WEANING PUPPIES. 155 



attempt to lick each otlier clean ; but, in the case of long- 

 eared dogs especially, these, if not kept carefully cleansed, 

 by hanging into the food, become the source of much 

 mischief. The food dries on the puppies' hair, irritates 

 the skin, and will of itself cause eczema, both external 

 and internal (canker) ; and worse still, perhaps, such neg- 

 lect is almost certain to be followed by lice, which soon 

 become a plague, that from the constant irritation utterly 

 derange the health of the animal, cause universal skin dis- 

 ease to add to its misery, and have sent many a fine puppy 

 to an untimely grave. Their treatment we will consider in 

 the medical part of thi^ work, along with that of other 

 parasites ; but prevention is now our theme. 



My own plan is the following : Immediately after eat- 

 ing, each puppy is cleansed with a sponge dipped in luke- 

 warm water and rubbed dry with a clean cloth. If the 

 ears are long, they are pinned back by the hair behind the 

 neck with spring clothes-pegs. If the bed be clean, and 

 the other precautions to be suggested later be observed, 

 no lice need be feared. However, the inexperienced are 

 warned to look for these creatures carefully, especially 

 about the outer ears, as they are not easy to detect if few, 

 clinging as whitish specks close to the actual skin. They 

 are best seen when the skin is wet. 



At the time of weaning the dam must not be for- 

 gotten. Her milk must be gradually dried up— i. e., its 

 secretion lessened, and finally wholly arrested. Usually 

 this is facilitated by a little simple treatment, though in 

 occasional cases the matter takes care of itself. The ap- 

 plication of camphorated oil, fluid extract of belladonna 

 (poisonous, and must not be licked ofi, which the bella- 



