534 THE BOOK OF THE Doc. 



the digestive canal is out of order. A brown tongue indicates a greater amount of inflammation 

 of the mucous membranes. 



Running of saliva at the mouth usually denotes some disturbance of the system. It is 

 present in many inflammatory diseases of the chest and throat, especially if accompanied with 

 nausea and sickness. It may, however if there be no signs of inflammation only indicate 

 some disease of the teeth, and the mouth ought to be examined, for probably a bit of bone or 

 wood may be found to have penetrated the gum, or got wedged between the teeth. 



A foul mouth, with ulcerated gums and teeth covered with tartar, indicates indigestion, 

 from errors in feeding, and must be seen to. 



4. The Puhe. The pulse in the dog in health is a firm, tense pulse. It gives you the idea 

 of bounding life and spirits, a pulse that will not be repressed. Now, as to its frequency, 

 this varies with the breed of the dog and with his age. In tiny dogs the pulse of the adult 

 may be 100 and over, in the Mastiff and St. Bernard it should be about 80 or 85 beats to a 

 minute. In young dogs it is very much more frequent, and in old animals it ranges from 60 

 to 80, according to the breed. The owner of a pet dog or dogs should make himself acquainted 

 with their pulses, by frequently feeling them in health. The pulse is most easily felt on the 

 upper part of the femoral artery, just about the middle of the inside of the thigh, near to 

 where it joins the body. 



Now it is sometimes very difficult to judge of the state of a small dog's health from the 

 pulse with regard to fever or inflammation, so much so that we have to trust more to other 

 signs and symptoms, but in large animals the state of the pulse often aids one materially in 

 forming a diagnosis. Taking the state of the pulse, however, of any animal requires some 

 considerable experience. 



Two terms are very often confounded, even some medical men use them carelessly, 

 namely, the quick pulse and the frequent. We cannot say that the terms are very happy ones, 

 but only that they mean different states of the pulse. Thus, frequency of the pulse has refer- 

 ence to the rate of the pulse to the number of beats in a minute ; quickness, on the other 

 hand, refers to the speed with which each individual beat does its work, each wave seeming 

 to touch the finger but momentarily. In fever the pulse is more frequent, but it has not the 

 force it has in health ; in inflammation it has more force, and may or may not be more 

 frequent. 



Any transient frequency of the pulse might be caused by mere excitement, and unless other 

 symptoms were present would not indicate fever. 



By a hard pulse is meant a pulse small in volume but of considerable force. A wiry 

 pulse is the same, only it is of still smaller volume. 



A soft pulse means a pulse with plenty of volume but little force. 



A hard pulse is met with in many inflammations ; a hard, wiry, or thready pulse is often 

 present during the first rigors of inflammation. 



A soft pulse is indicative of general debility, and points to good nutriment and support, 

 especially if it is not only soft but small withal. There are many other conditions of pulse, which 

 need not be named here, those mentioned having reference principally to the state of the system. 



5. Breathing. The physical signs of chest disease are far too difficult for any but a 

 professional to have a correct knowledge of. But there are certain symptoms of disease 

 connected with the breathing, which every dog-owner would do well to make himself acquainted 

 with. Panting, or quickened breathing, is present in many inflammations of the lungs, as well 

 as in other diseases. If persistent it points to illness of some sort, but it may be brought 



