338 KENNEL SECRETS. 



brought in more thorough contact with the worms ; conse- 

 quently fasting for as long a time as wise and safe should 

 be the rule. But in cases where the puppies are still 

 nursing, a fast of two or three hours will be quite sufficient ; 

 and if such little ones are in imminent danger there need 

 be no delay. 



For puppies under five months of age oftentimes a fast 

 of a night will be long enough ; and a light supper of milk 

 having been given, the worm treatment can be adminis- 

 tered before breakfast. But where a tapeworm is the 

 lodger to be expelled, about a week of preparatory treat- 

 ment is advisable. And the importance of this appears 

 in the following : While evacuations of many of the seg- 

 ments of the worm are easily brought about, but little has 

 been really accomplished until the head is expelled, for 

 reproduction is steady and rapid as long as that remains. 

 This portion is very obstinate indeed in its adherence to 

 the lining of the intestine, and being minute in size it is 

 easily shielded from the action of the worm medicine by 

 the tenacious mucus, which is always secreted in excess 

 when a tapeworm is present. 



It is essential, therefore, to diminish this secretion be- 

 fore commencing the actual treatment, and much can be 

 done in this direction by dietetic means alone. To the de- 

 sired end for about one week the diet should be restricted 

 to raw beef, and milk or broths thickened with a few well- 

 toasted bread crusts. And these foods should be limited 

 in quantity. In other words the diet should be of the 

 "starvation sort," provided, of course, it can be safely in- 

 stituted, the subject being fairly strong and hardy. 



Under this restriction in diet the mucous secretion will 

 have greatly lessened, and perhaps sufficiently, but still 

 those who can spare the time required will do well to ad- 

 minister during the dieting the following mixture : Chlo- 



