108 
FOREST AND STREAM 
“JACK:”—“WITH SOME REFERENCE 
TO FITS.” 
A Practical Article on Home Treatment of 
Your Dog. 
Did you ever have an excitable dog that was 
subject to fits? All kinds of dogs have fits, 
but I am now referring to finely bred animals 
of high strung, nervous organizations, whose 
brains are very active, and which are apt to be 
too ambitious. Some years ago, a good friend 
of mine came to me and said that he wished to 
buy a well trained setter dog. He was pre¬ 
pared to pay a fair price, but not an extrava¬ 
gant one, and asked me to see what I could do 
for him. The autumn previous I had had one 
day s shooting in Ohio, with a well known train¬ 
er and breeder, who had impressed me as being 
a first rate sportsman and honest man. His 
kennels contained many dogs, trained and un¬ 
trained. I wrote to him at once, and among the 
dogs offered was a Red Irish setter, quite 
young, which had been worked on quail and 
woodcock, and was well trained. The price was 
$ 75 , and if not satisfactory “Jack” could be 
returned. This dog hit my friend’s fancy and 
he promptly mailed a check, which brought Jack 
the long journey from North to South, in good 
condition. M—. was delighted with his pur¬ 
chase, as the dog was extremely handsome and 
had a fine disposition. M—. loved to have Jack 
with him on the road, but ran the dog too far 
and fast when he had ladies with him. We tried 
him out on quail, and his work was very satis¬ 
factory. He was quick in all his actions, ranged 
and quartered his ground well, and fell into his 
points without preliminaries or hesitation. It 
was late in the season and Jack did not have 
much work in the field. The next summer my 
friend drove a great deal, and on one occasion 
reported that the dog had nearly died in a fit, 
after a long run on a hot day. About Septem- 
be went abroad, and begged me to take charge 
of his dog. I had one of my own, and was 
spending the summer and fall in the country, 
using the suburban railway service to go to and 
return from my business in the city. 
At that time the quail season nominally be¬ 
gan on the ist of October, but I had practically 
given up shooting until the first light frosts. 
There were a certain number of diamond backed 
rattlers in the country, and a setter or pointer 
is in very great danger. A friend of mine lost 
a fine setter within four miles of the city. Dogs 
are fools in their dealings with deadly snakes, 
and are apt to charge right in on them, after 
trailing them up. If struck, however, they seem 
to realize the situation. 
I knew that there was a bevy of quail across 
the road, back of the house, not a quarter of a 
mile away, and late one afternoon, after re¬ 
turning from business, I thought that I would 
give the dogs a run, and possibly, bag a couple 
of birds on the rise, if we found them. The 
animals were delighted, and Jack worked his 
ground beautifully. In a few minutes he found 
and stanchly painted the birds, and o>n the rise, 
sure enough, I dropped two quail. I had 
scarcely bagged these when Jack rolled over in 
a horrible fit, frothing at the mouth, twitching 
and kicking. It was a warm evening and the 
attack seemed a very bad one. Most persons 
when they see a dog in this condition raise the 
cry of “mad dog,” and many dogs are killed 
every year as mad, when they have fits. If the 
fit is comparatively light so that the dog can 
nun about, it is pursued arid prosecuted, when 
probably seeking retirement. I felt very badly, 
as I thought the dog was surely dying. Suddenly 
I remembered some doggy advice I had read in 
an old book. I pulled out my pocket knife, 
which had a sharp blade for a wonder, and snip¬ 
ped off the end of Jack’s tail. Instantly the 
red blood started in a fine spray, and he came 
out of the fit at once. He was very weak and 
had to be assisted to the house, but next day 
seemed in good health. You may be sure that 
I took no more chances until cool weather, but 
when this came, and I could take a day off I 
went shooting. My friend’s return to this coun¬ 
try was long delayed, and he wrote me asking 
that I give Jack some work when I could. I 
found that the dog was intensely excitable, and 
that when first cast off in open fields, or a snipe 
bog would range far and wide. He was stanch 
and his work in open country so beautiful, that 
one was tempted to allow him to speed off this 
first high pressure, before he settled down for 
the day. 
But; presently, he had another fit, and I had 
to snip off another piece of his tail; then bandage 
it with a handkerchief, so that the end looked 
like a drum stick. He was not so weak this 
time and was able to work quietly, but he had 
what is sometimes called “a merry tail.” He 
switched this appendage right and left, and 
striking bushes and briars the end was soon 
very bloody. Now, I had no wish to restore my 
friend’s dog to him when he returned, with a 
docked tail, and decided that I must see if there 
was not something that would prevent fits, stop 
them before they started. A surgical operation 
was also objectionable every time the dog had 
one. I therefore took Jack to my physician and 
gave him a full account of the attacks, the symp¬ 
toms, and the causes that I fancied, brought 
them on. The doctor gave the case full atten¬ 
tion, and said that the trouble originated in an 
excitable brain. Some fits were caused by 
stomach troubles, particularly in pet dogs. He 
advised me to buy a bottle of “Bromide of 
Potassiub, with a table spoon when I went 
shooting with Jack. Before casting him off I 
was to administer a full dose of bromide, or if 
he seemed much excited I was to use it occa¬ 
sionally. In fact a dose now and then during 
the day would do no harm. 
Behold me, Therefore, with a 'big bottle and 
table spoon, dosing the dog religiously while in 
the field. It may have been the perscription, I 
know not, but Jack did not have another fit 
while he was with me. He did much good work 
for me as his master was apt to send him 
around to the house if he heard that I was go¬ 
ing shooting. As by this time I had two dogs 
of my own, and another friend had a dog he 
always wished me to work, I was well supplied, 
but I love to have them, any number, if they 
are accustomed to my ways, and can get rid of 
jealousy. 
Jack lived for several years, but died in a fit, 
after an 18 mile run with his master’s drag, on 
a hot summer’s day. He was a charming animal, 
and all women quite fell in love with his nice 
ways and handsome appearance. 
Bor stomach troubles and constipation, I have 
found Homeopathic “Nux Vomica” very use¬ 
ful. The dogs like it, and the little pills are 
easily administered. After a dose or two, shake 
the bottle at them and they will come and sit up 
for their medicine. Remember it is the Homeo¬ 
pathic sort. The stuff is poison, (Strychnine) 
and in any other form it is too strong. A friend 
of mine killed two fox terriers with the regular 
drug store preparation. Dogs seem to be as 
easily affected as young children, yet I have had 
my dogs horribly overdosed when I was a young 
sportsman. I gained much valuable informa¬ 
tion from a book “Kennel Diseases by “Ash- 
mont.” 
With fever and congestion I found that two 
doses of Homeopathic Aconite, one-half to one 
hour apart, in the evening', bofore settling the 
dog for the night was often very good. The 
effect was mild, and did not weaken as the regu¬ 
lar preparation does. 
WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB SHOW. 
The thirty-ninth annual show of Westminster 
Kennel Club will be held February 22, 23, 24, 25. 
The meeting place has come back to Madison 
Square Garden, after a try last year at Grand 
Central Palace, where facilities were lacking for 
this classic event in dogdorn. The show commit¬ 
tee will consist of William Rauch, Richard H. 
Williams, Winthrop Rutherfurd and Lewis A. 
Eldridge. The indispensible James Mortimer, will 
have the superintendency. Thirty silver cups, to 
be won outright, are offered. These trophies 
are open to all. 
Judges. 
Dr. Henry Jarrett, Chestnut Hill, Pa.—Blood¬ 
hounds, Mastiffs, Newfoundlands, Old English 
Sheepdogs, Chows, Samoyedes, Boxers, Scottish 
Terriers, West Highland White Terriers, Toy 
Poodles, Maltese Terriers, Chihuahuas, Variety 
Classes and Lnclasified Specials. 
Dudley E. Wateres, Esq., Grand Rapids, Mich. 
St. Bernards. 
Otto J. A. Grassi, Esq., New York, N. Y_ 
Great Danes. 
Rupert W. K. Anderson, Esq., Plainfield, N. J. 
Russian Wolfhounds. 
J. Willoughby Mitchell, Esq., New York, N. Y. 
(Continued on page 125.) 
