THE DOG. 



easily mastered. Creatures of this description must be cheat od, 

 and they fortunately are not as naturally suspicious as those 

 of a smaller kind. The dog bolts its food, and unless the piece 

 is of unusual size is rarely masticated. The more tempting the 

 morsel the more easily is it gorged ; and a bit of juicy or fat 

 meat, cut so as to contain or cover the piU, ensures its being 

 swallowed. Medicine which in this manner is to be adminis- 

 tered ought to be perfectly devoid of smell, or for a certainty 

 the trick will be discovered. Indeed, there are but few drugs 

 possessed of odour which can be long used in dog practice, and 

 oven those that are endowed with much taste cannot be con- 

 tinually employed. 



" Fluids are perhaps more readily given than sohds to dogs. 

 To administer liquids the jaws should not be forced open and 

 the bottle emptied into the mouth, as when this method is 

 pursued the greater portion will be lost. The animal's head 

 being gently raised, the comer of the mouth should be drawn 

 aside so as to pull the cheeks from the teeth. A kind of funnel 

 will thus be formed, and into this a quantity of medicine equal 

 to its capacity should be poured. After a little while the fluid 

 will, by its own gravity, trickle into the pharynx and oblige the 

 dog, however unwilling it may be, to swallow. A second por- 

 tion should then be given in the like way, and thus httle by 

 Httle the fuU dose is consumed. Often dogs treated in this 

 fashion swallow a draught very expeditiously ; but others will 

 remain a considerable time before they deglutate. Some, spite 

 of every precaution, will manage to reject the greater part, 

 while others will not waste a drop. 



" Two pieces of tape, one passed behind the canine teeth of 

 the upper, and the other in like manner upon the lower jaw, 

 bave been recommended. The tapes are given to an assistant, 

 who pulUng on them forces the mouth open and holds it in 

 that position. In certain cases this may be adopted for pills ; 

 indeed, every stratagem will be needed to meet the multifarious 

 circumstances that wiU arise. For ordinary circumstances, how- 

 ever, the practice is not to be commended, and should never be 

 embraced when di-inks are to be given : the animal cannot 

 swallow while the jaws are held asunder; but for solids the 

 plan answers better. There are several objections, however, to 

 be urged against its constant use. The operation is violent, 

 and the restraint it necessitates not alone prevents the poor 

 animal deglutating fluids, but also terrifies it, and on the next 

 occasion it will be more resistful. Difficulties therefore increaso 



