Causes.—Drinking cold water when heated from running; damp kennels; continued feeding with rich food; indigestion; poisons.
Symptoms.—Great pain; the dog throws himself on the ground, kicks and rolls; there is constant desire for cold water, but as soon as any food or drink is swallowed, it is rejected; constant retching; dry and hot nose; cold extremities; quick breathing; anxious countenance; lying on the belly on the coldest ground the dog can find.
Treatment.—A.A., is the proper medicine. Give a dose as often as every hour if in great distress, and at longer intervals as the patient improves. From one to three drops, according to the size of dog.
Accessory Means.—Nothing but cold water should be allowed till all the symptoms have disappeared; even then great care must be exercised for several days, as to the kind of food given; cold milk or oatmeal gruel will then be suitable, in small quantities.
The treatment of gastritis produced by poisons consists in removing the poison from the system and neutralizing its effect.
Enteritis—Inflammation of the Bowels
Definition.—Inflammation of the bowels, either of their whole substance or only the inside or lining membrane.
Causes.—Drinking cold water when heated; exposure of petted dogs to cold; damp or sudden changes of weather; keeping the kennels of chained dogs on a damp, sunless situation; too long continuance of animal food; flatulent colic; obstruction of the bowels from hardened fæces, foreign bodies, etc.
Symptoms.—Violent pain, without cessation; great tenderness of the abdomen, which is very hot; the pain is often so severe that the poor animal throws himself violently down, howls, springs up again, walks about for a few seconds, throws himself down again, rolls over and cries out; these actions are repeated until relief is obtained, or, in fatal cases, till a short time before death takes place. There is also aversion of food, constant thirst, constipation, the excrement coming away in small, hard pieces, during the first stage of the disease; the evacuations afterwards become loose and bloody.
Treatment.—A. A., is the proper remedy, a dose of from one to three drops, in a spoonful of water or milk, should be given, at first every half hour, then, as he improves, every hour, and as improvement progresses, at still longer intervals, until relief is obtained. Sometimes interposing a dose of F. F., is beneficial, if there are loose, bloody stools, or violent pain.