552 THE BOOK OF THE DOG. 



alone will not cure a dog, although proper hygiene may. See that the bowels are kept regular ; 

 this a dip in the water every morning will generally effect. If they are much bound, gentle doses 

 of sulphur or Youatt's Mixture should be given occasionally, or Gregory's Powder, but no rougher 

 aperient ; indeed, medicines of this class often do more harm than good. If the stools are 

 clay-coloured, from two to eight or ten grains of extract of dandelion twice a day will do good 

 with a podophyllin pill once a week. The following is a safe and simple tonic pill, one to be 

 given twice daily : 



R Sulph. Quinae gr. \ ad gr. ij. 



Sulph. Ferri. gr. J ad gr. vj. 



Extr. Taraxac gr. iij. ad gr. x. 



F pil. j. Misce. 



For small Toy dogs a little dinner pill may be given once a day, made of one grain and a 

 half of pepsine, a grain of ginger, and half a grain of best Barbadoes aloes, and a little glycerine. 



2. Acute Gastritis. 



Acute gastritis, or inflammation of the stomach, is a very fatal and very painful disease in the 

 dog, though happily somewhat rare. 



It is supposed by most authorities to be a disorder that may originate as an idiopathic or 

 primary disease, but it is more often the result of an irritant poison, or the administration by 

 ignorant kennel-men of excessive doses of tartar emetic. It is doubtful, however, whether it ever 

 presents itself as a primary disease. But supposing a case of acute gastritis to come before a 

 veterinary practitioner, and granting that a chemical examination, or analysis of the matter 

 vomited may prove that the animal has swallowed no metallic poison, or any well-known 

 vegetable poison, how can he be sure that the symptoms have not been brought on by some animal 

 irritant, or even some decomposed vegetable matter which the dog may have eaten ? 



The dog's stomach is so easily irritated, that an over-dose of an emetic, especially tartar 

 emetic (which some people who use it for horses and dogs do not seem to know, is a most virulent 

 poison) might induce gastritis. 



Symptoms and Pathology. The disease is the result of inflammation either of the mucous 

 membrane of the stomach with its villi and follicles, or of the muscular coat itself of that viscus. 



There is distressing vomiting, great thirst, high fever ; the animal stretches himself on 

 his belly in the very coolest corner he can find, panting, and in great pain. Enteritis generally 

 accompanies bad cases ; the ears are cold, and the limbs as well. Dark grumous blood may 

 be vomited, or pure blood itself, from the rupture of some artery. And thus the poor dog 

 may linger for some days in a most pitiful condition. Finally he is convulsed, and dies, or 

 coma puts a milder termination to his sufferings. 



Treatment of milder forms of gastritis small doses of dilute hydrocyanic acid, in conjunc- 

 tion with opium, once in four hours, may do good, preceded by one to five ounces of olive 

 oil in the form of enema. 



R. Acid Hydrocyan. dil. ... rn. j. ad TII v. 

 Tinct. Opii. ... ... tn, v. ad tn xxx. 



Aq. 5 ii. ad 5 jv. 



Misce et ft. haustus. 



The warm bath, and hot fomentations afterwards to the region of the stomach, may give 

 relief, and the strength must be kept up by nutritive enemata beef-tea mixed in cream. If 



