HEALTHY PARTURITION. 273 



a more generous diet is gradually to be allowed, consisting- of 

 sloppy food, .together with an allowance of meat somewhat 

 greater than ■ that to which she has. been accustomed. This last 

 is the best rule, for it will be found that no other useful one can 

 be given ; those bitches which have been previously accustomed 

 to a flesh diet sinking, away if they have not got' it at this time, 

 when the demands of .the puppies for milk drain the system 

 considerably ; and those which have not been used to it being 

 rendered feverish and dyspeptic if they have an inordinate allow- 

 ance of it. A bitch in good health, and neither over-reduced 

 by starvation nor made too. fat by excessive feeding, will rarely 

 give any trouble at this time ; but, in either of these conditions, 

 it may happen that the secretion fails to be established. (For the 

 proper remedies, see Parturition, in Book III.) From the first 

 day the bitch should be encouraged to leave her puppies twice 

 or thrice daily to empty herself, which some, in their excessive 

 fondness for their new charge, are apt to neglect. When the 

 milk is thoroughly established, they should be regularly exercised 

 for an hour a day, which increases the secretion of milk, and 

 , indeed will often bring it on. After the second week, bitches 

 will always be delighted to leave their puppies for an hour or 

 two at a time, and will exercise themselves if allowed to escape 

 from them. The best food for a suckling bitch is strong broth, 

 with a fair proportion of bread and flesh, or bread and milk, 

 according to previous habits. 



DESTRUCTION OR CHOICE OF WHELPS AT BIRTH. 



Sometimes it is desirable to 'destroy all the whelps as soon as 



possible after birth, but this ought very seldom to be done, as 



s 



