lEE DOG. 



days. Nothing can be farther from the proper course, or more 

 clearly display the operator's ignorance. It would seem that 

 among these old-fashioned worthies, an impression prevailed 

 that so long as an animal's body was burdened with fat, nothing 

 was better for him than a course of starving — ^regarding the 

 fat, indeed, as so much funded victuals, on which the animal 

 might draw at pleasure ; whereas the mere existence of the over- 

 loaded sides is evidence sufficient that the dog's stomach is 

 weaJdy and unable properly to perform its fanctions ; and 

 surely it requires no profound inquiry to discover that a weak 

 and infirm stomach is in much worse case to be trifled with 

 than one strong and vigorous, albeit lean as French beef. 



The best mode of treatment is to diet the animal on sound 

 and plain food, talcing care that moderation is observed. If he 

 has been in the habit of eating at any and every hour in the 

 day, divide his daily portion into three, and for the first two or 

 three days give tii-m a meal morning, noon, and night. After 

 that his allowance may be cut in two, and only two daily meals 

 given — one at noon and the other before he retires to rest at 

 night. Dog-fanciers generally agree that a dog should be fed 

 but once a day. 



While thus dieted the animal should have unlimited exercise 

 in the shape of running or walking. I thini it as well to men- 

 tion the shape, as I have heard of a lady whose dog was ill 

 from indigestion, and to which exercise was recommended. At 

 the end of a week the creature's health didn't improve, and the 

 doctor was puzzled. " Is your ladyship quite sure that it has 

 the two hours' daily exercise ordered P " " Quite sure, doctor." 

 " Pray does it run by the side, or walk sluggishly ? " " What ? 

 walk ? Fido walk this nasty weather ? How could you think 

 me so cruel, doctor ? The pretty feUow is driven through the 

 parks m the hrougham." A cold bath, of the sort described 

 elsewhere in this book, is good for a dog sufiering from indi- 

 gestion, as well as tonic sedatives and vegetable bitters. 



As an ordinary stomaoh-piE for the dog, Mr. Edward Mayhew 

 recommends the following compound : — Extract of hyoscyamus, 

 sixteen grains ; sodse oarb., half an ounce ; extract of gentian, 

 half an ounce ; ferri carb., half an ounce. To be made into 

 eight, sixteen, or twenty-two pills, according to the size of the 

 indisposed animal, and two to be given daily. 



With very old dogs indigestion is accompanied by alarming 

 appearanee'. The stomach becomes inflated to a degree almost 

 incredible. As the digestive organs are worn out a cure iu 



