AILMENTS AND ILLNESSES 79 



a " fitly " bitch on good beefsteak or roast mutton 

 four times a day, giving her a sponge cake the last thing 

 at night and a little rnilk, or, what is much better and 

 more digestible, a raw new-laid egg or raw fresh cream, 

 in the early morning ; but it is, on the whole, a cheap 

 way of saving a litter of valuable pups. If there are 

 a large number of pups, some may be given to a foster- 

 mother ; but as a rule these are difficult to get, and not 

 often satisfactory. Bromides should always be given 

 immediately after food ; on no account when the stomach 

 is empty. Chloral may be given at any time when there 

 is a necessity for it. The 5-gr. bromide tabloids obtain- 

 able at any chemist's are very useful ; it is un- 

 necessary to dissolve them in water for dogs, but, as 

 before stated, they must be given with or directly after 

 food. 



Teething fits should be treated, as far as medicine 

 goes, exactly as suckling fits. Just as a badly-reared, 

 non-meat-fed bitch who, by reason of an anaemic habit, 

 harbours worms, is a poor subject for the latter trouble, 

 so is a puppy that has been brought up on milky slops 

 and large, wet messes of oatmeal and bread and milk, 

 and thus has a weakened digestion, very likely to suffer 

 badly from fits that in a strong young dog would pass 

 off with small trouble. There is usually some warning 

 of teething fits, as staring eyes, etc. ; but sometimes, 

 and especially if a puppy of from six to ten months has 

 been much excited, taken out walking on a hot day, 

 allowed to play in the sun, or dragged unwillingly on a 

 lead, they come on very suddenly. While out in hot 

 sun, the dog may suddenly give a shriek and begin 

 to run with all his might, taking no notice of calls. 

 As a general rule, he has the sense to run home, 

 unless some officious person on the way imagines 

 him mad and acts as silly people do under such 

 circumstances. 



If it is possible to catch the runaway, he should have 

 his head covered to keep the light out of his eyes, and be 

 taken home as quickly and quietly as possible to be shut 



