KENNEL NOTES.

New Zealand Mail, 21 February 1901, Page 37

KENNEL NOTES.

BY TE KURIAROHA. (All communications should be addressed to the Kennel Editor.; The dog section at the Masterton A. and- R. Association was very representative, the entries being very good for this time of the year. Mr CliffordBramah judged ail classes; the results will be published next week. A » * Mr G. H. Gooclall, of Masterton, deserves well at the hands or the judges. He is a keen fancier, especially amongst the bulldogs and terriers, and always has his pets in tip-top condition, ills kindness is proverbial. He is ever ready to do a good turn to a brother fancier, such as locking after a dog at a show, etc., his good-fellowship generally having won him many friends. I hope with luck that his pets will make his kennel famous, for he new has some very fine breeding bitches*.

Air E. Brough, the famous breeder and exhibitor of bloodhounds in England, recently offered the Borstal authorities' the use of his celebrated bloodhound Kickshaw, to aid in the capture of the notorious convicts King and Soar, who have been at large for some time past. Mr Brough is very keen on the subject, and is willing to lend his bound on the reasonable condition that Kickshaw should be insured for £IOO.

Tlie •London Field,” in referring to Air W . J. Pegg’s brindle and white bulldog Chinosol, who won in a strong of dogs over 451 b weight at the recent South London Bulldog Show, says : “Chinosol, looking quite well, though carefully sheeted, had a. good win, a sound, strong dog, standing well on his legs, and not deformed in front, iike so many whilom champions have been. After winning here, lie scored all uown the line, and stamped himself as about the best bulldog of the day. Second to him came Air Crabtree’s typical all-round dog Duke of Albermarlei”

Rabies is the most terrible disease affecting any animals. It is especially dreaded, because it may be transmitted to other healthy animals, and to man. by means ,of a virus contained in tlie sauva. Whether it can ever develop in the clog spontaneously is a question we will not discuss*.

Ihe malady of late years has- been very prevalent and widespread throughout Great Britain, indeed, so much so tiiat the late Alinister for Agriculture. Mr Walter Long, was obliged to enforce tlie muzzling order ancl quarantine regulations to a very strict degree. However, it is gratifying to learn that the disease has now* abated almost to extinction. Happily, to the best of our knowledge, there has never been a

genuine case of hydrophobia, recorded in Australia, although “fits, or convulsions” in clogs are toften accredited bv the inexperienced to rabies.

From a leading work we learn thatrabies appears at all seasons, in climates susceptible to the disease, but cases have been found to be most frequent during the autumn and in the earlv spring.

The first symptoms of the malady are often not very marked, so that- an animal may be suffering from rabies for some time before the msease is suspected. The earliest manifestations are those which characterise jnany other complaints. The dog is and appears sad; often he lias no appetite, and seeks darkness, and keeps in his kennel or bed. The -special feature which suggests danger is the fixed gaze, the eye being brighter and redder than usual. It he maintains his appetite, he loses it later. He does not- bark, but whmes with a peculiar and characteristic raucous cry. He still obeys his master, but not eagerly, and at times iie flies at- imaginary objects. It is not the case, as is often said, that lie,’shows terror at the sight of water. On the contrary, he will go to the vessel and try to drink, but as the disease progresses deglutition becomes impossible. He bites at his bed, at straw, at wood, at rags which he can get bold of. If chained, he bites> at the chain. If not chained, he will try to escape. Even when the disease has gone as far as this, he will seldom bite his master, but if lie escapes lie may bite any other dog or person whom he may meet.

After a few days, if lie be not previously killed, paralysis supervenes, and death relieves him from his agony. If the symptoms described are exhibited, the dog should be kept chained in a place by himself, and a- veterinary surgeon should be called in. If he confirms the suspicion the sooner the animal is killed the better. - .v