THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2479, 18 September 1901, Page 49

THE KENNEL.

Br Tex.hok.

[I>Bc.iers »i.l breeders of dozi :ire oor.lialh united to couii ibate items to Ibis colurau. • r°uoi ' will enilcn our to mate his department a^ interf<sting anrt up-to-date as pcssihir, but iv Older ta do tbishe must. Ur\c tbf* co-ODerailon of lu<M*ad rs. hence he trusts thi? imitation wi'l he c'lei-lulli r..->j>umlc(l to.]

—It is evident from the examination cf numerous specimens of hair which arc for warded (says the London Field), accompanied by the statement that tho dog is constantly washed, that the thorough cleansing of the animal's coat 19 not obtained by whatever th»» process ot wa«hing lr.ay be. and it may b-- \voith while tc suggest that the hair of a dog with even a moderately long coat cannot be kept clean by merely latheringthe surface and then washing tbe lathei off. In fact, the object can only be gained by the use of a. comb with rather close teeth while the coat is» wet. Thu implement, if properly applied, as it certainly should be every time a dog is washed, will r.ot only rejnove the dirt, from the hair, however tightly it may cling:, but the paw sites mid iheir eggs, which common'y remain on the ?kin, notwithstanding the frequent washings, a« they are called. Dogs in kennels are accustomed to sleep on cold benches, and the term kennel lameness, which is very familiar, is iv reality rheumatism, brought on by contact with the cole 1 surface. It would be an obvion.a principle of sanitation that thi* defect in the t-ystom c f management should bo rectified.

Relative to this subject, "Ashmont." whom I consider a leading authority, in his "Kennel Secrets," .sayb : "The skiu of a robust dog that lia" ample exercise is gevelally in a good, healthy condition, and rarely require wa-liing, for he iften induces free and profuse perspiration during his luus and so flushes the pores, while by cccasioual swims and rolls in the gra^s he manages to keep the surface and hair fairly clean. But with him that is chained most of the time, or otherwise closely confined, frequent washing is imperative, for the thin, fine scales that arc exfoliated in abundance, und the accumulations of dust and dirt, choke up the pore*, and so dam up the effete matters, as well a? impair the activity of the mjriads of little glands upon the integrity of which greatly depends the health of the skin and hair.

"It is scarcely necessary to urge that the effects of unclcanliue&s are both local and general, or, iv other words, it:* fui'clions being interfered with, not only i< the skin itself and all it lioUlb more or less unhealthy, but the general health is invariably below the standard. Moreover, the scales and other accumulation* excite itching, and the scratching in turn produces eczema and kindred eruption?. And when this cause — lack of eleanlines? — i? acti\e and persistent, the injurious effect umin the hair is very proliouiued, it being dry, staring, and lu^trelesh

"While wa-hing is the mo^t elective means of maintaining cleanliness it- frequent application is decidedly objectionable, e«pe1 ially if soaofc of ordinary ouality are used, foi* the hair and skin must become too dry 111 consequence of being obliged to part v, ith much of the oily matter which keep« tl.em .supple and smooth: lienec it should be resorted io only when cleanliness can m no other wa\ be secured or it if demanded as a remedial mea-ure, as in cases of \crmin and cutaneous diseases.

"Under ordinary circumstances frequent grooming will be quite sufficient to maintain cleanliness and health ot the skin and hair, and he who expects to keep hi 3 dog in the "pink ")f condition" must faithfully apply it not le?.s often than onoe a day.

"The biu»hes should be of bristles •il«av a , with what is called the 'dandy bru-h ' for short-coated dogs, while for the long aiatcd the biibtle-- inu->t be nearlj. if not quite, ar inch and a l.alf in length, in order to pass through the coal and rept'i tho skin.

"Instances in winch .1 'ine-tooth-i omb is required are larc indeed, and this i> forlu uate for ex<ept iv the hands of a nio>t careful person it 1.- Mire to irritate the skin a« well as .seiiously endanger the <oat. Tho tomb of the kennel, therefore, should be of the coarsest kind — its teeth beinj, widely set and very blunt at tlie ends.

"The brush will meet all positive lcquiie nnents, but there are -citain aci e--«orio<i which must be reported to if a fine tout 1-; to be made "cherry-ripe," and th< v -e aif gloves of woollen yarn or hair — the lattoi for . 'aoice — and ths bare hands.

j '"To firat briiih long and well, then rub ' diligently with the gloves, and finally with the bare hands are the secrets of the toilet, *and by faithfully applying- the principles embodied in them cleanliness of the skin can be maintained, the hair stimulated to healthy growth and made to shine like satin if it h naturally fine." — Loid Hopetoun, Governor-general of the Australian Commonwealth, is known to be a lover of doge. Some of his hounds were exhibited recently at the Peterborough (Engglancl) Harrier and Beagle Show, and met with success. In harriers Lord Hopetoun's were fir^t and second for the best couple of entered hoinide. The w inners, Artful and Winifred, are described as great hounds, with lovely necks and shoulders and very good foreiaee. His lordship's second string, Churlish and Valid, were much the same t)_pe, hardly so well matched, but powerful, high-quality hounds all over. Lord Hopetoun also had the honour of owning the winner.* of the "best three couples," and the champion cup went to his bitch Valid. Slip is a wonderfully well-balanced hound, possessing a nice middle piece, the best legs and foci, and is stylish in her carriage: certainly ,i hound to fill the eye of any hunting man. — ~\> Ci-Cnwiok (Victoria) a milkman named Armsirone; met with a peculiar accident. Hi? dog picked up a piece of poisoned i"eat, and with the object of sating the tog» life the man tried to force some salt down the dog's throat, when the animal bit off on^ of his fingers. Ie is feared blood po'^oniug may supervene. —In the yaid near the reptile house at* the Zoo are, says an English exchange, to bo seen 23 Eskimo dogs which are to go out on board the Discovery to the Antaiet.'c regions. They are only 10 months old. bv> can pull o- much a3 2001b each. They \verf» obtained from Archangel. In colour they are black, black and white, and greyish. Thou appearance is wolflike, aii'l their bark ends in a wo'.fMi howl. Even in hot weather, they retain their habit of burrowing against the cold, which (iuillcmaid described in "The Cruise of ihe Vlarehesa." Every one of them had scooped out a hole, and those that were lying down were partly hidden in the earth. [The dogs are> now in Melbourne. — N.B.] — Dogs in domestication are for various reasons unsatisfactory subjects for the sanitarian tv deal with. Most people are perfectly veil aware tha J dogs are injured by constantly being allowed to share hi the delicacies, of the table, including various savoury dibhes, morsels of which are constantly supplied to the willing animals by these who sit round the table. There is no attempt to deny that :i dog should only be fed '>we, and at most twice, in the day: but there is always the added remark th;.t °urh n small quantity of food cannot po=faibly do any harm. In the matter of exercise it frequently happens that neglect amounts to actual cruelty, with the result ibat the animal's digestive organs sivffer, and the skin also, in sympathy with tho mucous membrane. -- Distemper.— YV Yonatt, in Iris beok on "The Dog," «aj » : - -The natmal medicine oT ilio dog seems to be an emetic. The act ot wumtiug is very easily excited in him, aiid, feeling the' slightest ailment, he flies to the dog-p,ras&, unloads his stomach, and is ;u oil re wo!!. In. diste-mpter. whatever be the form which it assumes, an emetic is the first thing to be given. Common rait will f'.o when nothing eLe is at hand : but the best c met it . rui'l particularly in distemper, consist-) of equal parts of calomel and tartar emetic. F"om half a grain t' a grain and a-l\alf of each will constitute a dose. This vnll act fir=t as an emetic, and afterwards as a gentle purgative. Then, if the cough is urgent, and there is heaving at the flanks, and the nose i* hot. a moderate quantity of blood may be taken — fiom 3oz to 120z — aiid this, i! tlieie has been previous constipation, may bo followed by a dose of sulphate of raa«nwii;m. from two to six drachm". In slight cases this will bo sufficient to effect a diie: but, if the dog still droops, and partic ulurly if theie i* -,nueh huakiness, the initimonuil or James powder, nitre and tiigitali?, in the pioportion of from half a Ki'aiii to a giain of digitalis, from two to fhe grain-, of the James powder, and from :i *< ruple t(. •> d'aelim of nitre, should be administered twice oi tliiuo m a day. If on ilio tliiid oi I'iuilii ddj the In.t.-kane'.s is not quite removed the emetic should be ippt'aled. It worms ;ue present they must hk got iid of speedily or fit* and diarrhoea are apt to supervene — A l t uge dog may be doaed for round oi tape worms with twn drathms of Kamala t'ud four grains ot aantonine. followed by castor oil. "H iis:li Dnk-ie! advocates the removal of deu ilaw-- described b\ Darwin as "accideiitiil nionatro^ities" — when the mips aro \iitb the dam. and this can be ca Q ily done with ( pan of -Irorst m issors. If left till the <lo£ i' older, they are. liable to bleed a tied <lctl. and tho pun of cour«? h grentei ; n >ikli case, tho wound produced bj the o\ci-,(iu slioulil be at once well c aiuiattd 1 with l-'u.u'- balsam. If it is thouahl well te

remove the nail only, that can be done by jpulling it out with a pair of nippers.