Functional disturbances of the liver are very common among dogs. The character of their food, irregularities in feeding, and insufficient exercise, promote a disorder which may be termed torpor of the liver, or as more commonly designated biliousness. Properly torpor in this instance means a deficient secretion of bile; still the term is often used in cases where the morbid condition is somewhat obscure. Over feeding, indigestible food, various irregularities, insufficient exercise, and over fatigue are among the more evident causes.

Symptoms

Dulness of manner, offensive breath, capricious appetite, whitened tongue, and at times a hot nose are among the prominent symptoms. Constipation may exist for a time, to be followed by a diarrhoea. In the former instance the discharges are hard and sometimes clay-col-ored; in the latter loose, greenish, black or tarry in appearance.

The coat of the animal loses that bright characteristic gloss, becomes rougher and lustreless, and at times a skin eruption called eczema is associated.

An animal suffering from simple functional disorder of the liver, shows no very marked symptoms; still it is evident to an observer some ailment is depressing him. Under excitement his manner changes and nothing irregular is apparent, but when food is placed before him, or while in his kennel or about the house, he again becomes dull and listless.

Treatment

Correcting all abuses are the first indications in treatment. Food should be allowed but twice a day and then the simplest diet be chosen. If the animal has been restrained, greater freedom should be allowed, and exercise if necessary be insisted upon.

Taraxacum or dandelion, it is generally accepted, has a specific action upon the liver, exciting it to secretion when torpid. One dose of this daily should be given, the freshly prepared extract preferred, and of it one half a teaspoonful is the proper quantity. After this has been administered, if the bowels are inclined to constipation, one half a teaspoonful of calcined magnesia may be given with the food, once or twice daily as needed.

That alkaline remedies have a decided influence on the composition ot the bile has been shown by Lewaschew and Klikowitsch. Their experiments were made on dogs with permanent fistulas leading to the gall-bladder. After the administration of alkaline solutions the flow of bile was measurably increased. It was observed that different results were obtained from solutions of different degrees of concentration. Thus, carbonate of sodium had a more rapid, powerful, and lasting influence on the composition of the bile than the sulphate of sodium. Solutions of weak strength were more powerful than those of higher concentration.