Part 9

_Treatment_: A simple and often an effectual remedy is placing a bandage rather tightly round the nose for an hour or more, so that the dog is unable to open his mouth. If this fails, the exact spot, or spots, as there are sometimes several, must be found, and a solution of adrenalin applied. Failing this, the tincture of perchloride of iron may be used.

=Hæmorrhoids: Piles=:

_Symptoms_: Dogs do not suffer from real piles, particularly internal ones, but old dogs get a tumefied condition of the anus occasionally, and the parts become swollen, red, and tender.

_Treatment_: Relief may be given by bathing with a solution of carbolic acid, one in sixty of water, or a lotion made with a teaspoonful of powdered alum dissolved in half a pint of tepid water, but used cold. When the skin is broken apply the following ointment:—

_Recipe_:

Hydrochlorate of Cocaine, 4 grains. Goulard’s Extract of Lead 10 minims. Lanoline, 2 drachms. Water, 2 drachms.

Mix.

Aperient medicine should be given.

=Hare Lip=:

_See_ CONGENITAL DEFORMITIES.

=Harvest Bugs=:

_Symptoms_: A collection of very small red insects looking almost like red sand on different parts of the body and limbs, causing irritation and scratching.

_Treatment_: Washing the parts daily for a few days with kerosene one part, and butter milk six parts, mixed together; or Pearson’s disinfectant fluid diluted eighty times with water will destroy them.

=Heart Disease=:

_Symptoms_: Heart affections are not particularly common in the dog, except perhaps in Japanese spaniels, and I should think at least a third of these dogs, by the time they are five years old, suffer from some form of heart trouble, principally valvular or dilated heart, which gives rise to difficulty in breathing, especially after exertion, a dry cough, occasionally fainting and loss of condition. Later, as the disease progresses, other complications arise, as enlargement of the liver and dropsy (ascites).

_Treatment_: Keep dog as quiet as possible; do not allow any hard exercise or running upstairs. Feed on a meat diet, and occasionally give a course of following mixture:—

_Recipe_:

Tincture Digitalis, 2 drachms. Tincture Nux Vomica, 1 drachm. Simple Syrup, 1 ounce. Water to 6 ounces.

_Doses_: From one teaspoonful to a tablespoonful[1] three times a day, after food.

It is important to keep bowels open by occasionally giving aperient medicine. If cough very troublesome, give two or three times a day, made into a pill, from ⅟₅₀th[1] to ⅟₂₀th of a grain of hydrate of heroin, with from half[1] to two grains of hydrate of terpin.

=Heat, The=:

_See_ ŒSTRUM.

=Hemiplegia=:

_Symptoms_: Paralysis of one side of body, including limbs.

_Treatment_: Unless attack is due to a known cause, as an accident or the result of distemper, commence treatment with a dose of worm medicine, followed by a brisk purge. If no better in a few days, give a course of the following pills:—

_Recipe_:

Ergotine, 6 to 24 grains.[1] Powdered Nux Vomica, 1 to 4 ” Ex. cip. _q.s._

Mix.

Divide into 12 pills—one to be given three times a day after food.

When the paralysis is the result of distemper, the same pills may be given, with from one[1] to three grains of reduced iron each time.

When the patient is a _small_ dog, the homœopathic preparation of Nux vomica is the best medicine; of this, give five grains of the trituration 3 × three times a day.

Cases of hemiplegia are sometimes very slow in mending, and it is a long time before the dog regains the proper use of his legs again; in such instances, electricity should be employed, and a blister to each side of the neck along the course of the spine applied. They should run from just behind the back of the ears to just in front of the shoulder-joint, and be from one to two inches wide, according to the size of the dog. The blisters may be repeated in about a fortnight if necessary.

=Hernia=:

_Symptoms_: It is a rupture, or protrusion of an organ from its natural position. The most common positions for rupture are the navel; here it is called Umbilical Hernia, the Groin or Inguinal Hernia, and Perineal Hernia, which shows itself by the side, or sometimes both sides, of the anus.

_Treatment_: The only treatment to effect a radical cure is an operation, but in the case of umbilical hernia, so long as it remains soft and small, say not larger than a hazel nut or walnut, according to the size of the patient, it may be left alone, as it does not cause any inconvenience even to a bitch required for breeding purposes. Inguinal hernia, which is only seen in bitches, and nearly always on the left side, does not cause any inconvenience so long as it remains small; but this form of hernia has a tendency to increase in size, and when such is the case, more especially if it is intended to breed from the bitch, it is advisable to submit to an operation, and, provided it is performed under aseptic conditions, is unattended with danger.

In cases of old bitches suffering from this form of hernia, when from some reason an operation is objected to, care must be taken to avoid constipation. When this is done, seldom any harm occurs unless the hernia is very large, and becomes hard and painful, caused by some obstruction of the bowel in the hernical sac. If this happens, attention is required, and means taken to reduce the hardness and swelling. This is best done by placing the bitch, if a small one, upon a person’s knees. She should be put on her back, with the head downwards, and then the swelling should be carefully manipulated and massaged until it becomes soft and can be returned into the body. In obstinate cases laudanum, from three[1] to twenty drops in water, may be given every three or four hours; and after the hernia has been reduced, a dose of aperient medicine is to be given.

The treatment of perineal hernia is always unsatisfactory. An operation is not practical, and the only thing to do is to prevent constipation, and then the dog may live for years without much discomfort. Should the hernia become hard and distended, enemas of warm salad oil are to be administered, the swelling softened by careful kneading, and the contents of the rectum evacuated by means of a greased finger or handle of a small spoon. A course of the following pills is useful in these latter cases:—

_Recipe_:

Extract of Belladonna, 2 to 6 grains.[1] Powdered Nux Vomica, 1 to 4 ” Powdered Rhubarb, 3 to 12 ” Reduced Iron, 12 to 30 ”

Mix.

Divide into 12 pills—one twice a day after food.

=Hiccough=:

_Symptoms_: A sudden, jerky expiration of breath. Common in puppies. Result of indigestion caused by worms. It is not a serious complaint.

_Treatment_: If a puppy, treat for worms. To relieve the spasmodic breathing, give from three[1] to twenty grains of bicarbonate of soda in milk; repeat in half an hour. If this fails, give from three to twenty drops of turpentine in a little milk.

=Hoarseness=:

_Symptoms_: The bark is husky and hollow. May be the result of cold, also from persistent barking, as when a dog is shut up in a strange place.

_Treatment_: If from cold, give frequently one[1] or more teaspoonfuls of glycerine and water; if from over-barking, pacify the dog by removing the cause.

=Hydrocele=:

_Symptoms_: A swelling of the scrotum, which may be either hard or soft.

_Treatment_: Apply following lotion often:—

_Recipe_:

Goulard’s Extract of Lead, 1 drachm. Tincture of Opium, 2 drachms. Distilled Water to 6 ounces.

Mix.

In some cases the application of tincture of iodine is necessary, or even the tapping of the swelling.

=Hydrocephalus: Water in the Head=:

_Symptoms_: May be seen in young unweaned puppies; in some cases it occurs later. The head, especially the top of the skull, is large and rounded, and the puppy waggles it from side to side as if it was too heavy to hold up. The gait is unsteady, and the puppy frequently walks in circles generally in one direction, is constantly whining and crying, does not thrive, and later generally has convulsions and dies.

_Treatment_: There is really nothing to be done in these cases, and the kindest thing to do is to put the puppy out of its misery.

=Hydrophobia=:

_See_ RABIES.

Though practically the same disease as rabies or canine madness, hydrophobia is a misnomer when this disease affects the dog, as he is not afraid of water; in fact, he will try to drink, but is unable to swallow little or none of the fluid in consequence of the condition of the throat.

=Hypodermic Syringe: How to Use=:

The proper quantity of medicine or stimulant, or whatever is going to be given, having been drawn up into the syringe, and the needle adjusted, a small fold of skin should be pinched up between the forefinger and thumb of the left hand, and the needle for about half an inch should be quickly thrust into the skin at one end of the fold, and then by pressure on the piston the contents of the syringe should be evacuated. If the operation is done quickly, the dog knows nothing about it.

It does not in the least matter where the injection is made, so long as the place selected is where the skin is loose, as over the ribs.

It is most important that the syringe and needles be kept very clean; and each time after being used it should be washed out with a five per cent. solution of carbolic acid or spirit. A wire (slightly vaselined), several of which are supplied with the syringe, should always be kept in the needle.

=Hysteria=:

Young puppies, especially at the time when they are changing their teeth, have sometimes a form of hysteria brought about by excitement, especially in hot weather.

_Symptoms_: The puppy rushes about here and there, not knowing where it is going or what it is doing, biting and snapping at everything within reach, and screaming and howling as if it was being unmercifully beaten. Saliva pours from the mouth, and many a one has been destroyed during such an attack, it being supposed to have gone mad.

_Treatment_: Place the puppy in a basket, and put in a quiet, dark place. It cannot be made to swallow anything during the attack, but medicine in the form of an enema may be given, as from ten[1] to thirty drops each of laudanum and sulphuric ether in from one[1] to four tablespoonfuls of tepid water.

A course of bromide must be given afterwards for some time to prevent a recurrence of the attack. Dose from three[1] to ten grains with milk, or in a little water, three times a day. Keep on a light diet and give no meat.

=Ichthyosis=:

_Symptoms_: Hard, dry, thick skin which wrinkles, and the formation of large scales or scurf.

_Treatment_: Dress places daily with following:

_Recipe_:

Oil Cade, 2 ounces. Green Soft Soap, 2 ” Methylated Spirits, 2 ”

Well mixed together.

Give a course of arsenic, from one[1] to five drops of Fowler’s solution, twice a day, in a little water after food. After a week, gradually increase the dose from two[1] to ten drops.

Once a week give a warm bath, adding one tablespoonful of borax to every gallon of tepid water, and use 3% mercurial soap (Cook’s).

=Impetigo=:

_Symptoms_: Skin is red, small pimples containing matter form, which break, discharging a sticky, creamy coloured pus which dries and forms a thick crust. The disease is supposed to be contagious, but I do not consider it so.

_Treatment_: Wash dog with Cook’s 3% mercurial soap, dress sores daily with compound Naphthol Beta ointment. Treat dog for worms, and give a course of arsenic as recommended for Ichthyosis.

=Impotence=:

Or the inability of an animal to propagate its species. In the dog it may be due to many causes. Of course dogs castrated are impotent, so they are when the testicles do not descend into the scrotum, though able to perform the act of coition satisfactorily. Deformities of the penis, fracture of the bone of the penis, stricture of the orifice of the prepuce, so that the penis cannot protrude, this can be remedied by a simple operation of dilating the orifice. In some cases the seminal fluid is at fault. These cases can seldom be remedied, though I have found a raw meat diet beneficial in some instances.

In cases of fracture of the penial bone, this, as a rule, in the course of a month mends satisfactorily without treatment, but the dog should not be used for stud purposes for a couple of months. Many dogs, especially young, and also those too much used at stud, suffer from temporary impotence due to lack of sexual desire. In the case of a young dog, a dose of cantharides, three to twenty minims[1] in water, two hours before trying to use him, often has the desired effect; if not, the medicine may be repeated in six hours. The same medicine may be given to shy bitches.

Sterility or impotence often occurs in bitches. Some cases are curable, but there are many which cannot be cured, for the simple reason that one cannot find out the cause, and all one can say is, the bitch is barren. The curable cases are those that are due to stricture of the vagina, a not uncommon occurrence, then tumours, as polypi or other growths in the vagina; a description of the treatment of these diseases will be found in another part of the book. In some cases a bitch may miss breeding through the discharge in the vagina being of a too acid nature. This can be remedied by syringing the passage well out with a warm solution of bicarbonate of soda, about one hour before service. The injection should be made by dissolving one teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda in half a pint of water.

Then there are congenital deformities of the pelvis and vagina, occasionally met with in the bitch, which prevent successful coition, and the parts may become deformed as the result of accident, as being run over across the lower part of the back.

Again, an attack of metritis or inflammation of the womb, the result of a chill during the period of heat or from other causes, generally causes the bitch to be barren afterwards, and certain diseases of the ovaries also cause sterility.

A bitch who is very fat or in any way out of condition, the result of illness, or from insufficient and proper exercise, or too hard exercise, will seldom breed. The proper treatment of these cases is indicated by the cause.

=Incontinence of Urine=:

_Symptoms_: The involuntary passing of water. In puppies it is generally the result of nervousness, and passes off in time. The condition is generally present in most cases of paralysis, the bladder, after being over-distended, simply overflows as it were. It is also a symptom of stone in the bladder, especially in the bitch.

_Treatment_: If in cases of general paralysis the bladder is kept empty either by pressure to both sides of the abdomen, just over the seat of the bladder, or by the passing of a catheter, the condition of incontinence is prevented. The former method is the best, as the frequent passing of the catheter sets up great irritation in the dog, and often does harm. The bladder should be relieved at least three times a day. When the result of general paralysis of the hind parts, improvement is not to be expected until strength returns in the legs; but when the incontinence is caused by simply over-distention, as, for instance, through keeping a dog very clean in its habits shut up a long time, then after emptying the bladder a course of Nux vomica is often necessary to assist the bladder to regain tone. Give from one[1] to five drops of the tincture in water three times a day after food; also a free dose of purgative medicine, oil being the best, and keep on a light diet, avoiding meat and soups for a few days.

=Indigestion=:

_Symptoms_: In the acute form the dog vomits after everything eaten, also after drinking water, and there is always great thirst in these cases. The patient shows signs of discomfort after food, and occasionally suffers from diarrhœa. The tongue loses its natural pink colour, and becomes dry and of a rusty red. The breath is foul, and teeth become coated with fur. The dog quickly loses condition.

In chronic indigestion the symptoms are similar, but not so marked.

_Treatment_: Should commence with a dose of castor oil, even though the patient may be vomiting and suffering from diarrhœa. A few hours afterwards commence the following mixture:—

_Recipe_:

Acid Hydrocyanic Dil., 24 minims. Liq. Bismuth, 2 drachms. Aqua ad., 3 ounces.

From half to two teaspoonfuls[1] every four hours.

When the acute symptoms have passed, give the following powders:—

_Recipe_:

Ingluvin, ½ to 2 scruples.[1] Carbonate Bismuth, ½ to 2 drachms. Powdered Nux Vomica, 1 to 3 grains.

Mix.

Divide into 12 powders, and put in cachets—one to be given three times a day after food.

_Diet_: First simply give milk and Vichy water in equal parts to drink, a small quantity at a time; also occasionally a little Brand’s beef essence. If sickness is very persistent, give stomach twelve hours’ absolute rest, during which time give every four hours a peptonised beef suppository, then try the former diet again. When solid food is again given, it should at first consist of scraped lean raw meat, beef, mutton, or veal; for a change, boiled tripe. Thin barley water is better than plain water to drink.

=Inflammation=:

_Symptoms_: Redness, swelling, and tenderness of the part affected; rise of temperature; thirst; an abscess may form.

_Treatment: External Inflammation_: Apply following lotion with lint and bandage, or dabbed on part often:—

_Recipe_:

Goulard’s Extract of Lead, 1 drachm. Laudanum, 1 ” Water to 6 ounces.

Mix.

If the temperature keeps up, say, to 3 or more degs. above normal, it is pretty certain an abscess is forming, in which case hot linseed-meal poultices should be applied. To keep the heat in the poultice, cover the outside of it with a layer of oil silk.

_Internal Inflammation_: Keep patient quiet; give aperient medicine, as from two to ten grains[1] of jalapin. If chest affected, put on flannel coat lined with thermogen wool. When inflammation situated in abdomen, apply heat to part, as hot flannels, hot-water bottles, or linseed-meal poultices. When temperature very high, doses of aspirin, from two to ten grains,[1] maybe given three or four times a day; and if there is much pain, from two to fifteen[1] drops of laudanum may be given in water the same time.

_Diet_: Light, as milk, with Benger’s food, stale bread or toast.

=Influenza=:

_Symptoms_: Dulness, loss of appetite, rise of temperature, pains in the loins, quick pulse. There is generally a cough, and bronchitis or pneumonia may develop. In some cases there is severe diarrhœa, and there may be some discharge from nose.

_Treatment_: Place patient in a dry and comfortable room or kennel, the temperature of which should be kept from 55 to 65 degs. F., according to whether the dog has been accustomed to live in a house or kennel. If there is constipation, give a small dose of castor oil; and if the temperature is high, give from two[1] to ten grains of salicine three or four times a day. When fever has passed, give salicylate of quinine, from a quarter[1] to a grain, made into a pill, three times a day.

_Diet_: Light, whilst there is any fever; but when this has passed, strengthening food is required, as under-done or raw meat with rice or bread, also tripe and fish; and if appetite bad, offer some stewed rabbit with rice or bread.

=Inguinal Hernia=:

_See_ HERNIA.

=Insect Bites=:

_Symptoms_: The parts may become much swollen and red, accompanied by a good deal of irritation.

_Treatment_: Dab parts with ammoniated quinine; failing this, eau de Cologne or methylated spirits. When place very tender, the lead and laudanum lotion as recommended for external inflammation may be used.

=Invalid Foods=:

When nursing sick dogs the diet is important, as it is so much better to get the dog to eat something for himself, rather than always pouring food down its throat. Taking food voluntarily not only does the dog more good, but it is less worrying to the patient, for when one has to feed with the spoon or bottle it is necessary to give nourishment very frequently, whereas when it is taken voluntarily, more, as a rule, is taken at a time, and therefore it is not necessary to offer food so often. A good meat tea is made with equal parts of veal, beef, and mutton—say half a pound of each cut up very small, then slowly stewed for three hours in a pint of water. This should be strained and given either cold or warm, whichever the dog likes best.

A jelly made from rabbit is also very nourishing, and dogs, as a rule, are very fond of it, and they will often take it when they refuse everything else. It should be made as follows:

The whole rabbit should be cut up in small pieces, including the liver; the leg bones should be cracked, the heads split open, and the whole stewed in a pint of water for some hours; then strained off, and if there is more than half a pint reduce it to that quantity, and set aside to cool. This may be given either cold or hot; a small quantity at a time, as it is, if made as directed, very strong.

Fish boiled in water, or boiled in milk; and a capital fish soup is made by stewing white fish, such as whiting, in milk for some time, and then straining off and giving the soup to drink. Also boiled fish stewed with rice makes a good food, and the different kinds of fish alone boiled. A food of this kind may be given to a dog even when he has a fever, especially if he will take it himself.

Sheep’s brains boiled in milk make an excellent and tempting food.

Calves’ sweet-breads also boiled, or even grilled, dogs are very fond of.

Chickens’ livers grilled make an appetising dish for a dog; and when a dog is convalescent, and the temperature is normal, he may be even tempted to eat by offering grilled meat.

Milk of course is one of the best and most nourishing diets, and when the dog is very weak the white of one egg to every cup of milk is very strengthening food. For a change, milk, with plasmon added, should be given, but too much of this latter food must not be given to dogs with a high temperature.

Sanatogen is a most excellent, strengthening, and easily-digested food. Dogs will often retain this when they are unable to take any other food.

Benger’s food with milk is also an easily-digested food, as it is partially predigested. Cases often arise when a dog cannot possibly retain anything in the stomach, then it is necessary to give nourishment by the rectum, and it is astonishing what a long while a dog can be kept alive and fairly strong in this way.

The best kinds of food for giving by rectum are peptonised milk, or peptonised beef-tea, and peptonised beef suppositories. Burroughs Wellcome’s are good nutritive suppositories. As to the quantity of milk to be given per rectum, from one[1] to eight tablespoonfuls, just warmed, every three or four hours alternatively with one of Burroughs Wellcome’s meat suppositories.

In giving a nutritive enema, care must be taken to pass it very slowly into the bowel so as not to excite action, or the enema will be immediately rejected, and afterwards just raise the hind-quarters a little bit so that the fluid runs well into the body, and hold the tail down for a few minutes so that it cannot escape.