528 THE BOOK OF THE DOG. 



treatment of his animal's ailments. In cases of protracted labour, where there are indications of 

 internal complications, surgical aid must of course be rendered the bitch, provided really com- 

 petent professional assistance can be obtained. All other is useless in such cases, and we must 

 once again impress upon our readers the terrible danger and torture to which they subject 

 their dogs by calling in the assistance of incompetent advisers. Be convinced that your surgeon 

 knows more than you do yourself, is a golden rule for breeders to lay heed to. 



In the event of the bitch being unable to pass her puppies after being in labour for some 

 time, the application of crushed ice to the abdomen is frequently the means of enabling her 

 to do so, as it has the effect of contracting the muscles of the womb, and thus assists in the 

 expulsion of the whelps. Ergot is sometimes used in complicated cases as a uterine excitant, 

 but should be resorted to only as an extreme measure, being, in the hands of inexperienced 

 persons, a very dangerous medicine. Oiling the vagina is also in many cases a relief to the 

 bitch. In some books we have seen it strongly recommended as a means of assisting protracted 

 labour that the bitch should be immersed in a warm bath for a few minutes ; this in ninety- 

 nine cases out of a hundred involves two certain results (i) almost instant relief to the dog, 

 (2) DEATH. According to the theory propounded by Mayhew in his work on canine diseases, 

 the application of warm water causes a relaxation of the muscles of the womb, whereas an 

 exactly opposite effect is needed ; thus the temporary relief from her suffering costs the poor 

 beast her life, and her owner the mortification of having killed her by improper treatment. 

 We know not of one only, but of scores of such instances occurring ; and no doubt all breeders 

 of experience are well acquainted with the ill effects of an injudicious bath to a bitch in 

 labour. 



Some curiosity on the part of a youthful breeder is natural enough where the first puppies 

 of his own breeding are concerned ; but he will be acting very foolishly indeed if he gives 

 way to it. It cannot be any advantage to him to discover the sexes of the different whelps 

 on the day of their birth, and all handling should be avoided unless it is thought desirable 

 to remove some from the mother on account of the number being considered too many for 

 her to bring up. It should be borne in mind that four or five strong, vigorous, well-nourished 

 puppies are far more likely to turn out satisfactorily for their owner than eight or ten scantily- 

 nourished ones ; and it must be left to the good sense of the breeder to decide, from 

 the condition of the bitch and the amount of milk she has secreted, how many she can do 

 justice to without injuring herself. Five or six are enough for a moderate-sized bitch, 

 and eight or ten for a large one. The extra ones can be destroyed if sickly, or placed under 

 a foster-mother, if one can be got. In some instances puppies have been very successfully 

 brought up by hand, through the immediate agency of a baby's feeding bottle; but before any 

 one enters upon such an undertaking due consideration should be devoted, to the magnitude of 

 the task before him. Constant feeding is necessary, and the whelps require a great deal of 

 warmth, patience, and attention. In circumstances like this the most valuable ally of all is 

 to be found in the cook ; if her hearty co-operation is obtained the chances are that the 

 whelps will go on and prosper, for a snug corner for the basket on the kitchen hearth, and 

 the constant supervision she can give them, is sure to benefit them very considerably. 



About the ninth day the puppies begin to open their eyes, and very soon they commence 

 crawling out of their nest and about the floor of the kennel ; after which it is wonderful how 

 fast they seem to grow and the strength they display. At two weeks old they will com- 

 mence to eat bread-and-gravy, or bread-and-milk, if it is provided for them, though the latter 

 is, we think, an objectionable diet, as it is apt to turn sour, and also, if cow's milk, to breed 



