592 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



are wealvcncd, the licart is slowed, and the 

 l)rain is rendered dull. It is from amonj^^st 

 d()i,'s who are lu'pt eonstantly in the house 

 or in badly-ventilated kennels that most 

 ailments originate. 



3. Impuri- water is tlu' cause of many 

 diseases, ineludiny skin complaints, and 

 some forms of internal parasites, whose 

 larv:e may ha\'e ft)und their way into such 

 water. 



4. Cleanliness of the doit's coat is essen- 

 tial to liealth. 'I'liere is no rule as to how 

 often a dog should be washed. As a 

 general thing, say, once a month or three 

 weeks. It should be done very thoroughly 

 when it is done; the best of soap is essen- 

 tial. Spratt's Patent have all kinds, and 

 I know the\- are good, but their finer sorts 

 should be used for 'J"oy and other house 

 dogs. Good drying, with.out too much 

 rtibbing, a bit of food immediately alter 

 the washing, then a run on the grass, 

 another rub down, and off to kennel and 

 to sleep. 



5. Prevent disease also by keeping the 

 dog-dishes, the dog's bedding, his collar, 

 his clothing, and even his leading-strap 

 scrupulously clean. 



6. Prevent it by extra care when at a 

 dog show. S(M^ that the bench is clean, 

 and those adjoining his. Many a splendid 

 specimen contracts a fatal ailment at such 

 shows, and this, perhaps, from no fauh 

 of those in charge of the benches. Don't 

 let your specimens make acciuaintance with 

 anv strange dog while leading him in or 

 out of the show hall or round the exercise 

 ground. Don't cuddle strange dogs vour- 

 self, or \(>u ma\- bring dislem]5er to \dur 

 own at a show . 



7. Prevent disease b\' oi3en-air exercise. 

 Swimming is one of the best forms of this. 

 So is racing or chasing on the grass after 

 a piece of stic:k or a ball. 



8. Prevent disease (going thin, worms, 

 etc.) in puppies by seeing to it that the 

 dam's whelping bed is perfectly clean, and 

 that she herself has been washed in tepid 

 water and rinsed with tepid water (not cold) 

 a week before her time. A single flea or 

 dog-louse (in which some species of worms 

 spend their intermediate stage), if swrd- 

 lowed by a puppy, mav cost the little thing 

 its lite or its cc^nstitulion. The worms so 



bred suck the blood or juices of the in- 

 testines, the pupp\- gets ihin, aiul is liable 

 to rickets and many other trt>uljles, of 

 which skin ailments, though bad enough, 

 are not the wtjrst. 



9. Prevent disease in ]iuppies after thev 

 are weaned bv feeding five times a day at 

 least — earl\- in the morning and last thing 

 at night — on well selected diet, and always 

 boil the milk thev drink, because a flea 

 or louse drowned in it might give rise to 

 worms, and, independentl\- of this, milk 

 ma\' be laden with evil germs. A Spratt's 

 ]Tupp\- biscuit given to gnaw will do good 

 whi'u the ]nip is old enough — it helps the 

 milk teeih. Biscuits should be given drv 

 lo all dogs, if thev will take them, and 

 hunger is sweet sauce. Dr\' biscuits clean 

 till- teeth. 



10. In the prevention of diseases the sun 

 is a most ]30werful agent. You cannot 

 keej) a dog healthy unless vou arrange his 

 k(Minel so that he can have a sunshine bath 

 as often as possible. Dogs delight to bask 

 in the sunshine and fresh air. 



1 1. Rabies, or canine madness, is an tin- 

 know Ji disease when dogs have freedom 

 and are never muzzled. This was nt-ver 

 more completely exemplified than during 

 the mad dog scare in England a few \ears 

 ago. In Edinburgh and other northern 

 cities, where dogs were free to roam un- 

 muzzletl, there was no rabies, spurious or 

 real, and no panic among the people. 



12. Prevent disease by bedding the out- 

 iloor dog well and giving shelter siunmer 

 ami winter, and bv never chaining a dog 

 under a cart in motion, or letting him run 

 afler a ])icvcle. 



Poisons and their Antidotes. — Whether 

 as the result of accident or bv evil design, 

 dogs are exceedingly liable to suffer from 

 poisoning. Independently of eiiher acci- 

 dent or design, the animal is sometimes 

 poisoned by his owner unwisely adminis- 

 tering to him drugs in too large doses. 

 Poison is often piU down to rats and mice, 

 aiul in a form, too, which is usually just 

 as palatable to the house-dog as to the 

 \ermin. There are so many ingenious 

 traps nowadaws sold for the catching of 

 mice aiul other vermin that reallv the 

 practice of poisoning rats should seklom be 

 resortcal t(j. 



