Treatment.—Withhold all food for twenty-four hours and administer Extract of Mail Fern, two drams; Pulv. Areca Nut, one dram. Mix in two tablespoonfuls of syrup and give at one dose. Follow this treatment in about two hours with one to two ounces of Castor Oil. This treatment should be repeated in a week or ten days. These doses are based on a dog weighing forty pounds. Smaller or larger dogs should receive the same medicine, but in doses proportionate to their weight.
VOMITION
Cause.—This is a symptom which shows itself in almost any disease to which the dog is subject, so extensive are the reflex influences which follow disease in a dog. This process of Vomiting can be brought about in the dog by means of many medicines, and the good effect of emetics is appreciable even to the most casual observer. This class of medicines has been much abused by those caring for sick dogs, emetics being given for any and every disease. They sometimes free the stomach of irritants and poisons which cause disease and poisoning, but their use requires care and judgment.
Symptoms.—The dog shows very marked symptoms of pain, but usually the first signs exhibited are those of a sense of discomfort. The dog moans in his sleep, wakes suddenly, curls himself up and goes to sleep again. This continues until at last the vomiting is too urgent to allow rest. The dog utters sharp, shrill, continuous cries, tries all sorts of positions to get itself at ease, and walks about with the back arched. There may be distention of the abdomen, due to the gases generated in the bowels from the fermentation of their contents. Colicky symptoms frequently accompany vomiting, due to the spasmodic contractions of the stomach relieving itself of some irritant.
Treatment.—Knowing that the causes operating in the production of Vomiting are so numerous, it will be easily understood that the treatment must be equally variable. If due to the torpidity of the liver, give Calomel, one to two grains. When worms are suspected, give worm treatment recommended under the heading of Worms. When due to poisoning, give milk and raw eggs. In case it is due to faulty digestion, or where a dog is recovering from some debilitating disease, give one-fourth to one-half teaspoonful of Baking Soda in a gelatin capsule two or three times a day. The following prescription is recommended when all suspected irritants are removed from the stomach: Diluted Prussic Acid (B. P.), twelve drops; Bismuth Nitrate, one dram; Lime Water, four ounces. Mix and give one tablespoonful three times daily. This dose is based on a dog weighing fifty pounds. Smaller or larger dogs should receive the same prescription, but in doses proportionate to their weight. This medicine should be administered with great precaution, as it is very poisonous when used in larger doses, or given at shorter intervals than above recommended.
WOUNDS
A wound is a disruption of the soft parts of the body due to external violence. Wounds are of various kinds, as incised, lacerated, punctured, gunshot and poisonous.
Treatment.—If a wound is extensive, and bleeding is present, first arrest it, and the most satisfactory method is as follows: Tie the artery from which the blood is escaping, or twist with forceps, cauterize with hot iron, compress by bandaging tightly and apply Tincture of Chloride of Iron. This coagulates the blood, and is very effective. One important factor in treating wounds is to attend to the drainage, as decomposed matter absorbed into the blood produces blood poisoning. Dogs lick wounds and keep them clean, therefore it is hardly necessary to apply medicine.
Sewing Wounds.—I cannot recommend sewing except in cases of incised or clean-cut wounds. After clipping the hair from around the incision, and washing it thoroughly with a one in one-thousandth solution of Bichloride, stitch with cat-gut or absorbent silk suture. In case of deep, punctured or gunshot wounds, with a syringe wash out the wounds, using a one in one-thousandth Bichloride solution. For open wounds, use dusting powders, as Iodoform, Boracic Acid, etc.
To keep flies from annoying a wounded dog, apply the following prescription: Oil of Origanum, one ounce; Oil of Turpentine, one ounce; Sweet Oil, one ounce. Apply to and around the wound with a feather. This is also a good healing liniment as well as a fly repellent.