154 CANINE MEDICINE AND SURGERY 



daily application of a one-per-cent yellow oxid of 

 mercury ointment. 



Nursing and Diet. — Good nursing and an appro- 

 priate diet form one of the most essential features 

 of the successful treatment of distemper. Without 

 them the -most scientific and rational treatment is 

 seriously handicapped, if not entirely useless. 



It must he remembered that, even with the bac- 

 terin treatment, distemper will run its course either 

 to a favorable or fatal termination, and that there- 

 fore no effort must be spared to sustain the patient's 

 vitality during the progress of the disease. 



Good nursing consists in seeing that the patient 

 is kept in sanitary surroundings; that he has be- 

 fore him at all times a plentiful supply of clean, 

 cold water; that his eyes and nose are kept clear 

 of discharge and that his teeth and mouth are 

 cleaned at least once daily with some antiseptic 

 wash. This latter point, although generally over- 

 looked, has a most important bearing on the amount 

 of nourishment the patient can be coaxed to take. 

 A dirty, furred-up mouth and unclean teeth are the 

 cause, in a great many instances, of the animal's 

 refusal of all nourishment. It is also the nurse's 

 duty to administer the prescribed medicines and 

 diet, as directed by the attending veterinarian. 



The diet for a dog suffering from distemper must 

 be appetizing, easily digested, and easily assimilated. 

 The patient should be fed four or five times a day, 

 small quantities at a time. In the case of a severe 

 attack, with great prostration and weakness, it is 

 necessary to compel the patient to take nourishment 

 by drenching him with beef tea, raw eggs, milk, 

 and so on. Any of these liquid foods may in these 

 cases be advantageously combined with stimulants, 

 such as small quantities of whisky, brandy, or port 

 wine. 



