PARASITES

Otago Witness, Issue 2520, 2 July 1902, Page 58

PARASITES

Speaking of parasites, the dog has many, both inside and out. First of all comes the fruitful and frolicsome flea, who ie always most troublesome in hot weather and in the neighbourhood of sand, where he breeds for choice, though if he can't get sand, not being particular, he will oblige elsewhere. The best of aH cures is prevention, secured by thorough cleanliness both of the animal's person and domicile. To remove fleap, however numerous, from a dog is a comparatively simple matter, but it will be at once obvious that after doing so, if you reintrodtice him to the bed, where in all probability he acquired them, or at least which is pretty certain to contain plenty, you will have had your trouble fer nothing, and the host will be in precisely the same condition within a day or two.

'Hie most valuable agent for the sudden death of Pulex canis is without doubt carbolic acid, but many "of the soaps containing it are not sufficiently strong for the purpose. Make your Own by mixing ioz of pure (liquid) capbolic aoid with lib of soft soap as given above, but without the other additions. Lather the animal thoroughly, and rinse him off as rapidly as possible to avoid absorption through the skin.

AnotheT efficient flea-destroyer is an infusion of quassia ohips, about lib to 2g.-l of water, simmered for three hours. Soak the< dog well with this when cool enough, and ccc that he swallows none ; he won't willingly. Insect powders are only partial in their action, soon lose their strength, and do not really kill the proposed victims, but merely discommode and stupefy them. However, before operating on the dog, you must have his apartment in readiness. The bedding should be burnt, and all corners and interstices liberally treated with strong paraffin, the whole being well limewashed Ir. long-standing and obstinate cases it is even better to destroy the box. Yet should this be out of the question, then after stopping up every outlet, fumigate tho same with sulphur. This can be done- by placing flowers of sulphur in a tin vessel with a daah of paraffin on top, and applying a match, carefully fastening up the doorway with a piece of old carpet. If a dog's bed bo alwav-s well looked- efter ; ordinary grooming will, as a rule-, beep him clear of fleas ; but frequently there appears a perfect epidemic of them in hot seasons, and he will often acquire "hundreds in an hour or two if exercised on sand.

Lice, on the other hand, except under extraordinarily' filthy conditions, are rarely found on the adwlt animal, though puppies are often great sufferers. Paraffin will do the business satisfactorily, but is rather severe lor youngster}, and a better plan is to make an emulsion — one-third milk, twothirds paraffin. Bring the milk almost to a boil,- place in a good-sized bottle, then add the paraffin, and shake vigorously for five minutes. They (the lice) will usually be found running along the back in greater quantity towards the neck. Ne\ertheless, saturate all over with a brush, and comb o,ut next day. Two or three applications will generally suffice. Probably the most effective of any dressing for ell external parasites is ordinary benzine, which is not suitable, however, when the skin js broken ; it neither harms nor stains the skin, and is extremely penetrating, besides having a stimulative action on the hair.

The necessity for keeping a dog absolutely free from vermin should hardly require emphasising, but to those who are only Fensible of appeal through their pocket, it may be pointed out that when this states of things occurs, upless speedily attended to, their animal will be quite as incapable of earning any money as if he were suffering from a viplent attack of mange. This, by the way, as coming under the heading of parasitic diseases, may be dealt with here. Not so very long ago every dog who exhibited the slightest ailment of coat or skin was said to have mange, when in nine cases out of ten it was probably one of the forms of eczema-^the two complaints being entirely distinct — and every Dick had some infallible remedy which was better than Tom's or Harry's. Very fearful and wonderful some of them were. It is quite true they sometimes killed the disease, but not seldom they disposed of the patient, too, and tho subsequent proceedings interested him no more.

As a matter of fact, true mange is a local and external affection, calling for very simple but dr.iitii treatment, and the mo,st Yirul&ut case should be capable of cure in

a fortnight or three weeks. It is highly contagious, a-nd seldom, if ever, occurs spontaneously, though a half-starved cur is always more susceptible to it than his brother born in the purple, by reason of the conditions under whioh he lives.

It is unnecessary here to give the detailed symptoms, gince to the naked, eye they do not greatly differ from some forms of eczema. But since mange is invariably due to a parasite and eczema is not,, a strong magnifying glass will enable you to ascertain what to treat for. Mange is of two distinct kinds, sarcoptio and foilicular. In the first, tlie acarus, called Sarcoptis ranis, burrows in the skin itself near or upon the surface, and the risk of contagion is much greater, though the disorder yields more quickly to treatment. In follicular, the parasite Demodex folliculorum inhabits the hair tube or follicle, and burrows deep under the skin. For this reason -the propagation from one animal to another is npt so easy, but the advantage thus gained is counterbalanced by increased resistance to remedies, the acarua being so much tlie harder to affront. Mercury in almost any form ia certain death to all parasites if you can reach them, but is at any time a dangerous thing in the -hands of the novice, and when applied externally a dog should always bo muzzled .to prevent him licking any off. . For Ihe purposes we are discussing, the most convenient application is. as an ointment composed of 1£ drachms of green iodide of merc-ury added to an ounce of vaseline, HaVingr arrived at a correct diagnosis, the first thing to do is to give tho. animal a good hot bath, when this may be thoroughly. nibbed in — though, -to my mind, tho simplest, clennest, and mo«t effective all-round remedy that exi-ts is linio and sulphur lotion. Certainly, in the farcoptic variety it will invariably prove successful. It, is not new, but it has stood the test of years. Take of flowers of sulphur lib, unslaked lime ilb, water one gallon. Slake the lime in a small quantity of water. Stir in the sulphur, adding water gradually while stirring until it is of a creajny consistence. Then add the remaining water and boil down to one-half bulk. When cold strain off the clear liquor and add one pint of cold water.

The animal, well washed and dried as directed, should be carefully dressed nil over, best done with an ordinary housepainter's brush, and put into a clean bed. In two days' time wash and apply again with another clem bed, to be continued until the sufferer is clear, usually -at the end of four or five applications at most, when it is as well to give him another for luck, ju3t to show there is no ill-feeling, so to speak. His litter should be burnt, and all places to which he has aeoess well disinfected, and l.c should have a dose of cooling medicine twice a week.

In those .instances whea'e tlie disease extends over a large surface it is the habit of some to attack it piece by piece— a. course whioh does, not commend iteiilf to me for the reason . that it would take so much longer, . -besides tlie risk of reappearance in a region already cured, nor is any useful purpose- served. In cases -of severe and obstinate follicular mange - the best treatment is a dressing of ordinary benzine and the above. lotion alternately. On a white dog the appearance of the skin often suggests red mange, which is not mange at all, but a form of eczema. All doubts can bo set at rest by the microscope, and the microscope alone. Puncture one of the pustules and mix the contents with a little water on a slide, when the aeari will readily be seen. The sarcoptie is short and thick, the demodex elongated with a tail.