DISEASES. 67 



at once demonstrate the danger of throwing stones for dogs to retrieve, for, in 

 their eagerness, they are apt to swallow them, especially if small. Wool or 

 rabbit fur swallowed is likely to ball together with other matter. See OBSTRUC- 

 TION OF BOWELS. 



FALSE JOINT. Is found where limb was improperly set, or the dog in. 

 unhealthy condition. It is the non-union of the bone by the usual osseous 

 deposits, instead of which there is a fibrous connection, the union of the bones, 

 or portions of them, is, much like they had been united by a piece of India 

 rubber; the two pieces of bone can be readily moved, while the limb cannot sup- 

 port any weight. An operation is often attempted to set up inflammation of the 

 parts, and induce osserous or bony deposits, but experience has proven such 

 operations not very successful. 



FATTY DEGENERATION OF THE HEART. Previous to making a brief 

 reference to this diseased state, it is necessary to tell the reader a few points of 

 importance in connection with the healthy heart of the dog. It is a hollow, 

 muscular organ, with a right and left compartment (the ventricles). In shape 

 it is like a cone, the apex of the cone pointing downwards and backwards. The 

 base is made up of two compartments of the body. These large vessels serve to 

 suspend the heart in the chest cavity, says Frank Townend Barton in British 

 Fancier. 



"The blood coming from these vessels first of all passes into the two com- 

 partments at the base (auricles), and from these through valves into the com- 

 partments first mentioned, and called the ventricles. 



"The weight of the heart varies according to breed and age, but it has been 

 estimated that it runs from 3 to 7 per cent, of the weight of the animal. It is 

 enclosed in a bag (pericardium). When perfectly healthy it should be dark red 

 in color, firm to the touch of the finger, and the traces of fat running down the 

 various grooves upon its surface are a sign of a well-nourished organ. 



"Now, when it is affected by what is called fatty degeneration, it becomes 

 vary pale, thin and flabby, greasy to the touch, with one or more patches of fat 

 upon the walls of the ventricles. This is brought about by the muscle fibres com- 

 posing the heart being changed or replaced by fat. 



"In order to bring about this condition the dog need not be fat itself; in fact, 

 a heart in this state is far more likely to be found in a dog which is thin or 

 underfed. 



"Dogs which are excessively fat externally generally show the same internally; 

 that is to say, that the heart, kidneys, liver, etc., may be completely embedded 

 in one mass of fat: but then it must be understood that this is not a diseased 

 state and does not interfere with the animal's health so long as it allows these 

 different organs to perform their work. It is a sign of over rather than one of 

 under nutrition. 



"The fatty degenerated heart is a diseased one. This is not technical. It is 

 called an 'infiltration,' a term which means that fat is formed between the muscu- 

 lar fibres. 



"I am not aware that there is any symptom or symptoms during life which 

 will enable us to tell whether the heart is in this diseased state. An opinion can 

 only be purely speculative. Of course, the heart has a weak beat, and the animal 

 is easily knocked out. Sudden death is likely to occur either from failure of the 

 heart's action, or, if the fat is in the' form of a patch upon the wall, from sudden 



