Treatment: Dab parts with ammoniated quinine; failing this, eau de Cologne or methylated spirits. When place very tender, the lead and laudanum lotion as recommended for external inflammation may be used.
Invalid Foods:
When nursing sick dogs the diet is important, as it is so much better to get the dog to eat something for himself, rather than always pouring food down its throat. Taking food voluntarily not only does the dog more good, but it is less worrying to the patient, for when one has to feed with the spoon or bottle it is necessary to give nourishment very frequently, whereas when it is taken voluntarily, more, as a rule, is taken at a time, and therefore it is not necessary to offer food so often. A good meat tea is made with equal parts of veal, beef, and mutton—say half a pound of each cut up very small, then slowly stewed for three hours in a pint of water. This should be strained and given either cold or warm, whichever the dog likes best.
A jelly made from rabbit is also very nourishing, and dogs, as a rule, are very fond of it, and they will often take it when they refuse everything else. It should be made as follows:
The whole rabbit should be cut up in small pieces, including the liver; the leg bones should be cracked, the heads split open, and the whole stewed in a pint of water for some hours; then strained off, and if there is more than half a pint reduce it to that quantity, and set aside to cool. This may be given either cold or hot; a small quantity at a time, as it is, if made as directed, very strong.
Fish boiled in water, or boiled in milk; and a capital fish soup is made by stewing white fish, such as whiting, in milk for some time, and then straining off and giving the soup to drink. Also boiled fish stewed with rice makes a good food, and the different kinds of fish alone boiled. A food of this kind may be given to a dog even when he has a fever, especially if he will take it himself.
Sheep’s brains boiled in milk make an excellent and tempting food.
Calves’ sweet-breads also boiled, or even grilled, dogs are very fond of.
Chickens’ livers grilled make an appetising dish for a dog; and when a dog is convalescent, and the temperature is normal, he may be even tempted to eat by offering grilled meat.
Milk of course is one of the best and most nourishing diets, and when the dog is very weak the white of one egg to every cup of milk is very strengthening food. For a change, milk, with plasmon added, should be given, but too much of this latter food must not be given to dogs with a high temperature.