Part 20
Worms occasionally cause paralysis of the hind legs. People often wonder how dogs get worms, especially pet dogs, who seldom leave their mistresses’ side, but it is easily accounted for, first, when it is taken into consideration how susceptible they are to these parasites; a dog, for instance, fed on raw meat or uncooked milk, or if he eats grass where there are sheep or rabbits, or if he drinks out of a pool which drains from land on which sheep are grazing, he is almost certain to get tapeworm, for sheep and rabbits are the intermediate host of some of the most common kind. Lice, again, act as the intermediate host of other sorts. I may here mention that tapeworms do not breed in a dog, but the eggs or larvæ must pass out of him and be swallowed by some other living creature, who is called the intermediate host. Here they develop into cysts or bladder-worms, and if these in their turn are swallowed by a dog they develop into a tapeworm, and so the cycle is completed.
_Treatment_: It is most important that house dogs should be kept free of worms, for if by chance or accident a person swallows an egg or larva from a tapeworm there is the danger of a cyst or bladder-worm forming in one’s liver, which is a most serious and often fatal disease. As to the treatment of worms in young puppies, unless the case is serious it is not advisable to commence dosing before the puppy is five weeks old, and then a dose of the following medicine may be given three times a week, half an hour before food:—
_Recipe_: _Worm Mixture_:
Santonine, 1 scruple. Liquor Senna Dulc., 1 ounce. Glycerine, ½ ounce. Syrup Aniseed, 3½ ounces.
Well mix.
_Doses_: For small puppies like griffons, etc., when five or six weeks old, a quarter of a teaspoonful; fox-terrier puppies, same age, half a teaspoonful; retriever puppies, etc., same age, three-quarters of a teaspoonful; St. Bernard puppies, one teaspoonful—to be given half an hour before the first morning meal. Repeat twice a week. The doses may be gradually increased, according to age and size of puppies. The bottle must be well shaken before pouring out the dose.
If the mixture is not retained, from an eighth[1] to half a grain of santonine, with from half[1] to two grains of jalapin, may be given, made into a pill, twice a week half an hour before food. When six weeks old, fox-terriers and other breeds of similar size and strength, and also, of course, bigger ones, may be dosed with powdered areca nut and santonine. Give one grain of the former to every pound the dog weighs, and to the dose of this medicine add from the eighth[1] to half a grain of santonine. This may be given in a cachet, and about half an hour afterwards give the puppy a drink of warm milk. Should the bowel not operate freely in the course of an hour, from half[1] to two teaspoonfuls of castor oil is recommended. Repeat the vermifuge in the course of a few days. “Ruby” is also an excellent remedy for worms in young dogs.
It is a good plan to dose puppies regularly from time to time, say once a month, for worms.
With regard to the treatment of tapeworms in adult dogs, there is nothing better than the old-fashioned remedy, freshly powdered areca nut. The dose is one grain to every pound the dog weighs, but more than two drachms should never be given at a time to the biggest dog. Unfortunately this medicine often induces vomiting, but if it is given in cachets it is less likely to do so. About half an hour after the medicine has been administered some warm milk or clean soup may be given the dog to drink, and a couple of hours after the dose from a dessertspoonful[1] to two tablespoonfuls of castor oil should be given.
Another good remedy for tapeworm is the oil of male fern, and the doses are the same as for areca nut. This medicine may be bought in gelatine capsules, but castor oil must be given afterwards, as recommended after the previously mentioned remedy.
It is advisable to dose all adult dogs for worms, whether they exhibit any symptoms of having these parasites or not, about three or four times a year.
=Worm (Maw)=:
_Symptoms_: A dog is said to have maw worms when pieces or segment of tapeworm are found adhering to the back parts. These are not distinct worms, but segments of tapeworm, which come away naturally when a worm is breaking up in the bowels, due to natural causes and changes.
_Treatment_: The same as for tapeworms.
=Wounds=:
_Symptoms_: There are five kinds. An incised wound is a clean cut with a sharp instrument; a lacerated wound is when the skin and other parts are torn; contused when the skin, etc., is torn and the edges are bruised, as when caused by a blow by some blunt instrument or a fall. A punctured wound is one made by some sharp-pointed instrument. A wound of this kind is also often caused by the bite of a dog, one of the tusks penetrating the skin and underneath tissues. Then there is another kind of wound called a fistulous wound, which generally externally is small, but runs deep into the tissues as in fistula of the anus; but the most common seat of a fistulous wound in the dog is in the face, just under the eye, caused generally by some external injury which may not break the skin, but injure the ridge of bone called the zygomatic ridge, resulting in the formation of an abscess which will not heal until the large molar tooth (which is situated underneath the fistula) is removed, and then it heals of itself quickly even though it may have been running for months.
Fistulous wounds may form anywhere when an accident has happened to a part and a bone has been injured, and as the result of the inflammation the bone dies, and the wound will not heal until the dead bone comes away either naturally or by operation.
Another example of a fistulous wound is found when a dog has swallowed something sharp, such as a pin, needle, bone, or a corn sheck, which may pierce that part of the gullet situated in the neck; as the result, a large abscess often forms, and until the foreign body has come away the wound, the result of the bursting or lancing of the abscess, will not heal. These cases are often very troublesome, as the foreign body causing the mischief may be buried very deeply in the tissues, and when small is difficult to find even with the assistance of the X-rays.
_Treatment_: The first and principal thing to do in the treatment of all wounds is to clean them; but sometimes if the bleeding is very severe it may not be possible to do it thoroughly at once, for the dog may bleed to death, so when there is severe hæmorrhage this must be stopped as soon as possible. As a rule, a thick pad of medicated wool or antiseptic gauze, or failing either of these, a clean sponge wrung out in some hot water and bandaged firmly over the wound, will generally answer. This is cleaner and better than applying a stringent, as the tincture of iron or Friar’s Balsam, though in some cases it may be necessary, and the pressure afterwards applied. Four or five hours afterwards the temporary dressing may be removed, and after cutting off the hair from the edges of the wound it should be thoroughly cleaned with a solution of Pearson’s Disinfectant Fluid, 1 in 120 of warm water, or with a teaspoonful of boracic acid in half a pint of warm water. All dirt, clots of blood, hairs, etc., must be removed, and if it is an incised wound the edges should be brought together with stitches of strong silk, catgut, or silver wire; failing any of these, pin sutures may be used in the following way: A pin should be run through the skin on either side of the wound about a quarter of an inch from the edge, and the severed edges brought close together and kept there by winding a piece of cotton, figure-eight fashion, round the pin. Each pin should be placed about the third or half an inch apart, and after applying the cotton the point and head should be cut off. Afterwards cover the wound over with a few layers of dry antiseptic gauze, and bandage. Two days afterwards the gauze may be changed, but the wound need not be interfered with so long as it is dry and there is no swelling. If there is much swelling, one suture should be removed and the fluid gently squeezed out, afterwards apply the dry dressing as before. When there is much discharge the dressing must be repeated once or twice daily, the surface of the wound being cleaned with a solution of Pearson’s Fluid or boracic acid. On the sixth or seventh day the sutures may be removed, but the dressing should be continued for another day or two or until the parts are quite sound.
_Lacerated and Contused Wounds_ require practically the same treatment; they must be thoroughly cleansed with a warm solution of some disinfectant, all shreds or loose and hanging bits of skin removed with scissors, then dust over the wound a powder made with powdered iodoform one part, powdered boracic acid eight parts, mixed together, a few layers of antiseptic gauze applied and the parts bandaged. When there is much discharge the dressing should be repeated twice a day, otherwise once a day is sufficient. Do not continue the compound iodoform powder for more than three or four days. After a week or so, if the wound is healing very slowly, apply instead of the gauze some boracic ointment on lint, which may be occasionally changed for the following lotion:—
_Recipe_:
Sulphate of Zinc, 1 scruple. Tincture Calendula, 2 drachms. Water to 8 ounces.
This should be applied on a piece of lint doubled once and just big enough to cover the wound, which should be covered over with oil-silk and then bandaged. Repeat the dressing twice a day. When proud-flesh, or excessive granulations—that is, the newly-formed tissue to fill up the wound—forms and grows above the surface of the surrounding skin, nitrate of silver in the form of a stitch should be applied by just wiping it once across the surface of the parts. These wounds often take a long time to heal.
In treating punctured wounds the principal thing to do is not to let the skin heal before the parts underneath have, otherwise an abscess is sure to form, and there is a danger of blood-poisoning. A puncture wound may be cleaned by being syringed out with a solution of some disinfectant, then a small strip of disinfectant gauze should be placed in the wound to prevent its healing. This is to be covered over with a few layers of gauze and a bandage applied. Repeat the dressing twice a day, and so long as there is any discharge the wound on the skin must not be allowed to heal.
_Fistulous Wounds_ are sometimes very difficult to heal, and often require operating upon before they will do so—especially in cases of a fistulous wound in the anus which may extend to and open into the bowel. However, before submitting the patient to an operation try the following lotion:—
_Recipe_:
Chloride of Zinc, 6 grains. Tincture Calendula, 1 drachm. Water to 1 ounce.
A little to be gently syringed into the wound once every other day.
In cases of fistulous wounds the result of diseased bone, time must be given for the dead bone to come away. The application of hot linseed-meal poultices dusted over with powdered charcoal do good, but it is often a matter of weeks, sometimes months, before the dead bone separates from the healthy bone. When the case is very obstinate the services of a veterinary surgeon should be obtained.
_Wounds_ the result of the bite of a dog suffering from rabies should be immediately and freely cauterised with fuming nitric acid or a saturated solution of chromic acid, but unless the dog is a very valuable one, he should be destroyed, as it is running a great risk to keep a dog that has been bitten by one suffering from this disease. Besides cauterising the wound, the bitten dog should be very securely isolated for three months so that he cannot possibly come in contact with either man or other animal.
APPENDIX
=Back, Injuries to=:
May be the result of a blow, or due to a sprain when jumping. It often occurs as the result of a dog being run over across the back.
_Symptoms_: Pain on pressure to the part; in bad cases the dog walks with difficulty, and with back arched and tail down. In slight cases, though there may be pain on pressure, the dog walks, when first starting out, fairly well, and seems bright; but after going a short distance he soon lags behind, loses his spirits, and droops his tail. In other instances of a slight nature, the dog is able to walk easily but is unable to jump, and, if he attempts to, he cries out.
_Treatment_: It consists principally in giving the dog rest. Sometimes several weeks’ quiet are necessary, as well as rubbing the back with some anodyne liniment, as the following:—
_Recipe: The Liniment_:
Chloroform (meth.), ½ ounce. Tincture Hyoscyamus, ½ ounce. Spirits of Camphor, 1 ounce. Soap Liniment, 1 ounce.
Mix.
Apply with gentle friction once or twice a day to the painful parts. A dose of aperient medicine does good, and whilst the dog is at rest a light diet should be given.
=Feeding=:
Dogs require concentrated food, and to keep a dog in the best condition, meat should form half his diet.
Taking first the toy breeds. When puppies are weaned, it must be remembered that the mother’s milk is far stronger than cows’ milk, and when possible, goats’ milk should be given; cows’ milk thickened with Plasmon is a good substitute. The mother should be allowed to feed her puppies during the night in the initial stages of weaning.
At five weeks old, puppies should be given a little scraped raw meat—very small quantities, a small eggspoonful once a day—and they should be treated for worms. As they get stronger, and are entirely weaned (at six to seven weeks), Benger’s food, a little rusk and broth, rusk and milk, and scraped raw meat, can be given alternately four times a day in small quantities. Directly the teeth begin to come through, one of Spratt’s invalid biscuits should be given them to amuse themselves with. At four months old, the meals should be reduced to three in number, say, stale brown bread and milk in the morning, raw meat, or cooked meat, and stale bread in the middle of the day, and some puppy biscuit at night. At six months old, two meals a day will be sufficient, consisting of dry biscuit in the middle of the day, and at night a raw meat meal, twice a week; on other days, fine Rodnim or stale bread with broth, sheeps’-hearts or skirts, and other cooked meats, chopped up finely, mixed with it.
Non-splintering bones are very good for puppies to have once or twice a week, as it helps them during teething, and with dry biscuits, acts as the dog’s tooth-brush. Bones of game and poultry should on no account be given.
Both in the matter of biscuits and meat foods, the greatest possible variety obtainable should be given. Sheeps’-heads and hearts, tripe, skirts, New Zealand mutton, bullocks’-heads and hearts, and fish, all help to vary the dog’s diet.
The same remarks apply to the terriers and dogs of that size, but fine Rodnim, a little meat and broth, and less expensive foods will obtain the same results, as the dogs have stronger constitutions than the toys.
In the large breeds where size and bulk are required, two meat meals should be given the puppies from four to six months old, and those who have a plentiful supply of eggs will find that raw eggs, although costly, help to increase growth. The same number of meals should be given as directed for the toys. When the puppy is full-grown, unless he is taking a great deal of exercise, hard biscuit and Rodnim, with a small quantity of meat added, and broth poured over it, should be sufficient. Onions boiled with all these foods, and mashed up in the broth, will be found excellent. Other fresh vegetables should not be given, although lentils and rice are both good.
=Sunstroke=:
_Symptoms_: Dog is usually taken suddenly ill, and generally falls to the ground in an unconscious condition. The breathing is heavy, slow, and laboured, the pulse full and quick, the tongue and membrane of the mouth are of a bluish colour, and the eyes are very congested. The dog may vomit and have diarrhœa. The attack may quickly terminate fatally, or paralysis follow. I have seen lock-jaw result from sunstroke.
_Treatment_: Give a hot bath and apply ice to forehead. As soon as the dog is able to swallow give a good purge, as from half[1] to three drops of croton oil in from one[1] teaspoonful to two tablespoonfuls castor oil. If there are convulsions, give medicine as for epilepsy and convulsions.
FOOTNOTES
[1] According to the size of the dog. See p. 86.
INDEX
Abrasions, 1
Abscesses, 1
Acidy, or Gastric Catarrh, 1
Acne, 2
Adrenalin, 9
Albuminaria, 3
Alopecia, 3
Amaurosis, 4, 25
Anæmia, 4
Anæsthetics, 5
Anal Glands, Congestion and Irritation of, 10
Aneurism, 10
Angina Pectoris, 11
Anthrax, 11
Anus, fistula of, 119; inflammation of skin about, 234; licking of, 10; prolapsus of, 11
Apoplexy, 13
Appendicitis, 13
Appetite, want of, 14; morbid, 14
Arsenic poison, 216
Artery, dilation of an, 10
Arthritis, 15
Artificial respiration, 16, 269
Asphyxia, 16
Asthma, 16
Back, broken, 130; injuries to, 341
Bad breath, 17
Balanitis, 19
Baldness, 3
Bark, loss of, 324
Bed-sores, 19
Biliousness, 20
Bite, snake, 279
Bites, 21
Bladder, calculi in, 34; irritable, 22; paralysis of, 23
Blade-bone, fracture of, 124
Bleeding gums, 143
Bleeding from nose, 193; from stomach, 24
Blindness, 25
Blisters, 25
Blisters, to apply, 26
Blood-poisoning, 26
Boils, 27
Bone, diseased, 190; inflammation of the membrane covering, 210; ulceration of, 36
Bowel, lower, protrusion of, 11
Bowels, inflammation of the, 27, 106; intussusception of, 28; worms in, 331
Brain, inflammation of the membrane of, 179; water on the, 149
Breast, inflammation of, 29, 179
Breath, bad, 17
Breathing, difficulty of, in Bulldogs, 29
Breeding, 238
Bronchitis, 30, 31
Bruises, 32
Bugs, harvest, 144
Bulldog, difficulty of breathing in, 29; how to muzzle, 185
Burns, 32; blisters after, 25
Calculi, 33; in bladder, 34
Cancer, 36
Carbolic acid poison, 220
Caries, 36
Cataract, 37
Catarrh, nasal, 38, 188
Catheter, how to pass, 38
Cerebral congestion, 40
Cervical vertebræ, fracture of, 130
Chalky Stones, 40
Chest, acute pain in, 11
Chloroform, 5
Choking, 41
Chorea, 42
Chronic gastritis, 137
Claws, dew-, 58, 186
Cocaine, 7
Coins, swallowing of, 43
Cold in the head, 38
Colic, 27, 45
Collapse, 46
Coma, 47
Compound fracture, 128
Conception, false, 116
Condylomata, 326
Congenital deformities, 55
Congestion, cerebral, 40
Conjunctivitis, 48
Consciousness, loss of, 46
Constipation, 48
Consumption, 50
Convulsions, 13; in puppies, 50
Corns, 51
Coughs, 52
Cracked feet, 117
Crack in teats, 288
Cuts, 52
Cutting the teeth, 299
Cystitis, 22
Cysts, 53
Dandruff, 53
Deafness, 54
Debility, 55
Defective lactation, 167
Deformities, Congenital, 55
Delirium, 59
Destroy dogs, how to, 59
Dew-claws, 58, 186
Diabetes Insipidus, 60; mellitis, 61
Diarrhœa, 61; in puppies, 63
Discharge from ear, 64; from vagina, 317
Disinfect kennels, how to, 165
Dislocations, 65
Distemper, 70
Docking, 85
Doses, 86
Dosing, 86
Dropsy, 87
Drowning, 16
Dysentery, 90
Dyspepsia, 91
Dysuria, 92
Ear, cyst in the flap of, 95; growths in, 96; polypus in, 97; scurfiness of, 97
Ear-ache, 92
Ear-canker, 64, 92
Ear-flap, cysts in, 53, 95
Eclampsia, parturient, 206
Ecthyma, 98
Eczema, 99
Elbow, Capped, 101; dislocation of, 66
Emaciation, 101
Emetics, 102
Emissions, 102
Emphysema, 102
Enema, 104
Enlargement of prostate gland, 233; of testicles, 303
Enteritis, 106
Epilepsy, 108
Epistaxis, 109
Erysipelas, 109
Erythema, 110
Eucaine, 9
Excessive lactation, 167
Excitement, sexual, 278
Exertion, result of great exhaustion, 111
Exhaustion, 111
Eye, disease of (glaucoma), 141; dislocation of, 111; formation of an opaque spot in the lens or pupil of, 37; growth on haw of, 113
Eyelashes, ingrowing, 56
Eyelids, inverted, 56; sore, 113
Eyes, blind, 25; diseased, 4; sore and weak, 48; unnaturally small, 56; weak (ophthalmia), 2
Fainting, 114
False conception, 116
Fatness, 199
Favus, 116
Feeding, 342
Feet, corns on, 51; cracked, 117; swelling between toes, 117
Femur, fracture of, 125
Fever, 118; puerperal, 236
Filaria immitis, 330
Fistula of anus, 119
Fits, 50, 108
Flatulence, 120; simple, 120
Foods, invalid, 159
Fracture, compound, 128
Fractures, 121
Gall-stones, 134
Gangrene, 134
Gas in the stomach, 120, 328
Gastric ulcer, 135
Gastritis, acute, 136; chronic, 137; specific, 137
Gland, prostate, enlargement of, 233; inflammation of, 234
Glandular enlargement, 139; lymphadenoma, 140
Glaucoma, 141
Gleet, 19
Goitre, 141
Gout, rheumatic, 269
Green stick fracture, 129
Gripping, 45
Groin, hernia, 146; swelling in, 274
Growths on penis, 208
Gumboil, 143
Gums, bleeding, 143; growth on, 142
Hæmorrhoids, 143
Hair, loss of, 3; superfluous, 286
Hare lip, 57
Harvest bugs, 144
Haw of eye, growth on, 113
Head, water in the, 149
Heart disease, 144; worms in, 330
Heart’s sac, inflammation of, 209
Heat, the, 201
Hemiplegia, 145
Hernia, 146
Hiccough, 148
Hoarseness, 149
Hock, dislocation of, 68; fracture of, 124
Humerus, fracture of, 123-4
Husk, chronic, 31
Hydrocele, 149
Hydrocephalus, 149
Hydrophobia, 150, 265
Hypodermic syringe, how to use, 150
Hysteria, 151
Ichthyosis, 151
Impetigo, 152
Impotence, 152
Incontinence of urine, 154
Indigestion, 155
Inflammation, 157; of a joint, 287; of bowels, 27; of breast, 29, 179; of heart’s sac, 209; of kidneys, 190; of membrane covering bone, 210; of membranes of the brain, 179; of prostate glands, 234; of skin about anus, 234; of testicle, 200, 303; of tongue, 308; of uterus, 315; of womb, 315
Influenza, 158
Inguinal hernia, 146
Injuries to back, 341; to stifle joint, 282; to vagina, 318
Insect bites, 158
Insects in coat, 175; (ticks), 307
Internal inflammation, 157
Intussusception of bowels, 28
Invalid foods, 159
Iodine and its compounds, poison, 223
Irritable bladder, 22
Irritation of skin, 163
Itch, 175
Jaundice, 163
Jaw, fracture of the upper and lower, 132; lock-, 172, 304
Joint, inflammation of, 15, 287
Kennels, how to disinfect, 165
Kidney, inflammation of the, 166, 190; stones in the, 33
Kill, how to, a dog, 59
Knee, dislocation of, 65
Lactation, defective, 167; excessive, 167
Larynx, inflammation of, 168
Lead poison, 169, 230
Leucorrhœa, 170
Lice, 158, 207
Liniment, 170
Lips, cracked, 171; sore, 171
Liver, sluggish, 171
Lock-jaw, 172, 304
Lumbago, 173, 270
Lungs, inflammation of, 173
Lupus, 171
Lymphadenoma, 140
Maggots, 175
Mange, follicular, 176; sarcoptic or common, 175
Marasmus, 178
Mastitis, 179
Maw worm, 335
Medicine, how to give, 86; purgative, 260
Membrane covering bone, inflammation of, 210
Meningitis, 179
Mercury poison, 221
Metacarpal bone, fracture of, 121
Metatarsal bone, fracture of, 121
Metritis, 315
Milk, 181; defective and excessive secretion, 167
Mouth, 143, 171, 288, 310
Mumps, 183
Muscles, wasting, 184
Muzzle, how to, a dog, 185
Nails, cutting, 186; dew-claws, 186; injuries to, 187
Nasal, _see_ Nose
Neck, fractures of bones of, 130; swelling on (goitre), 141
Necrosis, 190
Nephritis, 190
Nettlerash, 191
Neuralgia, 192
Nipples, sore, 193
Nose, bleeding from the, 109, 193; catarrh of the, 38, 188; parasites in, 189; polypus in, 190
Nursing, 194
Obesity, 199
Œrchitis, 200
Œstrum, 201