BREEDING AND WHELPING 321 



tion is apparent castor oil may be necessary. On the sixty- 

 second day the whelps may be expected, and everything ought 

 to be in readiness for the event. 



A coarsely constituted bitch may be trusted to look after 

 herself on these occasions ; no help is necessary, and one may 

 come down in the morning to find her with her litter com- 

 fortably nestling at her side. But with the Toy breeds, and 

 the breeds that have been reared in artificial conditions, 

 difficult or protracted parturition is frequent, and human 

 assistance ought to be at hand in case of need. The owner 

 of a valuable Bull bitch, for example, would never think of 

 leaving her to her own unaided devices. All undue inter- 

 ference, however, should be avoided, and it is absolutely 

 necessary that the person attending her should be one with 

 whom she is fondly familiar. 



In anticipation of a possibly numerous litter, a foster-mother 

 should be arranged for beforehand. Comfortable quarters 

 should be prepared in a quiet part of the house or kennels, 

 warm, and free from draughts. Clean bedding of wheat en 

 straw should be provided, but the bitch should be allowed to 

 make her nest in her own instinctive fashion. Let her have 

 easy access to drinking water. She will probable refuse food 

 for a few hours before her time, but a little concentrated 

 nourishment, such as Brand's Essence or a drink of warm milk, 

 should be offered to her. In further preparation for the 

 confinement a basin of water containing antiseptic for washing 

 in, towels, warm milk, a flask of brandy, a bottle of ergotine, 

 and a pair of scissors are commodities which may all be 

 required in emergency. The ergot, which must be used with 

 extreme caution and only when the labour pains have com- 

 menced, is invaluable when parturition is protracted, and there 

 is difficult straining without result. Its effect is to contract 

 the womb and expel the contents. But when the puppies are 

 expelled with ease it is superfluous. For a bitch of 10 Ib. 

 in weight ten drops of the extract of ergot in a teaspoonful of 

 water should be ample, given by the mouth. The scissors are 



