870 VETERINAEY HYGIENE 



of food, and will thrive on almost any diet if changes are 

 not too suddenly made. The large amount of hydrochloric 

 acid present in the stomach, enables him to deal rapidly 

 with flesh food, and experiments conducted at the St. Peters- 

 burg School prove that the digestion of meat is very much 

 more rapid than that of hydrocarbonaceous food, while the 

 proportion of acid and of peptones varies with the indi- 

 vidual's requirements. A number of dogs were subjected 

 to experiment at the above-named school ; the oesophagus 

 being divided and secured outside in such a manner that 

 food masticated was gathered in a receptacle as deglutated, 

 while the gastric fluid was at the same time withdrawn and 

 tested. It was assumed that, what we have already referred 

 to as the accommodating nature of the dog led to altered 

 secretion, and that progressively, when a change of diet 

 was made, but the experiments proved that the proportions 

 were influenced while yet the food was in the mouth, and 

 that the stomach received some intimation of what to 

 expect. 



Digestive disturbances in dogs frequently lead to ecze- 

 matous eruptions, and it is often found that a sudden and 

 complete change from biscuit to flesh, or flesh to biscuit, is 

 all the treatment required. It may be remarked here that 

 dog biscuits, as sold by the chief manufacturers, contain a 

 portion of exhausted flesh, the residue from factories where 

 meat essences are made for human consumption, but that 

 the processes employed are so efficient as to leave little but 

 fibre and insoluble debris of no great food value, but having 

 some slight taste and odour of meat attractive to dogs. 

 That dogs thrive for years on this food is not open to 

 doubt, but that a majority, said to live exclusively upon it, 

 obtain table scraps, or forage for themselves when at 

 liberty, is the general experience of canine surgeons. 



As in the character of the food upon which dogs will 

 thrive, so in the matter of hours of feeding ; any habit may 

 be established without apparent detriment to the animal's 

 health. Many dog-keepers feed only once a day, and 

 perhaps the greater number of these give the meal in the 



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