S18 DISEASES OF DOGS I DISTEMPER. 



and stage of the disorder, whatever the symptoms 

 may be, and thus too often induce a fatal termina- 

 tion of the complaint. 



The symptoms which most generally attend the 

 distemper are, the dog appearing dull and stupid, 

 with a gradual wasting of his body, which is soon 

 succeeded by a watery, and then a thick, discharge 

 of matter from the eyes and nose ; his hind legs 

 are often much affected, so that he scarcely can 

 walk, and sometimes is quite unable to rise upon 

 his legs ; in many cases the dog keeps frequently 

 shaking his head, snorting, and frothing at the 

 mouth, and the head is often drawn to one side ; 

 the dog looks starved, and constantly approaches 

 the fire ; coughs a little, and sometimes makes a 

 rattling noise in his breathing ; takes little or no 

 food ; sometimes has much sickness and vomiting ; 

 the bowels in some are natural, in others a loose- 

 ness attends the complaint ; and in some instances 

 there are severe gripings of the belly, without 

 looseness being present. This disease attacks dogs 

 in a variety of ways ; in some years, the chief 

 symptoms are convulsive fits, and a wasting of the 

 body ; and at other times the principal symptoms 

 are a severe looseness, and gradual wasting ; and 

 often a convulsive fit precedes its attack ; but the 

 most usual symptoms that accompany the distemper 



