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Professional attention should be given even to very mild eye irritations that do not readily respond to simple treatment with washings of boricacid solution or applications of boricacid eye ointment. Eye conditions are so complex that even the veterinarian occasionally has to solicit the assistance of a human eye specialist in order to arrive at a correct diagnosis and to determine a proper course of treatment. It is apparent, therefore, that a detailed discussion of eye diseases would be useless for the nonprofessional person. It would be well, however, to describe briefly a couple of the simpler eye ailments in order to give the reader at least a casual idea of what he may encounter.
Persistent twitching is most commonly due to a disease called chorea. A nervous involvement characterized by intermittent twitching of certain muscles or a group of muscles, chorea is quite common. The ailment may persist for months or years and, though it may occasionally contribute to discomfort, the normal functions of the animal remain apparently unaffected, and its longevity seems unimpaired.
Longhaired, large, floppy ears serve to trap the infection and therefore are favorable to the development of the condition. As the disease progresses pus may accumulate, portions of the ear membrane may erode, and the resultant matter may give off a sour, nauseating odor. If the disease is allowed to progress still further, constant digging at the ears and shaking of the head may lead to loss of sleep and to exhaustion, depression, loss of appetite, and ultimately even to the death of the animal, though it would have to be a peculiarly negligent owner who would permit the progress of this disease to a fatal termination.
dog breeding
Canine distemper is so well-spread and the symptoms so varying that if your pet displays any signs such as those mentioned above, a visit to a veterinarian for a diagnosis should be made promptly.
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The one basic fact in dog training is that the animal must always be rewarded if it performs correctly and punished if it performs incorrectly. This reward or punishment must be given immediately upon performance, so that the dog can directly associate them with the specific action. If too much time elapses between the action and the expression of reward or punishment, the animal will not associate them with the action. Reward is most often expressed by a kind word, a gentle pat on the head, or the feeding of a tidbit. Punishment is most often expressed by a harsh word, a sharp tug at the leash, or by grasping the animal by the scruff of the neck and letting it know in no uncertain terms that you disapprove. Disapproval also may be expressed by slapping the haunches of the animal with a folded newspaper. However, this procedure often seems to cow the animal and tend to break its spirit, and for this reason it is not generally recommended.
dog breeding
The female in heat will most likely accept the male dog during the second week of the heat period. Matings toward the latter part of this week are most likely to result in pregnancy. This means that the best mating time is from about the tenth to the fifteenth day of the heat period.
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