One of the Handy Dog Booklet Series FEEDING THE DOG By CAPT. WILL JUDY Editor of Dog World Magazine, Author of The Dog Encyclo- pedia, Training the Dog, Care of the Dog, Kennel Building and Plans, Principles of Dog Breeding, and Sirius Series P & M ANGUS GEORGE E. & HARRIETTA DWYER ROUTE 1, BOX 261K ALBANY, OREGON 97321 JUDY PUBLISHING COMPANY CHICAGO 1945 -^ First edition, 1933—3,000. Second edition, 1935 — 4,000 Third edition, 1937 — 6,000. Fourth edition, 1941 — 6,000. This edition— FIFTH— 6,000, 1945. INTRODUCTION Half a dog's pleasure in life is in eating and half his health lies in his eating. More cases of canine sickness arise out of abnormal conditions in the stomach and intestines, which conditions are caused by innproper feeding, than from any other cause. A veterinarian gives a correct or nearly correct diagnosis two of three times when he mentions digestive trouble. Improper feeding may consist of too much food, the wrong kinds of food, too many feedings, or food not prepared properly. So much has been said and written con- cerning the feeding of the dog, whether puppy or grown, that in the midst of this profusion and confusion, the dog owner is nonplussed. Not a little of all the much advice is contradictory. One person pre- sented as an authority, states that the dog should not eat potatoes ; another present- ed as an equally reliable authority, says that the dog should eat potatoes. Also, the subjects of vegetables and vitamins have been overdone in the dis- cussions of canine diet. It is well for the breeder, handler, ken- nelman and pet dog owner to bear in mind that regardless of all the advice, contra- dictory and otherwise, a happy ending will ensue if the dog has plenty of exer- cise, is kept in dry, ventilated quarters, has the proper training and human con- tacts, is fed regularly and not too often, and if all situations are met and handled by a generous application of ordinary common sense. Dogs fortunately have a habit of surviving much of man's neglect, mistreatment and wrong feeding. For whom is this booklet written? Basic- ally it is written for the dog, for man's best friend, in order that he may obtain more enjoyment out of life thru proper feeding and the consequent better health. It is written for all classes of readers — all dog owners, from the professional kennelman down to the one-dog or pet- dog owner — the layman dog owner, for expert and novice, oldtimer and beginner alike. Therefore, it must be correct scien- tifically above all other things. Second- ly, it must be complete for every impor- tant phase of the feeding of the dog. Thirdly, it must be written plainly, be conveniently arranged, and embody the latest findings in the field of canine dietary research. A— ANATOMY OF DIGESTIVE SYSTEM The following is extracted from the author's Anatomy of the Dog. The ma- terial may seem to the reader to be exten- sive and involved for inclusion in a booklet on canine feeding. Yet a clear _ under- standing of the anatomy of the digestive system is essential for a scientific ap- proach to the subject of feeding the dog. The author's aim in this booklet is to present the subject in a method that is accurate and helpful. It is urged upon the reader that he study carefully this section inasmuch as the time and effort given will be well repaid in a knowledge of his dog useful not only on the subject of feeding but on almost all other canine subjects of health and sickness. The digestive system is concerned with taking in, preiparing and disposing of food for the body. Chemical and mechani- cal changes must take place before the food which is taken into the mouth be- comes a part of the living tissues of the body. This process is known as diges- tion ; and the transfer of the digested food into energy and tissue thru the blood stream is known as assimilation. The route of the digestive system is the alimentary tract ; it may be said to extend from opening to opening, from the mouth to the anus of the rectum. It is divided into — 1. mouth. 2. esophagus. 3. stomach. 4. small intestine, 5. large in- testine. Along with these we must consider the digestive glands, the liver, spleen and pancreas. SAW-TOOTHED LOWER LIP The start of the journey is at the opening gate, the mouth, which cuts, grinds and breaks up the food for digestion. In the dog the lips being thin and mobile, do not play an important part in the seizing of food as is true with herbivorous animals such as the horse and cow. It is interesting to note that the upper lip has a central groove while the edges of the flaccid lower lip are highly dented or saw-toothed in outline. DOGS "THROW" A DRINK Water is taken into the mouth by lap- ping, a throwing-back of the tip of the tongue toward the roof of the mouth. GULPING NOT A VICE The dog chews very little at all except when crushing bones and eating hard food such as dry biscuit. Gulping is the cus- tomary, natural act of the dog. As saliva is not a particularly im^portant juice in the digestion of the food in a dog, as it is in the human, it is not necessary that the dog chew food thoroly. The shape of the teeth indicates that their function is to tear rather than to grind. The muscles of the teeth and jaws are strong because the dog does with his jaws most of the things we do with our hands. The salivary glands secrete and pour saliva into the mouth for the purpose of softening the food. These glands are named parotid, submaxilliary, sublingual, and orbital. A SUPERSTITION ABOUT DOGS The tongue is thin, long and mobile. The size and shape vary with the breed. The ue, that is, the paunch, is nour- ishing food for /puppies and grown dogs ; it should be thoroly cooked. Milk, Cheese, Eggs Milk is excellent for dogs as it is for humans. Cow's milk is one of the best foods for puppies and grown dogs. Goat's milk is especially nutritious, being rich in iron, calcium, and phosphate, and eas- ily digested and is recommended for pup- pies and ailing dogs. Milk can be dis- carded for grown dogs, however. Give the grown dog a drink of milk with his light morning meal. Buttermilk and sourmilk are excellent drinks and some- what laxative. Evaporated milk and con- densed milk are satisfactory as milk in its natural state; evaporated milk is pre- ferred to condensed milk. The feeding of milk does not cause worms and the feeding of garlic may occasionally drive out worms. Cottage cheese is excellent, in fact, few other varieties of cheese can be rcom- mended for the dog. Ice cream is a bene- ficial food. Dogs like eggs but on the whole, eggs are not desirable to any great extent; the albumin or white, either raw or cooked, is not easily digested ; raw, it is almost indigestible. Dried whole eggs are excellent 9 FEEDING THE DOG (never more than 6% by weight, of the meal). Bones We are gruilty of rank heresy when we say that bones are not desirable food for doers. They have little nutritive value ex- cept for calcium ; they are taken into the stomach in splinters and chips, only to cut, irritate, perhaps impact (stop up) the intestines. Their chief value is in cleaning the dog's teeth and srums, siviner exercise to his jaws and contentment to his mind. The best builder of strong jaws and teeth is not bones and chewing but proper whole- some food. Bones strengthen the dog's jaws, develop biting power, clean his teeth, preserve the gums and take away bad breath. Let him chew to his heart's content upon a bone ; he should have a large bones with meat on it, preferably a well cooked bone to lessen splintering, at least twice a week, whether he be a toy dog or a large dog. Chicken bones, rabbit bones and fish bones should never be fed. The danger arises out of the smallness of the bones and also out of another condition, that these bones, especially chicken bones, break off into sharp points as the dog chews them ; these points tend to catch in the throat or tear the intestines. However large these bones, they should not be fed. This applies with some force to pork bones as they also are somewhat brittle and break into shaBp points. Some dogs are utterly unable to eat bones ; vomiting and intestinal disturbance take place about twenty-four hours after the bones have been eaten. Carbohydrates and Fats Macaroni and spaghetti are excellent starchy foods and seem to be somewhat easily digested. They are most excellent especially in winter, for fattening dogs. A touch of either tomato or celery can be added to it. Whole wheat, commeal, and rice are good cereals. Whole wheat is best fed as hard or stale bread, ovendried, just before being fed. It tends also to check diarrhea. Oatmeal is rich in nitrogen, fats and mineral. It should be cooked thoroly, else it causes stomach trouble and skin dis- ease, and tends toward excessive urina- tion. Tomatoes, spinach, lettuce and carrots are recommended vegetables. They con- tain most of the known vitamins. They can be fed raw or cooked. Not a few dog owners complain that their dogs will not eat vegetables. Dogs do not relish vegetables ; they eat them only when they are very hungry or when the vegetables are mixed with meat and the like. Vegetables are to be fed to a dog not so much for nourishment as for vita- mins. They should always be a minor por- tion of the diet. They give little nutri- tion ; they build little ; they are medicinal and corrective. Some of their value lies in the mechani- cal action in stimulating intestinal move- ment, particularly as roughage. Bear in mind that dogs can be fed without any vegetables whatever and not suffer in health. 1 KNOW \ 5HOULDNT EAT THIS, 6UT IT TASTES GOOD'' Canned Dog Food Until about the year 1920, what might be termed manvifactured or commercial dog food consisted entirely of "dog bis- cuit," now known as dry food, biscuit food or cereal food. Beginning about the year 1920, canned dog food or meat dog food in cans was offered commercially. It is not to be under- stood that a pound of canned dog food is a pound of meat. The moisture or water content may vary from 40% to 70% in weight. The contents of a can consist of meat (either beef or horse), cereals, cod liver oil, perhaps wheat or com ground up, some charcoal, iodized salt and ground bone. On account of the low meat content canned dog food more correctly should be termed canned cooked food. The great demand for canned dog food has brought into the field many brands of which some are not nutritive or whole- some. However, the standard brands are wen prepared and are excellent for the dog. A dog can be maintained indefinitely on them. Canned meat has many advantages — it is convenient, will not spoil except that it may freeze, can be taken on a trip, and in the matter of price, is very economical. In 1937 the B.A.I. (Food & Drug Ad- min.) issued order 211, amending No. 10, prohibiting the phrase "fit for human con- simiption" on labels of canned dog food. Federal ins(pection is of the meat or meat by-product only. So great is the popular demand for canned dog food, particularly from owners of pet dogs, that this particular product leads most other canned products of the grocer's in gross sales. Approximately a total of $70,000,000 retail sales were made in 1941. NOTE— Effective March 2, 1942, due to war reqmrements, tin was no longer ob- tainable for cans ; and the manufacture of canned dog food ceased immediately. This situation still exists (March, 1945). FEEDING THE DOG 10 Dog Biscuit Dog biscuit has been the traditional manufactured food for dogs ; it was origi- nated in England about 1870, at first being the hardtack or biscuit which remained after a sea journey. The use of the term biscuit is based upon the large proportion of flour and other cereals. A better term is dry food. A biscuit is \isually the large size. The broken-up size is called kibble biscuit. The only difference of course is in the size. Puppy size usually is granulated. Cubes are pieces about one-half -inch square and deep. Meal is pulverized or mealy. Various elements go into the making of commercial dog biscuits by the baking pro- cess. Dog biscuits are best fed with meat and cooked vegetables. A biscuit a day will keep yellow teeth away. Biscuit is an excellent teeth cleaner for dogs. Damp and stale biscuit are unwholesome ; a short heating in the oven should be given damp biscuit. Where there are many dogs to be fed, the use of biscuit reduces the food bill greatly. It can be mixed with vegetables, with canned dog food, with fresh meat, and cooked together for an appetizing healthful dish. "My dog won't eat dog biscuit," com- iplains almost every dog owner. The dog is a wise being ; he soon learns how tender is his owner's heart. He will delay, he will wait, he will not notice the biscuit and too often his wile succeeds — he receives fresh, juicy meat. In these cases, have no mercy on your dog ; let him play his waiting game. You will do a favor to his good health by letting him become hungry ; then he will eat the biscuit with relish and with benefit. Dry Food Formula Frequent inquiries come to us for a for- mula for preparing biscuit or dried food "at home." We usually reply that it is inadvisable to attempt a homemade for- mula, inasmuch as commercially manufac- tured foods can be obtained at economical prices, cost less than homemada food.:, are prepared usually under more sanitar/ con- ditions, and have more probability of con- stituting a balanced diet with the required vitamins and minerals, enzymes or fer- ments, amino and lactic acids. The first dog biscuits ware made solely of wheat flour with or without salt ; later they consisted of wheat flour plus refuse meat. Today practically all biscuit food contains sound flesh obtained from healthy animals. A biscuit food containing waste flesh tissues or cracklings is not to be recom- mended. Cracklings (or tallow residue) consist of what's left over after boiling and rendering into fat the muscle fiberii, gristle, cartilage and skin fragments, usually from animals that have died from disease. A well-known and nutritious biscuit food has the following constituents (we quote word for word from the sales circular^ : "Stripped of all vague or mysterious ter- minology, we present in everyday language the common English names of the in- gredients used: "Meat and Bone Scraps, Wheaties, Cereal, Oatmeal, Soybean Oil Meal, Fish Meal, Yellow Com Meal, Dried Skimmed Milk, Dried Buttermilk, Barley Malt, Liver Meal, Blood Flour, Alfalfa Meal, Wheat Bran, Dried Beet Pulp, Wheat Germ, 2% Limestone, %% Salt, Cod Liver Oil Concentrate." Cod Liver Oil Cod liver oil is a well established (part of the dog's diet. It can be given to pup- pies at an early age, let us say at two months. It can be fed in the food or by spoon in liquid form, altho now it is available in capsules and powder. It can be fed thru pupipyhood and the growing age and on thru adulthood. It furnishes bone growth, tends to lessen the liability toward rickets, and in general, serves to aid in building up stamina. Most dogrs eat it greedily. Of course, too much of it can be given. It can be omitted every third day. Cod liver oil is obtained from the liver of the cod fish. Crustaceans eat seawood. which in turn contains iodine and "stored sunshine." The codfish eats the crusta- ceans. The surplusage seems to center about the liver and consequently the oil is obtained from, the liver of the cod. Charcoal Absorbs Gases Charcoal is desirable, not to sweeten the stomach as is said but to absorb gases. Charcoal acts only mechanically ; it is not digested but passes out of the bowels in- tact. Charcoat is gas thirsty; it deodorizes by absorbing gases. In the stomach and especially in the intestines, charcoal ab- sorbs gases caused by fermentation, especially carbon dioxide. Peed it once weekly, not in drinking water, but in the food in small lumps, or in ipowder. It is to be recommended as an aid _ in lessening flatulence, dyspepsia or indigestion, diarrhea and its opposite, con- stipation. Feed it just as soon as looseness of bowels indicates later diarrhea. Articles Not Beneficial Fermented or sour bread should not be fed. Stale and dried bread, especially whole wheat bread, made crisp in the oven is to be fed. At no time should the following foods be fed to a dog — sweets, puddings, fish bones, chicken bones, rabbit bones, pastry, candy and chocolate. PVied meat, smoked meat, spiced or heavily seasoned meat should not be fed. Polished rice is injurious. Potatoes should be fed sparingly and eating them constantly may produce eczema. Dogs affected with eczema or other skin diseases should eat decreased amounts of starchy food. Avoiding Poisoned Food The eating of poisoned food is always a danger to be feared. The dog poisoner, having a body like as you and I but a soul as foul as a rotted cabbage, is abroad when least expected. Feeding the dog always at the same time, at the same spot, and out of the 11 FEEDING THE DOG same dish will lessen the danger. Keetp him properly fed and he will be less in- clined to eat food proffered by strangrers. The same person or persons always should feed him. He may be trained to refuse food from strangers. Let a strangrer offer him food, then punish him for attemptiner to take it. As he approaches food on the street, in the alley or wherever it may be, warn him away ; have a stransrer place food before him while you are hidiner and out of his sight; come upon him as he ap- proaches it, frighten him and give him a punishing slap. Water for the Dog Pujppies need little drinking water as their diet includes plenty of moisture. Further, it should not be available to them at all times as they drink too much and thus are inclined to digestive trouble. Water four times a day for puppies up to six months is often enough. It should be taken away from them immediately after they have had their fill. After the age of six months and to twelve months, water should be available three times per day; thereafter two times daily. Give fresh water each time. Half the weight of a dog consists of water. It is an all-important ©art of the tissues, the secretions and the general body functions ; and as in humans, it is highly necessary to aid in carrying the nutriment thruout the digestive system and in disposing of waste cells. When the dog is very heated, let him have just a few laps ; after a time, he can drink more. Do not give water just before eating time. Drinking pans that rust should be avoid- ed. Enamelware or crockery are advisable materials for both drinking and eating dishes. Keep the water out of the sun and out of dusty places. Do not put any medicine or the like into the water. The best thing to put into the dog's drinking water is pure water. If possible, use a water pan that can be raised above the Youaooe pretends HUNGRINESS j^ t^^ floor, in order to avoid dust and other settlings. Thirsty dogs know nothing about germs and bacteria ; they drink stagnant, green- scum covered, foul water ; and it is harmful beverage. We must disagree with the statement that water should be available at all times for grown dogs. They drink too much and too often when water is available at all times. The result is digestive trouble. In cases of diarrhea, intestinal inflam- mation, gastric ulcers, and the like very little water should be given. It is safe to advise that in all digestive disorders, little water should be given, as the passage of the water only tends to irritate sore membranes. Milk or broth soups may be substituted for the time. The food dish and the water dish always should be above the dog's suspicion. These he should approach freely and without hesitation. We have never felt kindly toward the method of giving or mixing medicines in the food of the dog. He quickly resents this and thereafter, eats hesitatingly in fear or suspicion. E— SPECIAL DIETS Diet for Sick and Ailing Dogs The gastric juice of the dog's stomach is strongly acid in its reaction, as is com- mon in all meat-eating animals. Hence, if your dog is ailing in his appetite, the cause likely is gastric catarrh. He vomits ; he refuses to eat. Give him milk or broth and place lemon, orange or tomato juice or plenty of pepsin in it. Eliminate most starch foods, feed small quantities of raw meat or tripe in small pieces, and have the dog rest at least two hours after eating. For the convalescent dog or the dog of* weak stomach, a daily enema is recom- mended. Scraped or chopped raw beef, boiled lamb, small quantities of vanilla ice cream, beef juice, and the like are recommended items of the diet. When the secretion of gastric juices lessens or changes, the power to destroy infectious bacteria is lessened. Nervous- ness results and this may be a beginning factor in hysteria. Less food should be fed. As the brood bitch nears the time of whelping her puppies, she prefers soft sloppy foods. She does not swallow thick chunks. During the two weeks before whelping time, her food should be cut or chopped into small pieces. In almost all conditions of illness, not much water is to be given. Spices should be avoided. Soft boiled eggs, minced liver, barley broth can be offered. Spiced and salted food should be avoided in sickness and in health alike. Ground liver, cooked veal and raw meat in small quantities also can be fed to convalescing dogs, on the theory that food must be easily digestible. FEEDING THE DOG 12 If the dogr's pulse is low, heart weak, and death is threatened, srive whiskey and milk in equal parts as emersrency aid. Vomiting Aids Sick Dog Vomiting: is not to be despised either in dog or humans. A greater practice of it would be advisable for ourselves. The strong muscular coating of the dog's stomach makes it easy for him to vomit. Also the nerve center in the brain con- trolling the act of vomiting is highly developed in the dog. The soft palate also is short. Let your dog vomit to his stomach's content; he is a greedy eater and the vomiting relieves a bad condition or frees his stomach of injurious substances. If he eats grass, he does so chiefly for the sensation and the resulting vomiting. The eating of his own vomit by the dog is not undesirable. Let him do so. This food already acted upon by the gastric juice, is easily digested. Mothers at times vomit their food for the young to eat. To check vomiting, give bismuth sub- gallate. Dogs eat grass chiefly as a cure for too much bile. The fibrous parts of the grass irritate the mucous membranes, and then are vomited, having particles of bile clinging to them. Let the dog eat as much grass as he pleases, esipecially tough, rough wide stalks. Gulping the Food When a dog is eating, even tho he is a one-man dog and you are the one man, do not place your hand or face near his face. At eating time, keep away from your dog. If you do not and he growls at you, do not punish him. His ancestors and not he are grrowling at you. For countless centuries his ancestors were half-starved most of the time and when they did come upon some game or other food in the woods, the one who had it fought to keep it as a matter of life or death by starvation. This condition explains why almost all dogs gulp their food. When game was come upon, the dog was required to de- vour his portion quickly lest the others take it from him. The gulping habit he has brot with him into man's civilization. We have set forth the very short time food remains in the dog's stomach. Saliva in the mouth gives little aid to the gastric juice in the stomach. Hence, it is not important in the dog's diet. The dog mas- ticates or chews little. Food is separated mostly in the back of the mouth by the scissor-like molar teeth and bolted or gulped as soon as the pieces are small enough to be swallowed. Value of Chewing Large pieces of food which mast be nibbled or chewed are desirable because the chewing cleans the teeth and removes from the gums the matter that harbors pyorrhea and other germs. Chewing as an aid to digestion matters little. Dry food requiring chewing cleans the dog's teeth and gums. Bones aid in "splintering off" the flinty film of tartar. The Dog Without Appetite As long as your dog eats heartily, he can not be seriously ill ; when he does not eat, he cannot be well. In case of doubt regarding a dog's stomach condition, feed him little or not at all for some time. A short hunger period will prove a tonic. If the dog is off-feed, has no appetite, and is listless, do not feed him for twenty- four hours. Tou will not be inflicting a hardship but a favor. In truth, a full day's fast about every two weeks for a grown dog is the finest kind of medicine. : To coax the off-feed dog to eat, offer malted milk tablets or any like sweet food. A little sirup mixed with the food is a temptation. Canned fish may whet the appetite. It is difficult to starve a dog; dogs have gone for a week without food and have not suffered ; in a few instances they have been known to be without food or water for four weeks, and in one extreme case, fifty-seven days, and have been brot back to normal condition. You will regret your kindness if you feed your dog from the table as you are eating or if you permit him in the dining room while you are eating; he will pester you until he becomes a nuisance and you will yield to his begging. Diet for Pregnant Bitches An extensive use of vegetables in the ration of the pregnant bitch may tend to overload the intestines. Plenty of meat, usually lean raw meat, is recommended. During the last few days of pregnancy, bones should not be fed. Milk of magnesia should be given to the pregnant bitch twice each week during the entire period of pregnancy. Also calcium phosphate, calcium lactate, calcium glu- conate (tablets or injections), or any good mineral conditioning powder can be given during pregnancy. These recommendations well can be applied to the nursing bitch also. F— DIET FOR PUPPIES Weaning and Feeding The puppy at its mother's breast suckles when it pleases. Puppies are weaned at about the age of six weeks ; the mother attends to this inasmuch as at this age the puppies' teeth begin to bite hard and the mother feels the pain. Weaning may begin as early as the age of four weeks, or it may be prolonged to seven and eight weeks of age. Shortly before the age of five weeks, some soaked toast, or crust, some beef broth, and some softboiled eggs should be given in small quantity to the puppies so that the weaning will not be too sudden change. A very small quantity of cooked chopped meat can be fed. The bitch's milk is richer in food value for the puppies than is cow's milk; there- fore, the change should be made gradually. To each pint of cow's milk add a level teaspoonful of sugar of milk and the yel- low of one esg' A teaspoonful of lime water added, lessens the tendency of cow's milk to "belch" in the puppy's stomach. 13 FEEDING THE DOG Digestive System ^ ^. v« Anus (Appendix) Stnall Intestine Do^ World/ Finely ground meat with very little fat in it, rubbed on the whiskers or muzzle as early as the age of three weeks teaches puppies to lick it off and be anxious for solid lean meat by the time they are six weeks old- Feeding, as the author points out in his work Principles of Dog Breeding, does not bring oversize; it may bring fatness. Size is a mould determined by heredity. The bone structure is determined by the parent ftnd not by the diet. "StuflT' a Puppy It is a safe rule to stuff the puppies every day until they are well on the way to maturity. You can hardly overfeed a puppy. Every day the puppy is growing almost visibly ; there is tremendous need of building increased stamina, which must be obtained thru food and exercise. It is good policy to "feed often — not too much at a time." Beware of bullies in a litter. Peed the puppies individually; if they are fed in a group, the strongrer ones push the weaker ones away. To feed puppies individually, use a trough partitioned so that each pt«ppy is placed in a stall of its own. Nursing "Orphans" Evaporated milk and water in equal (luantities with some added cream mixed in with an es« beater, is excellent for puppies removed from the mother's breast at an early age. Puppies can be alter- nated between the mother's breast and a pan of milk. If nursing puppies lose their mother, powdered milk can be used but should not be diluted greatly. If cow's fresh milk be used, cream should be added to bring tiie fat and protein content more nearly to that of the bitch's milk. See also page 16. Feed from a nursing bottle, using the rubber end of an "eye dropper" or if puppies are very small, insert milk in mouth with eye dropper. Feed at a temperature of about 900, every two to three hours. Various Digestive Puppy Ills If young puppies vomit, likely it is due to a change in the mother's milk or to digestive disturbances in the puppy itself. Remove the puppy from the mother and grive peppermint water. Constipated puppies can be taken care of easily by griving a few drotps of milk of magnesia or mineral oil. If castor oil is used, it should be followed by mineral oil within a few hours. Constipation is dangerous in puppies and should be taken care of inomediately, else it may lead to death. Also check rectum ; the opening may be caked. Diarrhea in puppies should be stop«>ed promptly. No water at any time. Castor oil, preferably with a few drops of (paregoric, should be given. Give boiled milk for drinking. Put kaolin in it — an even teaspoon per half pint. Barley water or thin oatmeal is useful in this and in almost all cases where there is intestinal trouble. Dj^entery, which is evidenced by loose, bloody stools, is serious. Follow the sug- gestions under diarrhea and add small doses of bismuth subgallate. A test for acidity in the milk is made by dipping a strip of blue litmus paper in milk; it turns a red color if acidi^ is present. Some dogrs, like some hunums cannot tolerate milk. G— HOW OFTEN TO FEED Time Required for Digestion Eighteen hours is the average time for food to pass thru the digestive system of the adult dog. Pap or soup mixtures begin to pass out of the stomach in about five minutes and within a half-hour the stomach is entirely emptied. From the stomach the food passes to the small in- testine and from the small intestine into the large inestine, to lodge as refuse in the colon until it passes out thru the rectum. Coleson in Paris in 1931 found out by radiographic tests that food in the stomach of the normal dog required 15 to 28 hours to pass entirely out of the stomach. Pan? is entirely out of the small intestine within six hours, beginning to leave about three hours after the pap is received. Solid food passes more slowly. After it is in the stomach for an hour, it begins to flow in the small intestine. After ten hours the stomach is entirely emptied. The little intestine retains the food for about ten hours. The colon retains the FEEDING THE DOG 14 food for twelve hours. These period over- lap, or a total period of about eighteen hours. If a normal meal be fed early in the morning, and a second meal at noon, the second meal can be taken out of the stomach in the evening almost in its con- dition when fed. Both stomach and small intestine should be empty when feeding is done ; after an hour, some of the food is already out of the stomach into the small intestine. The greatest activity is during the first five hours ; after this, the activity slows until about the tenth hour and by the eighteenth hour, digestion is comipleted. About two hours more is needed for the undigested and the refuse materials to be ejected by the bowels. Little digestion takes place in the dog's stomach. While food is being digested in the intestines, additional food entering the stomach, remains there, giving an added burden and not nourishment. All this indicates that one meal per day is advisable for the adult dog and that frequent meals result in digestive dis- turbances and consequent ills. Mistaken Kindness A kind heart leads the owner to feed his dog too often. Let not the dog's pleading liquid eyes conquer you ; he will seek to deceive so that you think him faint of hunger ; he will beg for food and yet more food tho his stomach be crammed. It is a never-tiring game with him ; the weakness of a dog is his stomach ; you can win his heart and soul and devotion by way of his stomach ; much of the pedagogy of training a dog is based upon influencing him thru his desire to eat. H— QUANTI How Much Shall be Fed? The quantity of food to be fed a dog depends on the breed, age and manner of life. Dogs having much exercise, especially outdoors, need about forty (percent more food than the amount needed when they are inactive. Where milk is indicated, broth, soup or other similar liquids also can be substituted. Quantities for Small Breeds The menu noted hereinafter for toy puppies is fully applicable to puppies of all breeds. Toy dogs embrace the following breeds — chihuahua, English toy spaniel, grififon (Bmssells), Italian greyhound, Japanese spaniel, maltese, Mexican hairless, mini- ature pinscher, papillon, Pekingese, pom- eranian, pug, toy poodle, toy Manchester, YoFshire terrier, affenpinscher and amertoy. What to Feed For dogs classed as TOY DOGS the quantity to be fed is: From six weeks (weaning time) to four months, feed four times a day. Feed one-half cup of milk and cereal or "baby food" at each of two meals and for each of the other two meals about one and one-half ounces of solid food each meal. If you love your dog, do not feed him too often. It is an act of kindness to feed a grown dog only once a day. Better health, a good appetite, clean teeth, clear eyes, pure breath and lively movements will be the happy results. Daily Hour Schedule Dogs from six weeks to ten weeks old regardless of breed, may be fed five times a day ; from ten weeks to four months, four times a day ; from four months to eight months, three times a dog; from eight months to fifteen months, twice a day ; thereafter once a day. Few breeds are fully developed until the age of fifteen months ; the larger breeds are not entirely matured until about the age of two years. A dog attains his full height before he attains his full weight and matured or finished growth. The hours for feeding, whether the dog be fed one or five times each day, should be the same hours day after day. After a time, the dog will know almost to a minute just when feeding time is at hand. He is a good clock as well as a good watch. If your dog is a watchdog, feed him not later than four o'clock in the afternoon, for a dog with a full stomach is a sleepy dog. If he is inclined at night to bark to the neighbor's annoyance, feed him heavily in the evening. If the dog is excited or very exhausted from exercise, let him rest for a half hour before feeding. Do not feed dogs within three hours before hunting, auto riding or much exercise. A house dog, especially while being housebroken, should be taken on his daily walk immediately after feeding, as then nature aids him in relieving himself. ry TO FEED From 4 to 8 months, feed three times a day. Give a half cup of milk and food for one meal and three ounces of food for each of the other two meals. From 8 to 15 months, feed twice a day; one meal, a half cup of milk and food, and for the other meal, four ounces of food. After 15 months, feed once a day, about six ounces solid food, giving milk and bread or cereal for a light lunch in the morning. Midway between meals, a biscuit can be chewed on. Quantities for Medium-Sized The medium-sized breeds include the following breeds — beagle, bedlington ter- rier, Boston terrier, cairn terrier, dachs- hund, dandie dinmont terrier, foxterrier. French bulldog, harrier, Irish terrier, Manchester terrier, poodle, schipperke. schnauzers both miniature and medium, spitz, Scottish terrier, sealyham terrier, Shetland sheepdog, cocker spaniel, Welsh terrier. West Highland white terrier, whip- pet, puli, Norwich terrier, border collie, and Lhasa apso. For the medium-sized breeds and small breeds larger than toy breeds (maturing 15 to 30 pounds), the following schedule can be maintained: € weeks to 4 months, feed four times a n FEEDING THE DOG day — a three-quarter cup of milk and food two times and four ounces of food for each of the other two. 4 months to 8 months, feed three times a day — a large cup of milk once and seven ounces of food twice. 8 months to 15 months, feed two times a day — a large cuip of milk with toast, cereal and commercial dog food, for one meal, and a generous twelve ounces of food for the other meal. After 15 months, feed a drink of milk in the morning with light food, and a pound of food in the late afternoon. Feeding Large-Sized Dogs The large breeds (31 to 60 pounds) in- clude the following breeds — Afghan hound, airedale terrier, Belgian sheepdog, bouvier de Flandres, briard, bulldog, bull- terrier, Chespeake Bay, chow chow, collie, dalmatian, foxhound both the American and the English, greyhound, wirehaired pointing griffon, kerry blue terrier, Nor- wegian elkhound. Old English sheepdog, otterhound, doberman pinscher, retriever, saluki, samoyede, setter (English, Irish and Gordon), spaniel (clumber, field, Irish water, springer and Sussex), Staffordshire terrier, American water spaniel. For the large-sized breeds (maturing 31 to 60 pounds) the schedule to be main- tained is as follows: 6 weeks to 4 months old, feed four times a day — one and one-half cups of milk and light food two times and eight ounces of food for each of the other two. 4 months to 8 months old, feed three times a day — ^two cups of milk with light food once, and twelve ounces of food twice. • Smooth fox terrier puppies "at it' 8 months to 15 months old. feed two times a day — one and one-half cups of milk with light food for one meal and twenty ounces of food for the other meal. After 15 months, feed once a day, up to two pounds of food but give a drink of milk with light food in the morning. For breeds maturing 61 to 99 pounds, increase the foregoing ONE-HALF. These breeds include Scottish deerhound, giant schnauzer, great Pyrenees, borzoi, blood- hound. For extra large breeds (100 to 200 pounds), such as dane, mastiff, Newfound- land, St. Bernard and Irish wolfhound, these quantities should easily be DOUBLED. The frequent specification for milk is not to be interpreted that it is essential. Broths, soups, and other moisture can be substituted. Many puppies are reared with- out a drop of milk after six weeks of age. I— FEEDING EQUIPMENT Keep the food dish clean. Do not permit grease to harden in it. Wash it daily with hot water. Keep the scum from harden- ing on it. A heavy flat dish, with the outside bottom wider than the top rim, can not be toppled over and can not be moved easily. (See illustration next page.) Do not use the food dish as a water dish. Remove the food dish out of sight as soon as the dog has finished. Dogs of long ears such as setters and spaniels, should eat out of dishes of small opening. After a dog has eaten all he cares for, take away the food. Do not have food available to him at all times ; otherwise, he will not have an appetite at any time. Individual feeding dishes lessen the op- portunity for puppies, usually the bullies of the litter, to overfeed and to have such stuffed paunches that, particularly if in- fested with round worms, they sit long on their haunches, their thighs extended out- ward, which habit intensifies cowhock tendencies. J— MISCELLANEOUS AND CONCLUSION A change in dog food or a new dog food usually makes the dog laxative for about five days. Any dog food, however good, becomes tasteless after a time; every fourth day, change the diet. When introducing a new food, have the dogs hungry, else they will not eat it as they have an instinctive suspicion of a strange eatable. One pound of powdered milk mixed with ten pounds of water gives the consistency of original skim milk (milk from which the fat content — cream, has been re- moved). Feed this to growing puppies if fresh milk is not obtainable. Dry or powdered milk has an abundance of lactose, which in turn fights bacterial action from decay in the colon. Estimated cost of proper feeding of fifteen dogs of a small-to-medium sized breed is $3.00 per dog per month. Keep dog food away from kerosene, onions and the like to avoid odors. Keep in a cool dry place, preferably in covered metal containers. Monotonous diet, unchanged week after week, tends to make dogs less potent sexually. Hulled bran, such as humans eat, tends to relieve constipation, but rough bran, such as fed to horses, tends to check diarrhea. FEEDING THE DOG r- 16 • This equipment for holding food and water pans or dishes keeps them off the ground or floor, out of the dust, and prevents "shoving." It is only chicken bones, not chicken meat, which should not be fed to dogs. The rule to feed dogs in quantity ac- cording to their weight, is unreliable ; various factors such as age, exercise, health and the like must be considered. A pinch of salt should be thrown into the regular food of the dog, about every other day — a simple thing yet most dog owners woefully neglect to add this neces- sary item. Worthy of Your Dog? The dog has come to us from the wilds. He is the one species out of the more than one hundred thousand of the animal king- dom which without whip or harness, with- out compulsion or fear, has come gladly to man to live by his side and be his servant. In return for this complete loyalty, de- votion, unselfishness and love, every dog is entitled to receive the best care and feeding. To own a dog is an obligation ; the dog owner should be worthy of his dog. He who does not assume gladly the loving task of feeding, grooming and car- ing for his dog and keeping his dog from running at large, is not worthy of owning 9 -dog. . Feed 'your dog properly ; feed wholesome food ; have a care for him ; and he will show you your reward in his clear eye, wagging tail, joyous bark and a loyalty that ends only with death. • Well designed dog food or water dish; note wide base and smaller top. Feeding the Dog is one of the twelve booklets in the HANDY DOG BOOKLET series. The other eleven are: Laws about Dogs, How to Ship Dogs, Whelping of Puppies, Dog Shows and Rules, Housebreaking the Dog, The Dog in the Show Ring, Handling the Dog Mating, Stud Dog's Care and Management, Anatomy of the Dog, Puppies and Their Care, How t© Sell Dogs. The price is 25c each, 3 for 50c, 7 for $1, 13c each for 8 or more, or the total series of 12 for $1.50, cash or C.O.D. (Durably bound in book form, $2.50.) WARTIME ADDENDA As we send this 5th edition to press, our government has re-established ration points on most meat products. But heart, liver, kidneys, tripe, brains, sweetbreads, ox tails, meat trimmings, etc. (also horse meat, fish, wild game) remain free. Dry dog food is as abundant as previ- ously. Dog owners are buying it gener- ously for the government report of 1943 sales of this product gave a total figure of 906,000,000 lbs., which at an average retail price of 12c lb., represents an out- lay of $108,720,000 (1941 canned dog food sales totaled approximately $70,000,000, based on 10c per pound can). The dog owner need not worry greatly over wartime rationing. Stews offer a way out. Table scraps, meat trimmings, vegetables, available meat and gland products as mentioned, even chicken heads and feet, turnip tops, and so on as the ingenuity of the housewife invents — all can be put into the omnibus pot for a nutritious stew. And if this be added to dry biscuit food, our dogs can thrive under the severe con- ditions of wartime food rationing without lessening the human food supply by a single pound. — W. J.