CHAPTER IV 



CARE AND DISEASES OF BREEDING ANIMALS 

 Breeding 



Advisability. — The house pet should under no cir- 

 cumstances be bred because of the great risks in- 

 volved. The bearing of young is a normal function 

 which should not be attended with danger pro- 

 vided the dog is kept under natural conditions 

 and allowed to choose its own mate. The house 

 dog, however, lives a very abnormal life and is 

 forced to mate with the dog which meets the ap- 

 proval of her master. Since pet dogs are usually 

 products of systematic breeding aimed at the de- 

 velopment of an ideal type, their powers of repro- 

 duction, as in all other high bred animals, are 

 greatly reduced. This weakness is due mainly to 

 lack of freedom, overfeeding, and close breeding. 

 The difficulties commonly encountered are, inability 

 to deliver their puppies, death of the puppies prior 

 to the time of delivery, inflammation of the womb, 

 and eclampsia. Each of these conditions causes a 

 great deal of suffering and is frequently fatal. 



Professional breeders expect a certain amount of 

 trouble with their bitches and since they are kept 

 only as a business proposition the loss is entirely 

 monetary. This, on the other hand, is not the case 



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