This should never exist in any dog and need not providing it has been fed properly and sufficiently exercised. It is a hard thing to do to reduce a dog, especially an old one, after it has been allowed to get into this condition. However, some clogs are predisposed to obesity, and to put on fat even when on a meagre diet; such being the case with a great many pugs and different species of spaniels. A certain amount of fat is not only a sign of health, but also desirable, as it is the store of fuel that nature lays up to meet future exigencies; but an excess of fat constitutes a morbid and diseased state of the body.

A .common effect of excessive fat is to set up skin disease, with discharge therefrom, which is Nature's means of ridding the system of the superfluous matter. Or the fat accumulates round vital organs, interfering with the animal's respiration, making the breathing labored, wheezy, and asthamatical, painful to the sufferer, which blows and pants on the slightest extra exertion, and most distressing to the owner. In bitches not allowed to breed, fat accumulates round the kidneys and ovaries; the heart also becomes surrounded with fat, and what is called fatty infiltration -or fatty degeneration ensues, which may cause sudden death.

Causes

It is caused by confinement, lack of exercise and an over abundance of food of too rich a quality of fat-producing material. Castrating of dogs and spaying of bitches - and I don't believe it right to do either - will cause accumulations of adipose matter, as it takes from the dog one of the organs of secretion, and all dogs that refuse sexual connection will become obese. All dogs should be allowed Nature's privilege at least a few times during their lives.

Treatment

Give a brisk purgative two or three times a week and give two to three grains of the iodide of potash in water twice a day after feeding. Gradually decrease the allowance of food and feed only stale bread, dog biscuit or crackers, dry if they will eat them, if not moisten with a very little milk or thin soup; do not feed grease, fat, potatoes or sweets of any kind. As the food is decreased slowly increase the amount of exercise, and as the animal gradually comes into form omit the purgatives and feed raw lean beef, chopped fine - gradually increasing the amount.