Dogs Casting their Coats.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5283, 13 June 1895, Page 4

Dogs Casting their Coats.

(8.,,m thelH'eJ*)

Some dogs appear to be casting their coats all the year round. It may be useful to an owner to be told what not to do, for, poßeibly, he may be acting unwisely. It is common in auoh cases for persons to keep continually brushing and washing their dogß, with the object of getting rid of the superfluous hair;: and then they! write to the papers and complain "still it j comes off." Of course it does. They set up j an irritable condition of the skin, or in- ; crease the irritability already present (though, perhaps, unapparent) by their excess of zeal in washing and brushing the pet animal— who, while casting his coat, is "something of a nuisance" where carpetsj cushions and personal clothes are concerned. The consequence is an increase ofrthe offending material, and, if the labour is- persisted in too long, may end in the possession^ a bald dog. As to what should be done in the way of curative treatment, that is another question. Make a change in the dog's diet and see what that will do. Give the dog more flesh food, and not less, even to keeping him entirely on meat— in this I confess I differ in opinion from moßt people— and let him have five drops of Fowler's solution of arsenic in his food once a day. Some dogs, however, take a dislike to it, for the' solution (lig. pot. arsen.) is flavoured with compound tincture of lavender, to which a few of them will object. When this is the case, one-twentieth of a grain of pure ! arsenic should be/given daily in a bolus.; Tbeee aro"the tespCotite doflea f6r doge of aboot fiftera pourids weight. I -won, iome years Bgx>,ißereral public atakea with a greyhound who ; was for ■ several months during the time in daily receipt of from ten to fifteen drops of Fowler's solution of arsenic.