44 DISEASES OF DOGS. 



if allowed to proceed beyond a certain stage, and 

 it is therefore of the utmost importance that any 

 altered appearance in the dog should be attended 

 to in time_, the more particularly as I have just 

 stated that young dogs are seldom attacked by 

 any other disease. 



*' The peculiar affliction of the dog, known by 

 the name of the distemper, like the small-pox in 

 the human species, generally makes its appearance 

 in early life, and I scarcely ever knew an instance 

 of a dog escaping it. The animal is very rarely 

 afflicted with it a second time, one instance only 

 falling under my observation during many years 

 of extensive observation. I never knew the dis~ 

 temper to present itself while whelps were 

 sucking ; but from the time they quit the teat it 

 may be expected, and will generally appear before 

 the animal has attained his first year, often during^ 

 the period between his fifth and ninth month. 

 On the approach of this canine scourge, the dog 

 will be dull, his eyes will appear less bright than 

 usual, a languidness will pervade his whole system, 

 and his appetite w ill fail, or he may, perhaps, re- 

 fiise his food altogether ; he will be also troubled 

 with a great degree of constipation ; this is the 

 first stage of the disease in question. The dis- 

 temper makes its way by inflammation, accom- 

 panied by costiveness; and, therefore, reason clearly 

 points out the necessity of checking the one and 



