ABC GUIDE TO CANINE AILMENTS. 



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trust all to him. It is inflammation of the lungs, 

 and may be an extension of bronchitis. 



Symptoms. — The disease is ushered in by rest- 

 lessness, thirst, and some degree of rigor, which 

 often escapes observation. It is seldom, therefore, 

 until the animal is really ill that any notice is 

 taken of him. There is evidence of pain now, and 

 the breathing is quickened and laborious. " The 

 extended head," Youatt graphically tells us, "the 

 protruded tongue, the anxious, blood-shot eye, 

 the painful heaving of the hot breath, the obstin- 

 acy with which the animal sits up hour after 

 hour until his feet slip from under him and the 

 eye closes and the head droops through extreme 

 fatigue, yet in a moment being aroused again by 

 the -feeling of instant suffocation, are symptoms 

 that cannot be mistaken." 



Add to these symptoms a disagreeable short 

 cough, dry at first, but soon accompanied by the 

 hacking up of pellets of rusty-coloured mucus. 

 Extensive lung inflammation may go on to death 

 without any cough at all. Unlike the breathing 

 of pleurisy, where inspiration is short, painful, 

 and interrupted, that in pneumonia has expira- 

 tion, longer, if anything, than inspiration. We 

 generally have, in addition, constipation of the 

 bowels, high-coloured urine, and perspiration on 

 the internal parts of the thighs. 



Pneumonia may often be complicated with 

 pleurisy, or with bronchitis, or inflammation of 

 the pericardium, the liver, or even the peritoneum 

 itself, which latter is more rare. Again, fits are 

 not infrequent in pneumonia, especially if it is 

 occasioned by distemper. These fits are adynamic 

 in their character, and depend upon the anaemic 

 condition of the blood, and should therefore never 

 be treated by setons and such rough remedies. 



Treatment. — In general principles the same as 

 that for pleurisy, but remember, please, that good 

 nursing is half the battle. 



Poisons. — Vide Chapter II. of this section. 



Prolapsus Ani, or a coming down or falling 

 out of the end of the rectum, is occasionally 

 met with in dogs of a weakly disposition, and, if 

 not understood or improperly treated, it may end 

 in gangrene, sloughing, and death. At first the 

 prolapsus only occurs during defecation, but 

 latterly the rectum protrudes at any time, and is 

 generally more or less inflamed and excoriated. 



Treatment. — Careful regulation of the bowels 

 with the simplest laxatives, or by means of food, 

 fresh air, and gentle exercise. It is advisable to 

 employ cold water enemas containing 3 or 4 drops 

 of the tincture of iron to an ounce. Not more 

 than from \i ounce to 3 ounces should be injected, 

 as it is meant to be retained. Do this three times 

 a day; or the sulphate of iron may do as well, 

 2 or 3 grains to an ounce of water. 



The protruded portion of the gut is to be care- 

 fully returned before the injection is used. 



Prurigo. — Included in Skin Diseases, which 

 see. 



Ptyalism or Salivation. — An excessive secre- 

 tion of the salivary glands. May be the result of 



the abuse of mercury, or it may arise from de- 

 cayed teeth or foul mouth, or simply from some 

 local irritation of the glands themselves, or from 

 want of care in using mercurial ointments. 



Treatment. — If from the abuse of mercury, re- 

 move the cause and give a gentle aperient, and 

 food of a light nutritious kind. The mouth, too, 

 had better be plentifully rinsed out with cold 

 water. If arising from decayed teeth, the treat- 

 ment recommended for foul mouth will be in- 

 dicated. If there be no apparent cause for the 

 salivation, in all probability the animal is not 

 thriving, and probably is losing flesh. Give a 

 bitter tonic or dinner pill, see that the dog is 

 well housed and properly fed, and rub in every 

 morning and evening, with some degree of fric- 

 tion, under the jaws a stimulating liniment, such 

 as strong hartshorn and oil. 



Rabies. — In a treatise like this, which is not 

 meant for either students or veterinary surgeons, 

 but to be used as a ready reference for the general 

 public, an article on a subject such as this could 

 serve no useful purpose. Medical authorities 

 themselves dispute as to its diagnosis — which is 

 certainly most difficult- — some going as far as say- 

 ing that no such disease is ever seen in Britain. 

 During the scare in London some years ago 

 and the enactment of the Muzzling Order thou- 

 sands of healthy dogs were hounded to death in 

 the streets or cruelly murdered by mad police- 

 men. There were no proved cases of rabies, and 

 none of real hydrophobia. When the scare was 

 at its worst in England, just across the border 

 there was no muzzling, no panic, and of course 

 no mad dogs. I went to Edinburgh and several 

 other cities of Scotland at this time, and found 

 the dogs running about, free, happy, healthy, and 

 contented. 



Rectal Abscess. — Often forms around or near 

 the anus, filled with pus of a peculiarly fetid 

 odour. In these cases not only must the treatment 

 be directed to the improvement of the general 

 health, but as soon as fluctuation can be detected 

 the abscess is to be freely opened in the dependent 

 position ; then, after the matter has been evacu- 

 ated, it may be treated as a simple ulcer. Clean- 

 liness, and washing frequently with water to 

 which a few drops of strong solution (50 per cent.) 

 of carbolic acid has been added. If the ulcer 

 becomes indolent, it is to be brushed every morn- 

 ing with a lo-grains-to-the-ounce solution of 

 nitrate of silver. 



Rectum and its Ailments. — -I have already men- 

 tioned piles. Much the same treatment will do 

 for all irritations at the end of the gut or anus. 

 Great cleanliness is needed, and the parts should 

 be kept soft by cooling ointments, or boracic, or 

 Zam-Buk. 



Rheumatism, Acute. 



Causes. — It is generally found in dogs that have 

 been neglected, not only as to the comforts of their 

 kennels, but as to their food. Also in dogs that 

 are ever-pampered. If a dog has one attack of 

 rheumatism, either acute or chronic, that usually 



