MEDICINES. 255 



CHAPTER XVII. 



MEDICINES USED IN THE TREATMENT OF THE DISEASES OF 



THE DOG. 



THESE are far more numerous and complicated than would, on the first 

 consideration of them, be imagined. The Veterinary Surgeon has a long 

 list of them, suited to the wants and dangers, imaginary or real, of his 

 patients ; and he who is not scientifically acquainted with them, will occa- 

 sionally blunder in the choice of remedies, or the application of the 

 means of cure which he adopts. Little attention may, perhaps, be paid to 

 the medical treatment of the dog ; yet it requires not a little study and 

 experience. I will endeavour to give a short account of the drugs, and 

 mode of using them, generally employed. 



The administering of medicines to dogs is, generally speaking, simple 

 and safe, if a little care is taken about the matter, and especially if two 

 persons are employed in the operation. The one should be sitting with 

 the dog between his knees, and the hinder part of the animal resting on 

 the floor. The mouth is forced open by the pressure of the fore-finger and 

 thumb upon the lips of the upper jaw, and the medicine can be conve- 

 niently introduced with the other hand, and passed sufficiently far into the 

 throat to insure its not being returned. The mouth should be closed and 

 kept so, until the bolus has been seen to pass down. Mr. Elaine thus 

 describes the difference between the administration of liquid and solid 

 medicines : " A little attention will prevent all danger. A ball or bolus 

 should be passed completely over the root of the tongue, and pushed some 

 way backward and forward. When a liquid is given, if the quantity is 

 more than can be swallowed at one effort, it should be removed from the 

 mouth at each deglutition, or the dog may be strangled. Balls of a soft con- 

 sistence, and those composed of nauseous ingredients, should be wrapped 

 in thin paper, or they may disgust the dog and produce sickness." 



Dogs labouring under disease should be carefully nursed : more depends 

 on this than many persons seem to be aware. A warm and comfortable 

 bed is of a great deal more consequence than many persons who are fond 

 of their dogs imagine. Cleanliness is also an essential point. Harshness 

 of manner and unkind treatment will evidently aggravate many of their 

 complaints. I have sometimes witnessed an angry word spoken to a healthy 

 dog produce instant convulsions in a distempered one that happened to be 

 near ; and the fits that come on spontaneously in distemper, almost in- 

 stantly leave the dog by soothing notice of him. 



Acidum Acetum ( Vinegar). This is useful for sprains, bruises, and fo- 

 mentations. 



Acidum Nitricum (Nitric Acid; Aqua Fortis). This may be used with 

 advantage to destroy warts or fungous excrescences. A little of the acid 

 should be dropped on the part and bound tightly down. The protube- 



