ABC GUIDE TO CANINE AILMENTS. 



611 



a very serious disease, and somewhat difficult of 

 diagnosis by the layman, so that if it be even 

 suspected, as it may be is, there is great pain and 

 stiffness in the loins, with high temperature and 

 rapid pulse, a vet. should be called in. 



Causes. Cold and damp, especially if it be 

 applied directly to the loins, as in the case of a 

 dog left to sit out of doors all night in the rain, 

 a dog, that is, who is in a weak state of health, 

 or whose blood is impoverished by bad feeding. 

 Blows and kicks occasionally produce it ; the 

 presence of a stone in the pelvis of the kidney 

 may give rise to it ; so may many irritating medi- 

 cines, such as copaiba, cubebs, turpentine, and 

 cantharides, when given in too large doses. 



Symptoms. The disease is ushered in with 

 shivering, staring of the coat, and a gener- 

 ally dejected appearance of the dog. We 

 then have thirst and fever, with a hard, quick 

 pulse, if you care to examine it, with perhaps 

 sickness and vomiting. There is pain, there is 

 stiffness in the region of the loins, with some 

 degree of tenderness on pressure. A frequent de- 

 sire to micturate, and sometimes suppression of 

 urine ; or the urine, if passed, is scanty, high- 

 coloured, and may contain blood, or even pus. 

 Bowels constipated, and belly probably tym- 

 panitic. If not, and the retention of urine is 

 not relieved, delirium may occur, succeeded by 

 coma and death. 



Treatment. We must try to give the kidneys 

 all the rest we can, and endeavour to reduce 

 the inflammation, and get rid of a portion at least 

 of the urea of the blood by the bowel. This may 

 be done by purgatives, podophyllin, and jalap, or 

 elaterium may be tried. 



Resin of jalap, i grain to 5; podophyllin, ^ 

 grain to 2 grains ; extract of hyoscyamus, i grain 

 to 5. Mix; make one pill, to be given every 

 morning. 



Plenty of hot poppy fomentations must be ap- 

 plied to the loins (occasionally the flat iron heated 

 may do good), and followed up by large linseed- 

 meal and mustard poultices. Enemas of hot water 

 (not too hot) often do good, and the vomiting and 

 sickness may be relieved by giving occasional 

 doses of dilute hydrocyanic acid, from i to 5 

 drops, and by applying mustard poultices to the 

 region of the stomach. 



If suppression of urine continue for several 

 days, the loins may be frequently fomented with 

 hot infusion of digitalis. 



Two things I must warn the reader against 

 the use of diuretics and fly blisters. Both are 

 highly dangerous, although sometimes used. 



Diet and Drink. The diet must be low at first, 

 low and sloppy ; but we must look out for signs 

 of weakness and prostration. Do not let the 

 animal sink for want of nourishment, such as 

 beef-tea, eggs, a little raw meat, and a little 

 port wine; and, lastly, Virol and tonics in con- 

 valescence. The drink, water, or milk-and-water, 

 or patent barley-water, which is softening and 

 demulcent. 



Nipples. When giving milk these may become 

 sore and cracked. Cleanliness, washing with 

 water reddened with permanganate of potash. 

 Boracic lotion and ointment. It may be advis- 

 able to take the puppies away for a short time, 

 spoon-feeding them. 



Nose, Ailments of. Nasal catarrh is the com- 

 monest, and if the dog is otherwise ill it may be 

 mistaken for distemper, especially if the dog has 

 a cough. 



It is also called ozasna, and is usually the result 

 of cold or the sequel to a common catarrh. There 

 is a discharge of mucous or muco-purulent matter 

 from the nostrils, sometimes tinged with blood, 

 and of a foetid odour. 



Treatment. Careful regulation of diet, which 

 is to be nourishing ; frequent bathing of the 

 nostrils in hot water, succeeded immediately by 

 complete syringing out of the nostrils with warm 

 water, to which a little Condy's fluid has been 

 added, and occasional mild injections of sulphate 

 of zinc or hazeline will effect a cure, all the more 

 speedily if Fowler's solution of arsenic, i drop to 

 6 thrice daily, and Virol are given internally. 



Nose bleeding may be from blows or from 

 ulceration. Adrenalin, a dilute solution of which 

 will stop it. Cold to the head. If discomfort and 

 pain with sneezing and snuffling continue long, 

 the nose should be examined by some skilled 

 vet., who may find a worm therein, a polypus 

 which must be removed. 



Obesity or Fatness. For many reasons the 

 treatment of this disease, for disease we must 

 call it, is very unsatisfactory. Even those who 

 love their dogs will hardly take the trouble to 

 follow out instructions, and the animal is a 

 past master in the art of begging, and knows 

 exactly the diplomatic value of winning ways. 

 If any good is to be done he must be put on a 

 lower scale of diet. Reduced half for quite a 

 time. No fat, no sugar, no oily fish, no starchy 

 food of any kind, except a little toasted Spratts' 

 biscuit, the " Toy " or " Terrier " kind. Food : 

 Lean meat, eggs, white fish, liver boiled or raw, 

 and clean, well-boiled tripe without the fat. Oc- 

 casional purgatives. Medicine of little use of 

 dangerous. 



Ophthalmia. Vide EYES, INFLAMMATION OF. 



Pain. Vide Chapter I. of this section. I may 

 add, however, that with short-haired dogs the hot 

 sponge sometimes gives greater relief than the 

 fomentations. Dip the sponge in very hot water, 

 squeeze out, and at once pass over the painful 

 part. The higher the temperature the greater the 

 relief. Hot water bags or bags of hot sand are 

 very useful at times ; so are the heat from a 

 blazing fire, radial heat, sunlight bath, cold rub- 

 bing, and the alternate application of hot and 

 cold compress. This last, especially when there is 

 congestion of internal parts. 



Paralysis. The symptoms of paralysis or loss 

 of power in a limb or in any group of muscles 

 are familiar to everyone. It arises from pressure 

 on the roots of the nerve, pressure by effusion 



