CHRONIC INDIGESTION. 95 
Since by far the most common cause of the affection is in the feeding, also 
in every case that must be right in order to effect a cure, the dietetic treatment 
may properly first engage attention. 
Much has been said and written about the harmful effects of over-feeding, and 
beyond doubt this fault is very prevalent, yet the fact must not go out of sight that 
under-feeding may be even more disastrous. In most cases of indigestion from 
over-feeding the trouble for a long time is limited to disturbance of the digestive 
organs. When, on the other hand, dogs become habituated to too scanty a diet, 
no matter how well digestion may be performed at first, it must ultimately suffer, 
because the blood is largely lacking the materials out of which the digestive 
fluids are formed ; and at the same time it is unable to provide in proper quan- 
tities the elements required for the growth and support of the body. However, 
but few owners are likely to fall into this error, and a passing allusion to it will 
suffice. 
Dogs are eminently capable of digesting vegetables and starches; and these 
are suitable foods when properly combined with meats, but if given habitually 
to excess they are sure, in time, to impair the digestive organs and general health, 
and thus open the door to disease. The reason is obvious. Those foods are 
poor in nutritive elements, and fed on them alone, dogs must overload their 
stomachs in order to have sufficient in the way of materials for growth and re- 
. pair. Again, they pass quickly down and out of the stomach, and if properly 
cooked are digested in the course of a few hours. Now, assuming that a dog is 
allowed these substances only, and fed but once, or twice even, daily, manifestly 
his empty stomach must crave food long before it is given him, and be weakened 
by the deprivation. 
It follows, therefore, that in giving a mixed diet in chronic indigestion great 
care will be necessary in estimating the right proportions of the various ingre- 
dients ; and it will be found as a rule that more meat and less in the way of 
starches will best meet the existing conditions. Indeed, experience has taught 
that a diet consisting solely of raw meat that has been finely minced, in much 
the largest proportion of cases is superior to any other. 
This diet relied on, two meals daily should be sufficient, although a few swal- 
lows of milk at noon can do no harm and the stomach may be better for the 
habit. The quantity of food required will be about one pound and one-half for 
the largest dogs, and one pound for the middle-weights ; while for the smaller 
breeds it should be in corresponding proportion. 
If the meat is properly digested, the patient’s strength and spirits keep up, 
and other signs indicate that he is doing well, its use should be persisted in 
until he is back to his old form; and no other internal measure of treatment 
will likely be required. But while a purely meat diet usually acts well, in some 
cases it is productive of looseness of the bowels, if not of diarrhoea ; in which 
event the caretaker should obtain saccharated pepsin and subnitrate of bismuth, 
