88 KENNEL DISEASES. 
generally occupies eleven or twelve hours; and within this period an ordinary 
meal of lean beef, cut in small pieces, should be nearly all, if not quite all, dis- 
posed of, Were the meal unusually large, however, digestion would be slower, 
and possibly not entirely completed before the fourteenth or fifteenth hour. 
Again, the length of time digestion requires depends much upon the kind of 
meat. For example, pork is notoriously hard to digest, and but slowly yields to 
the process ; while tripe is easy, and soon disposed of. 
Normal digestion is not attended by any disturbing sensations attributable 
thereto. Indeed, on the contrary, after a full meal, feelings of comfort and con- 
tentment are plainly evident. But when the health is not good, or there suddenly 
occurs some disturbing and depressing influence, digestion is retarded or alto- 
gether arrested, and the contents of the stomach excite irritation of its walls, and 
cause a sense of weight and discomfort. 
If stomach digestion is stopped or is going on too slowly, the foods retained 
undergo fermentation, decomposition takes place, harmful acids and gases are 
formed, and the victim suffers from “bloating” and an increase of all the dis- 
turbing sensations previously felt. Frequently vomiting occurs and the stomach 
is emptied ; but generally its contents pass downward, still undigested, into the 
intestines. 
Even where digestion is normal, not all the meat taken into the stomach is 
digested therein. Small portions of it enter the intestines, where the gastric juice, 
which goes with them, continues to act for a time, and the intestinal fluids prac- 
tically finish the work. But while the digestion of meat fibres extends into the 
intestines, beyond the stomach it is anything but vigorous, and in fact it is com- 
paratively weak, and only very small quantities can then be disposed of after that 
organ has been left. 
Now let the undigested portions of food be in considerable quantity, as 
always where stomach digestion has been delayed or altogether arrested, they 
must prove too much for the intestinal fluids, and act on the intestinal walls as 
they did on the walls of the stomach, and irritate them — also give rise to a feel- 
ing of discomfort if not actual pain. The intestines in turn, revolting against 
the imposition, endeavor to get rid of the disturbing elements ; and diarrhcea is 
the natural means employed if there are many of them. 
The stomach may do its work promptly and well and yet the intestines be 
at fault ; in which instance their contents undergo fermentation and decomposi- 
tion, and unnatural fluids and gases are generated, as in the stomach when it is 
inactive or sluggish. These cause distension of the bowels ; they also give rise 
to colic and diarrhcea, through the irritation that they excite. 
Obviously, therefore, digestive trouble may be in the stomach or in the intes- 
tines ; or in other words, there may be gastric or intestinal indigestion. It is 
not often wholly confined to either; and while there might possibly be intestinal 
disorder without the stomach being involved, the intestines never fail to share in 
