FANCIERS' COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3333, 30 January 1918, Page 45

FANCIERS' COLUMN.

The Otago Witness has been appointed the ofSAaX organ for the publication oi announcement* if the Dunedin Fanciers' Club.

THE KERNEL.

By TaiuJOß. Panolera and breeders of dogs are cordially torited to contribute to this column. "Xorror" wIH endeavour to make this department aB interesting and up-to-date as possible, but in order to do this be must have the co-operation of hja readers, bonce he trusts this invitation will bo oheerfuUy responded to.

nosed the case correctly. The fact that there are symptoms of pain and the frequent attempts to pass urine indicate inflammation of the bladder, and I do not think he can do better than follow the advice of " Dalziel," and treat as follows: First give a brisk purgative. Nothing is in this case better than half an ordinary black draught; but if this does not act it will be well to assist it with clysters of lukewarm soap and water or thin gruel. When tho bowels have been freely opened give a dose of the following every six hours: Take powdered nitre, 1 drachm; sweet spirit of nitre, ioz; Mindererus spirit, l^oz; wine, of antimony, 1 drachm; tincture of digitalis, i drachm; water, 4oz. Mix. Dose for a dog 201 b to 301 b weight, one table--spoonful every four hours in a little gruel. The patient will experience relief if the parts are bathed continuously with a warm mfusion of poppy heads, or warm water alone, care being taken that he is not afterwards exposed to cold. The dog's diet during the existence of the disease should be light and nourishing. During the heat of summer some attention should bo paid to the ventilation and cleanliness of kennels, and, if possible, tho kennel itself should be shifted to fresh ground in a shady corner. Shade in the summer and shelter in the winter should be sought by every dog-owner for his dogs unless the dog is at liberty to seek the conditions it likes best. Chained dogs cannot suit themselves, and owners consequently must provide for their comfort. A dog may be noticed to suddenly fall to the ground, and if not found to be utterly, unconscious he will give every evidence of being very ill. His breathing will be heavy, slow, and laboured, his pulse full and quick, the tongue and membrane of the mouth be of a bluish colour, and the eyp« very congested. There may be vomiting and diarrhoea. The clog has sunstroke, and the attack may terminate fatally, and that quickly, or paralysis follow"; Sometimes lockjaw results from sunstroke. Mr A. J. Sewell, M.R.C.V.S.. recommends the following treatment for sunstroke: —Give a hot bath and apply ice to forehead. As soon as tho dog is able to swallow give a good purge, from half "(according to size of dog) to three drops of croton oil in from one teaspoonful to two tablcspoonfuls castor oil (size of dog, of course, again to be considered). If there are convulsions, give medicine as for epilepsy and convulsions. In the treatment of convulsions in epilepsy Mr Sewell says: "During the convulsion it is best to leave the dog alone, unless one attack is being quickly followed by another, in which case two or three drops (according to size of dog) of nitrate of amyl held to the nose, on a piece of blotting paper, lessens tho severity of tho convulsions. Chloroform similarly applied answers tho same purpose. . Directly the patient is able to swallow give a dose-of hyclrated chloral and bromide of potassium, from 3gr to 20gr of each in from two teaspoonfuls to two tablcspoonfuls of water. This may be repeated in one, two, three, or four hours, according to the necessity; and under any circumstances the bromide alone should be given three or four times a day for a week or so after the attack. "When a dog has had a succession of fits a long coin-so of bromide of potassium will often effect a cure."

Gum, growth on. .Symptoms: A hard, irregular-shaped growth of a red colour, which is somewhat constricted; occasionally grows on the gum. or,, rather, from tlio periosteum of the jaw-bone. It is called an epulis. It is more common in old than young dogs, and it is difficult to cure. When the growth assumes large proportions it pushes the teeth quite out of the regular line, and causes them to become loose. Treatment: When possible the application of a ligature of strong silk tied tightly round the neck of the growth, and as close as possible to the gum, is the best way of removing it. Sometimes this, is not practical, as the base is large. In such cases the growth should be cut off close to the gum, and the roots scraped down to the bone. Gumboil: Symptoms: A painful swollen gum, generally the result of a bad tooth, or may arise from cold. Treatment: Extract tooth, wash mouth out after with a drachm of chlorate of potash_ dissolved in a tumberful of warm water; give a dose of purgative medicine. Gum3T bleeding: Symptoms: Occasionally the gums will bleed verv freely, particularly in old dogs, and often apparently without any reason, and in some cises the bleeding is very difficult to stop. Treatment: A simple and often an effectual remedy is placing a bandage rather tightly round the nose for an hour or more. srT that the dog is unable to open his mouth If this fails, the exact snot, or spots, as there are sometimes several, must be found, and a solution of adrenalin applied. Failing this, a. tincture of perchlorido of iron may be_ used. Manccc is so elastic _ a- term in the minds of the general public that they have come to regard almost every ailment of the skin of dogs as belonging to that category. Tin's is a great mistake. Scarcely

one case of skin complaint in 20 described as "mango" really is mange. The other 19, at all events, are canine eczema, and should bo treated as such. Mango proper is caused by a parasite which burrows under tho skin and sets up a pustular eruption that cannot well bo mistaken; it causes the most intense irritation to tho afflicted animal, and can only bo got rid of by treatment of a drastic character. It originates in filthy surroundings, but, despite tho utmost cleanliness, occasionally it makes its appearance in tho best-ordered kennels, owing, of course, to tho spread of it by contact between one mange-ridden animal and another. The first thing to do with a dog suffering from mango is to give him a drastic warm bath, using plenty of good strong soap. . Haying thus cleared the way, dress him freely with a mixture of paraffin and cotton-seed or colza oil. Tho paraffin kills the vermin, and the other keeps tho skin cool. This treatment persisted in for a few days ought to clear a dog of mange, and then tho next thing will bo to get his coat to grow again—for tho hair comes off wholesale when Iho is plagued by this filthy nuisance. To make hair grow use a mixture composed of equal parts of lanolino (woolfat ointment) and vaseline, adding just a drop or two of tincture of cantharides as a hair stimulant. The dog must be muzzled or cradled or have his head tied up so that he cannot lick off what is put on his skin. It does not much matter about his use of his logs to scratch (if any irritation remains). I ought to add that tho treatment for eczema consists in giving a bloodpurifier and tonic—say, iron and quinine ifi capsules, or simple lilaud's iron pills, or iron in some form, with an occasional laxative to counteract the bindings effect of tho iron; and by way of external treatment sponge with coal-tar lotion and dry the skin with a soft towel, then anoint with lanoline, or lanolino and vaseline in equal parts.