Some Common Ailments 



As distemper is the commonest and most 

 fatal disease from which dogs suffer, it will 

 be as well to deal with that first, although 

 it is not within the province of a layman to 

 treat the subject exhaustively. This is the 

 work of the trained hand, and, if you value 

 your puppy, I should strongly advise calling 

 in skilled advice, at any rate until long 

 experience has given you a considerable 

 knowledge of this complicated and dangerous 

 complaint. There is no such thing as a 

 "distemper age/' of which some people are 

 so fond of talking. A puppy may contract 

 it at six weeks, or he may escape until he 

 is eighteen months. While some never take 

 it at all, it is a rare thing for a dog that is 

 shown to escape. It is a contagious disease, 

 which cannot be contracted spontaneously, 

 and it is particularly puzzling in its early 

 stages, as a dog may be ailing for some time 

 without displaying any clearly defined 

 symptoms beyond general lassitude and a 

 slightly elevated temperature. A puppy is 



