Your Dog and Your Cat 



of a teaspoonful of milk of magnesia may be 

 given by mouth. 



Nursing. — ^Within a short time after birth healthy 

 puppies should start to feed. They are able to move 

 about and' find the breast without aid. The amount 

 of food taken at a time, and the duration and fre- 

 quency of the feedings are regulated by the demand 

 of the body. With a disturbance of digestion the 

 appetite becomes depraved and the puppy gorges 

 himself with abnormal amounts. In such condi- 

 tions it is necessary to determine the cause and 

 correct it. 



Lack of Milk. — Often when a young bitch has an 

 exceptionally large litter she is unable to supply 

 enough milk for all of them. If the puppies are not 

 of great value a part of them should be destroyed 

 directly after birth or a foster mother may be 

 procured to take part of them. Otherwise about the 

 second week the puppies will begin to show effects 

 of lack of food. Bitches which are in poor health 

 are often unable to care for a normal litter. If all 

 of the puppies become restless, cry a great deal, and 

 nurse frantically, it is suggestive of lack of milk. 

 An examination of the breasts should be made and 

 if no milk is found the puppies should be taken from 

 the mother so that she may rest for a few hours 

 without the puppies removing the milk. After 

 three hours the breasts may again be examined, and 

 if no milk has formed in the interim the puppies 

 will have to be put entirely on the bottle. If a 



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