Book VII. DISEASES OF DOGS. I031 



this kind, there is considerable affection of the bowels, generally costiveness, always great pain. A warm 

 bath, external stimulants, but more particularly active aperients, remove the colic. Colic arising from 

 costiveness, is not in general violently acute from the pain it produces ; sometimes, however, it appears 

 accompanied with more spasm than is immediately dependant on the confinement of the bowels. In the 

 former give active aperients, as calomel with pil. cochioe, i. e. aloetic pill and glysters ; in the latter castor 

 oil with laudanum and ether. 



6654. Cou<rh. Two kinds of cough are common among dogs, one accompanying distemper, the other in 

 an asthmatic affection of the chest. (See 6648. 6355.) 



QQo5. Distemper. This is by far the most common and most fatal among the diseases of dogs ; hardly 

 any young dog escaping it ; and of the few who do escape it in their youth, three-fourths are attacked 

 with it at some period afterwards : it being a mistake that young dogs only have it. It, however, generally 

 attacks before the animal arrives at eighteen months old. When it comes on very early, the chances of 

 recovery are very small. It is peculiarly fatal to greyhounds, much more so than to any other kind of 

 dog, generally carrying them off by excessive scouring. It is very contagious, but it is by no means ne- 

 cessary that there should be contagion present to produce it ; on the contrary, the constitutional liability 

 to it is such, that any cold taken may bring it on : and hence it is very common to date its commencement 

 from dogs being thrown into water, or shut out on a rainy day, &c. There is no disease which presents 

 such varieties as this, either in its mode of attack, or during its continuance. In some cases it commences 

 by purging, in others by fits. Some have cough only, some waste, and others have moisture from the eyes 

 and nose, without any other active symptom. Moist eyes, dulness, wasting, with slight cough, and sick- 

 ness, are the common symptoms that betoken its approach. Then purging comes on, and the moisture 

 from the eyes and nose from mere mucus becomes pus, or matter. There is also frequently sneezing, with 

 a weakness in the loins. When the disease in this latter case is not speedily removed, universal palsy 

 comes on. During the progress of the complaint, some dogs have fits. When one fit succeeds 

 another quickly, the recovery is extremely doubtful. Many dogs are carried off rapidly by the fits, r by 

 purging ; others waste gradually from the running from theliose and eyes, and these cases are always ac- 

 companied with great marks of putridity. 



6656. The cure. In the early stages of the complaint give emetics ; they are peculiarly useful. A large 

 spoonful of common salt, dissolved in three spoonfuls of warm water, has been recommended ; the quan- 

 tity of salt being increased according to the size ofthedog, and the difficulty of making him to vomit. 

 While a dog remains strong, one every other day is not too much : the bowels should be kept open, but 

 active purging should be avoided. In case the complaint should be accompanied with excessive looseness, 

 it should be immediately stopped by balls made of equal parts of gum arable, prepared chalk, and conserve 

 of roses with rice milk as food. Two or three grains of James's powder may be advantageously given at 

 night, in cases where the bowels are not affected, and in the cases where the matter from the nose and 

 eyes betokens much putridity, we have witnessed great benefits from balls made of what is termed Friars 

 balsam, gum guaiacum, and chamomile flowers in powder : but the most popular remedy is a powder pre- 

 pared and vended under the name of Distemper Powder, with instructions for the use of it. Dogs, in 

 every stage of the disease, should be particularly well fed. A seton we have not found so useful as is ge- 

 nerally supposed ; where the nose is much stopped, rubbing, tar on the upper part is useful, and when there 

 is much stupidity, and the head seems much affected, a blister on the top is often serviceable. 



6657. Fits. Dogs are pccuHarly subject to fits. These are of various kinds, and arise from various causes. 

 In distemper, dogs are frequently attacked with convulsive fits, which begin with a champing of the mouth 

 and shaking of the head, gradually extending over the whole body. Sometimes an active emetic will stop 

 their progress, but more generally they prove fatal. Worms are often the cause of fits in dogs. These de- 

 prive the animal wholly of sense ; he runs wild till he becomes exhausted, when he gradually recovers, 

 and perhaps does not have one again for some weeks. Confinement produces fits and likewise costiveness. 

 Cold water thrown over a dog will generally remove the present attack of a fit ; and for theprevention of 

 their future recurrence it is evident, that the foregoing account of causes must be attended to. 



6658. Inflamed bowels. Dogs are very subject to inflammation of their bowels, from costiveness, 

 from cold, or from poison. When inflammation arises from costiveness it is in general very slow 

 in its progress, and is not attended with very acute pain, but it is characterised by the want of eva- 

 cuation and the vomiting of the food taken, though it may be eaten with apparent appetite. In these 

 cases the principal means to be made use of, are the removal of the constipation by active purging, clys- 

 ters, and* the warm bath. Calomel with aloes forms the best purge. But when the inflammation may 

 be supposed to arise from cold, then the removing of any costiveness that maybe present is but a se- 

 condary consideration. This active kind of inflammation is characterised by violent panting, total rejec- 

 tion of food, and constant sickness. There is great heat in the belly, and great pain ; it is also accompa- 

 nied with great weakness, and the eyes are very red. The bowels should be gently opened with clysters, 

 but no aloes or calomel shoilld be made use of. The belly should be blistered, having first used the warm 

 bath. When the inflammation arises from poison, there is then constant sickness, the nose, paws, and 

 ears are cold, and there is a frequent evacuation of brown or bloody stools. Castor oil should be given, 

 and clysters of mutton broth thrown up, but it is seldom any treatment succeeds. 



6659. Inflamed lungs. Pleurisy is not an uncommon disease among dogs. It is sometimes epidemic, 

 carrying off great numbers. Its attack is rapid, and it generally terminates in death on the third day, by 

 a great effusion of water in the chest. It is seldom that it is taken in time, when it is, bleeding is useful, 

 and blisters may be applied to the chest 



6660. Madness. The symptoms of madness are concisely summed up by Daniel, 

 in the following words : " at first the dog looks dull, shews an aversion to his food and 

 company, does not bark as usual, but seems to murmur ; is peevish and apt to bite 

 strangers ; his ears and tail drop more than usual, and he appears drowsy ; afterwards he 

 begins to loll out his tongue and froth at the mouth, his eyes seeming heavy and watery : 

 if not confined he soon goes off, runs panting along with a dejected air, and endeavors 

 to bite any one he meets. If the mad dog escapes being killed, he seldom runs above 

 two or three days, when he dies exhausted with heat, hunger, and disease. As this is a 

 subject of no slight importance, we shall stand excused for introducing the criteria as 

 described by Blaine, whose account of the disease, founded on long experience and atten- 

 tive observation, is calculated to remove many unfounded and dangerous prejudices re- 

 lative to it. He describes it as commencing sometimes by dullness, stupidity, and retreat 

 from observation ; but more frequently, particularly in those dogs which are immediately 

 domesticated around us, by some alteration in their natural habits ; as a disposition to 

 pick up and swallow every minute object on the ground ; or to lick the parts of another 

 dog incessantly ; or to lap his own urine, &c. About the second or third day the 

 disease usually resolves itself into one of two types. The one is called raging, and the 

 other dumb madness. These distinctions are not however always clear ; and to which is 

 owing so much discrepancy in the accounts given by different persons of the disease. 



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