Gastric Ulcer:
Symptoms: Dogs suffering from this disease are occasionally seen bringing up their food, sometimes tinged with blood, which is generally of a bright red colour. The quantity of blood varies. Sometimes there are streaks mixed with vomited matter, or there may be quite a quantity, causing great exhaustion. They also lose condition, become anæmic and languid.
Treatment: The principal thing in these cases is diet, which should be light and of an easily digested nature, as milk with the white of egg, or milk thickened with Benger’s food. When the dog is very weak, a little Valentine’s meat juice should be added with each lot, but nothing solid. When the bleeding is severe give ergotine, a half[1] to two grains every two or three hours, in a teaspoonful[1] to a tablespoonful of water; but when it is very slight the styptics are not necessary, but give the dog each time a quarter of an hour before food from two[1] to ten grains of carbonate of bismuth, and immediately after food from one[1] to five grains of ingluvin. It is necessary in these cases to keep the dog absolutely quiet. Do not allow the dog to drink a lot of water; if very thirsty, give Vichy water and milk in equal parts to drink, as plain water increases the vomiting.
Gastritis (Acute):
Symptoms: Frequent and violent vomiting, also diarrhœa. The attack is accompanied by great thirst.
Treatment: Keep the dog quiet, and prevent his drinking water. If he is very thirsty, give Vichy water and milk to drink in equal parts, or ice to lick. Give every four hours from three[1] to ten grains of carbonate of bismuth shaken dry on the tongue. If this does not stop the sickness, give the mixture as recommended for Specific Gastritis. In some cases the sickness is so acute that if every care is not taken the dog dies from exhaustion. In such instances the dog’s stomach should be given absolute rest, the dog not being allowed to drink even water, or have ice, say for six to twelve hours. To keep the dog’s strength up, give a peptonised beef suppository every three or four hours. If there is any diarrhœa, give an enema of a dessertspoonful to two tablespoonfuls[1] of milk, thickened with starch, with from five[1] to twenty drops of laudanum added, every four or six hours. When the sickness has stopped, food must be given very sparingly by the mouth, and should consist of peptonised milk or milk and Vichy, and just a small quantity of Brand’s, every hour or so. After a couple of days, if the dog is doing well, a little scraped lean raw mutton may be offered.
Gastritis (Chronic):
Symptoms: In this complaint the dog occasionally vomits, bringing up his food, is very thirsty, and loses condition. The tongue, instead of being a nice pink colour, is brick-red colour and dry, and occasionally diarrhœa occurs.
Treatment: For this a diet of raw meat for a time will put the dog right, a small quantity three times a day; and an hour before each meal give from three[1] to fifteen grains of carbonate of bismuth. In very obstinate case, small doses of arsenic, as from half[1] a drop to two drops of Fowler’s solution, with from two[1] teaspoonfuls to two tablespoonfuls of water, and given before food, does good.