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A more serious complication of neglected constipation is impaction. In this condition, the retained stool becomes so firmly lodged in the intestines that the animal cannot pass it unless it has considerable assistance. Sometimes the stool become so massive and hard that it feels like a rock in the intestines. The animal loses its appetite, vomits, and strains pitifully in its unsuccessful efforts to pass the stool. Poisons from the stool are absorbed into the body after a few days, and the animal starts to develop signs of selfpoisoning or— as it is technically called—autointoxication. The animal becomes dizzy, drowsy, and depressed, and runs a high temperature. Further neglect may result in paralysis of the hind legs and death. Since in treating impaction the veterinarian often finds that even the most thorough enema cannot dislodge the intestinal mass, he has to resort to digging it out with instruments.
There is no hardandfast rule by which old age can be strictly defined. Some dogs, like some people, grow old at an earlier age than others. The life span of the average dog ranges from about nine to thirteen years, though cases of dogs living from fifteen to twenty years are not uncommon. We would be safe, then, in classifying as aged dogs those from about eight to ten years old, while being aware of individual differences wherein animals might become old below or above this range.
Conjunctivitis may be caused by infection, injury, dust or chemical irritation, or, as indicated above, it may be a secondary symptom of other primary conditions such as rabies, distemper, and many other infectious or parasitic diseases. It also appears commonly as a secondary symptom of various types of stomach upsets, and usually is one of the first indications of any indisposition of the animal. That is why the veterinarian always checks the eyes during a routine examination.
toy dog breeds
After the dog has made its preliminary adaptation to the household—let us say after a week or so—put a collar on it and allow it to remain on for several days until the animal has become thoroughly accustomed to it. A harness is not recommended at this time because training can be accomplished much more readily with a collar. Then attach a short leash to the collar and let the animal drag it around for a couple of days more, reprimanding it whenever it tries to chew the leash. After this time take hold of the leash and encourage the animal to be led through various rooms with you. Make it a point not to drag the animal, since this will frighten it and make further training difficult. With gentleness, and with repeated daily efforts inside the house, the animal soon will permit itself to be led with surprising ease. If the animal should sit down and refuse to be led, tell it “No! No!” before picking it up on its legs and starting over again. When the animal can be led quite easily, take it outside to a quiet street and repeat the procedure there. With a little patience on the part of the owner, the animal will be seen to make a rapid adaptation and will behave quite well on theleash. And this is so especially when the animal starts to associate pleasantness with the outside. When the pet sees you pick up the leash to take it outside, its tail will very likely wag in pleasant anticipation.When the animal is thoroughly trained to a leash and collar, a harness may be used. But at best a harness serves merely a decorative purpose. It is quite useless in the matter of training.
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Dislocation of the eyeball is always due to injury. Much less force is required to dislodge the eyeballs of Bostons or Pekingese than of the other breeds. In any case, the diagnosis of the condition is obvious, for the eyeball will be seen quite plainly to be dislodged from its socket to a variable degree. If the veterinarian is not immediately available, the eye should be washed continuously with a warm solution of boric acid made as described above. This is done in order to retard excessive dehydration of the eye tissues.
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If there is a delay of even a moment, the animal simply will not associate the praise or punishment with its natural functions, and will be at a complete loss to understand the favorable or unfavorable outbursts on the part of the owner. In any case, the owner must be rigidly consistent in his rewards and punishments in the housebreaking routine. For the speed with which housebreaking will be accomplished depends on the owner’s diligence in maintaining that consistency. It must further be borne in mind that a dog does not have a human mentality; so a reasonable amount of patience in training will be required.
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