to soften them, and draw some milk off night and morning. In the second
case, simply draw some of the milk off, and avoid if possible putting
anything on the glands, in case you should injure the puppies or put
them off their feed. In the case of bitches having milk who have not
been pregnant, purgative medicine—castor oil is the best—should be given
once or twice a week, and the glands rubbed with camphorated spirits,
or dabbed with a lotion made with two tablespoonfuls of gin and half a
pint of water. When the milk collects in large quantities as to cause
discomfort, it must be drawn off; but this should be avoided if possible,
as it has a tendency to stimulate secretion. Give the food dry; biscuits
are the best.
It is most important to thoroughly attend to maiden bitches when in this
condition, otherwise the milk curdles and becomes hard, and this is the
commencement of mammary tumours.
=Larynx (Inflammation of)=:
_Symptoms_: A dry, husky cough, the dog after coughing retches as if
about to vomit. If neglected, may go on to bronchitis. It is very
contagious.
_Treatment_: An emetic gives immediate relief, give from one quarter[1]
to a grain of tartar emetic shaken dry on the tongue, also give the
following mixture:—
_Recipe_:
Liquor Hydrochlorate of Morphia, 2 drachms.
Syrup of Squills, ½ ounce.
Syrup of Tolu, ½ ounce.
Syrup of Lemons, ½ ounce.
Water to 3 ounces.
_Doses_: From half a teaspoonful to a dessertspoonful[1] two, three, or
four times a day, according to the severity of the cough.
Also give purgative medicine. Holding the head over hot water, in which a
little Friar’s balsam has been mixed, gives relief, and so do the fumes
of burning cresoline.
The dog should be kept dry and warm; in fact, in one temperature for a
few days.
=Lead Poisoning=:
_Symptoms_: Blue line on gums, vomiting, loss of appetite, great thirst,
generally constipation, but there may be diarrhœa. Colicky pains, and in
some cases convulsions, followed by paralysis of the hind legs.
_Treatment_: Give Epsom salts, from ten grains[1] to one ounce in some
sweetened milk. Also a course of iodide of potassium, from half to four
grains in from one teaspoonful[1] to a tablespoonful of water. For the
treatment of the paralysis, see Paralysis.
=Leucorrhœa=:
_Symptoms_: A pale, yellowish discharge from vulva. May occur before
heat, but more often afterwards, and frequently seen after pupping.
_Treatment_: Syringe with a weak tepid solution of Condy’s fluid,
about half a teaspoonful to half a pint of water. If the discharge is
persistent, syringe with one drachm of powdered burnt alum in half a pint
tepid water night and morning.
Give tonics, as from half[1] to three grains of sulphate of iron (made
into a pill), two or three times a day.
=Lice=:
_See_ INSECT.
=Liniment=:
The following is a soothing liniment for recent cases of sprains and
injuries to joints, etc.:—
_Recipe: The Liniment_:
Tincture Hydrocyamus, 4 drachms.
Methylated Chloroform, 4 drachms.
Spirits of Camphor, 1 ounce.
Soap Liniment, 2 ounces.
Mix.
Apply with friction night and morning.
A stimulating liniment for bronchitis, sore throat, pneumonia, etc.:—
_Recipe_: _The Liniment_:
Strong Solution of Ammonia (Liq. Ammon. Fort.), 3 drachms.
Soap Liniment to 4 ounces.
Mix.
Apply with friction night and morning.
_A Liniment for Chronic Sprains, Enlarged Joints, and Glands_:
Colourless Tincture Iodine, 2 ounces.
Soap Liniment, 2 ounces.
Mix.
Apply with friction once a day.
=Lips (Cracked)=:
_Symptoms_: The lips along the edges become dry, thick, and crack as the
result of eczema.
_Treatment_: Paint once or twice a day with sulphurated calcium lotion;
when cracks healed, anoint with boracic ointment. Give cooling medicine,
as bicarbonate of potash and sulphate of magnesia, from two to ten grains
of each,[1] twice a day with food.
=Lips (Sore)=:
_Symptoms_: Unhealthy-looking ulcers assuming the form of cancer or lupus
occasionally form on the lips.
_Treatment_: Clean frequently with a saturated solution of boracic acid,
and paint the ulcer with a twenty-five per cent. solution of chromic acid
twice a week.
=Liver (Sluggish)=:
_Symptoms_: Indifferent appetite and loss of condition, the coat staring;
bowels constipated, and the motions white or slate colour. Dog vomits in
the morning. Tongue white and coated, and the breath foul. Eyes congested.
_Treatment_: Give from one to six grains[1] of grey powder, which repeat
in a few days; also give a course of the following:—
_Recipe_:
Bicarbonate of Soda, 2 drachms.
Tincture Rhubarb, 4 ”
Tincture Nux Vomica, 1 drachm.
Water to 6 ounces.
From one teaspoonful to a tablespoonful[1] three times a day.
_Diet_: Spratt’s biscuits soaked in soup, with green vegetables added.
[Illustration: A lever for forcibly opening the jaws in cases of
‘Lock-jaw’]
=Lock-jaw=:
_Symptoms_: A rare disease, but occurs occasionally, the result of injury
to the head or severe hurt to the eye, and may result from sunstroke.
It is seldom that the whole body as well as the jaw is affected in the
dog as in other animals and people, and, as a rule, it assumes a chronic
form. Though the dog is unable to open his mouth, he is generally able
to suck in fluid food, as milk with eggs and strong beef-tea. The muscles
of the head become much wasted.
_Treatment_: At first give sedatives, as from two to ten grains[1] each
of hydrated chloral and bromide of potassium in water three or four times
a day. After a time, means must be taken by aid of levers to gently force
the jaws apart. It must be done very gradually by increasing the extent
of the opening a little more each day. The treatment requires to be
continued some time to obtain permanent beneficial results; but directly
the dog is able to open his mouth a little, encourage the gnawing of
bones.
=Lumbago=:
_Symptoms_: A form of rheumatism affecting the loins. The dog shows signs
of much pain when walking or upon pressure to the parts. Dogs affected
with lumbago often lose all power for a time in the hind legs; in fact,
it is the cause of many cases of paraplegia.
_Treatment_: _See_ RHEUMATISM.
=Lungs (Inflammation of)=:
_Symptoms_: Not a common ailment of dogs, except in cases of distemper or
influenza, but it may result from cold. The attack generally commences
with rigors or shivering; the temperature rises to 103 or 104, in some
cases even higher; pulse is increased in frequency, full and hard. The
breathing is quick, and at each expiration the dog may give a suppressed
grunt. The chest is tender on pressure. If the ear is put to the chest,
crepitation will be detected; and as the disease advances, the parts of
the lungs affected become quite dull, and there are no sounds to be heard
except the air passing in and out of the large tubes. At the commencement
of the attack, the dog may have a husky cough, but it generally stops
after a day or so, to commence again later. The dog is generally off his
food, and the eyes are congested.
_Treatment_: Place the dog in a jacket lined with thermogen wool, or
apply hot linseed-meal poultices right round chest. If no better on
second day, apply a blister to front of chest; the liquor epipasticus
is as good as anything. The hair must first be cut off closely over the
part, and the blister rubbed into the skin for five minutes. If the
skin is not blistered the next day, rub a little red blister ointment
into the place. Care must be taken that the dog is not allowed to lick
the blisters, as they are poisonous. For medicine give from one[1] to
ten grains of phenacetin every six hours to reduce the temperature, but
it must not be continued for long; brandy may also be given in small
quantities often. If the dog becomes very weak and the pulse feeble, give
every four or six hours from two[1] to ten drops of Tincture Digitalis,
with from one[1] to five drops of Tincture Nux Vomica, in water. In bad
cases the inhalation of oxygen relieves the distressing breathing. It is
important to keep the bowels open; in fact, it is generally a good plan
to give a purge at first. The diet must be light, and consist of milk,
beef-tea, meat extracts, and such like food.
=Lupus=:
_See_ LIPS (SORE).
=Maggots=:
Dogs with a long coat kept in a dirty state sometimes become infested
with maggots, especially in those parts near the tail.
_Treatment_: Wash daily for a week with Pearsons fluid diluted eighty
times with warm water. Afterwards dry and comb out all mats. In very bad
cases it is best to cut the hair off short.
=Mange (Sarcoptic or Common)=:
_Symptoms_: This disease, which is very contagious from one dog to
another, and readily caught by people, is due to a small insect. The
complaint once contracted soon spreads more or less all over the body,
but the most favourite spots for it to attack is the skin around the
eyes, the outside of the ears, the elbows, and the outside of the hind
legs, as well as the skin covering the abdomen, and underneath parts
of the chest. Small red spots like flea-bites appear where the insect
burrows into the epidermis, and the acrid matter which they excrete sets
up intolerant irritation, causing the dog to constantly scratch, breaking
the coat, which is now very brittle, and leaving bare patches, besides
injuring the skin and creating sores which dry and scab. If there is any
doubt about the case, the skin should be scraped where bad with a knife,
and the scrapings examined under a microscope, and if the disease is
mange the parasite will be found.
_Treatment_: The disease is easily cured, and the specific remedy is
powdered sulphur, one part mixed with eight parts of vegetable oil, which
should be thoroughly well rubbed all over the dog every four days for
three times; three or four days after the last dressing, the dog may be
washed.
It is important to thoroughly disinfect the kennels by fumigation, and
well washing the walls and floors with a strong solution of Pearson’s
fluid; also all the collars, leads, combs, and brushes used for the dog,
should be disinfected by baking or soaking in a solution of Pearson’s
fluid.
=Mange (Follicular)=:
A skin disease confined principally to puppies, though adult dogs do
occasionally contract it. It is not contagious to people.
_Symptoms_: It is a slowly progressive disease, and may commence with a
single circular bare patch, about the size of a shilling, on the face or
side of nose. The disease is, of course, not confined to the head, as
the first sign may appear on some part of the body or one of the legs.
The patch is generally of a dirty grey colour, and upon which will be
found a number of reddish pimples or elevations of the skin, somewhat
larger than those seen in ordinary mange; some contain a blood-coloured
fluid, others ordinary pus, or matter tinged with blood, which is easily
evacuated by squeezing. This fluid contains the parasite, which looks,
when examined under the microscope, like a small silk-worm.
As time goes on, the original patch increases in size and others form,
the pimples break, one running into another, and unhealthy-looking
sores result. When these wounds heal, the skin has a dry, corrugated
appearance, and little excrescences of skin are formed, and the hair does
not always grow again.
The skin in follicular mange generally turns a dark greyish-blue or black
colour, and the disease is called by some people “black mange”.
_Treatment_: It is a most unsatisfactory disease to treat, for often
after months of hard work the dog is no better, but on the contrary
is much worse, the disease having progressed in spite of everything.
If the patient is not a valuable dog, and the attack a bad one, it is
much better to destroy him at once; however, when it is decided to give
the dog a chance, treatment should commence by having the dog, if a
long-coated one, clipped all over, so that the sores may be got at, and
then dress him all over with the following:—
_Recipe_:
Black Sulphur, 2 ounces.
Kerosene, 4 ounces.
Olive Oil, 4 ounces.
Cocoa-nut Oil, 4 ounces.
Castor Oil, 4 ounces.
Wright’s Solution of Coal Tar, 1 ounce.
Well mix.
With this, dress the dog all over once a week, but before each dressing
have him thoroughly washed, using Cook’s 3% mercurial soap, and carefully
dry before applying the dressing. To the spots apply Naphthol Beta
ointment daily. If this does not heal them, then dab on the sores twice
a day peroxide of hydrogen (20 volumes). For a change, the sores may be
dressed with the following:—
_Recipe_:
Oil of Cade, } Equal parts mixed together.
Methylated Spirits, }
Green Soft Soap, }
In treating follicular mange a change of dressing to the sores is
necessary. During the treatment an occasional course of arsenic often
does good; give from one[1] to five drops of liquor arsenicalis in water
after food; gradually increase the dose to from two[1] to ten drops.
Continue the medicine for about three weeks at a time, and after a week’s
interval give it again as before.
=Marasmus=:
_Symptoms_: Loss of condition, colour, flesh, and strength.
_Treatment_: A raw meat diet with tonics, or the following pills:—
_Recipe_:
Reduced Iron, 12 to 48 grains.[1]
Arsenic, ⅟₁₂th to ¼th ”
Extract Gentian, 6 to 20 ”
Mix.
Divide into 12 pills. One twice a day after food.
Cod-liver oil is also advised after food, from half a teaspoonful[1] to a
tablespoonful twice a day.
=Mastitis (Inflammation of Breast)=:
_Symptoms_: This complaint is not uncommon in bitches when nursing
puppies. One or more of the milk-glands may be affected. The breast is
swollen, red, and very tender. The bitch is off her feed, and there is
often a good deal of fever. An abscess generally forms, which should be
lanced as soon as it becomes soft and points.
_Treatment_: Hot water fomentations are the best, as it is difficult to
apply poultices when a bitch is nursing puppies. If the temperature is
very high, from two[1] to ten grains of salicylate of soda may be given
three or four times a day.
After the abscess has been opened, or has broken, tonics as from a
quarter of a grain[1] to one grain of sulphate of quinine should be given
three times a day.
=Meningitis (Inflammation of the Membranes of the Brain)=:
_Symptoms_: Occasionally occurs in young puppies, particularly when
suffering from worms, but is more often the result of a protracted attack
of distemper.
In young puppies, the patient rolls its head from side to side, is
constantly whining and crying, has convulsions, and the head is burning
hot. When the result of distemper, convulsions are always present, the
dog champs the jaws, emitting a quantity of frothy saliva. These are
what are called distemper fits. The eyes are congested, and there are
generally two, three, or more degrees of fever. The patient is frequently
crying or whining, denoting evident signs of pain. As a rule, in these
cases the patient becomes greatly emaciated and very weak—in fact,
paralysed; and often, as the inflammation extends to the spinal cord,
which it frequently does, chorea or St. Vitis’s dance sets in, which is
practically incurable.
_Treatment_: When occurring in young puppies, worm medicine should always
be given; and to allay the pain and stop the convulsions, small doses
of bromide of potassium be given—from two[1] to five grains in a little
milk three or four times a day. Ice may also be applied to the head in
a sheep’s bladder. When the convulsions have quite stopped, small doses
of cod-liver oil do good. When meningitis follows distemper, if the
attack is a bad one, there is little hope of recovery, and as a result
the proper course to pursue is to have the dog mercifully put out of his
misery. However, people seldom will agree to this without, as they say,
giving the dog a chance, and when the case is not a bad one recovery is
not impossible, though the chances are greatly against it, for usually
it is a progressive disease. If the bowels are not operating (but there
is generally diarrhœa) give a dose of castor oil, and commence a course
of bromide of strontia at once. Give from two[1] to ten grains, or even
fifteen grains, if the dog is a very big one, every three, four, or six
hours, according to the severity of the case. Apply an ice-bag to the
head for a quarter of an hour or longer at a time, and put a seton in
the back of the neck, just behind the ears, which dress with turpentine
ointment. Keep the dog absolutely quiet in a dark room, and feed entirely
on a liquid diet—as milk, with white of egg; Benger’s food or toast; and
some beef-tea. Brand’s essence or rabbit soup may be given occasionally,
but those latter foods are more stimulating than nourishing. The milk
foods mentioned are perfect food, and will support the dog an indefinite
time. For the treatment of chorea and paralysis, see the articles on
those subjects.
The bromide must be continued for some time, even though the convulsions
stop, but given in less quantities.
=Milk=:
It is not generally known how much stronger or more nourishing a bitch’s
milk is than cow’s milk, and when I had some samples analysed I was
surprised myself. Below I give the analysis of a fair sample of each
kind:—
Cow’s. Bitch’s.
Water, 87·4 66·3
Butter, 4·0 14·8
Sugar and Soluble Salts, 5·0 2·9
Caseine and Insoluble Salts, 3·6 16·0
Practically a bitch’s milk is nearly three times as strong as a cow’s,
and yet people, when giving the latter to puppies, often dilute it with
one-third of water, and thus add to its weakness. Consequently a much
larger quantity has necessarily to be given to a puppy for it to derive
sufficient nourishment to sustain it, and as a result the stomach is
over-distended. Indigestion follows, and the puppies do not thrive. All
breeders must have noticed how often puppies go back directly artificial
food is given them, even before being entirely weaned, and this, no
doubt, is in a great measure due to improper food in overloading the
stomach with a quantity of waste and superfluous fluid. Even when cow’s
milk is given pure, nearly three times the quantity in bulk ought to be
given than if bitch’s milk is used, and it is thus seen at a glance how
a puppy’s stomach, which is naturally small, is over-distended. A dog’s
digestive organs are arranged to receive food in a concentrated form—as,
for instance, dogs in nature eat only meat, and until they get this food
they have nothing else but the dam’s milk, which is also a concentrated
food. When about five or six weeks old the mother goes out in search of
food, and comes back with her stomach loaded, which, after a time, when
it is partially digested, she ejects by vomiting, and this the puppies
eat, and thus they get naturally partially-digested food suitable for a
puppy’s delicate stomach.
To treat cow’s milk so as to make it as like bitch’s milk as possible,
to every three-quarters pint of the former add two and a half ounces of
cream—that is, about three tablespoonfuls—two and a quarter ounces of
plasmon, and five ounces of water. First mix the plasmon with the water,
add the milk and slowly boil in an enamel saucepan for two minutes, then
add the cream when cold and well mix.
When feeding puppies with artificial bitches’ milk, it must be remembered
that only a small quantity is necessary—for instance, about the third
part one would give of cow’s milk.
=Milk (Defective Secretion)=:
_See_ LACTATION (DEFECTIVE).
=Milk (Excessive Secretion)=:
_See_ LACTATION (EXCESSIVE).
=Mouth=:
_See_ GUMBOIL, LIPS, TEETH, TOOTHACHE.
[Illustration: How to bandage a dog’s head]
=Mumps=:
_Symptoms_: Swelling of side of face, and just below the ear, which is
very tender. Dogs suffering from this complaint are generally rather
feverish. There is a loss of appetite and an excessive flow of saliva.
_Treatment_: Give a dose of purgative medicine and cover swelling over
with a piece of spongiopyline, or a pad of cotton-wool covered over with
oil-silk, and apply a bandage or put on a cap. Later, when the swelling
has commenced to go down, give the following tonic pills:—
_Recipe_:
Reduced Iron, 6 to 30 grains.[1]
Sulphate of Quinine, 4 to 12 ”
Common Mass. sufficient.
Mix.
Divide into 12 pills. One to be given twice a day one hour after food.
=Muscles (Wasting)=:
_Symptoms_: There may be general wasting of all the muscles of the body,
the result of some long illness, as distemper; or there may be wasting of
the muscles of one or more limbs, the result of want of use, as in cases
of injury; or some disease of the spinal cord, causing paralysis, and
occasionally wasting of the muscles of one or both sides of the head and
face, the result of some injury to the head.
_Treatment_: When the result of illness, no special treatment is required
beyond giving tonics, as cod-liver oil, for when the patient gets about
again the muscles will fill up as before. When one or more limbs are
affected as the result of disuse from lameness or paralysis, the limbs
should be massaged and galvanised. When the head is affected, the case
is often very obstinate, and sometimes the muscles never regain their
normal size, but the best treatment is massage galvanism, and encourage
the dog to gnaw big bones.
=Muzzling a Dog=:
[Illustration: A dog muzzled with tape]
[Illustration: How to muzzle a bulldog with tape
The piece over the forehead is necessary in a bulldog to draw the tape
off the short nose to permit easy breathing]
The best way to muzzle a dog effectually, so that he cannot bite, is
with a piece of strong tape which should be passed over the top of the
nose, tied twice under the chin, and then the ends should be carried
behind the ears, and again tied tightly.
Care must be taken in muzzling a bulldog, or you may interfere with his
breathing. Therefore, after tying behind the head, one end of the tape
should be passed under the tape which crosses the top of the nose, and
this part pulled well up and tied with the other end of the tape over the
forehead, so as to remove any pressure from the top of the nose. (_See_
ILLUSTRATION.)
=Nails (Cutting)=:
This cannot be safely done with scissors, but proper nail-clippers should
be used. When the nails are white, it is an easy matter, as the quick can
be seen, and the nail may be cut off within the sixteenth of an inch of
the quick; but when the nail is black, the quick cannot be seen, then the
first one must be cautiously cut a little at a time. The dog will soon
wince when the nippers are getting near the sensitive part. When one is
done, it is an easy matter doing the rest, as they may be cut off in the
same proportion as the first.
=Nails (Dew-Claws)=:
The dew-claws or side-nails should always be removed from the back legs
a few days after birth, by being cut off close to the limb with a pair
of sharp scissors. I always consider it would be a good plan if it was
a custom to remove the dew-claws from the forelegs of all dogs also; of
course, in some cases, as in fox-terriers and others, it is done.
=Nails (Injuries, etc.)=:
_Symptoms_: Dogs with defective action wear their nails away (more
particularly those on the forelegs) to the quick, which causes lameness.
Some dogs’ nails are very brittle, and they crack and split to the quick,
causing lameness. Toe-nails of dogs who do not have sufficient exercise
turn over as they grow, and the point becomes embedded into the pad,
causing swelling, suppuration, and great pain. The dew-claws of dogs who
do not get the chance of digging often grow to a considerable extent,
which weakens and makes them liable to break, which often happens, and
the quick becomes exposed and bleeds, causing the dog to go lame as if he
had a broken leg. If they do not break, they grow, entering the pad as
previously described.