432 FEVERS, AND THEIR TREATMENT. 



RHEUMATIC FEVER. 



One of the most common diseases in the dog is rheumatism 

 in some form, generally showing itself with very little fever, but 

 sometimes being accompanied with a high degree of that attendant 

 evil. The frequency of this disease is owing to the constant ex- 

 posure of the dog to cold and wet, and very often to his kennel 

 being damp, which is the fertile source of kennel lameness, or 

 chest-founder, which is nothing more than rheumatism of the 

 muscles of the shoulders. Again, those which spend half their 

 time before a roasting fire, and the other half in the wet and cold, 

 are extremely apt to contract this kind of fever, but not in so 

 intractable a form as the denizen of the damp kennel. By some 

 writers this affection is classed among the inflammations ; and it 

 is a debatable point to which of these divisions it should be 

 assigned ; but this is of little consequence, so that it is properly 

 known and easily recognised by the symptoms. I shall therefore 

 include here rheumatic fever, which is a general affection, and 

 also the partial attacks known as kennel lameness or chest- 

 founder, and rheumatism of the loins, commonly called palsy of 

 the back. 



Bheumatic fever is known by the following signs : — There is 

 considerable evidence of fever, but not of a very high character, 

 the pulse being full but not very quick, with shiyering and dul- 

 ness, except when touched or threatened, the slightest approach 

 causing a shriek, evidently from the fear of pain. The dog almost 

 always retires into a corner, and is very reluctant to come out 

 of it. On being forcibly brought out he snarls at the hand even 

 of his best friend, and stands with his back up, evidently prepared 

 to defend himself from the pat of the hand, which to him is 



