350 DISEASES OF DOGS. 



milk enough for the whole litter. This will accumu- 

 late, and cause local swellings and inflammation ; it 

 will likewise be a source of fever, that cannot always 

 be subdued. 



The best remedy is to limit the food, and at the 

 same time to draw the milk. The last operation 

 having been performed twice or thrice, relief will 

 have been afforded, and no further attention be re- 

 quired. 



Sometimes, however, a contrary course is pursued. 

 The owner sets great value on the breed, and is 

 anxious to save every puppy ; then, instead of finding 

 out a foster-mother for some, if the young should be 

 numerous, he suffers the whole litter to exhaust the 

 supply. A bitch that is used to hardship, or whose 

 constitution has not been impaired by being too much 

 indulged, will not be hurt by this ; but a petted bitch is 

 rarely capable of suckling with safety more than half 

 of her produce. 



If too many remain with her, she, after a while, 

 becomes somewhat stupid; is inattentive to her young ; 

 she rapidly loses flesh ; she will not eat ; she has a 

 wild look ; when all at once she will lay herself down, 

 and begin to pant dreadfully, as if she was about 

 to die in a few minutes ; or strong yelping fits come 

 upon her. 



This is the consequence of extreme irritability, 

 caused by exhaustion ; thus every thing that would 

 tend to weaken the bitch would increase that irri- 

 tability, and aggravate every symptom. The best 

 allayer of irritability in this case is a stimulant ; a 

 little wine or even spirit and water will be of service ; 

 and if after that all her puppies are always fed with 



