KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



21 



OX DISTEMPSK IN THE DOG. 



Having, Mr. Editor, prom time to 

 time observed in " our own journal," 

 enquiries from various correspondents as to 

 the best mode of treating distemper in the 

 dog — I have been induced to collect the 

 following information (from one of the best 

 authorities we have), both as to the nature 

 of the disease, its symptoms, and the proper 

 mode of treatment. Should you deem it 

 worthy a place in " Our Journal," it may 

 perhaps prove both useful and interesting to 

 many of its Readers. 



Nature of the Disease. — The distemper 

 is a disease of the mucous surfaces, and was 

 imported from France about one hundred 

 years since. The French veterinary surgeons 

 called it " la maladie des chiens," — the dis- 

 ease or distemper in Dogs. 



Dogs of all ages are subject to its attacks. 

 Many, nine and ten years old, have died of 

 pure distemper, as well as puppies of only 

 three weeks ; but it most frequently appears 

 between the sixth and twelfth month of the 

 animal's life. It generally proves fatal when 

 it occurs very early ; or when the dog is more 

 than four years old. It is highly contagious, 

 and yet it is frequently generated. 



However keepers, or even men of educa- 

 tion may boast of their specifics, the disorder 

 is sadly fatal, and destroys fully one-third of 

 the canine race. One attack of the disease, 

 and even a severe one, is no absolute security 

 against its return, although it confers on the 

 dog a certain degree of immunity ; or if he 

 is attacked again, the disease is usually of a 

 milder form. Youatt says, he has known it 

 occur three times in the same animal, and at 

 last destroy him. 



Violent catarrh will often end in distem- 

 per ; and low and insufficient feeding will pro- 

 tract it. It frequently follows mange ; — and 

 whatever debilitates the constitution, predis- 

 poses it for the reception of distemper. 



Inoculation used to be recommended as 

 producing a milder and less fatal disease ; 

 but by those most experienced, the contrary 

 is now believed to be the result. Distemper 

 is epidemic, and it occurs more frequently 

 in the spring and autumn than in the sum- 

 mer and winter. Sometimes it rages all 

 over the country; at others it is endemie, 

 and confined to some particular district. 

 Not only is the disease itself epidemic and 

 endemic, but the form which it assumes 

 is so. In one season, almost every dog with 

 distemper has violent fits ; at another, in the 

 majority of cases, there will be considerable 

 chest affection, running on to inflammation of 

 the lungs. A few months afterwards, a great 

 portion of the distempered dogs will be worn 

 down by diarrhoea, which no medicine can 



arrest ; and presently it will scarcely be dis- 

 tinguishable from mild catarrh. 



These facts shew us what a protean malady 

 we have to grapple with, and how it is that 

 remedies which are of the greatest service at 

 one time, and in one case, may be perfectly 

 useless at another. Consequently, that there 

 can be no such thing as a specific for this 

 disease; and I shall now show why many per- 

 sons are apt to be deceived, and led to sup- 

 pose that they possess a never-failing remedy. 

 The disease varies much with different breeds. 

 The Shepherd's Dog generally cares little 

 about it. The Cur is not often seriously- 

 affected. The Terrier has it more severely ; 

 especially the white Terrier. The Hound 

 comes next ; and after him, the Setter. With 

 the small Spaniel it is more dangerous, and 

 still more so with the Pointer. Next in order 

 of fatality comes the Pug; and it is most fatal 

 of all with the Newfoundland dog. Not only 

 does it thus differ in different species of dogs, 

 but in different breeds of 'the same species. "I 

 have known," says Youatt, " several gentle- 

 men who have labored in vain for many years, 

 to rear particular and valuable breeds of 

 Pointers and Greyhounds. The Distemper 

 would uniformly carry off five out of six. 

 Other sportsmen laugh at the supposed dan- 

 ger of distemper, and declare that they sel- 

 dom lose a dog. This hereditary disposition 

 to certain kinds of disease cannot be denied, 

 and is not sufficiently attended to. When a 

 peculiar fatality has often followed a certain 

 breed, the owner should cross it from another 

 kennel ; and especially from the kennel of 

 one who boasts of his success in the treat- 

 ment of distemper. This has occasionally 

 succeeded far beyond expectation." He con- 

 tinues,—-" One thing is clear, — that for a dis- 

 ease which assumes such a variety of forms, 

 there can be no specific ; and yet there is not 

 a keeper who is not in possession of some 

 supposed infallible remedy. Nothing can be 

 more absurd. The faith in these boasted 

 specifics is principally founded on two cir- 

 cumstances, — atmospheric influences, and pecu- 

 liarity of breed. There are some seasons 

 when we can scarcely save a dog. Thex*e are 

 others, when we must almost wilfully destroy 

 him in order to lose him ! There are some 

 breeds in which, generation after generation, 

 five out of six die of Distemper ; while there 

 are others in which not one out of a dozen 

 dies." 



This I think is sufficiently explanatory. It 

 is highly important to beware of confounding 

 cases which would recover spontaneously, 

 with those which are cured. 



Symptoms.— As may be supposed from 

 what has been said of the nature of this dis- 

 ease, there is no one symptom which will in- 

 variably characterise it. To show what are 



