30 KENNEL SECRETS. 



tooth brush, for by means of them matters which accu- 

 mulate on the teeth are largely removed. Those which 

 are soft and can be easily crushed, as the body bones of 

 calves, sheep, etc., should be given at frequent intervals, 

 but hard bones endanger the teeth ; and the small and 

 dense, which sliver on breaking, are especially forbid- 

 den as likely to cause intestinal obstruction — an acci- 

 dent which has proved fatal to many valuable dogs. 



A word as to horse-flesh. That of healthy horses which 

 have been killed by accident or in consequence of acci- 

 dent can safely be accepted as good food for dogs, whereas 

 the flesh of horses destroyed by disease should be con- 

 sidered dangerous, although of course it might not always 

 be so. 



Meat with all its bearings having been freely discussed, 

 there remain for consideration a few other animal foods 

 of value in the kennels ; and these are milk, eggs, and 

 fish. 



Milk, Nature's first food for a certain class of animals, 

 necessarily contains all the elements required for the 

 growth of the body, and therefore it must be placed high 

 in the list of materials at command for feeding dogs — old 

 as well as young. But while a perfect food for the latter, 

 its value lessens as age advances because its important 

 elements are so diluted with water ; and before a mature 

 dog could obtain enough of them it would be neces- 

 sary literally to swamp his alimentary canal. In fact, 

 were it alone depended upon a dog of the largest variety 

 would scarcely find support in less than a gallon of milk 

 daily ; and this quantity taken continually would speedily 

 injure his digestive system ; moreover, he would soon 

 weaken unless kept much at rest, for while milk builds 

 up tissues they cannot withstand very hard labor. 



But notwithstanding all this, new milk is a valuable 



