270 KENNEL SECRETS. 



As for the quantity of food to be given at each feeding, 

 it should be sufficient to fill out their abdomens, but not 

 distend them — merely enough to overcome that flabbiness 

 of the abdominal muscles which is so apparent when the 

 stomach is empty. 



Milk is the food required, and it may be direct from the 

 cow or in condensed form. In the first instance it should 

 be scalded, allowed to cool until merely "blood warm," and 

 then to each feeding should be added a " pinch" of the 

 saccharated pepsin, an agent which contains the digestive 

 principles of the gastric juice. By this means cow's milk 

 will be rendered nearly, if not quite, as easily digestible as 

 the canine mother's, and'dilution will not be necessary, nor 

 would it be advisable, for the former is not so rich as the 

 latter. 



Milk properly condensed has essentially the same com- 

 position as before evaporation, minus the water, — that is, 

 unless cane sugar has been added or the heat has been car- 

 ried too high, — but that which is commonly used for 

 domestic purposes is not above suspicion of sophistication 

 and indifferent methods of preservation, therefore only the 

 brands intended largely for infant feeding should be used. 

 As for the dilutions required, they vary with the prepara- 

 tions, but as a rule half a teaspoonful of milk to eight tea- 

 spoonfuls of water is about the correct proportion. 



While feeding artificially it is highly important that the 

 apparatus be kept perfectly clean, also that the intestinal 

 discharges be constantly watched, and in the event they 

 become diarrhoea-like it may be accepted that the milk 

 is too rich and requires dilution, while if they have a sour 

 odor it will be necessary to give at each feeding as much 

 lime-water as milk. And the discharges being watery and 

 sour-smelling, colic either exists or is imminent, hence one 

 drop of laudanum should be given between each feeding 

 until a change for the better shall have occurred. 



