The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-08-23
ADVICE FOR DOG OWNERS
.KEEP YOUR DOG AT HOME"
BEST WAY TO AVOID RABIES.
The symptoms Of the Disease Easy to
Recoknizc-Efeet OF the Muzzle as .
PrOtection-Queer Things About Rabies
Women I'm Less Danger Than Men.

rOteCttOn-Quee IninBb ADout hhDtes
Women I'm Less Danger Than Men.
The dog doctor was in q bad humor.
II was hot and he had been kept pretty
busy. He growled like one Of his own
unhappy patients.
What gets me- said he, SIS the fact that
people never seem TO learn anything. Every
summer, Just as sure as shooting, about
nine hundred and nineteen dog owners
come scurrying around here with the same
old question:
Now, doctor. I want you to tell me
lust what to do TO keep my dog from going
mad this summerl'
Great Scotti Won't folks ever learn
that there's one thing and only one thing
that makes a dog 60 madf They've got
70 keep that thing from happening and they
know how to do II as we'll as / do.
Dogs don't 60 mad all by their lone
selves. They've got to be bitten by a rabid
dog or other rabid animal first. You
can do whatever you like best to keep
your dog from being bitten. Teach him
to stay at home. That's the best preventive
Of rabies l know.
There are O very few authorities who
allege that rabies sometimes develops
spontaneously, but the overwhelming
weight OF opinion Is that II is always CON-
inundated by an animal which In its turn
got It from some other animal, and 30 on
and on and on.
but 1t must have begun somewhere
protested the visitor.
80 did smallpox. 30 did measles.
So did you and II But / don't know when
or how. That was before my day. Why.
th.y ANY thoro'o an account NJ rabies in n
Hindu book Of 10 600 years ago.
Anyhow. it's practically certain now
that a dog doesn't 60 mad unless he is
bitten by another mad dog. Keep your
dog at home Is the best prescription I can
give against hydrophobia.
Then there's another thing. Why do
YOU suppose people wear out my front
steps with their mad dog calls just as soon
a. summer gets fairly started? You'd
think rabid dogs lever bit unless 1t was
hot weather.
sThe only reason there's more danger
in the summer is that your dog Ii out more
then. Or rather he Is out moro in the
spring. when the cold eases up and his
instinct tempts him to hike out into the
fields II he can get to them, and IL he can't
TO 10 around and make calls on dogs he
hasn't seen for months.
Wandering around this way he runs
across the tramp dog with q developing
case Of rabies and perhaps gets q bite or
scratch which he nurses himself. Per-
haps you don't even notice 1t. II you do
you say: u
s'Hello! Champs been in q SCRAP
sWhen Champ later goes mad o talk
about the heat and vow he's not been bitten
by o mad dog. As II you knewl Why.
In parts Of the country where the winters
are mild and the dogs stick close to home.
almost - many dogs go mad In January
as do Il in July.
Here's q record OF $500 cases In such a
locality reaching for o pamphlet on his
desk. sOf that number 621 were in summer.
sos In autumn, Ss7 in winter and 7O4 in spring.
/ figure that when spring comes dogs feel
like folks do. They want to get out and
lark around a bit. They run across q mad
dog and the mischief Is done.
sRabies has got into every country In the
world vDS so, sso 81 tb p"f PsciSc i isInnds. HSs'r read
that there are no authenticated cases there.
In some sections IL prevails all the time.
virginia and Maryland are perfect hot.
beds Of. the disease. They've got it Of
because that's practically q part Of. those
two States. And 30 long as every darkey
has a half wild dog that prowls for his
food they'll keep on having IT,
more rns ., o Il than SoV Nc have. and 'f tie older aass
sections Of this country haye more Of IL
than the newer sections, II dogs went
mad from the heat you'd find them doing
II in the desert towns Of the Southwest,
in New England In winter than they do in
the hottest parts of the Wost.
there are dueer things about rabies:
things I don't pretend to understand. For
instance. I don't see how . mgzzling order
out this way: Most Of the dogs that
spread the disease are either tramp dogs
or have sneaked away from home after
they ave been bitten and when the disease
way from home for a period OF two or
.This stage is not reached before they
have given unmigtakable signs OF being
sick. and It stands to reason that the
run about at such a time. II the dog gets
out IL 10 without his masters knowledge
and therefore without a muzzle. Conse-
quently the only dangerous dogs will be
' Ana vet listen to this: England had a
good many cases In 1880; there were 3i2
reported: a couple OF years of enforcing. o
muszling order. and the number ellabruptly
In 1897 to only 50 cases. Berlin had an cpl
ucIUlC Oh ThDicS aAll VI oNko " hliiod ~
rabid In one year. They issued q muzzllng
order and the next year ono dog was killed
a. rabid.
Il can't see why It should make such a
difference. and yet there are tho figures.
or course, the disease goes in cycles any |
way. The Department OF Agriculture goC
reports Of the cases In one State between
1891 and 1897. Beginning with 50 In 1892.
they increased TO s72 In 1905. Then they
fell OF to only ~ in 1905.
1T seems to me that any intelligent |
person who pays even ordinary attention
70 the condition Of his dog or other pet
has no excuse for letting an animal reach
the dangerous stage Of h~ydrophobia with
ont being properly. ~ssfeguarded; The
Gymptoms are unmfstakable and there Is
ample time after they first appear to put
the dog where he oan be under observation
without risk TO anybody.
Here Is q pretty good description OF the
symptoms Of a rabid dog: AT first he is dull
&c. morose. but gentle and anectionate.
He Is restless and crawls into dark corners.
He comes and Coca, lies down n gets up.
eceratches with his forepaws. bites at the
air as II he saw things. makes sudden for
ward PUSHES and howls.