Feeding Sick Animals 127 
FOOD FOR SICK ANIMALS 
The food plays an important part in the treatment of 
sick animals. In most diseases an effort must be made 
to maintain the strength of the body during the illness. 
If the animal ean eat, then easily digestible, nutritious, 
but not bulky foods should be supplied, especially 
laxative foods that will keep the bowels open. Sickness 
usually brings on constipation, due largely to lack of 
exercise; and this condition should be overeome as far 
as possible by proper foods. The appetite of sick ani- 
mals is likely to be very capricious, and is often want- 
ing altogether. Therefore, food should be offered in 
as attractive form as possible. A small amount should 
be given at a time, and if it is refused it should be 
taken away at once. But the offer should be frequently 
repeated. To force food ona sick animal is advisable 
only in those cases when recovery depends largely upon 
the maintenance of strength. It is seldom a good plan 
to place medicines in the food or water, unless they are 
tasteless and odorless, as an animal is likely to become 
suspicious and refuse the food when it is important that 
he should have it. 
Foods suitable for sick animals are fresh grass, 
roots, such as carrots, or apples from the hand, bran 
mashes, gruels and milk. These may contain beaten 
raw eggs, oats dry or boiled, or ground oats and bran 
mixed with cut hay and wet with cold water. If an 
animal is very thirsty, small quantities of fresh water 
should be given frequently until the thirst is quenched. 
Except in rare instances, sick animals may\be allowed 
