Mammals The Dog 
While she is nursing her litter she should be given 
plenty of easily digested food, which should be salted, 
and have in it plenty of oily matter. She should not 
be allowed to bring up too large a litter, never more 
than eight, and fewer according to her size. If the 
puppies are thin, one or more should be taken away. 
As soon as the puppies are old enough to take food 
from us, they should be fed four times a day, and 
milk should be a large part of the food. If vegetables 
or mush are given with it, there should be twice as 
much of milk. As it is desirable that puppies should 
eat all that is possible, they may be fed more than 
they can eat, but the remains must be cleaned up each 
time. A dry dog biscuit should be given the puppy 
to gnaw when he is about eight weeks old, so that the 
teeth may be strengthened and kept clean, but he 
should never be given a hard bone. Phosphated 
lime or bone-dust should be scattered over the 
puppy’s food from time to time to help in forming his 
bones. Puppies should never be lifted by the neck 
as we lift a kitten, but should be lifted by placing 
both hands beneath the body. 
If puppies are afflicted with fleas they should be 
washed carefully and dried in a warm atmosphere, 
and their kennels disinfected. Many recommend 
Deoter’s cream of parasites, which may be used with 
safety with excellent results in freeing dogs from 
fleas; or they may be washed with Spratt’s or Jeyes’ 
soaps, and izal used afterwards. 
Puppies are likely to be troubled with lice which 
do not affect the old dog. Ifa mixture of lard and 
flowers of sulphur be rubbed over the puppy, espec- 
ially at the roots of the tail, and around the backs of 
the ears, this pest may be conquered. When apply- 
ing the paste rub against the hair. The paste may 
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