INDIGESTION IN DOGS 
This is a subject that has been touched 
upon but lightly by other writers, and, as 
it is trouble of such frequent occurrence, 
a few lines on the subject, I think, will 
be of value to dog owners. Many peo¬ 
ple are of the opinion that a dog can 
digest old boots, tin cans, etc., but 
such is far from being the case. A dog’s 
digestive organs are a very delicate piece 
of mechanism, requiring judgment and 
care to keep in order, particularly those kept in confinement. The 
prevailing causes are improper or irregular feeding and large 
meals after long fasting. The animal, being very hungry, will 
bolt his food, giving rise to indigestion. Lack of exercise is also 
a factor in producing this trouble. 
Symptoms. -Frequent vomiting, deranged condition of the 
bowels, constipation sometimes prevailing; at other times diarrhoea, 
vertigo, nervousness or stretching, the animal frequently assuming 
the following positions; front paws extended with head placed 
on the ground between them; while standing erect on hind legs, 
with back arched and belly tucked up; at other times lying flat 
with abdomen pressed to the ground; swallowing foreign sub¬ 
stances, such as ashes, straw, slicks or grass, all of which in¬ 
crease the trouble. This the animal doubtless does owing to 
the uncomfortable feeling in the stomach, which he hopes to allay 
or relieve. How frequently have you noticed a dog eating grass, 
but have you ever stopped to think why he does so? He does 
it with the object of relieving the stomach, the grass acting as an 
emetic and mild purge. Of course, after the stomach is re¬ 
lieved of food, the indigestion is temporarily better, as there is 
then no food in the stomach to give it work which it cannot per¬ 
form. When a dog’s digestion is in perfect order he has no craving 
or appetite for such matter, the bowels move regularly, the 
faeces normal, and the food properly assimilated. 
24 
Greyhound 
