ARECOLINE TABLETS FOR HYDATIDS

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22652, 6 March 1939, Page 5

ARECOLINE TABLETS FOR HYDATIDS

TO T*B BDITOB Of TH* FBX»S, Six^ —A correspondent in your paper of even date, asks for information concerning the use of afecoline hydrobromide on dogs. Personally, I have used this type of vermifuge on dogs for some considerable time, with very satisfactory results—provided certain precautions are taken. First, ensure that the dog is not in any way constipated: to correct this, dissolve a packet of EpsoV. salts in a pint bottle of water and administer about a tablespoonful each morning before giving any food. Do this for at least four days before worming. Then at night give one to two tablespoonsful of olive oil. See that the dog is kept without food for 24 hours before giving the arecoline. About an hour before giving the tablets, give the_ dog a good dose of olive oil - and again about 20 minutes after the tablets have been taken. The arecoline tablets are usually sold in J and i grain sizes. Those supplied by the council appear to be i grain tablets. With Pekinese treated this way I have not found them suffer any ill-effects from as much as \ grain: for large dogs such as bulldogs or Alsatians, thq i grain (two tablets) are necessary, but these quantities constitute a maximum alone. Best and safest results, are obtained by pushing the undissolved tablet down the dog’s throat with the finger: sometimes it is necessary, however, to cover it with a little mincemeat; better and quicker results are obtained without any covering. To save the fingers, insert a wooden clothes peg between the jaws first. The dog cannot bite through this if it is placed on the back teeth, so that the fingers are thus quite safe. With this method the dog will vomit in about 20 minutes’ time to pass the worms. If after the 20. minutes no action is observed, give warm

milk and take for a long walk. Do not in any 'circumstances overdose and do not repeat for at least a week—Yours, 6tC ■ practical experience. March 2, 1939.