There is trouble to which the term canker is applied, and that is with regard to the mouth and teeth. Dogs which are kept indoors and are pampered with dainty food of various kinds and do not get a sufficient amount of exercise are very liable to dyspepsia, which is almost invariably accompanied by an unhealthy state of the teeth and mouth. If these be not attended to, inflammation of the gums is set up, and at the same time the teeth are apt to decay, and altogether a very uncomfortable state of things is produced. Prevention is, of course, better than cure in all cases of this kind, and the way to prevent it is to stop giving dainty tit-bits and to feed the dog on plain, wholesome food, taking care also that the animal has an increased amount of exercise, together with a little corrective medicine, such as a compound rhubarb pill now and again, or an occasional mild dose of Epsom salt.

It is also a good plan to use a mouth wash composed of myrrh and borax, a bottle of which can be obtained from any good pharmaceutical chemist. This needs to be diluted with water, and should be sponged on the inflamed gums. Needless to say, if the teeth show any signs of decay, they should at once be extracted by a competent veterinary surgeon, because if one tooth goes wrong, it is quite likely to start decay in a number of the others. The lotion recommended above ought to be used twice or three times a day, and the alterative medicine should be given every two or three days, according to circumstances.

This is generally the result of dainty feeding and lack of exercise, but in old dogs it may come from failing teeth and want of masticating power. Either or both of these causes lead to disordered stomach and foul breath; a deposit of tartar takes place, the gums and lips becoming red, inflamed, and spongy, and after a time a fetid discharge from the mouth, and often accompanied with bleeding. Old animals are most subject to this trouble, and by examining you will probably find some decayed teeth, the gums being so tender that in attempting to eat, the dog suffers great pain, which he will show by his trying to chew the food for a minute, roll it about in his mouth and then drop it.

To cure the disease, remove the cause. If you have been cramming the dog with delicacies, return to a sensible way of feeding and give proper exercise. Examine his mouth carefully for decayed teeth, and, if found, remove them and the rotten stumps with a pair of suitable forceps. This is not so difficult and you can do it by having some one hold the dog's head firmly, and can be done more easily than may be supposed, a very little practice making any one efficient. While his mouth is in such a tender state he must have food that requires no chewing, as well as to keep correct his disordered stomach. A vegetable diet is now the thing. Give him quite a brisk close of the following pills:

Podophyllin ................................ 6 grains.

Compound extract of colocynth................ 30 grains.

Powdered rhubarb .......................... 48 grains.

Extract of henbane .......................... 36 grains.

Mix, and divide into twenty-four pills. Give for grown dogs from two to four pills, according to size.

After a dose of this, then use the following:

Extract of gentian .......................... 1 dram.

Powdered rhubarb .......................... 3 6 grains.

Carbonate of soda........................... 12 grains.

Gum acacia sufficient to make into twelve 10-grain pills.

Very small toy dogs should have half a pill. Give these twice a day until all the symptoms have disappeared.

A most excellent wash for the mouth in order to remove the unpleasant smell, is a solution 6f chlorinated soda, diluted with twenty-four to thirty times its volume of water. Wash out the mouth freely with this several times a day.

The following will harden the gums and assist in bringing them to a healthy state: Take powdered alum, 1/4 ounce; simple tincture of myrrh, 1 ounce; dissolve the alum in a pint of water and add the tincture of myrrh.

The ulcers that occur upon the gums should be touched with a 10 per cent solution of nitrate of silver.