THE WHIPPETS

Southland Times, Issue 22490, 26 January 1935, Page 13

THE WHIPPETS

(By

“Oteramika.”)

The principal races at the Belfast New Year meeting which was held on January 12, were won by Charis and Charm.

Charis, who races in the nomination of Mrs F. E. Biltcliff, secretary to the National Association, was successful in the open hurdle event from a 17 yard mark.

Charm, who ranks as a daughter of Glenrossie and Charmaine, has been a particularly successful stake earner for the president of the National Association, Mr J. R. D. Johns. She won the first class handicap from the tight mark of seven yards. She is New Zealand’s present champion and holder of the National Association Championship Shield won on the White City Track, Lower Hutt, Wellington, Easter Saturday, March 31, 1934. Her age is 3 years and 4 months. Dunedin will be holding their Derby meeting at Tahuna Park on Saturday, February 2. It is unlikely that any of the local owners will be going north as it is the busy season for most, apart from the fact that most of the dogs are just in work again after a short let up. One local owner had an entrant in the Derby but his nomination was overlooked.

Ex-Invercargill owned dogs, Tim Banner and Reo each secured a second placing at Wellington meeting recently. A recent alteration to the handicapping system will prove of interest to all owners. • Briefly, the effect of the alteration is that the Open, Middleweight, Lightweight, and Miniature Classes will, in the future, be considered as entirely separate classes as far as penalties are concerned. That is, a win in any one of these classes will not affect a dog’s handicap in any other of the same. To continue with the remarks regarding the treatment of distemper:— Give him a box or basket in a draughtless, but not stuffy, comer, where he may be quite warm, and where the temperature may be kept every day and night between 40 and 50 degrees. Never let your charge out of this even temperature, for any reason whatever. Give him a dose of castor oil and put him straight on sloppy diet, and put

paper or sawdust on the floor of the room or shed where he is, so that any mess pan be cleaned up at once. This done, watch out for further symptoms to tell you definitely whether the puppy has distemper. If he is only suffering from a temporary indisposition, he will probably be quite fit after twenty four hours. Your surest guide after the first two days or so as to his health is the thermometer. If his temperature remains at normal you will have little to worry about, but if it rises to 102-103 or more, you may consider your first fears were justified. Further proof lies in a discharge from the eyes and nose, sometimes fairly slight, but more often of an obvious green-yellow, accompanied by a husky cough, continued diarrhoea and vomiting. Sometimes, it must be noted, the discharge is the first symptom to appear. The temperature should be taken three times a day, the recognised place to take it being in the rectum, or under the arm or inside the thigh. These remarks will be continued next week. Dogs which are unnamed may not start in any race.