THE DOG 89 



addition of a preparation of hypophosphates, such as 

 the popular Parrish's syrup or Chemical food. We 

 would here emphasise the importance of using new milk 

 as much as possible ; no other article of diet can replace 

 it if you wish to do j ustice to your puppies. The starchy 

 foods, meat, potatoes, etc., may be introduced gradually, 

 but very sparingly at first. Under the secondary cause 

 of rickets we would include a damp or cold bed, want 

 of exercise, etc., and though many breeders consider 

 these as the cause of rickets, still, in our opinion, the 

 primary cause is to be found in errors in diet such as 

 we have mentioned, and these last are often contribu- 

 tory. In many otherwise capital kennels the arrange- 

 ments for the rearing of puppies are too often defective, 

 and if the owner can possibly manage, we advise him 

 to send them out to " walk " at a farmhouse or with a 

 cottager who possesses a cow. At the critical period 

 between the second and fourth months the keeper 

 can inspect the puppies every fortnight at least, and 

 remedy any faults in overfeeding, etc. Where possible, 

 also, board them out in pairs for the sake of the 

 additional exercise which they get in playing with 

 each other. 



Distemper is the greatest scourge of the canine 

 world, and, unfortunately, the treatment is also far from 

 what it should be. Again, space will not allow us here 

 to go fully into this matter. As in most things where 

 you find such a difference of opinion, the probability is 

 that the right one is still to be discovered. Vaccination 



