Common Diseases of Dogs 



Causes. — The general disturbance which leads to 

 eczema has been popularly termed "overheating of 

 the blood." Certain substances, probably of the 

 nature of toxins, arising from the digestive tract, 

 circulate in the blood stream. These poisonous 

 products irritate the skin, but it is not usually dis- 

 turbed unless aggravated from the outside. If, 

 however, they are produced in sufficient quantities, 

 eczema may develop without the external irrita- 

 tion. The digestive disorder, which leads to this, 

 may be caused by an irrational diet, an excess of 

 food, and constipation, or it may coexist with 

 worms, rickets, and distemper. The foods which 

 are conducive to eczema are fats,"~milk, soups, 

 gravies, and boiled liver. Raw m^t absoluterjirdoes 

 not cause this condition when fed in reasonable 

 amounts, but eczema may develop when any of the 

 proper foods are giv^n in unlimited quantities. 

 Constipation promotes any form of intoxication. 

 Rickets and worms when brought to notice are 

 usually associated with an error in diet. During 

 such severe debilitating diseases as distemper the 

 resistance of the body is too low to combat either 

 external or internal irritation of the skin. 



The external irritation may be produced by dirt, 

 fleas, lice, matted hair, frequent bathing, strong 

 soaps and disinfectants. However, unless the sys- 

 temic condition above described exists, the skin 

 will not be affected by the irritation. A dog in 

 normal health may harbor fleas or lice without 



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