264 KENNEL SECRETS. 



time and seem unwilling to make any attempt to nurse, 

 and when taken in the hands are limp and feeble. These 

 symptoms in the main are those of weakness and may be 

 occasioned by a large variety of influences, yet the condi- 

 tions of the mother's breasts being questionable they must 

 point to starvation as the cause. 



Breeders generally seem impressed with the idea that 

 most canine mothers suffer from milk fever, yet this is by 

 no means the rule where puppies are born alive and con- 

 tinue to live and nurse vigorously during the next forty- 

 eight hours. And the reason why they so often escape 

 appears in the fact that they begin to suckle their young 

 very soon after whelping, consequently their breasts are 

 seldom very much swollen even when the milk is abundant. 



Where puppies that have reached an advanced stage 

 of gestation are born dead or die shortly after delivery, 

 usually, but not invariably, all the phenomena of milk 

 fever manifest themselves, i.e., the breasts become much 

 swollen and evidently painful, the skin is hot and dry and 

 the pulse quickened ; there are thirst, loss of appetite and 

 a decided disinclination to activity. Of these symptoms 

 generally the fever and acceleration of pulse are the first 

 to disappear, and in the course of from twenty-four to 

 forty-eight hours, at which time the breasts, although 

 still greatly distended, are evidently less acutely painful. 

 The rapidity with which the swelling in them subsides 

 depends much upon the treatment, but even when none 

 is applied the natural state of things is generally restored 

 ere the end of a week. 



The dangers of this and other fevers after whelping 

 have been very greatly exaggerated, and in consequence 

 the notion is prevalent that all mothers should be kept on 

 low diet, and especially " sloppy foods," for the first two 

 or three days at least, as a preventive measure ; whereas 



