70 CONSTIPATION. 



Food, highly nutritious and digestible, leaving but little residue to be 

 thrown out, contributes to constipation. Active exercise may induce the 

 affection by consumption ot the fluids of the body. If deprived of drink- 

 ing water, on the same principle the discharges are dry and hard. 



A uniform , unvaried diet taken day after day , tends to obstruct the 

 bowels. Again the habitual feeding of very coarse food induces the dis- 

 order, the intestinal activity becoming lessened, fatigued as it were, by 

 the continued strain or demand made to throw off so large a residue. 



In the constipation occurring in the course of chronic diseases, certain 

 factors show in its production ; among the many may be mentioned defect- 

 ive nutrition, degenerative changes in the muscular coat of the intestines, 

 chronic catarrh, and deficient secretion of digestive fluids. 



Symptoms.— The discharges are dry, hard, and lumpy, passed with 

 difficulty, and often severe pain. The operations in many instances are 

 incomplete and frequent attempts are required to effect relief. The strain- 

 ing efforts of the animal at times , causes an eversion of the bowel and 

 its protrusion through the anus. Associated with these symptoms are 

 often observed vomiting, offensive breath, loss of appetite, a congested 

 appearance of the eyes, coated tongue, and a dull, heavy, listless manner. 



Treatment. —Occasional and but slight constipation is readily relieved. 

 Dietetic means should be first employed, and if insufficient, medicinal rem- 

 edies can be resorted to. 



Dogs returning from bench shows almost always suffer from this derange- 

 ment, and all trainers and care-takers have their own peculiar nostrums, 

 with which the animals are dosed after exhibitions, whether the need of 

 medicine exists or not. 



The writer has liver in quantity boiled the day previous to the return of 

 his dogs from exhibitions. This is mixed quite freely with their first meal, 

 the effect watched, and the feeding of it continued until the need is no 

 longer evident. This method will prove quite sufficient in nearly all cases. 



If the constipation be more than slight, and yet no marked discomfort 

 is apparent, the syrup of buckthorn or calcined magnesia may be added 

 to the food twice daily until the bowels move freely. 



The treatment of habitual constipation requires judgement and perse- 

 verance. The means which may be employed are various . In commencing 

 treatment the object is to completely unload the bowel. If the animal 

 shows by his distress and constant efforts a hardened mass lodged in the 

 rectum, local treatment must be employed, and mechanical means resorted 

 to. Warm soap-suds should be freely injected, an interval allowed for its 

 return, and then another injection be given. If after repeated efforts 

 this is not effectual, several syringes full of sweet or linseed oil should 

 be thrown up and another interval allowed. If that does not suffice, then 



