158 



FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



country for days at a time, being in a 

 stupefied condition at times and show- 

 ing fits of great violence, when they bite 

 at all animals near them. In man the 

 well known Pasteur treatment has been 

 found to be an effective remedy, but the 

 expense of the treatment is too great for 

 application to ordinary dogs and all 

 rabid dogs should therefore be destroyed 

 at once. The muzzling orders adopted 

 in various cities are an effective means 

 of controlling the disease if applied in 

 a rational manner. Eabies has been 

 practically exterminated in England by 

 the general and systematic enforcement 

 of muzzling laws. 



Fleas are one of the commonest pests 

 of dogs. If infested dogs are allowed in 

 houses, the floors and rugs may become 

 thoroughly infested so as to create a 

 serious nuisance. Numerous remedies 

 have been proposed for the destruction 

 of fleas. Some dog owners wash their 

 dogs frequently and apply a rather 

 strong soapsuds. Others rely chiefly on 

 a thorough application of insect pow- 

 ders. Experiments with dog fleas in 

 New Hampshire indicate that a creolin 

 bath is the best remedy. For this pur- 

 pose infested dogs or cats may be im- 

 mersed in a 2 per cent solution of creo- 

 lin In order to prevent the infestation 

 of dwelling houses with dog fleas, it is 

 desirable to provide the dog with a rug 

 to sleep on and this rug should be 

 taken out frequently and thoroughly 

 shaken or otherwise treated. 



Mange or itch i s a contagious disease 

 of dogs, due to the presence of mites 

 which burrow in the skin and cause the 

 development of intense itch, the forma- 

 tion of scabs and finally the loss of the 

 hair. There are various forms of mange, 

 but the common sarcoptic mange may 

 be treated in the same manner as recom- 

 mended for sheep scab. On the western 

 ranges, where dogs are used in herding 

 sheep, it is customary to throw them in- 

 to the dipping tank along with the sheep 

 at dipping time. 



Tapeworm — Considerable economic 

 importance attaches to the relation of 

 the dog to the sheep industry. On 

 large sheep ranges where dogs are uni- 

 versally used to help the herder in the 

 management of the sheep, attention 

 must be given to the health of the dog, 

 otherwise, he serves as an agent in the 

 distribution of tapeworms. On this 

 account it is quite unfortunate that 

 the dog should be so much neglected in 



this respect, as is commonly the case. 

 Since some of these parasites live dur- 

 ing their mature stage in dogs, it is 

 readily seen that dogs may be the 

 means of spreading the tapeworms' eggs 

 over the grass upon which the sheep feed. 

 Sheep dogs should therefore be treated 

 periodically for tapeworms. For this 

 purpose perhaps the best remedy is areca 

 nut, given in doses of 2 grains for each 

 pound of the dog's weight. The dose 

 will, therefore, vary greatly according 

 to the size of the dog. Areca nut should 

 be followed a few hours later by castor 

 oil in tablespoonful doses. 



Coyotes and wolves are also concerned 

 in spreading sheep tapeworms and 

 these animals should be exterminated 

 as completely as possible. Recently a 

 number of cases of gid have been ob- 

 served in sheep in Montana. As de- 

 scribed under Sheep Diseases, this is 

 the immature stage of the tapeworm, 

 which in its mature condition lives in 

 the intestines of dogs. The disease may 

 be best controlled, therefore, by treating 

 dogs with vermifuges and preventing 

 them from eating the heads of affected 

 sheep. 



As already indicated, dogs are also 

 subject to a great variety of diseases, 

 including catarrh, diarrhea, jaundice, 

 warts, inflammation of the eyes, deafness, 

 ringworm, lice, apoplexy, cholera, lock- 

 jnw, rickets and other troubles which 

 cannot be discussed in this connection. 



VETERINARY MEDICINES 



Drugs and veterinary medicines may 

 be administered to domestic animals in 

 various ways. One of the commonest 

 and most convenient methods for prac- 

 tical use by stockmen is the drench. 

 The fluid or powdered drug is mixed 

 with a pint or more of water in a bottle 

 and poured into the animal's throat. 

 Powdered drugs and many solutions, in 

 a small quantity, maybe mixed with bran 

 or other grain feed, provided the taste 

 is not too disagreeable. The objection 

 to this method is that not all of the 

 drug may be taken. The use of capsules 

 is a very convenient method practiced 

 by veterinarians, but is not so common 

 among farmers. Various medicines are 

 also given by injection with a small 

 syringe under the skin, into the wind- 

 pipe, body cavity, chest cavity, or direct- 

 ly into a blood vessel. This method 

 should be practiced only after some 

 experience has been had. Medicines 

 may also be administered in enemas 



