As I have already stated, dogs that receive proper care, and are kept in vigorous health, will nearly always succeed in throwing off many of the ordinary ills to which they are subject; and even when disease does gain a foothold, their powers of resistance to its influence are such that recovery is much more rapid than it would be were the system enfeebled from lack of proper food and care, or weakened by disease. This fact is self-evident, and I need not dwell upon it; but at the risk of being thought guilty of needless repetition, I must dwell upon the paramount importance of always keeping your dog up to the mark in health and vigor by careful attention to the many little things, trivial perhaps, but of real importance to the welfare of your pet when he is called upon, by accident or disease, to battle for life and health. How often do we see valuable animals droop and die from no apparent cause that is at all sufficient to produce the result, or perhaps linger along in wretched feebleness, in spite of all that can be done for them, simply for the reason that they lack the necessary vitality to enable them to withstand the effects of some disease, perhaps trivial in itself, or which would have been so had the victim possessed health and strength. Yet how seldom is given the true reason for the unfortunate state of affairs. Constitutional weakness, a severe cold, or other equally absurd suppositions, will be blamed, but never a hint that the poor dog was sacrificed by his owner's ignorance, carelessness or indifference.

It is true that there are cases of constitutional weakness, and it is also true that occasionally a severe cold or other malady will prove to be disastrous, perhaps from causes beyond our control or that we do not understand; but in a very large majority of cases of this nature the primary causes are lack of health and vitality, the results of want of proper food and care.

Many who own dogs are not aware of the amount of thought that they should give to proper food and care if they would have healthy animals. Ignorance, carelessness or, worse than these, indifference to the needs of the animal under their care, especially if he is deprived of his liberty, sooner or later will surely result in disaster.

Dogs that are entirely unconfined will generally take pretty good care of themselves. Neglect to properly feed and care for them may not be productive of serious results unless the food supply is too precarious.

Among the ladies are many who literally kill their pets with kindness. An unlimited supply of food, often consisting largely of substances not easily digested, lack of pure air and exercise, confinement in close, hot rooms, with no opportunity to observe the calls of nature at the proper times, long periods of undisturbed repose, and often irritation of the nervous system by teasing, constitute a course of ill treatment that, to say the least, is not conducive to the health and welfare of your pet. I know that it is almost impossible to deny the cunning little beggars just a little piece of any tidbit that may be going, nor is it always convenient to devote the time necessary to give them a run in the open air; yet if you wish to keep your pet up to the mark in health and spirits, it is all-important that these matters should be scrupulously attended to. An occasional trifle of sweets will, in most cases, do no harm, but too much will derange the digestive organs, and serious complications may result.

Regular meals twice a day are sufficient, taking care that these meals consist for the most part of simple food, such as meats, bits of bread, vegetables and milk, with very little cake or sweetmeats. This course, if adopted at the beginning, will be cheerfully accepted, and if nothing is given except at the regular time you will have no trouble. If, however, your pet has been brought up wrong, and is accustomed to having food and dainties at all times, he will undoubtedly resent any innovation upon the usual order of things, and cause you considerable trouble and anxiety before he submits. You must not give in to him, however, but firmly insist upon conferring on him the wholesome appetite, in spite of his repugnance; and should he refuse to eat when the food is offered, do not fear, even if he persists in fasting, as there is no record of any dog having starved himself to death under such conditions.

I once had a pet pug placed under my care that was suffering from a multitude of ills, chief of which were obesity and eczema. He had for a long time been the pampered pet of an indulgent mistress, who fed him sweetmeats and dainties at all times of the day and night, until he had become so fat that he could scarcely waddle, and so disgusting from the diseased condition of his skin that even the great love of his mistress could not tolerate his presence. With tearful eyes and many injunctions to give the dear creature plenty of cake and sweetmeats, she at length placed him in my hands and bade him a tender adieu. As it was in summer time, I placed him in a cool box stall, with a clean dirt floor, a bit of carpet for him to lie on, and a dish of water to drink.

At supper time I poured down his throat a good dose of epsom salts and set before him a dish of bread and milk; but with a look of supreme disgust he turned away, and I removed it. This treatment was followed up twice a day, and it was not until the fourth day that he would look at the food, and even then he only lapped a few drops of milk. The next morning, in a very dainty manner, he ate about half a cup of milk, but refused the bread, and a full week passed before he would touch it; but, as I had greatly reduced the quantity of milk, he finally took a bit of it in his mouth and, with a very sheepish look at me, finished his allowance. After this there was no trouble on this score and he always cleaned up his rather scant rations.

By pursuing this course, together with the free use of the balsam of Peru and lard ointment, I succeeded in making a new dog of him, and at the expiration of six weeks, when his mistress returned from the mountains, I had the pleasure of presenting to her a sound and healthy animal, in place of the loathsome object she had left in my care.

Pet dogs, when properly cared for, are much longer lived, more companionable, cause less anxiety and trouble, and are very much more cheerful and comfortable than when they are overfed or too closely confined, and allowed to become fat and diseased. Or, if their digestive organs are weakened or destroyed by injudicious food, a train of diseases is likely to be brought on that renders them, and all who come in contact with them, miserable and disgusted.

It is believed by many that both sugar and salt are injurious to dogs, but this is a mistaken idea, as neither substance is deleterious when properly used. I do not recommend sugar as a regular article of food, nor that it be at all freely used, but an occasional bit of sweet will no more harm a healthy animal than it will yourself.

Salt I believe to be necessary to all animals, especially the dog. I once thought otherwise, but exhaustive experiment convinced me that it is as necessary to the dog as to man, and I would as soon think of eating my vegetables without this condiment as I would of giving them in this condition to my dog. House pets, that are fed upon the scraps from the table, usually obtain salt sufficient for their needs, but it is well to see that they have a proper quantity by seasoning their food with it as you would for yourself.