38 KENNEL DISEASES. 
“severe cold on the chest.” It may originate in the bronchial tubes themselves, 
but with rare exceptions it follows and is a direct extension of a catarrhal inflam. 
mation in the nose and throat. The membrane involved is swollen and red- 
dened; its natural secretion is lessened or entirely absent for a time, and then 
becomes much more abundant than in health, also yellowish, from the presence 
of pus. This has led to a division of the disease into two stages, the dry and 
the moist, which are defined by these changes. The first usually lasts about two 
days, and the second and final stage until recovery has occurred. 
This disease may be primary or secondary ; that is, an attack may be acute 
bronchitis from the first, and developed in the usual way, or, as stated, it may be 
associated with other affections of the air-passages. It is also of frequent occur- 
rence in distemper. Chronic bronchitis may likewise occur alone or as a compli- 
cation of other chronic diseases of the lungs, as tuberculosis. Again, bronchitis 
may be sub-acute, or, in other words, merely of mild intensity and short duration. 
It is generally accepted that acute bronchitis is usually the direct manifesta- 
tion of chilling of the surface of the body or breathing cold air while overheated. 
Of course pampered pets that hug, as it were, kitchen stoves, or are permitted to 
constantly lie near registers, when they go into very cold air are in a condition 
specially favorable for the occurrence of acute bronchitis ; but in dogs differently 
placed it is not likely that exposure to cold is the cause in any considerable pro- 
portion of attacks. Indeed, many must be attributed to some special atmos- 
pheric influence not understood, and probably bacterial; for not infrequently the 
disease prevails as an epidemic. Moreover, where dogs have been quartered 
together, oftentimes several have been attacked in turn. 
Unless much heated or fatigued by a hard run, a healthy dog is not liable to 
yield to and be made ill by exposure to cold or other hardships of the weather, and 
bronchitis rarely attacks him. On the other hand, the dog that has a delicate con- 
stitution, which is either natural or has been acquired under debilitating influences, 
as those existing in ill-ventilated, damp, and unclean kennels, is comparatively 
an easy victim. Another fact which deserves emphasis is that the liability to 
contract this and other acute pulmonary affections is influenced greatly by the 
feeding and amount of. exercise taken. For instance, feed generously and keep 
a dog much confined, and he will be especially liable to take cold on exposure; 
whereas he that is fed rightly and has constant liberty is practically safe from such 
danger. The explanation is easy. Where there is insufficient exercise, and es- 
pecially if the quantity of food is in excess of nature’s requirements, the system 
is choked with waste material which should have been eliminated. More or less 
of this waste, which is poisonous, is in the blood, and the workings of all vital 
organs are in considerable degree affected by it. They are then more liable to 
become inflamed ; and this is especially true of the lungs. 
Inhalations of irritating gases are capable of causing this disease ; but dogs 
are rarely exposed to such,—that is, to gases sufficiently potent, unless it be 
