J 



112 BREEDING AND REARING OF PUPPIES. 



to this stag-e of their existence. One of the most fatal of these 

 seems almost peculiar to some breeds, particularly to terriers, 

 pugs, the smaller kinds of spaniels, and, indeed, to most of 

 the diminutive races ; and more especially to such as live 

 luxurious and artificial lives. Among- these, certain indivi- 

 duals always bring forth their young, either already diseased, 

 or with such a tendency to it, that the complaint alluded to 

 soon makes its appearance, and with greater certainty when 

 they have to combat with bad air or confined situation. 

 This disease closely resembles tahes mesentericus, to which 

 the human infant and monkies also are liable. It seems also 

 to originate from the similar causes of constitutional predis- 

 position, gained from the mother before birth, or from the 

 want of nutrition in her milk from bad living afterwards. 

 It appears also under the similar features of a large belly 

 with stinted growth, an unthrifty state of the hair, and a 

 countenance of peculiar sharpness and sagacity. The com- 

 plaint commonly ends fatally by the animal's becoming tabid : 

 neither is medical treatment of any service, unless very 

 early resorted to ; in v/hich case, liberal feeding, free air, 

 with mild purgatives and alteratives, will sometimes arrest 

 its progress. When there is reason to suspect an unhealthy 

 state of milk in the mother, a change should be made from 

 it, by means, either of a foster parent, or by mares or cows' 

 milk given by hand. 



Now and then the affection originates in worms ; in which 

 cases, the hair stares more than usually, and, in addition, the 

 animal rubs his hind parts on the ground, and his stools ap- 

 pear irregular in consistence and colour. These cases of 

 tahes are more manageable than the others, and, if treated as 

 directed under the head Worms, may be generally relieved. 

 Worms are very common in young dogs, perhaps few are 

 without them ; whenever, therefore, puppies have fits, irre- 

 gular bowels, violent and unnatural appetite, and a gene- 

 ral unhealthy appearance, worms may be suspected as the 

 cause. 



Rickets destroy many puppies also, particularly among the 



