EARLIEST PUPPYHOOD. 295 



them, favors cleanliness and nutrition of the skin and 

 health of the hair, but because it leads to the early detec- 

 tion of eczema, mange, or other troubles of this sort if any 

 present themselves. As for washing, it is scarcely safe 

 before the fourth month has been passed, because of the 

 inevitable fright, more or less severe shock to the system, 

 and danger of cold. Nor is it likely to be necessary 

 earlier than this if the general management has been 

 good and cleanliness maintained in the quarters. A safe 

 rule to cover this point is to delay washing puppies until 

 it is absolutely necessary, and then to resort to it no 

 matter what the period of life, using always every precau- 

 tion against chilling. 



As no better opportunity is likely to be afforded it is 

 well now to call attention to the fact that large breeds at 

 a very early age — even in the fifth or sixth week — some- 

 times begin to be deformed in their legs or feet owing not 

 only to the comparatively great weight of their bodies, 

 but to a deficiency, in their composition, of bone-making 

 materials. And this is especially liable to be the case if 

 proper precautions are not taken with the mother before 

 whelping and while nursing, which consist mainly of high- 

 ly nutritious foods and the use of the precipitated phos- 

 phate of lime, as advised in chapter "Before Whelping." 



There may be actual rickets to account for the defor- 

 mity, yet without this constitutional trouble the forelegs 

 may bend inward or outward at the knees, — generally the 

 latter, — the feet turn out, the hind legs become what is 

 called cowhocked, or the pasterns give way, making the 

 puppies walk on their ankles. 



If a puppy is healthy at birth, properly nourished by his 

 mother and afterward wisely fed, and meanwhile given 

 plenty of exercise and provided with good wholesome 

 quarters, — dry, clean, well ventilated, etc., — there willbe^ 



