KENNEL NOTES

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21436, 30 March 1935, Page 5

KENNEL NOTES

[By CALEB.] [Queries for answer in this column should bo addressed to "Calfib," care "The Press, Christchurch, and to «n»ur® publication on any Saturday must be received not Ikter than the Wednesday preceding.] Answer to Correspondent Irishman, Merivale —There is ltitle doubt that your puppy has worms and he cannot thrive while infested with internal parasites. Any veterinary chemist will make you up worm pills or powders if you tell him the age and breed of dog, or you could procure from the same source freshly ground areca nut and dose the puppy yourself. It is useless to treat for worms unless the stomach is empty, therefore the puppy must be completely fasted, except for water, for_ _24 hours previous to the medicine being given. Half a teaspoonful of areca nut made into a pill with butter or lard, will be a sufficient dose, followed half an hour later by a dessertspoonful of olive oil and castor oil in equal parts. When feeding three times a day the feed should be small; the diet you mention is quite suitable, but when a month older two feeds a day are ample.

Mr T. V. Cooke, owner of the Alswel Kennels, Christchurch, reports a litter of four Bulldog puppies, three bitches and one dog, whelped by Princess Marina, and sired by Ohou Golden Hope, who since siring these puppies has found a new home on the West Coast. Included in the pedigree of these youngsters are nine champions and a grand champion which assures their good breeding. Mr Cooke has recently augmented his kennel strength with a most pleasing dark brindle bitch puppy, who, although only four and a half months' old, has already won two firsts at the Masterton show held last February, and was runner-up to the best puppy in the show; she was also best puppy of her sex any breed under six months at the Wellington Kennel Club parade held recently. This puppy is sired by the well-known ch. Suncrest Bronze Nuggett from Bonnie Coi'alynn Lass. The first litter by th£ splendid Airedale Terrier, Warbuoy Paddy, the property of Mr H. Lightband (Christchurch), has certainly proved him to be as good a sire as a showman. This somewhat large litter, even for an Airedale, eight dogs and three bitches, were whelped by Molly, a young bitch recently acquired by Mr Lightband from Mr Howell, a well-known breeder in Auckland. All the puppies are doing well and are showing promise of coming up to the standard of their sire, who claims the famous Warland blood. Mrs P. Simon, of Hoon Hay, has disposed of a typical Scottish Terrier dog puppy by ch Totteridge McDuff from her bitch, Rosemoyne Felicia, to Mrs J. R. Ashby, Lumsden, Southland.

I recently saw two very fine smooth Fox Terrier puppies, the properly of Mr Dave Heinz, of Hokitika. They are bv Mr CJrogan's (Greymouth) Gaylins Legacy from Mr Heinz's Christchurch bred bitch, Rosemoyne Sally. Mr G. Heinz is taking the better of the two and the other one will be retained in the kennels as a stud dog. Mrs Spence-Clark, of Clifton, has this week disposed of a very nice 11 weeks' old Irish Terrier dog puppy to a Timaru fancier. The youngster is from Garryowen Peggy by the Australian imported dog Cassell Mick. I understand that Mrs Spence-Clark has received numerous enquiries for this litter, which are a very level lot. Skill Diseases Many dog owners have of late complained about their dogs continually scratching, and in several instances tlieir pets have been destroyed on the assumption that they were suffering from an incurable disease. There seem:-; to be an epidemic of this so called skin trouble, which to my mind can, in many instances, be traced to the long spell of dry, hot weather. First, it is necessary to understand that from a veterinary standpoint, blood diseases, such as ecezma, erythema, and blotchy skin are generally caused by deranged blood, wrong feeding, or in some cases too close proximity to artificial heat, and must not be confused with parastic diseases, such as sarcoptic mange, ringworm, etc. Dogs are also subject to nettlerash, although in New Zealand this must be rare.

Where any doubt exists as to whether the conditon of the dog is the result of ecezma or a parasitic skin disease, there is only one way to come to an accurate decision, and that is by examining scrapings from the skin under the microscope. Some breeds of dogs seem to be more prone to ecezma than others, and the treatment of each individual case can be prescribed only according to the condition of the animal and the probable cause. In the majority of cases, eczema may be associated with the presence of worms, and it will be necessary to rid the intestines of these parasites before treating the skin; in fact, once the dog is free from worms the irritation of the skin can easily be overcome by dusting over the bare patches with equal parts of best quality powdered starch and boracic acid.

Mange is a loathsome disease caused by a very active, live parasite biting and burrowing into the skin and laying eggs thereon. This disease is very infectious to other dogs, and also to man, and where it is known to exist active measures should immediately be taken to effect a cure, which, if thoroughly carried out is easily done within a week or so. The first step to take is thoroughly to disinfect the dog's quarters, destroying all bedding, and thoroughly disinfect the kennel, brushes, collars, combs, and leads; in fact, anything that the dog may have touched, with a strong solution of Chenol or Jeyes' Fluid. To free the dog from parasitic life a good remedy is made up of powdered sulphur mixed thoroughly with seven parts of linseed or olive oil and one part creosote. This emulsion should be well rubbed all over the dog every four days for three times, and after the last application wash the animal with a good mercurial soap. Luckily there is very little follicular mange in New Zealand, a few instances that are known being of the sarcoptic variety.