much virtue. It is well to give oatmeal water instead of the 

 plain, and the only food should be that which is very easy to 

 digest. 



In distemper, especially in the more serious cases, the skin 

 of the dog is very apt to break out. These are generally noted 

 on the inside of the legs, where there is but little hair, and are 

 in the form of little pimples that finally break, giving out blood 

 and matter. This should be carefully wiped off and the sores 

 just touched with some disinfectant. These eruptions are most 

 frequently noted in cases where the stomach and the bowels 

 have been attacked and are by most considered as a good sign, 

 as it shows that the poison of the disease is coming out of the 

 system. While it is a good sign, it is not an augury of recov- 

 ery, for many dogs join the great majority even after this favor- 

 able sign appears. 



One of the main things to remember about the recovery 

 from this dread disease is that it takes many, many weeks and is 

 really one of the most critical times of the whole illness, for it is 

 during this stage that pneumonia is apt to set in. A dog suffering 

 from distemper should never be washed and for three months 

 after an attack it is well to avoid the use of water. Never ex- 

 ercise a dog recovering from this sickness unless he is on the 

 lead and even then it should be very gentle, for he is sure to 

 be weak and overexfcrtion may prove fatal. If it is necessary 

 to clean a dog sick with distemper a brush and cloths should be 

 used. It is also important to see that sick dogs do not gel 

 their feet wet or be exposed to other things liable to bring on 

 a cold. The food of a dog in the convalescent period should 

 also be watched with great care and nothing that is in any way 

 apt to upset him given. 



There are several kinds of skin diseases that affect dogs 

 and they are all more or less serious, but as this book is written 

 especially for the owner of one or two dogs and as these are 

 not often sufferers from skin troubles, I will not treat of them 

 in this volume. The same applies to any number of other 

 diseases which it seems hardly advisable to treat about in this 

 little book. In all cases it will be best for the novice to call 

 to his aid the experience and knowledge of a qualified 

 veterinary. 



A suggestion that might sometime be nseful and save some 

 poor animal a great deal of pain is to state the best way to send 

 your pet to the Dog Heaven, which is to give him a small piece 



82 



