COMMON AILMENTS 95 



a source of spreading the disease, though there 

 is much less danger of this now than formerly for 

 the veterinary inspection and proper disinfecting 

 methods have improved conditions wonderfully. 

 A bitch from an infected kennel may give distem- 

 per to the inmates of the kennels she visits for 

 breeding purposes. Plenty of soap and water, 

 disinfectant, and elbow grease make a distemper 

 prevention that is much better than any cure. 



The discovery of the distemper germ has natu- 

 rally resulted in the making of an anti-toxin, 

 by attenuating the virus till a weakened form is 

 obtained. Using this to inoculate a well dog, a 

 mild form of the disease attacks him, but this 

 " vaccination " has not proved unqualifiedly suc- 

 cessful, especially when used by amateurs. 



The commonest form of distemper is catarrhal, 

 with symptoms much like those of an ordinary 

 cold, lack of appetite, fever, disordered bowels, 

 vomiting, staring coat, rapid loss of flesh, and 

 discharges from the nose and eyes. The distem- 

 per germ, however, may attack other organs than 

 the nose and eyes. The lungs and bronchial tubes 

 and the stomach and intestines are also seats of 

 the trouble. These forms are harder to diagnose 

 and harder to cure. The presence of dysentery 

 and sometimes of jaundice are indications that 

 the digestive tract is involved. 



