THE KENNEL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3495, 8 March 1921, Page 20

THE KENNEL.

By

Terror.

Fanciers and breeders of dogs are oordfaHv invited to oontribnte to this column. “Terror”’ will endeavour to make this department as interesting and up-to-date as possible, but in order to do this he must have the 00-operation oi hia readers, heooe he trusts this Invitation will be cheerfully caspooded to. “Shepherd,” Maerewhenua. —I am sorry that owing to a fortnight’s absence from town I have not been able to receive and answer your letter earlier. The best tiling you oan do in treating mange is, first oi all, to give the dog a good hot bath with plenty of soft soap. During this give the skin a thorough cleansing, and then carefully dry him with a soft spongy cloth. When, he is dry dross him with mange ointment. Of this there are several kinds on the market. Whatever is used it is necessary to get it well down below the hair and right on to the skin, when it will visit the parasite in their homes. Strong “blue” or mercurial ointment, and sulphur ointment, mixed in equal quantities, is an excellent application, and should be used morning and night until file plague is stopped. When a dog has been cured of mange, something should be done to get the hair to grow again freely where it has fallen off. What I have to say on this applies equally well to cases of eczema. Recently several instances have come under my notice in which cocoanut oil (a white paste sold by chemists) has proved very serviceable for this purpose. It is not of much use to rely on preparations of can-tharide-s, so often recommended for the purpose. Cocoanut oil is more in the nature of a nutriment; whereas cantharides is an excitant, supposed to act by stimulating the roots. Another excellent thing is anhydrous wool fat —the product of sheep’s wool, sometimes <■' sold under the name of lanoline. A mixture of equal parts of wool fat and cocoanut oil, to which a small quantity of finely powdered flowers of sulphur has been added, will perhaps form the most satisfactory of all hair stimulants. Hugh Dalziel in his book on “Diseases of Dogs” says: “Green iodide of mercury ointment, made with one drachm of the iodide to seven drahms of lard is perhaps the nearest approach to a specific for mange that has yet been discovered. It should be used daily, well rubbing into the parts effected, and any superfluous ointment adhering to the hair should be wiped off, for, although a little of it taken by a dog would merely act as an alterative, a large portion would be poisonous.” blue Irish terriers that I know of in New Zealand. The quarantine regulations prohibit the importation of dogs just now. As to cost, present conditions of shipping, cto., make it difficult to convey any useful information. Mr 11. Hunter (Christchurch) has a nice lirter of Irish setter pups by Anuriri Rhu. Miss D. M’Phail (Invercargill! lins purchased from Messrs G. and F. E. Rillcliff (Christchurch) a wire puppy by Wat of Wariki ex Wasp. Miss G. liability no (Christchurch) has a nice litter from her imported Scotch terrier Torridon Pearl by cli Torridon Gearran. Mr R. T. Hodgson has a litter of five pups from Clonburn by Conagher Athenrv. Mr J. P,. Williams (Cnversham) has mated his English setter bitch to Mr MTntosh’s Blacking. The bitch sold by this fancier reported last week has gone to Mr Harrison (Taranaki). —Mr Freeman Lloyd, in Field and Stream, writing of “Our Friend the - tg,” snvs, amongst other verv beautiful things:—“Words have Iseon written about dogs that will last ns lons as the world revolves; hut they are inadequate, and too far between in tlip many wasted pages of printed thoughts; for the people who dare open their hearts where their dog friends are concerned are rare. Is it that man can find no touch of bigness, or Ls be ashamed to acknowledge his affection for his dumb, four-footed friend. Find me tho man who owns up to honest, tears of grief when his four-footed companions end friends’ tails are still in death and you have a man to rcsnect, a kind'v man. the sort that makes the world bettar; for ho understands the value of one of our n-rcal gifts The Dog. Therefore, he is wise and filled with a bigness that helps to make life smoother for others. Old men have talked to us about dogs, have told n? stories of their youth and middle age in wlueli dogs played a star part, both humorous and pathetic. Time is n. great liealer of grief, and there are humans who do not judge proportionately; hut, some of the humans do. and they have our respect, for thev looked away with swimming eyes over the memory of n dog. and hack, swav hack, in the hope cells of then- brains is a wonder, a hope, is there a plane we go’ Ts there a hereafter, and will dear old Jack he th< ■*ro <r> inr-ot mo. with bn joyous bark and swiftly wncrrmi# fjvl ? Th** fn-v'-terrior that prnr.q into hyswith his movement of tail ov-pr n bmlf-dozon rats hr* lias just killed and poos up and down tho line several times, making

sure, with an extra shake, that they are dead, belongs and has his place, and we are not so sure his rank is not. more important in the world than the pious person who turns away with conventional folded hands, a shake of the head, a disgusted expression on his smug countenance, with an uplift of his eyes. We know the fox-terrier is honest. We know if lie cou’d speak he would not cheat in a horse trade, and we know most certainly that given something to guard, he fulfils his duty even if it costs him his life. The setter or the pointer which bounds in graceful leaps afield with an attentive ear to commands, settles ipto a steady,-stealthy walk as down the wind comes a scent that only their noses can pick from the thousand-and-one outdoor smells that drift and swirl out under the b.uo heavens. "What would we do without such as these? They will share your love with your family and never grow jealous. ban you say that much of most humans? Meniory calls up a big, shaggy. Newfoundland dog romp L-g and playing with children on a sandy beach by a river, with contented mothers at home, they knowing very well the kiddies’ dumb four-footed friend was perfectly capable and would see that no harm came to the builders of wonderful castles on the sand. Can, you expect as much from an aproned and be-capped nurse? When the hair of a dog parts with its natural gloss and smoothness there is some cause for it, which must be found and removed before restoration is possible. Beyond the faults of management there is at least one other equally as common, and which has very nearly as potent an indirect influence on the growth and health of the hair —namely, that of denying dogs sufneient fresh, wholesome drinking water. In evidence of the injury induced thereby, Ashmont records an instance, that occurred in his own kennels. On this occasion he noted that of all his dogs, some forty in number, there was quite a sudden and great falling off in the appearance of the coats, the skin losing its elasticity and with the hair becoming dry and rough. During the investigation that followed, every possible cause was eliminated except the drinking water, and after the help had been under surveillance for several days this was proved to be at fault. The kennels being at once piped and supplied with running water, the inmates were soon back to their old form. The moral of all this is that while cleanliness, grooming, etc., will keep in good condition the hair of a sound dog happily situated, except in the presence of good general health, the hair can never be. at its best, no matter how cleverly and faithfully it is treated.