180 DISTEMPER 



a tablespoonful of sherry wine, or if exhaustion is very great he may be 

 stimulated by the same quantity of brandy. Unless the dog takes food 

 without forcing, two eggs morning and evening, together with a little 

 lean chopped beef, milk or broth in the middle of the day should be suffi- 

 cient. By avoiding continual disturbance of the sufferer he will progress 

 much better than if subjected to undue attention. 



"His temperature must not be allowed to get too high. To guard 

 against this and other things throughout his ordeal until the appetite re- 

 turns, he should have strict attention throughout. It is well, too, to have 

 listerine in a small jam pot with a scrap of sponge changed twice a day, 

 with which to wash the mouth, eyes and nose, and the discharge from the 

 latter can be much lessened, relieved and finally dried up by the admin- 

 istration of powdered camphor in the form of snuff. 



"Also the bowels must be watched, opening medicine given if at all 

 costive, and on recovery the patient must not be allowed to go out too soon 

 or exert himself violently unless you want a relapse. Very great benefit 

 will be derived from burning a cresoline lamp, placed fairly near to the 

 patient during the whole illness. It acts as a disinfectant, is good for the 

 respiratory organs, and generally tends to the curtailment, occasionally even 

 the prevention of the malady. 



"The fact is that every case of distemper needs to be treated on its 

 own merits, according to the symptoms which it presents. When any com- 

 bination of symptoms such as sickness, diarrhoea, or cough, or fits present 

 itself, it must be dealt with in the order of severity — that is to say, the 

 most distressing symptoms must be taken first, and. have particular atten- 

 tion paid to it, while the less serious symptoms can be dealt with as oppor- 

 tunity offers. 



"There are, however, certain points connected with the treatment of 

 distemper which apply to all cases alike. One of the most important of 

 these points has reference to diet. When, by the aid of a veterinary clinical 

 thermometer, it has been ascertained that a dog supposed to be suffering 

 from distemper is in a feverish condition, it becomes important that no 

 solid food whatever should be given until the fevered condition has been 

 reduced. A dog must be kept on liquid food, such as gravy and milk. 



"Another point of importance in all cases of distemper is with regard 

 to exercise. The greatest care chould be taken not to allow a dog to con- 

 tract a chill, and it should only be exercised if the weather be perfectly 

 fine and dry, and not even then if there is much feverishness. Where 

 valuable dogs are concerned, the owners must attend to all these matters, 

 and treat patients with as much care as a human patient requires, because 

 the more highly bred a dog is, as a rule, the more delicate he will be, and 

 a greater difficulty there will be to get him safely through a severe attack 

 of distemper. 



"Many dogs when suffering from distemper have a disposition more 

 or less pronounced to roughness of the skin, and in many cases absolutely 

 to eczema. The eczematous eruption which so often appears during dis- 

 temper is liable to be mistaken for mange, because it usually appears as an 

 eruption of small pustules filled with a watery fluid, which discharges and 

 makes the animal's coat very unpleasant. It may also be said at the out- 

 set that the appearance of an eruption during distemper should always be 

 regarded with satisfaction, inasmuch as that is, practically speaking, na- 

 ture's way of throwing off the ill humors with which the body is charged. 

 The efforts of the owner of a dog which is suffering in this way should be 

 directed rather to modifying the severity of the skin trouble, and of giving 

 the dog comfort while that lasts, than checking it. It is a dangerous thing 

 to try to drive back, as it were, an outbreaking complaint into the sys- 

 tem. It is far better to let it run its course, subject to a local alleviative 

 treatment. 



"During the time that a dog is suffering from distemper, it is well 

 to watch carefully for any symptoms of paralysis, which would be indicated 

 by twitching of the muscles and sometimes by a fit. There are a great many 

 Of these cases nowadays — more than there used to be by far. Skin disease 



