PET RABBITS, CAVIES, AND MICE. 25 



supply of cooling medicine and the blood purifying of 

 green foods, such as dandelion, etc. Rabbits with skin 

 affection, if malignant, are best underground. If the 

 attacks are insignificant, they are easily dealt with as 

 above, but skin diseases are usually troublesome and 

 obstinate. 



INCURABLE DISEASES, 



Such as paralysis, fits, and the like, are often met with, 

 but time spent on attempts at a cure is wasted. We 

 never met with a case of cure of paralysis, and might 

 say the same of fits. It is no kindness to any person or 

 his rabbits for those who have the experience to be 

 recommending measures for the prolongation of life in 

 the cases of affections for which there is no cure. There 

 is another disease in which attempts to cure result in 

 failure in nine cases out of ten. That is what is called 

 " Slobbers." The affected rabbit discharges a kind of 

 spittle from the mouth which saturates the fur around, 

 and makes the rabbit look miserable. Overcrowding, 

 indigestion, injudicious feeding are the primary causes. 

 It is a summer visitant generally, and the recovery is 

 so rare, especially in adult rabbits, that all the " cures " 

 have gone by the board. Rabbits suffering from 

 slobbers will not eat or drink, and as in the case of 

 diarrhoea have to be drenched or left alone. To pres- 

 cribe boiled milk, specialist food, or drugs seems wide 

 of the mark. There is as much likelihood of recovery 

 if left to the ordinary diet as there is to special treat- 

 ment. The percentage of cures is very low even from 

 special treatment. 



TUMOURS, CANKERED EAR, AND BLINDNESS. 



The two former are capable of relief and cure. 

 The latter never. Often in the case of a tumour it can 

 safely be opened by anyone skilled and confident in the 

 use of a knife, and when all the pus has been ejected, 

 the cavity can be well cleansed by the free use of an 

 antiseptic such as Condy's fluid or boracic acid solution, 

 or anything of that nature. The great point is to keep 

 the wound open long enough to allow of its healing 

 from the bottom. See closely to this, as mischief arises 

 if the cavity heals first from the top. An injury will 



