Diarrhoea is an ailment very common to puppies, but usually the attack is not serious enough to require any remedy to be administered. Should it continue for a longer period than twenty-four hours, however, measures should be taken to control it.

In the case of young puppies, the trouble is generally caused by something in the food eaten. The stomach may be overloaded, or some indigestible substance may have been swallowed; sudden change of food will also sometimes cause it. In most cases nature will do all that is required, but if the trouble is persistent - especially if the discharges have an offensive odor - the matter should be at once attended to.

The diarrhoea is the result of nature's effort to remove the offending matter from the stomach, and in order to assist her a dose of castor oil may be given; a tea-spoonful to a dessertspoonful, according to the size of the animal, will be sufficient in most cases. For a day or two the diet should be restricted in quantity, and nothing but scalded milk or mutton broth be given. At the same time particular care must be taken to see that the patient is not exposed to sudden atmospheric changes, nor allowed to get wet.

Should dysentery supervene, which will be manifest by discharges of slime and blood, it will be necessary to repeat the dose of castor oil. If the animal suffers much pain, a teaspoonful of paregoric should be given once in two to four hours, as the case may appear to demand.

In ordinary cases, that are not complicated with other diseases, a speedy recovery may be looked for; but should the trouble continue, you should consult a veterinarian or your family physician.

Until the patient is entirely recovered the nourishment should be simple and given often, but in very small quantities, especially in the first stages of the disease. Milk that has been boiled and mutton broth are both excellent.

If the patient appears to be losing strength too rapidly, a raw egg beaten up with half a teaspoonful of brandy should be given once in two to six hours, as may be thought necessary.

When the patient is convalescing, great care must be taken not to overload the stomach. Food should be given in small quantities and as often as is thought necessary. It should be nourishing, but not too rich; meat broth with rice, cooked four or five hours, is excellent. Stale wheat bread, toasted brown and soaked in milk, is also good.

If the patient is much debilitated, quinine may be given in one-grain doses, three times a day, for two or three days. I have frequently at this stage used old blackberry wine, three or four times a day, in half-tea-spoonful doses, with the best of results. This I believe to be much better than brandy or port wine. Careful nursing, intelligent watching of symptoms, with judicious care in the giving of remedies and food, will in a very large majority of cases bring the patient through the trouble all right.