidly rinsing, drying, etc., he employs.
CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES. 359
CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES.
Certain disorders affect some portions of the bcdy
specifically, yet produce symptoms wliicli are not referable
to that region alone, but affect to a serious extent the
whole economy, and hence are spoken of as constitutionaL
It must be admitted, however, that it is not easy to deter-
mine always how best to classify certain diseases ; but the
main thing is to grasp the condition of affairs by whatever
name called.
Erysipelas. — Some would class this disease as an inflam-
mation of the skin, and treat it under the head of " skin
diseases." The constitutional symptoms are so pro-
nounced we prefer to consider it a constitutional disease.
Erysipelas is an inflammation of the skin, with a
strong tendency to spread, to attack the tissues beneath,
to end in abscess or sloughing of parts, and attended by
fever and prostration. It may attack the unbroken skin,
but is particularly liable to occur around wounds, especial-
ly if patients with the disease are near. It is contagious
and infectious, associated with and probably caused by a
microbe, though certain constitutions are much more pre-
disposed to it than others.
Syraptoms. — Locally, heat, pain, redness, swelling, a
peculiar tense, hard feel, with a dark tinge in the redness
in some of the worst cases. Constitutionally, chill, nausea,
fever, loss of appetite, prostration in bad cases, etc.
Treatment. — This must be both local and constitu-
tional.
As to the local applications, practice differs much.
Some paint with tincture of iron, or tincture of iodine ;
3eo THE DOG IN DISEASE.
others use soothing lotions. Painting vigorously around
but not on the seat of inflammation with tincture of
iodine, with the application of the lead-and-opium lotion
to the actually inflamed part, are the measures we are in-
clined to recommend.
All agree that constitutional treatment is essential.
The bowels should be relaxed with salines. This is of
great importance.
The food should be bland at first ; later, highly concen-
trated but easily digestible.
If there be much prostration, alcoholic stimulants are
absolutely necessary, in small repeated doses.
The following has been found as useful as any internal
medication :
^ Tinct. f erri perchlor 3 v ;
Potass, chlorat 3 v ;
Glycerin § ij ;
Aquae ad § viij.
Ft. mist.
Sig. : Dessertspoonful every two to three hours.
After the acute stage, quinine and iron, or the citrate
of iron and quinine, with perhaps cod-liver oil, may be
needed.
The above remedy may be given in capsules when the
dog is fractious, ten drops of the tincture of iron dropped
on ten grains of powdered chlorate of potassium, allowing
water or a little milk just after to dilute the medicine in
the stomach.
The animal had better be isolated from others, and
every attention paid to the surroundings, as the disease is
a grave one.
CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES. 361
Diphtheria. — Fortunately, this fatal malady is very rare
in the dog. It may possibly be communicated to him
from the cat, from man, or the reverse. Its cause in the
dog, as it certainly is in man, is probably a specific germ ;
and certain conditions — as bad drainage, poor ventilation,
debility, etc. — favor its spread. It usually attacks the
throat {pharynx, larynx) or nose, and may extend from
the one to the other, or downward into the windpipe.
When fatal, it usually kills by exhaustion or suffoca-
tion in the acute stage, or later by paralysis, especially
of the heart.
Symptoms, — Chill, fever which is not always marked,
loss of appetite, debility, and symptoms referable to the
parts affected, as difficulty in swallowing, possibly (if the
larynx is attacked) great difficulty in breathing, etc.
Treatment. — The prognosis is grave, and treatment
should be prompt, almost continuous, and both local and
constitutional. The dog must be isolated ; the air of his
apartment had better be moist, and the ventilation perfect.
Sprays and lotions to the parts affected are called for,
but should never be of a character to injure the mucous
membranes.
Lime-water, lactic acid, carbolic acid, sulphurous acid,
and peroxide of hydrogen are among the remedies most
used.
The food should be easily digested but nutritious from
the first. The constitutional treatment, in fact, may be
very much as in erysipelas, but the medicine should be
given in liquid form to get its local effect.
If suffocation is threatened, tracheotomy should be per-
formed.
362 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Paresis or paralysis is apt to follow. Should it occur,
reliance is to be placed oh massage, nux vomica, strych-
nine, etc.
Exercise should be only gradually and cautiously al-
lowed.
Dropsy. — Dropsy is a term usually applied to a con-
dition associated with fluid in the abdomen. It is a symp-
tom, and not a pathological condition, but is worthy of
special reference.
It is due to some cause that gives rise to a very im-
poverished condition of the blood, or, as is more com-
mon, to pressure on or distention of the veins. The con-
dition may be present in the thorax {hydrothorax), in the
abdomen {ascites)^ or in the cranial cavity {hydrocephalus).
Ascites is the more common, and is due to heart disease
sometimes, but more frequently to some organic (struct-
ural) disease of the liver.
Symptoms. — These are made up of those due to the
presence of the fluid and of those that are associated with
the cause of the dropsy. There is usually debility, feeble
pulse, loss of appetite, weak digestion, and probably diffi-
cult respiration or hurried breathing, etc.
Diagnosis.— T\\\^ lies in the bitch between pregnancy
and the disease in question. The pregnant animal is not
sick or emaciated, the abdomen has not the even, tense
feel of the dropsical subject, however many whelps may be
within ; besides, the mammary glands are usually enlarged.
If there be a history of illness, the probability is that
dropsy is the cause of the distended abdomen ; but the
matter may be settled by percussion. Dullness is always
present, while a gentle tap at one part, as the animal lies
CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES. 363
cn its side, will cause the perception by the hand held at
a point opposite to this of a sort of wave or thrill, which
will render the diagnosis certain.
Treatment, — The disease is often fatal, but the indica-
tions are to cause the absorption of the fluid and to im-
prove the general health.
Unless the patient is very debilitated, purgation by
calomel and jalap or elaterium may be tried.
J^ext, the use of iodide of potassium, or syrup of the
iodide of iron, is indicated. Large doses of tincture of
iron are also recommended. Digitalis is advocated by
some.
Should the fluid not disappear wdthin two weeks, tap-
ping for its removal, which should be very gradual, may
be tried. Similar treatment is to be adopted in hydrotho-
rax. Treatment for hydrocephalus is generally unavailing.
Rickets. — Though the most obvious changes are in the
bones, the disease is essentially constitutional.
The bones undergo a series of changes, w^hich result
in their becoming enlarged at the ends, less resistant, and
consequently more apt to bend, so that deformities are
common.
Of the bones, those of the limbs and head suffer
oftenest. Along with this condition of the osseous sys-
tem, the whole nutrition of the animal is at fault. Its ap-
pearance of general lack of vigor and unthriftiness, sug-
gests that the best thing to do with the animal is to chlo-
roform it ; and so it is, in many cases.
Heredity has not been established as a cause — ^i. e., the
condition has not come to the animal from a rickety
{rachitic) dam or sire, or one of an otherwise unhealthy
25
364
THE DOG IN DISEASE.
constitution, though possibly bad management of the dam
when in whelp or during nursing, very many bitches not
Fig. 37.— Rachitic Dog (Hill).
being sufficiently fed at these periods, may give rise to
rickets in the young. Unhygienic surroundings, as damp,
dark, ill- ventilated kennels, food insufficient as to quantity
or quality, etc., are undoubted causes.
Rickets has been experimentally produced in nursing
puppies by removing them from the dam and giving
them food they could not digest properly.
Treatment. — Everything possible should be done to
improve the general health — sunlight, dry, warm, well-
ventilated kennels, and gentle exercise being essential.
Lime-water, phosphate, bone-dust, cod-liver oil, iron ton-
ics, etc., are all indicated. Grooming and massage are not
to be forgotten. A diet varied and adequate is essential.
The puppies of large breeds of dogs often grow so fast
that the weight of the body is too great for the limbs
CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES. 365
witli their soft bones to bear ; hence bending of the bones,
relaxation of tlie ligaments, etc.
The craze for canine giants, and the habit of stuffing
puppies to get size, at the expense of everything else, are
to be condemned.
All puppies, whether of large or small breeds, should
be regularly exercised after three to four months of age,
by being taken into the fields or woods and kept in a
condition that enables them to form bone and muscle, but
should not carry, either now or at any period, a " mountain
of flesh." Forced feeding, and neglect of exercise, etc.,
leads naturally to loss of stamina and the shortening
of life.
When a puppy has this tendency to curvature of the
bones, weakness of the joints, etc., — a condition akin to
rickets — good feeding and good management generally
will suffice for an arrest of the evil, though treatment
similar to that recommended for rickets will also be
helpful.
Rheumatism. — Acute rheumatism may be regarded as
an inflammation mostly of the joints, especially of the
ligaments and related structures.
The cause has not been definitely ascertained, and,
though cold, damp, etc., predispose, it is believed that the
exciting cause is some poison produced within the body,
possibly lactic acid,
Symjptoms. — There are swelling and pain of the joints,
difficulty in locomotion, anxiety lest the affected parts be
moved and pain produced, elevation of temperature, dis-
turbance of the digestion, etc. The disease is apt to shift
from joint to joint.
366 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
The subacute and chronic forms are more common in
the dog.
Diagnosis. — The diagnosis lies between sprains and
other injuries, colic, etc. In the acute form, when there
is decided swelling without the history of any injury,
when the temperature is a good deal elevated and the di-
gestion deranged, the diagnosis is not difficult.
In any form of the disease the joints, if not tender to
the touch, are so when moved, which often assists in a
diagnosis.
The movements, attitude, etc., of a rheumatic dog are
often characteristic.
In the subacute and chronic forms the health is not
always greatly impaired.
Muscular rheumatism differs from that just described
in not affecting joints, though in lumbago the ligaments
as well as muscles of the loins are probably involved.
The muscles are sore, stiff, and tender, if not positively
painful.
Chest founder, or kennel lameness, affects more espe-
cially the muscles of the shoulders, chest, and fore-legs.
This form of rheumatism can generally be traced to
damp, draughts, cold, etc.
Treatment. — In the acute form, alkalies and colchicum
in frequent and rather large (ten to twenty grains) doses
are still preferred by some ; but with the majority sali-
cylate of sodium is the favorite remedy. It is best given
in gelatin capsules, every two or three hours, till pain,
etc., is relieved ; afterward in smaller doses at longer
intervals. Some incline to phenacetin.
The animal should be made very comfortable, and, if
CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES. 367
pain be excessive, a dose of Dover's powder may be
given — unnecessary, however, if phenacetin be used. The
bowels should be free, and the food bland and readily
digestible. It may be well to wrap up the joints in cotton-
wool. During convalescence, tonics, etc., may be needed.
In the subacute form the alkaline treatment may prove
more successful.
In the chronic form, commoner in old dogs and in ani-
mals that go much into water, the treatment must be dif-
ferent. Counter-irritation will generally prove helpful,
using tincture of iodine, St. George's paint, the iodine
ointment, or red-oxide-of -mercury ointment in the pro-
portion of, say, one to twelve of lard or vaseline, watching
the effect so that actual blistering may not occur. Some-
times sedative liniments or ointments will answer a better
purpose, such as the belladonna liniment, the chloroform
liniment, or equivalent ointments. Dogs will not usually
lick off these liniments, though they may the ointments.
They are, moreover, often useful in all the other forms of
rheimiatism, including the muscular.
Internally, iodide of potassium, syrup of the iodide of
iron, tincture of iron, etc., are of great value. At times
a rheumatic affection, especially the chronic form, is very
intractable, and renders the dog's life wretched.
Muscidar rheumatism may be treated with hot fomen-
tations, medicated with opiates (poppy -heads) or bella-
donna at first ; later by counter-irritation in mild form.
Little constitutional treatment is usually called for.
Distemper. — Distemper is an acute contagious disease
that tends to run a definite course. It has been compared
to typhoid and to typhus fever in man, and distemper or
368 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
strangles in the horse. It is more like typhus than any of
them, but the comparison is neither exact nor fruitful.
The disease is more apt to attack dogs under a year
old, and pure-bred dogs, rather than others.
It is more fatal in the former, and especially in highly
inbred animals, which is owing to their less stable nervous
system and less resisting constitution generally.
As no specific is known for the disease, it remains the
gravest acute malady that attacks the dog, and between
the ravages of distemper and parasites a large proportion
of pure-bred puppies are annually carried off ; it therefore
becomes important in the highest degree that the true na-
ture of the disease and its prevention be well understood.
Causation. — Recent investigations and experiments,
which it is hoped will be continued in different quarters,
make it reasonably certain that a germ, possibly several
germs, or, more likely, different forms of the one germ,
are associated with distemper and constitute the essential
cause of the disease.
Certain it is that there is a virus of some kind, that
can be communicated from one animal to another, and
which has great vitality — i. e., can long exist outside of
the body without destruction, and communicate the disease
when brought in contact with susceptible individuals. In
this as in all similar diseases there are predisposing causes.
Dogs do not equally at all ages and under all circum-
stances take distemper. We may say, then, that age, en-
vironment, condition of the constitution at the time of
exposure, individuality, etc., are all important.
All dogs do not take distemper when exposed, and, as
a rule, the older the dog the greater his chance of escape.
CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES. 369
Some dogs possess immunity from tins malady, and rarely
does the subject have the disease a second time.
It is possible, perhaps, that distemper can be conveyed
throiio-h the air, but it is usually by contact with either an
affected animal or with the poison (virus), which may be
adherent to some inanimate body or the body of some dog
that is not himself perhaps susceptible.
Anything that tends to lessen an animal's resisting
power, as a sudden alteration in the environment, like a
change of weather or of feeding, exposure to wet and
cold, exhaustion, a long journey, the exciting and un-
natural conditions of shows generally (see page 393), with
tlie crowding together of large numbers of dogs that
have lived under different conditions, etc. — all such favor
the spread of the disease.
Prophylaxis, or prevention. — Much more can be done
to ward off distemper than to cure it, and a consideration
of the predisposing causes v^dll suggest means of pre-
vention.
It will be noticed that distemper is most rife in Amer-
ica during and after the fall shows in September and Oc-
tober. At this period many puppies are getting their sec-
ond teeth, their constitutions are still very immature, and
the nervous system — the great regulator of all vital pro-
cesses— very unstable. It can not be doubted that shows
favor the production of distemper, and must do so even
when all precautions are taken ; for the germs of the dis-
ease are so widely spread, that it would seem that all that
is required for its propagation is a young animal with a
somewhat temporarily lowered vitality.
Hence it follows that puppies should be kept at home,
370 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
not sent to shows at all. Again, no dogs should be ad-
mitted from kennels in which distemper has existed so
late as one month previous. Every exhibitor should be
required to sign a paper to this effect, and that the whole
kennel had been thoroughly disinfected and the dogs well
washed after the disease had disappeared, and also before
the show. All dogs should be washed two to three days
before a show, and this should be repeated after each
show. It can be so managed that neither their coats nor
their health will suffer (see page 122).
Certainly it is unwise to allow any dog that has been
away on a journey, or has mingled with a multitude of
dogs, to return to his kennel without these precautions.
If puppies are sent to shows, the greatest care in all
respects should be taken of them (see page 394).
It will be noticed that distemper is apt to break out in
kennels during wet and cold or during muggy weather.
When the animals are much confined the conditions are
most favorable for the germs, or, at all events, least favor-
able for the dog ; hence the need of all precautions as to
fresh air, cleanliness, etc. The digestive tract must be
especially closely watched then. When dogs can not be
exercised on account of the weather, an extra amount of
grooming and massage, with less food and of a lighter
kind, will prevent many kennel troubles.
It appears, then, that one of the seasons of the year
at which dogs are most liable to take distemper also co-
incides with one of the show periods in America ; so that
there is, so far as many of the most valuable dogs are
concerned, a double reason for the prevalence of distemper
at that time.
CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES. 37I
Symjptoms. — Distemper shows so great a variety of
symptoms that it will be judicious to give nearly all pos-
sible ones as they affect each system of organs of the
body. It will not be feasible to enumerate all the com-
binations that occur, as these are simply endless.
Dullness, loss of appetite, vomiting, constipation usu-
ually at first, possibly diarrhoea ; elevated temperature,
thirst, rapid pulse ; dry, hot nose, sneezing, chills, harsh
or husky cough ; soon a thin, irritating discharge from
the eyes and nose ; redness of the eyes {conjunctiva) ;
later, a muco-purulent discharge from nose and eyes, and
looser cough ; there may be twitchings, or fits of various
kinds ; symptoms of meningitis, paralysis, emaciation — all
of which show the effect of the poison on the nervous
system.
The period of latency, or incubation, is from about
four to sixteen days, during which tlie dog may seem to
be nearty as well as usual, or rather dull.
Diagnosis. — When the nervous system is much affected
the discrimination is between meningitis, fits from worms,
teething, etc. But usually in distemper there is so much
loss of flesh, prostration, etc., that the diagnosis is not
difficult.
Whenever a dog rapidly loses flesh and falls off in his
appetite, is dull, etc., especially if distemper is prevalent,
this disease should be suspected and the animal isolated for
further observation.
The harsh cough is rather characteristic. Those affec-
tions of the eyes associated with indigestion are not ac-
companied by fever. The thermometer is invaluable.
At times the attack is so sudden and so prostrating
3Y2 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
that the dog never rallies, and these resemble the worst
cases of typhus fever in man.
The blood in some cases undergoes a rapid and fatal
degeneration ; in others the nervous system is completely
overpowered. Such cases must soon end fatally. We do
not think divisions of such a disease into varieties is wise
for the inexperienced, as it is seldom that typical cases of
each are found, and the observer is led to look for what
does not exist in nature ; hence we do not say that there
are two varieties or types of distemper, the nervous and
gastric or catarrhal.
The disease might with some propriety be termed a
catarrhal fever, but even that term expresses only a part of
the truth.
Prognosis. — Except in the very severe cases (lightning
cases) just referred to^ and when the nervous system is
much affected, leading to fits, paralysis, extreme emaciation,
etc., the prognosis as regards survival of the immediate
action of the poison is good, provided complications do
not arise. Most of the deaths from distemper are due to
these. With marked emaciation and total refusal of food
the prognosis is always very grave.
Complications. — Extensive or capillary bronchitis, es-
pecially in young puppies, pneumonia, either lobar or
lobular, are not uncommon, and often end fatally.
Diarrhoea with blood or bile in excess is also another
frequently fatal complication ; while jaundice is generally
an indication that death is not far off, as the retained bile
soon poisons the whole system and disorganizes the blood.
Paralysis and chorea may occur early or more fre-
quently after all the acute symptons have subsided. They
CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES. 373
are due to the effects of the poison on the nervous system.
When both occur together, or the paralysis is marked or
progressive, the prognosis is very bad.
There may be both paralysis and chorea without any
visible structural changes in the spinal cord or brain.
Ulcers of the cornea, inflammation of the cornea or the
iris (rare), are apt to result if the eye symptoms are severe
or neglected.
Skin eruptions, mostly of an eczematous character, very
frequently follow, and especially about the head. They
are not readily cured — sometimes almost beyond treatment.
Yery often it will be kindness, after an attack of dis-
temper when complications of a chronic character have
arisen that render the dog wretched, to chloroform him to
death.
Not a few dogs are left with digestive powers so weak-
ened that they are always liable to get out of condition.
However, it is the' aim of the medical expert to try
to save, and only to recommend a painless death when
the case is obviously hopeless or the subject very miser-
able, and after trial of remedies has been made and a
chance left for the vis medicatrix natiirm (nature's healing
power) to assert itself.
It is not always easy to detect such complications as
capillary bronchitis, lobular pneumonia, or even the lobar
form of the disease at the outset. The temperature may
be but little elevated. A chill should arouse suspicion, or
any increase in the rate of the breathing.
The physical signs are often ill-marked. The author
recommends that every patient lie subjected at the outset
of the disease to a very careful physical examination, espe-
374 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
cially as regards percussion and auscnltation of the chest,
60 that any departures from the existing state may be the
more readily appreciated, for much depends on an early
diagnosis of a complication and its prompt treatment.
Treatment. — Two extreme positions have been taken
in regard to this disease — the one that there is some spe-
cific or means to cut it short, the other that all remedies,
or at least all medication, is utterly useless.
It is true that distemper can not be aborted, but it is
equally true that the patient may be put under conditions
that favor his avoiding the rocks and quicksands and
reaching a harbor of safety.
The sooner the notion that there is any specific for dis-
temper known at present is abandoned, the better. The
treatment of this disease may be resolved into providing
an environment most favorable to healthy life generally,
and the avoidance of complications ; in other words, pro-
viding as good hygienic surroundings as possible, with
suitable food, and meeting special conditions as they arise.
All who have written intelligently on distemper are
agreed on certain points, such as that there is no specific
for the disease ; that careful nursing and feeding are of tlu
highest importance ; that strong purgatives are to be
avoided ; and that exercise is injurious.
The dog should, of course, be isolated from all com-
panions, if possible in a separate building ; he should be
rendered comfortable, and especially guarded against cold.
In many cases a blanket or chest-jacket will be useful,
perhaps always in winter. Tliis is of vital importance, as
all sorts of chills are apt to aggravate symptoms and set
up complications.
CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES. 375
As tliere is a pronounced tendency to wasting, noth-
ing can be of greater importance than that every means
shall be employed to feed to maintain the strength. Good
feeding is half the battle, certainly in this disease. The
author can not giv^e any better advice than to feed much
as in the case of a human being with a very capricious
appetite.
At the outset, if there is a troublesome cough and ten-
dency to retching, an emetic of fifteen to twenty grains of
sulphate of zinc with a teaspoonful of wine of ipecac, for
an ordinary-sized puppy of six months or over, may do
good. The bowels had better be unloaded, and sulphur is
about the best remedy, or sulphur and cream of tartar ;
castor oil or syrup of buckthorn will do ; but no strong
medicine should be given to open the bowels.
As the fever may be decided for a few days (103° to
106° Fahr.), the importance of plenty of fresh air and a
nutritious but unstimulating diet can be appreciated.
However, if a dog will not take milk, milk and eggs,
rice and milk, rice pudding, bread and milk, or such like,
he may have a little beef or mutton cut fine or grated.
This may act as a tonic to his disordered digestive organs,
and do more for him than any medicine ; but the first
stage is not the time for feeding on meat largely.
Those who believe in antipyretics will give them at
this stage. For our own part we would not, as a rule, but
would save the stomach of the dog as much as possible,
lest it give out and pave the way for a fatal issue.
One or two large doses of quinine, which we always
combine with bromide of potassium, as it renders it much
less exciting to the dog, may do good — e. g., five to eight
3Y6 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
grains of quinine with fifteen to twenty grains of the
bromide. Many hke to give a fever mixture, such as the
following :
Jl Tinct. aconit. rad 3 jss. ;
Spt. eth. nit 5 ij j
Ammon. nmr 3 jss. ;
Pot. chlorat 3 iij ;
Syrup, aurant § j ;
Aquae ad § iv.
Ft. mist.
Sig. : Teaspoonful every two hours, till the pulse is
slowed and the temperature lowered.
Some recommend dissolving chlorate of potassium in
the dog's drinking-water. We do not indorse this plan,
as we tliink a drink of good, cold, pure water has a valu-
able tonic effect itself.
The value of bromide of potassium, in the earlier stages
of the disease, in quieting the animal, favoring sleep, etc.,
has not, we think, been fully appreciated. Phenacetin is
soothing and antipyretic and might replace quinine.
So far as giving medicine is concerned, the author is
guided very much by the state of the dog's digestion and
his general condition. If there is much prostration, a
feeble pulse, distaste for food, etc., the above-mentioned
remedies seem to him to be contra-indicated, while small
doses of quinine and carbonate of ammonium, or perhaps
alcoholic stimulants, with liquid food, will serve a good
purpose.
Alcoholic stimulants are injurious in the early stage,
as a rule. Aconite must be watched in any case, on
account of its depressing action on the heart. When
THE PUG CHAMPION LORIS.
(K. C. S. B., 17,567.)
For description, see page 90.
CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES. 377
the pulse is rapid and full, it is often a most valuable
remedy, but again at times it seems to fail utterly to re-
duce the heart's action, or it proves too depressing. If it
does not meet expectations after half a dozen doses, it had
better be discontinued. Hyposulphite of sodium is highly
valued by some experts.
Our own plan of medication is sometimes after this
fashion, though our belief in its efficacy is not very strong.
After one to two large doses of quinine and bromide
of potassium, we inclose in gelatin capsules 'No. 00 chlo-
rate of potassium, bromide of potassium, and three to live
grains of hyposulphite of sodium, all powdered fine, and
some quinine (one to two grains) ; in this put three to five
drops of tincture of aconite (if Fleming's, only one half
to one drop) ; give this to the patient, and then offer him a
drink of water, and, if he will not take this, a little milk.
By this method we know that the dog gets every particle
of his medicine, which is always an uncertainty when
given in liquid form, not to mention the worry arising
from the unpleasant taste, etc.
However, such treatment must not be routine, or con-
tinued regardless of symptoms or for an indefinite time, as
we have already endeavoi-ed to point out.
When the dog has passed the acute or febrile stage, he
must be treated according to the condition in which he is
found. If his appetite is poor, vegetable bitters, especially
nux vomica, are indicated. The citrate of iron and quinine
will, in such and most cases, be found an admirable remedy.
As soon as his stomach will bear it, cod-liver oil beaten up
with milk, or eggs and milk, will be most useful. All
dogs should be so fed as to build them up, and given tonic
378 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
treatment, as it is impossible to say whether chorea oi
paralysis may not follow, often long after, apparently mild
cases. On this the author can not too strongly insist,
and he believes the subject has not received the attention
it deserves. Comparatively few dogs, in fact, die during
the acute stage of the disease ; and as such complications
as chorea and paralysis are scarcely ever recovered from,
it is all the more important to attempt to prevent them.
The treatment of the various and numerous possible
complications of distemper is given under the different dis-
eases, elsewhere in the volume.
A word of warning as to the eyes. They do not
usually receive the attention they deserve during the
earlier stages of the disease.
From the first they had l)etter be treated as recom-
mended under " Ophthalmia " (see page 308). It is all-im-
portant to soothe the conjunctival irritation and keep the
discharge well washed away, otherwise ulcers of the cornea,
eczema of the lids, and a weakened condition of the eyes
that may trouble the patient for months, if not for the rest
of his life, may result. The edges of the lids should be
kept smeared with a little vaseline, and if to this a small
quantity of powdered iodoform be added, so much the
better. The ordinary zinc ointment is also useful.
As a soothing lotion the following will perhaps serve
better than any other :
5 Acid boracic 3 ss. ;
Ext, belladon. fl 3 ss. ;
Ext. opii liq 3 j ;
Aquae ad | iv.
Ft. mist.
CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES. 379
Sig. : Apply to the eyes, after they have been cleansed
with warm water, frequently, being careful that none
enters the dog's mouth.
Prevention of the spread of the disease and disin-
fection are of vital importance. There are many ways of
accomplishing this. The plan we are most inclined to is
the following :
1. Have a small separate kennel or hospital into which
cases of siisjpected distemper may be put for observation.
2. House all distemper cases during the whole course
of the illness in a separate kennel.
It is preferable to have both of these comfortable but
cheap structures, that may be burned when they have been
used a good deal, or, better, after each outbreak, if extensive.
]^o dog should be allowed to mingle with others, how-
ever well he may seem, so long as he has any discharge
from nose or eyes, and never before from four to eight
weeks have elapsed. After the nose and eyes have been
specially disinfected by washings or injections of a suitable
liquid, the animal should be well washed all over, the
water being medicated with carbolic acid, cresol, etc.
If the kennels that have been used as hospitals can not
be burned, they should be disinfected, and this should be
of the most thorough kind, not relying on one method
alone.
The walls and floors may be washed and scrubbed in
the ordinary way, and afterward with a strong solution of
carbolic acid, corrosive sublimate, or chlorinated lime,
some hydrochloric acid being added to the water ; then let
chlorinated lime be laid upon the floors, the building
tightly closed, and diluted hydrochloric acid sprinkled on
26
380 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
the lime. The person who undertakes this will not have
a pleasant task, and speedy escape will be necessary.
After this has gone on for many hours, the building
may be aired, again sealed, and sulphur burned in it, the
fumes being retained for six to eight hours. Then, after
lime-washing all over or repainting, but little danger of
contagion exists. Of course, all vessels, etc., that have
been near the patient must be equally well disinfected.
SX7RGERY OF THE DOG.
It is lamentable that even yet much of the surgery, so
called, of the lower animals consists of cruel blisterings
and cuttings, anaesthetics not being used, while both the
instruments and the method of operating are of a very
primitive character and quite unworthy of the present
Our treatment of the subject of surgery must be brief,
for the same principles apply as in the case of the other
domestic animals and of man. The reduction of disloca-
tions, and especially the setting of fractures and all cutting
operations, should be undertaken only by those who have
the requisite expert knowledge and skill.
However, we would remind the veterinary student and
practitioner that the dog probably feels pain more acutely
than any of our domestic animals, and that more than any
other is he capable, by reason of his intelligence, of co-
operating, or passively assisting, in surgical operations
when not of a nature requiring an anaesthetic.
It is possible for one with but little anatomical knowl-
edge to become so familiar with the natural feel of the
joints, etc., of the dog that fractures and dislocations may
SURGERY OF THE DOG. 381
be diagnosed, while the treatment of cuts not requiring
stitches, and of some other accidental injuries, is simple.
We remind the reader of a few of the principles of
surgery of more importance.
Any injury to an animal, whether from chemical or
mechanical violence or from heat, is apt to be followed
by inflammation with its attendant evils, as constitutional
disturbance, possibly abscess, ulceration, sloughing, erysip-
elas, and blood-poisoning {septicmmia). Hence the im-
portance of attending to all injuries at once.
Fortunately, repair of tissue is more rapid in the dog
and other of the lower animals, and shock or reaction less,
than in man.
A few words on some of the commoner accidents and a
few of the operations to which the dog must occasionally
be subjected may now be offered, but first of all in regard
to the use of anaesthetics.
Anaesthesia. — Collapse may take place suddenly during
the inhalation of chloroform, and from this the dog may
not be recovered, so that special care is necessary. Anaes-
thetics are rendered much safer if the dog be given half an
hour previously, either by the mouth or hypodermically,
a good dose of morphia. Most dogs are very much fright-
ened when an anaesthetic is about to be given. Morphia
renders them comparatively indifferent.
Many minor operations can be well enough done with
no further assistance, the animal feeling little or no pain.
Ether, under proper precautions, is fairly safe for the
dog, and some anaesthetic should be given, rather than sub-
ject the animal to severe and especially to prolonged pain.
Pain is injurious to the dog for the same reason that
382 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
it is to ourselves, by causing depression, and disturbance of
the nutrition generally ; while it is too much to expect of a
dog, as it is of a child, that it should comprehend the pur-
pose of the operation, except in the vaguest way at best ;
hence its future management may be very difficult. Dogs
are ready to forget pain that has been followed by plain
relief, but not cruelty. Ansesthetics had better be pushed
rapidly to complete anaesthesia. The operation should be
done as quickly as possible and the anaesthetic then re-
moved, so that recovery may be rapid. A mixture of ether
and chloroform, or of alcohol, ether, and chloroform, will
be found on the whole the most satisfactory, though always
demanding care in its use ; but in every case the ansesthetic
should be managed by one who is an expert, and he should
give his whole attention to this, and not watch the opera-
tion or anything else. Dogs do not bear prolonged anaes-
thesia of any kind well.
Antisepsis. — Within the last twenty years surgery has
been revolutionized by the use of methods to prevent
putrefaction or kindred processes due to germs and other
causes in wounds.
It is now regarded as highly important that all instru-
ments, and the hands of the operator, be rendered surgi-
cally clean — i. e., free from germs as well as all else that
can set up the processes referred to ; and as a result,
wounds made by the surgeon himself in operating heal
directly {first intention) very frequently, and abscesses
and the other evils referred to as the results of inflamma-
tion are rare.
Antiseptic dressings are commonly employed. There
is no reason why the dog should not receive at the hands
SURGERY OF THE DOG. 383
of the man that operates on him all the care given to a
human being. "What is worth doing at all is worth doing
well, and the individual who rightly comprehends his call-
ing will act accordingly when operating on so noble a
creature as the dog.
Formerly solutions of carbolic acid in water and in oil
were much used. They are still in vogue, though weak
solutions of corrosive sublimate are now preferred by
many.
For disinfecting instruments that have been well
washed with soap and water, one-to-twenty carbolic acid
or one-to-five-himdred corrosive sublimate will answer.
For dressings, one to forty or one to eighty of the
former or one to two thousand of the latter is strong
enough.
Various dry antiseptic dressings can now be purchased
ready-made at chemists' shops. Carbolic oil is not the
best dressing for wounds in dogs.
Cuts. — "When slight and recent, it is only necessary to
make sure that no foreign bodies — as dust, hair, etc. — are in
the wound, and that it is protected by some simple, well-
fitting covering. 'No irritating "salves," ointments, etc.,
should be applied. Avoid all sources of irritation, the air
included, and E"ature will do the rest. It is needless to
remark, that after all injuries the parts should be kept as
nearly at absolute rest as possible. If the wound be large
and gaping, it will be advisable to bring the edges to-
gether with stitches of silk thread. It is not usually ne-
cessary to give an anaesthetic, but it may be advisable to
give a hypodermic injection of morphia. The instruments
(needles, etc.) should be suitable in size, shape, and sharp-
384 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
ness, and the operator skilled. A bandage should be so
applied that very slight pressure will be exerted.
When antiseptic dressings are not employed, boric acid
and a little iodoform may be sprinkled over the wound.
The latter keeps off flies, and both greatly assist the heal-
ing process.
Wounds of mucous membranes — i. e., those of the
mouth, throat, vagina, etc. — may be dangerous from hgem-
orrhage, and should receive prompt attention. Cold and
pressure are usually successful in arresting bleeding ; in-
deed, these are the best methods of controlling haemorrhage
when the injured blood-vessel can not be secured by a liga-
ture, and may often supersede ligatures.
Sprains and Bruises. — These are common in so active
and spirited a creature as the dog. The danger is at first
inflammation, and, later, weakening of parts; in fact, a
sprain may lead to a permanent weakness.
The treatment indicated is rest, cooling lotions, as the
lead-and-opium wash, iced cloths, etc. If inflammation
has actually set in, hot fomentations, medicated with opium
or belladonna, may be better. After this stage, and to
encourage a return to a natural condition, any kind of a
stimulating application — e. g., ammonia, soap, or turpen-
tine liniment — will be useful, with suitable rubbing, mas-
sage, graduated exercise, etc.
Usually after the acute stage bruises do not give much
trouble unless abscesses form. The treatment is much as
for sprains.
Burns and Scalds. — When large, these are always liable
to be followed by serious consequences.
The indication is to allay pain by opiates internally,
SURGERY OF THE DOG. 385
and exclusion of the air externally by some covering ap-
plied over the seat of injury.
Scalds are usually worse than burns. Covering the
part with dry bicarbonate of sodium, solutions of the same,
even dry flour if the former is not at hand, with oil, vase-
line, etc., all serve to protect the part and so to soothe.
An old and favorite remedy is a mixture of lime-water
and linseed oil or olive oil, in equal parts. As the dog
bears opiates well, a little of the fluid extract of opium
may be added to the dressings at first, but should not be
continued.
Should suppuration follow or abscesses form, poultices
may be required after evacuation of the pus by incision
in the latter case.
It is very important to maintain the strength, and in
severe cases to administer alcoholic stimulants.
Practures and Dislocations. —The increased movement,
the crackling or grating {crepitus) of the ends of the
broken bone, and the extreme tenderness, usually suffice
for a diagnosis of fracture.
The sooner a dislocation is reduced or a fracture set,
the less likely is inflammation to follow. After a disloca-
tion has been overcome it is always necessary to bandage
the Dart and insist on absolute rest.
A dog will not often walk on a fractured leg, but he
should not be allowed to run freely on account of the risk
of injury to it. Of the various dressings for fractured
limbs, splints and bandages, starch, glue, and plaster-of-
Paris bandages, the latter will usually be found the best,
for very soon the dog can go about without fear of fresh
injury, displacement, or other source of danger. It will
386 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
generally be necessary to get swelling reduced before they
are applied. They may be prepared by sprinkling the
powder evenly over an ordinary bandage and rolling it up
tightly. When applying, water enough to wet moderately
will suffice, and some allowance must be made for con-
traction in hardening. The patient must be watched, and
kept quiet till the dressing is dry. An ordinary bandage
should be first applied, and a little cotton-wool put be-
tween the plaster bandage and the limb at the upper
and lower ends, to prevent undue pressure of the sharp
edges.
After union is established an ordinary bandage may
be worn for a little while, and the dog allowed to exercise
only in the yard for a time. Compound fractures — i. e.,
those with the skin broken — require especial care, and an-
tiseptic dressings are essential.
Cutting Operations. — If serious, these should be done
under anaesthetics or morphia (cocaine may suffice in some
cases), and w4th every preparation and all antiseptic pre-
cautions. It is not usually necessary to anaesthetize before
opening an abscess unless deep seated, but the knife used
should be very sharp and the incision decided.
Tumors may require removal if they press on vital
parts, grow rapidly, are unsightly, or if small but malig-
nant— i. e., injurious to the health of the animal and very
apt to involve adjacent parts.
In any cutting operation of this kind the question of
haemorrhage is to be carefully weighed. About the neck
and breast there is considerable danger of bleeding. On
the other hand, some tumors may be " shelled out," when
superficial, with little trouble or danger.
SURGERY OF THE DOG. 337
Castration and Spaying.— It is impossible to predict
what effect on the physical and psychic nature of the dog
these operations may have. After either, the subject may
be little more thaii a useless, animated mass of flesh, un-
worthy the name of " dog." The author would not allow
any dog he owned to be thus operated on, nor could he be
induced to perform it except when the parts are diseased ;
and he hopes the time is not far distant when every repu-
table veterinary surgeon will take the same view of the
case, and absolutely refuse to thus run the risk of de-
stroying the dog as a dog merely to gratify the whim of
some owner who wishes to shirk his responsibility. Every
man should either not keep a dog at all or treat the ani-
mal as a dog. A spayed or castrated dog can not win a
prize on the bench. Both operations are simple, and with
due precautions they may be safely undertaken when really
required, but always antiseptically. Before the testicles
are severed the spermatic cords should be each secured
with a stout ligature, to prevent haemorrhage. The same
applies to the ovarian tubes.
Umbilical Hernia. — This affection arises from incom-
plete closure of the abdominal walls, allowing the intes-
tine to fall into the sac of distended skin. When small, it
is likely to disappear in puppies. If large or growing
worse, operation is demanded. The animal is to be anses-
thetized, the sac opened, and the edges of the abdominal
parietes brought together by strong sutures after the gut
has been returned within the abdomen. The skin is to be
separately sutured and covered with antiseptic dressings.
It is well to keep the dog quiet for a couple of days, and
to cover the wound with a firm pad and bandage.
388 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Other forms of hernia are rare, and must be treated ac>
cording to the indications in each case.
POISONING.
The poisoning of dogs is occasionally accidental, but
more frequently intentional, to the disgrace of human na-
ture. Happily, the official poisoning of dogs not licensed
is now rare, though municipal blundering in the control
of dogs is still common enough.
The proper method to destroy dogs that are im-
pounded is by the lethal chamber — i. e., by inhalation of
carbonic-dioxide gas. When a single dog is to be killed
for any reason, it can be easily and painlessly done by
causing the animal to inhale chloroform without any ad-
mixture of air. The dog may be laid on his side, the legs
quietly bound together, and a sponge, cotton wool, etc.,
placed in a towel formed into a cone, on which about half
Fig. 38. — Method of controlling a Dog by a Tape, etc. (Mayhew).
an ounce of cheap chloroform has been poured, the whole
being suddenly clapped tightly over his muzzle. In a few
moments he will cease to struggle, but the cone may be
left in position for some time longer.
THE ITALIAN GREYHOUNDS WINKS AND IDIOM.
For description, see page 92.
POISONING. 389
The commonest means of the " poison fiend " are
strychnine, arsenic, pounded glass, and compressed
sponge. Arsenic and strychnine can be purchased in the
Fig. 39.— Administration of Medicines * (Mathkw).
form of small pills, which may be pushed into little pieces
of meat and dropped in the dog's way. Strychnine when
undisguised, from its bitterness, will not be readily taken ;
but, as dogs bolt their food, even the crystals may be in-
serted in a pellet of meat, butter, etc., and the deadly dose
be swallowed. Occasionally dogs roaming the woods find
poison laid out for wild animals.
Dogs are not infrequently poisoned by "rough on
rats-' (arsenic) or other similar vermin poisons, and ex-
treme precautions should be observed, for it is to be re-
membered that the fatal poisoning of a dog is far more
effectually secured by a moderate than a large quantity
of the agent. The stomach may at once reject a large
amount, while a smaller portion is likely to be retained
long enougli to accomplish the fatal purpose. Many a
* This cut was accidently omitted from the section on the Adminis-
tration of Medicines, page 195.
390 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
dog has been saved from death bj poison owing to the
readiness with which the canine race vomit.
Dogs should not be allowed to pass through fields in
which Paris green (arsenic) is distributed to kill potato
bugs.
Puppies occasionally, though less frequently than chil-
dren, are poisoned by the phosphorus of matches.
Chronic poisoning from protracted dosing with arsenic
used for skin disease, chorea, etc., may occur.
Arsenic should never be administered continuously,
and never longer than two weeks, without periodical in-
termissions in its use.
The practice of drugging dogs with arsenic, etc., to
keep them in " show condition " can not be too highly
condemned. Such dogs are apt to become so dependent on
the drug that their health quite breaks down without it.
Practically, cases resolve themselves into strychnine
and arsenical poisoning.
The diagnosis is not usually difficult to make out.
Strychnine causes pain, twitchings, possibly vomiting
and purging, but in fatal cases always characteristic tetanic
convulsions — i. e., there is prolonged sj)asm of the mus-
cles, with more or less frequent relaxation. They are
powerful and continuous enough to kill the dog by ex-
haustion, or to suffocate him by prolonged spasm of the
muscles of respiration, or there may be paralysis of the
same muscles, which leads to death in a similar way.
Arsenic and many corrosive substances cause gastritis
and enteritis ; hence the burning thirst, vomiting, purg-
ing, etc., the dog usually dying from exhaustion or col-
lapse.
POISONING. 391
Treatment. — The object should be, of course, to get rid
of the poison as soon as possible, so that it may act neither
locally nor constitutionally ; hence emetics, immediately
after the poison has been swallowed, are always indicated
unless the animal is already vomiting freely. For this
purpose fifteen to twenty grains of sulphate of zinc, with
a teaspoonful of wine of ipecac soon after, will usually
prove the best. If this is not at hand, baking soda or
washing soda dissolved in lukewarm water, or given in
pills, may answer the purpose ; also mustard in water.
But every kennel should be provided with certain prepa-
rations against poisoning, such as laudanum, zinc sulphate,
wine of ipecac, olive oil, calcined magnesia, lime-water,
tincture of iron, bicarbonate of sodium, chloral hydrate,
stimulants, etc. Yery commonly the poison will have
been absorbed before the dog is noticed ; then the object
must be to prevent the further local effects and keep the
animal from sinking. Of course, expert assistance should
always be sought, but in the mean time something may
be done by an intelligent person.
Except in phosphorus poisoning, which is rare, oil
may always be given; also calcined magnesia or lime-
water, as they are harmless and protect the stomach me-
chanically, which may be said of powdered charcoal and
some other substances, as white of eggs, milk and flour, etc.
In strychnine poisoning an effort should be made to
neutralize the effect of the agent on the spinal cord and
brain. Bromide of potassium and chloral hydrate are the
best physiological antidotes. Either may be given in
twenty-grain doses, and, if they can not be administered
by the mouth or retained in the stomach, they should be
392 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
injected in solution in only a small quantity of water, well
up into the bowel, and prevented from returning. The
dose may be repeated, if necessary, till at least a drachm has
been taken. Hypodermic injections of chloral are valuable.
The best antidote for arsenic is the hydrated oxide of
iron, which can be quickly prepared by adding baking
soda or washing soda to diluted tincture of iron so long as
there is any effervescence — i. e., till the neutral point is
reached. This may be given freely, say a tablespoonful
Qvery ten minutes.
When an animal's strength is failing, aromatic spirits
of ammonia, carbonate of ammonium, or alcohol in re-
peated doses, are demanded.
In poisoning by mercury, little can be done to allay
the symptoms, which are those of gastritis and enteritis,
with corrosion of the mouth. The indications are to
maintain the strength of the patient, as in other cases. If
he survives the acute attack the mouth should be treated
with astringent washes. Of course, the stomach should be
protected mechanically, as in other cases.
Carbolic-acid poisoning is marked by twitchings, possi-
bly convulsions, or great prostration. The animal should
be kept warm, and stimulants given. The danger of poi-
soning from lotions, ointments, etc., containing carbolic
acid is not to be forgotten ; but as recovery is more fre-
quent than in poisoning by many other agents, treatment
is hopeful.
Stings. — This subject may be briefly alluded to under
the head of " Poisoning," as the danger and pain of stings
arise in great part from the poison introduced into the
wound.
DOG SHOWS. 393
Even a single sting is ])iiinfu] enough, and when very
numerous an aninial's Hfe is endangered. The same ap-
plies, but still more forcil)ly, to snake - bites. In the
case of stings the best application is warm water and
ammonia, sufficient of the latter to be very decidedly
tasted. To prevent collapse and relieve pain, opiates and
aromatic spirits of ammonia, or, in grave cases, carbonate
of ammonium, say five grains every half hour till the worst
is over, may be tried- In snake-bite, alcoholic stimulants
should be combined, and the wound should, if possible, be
quickly bathed with warm water or carbolic acid or cau-
terized with the solid nitrate of silver, which we have be-
fore recommended to be carried in the vest-pocket in a
suitable holder, which may be readily purchased in any
first-class druggist's shop.
In the case of snake-bite, it is well to put a ligature in
the form of a pocket handkerchief around the limb, if that
is the part injured, ahove the wound, to prevent the return
of the blood to the heart till attempts have been made
to remove the poison (sucking the wound is the best
method) or to prevent its absorption by cauterization of
the part.
SANITARY AND MEDICAL ASPECTS OF DOG SHOWS.
The whole environment of a dog show is an unnatural
one from almost every point of view. The removal from
the accustomed surroundings of home; the journey in a
crate, with its enforced confinement ; the unusual excite-
ment with its strain on the nervous system, from the time
the dog leaves home till he returns ; the noise, loss of
sleep, often vitiated atmosphere ; the possibly ' foul bed,
394 THE DOG IN DISEASE.
draughts, extremes of temperature, lack of exercise^
change in food and water, and a hundred things (one need
not enumerate all) — put a strain on the dog that tries him
sorely even if there be no actual contagion of disease pres-
ent in the form of mange, distemper, dysentery, etc.
l^aturally all this tells most on young dogs with their
less stable constitutions. In fact, a bench show is no place
for a puppy ; all the conditions are against him.
But every dog should be inspected daily. Doubtful
cases should be removed to a little hospital, which should
be, but is not, attached to all shows lasting more than one
day.
The medical expert should be the consultant in regard
to food, water, ventilation, disinfection, and all that per-
tains to the health of the dogs. The superintendent of
the show should be a man intelligent enough to see that
all directions are carried out properly, and discerning
enough to detect cases of possible sickness in the absence
of the medical man.
If puppies are brought to a show at all they should re-
ceive special attention, and a grain of quinine night and
morning, in a routine way, is justifiable and wise.
Early removal (second day) is provided for by many
shows — which is the next best thing to the entire absence
of puppies from the first.
Much may be done, and should be done, to mitigate the
discomfort of the show-bench for the canine occupants.
Shows are indispensable as educators of the public, but to
the dogs themselves their attractions are few and their
trials and dangers many.
The points that require special attention are food,
DOG SHOWS.
395
water, ventilation, a suitable temperature, avoidance of
draughts, exercise at least twice daily, and the opportunity
to attend to the calls of :N^ature thrice daily, disinfection,
etc. All dogs should be carefully examined by a medical
canine expert before admission, especially in regard to skin
disease and distemper. Doubtful cases should be detained
in a separate building for more prolonged examination
and observation, and the doubt should be given against
the individual dog, rather than imperil the whole canine
gathering when suspicion can not be removed.
But the duties of the medical expert do not end with
the preliminary inspection, which, as a matter of fact, is
often far from thorough. If it is found that many dogs
have unhealthy stools (diarrhoea, etc.), the food should be
specially examined. Food should never be left before the
animals more than an hour at most. Sour food is like
poison to dogs. Often the water does not agree ; if so, it
should be boiled and cooled quickly, and, if there be a
sediment, only the clear liquid should be used.
In truth, however, there are many things that only an
experienced canine medical expert can, strictly speaking,
well provide against ; and it would pay shows to obtain the
services of such people, when they can be secured, for al-
most the entire time while the exhibition lasts.
During transportation of dogs it is better that they be
fed rather sparingly on such food as will not tend to relax
the bowels, so that they may not be compelled to soil their
boxes. All crates should have holes in the bottom, to
allow urine to run through. After a long journey, a dose
of castor oil, moderate feeding, and a good deal of exer-
cise are indicated.
27
396
THE DOG IN DISEASE.
TABLE OP DOSES OP THE PRINCIPAL DRUGS
MENTIONED IN THIS WORK, FOR AN ADULT DOG OF 30-50 POUNDS.
Drug^s are arranged very much according to their uses.
Name of drug.
Castor oil.
Syrup of buckthorn.
Fluid ext. of cascara
sagrada.
Epsom salts.
Flowers of sulphur.
Cream of tartar.
Compound rhubarb
pill.
Compound cathartic
pill.
Sodium bicarbonate.
Calomel.
Gray powder.
Jalap.
Elaterium.
Areca nut.
Santonin.
Fl. ext. pink and
senna.
Eth. ext. male fern.
Oil of turpentine.
Dose.
f-2oz.
i-2oz.
10-40 drops.
1-4 drachms.
1-3 drachms.
1-3 drachms.
1-2 pills.
1-2 pills.
1-2 drachms.
2-4 grs.
2-6 grs.
8-15 grs.
1-2 grs.
1-5 grs.
^1 drachm.
10-30 drops.
10-30 drops.
Remarks.
As a laxative.
(( ((
As a laxative; may be added to
castor oil or given alone.
As a laxative, better to add a lit-
tle powdered ginger, tinct. of
ginger, etc.
As a laxative, may often be given
with food.
As a laxative.
One pill given after the principal
meal acts as a stomach tonic.
At night, followed by a saline in
the morning.
With or without cream of tartar
or powdered rhubarb as a laxa-
tive.
Always to be followed after a few
hours by a saline.
In doses of 1-3 grains good for
puppies with deranged liver.
Must watch carefully against
salivation, as with all prepara-
tions of mercury.
Usually combined with calomel.
A powerful purgative, causing wa-
tery stools.
Vermifuge ; to be given in doses of
1-2 grains for each pound weight
of the dog. Followed by castor
oil in |-1^ hour.
For puppies 1-8 grains, according
to age, 2-3 times a day for two
days ; then follow with castor oil.
Better for puppies in doses of 5-30
drops, according to age, and in
same way as santonin.
Very powerful remedy for tape-
worm. Only to be used after
areca nut has been tried. To be
given in white of egg, mucilage,
or oil, and followed in -|-1 hour
by castor oil.
To be given if areca nut fails, and
with same precautions as male
fern.
TABLE OF DOSES OP THE PRINCIPAL DRUGS. 39'j'
Name of drug.
Doee.
Remarks.
(lauda-
Tinct. opii
num).
Tinct. opii co. (pare-
goric).
Dover's powder.
Fl. ext. opium.
Pil. plumbi cum opio
(lead and opium pill),
Sulphate of morphia.
Spirits of chloroform.
Potassium cyanide.
Tinct. hyoscyamus.
Tinct. conium.
Tinct. belladonna.
Ext. belladonna.
Dilute prussic acid.
Tinct. senega.
Wine of ipecac.
Syrup of Tolu,
Syrup of squills.
Tinct. of squills.
Tinct. of aconite.
Potassium acetate.
Potassium bromide.
Ammonium carbon-
ate.
Aromatic spirits of
ammonia.
Spirits of nitric ether.
Tinct. of digitalis.
Fl. ext. ergot of rye.
Sulphate of quinine.
Sulphate of iron.
5-30 drops.
i-1 drachm.
5-20 grs.
5-30 drops.
1 pill.
i-igr.
10-30 drops.
iV-tV gr.
10-30 drops.
10-30 drops.
3-10 drops.
f-igr.
2-6 drops.
15-40 drops.
3-10 drops.
20-60 drops.
20-60 drops.
5-20 drops.
2-8 drops.
5-15 grs.
5-40 grs.
3-8 grs.
20-60 drops.
20-60 drops.
3-15 drops.
15-60 drops.
1-2 grs.
i-2 grs.
As a sedative for relief of pain, etc.
Every 2-4 hours for diarrhoea.
For relief of pain.
For relief of pain. Good sedative
in cough mixtures.
As a sedative in cough mixtures.
As a sedative.
The officinal solution is to be em-
ployed. Useful in vomiting, etc.
As an expectorant in chronic bron-
chitis.
Useful to render expectoration
loose. In doses of 2-5 drops use-
ful in diarrhoea and dysentery.
Useful in bronchitis, * especially
when chronic.
Useful in bronchitis, etc.
(( il u
Valuable to quiet the heart's action
in fever. Fleming's tincture is
very strong ; dose, ^1 drop.
As a stimulant to the kidneys
(diuretic).
A most valuable sedative; good
adjunct of opium.
Valuable diffusible stimulant in
pneumonia, etc.
For like use.
Stimulant to the kidneys ; anti-
febrile remedy.
As a cardiac tonic best given in
small doses and often (2-3 hours).
As a diuretic, in larger doses,
watching well its action.
To increase the contractions of the
uterus and arrest haemorrhage
therefrom. For the latter pur-
pose the extract of mistletoe is
preferable.
As a tonic ; 7-15 grains as an anti-
pyretic to lower temperature.
As a tonic.
398
THE DOG IN DISEASE.
Name of drug.
Dose,
Tinct of iron.
Citrate of iron and
quinine,
Tinct of uux vomica.
Ext. of nux vomica.
Tinct. of quassia. ;
Tinct. of gentian. .
Compound tinct of j
gentian.
Compound tinct. of '
cinchona.
Tinct. of rhatany.
Tinct, of kino.
Oxalate of cerium.
Subnitrate of bismuth.
Pepsin.
Bichloride of mercury
(corrosive sublimate),
Wine of colchicum.
Iodide of potassmm.
Syrup of the iodide
of iron.
Liquor arsenicalis.
Salicylic acid.
Salicylate of sodium.
Potassium chlorate. '
Sodium hyposulphite.
Biborate of sodium
(borax).
Boric (Boracic) acid.
Sulphate of zinc.
Acetate of lead.
Tannic acid.
Remarks.
5-15 drops.
3-8 grs.
3-10 drops.
5-15 drops.
5-15 drops.
5-15 drops.
5-20 drops.
10-30 drops.
10-30 drops.
1-4 grs.
3-10 grs.
1-5 grs.
^0-2^ gr-
8-30 drops.
1-4 grs.
20-60 drops.
3-20 drops.
5-10 grs.
5-15 grs.
5-10 grs.
3-10 grs.
5-10 grs. to
1 oz. of water.
5-10 grs. to
1 oz. of water,
3-15 grs. to
1 oz. of water.
3-15 grs. to
1 oz. of water.
3-10 grs. to
1 oz. of water.
Valuable in erysipelas, diphtheria,
etc.
A most excellent tonic when the
appetite is poor, etc.
Valuable vegetable bitter; also
stimulant to nervous system.
Good to combine with other reme-
dies in pill form.
[ Good vegetable bitters.
Mild vegetable bitter ; suits a weak
stomach.
Tonic to stomach and system gen-
erally.
) Internal astringents. Useful m
] diarrhoea. , .
) Sedatives to stomach in vomitmg.
i Useful in gastritis, diarrhcea,
\ dvsenterv.
Assists digestion. Useful in cer-
tain forms of dyspepsia.
Given cautiously, it is a valuable
alterative to the nutrition.
Useful in rheumatism (acute).
Useful ulterative in rheumatism,
etc. Dose to be small at first,
gradually increased, and closely
watched. Well to combine with
a vegetable bitter.
Alterative. Useful in debilitated
dogs of a certain class ; acts
also as a tonic.
Small dose at first; gradually in-
creased ; occasionally stopped ;
never given on an empty stomach.
Useful in mange as an ointment;
also for foul sores.
Best remedy known for acute rheu-
matism.
Valuable as a blood tonic, etc., in
diphtheria, etc.
Useful in distemper.
Useful as a lotion.
TABLE OF DOSES OF THE PRINCIPAL DRUGS. 399
Name of drug.
Dose.
Remarks.
Fl. ext. of golden seal.
-|-2 drachms
to 1 oz. water.
Useful as a lotion.
Nitrate of silver.
5-20 grs. to
1 oz of water.
Useful in purulent ophthalmia.
Carbolic acid.
1-20 or 1-40
Valuable as a lotion to allay irrita-
(of water).
tion, disinfect, etc
Listerine.
5-30 drops,
Useful in dyspepsia with flatu-
internally.
lency. Some prefer it to car-
bolic acid in lotions, etc ; non-
Phenacetin, antipy-
2-10 grs.
poisonous.
To reduce temperature.
rin, etc.
Caffein.
i-1 gr.
Stimulant.
Hydrochlorate of apo-
-A-i?o gr.
Expectorant.
morphia.
INDEX
Abdominal organs, cancer d, 269.
Abscess, perineal, 274.
opening of, 386.
Absence of teeth in Turkish dog, 9.
Acute cystitis, 278.
Acute laryngitis, 216.
Affections of the mouth, 247.
of the nerves, 328.
Airedale terrier, 56, 152.
Alimentary tract, diseases of, 244.
structure of, 244.
Amaurosis, 311.
Amblyopia, 311.
Anaemia, 239.
Anaesthetics, 381.
Anatomy of the dog, 6.
Anatomy and physiology of the
eye, 302.
Aneurism, 242.
Animal body, 10.
Antisepsis, 382.
Anus, diseased condition around,
271.
growths around, 274.
Apoplexy, 321.
Appetite, a capricious, 252.
Application to stimulate growth
of hair, 344.
Arsenic, when to be used, 327.
Artificial selection, examples of,
60.
heat, 99.
Asthma, 230.
Autopsies, directions in making,
203.
Autopsies and morbid anatomy,
201.
Balanitis, 281.
Barrenness, 136.
Barzoi, 37-
Bassethound, description of, 43.
illustration of, 52.
Beagle, description of, 41.
illustration of, 48.
Bedlington terrier, 57, 160.
Bench-show form, 61.
Black Newfoundland dog, 78, 328.
Black-and-tan terrier, 50, 88.
Blain, 250.
Blood, diseases of, 237.
Bloodhound, description of, 38.
illustration of, 40.
Blood-vessels, diseases of, 242.
Bob-tailed sheep dog, description
of, 78.
illustration of, 320.
Brain, disease, 311.
injuries to, 327.
Breeding, 125.
Breeds of dogs figured on Egyp-
tian monuments, 3.
Bronchitis, 221.
capillary, 221.
verminous, 222.
Bronchocele, 243.
402
INDEX.
Brood bitch, care of the, 135.
after whelping, care of the, 148.
Bulldog, description of, 81.
illustration of, 344.
Bull-terrier, description of, 55.
illustration of, 136.
Burns and scalds, 384.
Calculus, renal, cystic, 279.
Cancer of abdominal organs, 269.
Canker, 296.
Capricious appetite, 252.
Care of the brood bitch, 135.
after whelping, 148.
Care of the dog's skin, 117.
of the stud dog, 134.
Castration, 387.
Cataract, 311.
Catarrh, nasal, 232.
Causes of disease, 182.
Characteristics of the dog, psychic,
15.
Chesapeake Bay dog, 74.
Chest Jacket, 226.
Chlorate of potassium, 228.
Choice of puppies, 145.
Chorea, 325.
Chronic cystitis, 279.
hepatitis, 268.
Classification of dogs, 18.
Cleanliness, 143.
Clubs, 22.
Clumber spaniel, 71, 240.
Clydesdale terrier, 58.
Cocker spaniel, 69, 224.
Colic, 256-260.
Collie, the rough, description of, 77.
illustration of, 312.
the smooth, description of, 77.
Color varieties, 92.
Common pathology, 213.
Complications incident to parturi-
tion, 288.
Composition of milk, percentage,
153.
Conjunctivitis, 306.
Constipation, 149, 254.
Constitutional diseases, 359.
Convalescence, 215.
Convulsions, etc., 318.
Cornea, opacities of, 310.
inflammation of, 310.
Crossing of dogs, 5.
Cuts, 383.
Cutting operations, 386.
Cuvier's classification, 18.
Cystic calculus, 279.
Cystitus, acute, 278.
chronic, 279.
Dachshund, description of, 43.
illustrations of, 56, 60.
Dalmatian, description of, 74.
illustration of, 280.
Dandie Dinmont terrier, the, 56.
Darwin on the dog, 4.
Deafness, 301.
Deerhound, description of, 36.
illustration of, 16.
Degeneration of the liver, 268.
Description of disease, 206.
Determination of age, 171.
Dhole, the, 19.
Diagnosis, 190.
in influenza, 307.
Diarrhoea, 253.
of enteritis, 263.
Diet and care of the sick, 198.
in eczema, 338.
Differential diagnosis between colic,
gastritis, etc., 260.
of meningitis, 323.
Digestive organs, functional disor-
ders of the, 251.
inflammatory affections of, 257.
Dingo, 19.
Diphtheria, 361.
Discharges from the genitals, 294.
Diseased condition around the
anus, 271.
INDEX.
403
Diseases of the alimentary tract,
244.
of the blood and circulatory sys-
tem, 237.
of the blood-vessels, 242.
of the ear, 295.
of the eye, 302.
of the genital organs, 280.
of the lymphatics and of certain
glands, 243.
of the nervous system, 312.
of the protective apparatus of
the eye, 305.
of the respiratory organs, 209.
of the skin, 329.
of the skin, application of reme-
dies, 335.
of the skin, diagnosis and varie-
ties, 33 i.
of the skin, pathological condi-
tion and symptoms of, 330.
of the skin, principles of treat-
ment, 336.
of the urinary system, 275.
of the veins, 242.
Disinfection, 200.
Dislocation of the eyeball, 312,
385.
Disposition and stamina, 133.
Distemper, 367.
causation, 368.
complications, 372.
diagnosis, 371.
nature of, 368.
prevention of, 369.
prognosis, 372.
symptoms, 371.
treatment, 374.
Dog, the, in health, 1.
absence of teeth in Turkish, 9.
anatomy of, 6.
classification of, 18.
development of, 171.
in disease, 178.
intelligence of, 16.
Dog, the, normal temperature of,
184.
origin and history of, 1.
physical constitution resembling
man's, 17.
psychic characteristics of, 15.
structure compared with man,
7.
wild and half reclaimed, 19.
zoSlogieal position of, 6.
Dog shows, 393.
Dogs figured on Egyptian monu-
ments, 3.
hunting by scent, etc., 38.
hunting chiefly by the eye, etc.,
34.
in health, management of, 94.
Domesticated dogs, 38.
Dose, rule for, 194.
Draughts, 214.
Dropsy, 362.
Drugs and their administration,
192.
Duke-Rhffibe blood, 68.
Dumb rabies, 318.
Dysentery, 261.
Ear, diseases of, 295.
Eczema, 333.
English greyhound, description of,
34.
illustration of, 10.
Enteritis, 260.
Environment, 6.
Epileptic form, convulsions, 319.
Ergot of rye, 291.
Erysipelas. 359.
Esquimau dog, description of, 80.
Excretion, 117.
Exercise and occupation, 114.
and training of puppies, 161.
of puppies, 169.
External parasites, 356.
Eye, diseases of, 302.
lotion, 309.
404
INDEX.
Favus, 332.
Feeding, 101.
the nursing bitch, 149.
packs of hounds, etc., 111.
puppies, 156.
toy dogs, 112.
summarized, 113.
Fever, 187.
post-partum, 291.
Field form, 61.
Fissure of the nipple, 293.
Fistula in ano, 274.
Fits, 319.
Fleas, 356.
Follicular mange, 332.
Food in the mouth, 13.
Foodstuffs, 102.
Foster-mother, 147.
Foxhound, description of the,
39.
Fox-terrier, the, 48.
illustrations of, 64, 72.
Fractures and dislocations, 385.
Functional disease of the liver,
266.
disorders of the digestive organs,
251.
Gastritis, 260.
General principles of disease, 178.
Genital organs, 280.
Goitre, 243.
Goitre (bronchocele), 243.
Granular eyelids, 310.
Great Dane, 43.
Greyhound, English, description
of, 34.
illustration of, 10.
Greyhound, Italian, description of,
92.
illustration of, 388.
Grooming, 123.
Grooming for the skin, 159.
Growths around the anus, 274.
Gun-shyness, 168.
Haemorrhage, 294.
Hair, loss of, 331.
Harrier, 41.
Haw, inflamed, 306.
Heart disease, 240.
Hepatitis, 267.
chronic, 267.
Hernia, 387.
Hints as to formulae and adminis-
tration of medicine, 234.
History of the dog, 1.
Housing of dogs, 96.
Hydrocephalus, 324.
Hydrophobia, 313.
Hyperaemia, 182.
Hypertrophy, 241.
Inbreeding, 132.
Incubation of rabies, 314.
Inflamed haw, 306.
Inflammation, 181.
and abscess of the lachrymal
gland, 306.
of the middle ear, 300.
of the tongue, 250.
of the womb, 285.
Inflammatory diseases, 212.
affections of the digestive or-
gans, 257.
Influenza, 215.
Injuries to the brain, 327.
Instruments and the ear, 298.
Intelligence of the dog, 16.
Internal parasites and worms, 345.
Intestinal obstruction, 270.
Intussusception, 205.
Irish terrier, 49, 80.
water spaniel, 72, 256.
Iritis, 310.
Irregularities of the bowels, 253.
Irritability of the skin, 344.
Italian greyhound, 92, 388.
Jaundice, 266.
Kennel mixture, 343.
INDEX.
405
Lachrymal ducts, gland, 306.
Laryngitis, 216.
Laverack strain of setters, 68.
Lice, 353.
Life-history of worms, 348.
Liver, functional diseases of, 266.
degeneration of, 268,
organic affections of, 267.
Llewellin strain of setters, 68.
Local affections of the nasal pas-
sages, 232.
Lock-jaw (tetanus), 324.
Loss of hair, 344.
Lotion for the ear, 299.
Loup-Loup dog^ 78.
Malpresentations, 289.
Maltese terrier, 58.
Mammary glands, 292.
Management of dogs in health, 94.
of puppies, 158.
Mange, follicular, 332.
sarcoptic, 332.
Mastiff, description of, 83.
illustration of, 352.
Mating, 131.
Meningitis, 322.
Method of studying the dog in dis-
ease, 189.
administration of medicine, 195.
Metritis, 285.
Mexican hairless dog, 93.
Milk as food, 106.
in relation to worms, 351.
percentage composition of, 153.
secretion of, 144.
teeth, 173.
Morbid growth, 284.
Mouth, affections of, 247.
Nasal catarrh, 232.
Nephritis, 279.
Nerves, affections of, 328.
Nervous system, structure and
functions, diseases of, 312.
Neuralgia. 328.
Newfoundland, black, description
of, 78.
illustration of, 328.
other varieties, 79.
Normal temperature of the dog,
184.
Obstruction, 254, 270.
Ophthalmia, 307.
Organic affections of the liver,
267.
Origin and history of the dog, 1.
Otitis media, 300.
Otterhound, 42.
Ozaena, 234.
Paisley terrier, 58.
Paralysis, 321.
Paralytic form of rabies, 317.
Paresis, 321.
Pariah, the, 19.
Parturition, complications inci-
dent to, 288.
Pasteur's inoculations, 314.
Pastoral dogs, etc., 76.
Pathology in respiratory diseases,
213.
Pedigree in breeding, 132,
Percentage composition of milk,
153.
Percussion and auscultation, 219.
Perineal abscess, etc., 274.
Period of gestation, 137.
Peritonitis, 262.
Perverted appetite in dogs, 315.
Pharyngitis, 251.
Physical constitution resembling
man's, 17.
Physiology of the dog, 11.
Piles, 272.
Plethora. 240.
Pleurisy. 217. '
Pneumonia. 222.
Pointing instinct, 59.
406
INDEX.
Poisoning, 388.
Polypus, 301.
Pomeranian, the, description of,
78.
Poodle, description of, 75.
illustration of, 300.
Post-partum fever, 291.
Preparation for whelping, 140.
Presence of a fifth toe in large
breeds, 9.
Prevalence of disease, 206.
Prognosis in respiratory diseases,
213.
Prolapse of the rectum, 271.
of the vagina, 284.
Prophylaxis in respiratory diseases,
213.
Psychic characteristics of the dog,
15.
Pug dog, description of, 90.
illustration of, 370.
Pulse, the, 187.
Puppies, exercise and training of,
161.
feeding, 156.
management of, 158.
rearing, 150.
washing, 160.
weaning, 152.
Quality, 26.
Rabies (hydrophobia), 313.
dumb, 318.
incubation in, 314.
paralytic form, 317.
Rearing of puppies, 150.
Rectum, prolapse of, 271.
Regions, anatomical, of the dog,
26.
illustration of, 29.
Relative prevalence of disease,
208.
Remedies and their modes of use,
192.
Renal calculus, 279.
Respiration, 212.
Retention of urine, 276.
Retrievers, 73, 264.
Retrieving, 167.
Reversion, 131. • '
Rheumatism, acute, 365.
chronic, muscular, 367.
Rickets, 363.
Ringworm, 332.
plant causing, 343.
Rough collie, 77, 312.
Russian wolfhound or barzoi, 32, 37
St. Bernard, description of, 86.
illustration of, 368.
Salivary glands, 248.
Salivation, 251.
Sarcoptic mange, 332.
Schipperke, the, 92, 392.
Scotch terrier, the, 53, 104.
Secretion of milk, 144.
Sense organs, 14.
Setter and pointer form, 62.
Shedding of the teeth, 175.
Sheep dogs, 76.
Skin, care of the, 117.
diseases of, 329.
grooming, 159.
structure and functions of, 117.
Skye terrier, 53, 120.
Spaniels, 69.
the clumber, 71, 240.
the cocker, 69, 224.
the English water, 73.
the field, 69, 216.
the Irish water, 72,' 256.
the toy, 91, 384.
Spasms, 319.
Spaying, 387.
Specialism in breeding dogs, 23.
Spitz, the, 78.
Sprains and bruises, 384.
Squint, 312.
Standards, 21.
INDEX.
407
Standards, further considered, 25.
summary of views on, 33.
Stings, 392.
Stonehenge's classification, 18.
Structure of dog compared with
man's, 7.
Stud dog, care of the, 134.
Summary of views on standards,
etc., 32.
Surgery of the dog, 380.
Table of doses of drugs, 396.
Tape-worms, 346.
Teeth, the, 249.
diseases of, 249.
milk, 173.
shedding of, 175.
Temperature of whelping apart-
ment, 143.
normal, of the dog, 184.
Terriers, general physical and
psychic characteristics of, 45.
Airedale, 56, 152.
Bedlington, 57, 160.
black-and-tau, 50, 88.
bull, 55, 136.
Clydesdale, 58.
Dannie Dinmont, 56.
fox, 48, 64, 72.
Irish, 49, 80.
Maltese, 58.
other breeds of, 55.
Paisley, 58.
Scotch, 53, 104.
Skye, 53, 120.
Welsh, 56, 144.
white English (see-black-and
tan), 50, 88.
Yorkshire, 52, 96.
Tetarus, 324.
Tongue, inflammation of, 250.
Tonic treatment, 236.
Toy dogs, 89.
Toy spaniels, description of, 91.
illustration of, 384.
Treatment of fits, 319.
Treatment of the bitch after con-
ception, 137.
Tuberculosis, 231.
Tumors, 386.
Typical animal, a, 26.
Ulcers of the cornea, 309.
Umbilical hernia, 387.
Urinary system, diseases of the,
275.
Urine of the dog, 275.
Urine, retention of, 276.
Use of instruments, the, 290.
Vagina, prolapse of, 284.
Vaginitis, 284.
Variations, 9.
Venous congestion, 182.
Ventilation, 139.
Verminous bronchitis, 232.
Vertigo, 321.
Vomiting, 251.
Vulvitis, 284.
Warts, 247.
Washing the dog, 123.
puppies, 152.
Watch-dogs and house-dogs, 80.
Weaning puppies, 152.
Welsh terrier, the, 56.
Whelping, 141.
Whippet, description of, 93.
Wild and half - reclaimed dogs,
20.
Wild African dogs, 20.
American dogs, 20.
Wolfhound, Irish, description of,
36.
illustration of, 24.
Wolfhound, Russian, description
of, 37.
illustration of, 32.
Womb, inflammation of, 285.
408
Worms, 345.
diagnosis, 351.
kinds of, 348.
prevention of, 351.
round, 347.
symptoms of, 350.
INDEX.
Worms, tape, 346.
treatment of, 352.
Yorkshire terrier, 52, 96.
Zoological position of the dog, 6.
(11)
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