Symptoms of Stomach Worms in young puppies are plain to be seen; they pass them, also vomit them up; they cause Diarrhea, and you will find mucus, or slime, and sometimes blood in the passage. You will also notice a distension and hardness of the stomach very much disproportionate to amount of food they have eaten and you may notice the puppy dragging itself on its stern or biting at its tail. In older dogs most of these same symptoms appear, as well as others here enumerated; a foul breath, nose is hot and dry, hacking cough, fits, vomiting of their food mixed with mucus, rough and staring coat, indigeston, disturbed sleep, colic, pains' and emaciation.

The question is often asked at what period after service should a bitch be treated for worms, or rather how soon before whelping? A fortnight or three weeks is about the limit after service, but they have been treated without bad result within three weeks of whelping.

If you have your puppies confined in a yard it is very easy to watch their passages, and this is one of the surest ways of all; then, as soon as you see mucus or worms passed you know they have them, and can go to work at once to treat them. Now, as to stomach or round worms - if they appear before pups are weaned in such quantities that you deem it advisable or safest to treat, as it most generally is, select the vermifuge you wish to use and then be guided as to size of dose and age of puppy.

Now, here, on this most important subject of Worms, I want to say all the good I can for the sake of saving the puppies. You will find advertised in this book worm remedies made by Glover, Clayton, Polk Miller, and the Vermilax Company and the C. S. R. Remedy Co. Look them up in the very interesting and valuable lot of advertisements you will find in this book (as beneficial and important, even if they are "advertisements," and paid for to insert), as in using these already prepared vermifuges you cannot go amiss if their directions, and what I say as to administering them, is followed. I have used every one of them, and it is far better to use some one of these well known worm .remedies that are made for dogs by reliable and experienced parties in treating dogs, than to take chances or go to the trouble of having other prescriptions filled. I am not getting paid extra to recommend anyone's vermifuge, for I would not do so unless I thought and believed the article would save puppies - my main object in this book being to do good to dogs. I could give you - as most dog books do give - a lot of prescriptions, but only give one, so that in case you do not happen to have on hand, or cannot get one of these mentioned, then you could get this one filled and use till you could order one of the others. Right here I want to say - never use areca nut for worms in any form, or any vermifuge that contains this dangerous drug if you know it, for while it expels the worms by the "fast train" route, it also kills more dogs by far than it ever saves. Areca nut is a relic of a past decade - avoid its use.

The following article on Symptoms of Worms, was published in Field and Fancy, (I think written by F. J. Skinner), and certainly worthy of space in this book:

"What are the symptoms by which it can be determined that a dog is suffering from worms? As regards puppies, the symptoms are very clear.

They begin to get thin, and they have an appearance that can best be described by the not very euphonious or delicate, but certainly vivid, description of 'pot-bellied.'

This means that the round worms with which they become infested develop to such an extent as to give them a hanging appearance, which every one that has had experience in raising puppies will speedily recognize as symptomatic of the presence of worms.

The puppies become very voracious, yet do not seem to thrive, and in a majority of cases they have fits, and unless relief be given very soon they will die In these fits.

Another symptom is diarrhoea, which, of course, is due to the irritated condition of the intestines.

The administration of worm medicine in any shape or form, however simple, to puppies is always attended with no small amount of risk, and for this reason, as it seems to us - that the effect of a mild dose of medicine is simple to stir up the worms when a puppy is badly infested, which is practically as bad as giving an overstrong dose.

The mild dose stirs them up and causes a fit, when the overstrong dose may have what is practically a poisonous effect. Repeat the dose in a milder form in about a week, and then it will be safe to assume that the puppy has been cleared entirely. After this take the precaution to give from time to time some little laxative medicine. In this way you can effectively prevent the development of worms to any serious extent, and so there will not be any further need for the stronger vermifuges which are required when a puppy is badly infested.

The following are among the many symptomatic indications of worms:

The Eyes

Pupils almost constantly dilated; the eyelids nearly closed, as though aching, which is aggravated by motion; sensitive to light; the whites of eyes red and in jested; patient acts as though sight were defective, being guarded in its movements; eyeballs roll about in distorted fashion; opacity of the lens and amaurotic conditions.

The Nose

Great irritation, evidenced by frequent rubbing on the ground or with the paws. .

The Tongue

The dorsum centrally coated with yellow fur; on the sides appear round or oval spots of a pink or deep crimson color, occasionally slightly elevated when vomiting, and diarrhoea are present accompaniments, and spots are observed through the coating of fur.

The Mouth

Dribbling of slimy saliva, especially during sleep; breath fetid and very offensive; frequent grinding of the teeth, both when asleep and awake.

Cough

Dry, short and spasmodic.

Appetite

Capricious, depraved, frequently ravenous, occasionally in abeyance.

Heart

Palpitation; violence and irregular action; sharp pains, indi-cated by crying out and biting at the ribs over the seat of heart; very rapid breathing.

Abdomen

Swollen and hard to the touch; griping pains, indicated by rolling about; lying on stomach with outstretched legs; flatulence; vomition.

Anus

Considerable local irritation, indicated by dragging along on the hindquarters; protrusion of the mucous membrane and prolapse of the parts.

Skin

Coat rough, stands on end; abundant scurf; herpetic eruptions; thick and lacking usual pliability.

Foeces

Constipated, with frequent ineffective efforts to pass; coated with slimy mucus; or loose, papescent, mixed with slimy mucus; great straining; dark colored, sometimes bloody, and very offensive; discharges of slimy mucus only are frequently observable; at such times evacuations are white or greenish, attended with much straining.

Urine

Passed with difficulty; pale or milky appearance; or white and thick, passed involuntarily.

Nervous System

Convulsions, cramps, paralysis, giddiness, irritability, sleeplessness, depression, restlessness; suddenly jumps up out of sleep, whines and cries out a with fear; epilepy; chorea.

The presence of worms naturally tends to reduce a dog in condition, and many dogs remain permanently so until a thorough dosing is given them, which is effective in ridding them of the nuisance."

As to worms, it is never necessary to consult a veterinarian, in fact, safer not to do so, as too many of them prescribe and use medicines that are dangerous, have to be given too often, and in too large quantities. In case you are where you cannot get the vermifuges I have mentioned, and cannot wait till you could get them, then here is a prescription for worms:

Oil of male shield fern...................... 1 dram.

Santonine .................................. 8 grains.

Fluid extract of jalap ....................... 1 ounce.

Olive oil .................................. 1 ounce.

Oil of anise ................................ 20 drops.

"Dose for puppies two to four months old, one and a half teaspoonsful; seven to ten months old, two; and grown dogs, two and a half or three teaspoonfuls, given on an empty stomach.

"Above doses are for dogs that weigh when grown from 50 pounds to 100 pounds. For smaller dogs weighing about 25 pounds take two-thirds, and toy dogs of about 10 pounds take one-third the above doses. In treating puppies with this remedy, give only one dose; on old dogs, repeat once or twice."

There is no use giving any worm remedy unless the dog has been prepared for it by a proper fasting, and the medicine is put in them when bowels are empty. You must catch the worms by fishing for them when they are hungry, the exception of this rule being, of course, in the case of treating puppies yet unweaned. This is, as before said, not so often necessary.

Dr. Clayton furnishes me directions as to giving his Vermifuge as follows: "The dose for toy dog ten days old is two to five drops, twenty days old five to ten drops, thirty days old ten to thirty drops. Medium and large breeds, twice and three times the amount, to be varied by the size and strength of the animal, and can be given with perfect safety. I have yet to see one unpleasant result of the Vermifuge, and I will pay for any pup that has been properly treated with my Vermifuge in time, that dies of worms. I will put up twice the value of the pup, and after I have given a dose of my Vermifuge, if the pup dies and there is found one worm, the owner takes the money; if there are no worms, the owner stands the loss. I absolutely guarantee to remove all worms with my remedies, without injury to the animal, and you cannot speak too highly of my worm remedies."

Dr. Clayton further says: "Puppies never do so well as when getting the nourishment from the mother, and if it is possible to rid them of worms at this time it is very much to be desired, this can be accomplished by giving Clayton's Vermifuge, as it is a safe remedy and can be given to puppies at ten days' old, any breed. The Vermifuge should never be given oftener than once a week. It is a good plan to give all puppies the Vermifuge, say once a week from ten days old until they are three months old, as you are then absolutely sure your puppies are free from worms, and barring all contagious diseases will soon arrive at the teething period."

Now, what I have written and furnished you in the foregoing is meant for Stomach or Round Worms especially. Any of these Vermifuges might also expel tape worm, but I now treat of it, and a remedy that is certain, safe and sure, one made and intended to be used on human's for tape worm, but adapted to and used on the dog, by the writer: