THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3334, 6 February 1918, Page 39

THE KENNEL.

By Terhob, Traders end breeders of dogs or© cordially in« rited to contribute to this column. "Terror" wiH endeavour to make this department 08 interesting and up-to-date as possible, but in order to do this be must have the co-operation of his readers, tience he trusts this invitation will b» cheerfully teepoaded to.

His spaniel had it last year, and this year it has recurred on the face. The dog is always very constipated. The remedy he seeks must be, he says, in the form of pills, as he has no assistance to force the dog to take medicine in any other form. The first thing to be done with a mangy dog is to wash him. Let him have a good sousing and . scrubbing with softsoap and water, " hottish, rather, but not so boiling as 'to turn him red," dry woll with a soft cloth, which must immediately be boiled, and then dress him with an ointment. Green iodide of mercury ointment made with one drachm of iodide to seven drachms of lard is, save Daleiel, perhaps the nearest approach to a specific for mange that has yet been discovered. It should be used daily, well rubbing it- into the parts affected, and any superfluous ointment adhering to the skin should be wiped off, for, although a littlo of it taken by a dog would merely act as an alterative, a large quantity would be poisonous. It is a good plan when the disease extends over, much surface to attack it piece by piece, applying the ointment oftener. Any pill that will act as a mild purg-ative may be given to relieve the dog of his costiveness. but it is a bad habit to get into. It is a far better plan to cure the tendency by giving more exercise and laxative foods, such as boiled green vegetables, at least every second or third day, and an occasional meal of boiled liver will act as a gentle laxative. "Donald Mac."—The constant pawmg at the ear and 'the discharge you notice indicate that your dog is suffering from canker of the ear. It is caused sometimes bv the practice some owners have of pulling the dog by the ear for the purpose of punishment, and boys may cause it by holding dogs up by the ears "to show their pluck"! It may be " pluck" on the part of the dog to' suffer this without squealing, but it is certainly cowardly and cruel on the part of the boy. Sometimes, and perhaps most often, it is caused by a foreign substance getting into the oar, causing inflammation and an accumulation of hard wax. Treat as follows: —Once a day for three or four days pour into the ear a littlo lotion compound of one ©art nitrate of mercury to 20 parts olive oil; afterwards thoroughly swab out the ear with a piece of cotton wool; then every day pour into 'the ear a little of the following lotion: —Equal parts liquor diacetate of lead and water. If after treatment the ear remains hard and dry, a little vaseline should be applied occasionally. in our advertising columns that there is an opportunity just now to procure good oocker spaniel stock. —" Wattlebark," an Australian kennel scribe, writes: —"In a large number of cases litters of puppies come to hand in midsummer, with the consequence that special attention to the dam and progeny is absolutely necessary to ensure their safety. This attention comprises keeping the dam in good condition, without overfeeding her with a meat diet, regular exercise, and comfortable," cool quarters. In many cases it will ' bo found that the clam is too attentive to her young, by which attention the puppies arc rendered hot and oppressed. This causes a sweating and weakness. In close, warm weather the dam may be kept away from her progeny for hours, providing that she is admitted to their presence occasionally, to give them a drink. They will be better without her company, so far as her fostering is concerned, during exceptionally warm days. The bedding of puppies in summer-timo is also a matter for consideration. Nothing will be better than a clean oomsack,. tacked to the floor (wooden). I have known bitches to give the owner the slip at whelping-time, and to dig a hole for her puppies, and there bring them safely on. That, however, is dangerous, for summer storms may arise, and the nest-place be flooded. In cases I have known bitches to remove their puppies long before the storm broke, as though she had a premonition of possible disaster. A dam with young puppies should be fed frequently, the food generally to bo of a sloppy nature. Boiled meat, gravy, and oatmeal, or wheatmeal, may bo mixed together with advantage. Porridge and bread and milk will also be acceptable. In all cases the food must be absolutely sound. Puppies, as they come along, may be treated to a similar diet, and occasionally a large, raw bono, with some little meat on it. may bo given. A bitch with puppies should be regularly exercised, and occasionally treated to a. light dose of physic." Generally speaking, if you mean to buy a puppy, it is best to . get one about eight weeks old. Young puppies bear transit quite well by train in mild weather if sent in comfortable baskets., and they cost less than grown dogs for rail charges, while the hip- breeder who is filling regular orders is likely to sell his best puppies first. If you wait for a six months' pup you will probably have one he could not get rid of before. He is in the business for business reasons, and he doesn't keep saleable puppies eating up his profit longer than he can help. It is _ i>ot fair to ask for a breeder of known integrity and good standing to send a young puppy on approval. If you refuse it, the chances are that the chancre and double iourney will upset and, possibly, spoil it. If you cannot trust the man's word, why deal with him at all? It is always safer for tho novice to have an experienced friend to help him in the choice of dogs. An abscess _ has boon technically described as a circumscribed area of pus. which is caused by the presence of foreign substances in nus-forming tissue. The centre of an abscess may be a bit of bone, n pin, a shot, a needle, a hatpin, or any one of a hundred other curious and unsuspected objects. In theorv the treatment of an abscess is easy, consisting of tho removing of the offending foreign substance and then keeping the wound op( n until it has had time to completely heal from the bottom out. In practice, however, thev often cause considerable trouble, and it will generally be found safer and better in the long run to place the patient in the hands

of a competent surgeon, as the matter of lancing an abscess should not be undertaken by ono who has not complete knowledge of the anatomy of the dog. Ono of the results of the lack in foresight that one sees so often in allowing stud dogs to* serve half a dozen bitches a week is scrotal Irritation, which appears in those dogs that are used 'too often in the stud. The symptoms arc unmistakable, and rcquiro immediate attention, for if allowed to take their own course they will eventually turn into cancer, for which a Cure has yet to bo discovered. The scrotum first becomes inflamed and sensitive, next littlo pimples appear, which turn to pustules that discharge matter. Crusts then form which, when rubbed off, leave littlo shallow, pock-mark-like sores. If the irritation is nipped in the bud boric acid ointment will genorally effect a cure, but if it has far progressed oxide or zinc ointment, to every ounce of which is added about 15 ? rains of carbolio acid, should be used. Jpon the appearance of tho first symptoms the food should be changed to bread and milk and a vegetable diet, and the bowels moved with a laxative. If the zinc-carbolic ointment fails professional aid should bo sought, and the sores burnt out with a caustic.