36 KENNEL SECRETS. 



But notwithstanding this, considering vegetable sub- 

 stances as a whole, the fact remains that they do not con- 

 tain in convenient form all that is necessary for the 

 support of all dogs under all conditions, and were the 

 entire race fed on them alone, while some might possibly 

 keep well and strong, the infinite majority would in time 

 decline in health and vigor, lacking as they do that com- 

 plex elaborating system which is required for ready con- 

 version of these substances into all the different kinds of 

 materials — the heavy as well as the light timbers — 

 imperatively demanded for structure-building and repairs. 

 But still, as urged in the foregoing chapters, they con- 

 tribute in various ways'not a little to the welfare of dogs, 

 hence the most serviceable of them deserve consideration 

 here. 



•Commencing with garden produce, there are noted a 

 number of vegetables against which with scarcely an 

 exception dogs have strong antipathies and from which 

 they will generally turn unless the same are served and 

 thoroughly intermingled with appetizing foods. And this 

 natural aversion is quite fairly distributed although it 

 seems specially strong towards the potato — very likely 

 for the reason that it is the most common of its class and 

 most frequently appears before them. 



Yet while it is not easily digestible and should be 

 excluded from the diet when old or imperfectly cooked, 

 if comparatively young and well cooked and mashed there 

 is nothing objectionable about this vegetable, — in fact it 

 can wisely be used occasionally as an accessory food. 

 And although it contributes but little in the way of sup- 

 port and vigor there is no denying that it has health- 

 giving properties, the immediate effect of which appears 

 to be on the blood itself, the integrity of which it seems 

 to favor. 



