The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-06
A DOG sCAREs.
Advice 70 Summer DOG owners.

To THE EDITOR or The SUN-Sr: With the
approach Of summer comes the usual mad
dog scare. These scares in a great majority
OF cases are the result Of Ignorance and pre-
JUDGE. For eight or nine years | made II a
practice to personally investigate mad dog"
scares. I found that In ninety-nine cases ont
of every hundred that the scare was ground
less, that the dog was not mad. and that all the
fantastic and terrible incidents were filled in by
the imaginative reporter
I have been a close student of dog life from
my boyhood I have bred. trained and treated
dogs Of most breeds. and although ! have visited
the kennels, refugees and dog pounds OF various
countries and seen many thousands OF stray
''vagabond dogs. | have yet to see a genuine
case of rabies. This. | may say, Is a common
experience with veterinary surgeons. Hundreds
OF them, after years Of active practice, declare
that although they may have been called upon
to treat dogs for all kinds of ailments, they
have not seen a case Of true rabies, Take
tine th iest,mo ON d Ga p diseases s1oSh"lHI lie sa rfse' "Tres
rabies presents multiple and varied rha-
nomena without n single constant feature,
hence its presence is with difficulty deiermined
symptoms and its manifestations that II is.a
greatly mooted point whether 1t exists a nalady
sui oensr,s at all pistemper, soo'nscne; ear.
diseases to which dogs are subject are con-
stantly mistaken for II. Personally, he adds,
after more than thirty years, sxIerienSe as q
parative medicine. have yet 10 meet with a
genuine case q rabies in, the dog, and OF SONS
scores Of so-cal!ed rabid dogs submitted to me
for my INSPECTION | have. found them one and
all to be suffering from other and comparatively
innocent diseases,
This, rs ! said before. Is not by any means an
uncommon experience among veterinary sur
In the spring Of 1897 n mad dog" scare was
raised in London England by n certain class
of people who had a great commercial interest
in raising mad dog scarcs. Nluzzie mann
facturers,: they. as usual, received every assist.
ance from a credulous public and a sensational
press, The Board OF Agriculture finally took
the matter up and issued an order 10 the eject
| that all dogs appearing on the public highway
should be tightly muzzled with a wire cage
| muZlle in yented by the aforesaid manufacture
ers. During the first three months OF the
scare over sixteen thousand dogs were seized In
the streets ~ "varabond straw, and not a
single case of rabies was discovered among
them.
ii should be borne in mind that dogs, like
men, are subject to certain diseases They
| have their diseases Of puppyhooi and old age,
they have their stomachic and nervous troubles
| lust As we have, and require intelligent treat
ment ard kind attention to pull them through
a more intelligent interest in their pets we
| should hear less of mad dog" scares. Dogs 10
be kept healthy should be fed twice a day reglu-
l u i Nv ~ f'ih WV UNIV WV
| best food for dogs OF all sizes. The dog gets a
| change which is beneficial Never tr" to maks
an old dos eat dog biscuits, if he can eat them
he will do so without much urging.
] have had dogs that would have starved
rather than eat them, He should have a meal
| Of meat twice n week. and cooked liver once;
this will keep his bowels in good condition.
| Always see that your dog is well supplied with
| plenty Of good clean water: dogs will not drink
from n dirty bow. nor will they drink foul
water unless they are forced TO it from extreme
| thirst.
Always look 10 the teeth Of your puppy, this
| Is n matter Of the greatest Importance. as they
have their teething fits and similar such
| troubles like other infants. feel their gums 90
| casionally, and If YOU find n loose tooth draw II;
the roots are perfectly straight and il can be
drawn by the fingers.
A puppy should always be treated for worms
at the age Of two months; he Is almost sure 10
| have theml
Treat your. dog intellicentlv and humanely,
! and YOU will have q friend and companion who
will stand by YOU and with YOU under all cir
| cumstances. ARTHUR WESTCoTT.
$50 FOURTH AVENUE, New York. June 5.