DISEASES 37 



stir into the bran the following: A tablespoonful of ordinary vinegar, a 

 teaspoonful of laudanum, and six drops of glycerine, and carbolic acid 

 (British Pharmacopoeia). Mix, and hold the dog's nose over it. This 

 quantity is a double handful of bran in a quart, or three-pint jar, is suitable 

 for a 20 to 50 pound dog. A good idea, if eyes continue to run, would be 

 to use the eye lotion of Hydrastes and Camphor water, which you will find 

 given under Eye troubles. 



Claws, Inflammation at the Roots of; — Dogs used to the chase, or hunt- 

 ing in scrubby heather, or running much over hard, uneven roads, suffer 

 from s#re toes; the parts around the roots of the claws are swollen, in- 

 flamed and tender, making the dog lame, and, indeed, almost unable to get 

 about; there is redness between the toes, and sweating or thin serous 

 discharge therefrom. 



Such cases are often very difficult to cure. First give a dose of aper- 

 ient medicine, and keep the dog up, giving him plenty of soft bedding, and 

 a light diet. Foment the part night and morning with warm water, and 

 bathe freely with this lotion: Calomel, 2 scr. ; lime water, 12 oz. ; mix. 

 Shake the bottle well when using it, which should be done four or five times 

 a day. If the foregoing fail, try Goulard's Extract of Lead, 2 dr.; tincture 

 of arnica, V2 oz.; distilled water, 1 pint; mix and apply freely four or five 

 times a day. If the case is a very bad one, wrap the foot in a piece of 

 lint saturated with the lotion, and pull over it a chamois leather boot, 

 which the dog can be prevented from gnawing and pulling off by use of a 

 muzzle, over the mouth-part of which a piece of canvas has been sewn. 



Concussion of the Brain. — Often occurs in canine practice, and is due 

 to accidents. In most cases the dog becomes unconscious, and the breath- 

 ing is heavy or usually nearly imperceptible. Gradually consciousness re- 

 turns, but often a stiffness of the limbs and an uncertain gait remains for 

 a time. The treatment should consist in the administration of stimu- 

 lants, but great care must be taken not to attempt forcing liquid upon an 

 unconscious animal, or choking will be the inevitable result. Brandy can be 

 injected under the skin (subcutaneously). Ice when procurable should be 

 applied to the head and spinal cord, and ammonia to the nostrils. If there 

 is a fracture of the skull an operation will become necessary. A part of 

 the bone may be pressing upon the brain, when it would have to be raised, 

 and so relieve the pressure, in which case a vererinarian must be called at 

 once. 



Constipation. — Watch your dog every day as to condition of his bowels. 

 A dog properly fed and exercised will hardly ever be troubled with consti- 

 pation. I turn my dogs out into their yard each morning and stay there 

 a few minutes and watch them. Their first inclination is to hunt a place 

 and empty themselves (a dog's natural habit). If I find one that is con- 

 stipated, by this I mean unnaturally so, where passage is too hard and 

 crumbles up into dust by putting your foot on it, I watch that dog that 

 night, and if still the same it gets a dose of castor oil the next morning, 

 unless as sometimes happens, the bowels have meanwhile corrected them- 



