Treatment.—Preventive treatment in Lung Fever must not be overlooked. Briefly, it consists in avoiding such conditions as may predispose the dog to the disease, or act in any way as an exciting cause. Careful nursing is a very important part of the treatment. The dog should be given a clean, comfortable, well ventilated kennel, and kept as quiet as possible. To keep the bowels from becoming constipated, give one-half to one ounce of Castor Oil daily. Feed raw eggs, pure fresh milk, beef broth, etc. In severe cold weather, the dog must not be permitted to chill or take more cold. Cover him with a blanket, or use artificial heat. As one attack predisposes a dog to the second, he should be protected from severe cold, or the other extreme, heat, for a few weeks after making a complete recovery. It is advisable to apply strong stimulating liniments over the lungs, as Aqua Ammonia Fort., one ounce; Oil of Turpentine, one ounce; Sweet Oil, two ounces. Shake well and apply once daily.
I have found the following prescription very beneficial in the treatment of Lung Fever, as it regulates the heart action, lowers the temperature and stimulates the body in general: Tincture Digitalis, one dram; Tincture Nux Vomica, one dram; Nitrous Ether, two drams; Liq. Ammonia Acet., four drams; water, quantity sufficient to make four ounces. Give one teaspoonful every two or three hours.
All drugs prescribed in the above treatment are based on a dog weighing forty pounds. Larger or smaller dogs should receive the same medicine but in doses proportionate to their weight.
MAMMITIS
(Garget, or Inflammation of the Udder)
Cause.—Inflammation of the Udder commonly occurs in heavy milkers, and is caused by all the milk not being removed. Sometimes it occurs as the result of the milk accumulating in the udder when the bitch has lost part of her litter. Other causes are obstructed teats, injuries to the glandular tissues, and infection from germs. Congestion and inflammation of the udder frequently follow difficult birth.
Treatment.—Milk the bitch three or four times a day. This will usually relieve the congestion. A physic of Castor Oil, one or two ounces, should be given and the animal fed on easily digested food, as boiled vegetables, fresh raw beef finely chopped, pure sweet milk, etc. The udder should be massaged gently with the fingers, and the following ointment applied: Gum Camphor, one dram; Fluid Extracts of Belladonna, one dram; Lanolin, three ounces. Mix and apply two or three times daily. Fomentations of hot water are beneficial in the majority of cases. If the appetite is deprived, administer Nitrate of Potash, two drams; Pulv. Nux Vomica, one dram; Pulv. Gentian Root, one dram. Mix and make into twenty-four capsules and give one capsule three times daily before feeding. This dose is based on a dog weighing forty pounds. Smaller or larger dogs should receive the same medicine, but in doses proportionate to their weight.
MANGE
Cause.—This skin eruption is produced by the Sarcoptes Scabi. There are two other forms of parasites that produce Mange, but they are so rarely found that we need not mention them. Insanitary conditions favor their production. A dog in a poor condition, with a dirty skin, etc., is more liable to be attacked than dogs in good condition and with clean skins. It may be communicated in various ways, through kennels, brushes, collars, etc.
Symptoms.—Are generally very plain. It usually attacks the back, about the root of the tail, and extends to the head and neck, spreading quickly. The scabs do not pile up as they do on other large animals, because the dogs, on account of the intense itching, continually rub and scratch themselves so that only thin scabs can form. The affected skin becomes denude of hair, the dog becomes thin, emaciated, etc. The parasites can be seen with an ordinary magnifying glass, or if the small scabs be scraped off and placed on a dark paper in the warm sun, you can readily see small, white objects moving about. Eczema usually attacks the belly, etc., while true Sarcoptic Mange attacks the back and then spreads.