Your Dog and Your Cat 



movement is dependent on the quantity and kind 

 of food the animal is fed. When the diet consists 

 solely of raw, chopped beef, the amount of fecal 

 matter is very slight, because the greater part of 

 the meat is digested and absorbed. Vegetables con- 

 tain a large percentage of fiber which is of no 

 food value and is eliminated, making a very bulky 

 and frequent stool. iDogs should have at least one 

 good movement a day but they may have two or 

 three or even more, depending on the character 

 of the food. In cases of diarrhea there may be as 

 many as forty passages a day. Some animals 

 habitually have but one evacuation in from two to 

 five days but such a condition is absolutely wrong 

 and requires attention. 



Defecation. — Passage of a normal stool should 

 take place with greatest ease. Straining with a 

 normal passage is evidence of rectal trouble. When 

 the dog is constipated he will strain for some time 

 before dislodging the stool. In case of diarrhea, 

 straining occurs after the movement, due to irrita- 

 tion of the bowel. 



Uriiie — Composition. — ^The urine originates as 

 such in the kidneys, being taken from the blood by 

 a process of filtration. It consists of the waste 

 products of tissue activity which have been collected 

 by the circulating blood. It is of thin, watery con- 

 sistency, pale yellow in color, and has a slight odor. 

 The quantity of the urine varies with the size of 

 the dog and the nature of the diet. In medium- 



i6 



