action, as a rule, treatment is of little use; but if the dog is made to
exercise on grass land, the nails will grow to an ordinary extent, and
the dog walk much better, but the relief is only maintained whilst he is
not allowed to run on hard roads. When the defective action of the limbs
causing undue wearing of the nails is due to partial general paralysis—as
the sequel of distemper, for instance—then it is only temporary, and
will pass off as the patient improves in health and strength. To remedy
the cracking and splitting of the nails is often a difficult matter.
In some cases benefit is derived by the application of tar ointment,
which should be well rubbed into the nails twice a day. The frequent
application of glycerine is also a good remedy. In very bad cases,
especially when only one nail is affected, it may be extracted.
When a nail has grown too long and injured the pad, the nail should be
cut close to the quick without making it bleed; and when there is any
festering, hot bread or linseed-MEAL poultices should be applied for a
day or so. Afterwards the wound should be dressed with boracic ointment,
and the foot kept in a canvas bag for a few days.
When a dew-claw becomes broken, it is nearly always through the quick.
In such cases it is necessary to remove the claw by extraction with a
pair of tooth forceps, and not by cutting, or the quick will be injured,
and the nail will grow deformed. Afterwards anoint the raw surface with
boracic ointment, cover over with a pad of boracic wool and bandage.
[Illustration: FOUR CELEBRATED STUD DOGS: BUCK STONE, BRITISH STONE, DICK
STONE, AND REX STONE.
The property of Walter Jeffries, 28, Grove Park, Denmark Hill, S.E.
[_face p. 188._]
=Nasal Catarrh=:
_Symptoms_: Sneezing; a watery discharge from nose, followed by a
semi-purulent discharge and coughing; but unlike distemper, the attack is
seldom accompanied by fever and with little loss of condition, and as a
rule, the dog is better in a few days.
_Treatment_: Put in a dry, warm room of a temperature about 60 degs. F.;
give a dose of aperient medicine as from two[1] to ten grains of jalapin.
The next day, when this has worked off, commence the following pills:—
_Recipe_:
Salicylate of Quinine, 2 to 12 grains.[1]
Solution Arsenic, 3 to 12 minims.
Solution Sulphate Atropine, ½ to 2 drops.
Extract Gentian, 5 to 20 grains.
Mix.
Divide into 12 pills—one to be taken every four hours.
When the discharge has ceased, and the appetite has become normal, if
the cough continues troublesome, give from half[1] a teaspoonful to a
tablespoonful of cod-liver oil two or three times a day.
=Nasal Parasites=:
_Symptoms_: Very occasionally dogs suffer from a worm in one of the
nostrils called Pentastioma Tænoides. It is a worm varying in size from
one and a half to two inches long, and about half an inch wide in the
centre, tapering slightly at each end. It develops at the back of the
nose, and whilst growing appears to cause no discomfort to its host;
but when it commences to move, it induces a good deal of sneezing and
a discharge of mucus from the nasal passage from the side where it is
lodged. The dog eventually dislodges it during a violent attack of
sneezing.
I have never seen more than one in a case, and the dog seems comfortable
directly it has got rid of its guest.
=Nasal Polypus=:
_Symptoms_: A growth with a narrow neck which forms in the nasal passage
causing irritation, sneezing and snorting, a purulent discharge which may
sometimes be tinged with blood.
_Treatment_: Consists in removing the growth by ligature if it can be
got at, or by an ecraseur or a snare; but it is a surgical case, and a
veterinary surgeon should be consulted.
=Necrosis (Diseased Bone)=:
_Symptoms_: Generally the result of some injury. The parts are swollen,
inflamed, and very painful, and generally an abscess forms, which, if not
lanced, bursts, discharging a thick, creamy and often offensive-smelling
pus. The bone, which is generally dead, lies exposed at the bottom of the
wound, which does not heal permanently until the dead bone comes away.
_Treatment_: At first, hot linseed-meal poultices dusted over with
powdered charcoal are to be applied, and continued for some days after
the abscess is open. Then lint saturated with carbolic oil, one in
forty, is to be placed over the wound, and kept in place with a bandage.
As a rule, after some time the dead bone exfoliates and comes away of
itself, and the wound then soon heals, but in many cases, an operation is
necessary to remove the dead bone.
=Nephritis (Inflammation of the Kidneys)=:
_Symptoms_: Generally commences suddenly with an attack of shivering and
a rise of temperature, there being often three or four degrees of fever
accompanied by a rapid pulse. There is pain in the back, vomiting, scanty
and high-coloured urine, or blood may be mixed with the water. In some
acute cases it is quite suppressed, and the dog then suffers from uræmic
poisoning. It may arise from a severe chill, but oftener from a stone in
the kidneys.
_Treatment_: Give milk and Vichy water in equal parts to drink, also
water to drink, to which has been added a teaspoonful of cream of tartar
to every pint. Administer a dose of Epsom salts, from one scruple[1]
to one ounce, dissolved in warm water, but given cold. If vomiting
persistent, give from half[1] to two drops of diluted hydrocyanic acid
in a teaspoonful of water, and ice to lick. After the acute stage has
passed, give from one[1] to five grains of ammoniated citrate of iron,
three times a day in water.
=Nettlerash=:
_Symptoms_: Generally arises suddenly, and often the result of a chill,
as, for instance, a dog plunging into cold water when hot after exercise.
When once a dog has had an attack, he is liable to a recurrence, and then
indigestion will often induce it. The skin becomes suddenly nodulated or
swollen in patches, the hair standing on end. The ears may be affected
and become half an inch thick; the head is often attacked, and the dog
is temporarily blind because the eyelids are swollen. Sometimes one or
more legs are the seat of the trouble, and become three or four times
their normal size; in other cases, large patches appear about the body.
As a rule, it passes away almost as quickly as it comes.
_Treatment_: Keep dog quiet and warm whilst the attack is on, and give
from half to two drops[1] of liquor arsenicalis (P. B.) in a little water
every two or three hours. Also give a good dose of aperient medicine. For
a few days after a dog has had nettlerash, he should be kept on a light
milk diet, and given a course of arsenic, as from one to eight drops[1]
of liquor arsenicalis in water, three times a day after food.
=Neuralgia=:
_Symptoms_: Dogs are affected with a form of neuralgia that attacks the
muscles and nerves of the neck and shoulders. The pain, which is very
acute, comes on quite suddenly, and the dog cries with it. The head is
drawn into the body, as it were. The muscles are swollen, and very tense.
There is a difficulty in walking; and when it is attempted, it is done
very slowly and stiffly. The attack may last a couple of hours, sometimes
longer, and then slowly passes off, and the patient may appear quite
well; when all at once it may come on again as bad as before, and so
keeps on for days, and sometimes weeks, unless some suitable treatment is
adopted.
_Treatment_: The dog must be kept very quiet in these cases, as very
often any sudden movement induces an attack. Give from two to ten
grains[1] of salicylate of soda three times a day, made into a pill;
and if the attacks of pain are very acute, also give two or three times
a day, injected under the skin, from one-twentieth to the eighth of a
grain[1] of hydrochlorate of morphia, with from ⅟₃₀₀th to ⅟₁₀₀th of a
grain[1] of atropine, in from five[1] to ten minims of distilled water.
At first these injections induce vomiting, but it soon ceases, and the
treatment is a specific for the disease.
=Nipples (Sore)=:
_Symptoms_: The nipples become swollen, inflamed, and cracked very often
after a bitch has been nursing puppies some weeks, so much so that at
last she will not allow the puppies to suckle.
_Treatment_: Wash the parts two or three times a day with boracic lotion,
and anoint with boracic ointment after drying.
=Nose (Bleeding)=:
_Symptoms_: May be due to injury of the head or face. It often occurs
in cases of pneumonia, and it is a symptom of a polypus in the nose or
ulceration of the membrane lining the nasal passages.
_Treatment_: When slight, no particular treatment is required; but if
persistent, the cause should be ascertained, and if possible removed.
When severe, as the result of some injury, ice may be held to the bridge
of the nose; and if this does not stop it, then pour or inject about
fifteen drops of the solution of adrenalin diluted four times with water
into one or both nostrils. It is not advisable to plug the nostrils, as
it distresses a dog to breathe through his mouth.
=Nursing=:
The first thing to be considered in nursing a sick dog is proper quarters
for the patient to live in, for in all cases of serious illnesses he
should not be allowed to run loose about a house and out of doors when he
likes. If a house dog, he should be put in a good, well-ventilated room,
with the temperature kept at as near 60 degs. F. as possible. Of course,
in very hot weather that cannot be done, but as much air as possible
must be given by keeping the windows wide open during the summer months.
In winter or cold weather, the temperature of the room should be kept
up to 60 degs. F. by means of artificial heat—an ordinary fire is best;
failing this, a paraffin stove—avoid a gas stove if possible. Of course,
with dogs who are in the habit of living out of doors it is different;
but even with them, dry, large, well-lighted and ventilated, comfortable
quarters, free from draughts, are absolutely necessary if the patient is
to have a fair chance, and the temperature of the place should be kept
up to 55 degs. F. A loose box in a stable that is kept _clean_ makes
a capital place; but unless the stable is kept very clean, it smells
of ammonia, which is fatal to a dog suffering from distemper, because
pneumonia and bad eyes are sure to develop.
Sick dogs should always be kept separate. It is a great mistake to put
three or four together.
As to diet for patients, see article on _Invalid Food_; when they will
not take food voluntarily, a small quantity, varying according to size
of dog, must be given often, about every two hours or oftener, day and
night. It is useless to feed a dog well for sixteen hours, and to leave
him to chance for eight. It is often during the night, when the system is
at its lowest, that a little good nourishing food, with some stimulant,
is most wanted; and it is this attention that saves the patient in many
cases.
The preparation of food is most important. It should either be done
by one’s self, or under the personal superintendence of a responsible
person. All milk food should be made fresh three times a day, and any
that is left over should be thrown away. All feeding utensils must be
kept scrupulously clean, and the spoon, bottle, or feeding-cup that is
used for food or medicine should be washed and dried immediately after
being used, ready for next time. The cooking utensils also must be kept
scrupulously clean. If these things are not attended to, diarrhœa and
sickness result, and the patient is weakened, and perhaps has a relapse.
Also keep the sick dog scrupulously clean. Each time after feeding
clean his lips with a little weak solution of Condy’s fluid on a pad of
cotton-wool—which should be thrown away immediately after using—and dry
with soft cloth; also cleanse the fundament and prepuce once a day with
the same preparation, and keep the eyes free of discharge with a little
weak boracic acid lotion, and also clean the teeth with a weak solution
of permanganate of potash. _This is very important._
As well as attending to the patient, the room or kennel requires frequent
attention. Do not make the air stuffy with strong disinfectants, but it
is a good plan to sprinkle the floor, whether a kennel or room, with pine
sawdust, and if the flooring be wood, to cover it over with sheets of old
newspapers, which may be covered with sawdust, and then all evacuation
can be carried away and burnt, for when a dog is very ill he ought not
to be allowed to go out. There are some dogs who are so clean that they
will not make themselves comfortable in a room, and it becomes absolutely
necessary to let them out rather than make them worse by keeping them
in. But a dog may be kept for some hours, twelve or even sixteen, to see
if he will not give way. Once he has relieved himself in the room, and
finds he is not scolded, he gains confidence, and is not so particular
in the future. To make an obstinate dog do what is necessary in a room,
especially when the weather is bad, and when perhaps it would be fatal to
let him out, I give either a dose of aperient medicine or an enema, which
invariably has the desired effect.
Do not always be fidgeting an invalid. Do what is necessary, and then
leave him alone.
Take the temperature regularly three times a day, at the same time each
day, and keep a record on a chart; also, if you can, at the same time
count the pulse and the number of respirations per minute, and record
them for reference. In all cases of severe illness, it is a good plan to
put the dog in a flannel jacket, as depicted in the illustration.
[Illustration: A coat covering the hind parts of a dog—useful after
operations upon the abdomen]
The points to be remembered are:—
1. Dry, well-ventilated, light quarters of a proper temperature.
2. Cleanliness of patient.
3. Cleanliness of the surroundings.
4. Cleanliness of everything used for the patient.
5. Not to fidget the patient, but to give him food and medicine
at regular stated times.
6. To keep the body warm, but the air he breathes fresh and
cool. Fresh air never kills, but foul air often does.
The best kind of bed for a small dog being nursed in a room is a basket
with a cushion in, which should be covered over with a white cloth or
towel to be changed daily. For a kennel or loose box a bench should be
supplied, raised a few inches from the ground, and long and wide enough
for the dog to lie out full length. Straw makes a good bedding, and
should be changed often.
In nursing surgical cases, cleanliness is even more important than in
medical cases, and the patient should be kept under similar conditions.
It is important to take the temperature twice a day at least, for a rise
of temperature is the first symptom of suppuration in a wound, and shows
that it is not healing in a normal manner; or if healing, by suppuration
it points to pus being pent up somewhere, and the surgeon’s attention is
required.
Clean bandages and dressing should be put on every time a wound is
dressed, and the bandages taken off should be washed in some disinfectant
like Pearson’s fluid, dried and ironed, ready for use again. The old
dressing which has been in contact with the wound should be burnt.
Bitches in the nest with puppies require, for the first week at least, as
careful nursing as an invalid, and the temperature for the first week
regularly taken. It is always a little above normal during the first few
days, about 102·4 degs. F. (taken in the bowel); but if it rises over
103 degs. F., the case is not taking a normal course, and an examination
should be made. Possibly there may be a dead puppy or one of the fœtal
envelopes left behind, which, of course, must be immediately removed,
and the womb syringed out with a solution of permanganate of potash,
one grain to the ounce of warm water; from two ounces to a pint[1] of
the solution should be used at a time, and the injection repeated in a
few hours. A saturated solution of boracic acid or clinesol, one grain
to the ounce, may be used instead of the potash. In bad cases, when the
temperature is over 104 degs. F., a solution of perchloride of mercury,
one in three thousand, is the best remedy; but about a couple of minutes
after giving an injection of this drug, the womb must be thoroughly
washed out with warm water.
=Obesity (Too Fat)=:
_Symptoms_: This is a common complaint of elderly pet dogs, especially
pugs; but it is not, as generally supposed, always the result of
overfeeding and want of exercise, for lots of dogs will put on flesh in
spite of careful dieting, and then I generally put it down in these cases
to a contented mind.
_Treatment_: In treating these cases, medicines are not advisable except
occasionally giving a free purge. If any good is to be done it must be
by dieting; and whatever food is given should be dry. Raw, or nearly raw,
meat is the best food, for nearly all fat dogs put on this diet lose
weight considerably, and at the same time improve in health by becoming
brighter and livelier, and more ready to take exercise; but the meat must
be given sparingly, say for a small dog like a pomeranian, one ounce and
a half twice a day; and for a dog the size of a fox terrier, three ounces
twice a day. The worst of this food is, it never seems to satisfy; in
fact, a dog fed on raw meat always seems hungry. Raw meat does not answer
in every case, for the dog sometimes gets fatter instead of thinner, as
required. Then a diet of dry biscuit should be tried. For small dogs,
Spratts’ pet-dog biscuits should be given—whole, if they will be taken
that way, otherwise they must be broken up in small pieces, and no other
food at all given; and the more exercise the better.
=Œrchitis (Inflammation of the Testicle)=:
_Symptoms_: In young dogs it occurs as the result of injury; in old ones
it arises from constitutional causes. The testicles become swollen and
very painful, the scrotum is red and shiny. The dog walks and sits down
with difficulty.
_Treatment_: Give a purge, as from two to ten grains[1] of jalapin.
Foment the parts often with hot poppy-head tea, made by boiling a couple
of crushed poppy-heads in a quart of water for ten minutes; then strain.
Sometimes the application of an ice-bag gives more relief than the hot
application.
=Œstrum=, or the period of menstruation of the bitch, generally appears
for the first time when the bitch is about eight or nine months old.
With some foreign breeds, as in chows particularly, it often occurs for
the first time sooner, even when the bitch is five or six months old.
Occasionally, with very small bitches, the first heat may not appear
until she is a year old. Once the period has commenced, it generally
occurs regularly twice a year, but in a few exceptional cases every three
or four months. The heat generally lasts from three to four weeks—that
is, right from the commencement until the end.
The condition is recognised by the external parts—vulva—swelling, and
a slight mucus discharge, which continues for about a week; then the
discharge is pinkish, and after a few days blood-coloured. This latter
condition continues for about eight or nine days, to be followed by a
mucus discharge again, until the heat has ceased, when the parts have
assumed their normal size.
=Ophthalmia=:
_Symptoms_: Generally both eyes are affected, the membrane (conjunctival)
is intensely inflamed, and there is a good deal of purulent discharge.
There is intolerance to light, and as a consequence, the lids are kept
partly, if not quite, closed.
_Treatment_: Keep the dog for a time in a darkish room, and bathe the
eyes three or four times a day with the following lotion:—
_Recipe_:
Laudanum, 1 drachm.
Sulphate of Zinc, 10 grains.
Rose Water to 6 ounces.
Anoint the edges of the lids at night-time with vaseline to prevent their
sticking together.
A good purge is beneficial.
Care must be taken to prevent the dog rubbing the eyes, or he may
severely injure them; and bandages should be placed round the ankles
covering the dew-claws.
=Otorrhœa=:
_See_ CANKER OF EAR.
=Ozœna=:
_Symptoms_: There is a chronic purulent or mattery discharge from the
nostrils which often has a very offensive odour.
_Treatment_: Syringe the nose thoroughly every day with from ten to
thirty drops[1] of tincture of hydrastis, mixed with one[1] to four
tablespoonfuls of tepid water. Give cod-liver oil, also iron and quinine
tonic pills.
=Palpitation=:
_Symptoms_: Increased action of the heart; if bad, it beats with a
thumping action, shaking the whole body, the dog is restless and pants,
and may in some cases faint.
_Treatment_: Put the dog on a raw meat diet for a time, and avoid violent
exertion, but the dog may have regular walking exercise. Give aperient
medicine and a course of the following mixture:—
_Recipe_:
Tincture of Digitalis, 90 minims.
Bromide Potassium, 120 grains.
Water to 6 ounces.
From one teaspoonful[1] to a tablespoonful to be given three times a day
one hour after food.
=Paralysis=:
_Symptoms_: Not uncommon after distemper, and may follow fits; injury
to the back and rheumatics are frequently the cause. More often seen in
dachshunds than other dogs. The whole body may be affected, including all
four legs, but the back part of the body, including the two hind legs, is
the favourite seat of the disease. The dog is unable to stand, but drags
the back legs after him when he moves. The bowels are constipated, and
the dog is unable to pass water, though later it may dribble away. The
dog may not be ill in himself, and will generally take his food. When the
seat of the mischief is in the brain, all four limbs are useless, and the
dog lies on his side in a miserable, helpless condition, often even being
unable to raise his head from the ground.
_Treatment_: The condition of the bowels and bladder must first be
attended to. Aperient medicine should be given, and if it does not act in
a few hours, an enema of warm soapy water (from two tablespoonfuls[1] to
half a pint) administered, and repeated in a couple of hours if it does
not operate. The urine must be drawn off with a catheter if relief cannot
be obtained by pressure over the seat of the bladder. This, as a rule, is
sufficient, and should be repeated two or three times a day, until the
dog is able to relieve himself. If a catheter has to be used, twice a day
should do, but care must be taken to keep the instrument very clean. It
is a good plan to keep it lying in a saturated solution of boracic acid
when not in use.
When the paralysis is the result of an injury, do not give any medicine
at first, except a purgative, but keep the patient quiet and allow time
for the injured parts to heal. If there seems much pain—and there is
sometimes when there has been an injury—give two or three times a day
from three[1] to fifteen drops of liquor morphia in a little water. Do
not let the dog lie always on one side, but change him over about every
six hours. If in about a week there are no signs of movement, or return
of strength in the legs, give the following pills:—
_Recipe_:
Powdered Nux Vomica, 1 to 6 grains.[1]
Reduced Iron, 6 to 30 grains.
Ergotine, 6 to 24 grains.
Common Mass. sufficient.
Mix.
Divide into 12 pills—one to be given twice a day after food. Later, if
the paralysis continues, the following pills may be tried, and the
former discontinued:—
_Recipe_:
Anhydrous Phosphate of Iron, 3 to 12 grains.[1]
Sulphate Quinine, 2 to 12 grains.
Strychnine, ⅟₁₆th to ⅕th grain.
Arsenic, ⅟₁₂th to ¼th grain.
Common Mass. sufficient.
Mix.
Divide into 12 pills. One to be given two or three times a day after
food. The dog should be galvanised twice a day for about half an hour
each time. A continuous current battery is best, and a blister should be
applied to the loins, from the two last ribs to the points of the hips,
and from two to four inches wide.[1]
When all four legs are affected, the result of some injured or diseased
condition of the brain, the treatment should be the same as previously
mentioned, except a blister should be applied to each side of the neck,
along the course of the spine, instead of over the loins. The best
blister to use is the liquor epipasticus; the hair, of course, should
first be cut off close, or shaved, and the skin thoroughly washed and
dried, and the blister should be gently rubbed into the skin with a piece
of flannel for about three minutes. If it does not act well, rub a little
red mercurial blister ointment into the parts the next day for a minute.
Care must be taken that the dog does not lick the blisters, as they are
poisonous. Two days later, the parts may be carefully washed and boracic
ointment applied. Benefit is also derived in these cases by having the
muscles of the limbs massaged.