78 A MANUAL OF TOY DOGS 



bringing up a brace. Their exact cause is difficult 

 to determine, since very healthy, well-fed animals may 

 have them in common with those that are weak and 

 miserable from under-feeding (which in this case is 

 synonymous with feeding on a non-meat diet) or kennel 

 life. 



Whatever the cause, the symptoms are always easy 

 to recognise. The bitch first loses interest in her Jitter, 

 though her milk-supply is seldom, if ever, lessened. 

 She twitches, and her eyes look dull and filmy, or glassy 

 and staring. She wanders restlessly about, and some- 

 times pants in the same way as she did when expecting 

 her confinement. Now is the time to intervene, and 

 give one teaspoonful of syrup of chloral with an equal 

 quantity of water. If this is not done, the attack will 

 proceed to staggering, shrieking, and more or less violent 

 convulsions. The administration of the chloral gener- 

 ally causes the symptoms to subside gradually ; but 

 should the patient be no better in two hours, repeat the 

 dose, and if giving bromide of potassium in 5-gr. doses 

 twice or three times a day, immediately after food, 

 does not keep her right, she must go on taking the 

 chloral. 



Neither chloral nor bromide affects the milk ; if any 

 of it passes therein, the quantity is so very minute as 

 to make no difference to the puppies. It is not at all 

 necessary to take the bitch away from her litter ; in 

 fact, it is better to let her go on feeding them. Some 

 will wish to leave their babies, and these should be taken 

 to them and shut in with them, four times a day, and 

 during the night. If she is thoroughly well fed, it never 

 does the bitch any harm to bring up her family, and it 

 would be a very great pity for the puppies to be lost 

 when it is not necessary. But it is exceedingly impor- 

 tant that she should be kept in a state of hyper-nutrition 

 that is, that she should have as much good, under- 

 done meat as she can digest. Bromides are lowering, 

 and besides this, the state of the nerves demands the 

 highest possible feeding. It may be expensive to feed 



