52 - f DISEASES 



quently pass in a natural way. For this give 5 to 30 drops tincture of 

 opium every four hours, in a little water, and a soap and water enema 

 night and morning to relieve the bowels, opium having a tendency to con- 

 stipate. 



Cystic Calculi is stone found in the bladder. It is supposed that 

 their existence is rare, but such is not the case. A single large stone is 

 not frequently seen, but a number of small ones, especially in old dogs, 

 is not at all uncommon. In the former case, nothing short of an opera- 

 tion can possibly effect a cure; but when one takes into consideration the 

 necessity of keeping a patient in one position after the operation it will 

 be patent to most that in canine practice the removal of the stone is 

 seldom, if ever, attended with success. Small calculi will frequently pass 

 from the bladder into the urinary passages, and if small enough, out of 

 the body, through the penis; but often these stones will become fixed in 

 the urethra and the dog is unable to pass its water. The bladder be- 

 comes distended, and if not relieved, rupture of the organ results. When 

 you find a dog cannot pass its water, get a catheter, rub a little olive oil 

 or vaseline upon it, and the instrument inserted at the tip of the penis. Of 

 course, the dog must be placed on its back. Insert the catheter very 

 gently, and gradually pass it into the bladder. If there is a small calculus 

 in the urethra the passage of the catheter will be obstructed, and while 

 this is so, no extreme force must be used, or a very extensive injury may 

 result. A little gentle and prolonged pressure may return the stone into 

 the bladder, and so allow the urine to pass. If the stone cannot be re- 

 turned in this attempt, inject into the passage of the penis, a little olive 

 oil, and repeat the operation with the catheter. Calculi sometimes exist in 

 the kidneys and may pass into the bladder, thence through the urinary 

 passage, and so out of the body; but at other times they become too large 

 to leave the organ, causing intense pain and subsequent death. The symp- 

 toms are first, stiffness across the loins, accompanied by pain when an 

 attempt is made to move; the urine is passed in small quantities, and is 

 frequently — indeed often — tinged with blood. In such cases it is a matter 

 of relieving the pain, with the hope that the stone is small enough to gain 

 an exit by the penis. To relieve the pain give 5 to 30 drops of tincture 

 of opium, about every four hours, and apply hot flannels to the loins. A 

 dose of oil to relieve the bowels is beneficial, as any straining in passing 

 the faeces would increase the pain. It is best to leave these cases to the 

 veterinarian. 



Dew Claws. — Darwin describes as "accidental monstrosities," yet a gen- 

 eral opinion prevails that dew claws are the peculiar inheritance of a few 

 breeds of dogs, and from this false idea possession or non-possession of 

 these now utterly useles, clumy and ugly appendange has been set up 

 as a test of purity or impurity of breeding in specimens of the variety 

 of which they are wrongly ascribed as being the peculiar property. The 

 dew claw is attached to a rudiment, more or less developed, of an addi- 

 tamentary phalange or toe situated on the inner side, one to each foot, dis- 

 tant from and considerably above the other toes. 



