234 KENNEL SECRETS. 



a single sign of pregnancy appreciable to the ordinary- 

 observer. Yet, as already stated, these cases are compar- 

 atively rare and not likely to occur often in the experience 

 of one who is familiar with the important signs herein 

 considered. At the same time he who doubts his ability 

 to make a correct diagnosis, in the absence of an expe- 

 rienced adviser, will do well to take the same precautions 

 up to the end of the ninth week that he would in positive 

 cases. 



Before leaving this part of the subject it is well to touch 

 upon a few common notions in relation to it. One is, that 

 the size of the abdominal enlargement is indicative of the 

 size of the litter. While large puppies or a large number 

 of puppies is the rule when the abdomen is greatly enlarged 

 and settled down, yet the litter or the puppies, or both, 

 may be small. 



Many breeders must have noticed instances in which 

 were presented signs of pregnancy, as abdominal, uterine 

 and breast enlargement, and secretion of milk, in the 

 ninth week, but at the end of it no whelps appeared. In 

 like cases there would be every reason for suspecting that 

 the puppies were either prematurely born dead and de- 

 posited in out-of-way places, or the whelping was normal 

 and the offspring fell victims to the puppy-eating habit. 

 And a discharge of blood for several days would be quite 

 conclusive evidence that one of these misfortunes had 

 occurred. 



But the presence of milk, while corroborative evidence 

 in such cases as these, alone would be of no real signifi- 

 cance, for many bitches that are not in whelp have milk at 

 the ninth week from season. 



Returning to the essential management of the bitch in 

 pup her diet must engage attention, for were she not fed 

 generously and on nutritious foods it would be impossible 



