322 KENNEL SECRETS. 



Here it is well to consider briefly the various estimates 

 put upon the danger of treatment for worms. Some hold 

 that judiciously selected and wisely applied, such treat- 

 ment can do no harm if it fails to do good. Others, how- 

 ever, believe it to be somewhat hazardous with young 

 puppies, no matter its nature or how carefully adminis- 

 tered. Those who hold to the first are right provided the 

 patients have passed the eighth week ; and those at the 

 other extreme are also right if the little ones are under 

 this age. That is, all who dose puppies under eight weeks 

 of age run some risk of killing them, but with older pup- 

 pies death from suitable vermifuges is scarcely likely to 

 occur. 



But while there is danger in dosing puppies that are not 

 yet two months old, it is very slight, and if the medicines 

 are wisely chosen and given in proper quantities, it is 

 doubtful if there is any beyond that of intestinal stoppage. 

 Even this is extremely rare, and never occurs unless the 

 patient is harboring an immense number of worms ; in 

 which case the parasites are suddenly aroused into unusual 

 activity and carried rapidly downward by the action of the 

 bowels, until before the outlet is reached there is an accu- 

 mulation of them which dams up the passage. 



Now, this accident will scarcely happen except in very 

 young puppies in which all the powers are low, and which 

 are only capable of a slight expulsive effort, and even this 

 is lessened by the pain excited by the unwonted activity 

 of the worms when the medicine first reaches them ; 

 whereas older puppies, having much greater strength, 

 would under such conditions expedite the removal of 

 the worms by constant straining, and so prevent their 

 massing. 



Considering these simple facts, the conclusion is justi- 

 fied that worm medicines should not be given to puppies 



