REARING OF PUPPIES. 529 



worms, to which young puppies are peculiarly liable. Goat's milk, however, we consider 

 good for puppies, as it, according to our experience, does not increase the risk of worms. 

 During this time the food given to the mother should be of a strengthening nature, so as to 

 enable her to stand the strain on her constitution which her maternal duties involve, but 

 care should be taken to prevent her bringing bones into her bed, as many instances have 

 occurred of mothers severely biting their puppies who have attempted to take the bones 

 from her. One or two gentle runs a day are now very necessary for the bitch, as exercise 

 not only freshens her considerably, but gives her a chance of getting away from the per- 

 sistent persecution which the puppies inflict upon her. At five weeks old the whelps may 

 usually begin to be removed from their mother, and it is well to do this gradually, as they 

 suffer less from the separation if this course is pursued ; and by extending the intervals of 

 the bitch's absence they can be almost entirely weaned without any ill effects to either 

 themselves or their dam. The best method is to begin by removing the bitch for an hour 

 or two in the warmest part of the day, so that the chance of the puppies catching cold is 

 diminished. The periods of her absence can then be prolonged until she is only returned to 

 them of a night, and finally ceases to visit them at all. 



It frequently occurs that the teats of the bitch have been wounded by the teeth of the 

 puppies when they suckle her ; and inflammation, from the influx of milk, often arises when 

 they are removed. Considerable relief can be obtained by rubbing some camphorated oil well 

 over her stomach, and this can be repeated night and morning for some days, a mild dose of 

 physic being administered when the puppies are finally removed. In the event, however, of 

 the milk that she has secreted still bothering her, and her teats being so tender that drawing 

 some off by ordinary milking is impossible recourse may be had to an ordinary soda-water 

 bottle, heated with hot water, the mouth of which can be pressed over the inflamed teat. 

 This has the effect of drawing some of the milk out, and thereby relieving the bitch of a 

 great deal of pain. Or an ordinary breast-pump may be employed. 



Having now given a brief sketch of the general treatment of a bitch when pupping, 

 we will pass on to the future management of the whelps themselves. 



REARING. 



On the removal of the whelps from their mother, a very considerable change for the worse 

 immediately takes place in their appearance, which is due mainly to the alteration in their 

 diet and general mode of life. Instead of drawing a certain amount of sustenance from their 

 dam at the cost of no trouble, they are now cast upon their own resources for a means of 

 subsistence. The necessity of having to get up and hunt about for the dish which contains 

 its food is a fact which it takes a puppy's mind a long time to master. Consequently the 

 entire litter often passes many hungry hours during the night, although their food is within a 

 few inches of their bed ; and it is not until a happy thought strikes one of them that it might 

 be a good plan if he got up and looked for something, that they all follow his example, and 

 fall to as only hungry puppies can. Almost all puppies suffer greatly from worms, and imme- 

 diately on their removal from their mother means should be taken to rid them of such torments. 

 The presence of worms is certain when the stomachs of puppies swell and harden, but they 

 frequently exist without developing such symptoms. It is therefore the safer plan to administer 

 one or two doses of worm medicine all round, especial care being taken that their delicate mouths 

 and throats are not injured in administering the remedy. The two best vermifuges are areca-nut 

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